Is it Courtship or Entertainment?

"One of the world's most popular entertainments is a deck of cards, which contains thirteen each of four suits, highlighted by kings, queens and jacks, who are possibly the queen's younger, more attractive boyfriends."
― Lemony Snicket

The letters started arriving when it was nearly Winter.

Nobody noticed it at first, but that was just because of Cailyn's pregnancy.

Hermione had always been brilliant at keeping secrets, which was strange considering the fact that she couldn't lie to save her life. What Hermione could do was misdirect you and if you talked to her with the intention of interrogating her, you'd find yourself chatting happily about Ancient Runes and it's only when the conversation ended that you'd remember you were supposed to be interrogating her.

Draco was the first to notice. Inevitable since both of them worked closely together. Then he smirked when she received her fifth letter from an annoyed Maethor.

He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it.

"Don't say anything," she pleaded.

"And why not?" he asked. "Don't have a thing to answer?"

"No," she said with exaggerated patience. "But until I have some idea of what I'm doing, don't say a thing to anybody."

"I'll hold you to that," he said.

Luna was the second to notice and that was only because the eighth letter came when they were having dinner. Heather was absent on committee business and it was only the three of them.

"Hermione," Luna started softly. "Your soul is singing. Who's writing that letter?"

Here, Draco found a loophole on their earlier agreement and answered. "It's that elf she was dancing with. He's courting her."

A rosy flush went up to Hermione's cheeks. "No, he's not. He's just interested but he's from a royal line, so don't even think about teasing me about this."

Draco chortled but kept his silence. It was Luna that spoke, "You're just being silly, Hermione. I heard his soul when he danced with you and it sang the sweetest thing to yours."

Hermione groaned and did not make a sound for the rest of the meal.

Heather was the last to find out, and that was only because of the lack of opportunity. But a week after that embarrassing dinner (in Hermione's opinion anyway), Heather's bare hand brushed against Hermione's and she startled at the images she received. And from Draco's smirk and Luna's knowing twinkle, that future was not so far away.

"Well," Heather breathed as she rubbed her hands. "Anything you lot want to tell me?"

Luna beamed at her and Draco slapped a golden coin in Luna's open hand. Hermione groaned and covered her eyes.

"Nothing ever really stays private between the four of us, does it?" Hermione muttered.

Nobody could refute that. Among the four of them, only Hermione's gift was non-invasive of privacy. But that depended on your point of view, really.

"I've gotten used to it, Mione," Heather said. "So, want to share?"

Hermione wanted to pout since the misdirection did not work. "Elladan's been writing to me," she answered instead. "It's nothing much, just an equal exchange of information."

"Courting letters," Draco said in a loud whisper to Luna. "She's in denial."

Hermione opened her mouth, intending to say No! but that would just solidify his case. Either way, she was stuck in a corner. Damn purebloods.

"Draco, don't tease," Heather scolded.

Luna gave a serene smile. "It's not teasing if it's the truth."

Why were the twins picking on Hermione? Heather had to use a lot of effort in order not to smile. It did not do to encourage the both of them.

"Guys," Heather said softly.

They both dropped the act and instead gave Hermione their complete attention. Any other person would have been unnerved.

"What's he been asking you?" Draco asked.

She fidgeted. "What I wanted most in life…My favorite food. My stance on women being warriors. What we're on now is the history of the elves."

There was a silence.

And then Draco gave a sound of surprise. "Hex me! Those are courting letters!"

He sounded serious. Hermione only barely managed to stop herself from squeaking out an undignified what!? Instead, she took several deep breaths and asked calmly, "Expound please?"

The purebloods in the group exchanged glances. Heather was a half-blood but even she knew what was going on due to the lessons that Griphook had forced on her.

"It's a pureblood thing," Heather eventually said. "But it seems to apply in this world too. It certainly applied to King Theoden."

"It's like a prerequisite to courting," Draco said. He sounded like he was trying to dumb down the explanation of why the sky is blue to a toddler. Heather felt his discomfort acutely.

"A requirement?" she asked and Draco barely restrained his groan of pain.

It was Luna that sighed and answered, "No, not exactly. Let's say, you wish to jump in a pool of water. You know it's clean because it has a reputation. The sensible ones would test the temperature of the water with a limb. The reckless ones would just jump in."

Enlightenment dawned on Hermione's face and Heather stopped her sigh from coming out. Because it was just strange for all of them to know something that Hermione didn't. Like, the-world-is-ending kind of strange.

"He is kind," Hermione muttered. "He shared his love of music with me when we danced."

