Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings. They belong to J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien, respectively. This is an amateur attempt. One which I am not making any profit over.

A/N: Thanks to everyone for reviewing my last drabble. Just a note about my other stories. Black wizard and Little Harry will be updated and I haven't given up on them. I just don't know when they'll be updated. Hopefully soon. I'm having a bit of a rest from writing at the moment. Too many assignments, not enough brain power.

Again, this is not so much a drabble as a oneshot.

Enjoy.

Drabble Six: Nagini's Missed Chance

"Sstupid boy," Nagini hissed to herself, slithering speedily towards the magic she could taste. Every so often she would stop, poke out her forked tongue to get a sense of a direction that would lead her to the magic, then continue on.

The Potter boy had banished her. Gotten rid of her and, in turn, gotten rid of her master.

Her master was dead.

But she was still alive. Nagini could still feel her master's presence, pressing against her mind as raw salt would on an open wound. Weak, yes, but he would be back.

With the proper rituals.

If only she could figure out where the stupid young snake-speaker had sent her. It certainly wasn't anywhere Nagini was familiar with.

The air here was cold and cloying and heavy, and smelled of animal faeces and moist leaves and . . . ancient. It smelled of ancient. Nagini was nothing here, just anther faeces-dumping animal.

The magic was growing stronger now, and she slithered over a fallen tree, feeling the rough bark scrape ever so wonderfully over her soft underbelly.

There!

Three men sat sleeping around a large heat — campfire she thought it was called —, two of whom were filthy muggles, one of whom was filled with magic. Overflowing with magic. Her tongue darted frantically, for a split moment certain she could eat the magic in the air. But no, magic had no substance. She had forgotten that in her excitement.

And oh my, the third being — he was so immortal he was practically swimming in it.

She felt her master's glee as though it were her own.

There was something different about this one, too. He wasn't like the immortals back home. Not like the vampires, who were once human and prone to all sorts of weaknesses like sunlight and garlic and stupid things like that.

No, this one was a true immortal. Or he would be when combined with her master's essence.

She slithered closer, careful to move extra slowly lest she wake her prey.

She mustn't have been slow enough.

The immortal glowing being sat up and looked right at her.

Nagini ducked with all the speed a snake-body could produce.

"What is it Legolas?" said the large muggle, having been awakened by the other's movement.

The glowing one continued to look in Nagini's direction. "A heavy malice approaches."

Immediately the two jumped up, weapons appearing as if they had been conjured.

Nagini hissed quietly to herself. The immortal one had excellent senses. And their movement had awakened the other one. The short, hairy one.

Masster I need you.

But her master was weak. He couldn't help her now.

She hissed loudly, turned, and began slithering away. She would not go very far. Perhaps find a nice tree to spend the night in and observe. She had missed her chanced today. It would not have done any good to be caught, captured, and pierced with a sharp weapon. Her master would have died then, as well. Yes, they had missed their chance today, and it was a bitter feeling.

But tomorrow . . .

A series of spasmodic hisses were all Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli heard before Fangorn became still once more.

The heavy malice had retreated.

For now.

xxxxx