Heh... I sincerely apologize for the extended delay, but... Things got in the
way. School, social life (social life? What's that?), other fanfics, and
writer's block among them. But, here I am, updating! Woot. Go me. And now,
To my reviewers!
Dizzydragon: I rather liked writing that part. My mind tends to think in semi-circles like that.
Bobette the builder: he he he, yes, many question. Many, many questions...
Hotpinkflamingo: yes, the Legolas in my fic is primarily based on Mr. Bloom's portrayal, at least image wise. Personality wise, he is based amore on my own speculation of how he would act outside of a war-time.
And to Crazy Luver, Correspondence, Cassandra the Evil, citcat299, pixidust09, UntitledN'stayinthatway, flying-piggy-123, Karana Belle, Rochi, and firefoxgirl: Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews!
(#)
Hermione's POV
I woke the next morning to sunlight streaming across my face. For a moment, I was confused. Then I sat up and remembered where I was.
"Stupid Malfoy..." I muttered. I stood up and smoothed out my rumpled skirt. I realized I had slept the entire night in the exquisite garment. I sighed.
"Lady Hermione? Are you awake?" I heard a soft voice call.
"I am." I replied, going to open the door. The moment I had, Silmarwen from the day before entered, carrying several dresses.
"These were made for you last night." She informed me. "First you may take a bath, and then we'll get you dressed. Lady Arwen has asked that you join her in her chambers for breakfast."
"Lady A-Arwen?" I stammered. I gulped slightly. The most beautiful elf in Middle-Earth had asked for my company?
"Yes. Now, come on." She smiled as she took me into the bathroom. The tub, I found, actually had running water. Silmarwen drew a bath of hot water for me and poured in a few different oils, which, when they hit the water, filled the room with a pleasant fragrance. She helped me get out of the dress and I climbed, slightly self-consciously, into the tub.
Silmarwen then ordered me to relax as she poured something onto my hair and began to work it into a lather. She caught me slightly off guard by dumping a bucketful of water over my head to rise it. She then handed me a cloth and a small jar of what I assumed to be soap, and told me to wash myself as she prepared my clothes for the day.
Once I was done I stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around myself. The fabric was soft and warm, and seemed to dry even better than an ordinary terrycloth towel. I walked into the main room where Silmarwen handed me my undergarments. I put them on and stood, staring dumbfounded at the three dresses the Silmarwen had laid out.
"You may pick which one you want to wear today." She said. I gaped slightly. All three were at least as beautiful as the one I wore last night. One was similar to the midnight blue creation that Silmarwen had shown me the day before, save the knee-length bell sleeves had been shortened, and only flared from the elbow down. The second one was cream- colored with crimson edges, as though the hen had been dipped in red dye and the color let seep up and fade into the fabric a few inches. There were tiny pearls sewn onto the neckline in a lace pattern. The third one was a lighter blue than the first, but still a deep cerulean color, with silver trim. It was sleeveless, and seemed to fall about the body like the dresses of the Greek goddesses. I smiled lightly.
"I'll wear that one." I said, pointing to the last one. Silmarwen smiled.
"Beautiful. Now, come on, put it on. It's not hard, no buttons this time. Here, turn around, I'll tie it for you." She then led me over to the vanity table. Using the same stuff she put in my hair the day before, she worked out all the tangles and then looked at me through the mirror.
"Do you want your hair up or down?" She asked.
"How about half up, half down?" I suggested. Almost no sooner than I finished she had begin. She pulled the top half of my hair into an elegant bun, leaving a few wisps to frame my face, and left the rest to fall down my back.
"You're ready. Come, I'll show you to Lady Arwen's rooms." Silmarwen said. I grabbed my wand and tucked it into the sash of the gown, between folds of fabric so that it wouldn't be seen. I followed her nervously through the labyrinthine hallways to what seemed to be another tower. I was led up the stairs. At the top there was a small chamber that had only one door. Silmarwen knocked lightly. The delicate woman – elf – soon opened the door with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Silmarwen, Lady Hermione." She said kindly. Silmarwen bowed and left. Arwen gestured for me to enter the parlor. Apparently, the King and Queen had an enormous suite. I supposed it could be likened to a penthouse, so grand it was.
"I hear you have quite an interesting story, Lady Hermione." Arwen said as we sat down in comfortable chairs next to a small table. "My husband would only tell me so much. Tea?"
"Yes please." I said quietly. She poured me a cup of tea into a beautiful teacup. The tea set, I believe, would put the Queen of England's finest to shame. I held it carefully, terrified that it would break. Arwen laughed lightly.
