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

Previously in: These Broken Wings:

"If Your Majesties will excuse me. It seems I have some civil matters to attend to," Elrond said with a slight inclination of his head to the two blonde elves. "Elerossë, with me."

This was not good.

Chapter Eleven. Grin and Bare It

Harry followed Elrond with a sinking feeling. The Elf Lord had given him no indication of how he had reacted to Glorifendel's dancing like an insane spider hyped on too much Firewhiskey. Looking at Lord Elrond was like looking at a blank slate – unmarred by any ink stains of emotion.

Harry's brain was bubbling like one of his spoiled potions, desperately trying to grasp for an appropriate excuse.

'He asked for it… nah…'

That sounded too immature and childish even to Harry's ears.

"As much as wrong footing Glorfindel is an achievement I must disprove of the method in which you applied to do so."

Harry couldn't stop the sheepish grin and glanced sideways at Lord Elrond who had paused momentarily for Harry to catch up. "Why?"

"You gift should not be used to harm or humiliate. That is not what the Valar gave it to you for." When Harry didn't immediately respond Elrond continued in that soft dangerous voice even Professor Snape would be jealous of. "You do not want Glorifendel as an enemy, Elerossë."

"Then I shall apologise most profusely on bended knees," Harry cried falling to the ground swiftly on one knee as if he was going to propose.

Elrond merely lifted one elegant eyebrow in reply.

"Two if I must!" Harry laughed getting down on both knees with an elaborate gesture with his hands.

Finally Lord Elrond cracked and laughed lightly and mission accomplished Harry bounced back up to stand beside his newly found grandfather.

"I daresay you made quite an impression on our royal guests from Mirkwood."

"I aim to impress," Harry quipped puffing out his chest proudly.

"I expect impeccable manners tonight." Lord Elrond was back to his normal rigid wise self.

Harry's grin faded. "Of course."

"No mischief."

"I wouldn't dream of it in my wildest dreams."

Elrond just glanced at Harry and continued dryly, "And don't even think of being late."

"Would I do something like that?"

Elrond didn't reply but his eyebrows were in danger of being eaten by his fringe.

"Okay, okay," Harry said holding his hands up in a gesture of defeat. "I solemnly swear I will be early."

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Harry had honestly made the effort to be early to dinner. But that was before Erestor's long and severe reprimand for placing some important elvish realm (Lothlorien or something) where Mordor should have been on the map… and Rohan on some obscure mountain place. Needless to say Harry was not good at geography and his protests of 'hey I know where Iraq is on an Earth map is so what's your problem?' only seemed to make his situation worse.

He decided to have a bath before going to dinner being hot and frustrated with arguing with Erestor. That was when Elrohir thought it would be a great joke to 'borrow' all his towels and Elladan his one and only comb.

They say that things come in threes. Needless to say Harry agreed because that was when he nearly sprained his ankle from getting out of the hot tub chasing Elrohir.

So that was how he came to be slightly damp, messy haired and hobbling to the Great Hall of Fire.

"Trouble?"

Harry turned to see that old wizard watching him with that Dumbledore twinkle.

"Are you sure you're not related to Albus Dumbledore?"

Answering Gandalf with another unrelated question seemed to through the old wizard off.

"Er. No different species," Gandalf replied.

"Oh. So that would make me what… half elf, half human and half wizard?" (A/N1)

"Something like that," Gandalf conceded shaking his head. Grumbling to himself he ambled away with this long staff clunk, clunking on Elrond's lovely polished wood floor.

Harry just happened to spot Glorifendel who was striding in the opposite direction as fast as he could without being seen by Harry. Unfortunately Harry saw him alright.

"Glorifendel!" Harry cried out.

Said elf walked a little faster. Swearing fluently in something Harry told the twins that was French, but didn't sound anything like something a Frenchman would say Harry hurried after him.

"Glorifendel…"

Still no luck.

"Glorif…"

Glorifendel turned around to face Harry. "Leave me a – what have you done to your hair?"

Harry self consciously touched the top of his scalp. "Er nothing."

Glorifendel didn't look convinced. "Your poor hair," he muttered as he reached out to comb his fingers through Harry's long wet raven locks. His fingers got stuck half way down and he had to tug to get them loose.

"Ouch!" Harry said another French word. "Look I'm really… ow…"

Glorifendel reefed his hand through Harry's hair again.

