Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.

Note: Who's ready for the bridging chapters! This is one of two that will be posted before the LOTR sequel begins.

Wandering Travels

#1

Harry and Tauriel wandered hand in hand through the wilds and simply enjoyed the movement of the ground beneath their bare feet. It had been three months since the battle at the mountains, and a lot had changed. Thorin had come with them to settle in Dol Guldur, not wanting to overshadow his nephew's reign in Erebor. Accompanying him had been two hundred dwarven smiths, warriors, and merchants of the Iron Hills that had decided to settle in a new land along with their families. Apparently Harry was more beloved of the dwarves than even he had known because they had thrown themselves into the work of restoring the place with gusto alongside those craftsmen that Dane had lent them.

Upon arrival at the old keep Thorin had taken charge of their efforts and then ordered his brother and Tauriel off the grounds. In his words he wanted them to enjoy some time alone together and there wasn't much need for them until they started designing the new structures. The old ones needed to be torn down and removed first.

The couple had taken the order in stride and were using the opportunity to explore some more of Middle Earth, and in Harry's words, embrace the honeymoon phase of their relationship.

At the moment they found themselves in Fangorn Forest. The foliage spoke deeply to Tauriel's Elven roots and the shade cast by the trees worked wonders for Harry's complexion (ergo, not setting him on fire).

They were just meandering about without any particular destination in mind when the two of them took note of a strange groaning sound permeating the darkness off the beaten path.

"Do you hear that, Tauriel?"

"Yes, Harry, though I have no idea what it could be. In all my years of woodcraft and hunting I have never heard the like."

{Oh! Oh! I might know what it is!} Luna's voice sang proudly through their heads. That was yet another difference. Ever since Harry and Tauriel had done the deed beneath the mountain, the bubbly blonde's voice had been able to traverse both of their minds. "While we were discussing the different disciplines of magi-zoology Galadriel told me a fascinating story about trees that could speak and move! She called them Ents, and they're supposedly quite friendly. Can we go see one please? Please!}

The couple shared a smile and mutually decided to pander to the unseen third member of their relationship. Though Luna never complained about her bodiless state, the others felt deeply for her and always tried to go where she asked so that she might at least enjoy the sights. They set a brisk pace through the trees and eventually came to a rather stunning sight.

They had reached an open glen where of all things a several meter tall tree with four limbs and a beard made of leaves was pacing around a small pond. From the trench-like circular hole he was wearing in the ground it was clear the creature had been at it for some time.

{Oh the poor creature.} Luna mourned, {He looks so sad and alone.}

'Ah, Luna, how could you possibly tell? His features are quite 'wooden'.'

Both of the girls groaned at Harry's attempt at comedy and Tauriel offered, 'Perhaps we should just ask what is wrong and see if we can help. We aren't exactly doing anything else too pressing at the moment.' She loved being able to talk to her partners in her head.

'True enough, darling.' Harry smirked before strutting up to the Ent. "Oy! Tree-man! How're the apples hanging there?"

The Ent ceased his meandering and stared down at his intruder. "Strange…" It muttered in an overly slow and guttural voice. "I do not recall any pale beings with red eyes in my woods. What are you, creature?"

"I'm a vampire, Mr. Ent."

"Hmmmmmmmm. Never heard of a vampire before. Treebeard is my name and I bid you welcome so long as you bring no harm with you."

Walking up to her man's side, Tauriel bowed to the regal being. "Our thanks to you, Master Treebeard."

"An elf! You are most welcome. Tell me, have you traveled to other woods in your long life?"

The redhead quirked her head. "I have explored the entirety of Mirkwood."

Harry added, "And I've searched through a couple others myself. Why?"

The walking tree looked between the two of them and shrugged its massive shoulders. "I see no harm in telling you. We Ents of Fangorn have lost the Entwives."

"When did they die?" Harry wanted to know.

"We can not find them." Treeboard answered, earning shocked looks from his guests. "I had hoped you would have seen them elsewhere."

{Help him, Harry. Please!} Luna, ever the bleeding heart for creatures, would not be dissuaded, and her tone made that clear. {Those poor, innocent, beings living without their wives. The thought is just too depressing.}

The wizard sighed, raised a hand, and cast a 'Point Me' spell directed toward the Entwives. He didn't really expect it to work, and was thus surprised when a glowing arrow came into being pointing to the south. "Well, Treebeard, if we just follow this arrow we should find them in no time."