"These Elven cups are stronger than you give them credit for." She said. I managed a smile and a sheepish chuckle.
"I'm sorry. I'm just no used to all of this." I said. "Suddenly plunged into a world I know little about, save what's in my book."
"I rather know the feeling." Arwen said, a slightly bittersweet edge to her voice. "I lived my life as an elf, and then, after 2000 years, living in and becoming the Queen of a mortal realm was, well..."
"Major culture shock?" I supplied. She smiled.
"Would you like some fruit?" She asked, offering a plate of several rather exotic fruits. I picked up what appeared to be similar to a Mango. Taking a tentative bite, I realized it did rather taste like a mango, but it had a lighter quality, it wasn't as heavy a taste.
"Thank you." I said. She nodded.
"Actually... I am rather interested in my husband's claim that you are, in fact, a female wizard. Is this indeed true?" She asked, now staring at me intently.
"In my world, we prefer the term witch. It's not the same type of magic as the Wizards here perform. Actually, it's probably infinitely more complex. You see, here amongst the more major spells and such are lights and levitation, am I correct?" Arwen nodded. "Where I am from, those are among the most rudimentary skills."
"May I see some of this magic?"
I pulled my wand out of the sash where I had tucked it.
"I'm not entirely sure about this. It seems as though the magic I posses is... amplified in these surroundings. It is my guess that the Elves' natural magic, combined with Middle-Earth's natural magic creates something similar to a magic megaphone. I think that it's rather like what happens when you put a few sparks onto a pile of kindling." I explained.
"What would be a harmless spell you could try?"
"Well..." I said, thinking hard. "I could try a simple light spell, but I'm afraid that until I can control how much magic I put into it, it would be blinding... Hmm... Would you happen to have anything that's broken?" I asked.
"I do, actually." Arwen said, standing up and walking over to the mantle where there lay a large bowl. "This was a vase that I had received from a potter in Minas Tirith as a wedding gift. It was inadvertently broken, but I could not bear to give it up. I had brought it in hopes that the elven potters he might be able to fix it." She explained. I smiled.
"Alright. Here, dump the pieces onto the table." I said, standing up as well. When Arwen did so, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I opened them and stared a the vase.
"Reparo." I muttered, trying to trim how much magic I put into it. It was still powerful, though, and the pieces flew back together at a speed which I hadn't seen before. The vase was left, rocking slightly, but intact. Arwen immediately picked it up.
"Extraordinary!" She exclaimed. She put the vase and bowl up on the mantle and returned to her seat across from me. "Absolutely fascinating. What else can you do?" She asked. She looked, to me, like a child entranced by a wondrous toy.
"Well, about anything from repairing things like that, to destroying them, to making inanimate objects animate, transfiguring things from one object to another... Good stuff, and bad stuff. In my world, there are three unforgivable curses. Use of them is punishable by death." Arwen gasped slightly at this.
"These are the Crucatious, what is used to inflict unimaginable pain, the Imperius, which is used to control the mind, and..." I hesitated before saying the last one. Arwen already looked fairly horrified.
"And?" She prompted, albeit nervously.
"Avada Kedavra. The Killing Curse. Delivers swift, inescapable death. It doesn't leave a trace."
Arwen gasped.
"Who would even use these spells?" She asked softly.
"Just as there is good and evil in this world, there is good and evil in my world. Lord Voldemort being a prominent evil figure. He... Well, suffice to say he is as horrid as Sauron. And his henchmen are smarter and more cunning than uruk-hai. In my world, there is a dark war being fought. Several hundred of Voldemort's men against about 50 Order members." I said. Arwen reached across the table to lay a hand on mine.
"Do not despair." She said. "Cormlle naa tanya tel'raa. You will succeed."
"What does that mean?" I asked, meaning the elven phrase she had used.
"You heart is that of a lion." Arwen said with a smile. I grinned at the irony.
"So says many people." I responded.
"Let us speak not more of the evils of the world, tell me instead of your friends."
For several hours, until the sun was high in the sky, we talked. Around noon, food was brought up to us by a maid. We then realized how hungry we were, despite having been eating the fruit here and there all morning.
I looked at the tantalizing small roast witting on a bed of lettuce, surrounded by vegetables. Also brought was a loaf of bread, and silverware and plates. Arwen thanked the maid and she left.