Heather wanted to give out feminine squeals of glee. Luna's twinkling eyes seemed to convey the same wish. Sadly, they had to restrain it or Draco would go bolt himself in his potions lab for a year. Ah, what they sacrificed for him.

"We saw that," Luna said.

"Mione, everyone saw you dance. And you only had eyes for each other. For a moment, I wondered if you were the one getting married," Heather said.

Hermione's face turned a really funny shade of red. "Don't be silly," she spluttered. "You can't marry someone you just met!"

Draco's smile was sardonic. "Technically, you can. There are marriages via proxy, you know?"

Hermione's hair reacted this time. It seemed to get curlier the more flustered she got. "Draco!" she said.

Heather really had to laugh at the expression on Hermione's face. That got her Hermione's attention.

"Feather!" Hermione sighed. "Really?"

She did her best to stamp down her amusement. "Sorry. I'll stop yanking your leg now. But, honestly, does he come across as a stalker, a creep, or just an interested man?"

Hermione's stiff hand gesture indicated the latter.

"Then we won't worry about it," Heather continued. "Just be sensible, alright love? Don't go and offer him the Elixir of Life."

The effect of these interactions showed themselves a week later, when the elven twins showed up.

It caused quite a stir in Haven. Because this time, the people were actually sober enough to notice that they were elves. Luckily, it was Meiran who came across them.

"Dear Lady," Elrohir started. "May we trouble you to ask where we can speak with the Lady of Haven and her dear siblings?"

This was delivered with a smile that could have melted icebergs and cracked glaciers. If Meiran had been a lesser woman, she would have turned to a puddle of mush by his feet and entered zombiehood and became one whose days were spent in worship of him. But Meiran was tempered by Hodur, because no matter how surely and rude he got, he was still an incredibly handsome bastard.

"Don't bother," Meiran answered instead. "Once you entered this city, she knew you were here. Stay in one spot long enough and the children will drag you to her." And then she bustled off with her basket full of potions, leaving the twins blinking.

They would have followed her but the happy chatter of children drew their attention. The Lady of Haven was being tugged by the children towards them. And more importantly, in Elladan's point of view, the Lady Enid was demurely following behind.

It was quite striking to see the difference between the two women. Though both of them moved gracefully, indicating a certain proficiency in self-defense, there was a marked difference. Lady Gryffon moved with the self-assurance of a person who knew her place in the world. She also had several bulges on her person, indicating weaponry. That didn't deter the children though, who knew to avoid them.

Lady Enid moved like she a thousand other things in her mind. It did not make her absent minded, but rather, emphasized itself when her bright eyes darted around to take in everything around her, as though she could not get enough of the world. It was done without being conscious of her movements, which screamed of a subtle confidence. Strangely enough, it attracted attention.

"Both of you!" Lady Gryffon cried happily when she was within hearing distance. Her hands spread wide as though to engulf them in her embrace.

"We are sorry for the short notice," Elrohir answered after glancing at the mute Elladan. Discreetly, he trod on his brothers toes to jerk him out of staring. The tightening of his brothers mouth told him that it worked.

"We were in the area and wished to replenish our supplies," Elladan said. He managed not to sound strangled when Lady Enid flashed him a quick smile.

"What timing!" Lady Gryffon said. "I'll take you to the market. I'm under orders to go there as well." The mischievous twinkle in her eyes was the only warning Elrohir had before she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the market.

"My lady, what – " Elrohir started in protest.

"Come on, Elrohir," she interrupted. "What's the gossip?"

Elrohir was surprised enough that he almost stumbled. "Gossip regarding?" he asked.

In answer, she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. A quick glance behind him revealed what she meant. His brother and Lady Enid were in a world of their own. He had never seen his twin looking that serious, or happy.

"Well, I have no knowledge of it," Elrohir stated. "My brother is being extremely secretive."

Lady Gryffon gave a very put-upon sigh. "That's just sad. Even Enid isn't telling us anything."

Despite the matter at hand, Elrohir found himself smiling. "You find amusement in their courtship?"

"Where else can I find entertainment?" she explained. "And it's all I have. The next thing I know, she'll be coming to me in the middle of the night, asking advice on something your brother wrote."

Elrohir laughed at that, since he could very well imagine the bright-eyed Lady Enid doing that. "You're a treasure, Lady Gryffon."

Lady Gryffon beamed at him. "You flattering fellow."

The tour was rather more intensive than what Aragorn showed Elrohir. That as understandable seeing as it was one of the Founders showing him the city. Through the course of it, Elrohir found himself commenting on the strange shape of it, and the lack of street signs.