"Hm." The Ent eyed the glowing device and nodded as his root gnarled feet turned in the direction indicated. "I can see you are an incredibly useful vampire."

"You've got that right." Tauriel nodded as she looped her arm through his free one.

As they all set off Harry had a thought and asked, "Hey, Mr. Treebeard, have you ever considered traveling to the forest around Dol Guldur?"

The Ent seemed to think about his answer for some time, indeed at least three miles were covered before his next words were spoken. "I have not. Yet the thought of all those trees going unherded yanks at my roots in the most unpleasant way. What sorts of foliage make up those lands?"

{That's it, Harry. Keep him talking, keep him interested.} Luna spoke gleefully, causing each of her partners to imagine the blonde rubbing her hands together deviously. {Can you just imagine a horde of Ents living in our woods?}

Indeed the vampire could, and he rather liked that thought.

#2

Lothlorien

The couple had taken up the Lady of Lorien's offer to visit her vaunted woods and had immediately been invited in for a drink. The Lady knew her guest well. Of course the moment they'd all sat down in the comfy meeting room of their forest keep, Harry and Celeborn immediately delved into a contest of 'Who has the hottest mate.'

"I'm telling you, my mate is the epitome of beauty." Celeborn proclaimed across the table from a surly vampire. "Galadriel's hair shines like the light of the moon, her smile can warm the hearts of people the world over, and her body is to die for!"

Harry leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table to glare right back into the elf's eyes. "And I'm telling you my mate is definitely on par with if not hotter than yours in every way. I mean, come on, Tauriel's hair is like a river of flame, setting alight every surface using it as a backdrop. Her fierce stare and battle prowess inspire fear in the souls of every enemy she meets, and the sheer perfection of her ass could inspire a hoard of men, elves, and dwarves alike to march to war in her name."

As the men continued to debate the merits of their respective women, Tauriel and Galadriel stood on the other side of the room, watching and sipping from goblets of chilled wine.

"Just you wait," The elf queen laughed merrily, "if they keep it up at this pace then one of two very funny things will start happening."

"Oh?" Tauriel didn't know whether to be happy her man was defending her merits against the perfection of Galadriel, or annoyed that he was talking to another man about her ass. "What would those be?"

"They'll either begin writing poetry about us and continuing their little contest to outdo each other, or they'll rip their shirts off and start wrestling. I've seen it before and it is always hilarious."

The redhead's eyes glazed over for a moment as she thought about her mate shirtless, sweaty, and wrestling a foe into submission. The other woman saw the look and began giggling behind her hand.

"Yes, I know that look too. Come, let us leave the menfolk to the chest pounding and take a walk."

The women left the room and began to peruse the ladder bridges amongst the treetops of Lothlorien. Everywhere they went passing patrols of tree-guards, citizens going about their chores, and even children playing would stop and wave to their liege lady as she passed by.

"You are well loved, Lady Galadriel."

"I have served my people to the best of my ability, and they are justly appreciative. Someday I am sure your own people will react the same when they see you walk by."

The redhead blushed and ducked her head. "I hope so. I have no experience leading people or being the lady of a castle. We only have a group of dwarves living on the grounds now, but we have some Ents on the way too."

"Truly? I have not seen their like in many centuries. Be assured your woods will flourish under their care. That being said, we cannot allow your population to consist of only dwarves. I will send some of our youths to you."

"I cannot ask-"

"You need not. Our youngsters have a definite feeling of wanderlust and would appreciate a change in location. You would be doing us a favor by taking them."

"Then I would be honored." For a moment she considered telling her mate later, but then decided the surprise would be more entertaining. "Was there another reason you wanted to speak to me alone?"

"Yes, follow me please." The Lady of the Wood led her guest down several flights worth of tree trunks until they were back on the ground and then into one of the very few areas that was not full of trees. The path led into a hollow in the earth where the only features were a small glen of grass, a minute stream of crystal clear water, and a raised platform with a bowl carved in the surface.

"What is this?"