"Lovely lunch, isn't it?" Arwen said, cutting off a thick slice of the roast and putting it on her plate along with some of the vegetables. I smiled, cutting myself two slices of bread.
"I'd honestly rather have a sandwich, if it isn't rude." I said, cutting also several thing slices of the roast and laying them on the bread. I pulled a leaf of the lettuce from under the roast and placed in top, then a few of the carrots. I put the top slice of bread on it, then cut it diagonally. Arwen watched, again fascinated by my strange customs, as I picked up the sandwich and took a bite.
"What is that called?" She asked.
"A sandwich. In my world, invented by the Earl of Sandwich in the 1600's. I think." I said with a giggle. Arwen looked at her own plate and smiled. She cut two slices of bread and placed her roast between them, picking it up to eat. She smiled in delight at the ease with which she could eat it.
"Pretty good, eh?" I said, taking another bit of my own. Somehow, Arwen made even eating a sandwich look elegant. I laughed inwardly at the thought.
After we had finished out sandwiches, Arwen suggested we take a walk around the gardens. I agreed, so about 10 minutes later found us admiring the lush gardens of the Mirkwood palace.
"It is said that Prince Legolas himself helped plant some of these roses." Arwen said. I blushed slightly at the name.
"They certainly are lovely." I said in reply.
"You know, Prince Legolas is looking for a wife."
"Is he?" I asked casually, no realizing that the pitch of my voice had raised slightly.
"Yes." Arwen said. "He has confided in my husband and myself that if he does not find a suitable wife in the next century, he will cross into the west with Gimli as his companion."
"Ahh... Yes, indeed." I said, recalling how that eventually came to pass. I kept this to myself, however, saying simply "I've little doubt he shall find what his heart yearns for."
Well said, I told myself. Well said.
"I saw you dancing with him." Arwen said. This caught me off guard, as it had been her most blatant statement so far on our stroll.
"Could I really refuse the Prince a dance?" I said, slightly uncomfortable. Arwen seemed to note this.
"You fancy him."
This statement really threw me for a loop.
"What?!" I cried. "Nay, Lady. You have it wrong. Anything you take for infatuation is merely shock at meeting the Prince, as he is merely a storybook character in my world." I said quickly. Arwen just smiled knowingly. I was fairly quiet for the rest of the day.
(#)
Again, I beg forgiveness for not updating!! And for the lack of Draco in this chapter... Yeah, um, gomen!"
Dizzydragon: I rather liked writing that part. My mind tends to think in semi-circles like that.
Bobette the builder: he he he, yes, many question. Many, many questions...
Hotpinkflamingo: yes, the Legolas in my fic is primarily based on Mr. Bloom's portrayal, at least image wise. Personality wise, he is based amore on my own speculation of how he would act outside of a war-time.
And to Crazy Luver, Correspondence, Cassandra the Evil, citcat299, pixidust09, UntitledN'stayinthatway, flying-piggy-123, Karana Belle, Rochi, and firefoxgirl: Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews!
(#)
Hermione's POV
I woke the next morning to sunlight streaming across my face. For a moment, I was confused. Then I sat up and remembered where I was.
"Stupid Malfoy..." I muttered. I stood up and smoothed out my rumpled skirt. I realized I had slept the entire night in the exquisite garment. I sighed.
"Lady Hermione? Are you awake?" I heard a soft voice call.
"I am." I replied, going to open the door. The moment I had, Silmarwen from the day before entered, carrying several dresses.
"These were made for you last night." She informed me. "First you may take a bath, and then we'll get you dressed. Lady Arwen has asked that you join her in her chambers for breakfast."
"Lady A-Arwen?" I stammered. I gulped slightly. The most beautiful elf in Middle-Earth had asked for my company?
"Yes. Now, come on." She smiled as she took me into the bathroom. The tub, I found, actually had running water. Silmarwen drew a bath of hot water for me and poured in a few different oils, which, when they hit the water, filled the room with a pleasant fragrance. She helped me get out of the dress and I climbed, slightly self-consciously, into the tub.
Silmarwen then ordered me to relax as she poured something onto my hair and began to work it into a lather. She caught me slightly off guard by dumping a bucketful of water over my head to rise it. She then handed me a cloth and a small jar of what I assumed to be soap, and told me to wash myself as she prepared my clothes for the day.
Once I was done I stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around myself. The fabric was soft and warm, and seemed to dry even better than an ordinary terrycloth towel. I walked into the main room where Silmarwen handed me my undergarments. I put them on and stood, staring dumbfounded at the three dresses the Silmarwen had laid out.
