Hello Everyone :)

I once again must apologise for the delay in updates. This story is no longer being beta'd by my last beta, due to personal reasons they are no longer beta'ing any stories. So this story now has a new beta :D

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own anything from J.K or Tolkien's universes

Chapter 13 – A Confession

Thorin was sitting chatting quietly with Balin while the others cooked breakfast. He kept glancing down at Hermione, curled up on the window sill, wrapped in a rather small blanket.

After everyone had gone to sleep, he had draped a blanket over her shivering form and immediately she had cuddled up to it. Her reaction made him smile a little but he shook his head and went back to his standard broody expression. Her face was getting worse, he noticed black and blue splotches were appearing everywhere and her cut lip was slightly swollen.

"I think she's beginning to wake." Balin whispered, watching as Hermione's hands clenched into fists. Her face pinched into a pained expression and her breathing had quickened slightly.

…

There were bodies all over the place, blood dripping down the stone stairs, and screams of those dying echoing through the halls. Flashes of colour everywhere, blending, giving the illusion of a rainbow, a deadly collision of colour. She was lying in the rubble and dust, which had started to suffocate her, drying her throat as they approached. Hooded, cloaked figures wearing bone masks raised their wands. Everywhere she looked there were wands trained on her, there was no escape. In slow motion flashes of green and red sped towards her, the words Crucio & Avada Kedavra from dozens of voices echoed in her ears…

…

When Hermione started coming to, she heard muffled voices and a clanging sound, still unaware whether this was a nightmare or reality. Her whole body was clenched tight as she had readied it for the onslaught of spells that were heading towards her. Opening her eyes quickly, she could just see through the blur of sleep. Not recognising her surroundings Hermione panicked, back in her nightmare, she jumped up as fast as she could and trained her wand on the source of the voices.

…

Thorin and Balin both jumped back in shock when Hermione leapt from her position on the window sill to a battle stance with her wand jabbing into Thorin's neck. Thorin looked into her eyes, not seeing the woman from last night but someone still fighting a battle. He could hear Balin trying to calm her and tell her it was just a dream but Thorin knew better, as he had seen this look many times before, usually in his own reflection. There was more to this woman than he thought. She had seen battle or at least lived through a traumatic experience. Thorin felt sorry for her, no one should ever have to live through something to cause that look, at least not one who appeared so young in age. Slowly her eyes regained their focus as she left her nightmare and re-entered reality. By this time Gandalf had joined them after hearing the commotion and was watching on with a saddened expression. Hermione was shocked by the position she was in. She looked up into Thorin Oakenshield's eyes with such regret as she slowly lowered her wand.

"My Lady… Lady Hermione… Hermione," Gandalf called until she responded to her name, "Are you alright now?" he asked his voice filled with concern.

"Yes, It was just a memory…" she muttered, as she looked at Balin and then back to Thorin, "I cannot begin to express how sorry I am for my actions this morning."

And surprising all four of them, especially himself, Thorin calmly said, "Don't apologise… I understand."

"Hermione, what is that weapon that you held to Thorin's throat may I ask? It's just I have never seen anything like it before…" asked Balin, although a little hesitantly.

Hermione knew that there was no point hiding it now, besides even though she had improved her lying abilities immensely in recent years she still hated doing it, "It's a wand… I'm of magic. I'm called a witch."

"A What?!" Thorin exclaimed in horror. The only 'witches' he was aware of, were those corrupt from the race of men, who dabbled in the darkness in this world.

"I am not from your world, Master Oakenshield, I have come here on the words of a prophecy…" Hermione started unsure of how to go about this, "Maybe it would be best if we discussed this all together so I'm not having to repeat myself."

She received three nods of conformation before walking to the dining room where breakfast was just being served.

"Lady Hermione!" Kili boomed in excitement, the grin slipped from his face "What happened to your face?"

Hermione reached up remembering the slight bruising yesterday, realising that today they must have come right through.

"I will get to that soon but first I must explain who I am and my purpose in this company." Once everyone was settled in and eating when she began her explanation. Blunt and straight to the point, just like Severus, was going to be her approach this morning. Looking to Thorin for his approval to start, she received a subtle nod permitting her to commence.

