Disclaimer: I don't own Harry's Wonderful World or Middle Earth. They unfortunately belong to their rightful inventors.

These Broken Wings

Chapter Nine. Serious Discussions

"Why you never said you were injured is beyond me, Elerossë," Erestor complained leaning up against the door frame lazily.

Harry's emerald green eyes bore into the tender flesh of his palm which was currently being prodded and pocked by Lord Elrond.

"You were told I summoned a sword," Harry pointed out gritting his teeth together.

"The cut is deep," Elrond announced gravely. "I will stitch the wound closed to assist healing."

"No way!" Harry muttered relinquishing his hand from his grandfather's gentle grip. "You're coming no where near me with THAT!"

Not wishing to make a scene by bolting for the door, which Erestor was now guarding, and not wanting to submit to Elrond's ministrations Harry was torn between eyeing the door and clutching his chair with morbid anticipation.

Elrond did not spare Harry a glance as he threaded a needle deftly and sat before him. "Your hand, Elerossë," Elrond commanded lightly.

Harry eyed the door and swung his eyes back to Elrond's face, his deep calm grey eyes conveying understanding. Harry knew there was no choice so he held out his palm obediently.

Elrond took Harry's hand gently and smoothed his hand so that it lay flat in his own. Beside him was a bottle of balm which was commonly used among the elves as anaesthetic. He felt Harry's flinch as he rubbed the cold substance into his skin.

"Just breathe," Elrond suggested as he picked up the needle.

Harry turned his face away and bit down on his bottom lip as the needle point touched the surface of his skin. Sure he had horrendous injuries before but most of them were fixed by magic.

"You shouldn't bit your lip so hard, Elerossë," Elrond chided kindly as he set down the needle.

Harry blinked and looked down at his hand, which Elrond still had in his possession. He had already been sewn up and he didn't even realise. He relaxed his shoulders and let out a shuddering breath he did not know he had been holding.

"You are so fine boned child," Elrond said softly as he wrapped a small piece of bandage around Harry's hand.

"I'm yet to see an obese elf," Harry quipped curtly.

Steady grey eyes met emerald. "It was not an attack on you, Elerossë."

"I'll just ahem go and do stuff," Erestor said from the doorway before disappearing. Neither Harry or Elrond paid him any mind.

"I know what you are alluding to," Harry returned almost heatedly.

Elrond dropped Harry's hand which the younger elf placed in his lap and stared stoically. The elvish lord leaned over and brushed his long elegant fingers against the purple bruising around Harry's neck where Vernon had tried to strangle him that fateful night.

"I'm sure you do," Elrond replied quietly his fingers retreating as Harry flinched. He sighed heavily and leaned back into the chair. "Did Double Door know of this maltreatment?"

Harry stopped for a moment in confusion before he realised 'Double Door' was in fact Dumbledore. "You knew Dumbledore?" he asked incredulously, how could the old man hide something of this magnitude from him?

"Yes," Elrond confirmed. "I knew of him as I told you earlier it was he that placed the charms on you to hide your immortal heritage from the 'muddles'. But you did not answer my question."

Harry sighed and reclined in his chair. "I suspect he knew something was not completely right. Well…"

Elrond was giving Harry the look that clearly said you're-not-being-completely-truthful-with-me.

"Well he had noted my undernourished size when I first went to Hogwarts and… he knew I would suffer at the hands of my relatives place when he left me there."

"Then why?" Elrond sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Is one life more important than the good of all?" Harry returned.

Elrond sighed again and blinked his large grey eyes. For a moment he seemed completely unable to answer Harry. "Surely he could have sent word through Gandalf. He would have known that we would have taken you with open arms."

"I would not be protected here with absence of my mother's blood."

Elrond laughed humourlessly. "Imladris is better protected than anything a mere mortal can conjure wizard or no. Nothing can touch you here deep ancient magic even we Elves do not understand dwells in this place."

"Then why…"

"One can only make assumptions."

Harry and Elrond fell silent both lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly Elrond snapped his head up. "Elerossë…"

"Mmm," Harry murmured to indicate that he was listening. His eyes were shut tightly as he relaxed in his chair.

"Elerossë. I don't ask you to forgive me. I shall not struggle to make excuses to justify my mistakes. I don't delude myself that any sort of apology from myself will heal any part of your heart. All I ask is that you allow me to help you."

Harry's eyes had snapped open within the first few words of Elrond's speech. He was now leaning forward attentively staring at his newly found grandfather with a new found respect.

"Thank you."

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Harry nearly groaned audibly as the twins Elrohir and Elladan approached him from the other side of the gardens. The said twins were making a show of not directly approaching him but Harry could see clearly they were eager to speak with him.

Harry plonked himself clumsily on a chair thinking that if they wanted to speak with him they were the ones who initiated any discussion. Unfortunately Harry's plan backfired.

He misjudged the width of the seat and ended up flipping himself over into the flower bed behind him, his legs dangling inelegantly in the air.

Two identical laughs above him alerted Harry that the twins were already upon him.

"Help me up, won't you," Harry hissed waving a hand above his head. A moment later the twins were hurling him skywards.

Harry stood shakily between the twins and dusted himself of in a dignified manner.

"Oh forget that, Elerossë," Elladan said as he seated Harry. His cheeks were glistening with tears from laughing too hard.

"You've already embarrassed yourself," Elrohir added as if he was offering great comfort.

"Thanks," Harry said dryly. "Now what do you two want?"

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged significant looks.

"Oh won't you just spit it already!" Harry cried anxiously.

"Oh well you see we…"

"… wanted to ask about Lenwë."

"… our brother…"

"…only Ada forbid us to ask about it until you were ready…"

"It was nice of Lord Elrond to tell you to wait," Harry admitted. "But he was your brother and I suppose you have a right to know."

The twins nodded eagerly but Elrohir blurted, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Owww…"

Elladan elbowed him in the ribs and smiled pleasantly all the while at Harry. "So are you going to tell us or what?"

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Harry and the twins spent most of that afternoon in the gardens swapping stories about Lenwë or James as Harry was determined to call him. He found out the twins had some contact with his father and even his mother and knew things that he had not heard at Hogwarts. Things like, James was a vegetarian and converted his mother to the practice before they married. And Elrond held him at an Elvish equivalent to a 'Christening'. And his mother actually wanted to call him Albert after his human grandfather!

The evening meal was due to be served and Harry and twins made their way through Imladris.

Elrond met them by the great oaken doors to the Hall of fire. With him was an old gentleman that reminded Harry distinctly of Dumbledore. He was taller, Harry realised with a pang of grief, when he had half raised his hand in greeting. And unlike Dumbledore he was not wearing fine robes of gaudy purples or reds with stars; just plain everyday robes toped of with a tapered hat tucked under his elbow. Bright blues eyes gazed at him and Harry found himself missing the trademark bifocals of Dumbledore.

A few more steps and the two parties were standing before each other.

"Elerossë, it is a pleasure to meet your acquittance," the old wizard offered his hand in friendship. Harry hesitated before offering his own. "I'm Gandalf the Grey."

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I'm going away for my 21st so there will be a week or so I won't have access to any computers. Maybe I will have time for writing on holidays winks