"You may pick which one you want to wear today." She said. I gaped slightly. All three were at least as beautiful as the one I wore last night. One was similar to the midnight blue creation that Silmarwen had shown me the day before, save the knee-length bell sleeves had been shortened, and only flared from the elbow down. The second one was cream- colored with crimson edges, as though the hen had been dipped in red dye and the color let seep up and fade into the fabric a few inches. There were tiny pearls sewn onto the neckline in a lace pattern. The third one was a lighter blue than the first, but still a deep cerulean color, with silver trim. It was sleeveless, and seemed to fall about the body like the dresses of the Greek goddesses. I smiled lightly.
"I'll wear that one." I said, pointing to the last one. Silmarwen smiled.
"Beautiful. Now, come on, put it on. It's not hard, no buttons this time. Here, turn around, I'll tie it for you." She then led me over to the vanity table. Using the same stuff she put in my hair the day before, she worked out all the tangles and then looked at me through the mirror.
"Do you want your hair up or down?" She asked.
"How about half up, half down?" I suggested. Almost no sooner than I finished she had begin. She pulled the top half of my hair into an elegant bun, leaving a few wisps to frame my face, and left the rest to fall down my back.
"You're ready. Come, I'll show you to Lady Arwen's rooms." Silmarwen said. I grabbed my wand and tucked it into the sash of the gown, between folds of fabric so that it wouldn't be seen. I followed her nervously through the labyrinthine hallways to what seemed to be another tower. I was led up the stairs. At the top there was a small chamber that had only one door. Silmarwen knocked lightly. The delicate woman – elf – soon opened the door with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Silmarwen, Lady Hermione." She said kindly. Silmarwen bowed and left. Arwen gestured for me to enter the parlor. Apparently, the King and Queen had an enormous suite. I supposed it could be likened to a penthouse, so grand it was.
"I hear you have quite an interesting story, Lady Hermione." Arwen said as we sat down in comfortable chairs next to a small table. "My husband would only tell me so much. Tea?"
"Yes please." I said quietly. She poured me a cup of tea into a beautiful teacup. The tea set, I believe, would put the Queen of England's finest to shame. I held it carefully, terrified that it would break. Arwen laughed lightly.
"These Elven cups are stronger than you give them credit for." She said. I managed a smile and a sheepish chuckle.
"I'm sorry. I'm just no used to all of this." I said. "Suddenly plunged into a world I know little about, save what's in my book."
"I rather know the feeling." Arwen said, a slightly bittersweet edge to her voice. "I lived my life as an elf, and then, after 2000 years, living in and becoming the Queen of a mortal realm was, well..."
"Major culture shock?" I supplied. She smiled.
"Would you like some fruit?" She asked, offering a plate of several rather exotic fruits. I picked up what appeared to be similar to a Mango. Taking a tentative bite, I realized it did rather taste like a mango, but it had a lighter quality, it wasn't as heavy a taste.
"Thank you." I said. She nodded.
"Actually... I am rather interested in my husband's claim that you are, in fact, a female wizard. Is this indeed true?" She asked, now staring at me intently.
"In my world, we prefer the term witch. It's not the same type of magic as the Wizards here perform. Actually, it's probably infinitely more complex. You see, here amongst the more major spells and such are lights and levitation, am I correct?" Arwen nodded. "Where I am from, those are among the most rudimentary skills."
"May I see some of this magic?"
I pulled my wand out of the sash where I had tucked it.
"I'm not entirely sure about this. It seems as though the magic I posses is... amplified in these surroundings. It is my guess that the Elves' natural magic, combined with Middle-Earth's natural magic creates something similar to a magic megaphone. I think that it's rather like what happens when you put a few sparks onto a pile of kindling." I explained.
"What would be a harmless spell you could try?"
"Well..." I said, thinking hard. "I could try a simple light spell, but I'm afraid that until I can control how much magic I put into it, it would be blinding... Hmm... Would you happen to have anything that's broken?" I asked.
"I do, actually." Arwen said, standing up and walking over to the mantle where there lay a large bowl. "This was a vase that I had received from a potter in Minas Tirith as a wedding gift. It was inadvertently broken, but I could not bear to give it up. I had brought it in hopes that the elven potters he might be able to fix it." She explained. I smiled.
"Alright. Here, dump the pieces onto the table." I said, standing up as well. When Arwen did so, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I opened them and stared a the vase.