"I'm really… arghhh!"

"Stand still I'm trying to make you presentable."

"Good luck," Harry muttered with another French word.

"Really honestly not even the humans I've meet on my many travels take better care of their hair than you. Don't you have any pride Elerossë?"

"Lots," Harry muttered. "Look it isn't my fault. Elladan stole my one and only comb."

"He didn't!" Glorifendel looked positively shocked and indignant at the mere thought of such an atrocious and malicious crime.

"And Elrohir stole all my towels while I was in the bath."

"Hmm can understand that," Glorifendel said still preening Harry's abused head.

"And then I tripped over the hot tub and hurt myself trying to get at them. But I decided not to chase them down the hall naked…"

"Thank the Valar you decided against that!"

"… and now I'm going to be late especially after I promised Lord Elrond I will be early!" Harry sniffed in frustration.

"Well," Glorifendel said dropping his hands uselessly to the side. "There is only one thing you can do."

"What's that?"

"Grin and bare it."

Harry rolled his eyes and hobbled to the Great Hall of Fire with Glorifendel close behind.

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Harry had never heard a hall go silent as he entered. He slunk through the hall noticing the two blonde elves from earlier that day watching him appraisingly. He lifted his head slightly as he approached Lord Elrond with Glorifendel by his side. He was not pleased to hear the twins sniggering.

Finally Harry took a seat and stared resolutely at the silver dish in front of him as if it had gravely insulted him.

The older blonde elf cleared his throat uncertainly. "Well isn't this nice, the family together."

"Ada!" the younger elf hissed in an undertone and the uncomfortable silence continued.

That was until Elladan decided to speak up. "Nice trip Elerossë?"

Harry glared up at him through his somewhat mattered fringe. "I didn't know I could swear fluently in German and Hindi as well as French."

Elladan snorted.

"No it bl…" Harry stopped himself from using profanity at the table mainly due to Lord Elrond's warning look. "It hurt a lot."

"More pride than anything," Elrohir snickered.

"True I don't think it is broken."

"Boys…" Elrond warned.

"Well you should jump out of a hot tub like that," Elrohir retorted ignoring his father.

"You would do well not to provoke me."

"True," the younger blonde elf muttered remembering Glorifendel's lovely tap lesson.

Elrond rolled his eyes. "This will desist now."

Harry leaned back glaring balefully at his grandfather, smiled politely at the blonde elves and returned to staring at his plate, while everyone else started eating.

"Are you going to eat anything?" the younger blonde elf asked from across the table while the twins were busy arguing with themselves.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Harry replied.

"I'm Legolas," Legolas offered and gestured to the elder elf, "My ada King Thandruil."

Thandruil looked up from where he was speaking in hushed voice with Erestor, smiled and returned to his conversation.

Harry glanced back down at his plate.

"Elerossë, right?"

"I prefer Harry," Harry replied.

Legolas blinked slowly. "That's an odd name."

"No more odd than yours," Harry returned swiftly but quickly apologised. "Forgive me: my human temperament is loosed tongued when I've been riled."

"How about I call you Harossë? How is that for a comprise?"

Harry laughed lightly and shook his head. "Call me Elerossë, if you must everyone else does."

"You do not like you name?"

"It's elvish," Harry said as if it explained everything.

Legolas' knitted his brow at Harry. "Forgive me but I don't understand."

"I am no elf by any stretch of the imagination. I will always be human in my mind. I mean who wants to be immortal?"

Legolas blinked. "Aren't you afraid of dying."

Harry shrugged. "It's a part of life, all living things perish. To live forever in the world so full of evil and pain… there has to be something better after life."

"There is," Glorifendel commented.

"You would know," Legolas laughed before turning back to Harry. "You're braver than I. And look don't worry about the twins, it's their way of saying they like you."

"Then I just have to find a way of telling them I like them back."

Legolas nearly choked. And Harry grinned down on his plate before taking some fruit.

"How about we go down to the archery field and I can show you another side of Elvish warriors you won't normally see in Rivendell?"

Harry brightened and tugged his hair. "Sure, right after I find a comb."

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A/N1 : I know Elrond is half elf making Harry, James approximately 3 quarters elf and Harry 3 eighths elf… but this is just Harry being well Harry… so over look the horrid maths. Please?

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