Rivendell: Breakfast the next morning
Hermione walked down to breakfast the next morning with her cloak on and her hood up. She entered the dining hall and sat down, ignoring the others in the room. As everyone began eating, Hermione observed the rooms occupants, she noticed Boromir looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Now this was not unusual as people would stare at her scars all the time but she had her hood up.
"Is there something you would like to ask me sir?" she asked irritably, glaring at him even if he could not see it.
"Well I guess myself and a few others are curious about why you are wearing your cloak. We all saw your….scars yesterday." He asked seeming genuinely curious.
"Yes well the stares that come along with the scars are not appreciated." and with that she went back to her meal. After a few minutes of silence, Hermione again heard someone speaking to her.
"Lady Hermione, have you begun to pack yet." asked Aragorn, trying to change the subject and get rid of the silence.
"I've been packed for so time now, ready to leave at a moment's notice." She said stiffly.
"Even now?" asked Gimli, incredulously.
"Yes, even now" She reached to her hip and detached her beaded bag, showing them. She instantly saw the doubt on their faces.
"You expect me to believe that you have everything you will need for this trip in that little bag. This is not some fun day in the garden woman, there will be really danger. If you can't take it seriously, well..." Laughing as he spoke.
After he had said this she stood up and opened her bag. When she opened it she stuck her arm in all the way to her shoulder.
"What…How….Where'd your arm go?" Gimli spluttered out.
"And that is the power of magic. I have put and undetectable extension charm and a weightless charm on my bag. I can put as much as I want in here without having to worry about the weight."
"Can you do that to the rest of our bags, it would make the trip easier if we did not have to worry about what we have to bring." asked Frodo quietly.
"Certainly, whoever would like to have me charm their bag find me later and I'll do it. Now I've got to go." with that she got up and left the room. Hermione did not like all the attention that was on her. She was always the one in the background. She did all the research and stood behind Harry, making sure he survived. The one time she had let him do something on his own he had not only died once, but twice. Frodo reminded her a bit of Harry. No, she would not be leaving Frodo alone. Hermione never makes the same mistake twice. Hearing someone clear their voice behind her, Hermione whirled around to see Legolas. 'Bloody hell! If I hadn't been so caught up in my thoughts he wouldn't have been able to sneak up on me. I wonder what he wants. Hmm….I probably know the least about him. I should find out more.'
"Can I help you?" she asked. The look of shock on his face was worth him sneaking up on her.
"Yes, I was wondering if you would charm my bag for me. I would like to finish packing tonight." She grabbed the bag he offered her and took out her wand.
"Why do you use that stick? I have witnessed you achieve magic without it." He asked.
"One, the stick is called a wand. Two, where I come from most people are dependent on wands. I just use it for appearances. People are more likely to underestimate me if they think I am dependent on the wand. I am actually accomplished in silent and wandless magic. Though I guess it really doesn't matter here, it's really just a habit at this point."
"Where do you come from? No one has seems to really know." he said, reverting back to English.
"I come from somewhere far away, not that it's any of your business. Here's your bag. Now if you'd excuse me, goodbye." And she walked away.
Hermione was walking through the garden when she heard people talking in elvish. She would have kept walking except she heard her name mentioned. Moving closer, but staying hidden behind the hedge, Hermione realized it was Arwen and Aragorn.
"Aragorn, you have to watch out for her, she has gone through so much. I fear for her and what this quest could do to her. She has just come from sixteen years of war." She heard Arwen plead.
"Has she told you what she has gone through? No one seems to know anything about her." He commented.
"She has not told anyone much of anything. She drops small hints here and there but not any real details. Aragorn, one thing she did tell us is that she is the only survivor for her side in the war. They were annihilated. She was covered in blood and barely alive when she first came here. I have seen her scars; she has been whipped, whipped! Her eyes, have you seen them. They have such a haunted look in them. It actually scares me. She barely talks to anyone and stays to herself. We were surprised she offered to go with the Fellowship. She has gone through so much Aragorn, please help her."
Not being able to listen anymore, Hermione walked away. 'Am I really that pathetic that they feel the need to worry about me? I don't need their pity. I have a mission and nothing else really matters.' For the next two days Hermione kept to herself unless one of the Fellowship came to her to charm their bags. On the third when it was time to leave, the Fellowship gathered at the entrance to Rivendell. After goodbyes were said they left.
"Um Gandalf," she heard Frodo quietly whisper "Left or right?"
"Left" said Gandalf chuckling to himself.