"Reparo." I muttered, trying to trim how much magic I put into it. It was still powerful, though, and the pieces flew back together at a speed which I hadn't seen before. The vase was left, rocking slightly, but intact. Arwen immediately picked it up.
"Extraordinary!" She exclaimed. She put the vase and bowl up on the mantle and returned to her seat across from me. "Absolutely fascinating. What else can you do?" She asked. She looked, to me, like a child entranced by a wondrous toy.
"Well, about anything from repairing things like that, to destroying them, to making inanimate objects animate, transfiguring things from one object to another... Good stuff, and bad stuff. In my world, there are three unforgivable curses. Use of them is punishable by death." Arwen gasped slightly at this.
"These are the Crucatious, what is used to inflict unimaginable pain, the Imperius, which is used to control the mind, and..." I hesitated before saying the last one. Arwen already looked fairly horrified.
"And?" She prompted, albeit nervously.
"Avada Kedavra. The Killing Curse. Delivers swift, inescapable death. It doesn't leave a trace."
Arwen gasped.
"Who would even use these spells?" She asked softly.
"Just as there is good and evil in this world, there is good and evil in my world. Lord Voldemort being a prominent evil figure. He... Well, suffice to say he is as horrid as Sauron. And his henchmen are smarter and more cunning than uruk-hai. In my world, there is a dark war being fought. Several hundred of Voldemort's men against about 50 Order members." I said. Arwen reached across the table to lay a hand on mine.
"Do not despair." She said. "Cormlle naa tanya tel'raa. You will succeed."
"What does that mean?" I asked, meaning the elven phrase she had used.
"You heart is that of a lion." Arwen said with a smile. I grinned at the irony.
"So says many people." I responded.
"Let us speak not more of the evils of the world, tell me instead of your friends."
For several hours, until the sun was high in the sky, we talked. Around noon, food was brought up to us by a maid. We then realized how hungry we were, despite having been eating the fruit here and there all morning.
I looked at the tantalizing small roast witting on a bed of lettuce, surrounded by vegetables. Also brought was a loaf of bread, and silverware and plates. Arwen thanked the maid and she left.
"Lovely lunch, isn't it?" Arwen said, cutting off a thick slice of the roast and putting it on her plate along with some of the vegetables. I smiled, cutting myself two slices of bread.
"I'd honestly rather have a sandwich, if it isn't rude." I said, cutting also several thing slices of the roast and laying them on the bread. I pulled a leaf of the lettuce from under the roast and placed in top, then a few of the carrots. I put the top slice of bread on it, then cut it diagonally. Arwen watched, again fascinated by my strange customs, as I picked up the sandwich and took a bite.
"What is that called?" She asked.
"A sandwich. In my world, invented by the Earl of Sandwich in the 1600's. I think." I said with a giggle. Arwen looked at her own plate and smiled. She cut two slices of bread and placed her roast between them, picking it up to eat. She smiled in delight at the ease with which she could eat it.
"Pretty good, eh?" I said, taking another bit of my own. Somehow, Arwen made even eating a sandwich look elegant. I laughed inwardly at the thought.
After we had finished out sandwiches, Arwen suggested we take a walk around the gardens. I agreed, so about 10 minutes later found us admiring the lush gardens of the Mirkwood palace.
"It is said that Prince Legolas himself helped plant some of these roses." Arwen said. I blushed slightly at the name.
"They certainly are lovely." I said in reply.
"You know, Prince Legolas is looking for a wife."
"Is he?" I asked casually, no realizing that the pitch of my voice had raised slightly.
"Yes." Arwen said. "He has confided in my husband and myself that if he does not find a suitable wife in the next century, he will cross into the west with Gimli as his companion."
"Ahh... Yes, indeed." I said, recalling how that eventually came to pass. I kept this to myself, however, saying simply "I've little doubt he shall find what his heart yearns for."
Well said, I told myself. Well said.
"I saw you dancing with him." Arwen said. This caught me off guard, as it had been her most blatant statement so far on our stroll.
"Could I really refuse the Prince a dance?" I said, slightly uncomfortable. Arwen seemed to note this.
"You fancy him."
This statement really threw me for a loop.
"What?!" I cried. "Nay, Lady. You have it wrong. Anything you take for infatuation is merely shock at meeting the Prince, as he is merely a storybook character in my world." I said quickly. Arwen just smiled knowingly. I was fairly quiet for the rest of the day.
(#)
Again, I beg forgiveness for not updating!! And for the lack of Draco in this chapter... Yeah, um, gomen!"