"My mirror." Galadriel retrieved a pitcher from a hidden hollow in the stone wall and filled it from the stream. "It can show what was, what is, and in rare cases… what may come to pass." She poured the pitcher into the bowl, and her guest couldn't take her eyes away from how the water sparkled.

"W-Why are you showing me this?"

"Because I want you to look into it. The life you will lead at Harry's side is far from a peaceful one, I fear. And any knowledge you can glean from this mirror will only benefit you. Of course there is also the chance you will see nothing, but I do not think that will be the case."

Tauriel slowly approached the bowl, and with a final supporting smile from her host, leaned over and stared into the sparkling water. Her gaze remained locked for ten minutes and when she finally looked up there were tears falling freely from her eyes and a huge smile on her face.

"What did you see?"

"What may be." The redhead's hand ghosted over her stomach. "Harry is going to be a wonderful father."

Galadriel grinned knowingly. "Of that I am sure."

The Next Day

Harry and Tauriel were enjoying a hearty breakfast of Lembas Bread and fruit. Last night the elf had been especially passionate and they needed it to revitalize their energy. They'd expected their hosts to join them at some point, but were imminently surprised at what they found when they did.

Celeborn was visibly stumbling down the stairs with his eyes locked onto the visage of his mate, and why shouldn't they be in her current state of dress. Galadriel had fashioned herself a new outfit it seemed. Her clearly defined abdominal muscles and toned arms and legs were on clear display as she strutted into the dining area in a pair of cargo shorts cut off high on the thigh, a tan shirt cut off at the midriff and tied securely over her chest, a floppy hat on her head and black boots that hugged her calves. Without a word the pair sat opposite their guests and began to serve themselves.

Gulping slightly, and hoping to the heavens that his mate would not stab him for looking, Harry asked, "Ah, what's up with the new outfit, Galadriel?"

The blonde quirked her head, "Oh? You like it? I was hoping we could go on an excursion into my forest today to search out magical creatures that may reside there. Luna has gotten me very interested in Magi-zoology and she says this is the proper outfit to wear when one goes on an expedition.

{Indeed.} Luna's voice was all smirk.

Celeborn, who was practically drooling, turned to Harry and said, "Please, by all the light in the sky, thank your wife for me."

"I think we're all thanking her, Celeborn." Harry answered simply before going back to his meal.

#3

The Shire

The Shire was a beautiful place. Not as grand as Lothlorien, but charming and peaceful in its own way. It was easy for the couple to see why Bilbo was so fond of the place. Speaking of Bilbo, they found themselves meandering up the way to Bag End, his home at the top of the hill.

"It's been about a year." Tauriel noted. "I wonder how the little guy has been."

They got their answer soon enough after knocking on a very particular green painted wooden door. Harry marveled that the sign for a burglar that Gandalf had imprinted on it was still present.

There was a bit of shuffling around inside and soon enough the couple came face to face with the harried look of their old friend.

"Bilbo," Harry began, "it's great to- Hey!" He squealed with surprise as the little being bodily yanked both himself and an amused Tauriel through the portal, looked both ways, and promptly slammed it closed behind them.

"A bit of a rude greeting wouldn't you say, old friend?" Harry grumbled, though that soon melted to good humor as he beheld the embarrassed red glow on the hobbit's face.

"O-Oh my, my apologies, Master Potter. It's the Sackville Baggins's you see, they came here to Hobbiton because they'd heard I perished on my travels and absconded with a great many of my belongings. My lawyers recently got them all back to me since I am obviously not dead, and they have been stalking around the road for the last two weeks waiting to 'give me a piece of their mind'." He said the last with exaggerated air quotes. "I've been pretending I'm not home."

Harry shrewdly eyed his friend and smirked, "Do you want me to eat them?"

"Harry!" Tauriel gasped, "You cannot simply eat all of your problems."

"But why not?" He whined, earning a fresh laugh from the stressed halfling.

"Honestly, I don't think you'd like the taste of the Sackville Bagginses, Master Potter. They eat a lot of fatty foods, don't you know, and they have the most vile attitudes."

"Hm, that would be unpleasant." The vampire agreed. "How about I just scare them off, then?"