"But of course!" Lady Gryffon exclaimed. "Haven was built with war in mind. Anybody, any army that tries to lay siege on us will find themselves having a hard time."

He agreed to that since the dead-ends usually had forty foot walls with small bolt holes for arrows.

"We have an office that deals with tourists," she continued. "But we make sure not to give them the general lay-out."

"My lady, you're as paranoid as my brother," he remarked, thinking about Aragorn.

She probably knew which brother he meant, because she beamed at him. "Now that is a compliment."

Hermione found Elladan to be one of the most interesting people she had ever met, and that was saying something since she was acquainted with Heather.

"I don't believe parchment and ink are easy to find in the wild," Hermione found herself saying. Inwardly, she wanted to smack herself for poking at him.

He cast her a quick smile that nearly had her giggling. Buggering hormones!

"No, they aren't," he agreed. "I think I fairly aggravated my brothers in insisting for frequent stops in all the towns we could come across."

Quick as lightning, he changed the topic.

"However are you related to the Lady Gryffon? If I may be so bold as to ask," he said.

Though Hermione found herself blinking at the topic he chose, she readily answered, "Not directly, I think. It's a long process to trace our family tree so we just call ourselves cousins."

"My lady Enid," he said suddenly, stopping near the middle of the road. "My brother Aragorn was told of your secret. He only told me because he caught wind of the letters. There was a breach of trust. Please, forgive me."

Okay, hold up. What?

And then several processes occurred in her quick mind, happening so quickly that Elladan did not notice.

Apparently, Heather had told Aragorn of a secret and Aragorn, seeing Elladan's interest in Hermione, told him. And there were only two secrets that Heather could share freely without requiring the others' permission. One being Guiomers true heritage, and the other one…

"It's alright," she reassured the distraught elf. "I'm sure Gryffon won't mind. We always knew, eventually, that we would have to share that. Having you as one of the first to know would be our first trial."

Unfortunately, he mistook the word 'trial' for difficulty. Honestly, she sometimes forgot that the language had not yet evolved that far.

"It is not bad news, for me," he said quickly. "Indeed, when you live very long, you start to seek your own kind to prevent the heartache that is mortality."

Bugger. What a mood killer.

Hermione restrained her sigh, but something must have shown up on her face because he asked her, "My lady?"

"It is nothing," she said. "Now, tell me, what have you done these past months? Have you ridden any trolls?"

His hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. "No," he said. "But I rode on a warg. I was nearly plunged into a ravine."

Hermione laughed. "That seems to be the theme in these sorts of happenings: you nearly diving off a high place."

Elladan cocked an eyebrow. "What's life without a little adventure?"

Merlin, he sounded like Guiomer, or Heather on a particularly restless day.

"Tell me about it," she demanded.

And, like a gentleman, he obliged.

The city was then privy to the scene of two oblivious people having a casual stroll. If Elladan had a bit more self-awareness, he would have noticed his twin muttering under his breath a couple of streets away as he dragged the supplies he managed to garner from the market by himself, but alas, elves were perceptive, not all knowing.

Heather just watched the entire thing with amusement.

OMAKE:

The Reason why Rohan cursed and blessed Heather in one breathe

Their Quartermaster read the manual that Lady Gryffon had sent home with them. Both of them had trained under her rather closely so their nervous fidgeting was rather understandable. The Lady was rather unpredictable.

"This manual," the man said gruffly in Rohirric. "She made you follow this?"

Seeing as their orders from the Lady were to Not Look At It, and they had actually snuck a peek at the first few chapters, and adding the fact that this was their Quartermaster they were talking about, they threw away acting innocent and just nodded.

The Quartermaster smiled grimly. "Good. Then we shall have the new recruits practice these new drills. It has obviously made the both of you well enough to disarm three of my men in quick succession." Then he turned to his assistant. "Grimbold, go tell the smithy to weigh the new weapons with lead."

There was a cry of pain and agony that came from the Training courts since that day and both siblings were smart enough not to say that they had done that under worse circumstances, with a demon bearing a beatific smile and multi-colored hair watching them being pounded to the ground.

If this ever becomes a series, and I am having an anime series running through my head with this one, then I will call this the Fluff Arc. It's so sweet and mushy that I feel like my teeth are gonna get cavities.

Kidding.

Hope you enjoyed yourselves. Though, in view of the 'Fluff Arc' there is only one more of it left, which is the next chapter.

Questions! Nobody actually had any for the previous one that I can answer. Seriously people, if I don't answer it the first time around, it means that I don't wish to spoil you. Waiting makes it all the more enjoyable, you know?

Please R&R.

~Hallen