Hermione allowed herself a small smile not that anyone would see it with her hood up. Legolas might have been the only one able to see it but he was behind her. They had traveled several days and were taking an obscure path west of the Misty Mountains. When they had stopped to rest Hermione went by herself and stood watch. She heard the sounds of two of the hobbits, Merry and Pippin, play wrestling with Boromir and Aragorn. Looking to the sky she noticed what seemed to be a large cloud heading their way, except it was going against the wind. Quickly standing up she shouted for Legolas.
"Legolas, do you see what I see. It is going against the wind." she said pointing. Everyone had stopped what they were doing at the shock of her speaking without being spoken to first.
"I see it, you are right." He paused then his eyes widened slightly "Crebain from Dunland! Hide, and do not let them see you."
Everyone rushed to grab their things and hide. From their hiding spots they watched as the birds flew overhead. Once it was safe, they all came out of their hiding spots.
"Spies for Saruman, the passage is being watched. We must take Pass of Caradhras." said Gandalf.
"Wait! Where is Hermione." When Frodo asked this, the men began looking frantically for the missing woman.
"Just, like a woman to leave as soon as it got tough. She should have never come with us." snarled Boromir.
Now Hermione had disillusioned herself and had watched the entire exchange with amusement; that is until Boromir's comment. "I think you will have to take back that statement Boromir since I haven't even moved." Watching them all turn in circles, trying to find where her voice was coming from and she smirked at their dumb-founded faces. The only one who wasn't moving was Legolas. She watched as a look of comprehension came across his face. She watched as he walked right towards her. She dared not move because that would give her away in a second. He reached a hand out and touched her cheek; she flinched back, not expecting him to actually touch her. She thought he would just reveal her.
"This is strange. I know you are here and can feel you but cannot see you." He said in wonderment.
"We you could see me if you really tried," she said as she took off the disillusionment charm. "This charm only makes you blend in with your surroundings, not invisible. If I had moved you would have most likely seen my outline. I think it's time we moved on." She turned around and went to stand next to Gandalf whose eyes were glittering with amusement. "You knew I was there the whole time didn't you?" she asked watching the others pack all their things.
"Yes I did, but I thought that if they saw what else you could do, they would respect you more."
"I honestly don't care if they respect me. They can say whatever they want about me except that I would ditch because I'm a women." she said glaring at Boromir. He was really going to test her patience. Luckily she had dealt with guys like him for years. She had definitely earned her place back at home and was respected by both genders for it.
As they began to travel the pass, Hermione had put a feather light charm on the members of the Fellowship so that they would not sink through the snow. She did not cast it on Legolas because he did not need it. At one point she saw Frodo trip and fall, Aragorn helped him to his feet but the Ring had fallen off and rolled to Boromir's feet. When the man went to go pick it up, Hermione stopped him. "Boromir don't! You know what will happen if you do. You swore to protect it." When what she said registered, he stopped. She stepped forward and levitated the ring in front of Frodo. He grabbed it and put it back on his necklace. They began their journey again.
Sometime later Legolas pulled up next to her.
"You do not seem affected by the ring. This is unusual for man-kind; even Gandalf feels the temptation from it." He asked
"I can shield my mind from the ring; it does not have any effect on me." They walked like this for a little while longer until they both froze.
"Gandalf there is a fell voice in the air" said Legolas as everything began to shake.
"It is Saruman; he is trying to bring down the mountain on us!"
Mounds of snow and ice began to fall from above. Realizing what was about to happen, Hermione threw her hands just in time to shield everyone from the avalanche that almost landed on their heads. The Fellowship looked around surprised. Why weren't they covered in snow was the question that was on everyone's mind. They noticed that they were in a large dome with Hermione in the middle with her hands up like she was holding it up.
"Hermione are you holding this up?" asked Frodo
"Yes! Now shut up, the snow is really heavy." She growled.
Noticing that she was really exerting herself holding the shield up, they all went quiet and watched. She bent down and then thrust up, throwing all the snow off the cliff. Legolas ran up to her as she collapsed.
"Hermione! Are you alright?" he asked worried.
"Oh just peachy, I'm not dead tired or anything," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just give me a minute, I'll be fine." She said when she noticed that they were actually concerned. "Oh what the hell," She exclaimed. "I'm exhausted and don't even think I can get up right now. Would anyone mind having a falcon on their shoulder for a while so I can rest?" Seeing their clueless faces Hermione changed into her animagus form.
Understanding what she was talking about, Legolas said he would not mind and gently picked her up and put her on his shoulder. Yes, Hermione's animagus form was a peregrine falcon, small and deadly, just like her. Hermione listened as the Fellowship decided to go to Moria, with this decision Hermione smelled huge amounts of fear coming from Gandalf. She wonder why but put it to the back of her mind and fell asleep on Legolas' shoulder, trusting him not to let anything happen to her.