"Oh would you? That would be most helpful." Bilbo nodded his agreement before taking the elf's hand and dragging her into the den. "Come, Ms. Tauriel, I have some new plants you can examine while the big bad vampire scares the monsters away."

The elf woman giggled at the galant display Bilbo made of his new foliage and delightedly perused them to her heart's content until her mate shuffled back inside grumbling about the spinelessness of some people.

"All I did was flash my fangs and they ran off!" He wailed as he fell bodily into the redhead's arms dramatically. "I didn't get to mess with the weather, verbally threaten anyone, or even turn draconic. What's the point of being this damned terrifying if I can't scare the peasants!? I swear Dracula must be spinning in his casket."

For her part, Tauriel wasn't exactly sure who this Dracula person was, but she nevertheless patted her man's back and held him through his little tantrum. "There, there. Now, do you feel better after lamenting your lack of chances to torment the innocent?"

"Indeed I do." Quick as a flash Harry was back to normal and strutting over to Bilbo who was waiting with a tray of tea.

"Your Sackville Bagginses are dealt with."

"My thanks, Harry. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I'd rather share some of your famous Shire pipe weed." Harry pulled his pipe from his coat, and Bilbo immediately rushed out of the room and returned with his own long stemmed pipe and a small sack of the delightful herb.

As the men ran off to the doorstep to smoke, Tauriel stared fondly on while letting out an exasperated sigh. Of course she'd fall in love with a man who smoked.

#4

Dol Guldur

Harry and Tauriel made their way hand in hand down the cleared forest path leading to their new home. That was only one of many changes they'd noticed so far, but after spending over a year traveling that was to be expected. Topping a final hill the two of them stopped in place.

"H-How have they gotten so far in just over a year?" The elf wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but I fucking love it!" Harry cheered, before moving in a flash, putting Tauriel on his back, and charging across the ground toward the full town that had sprung into being around a massive central hole in the ground where the ruins of Dol Guldur had once stood.

The dwarves and elves residing there had apparently seen the rising dust cloud kicked up by the vampire's feet and began leaving the town's buildings to meet him in force. Sadly they achieved their goal, and ended up being pelted with a rain of grass and dirt as their overlord skidded to a stop in front of them as a result.

Thorin grumbled a bit as he wiped the shoulders of his hooded cloak clean and marched ahead of the crowd to embrace the couple firmly. He'd finally gotten used to hiding his face from the sun. "Welcome back, brother, and sister. It has not been the same with you gone."

"So I can see." Harry chuckled as he took in the new town and faces now that he was close enough to pick up even more details. "You've been quite busy over the last year."

"We're dwarves. We're always busy with something."

From the crowd a stately elf stepped forth and bowed to the vampire before addressing Thorin. "Master Oakenshield, do not try to claim all of the praise for your own kind. Do not forget that we elves cleared the old fortress so as not to damage the earth beneath or the forest's ecosystem."

From the depths of the woods came a loud creaking sound and the elf yelled in that general direction, "Yes, Treebeard, we also intend to congratulate you on keeping the forest from encroaching! Thank you!" More groans and then silence reigned once more.

Harry squinted at the elf in particular and muttered, "I swear I know you from somewhere."

"Indeed, Master vampire, you rescued me and my brethren from the bowels of Thranduil's prison. When we heard you had taken over Dol Guldur we all rushed out to offer our service in gratitude." The elf pointed to a group of other elves standing ahead of the Lothlorien contingent who dutifully bowed as well.

Deciding to take charge of the elves, Tauriel addressed them all, "We are happy to have you here." Touching a hand to her head and spreading it wide she added, "Be welcome amongst us."

The elves returned the gesture and she turned back to her mate and Thorin. "The town looks nice, but work on the castle has not begun."

"Nope." The dwarf shook his head. "We're good, but we aren't that good. It took this long just to set ourselves up here and clear the old roots of the fort out. You don't build something strong on shaking foundations after all. Plus we promised to build your new home with all three of your preferences in mind. Now that you have returned we can begin work on the designs and construction in haste."

Tauriel could have sworn those words had Luna gleefully rubbing her hands together in her mind. She just knew the spectral blonde had some interesting thoughts on the designs. She had thoughts of her own as well. It would be very interesting to see how it would all turn out.