"I am not from this world. I am from a land which exists quite some time in the future presumably, though I can't be certain." They started mumbling but after a few stern words from Thorin, about being silent until she had finished, they quieted down. "Yesterday at dinner you asked me how I could be of any help against a dragon & I answered Magic. I wasn't joking…I'm a witch, but not like Gandalf. We have different abilities. For example, he uses a staff. I can use a wand or," she said as she revealed her beautifully crafted wand in front of her, "I can cast magic without it. Gandalf can feel ones power and claims that I have a power that he has never experienced before…" almost everyone turned to look at Gandalf for conformation.

"Oh yes, quite remarkable I even believe she is more powerful than the highest of our order in Middle Earth."

Everyone turned back to Hermione, gawking, however she too looked completely taken aback by his statement.

"I… uhmm… Any questions thus far?" Hermione looked around the room and waited, not just for questions, but to let a few of the more shocked dwarves catch up.

"What's it made of, your wand? It is very beautiful." Balin asked leaning over the table slightly, staring at her wand.

"It's made of Vinewood with a dragon heartstring core."

"DRAGON HEARTSTRING!" Nori shouted, looking at the wand with shock.

"How did you get a dragon's heartstring My Lady?" Gloin asked, bewildered and slightly impressed at the idea of the little lady in front of him taking a dragon's heartstring for her wand.

"Maybe we underestimated her…" Dwalin said at the same time that Gloin questioned Hermione.

"Sorry to disappoint but I didn't get it. We do not make our own wands, they are made by wand makers and then the wand chooses its master and in my case this particular wand chose me."

Dwalin and Gloin thoroughly disappointed by her response, both slumped back in their chair, slightly less impressed.

"Are their many dragons in your world? Seeing as you speak so casually about them?" Thorin grunted at her, trying to cover the satisfaction he felt at knowing that her weapon was made at the death of a dragon.

"There are many all across my world, the majority live in Romania although we keep them secret from all those who are blind to the existence of magic. Our ministry classifies them as XXXXX, the most dangerous, or known wizard killers. This, I no longer believe. The most dangerous known wizard killers are wizards themselves. However there are people who are trained to work with them called dragonologists. Actually one of my best friend's older brother is one."

"Sounds like a dangerous and foolish job!" Oin bellowed from his place in the corner, receiving all nods of agreement.

"Have you ever faced a dragon, Lady Granger?" Thorin asked seeing through her textbook response.

Looking away from him she decided to look at Fili as his stare didn't make her so uncomfortable, actually it had quite the opposite effect, calming her enough to answer. "Faced… Not really. I have witnessed one hatch before. One of my old professor's wanted to keep him as a pet, but they sent Norbert the dragon away…"

Thorin realised that she was holding something back, "And?"

Taking a deep breath before continuing, "I rode on one's back to escape capture during the war."

"No way?!" Kili exclaimed, letting his excitement slip through, causing him to be on the receiving end of another of Thorin's glares. "I mean…" noticing his uncle's look, "Why did it not kill you?"

"Probably because it was escaping too. They had it chained up hundreds of feet underground to protect people's money and treasures. It was our only means of escape so I jumped on its back and released it from its bonds."

"You let a dragon loose!" Balin's shock at her actions was evident from his bulging eyes.

"Like I said, there are many dragons in our world. But I'm going to assume like most things that I have learned of so far, that the dragons in my world differ from the one currently squatting in your home."

"The bruises… how did you get them if you're a witch?" Ori said as he continued to knit trying to change the subject in order to defuse the growing tension in the room.

Hermione let out a little laugh, "I am still mortal, I bruise just as any man would. Like I said I am not like Gandalf, whom I assume has lived no short life."

"But wouldn't you use magic before anyone could harm you?" Fili asked with a frown on his face.

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment calming the rising hysteria at the memories, "No-one makes it through the other side of war unscathed Master Fili… especially in a war of magic," she whispered before looking at her untouched breakfast.

"That's enough for now," Thorin's voice carried over the table, "Pack your stuff we leave in 10." All the dwarves scurried off to pack their things, Thorin paused next to Hermione, "You too Lady Granger." He said in a slightly gentler tone.

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