All right, standard disclaimers...I own none of the characters, nor do I own the base situation. Some things, however, I do own, such as Hermione's new weirdness and the way the group is split. After this, a few "ghost writers" might be helpful. This contains as much as I dare write around Luna and Ginny themselves.

- xHx

The company pulled their boats onto the shoreline a vast distance from Lothlórien and started to set up camp.

"We cross the lake at nightfall," Aragorn said, carrying things from the boats to their resting spots on the shore. "Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the North."

His words sent a shiver down Hermione's spine.

"Oh, yes?" Gimli said. He sounded very unhappy. "Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks. And after that, it gets even better! Festering, stinking marshland as far as the eye can see."

"That is our road," Aragorn replied.

Hermione, noticing that Legolas looked troubled, approached him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Is there something wrong?"

His blue eyes shifted to her face. "I am not sure." He turned away, walking toward Aragorn. Hermione followed him. "We should leave now."

"No," Aragorn said, barely turning his head to acknowledge his friend's words. "Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

"It is not the eastern shore that worries me," Legolas said, turning to look at Hermione. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near." He smiled one of his little, sad smiles for Hermione. "I can feel it."

As he spoke, she felt slightly dizzy. She put a palm to her forehead and made her way to a nearby tree. Her eyes closed.

The archer raised his bow. His eyes were a strange color, his skin the color of coal. His appearance terrified her, as did the growl emanating from his throat.

"Hísiven?"

The brunette opened her eyes to find Legolas standing beside her, his blue eyes worried.

"I saw…" she whispered, her voice faint. Legolas offered her a drink of water, which she accepted gratefully. "You are right; we cannot linger here too long."

He nodded, easing the girl to the ground against the tree. "What was it?"

She shook her head. "Something I have never seen before."

"Where's Frodo?"

Merry's words brought a bit of panic to Hermione's heart. She stood, with help from Legolas, and took another drink of water. As she looked over the area around them, the little shoreline camp they had created, she saw that another was missing: Boromir.

Aragorn took off, to try and find the Hobbit; Legolas and Gimli followed him right away. Hermione motioned for Ginny and Luna to come to her.

"This is what Lady Galadriel spoke of," Hermione said. "Ginny, into the woods; your place is with Boromir. Do not ask me where he is or how long it will take you to reach him. I can only say that your place is where he is. Draw your weapons; you will need them." The redhead nodded, drawing her blade and her wand and running into the woods. "Luna, I suggest you remain here, near the boats. This is your place. After that, your place will be revealed to you." The blonde nodded and smiled, moving to a fairly covered place at the edge of the water.

The other three Hobbits had run into the woods while the three girls spoke. Hermione knew her true place was in those woods; she followed her instincts and the faint, vague directives offered by her ring of mithril, pulling free her bow and running into the woods.

Ginny threw herself into the battle, side-by-side with Boromir. She cut down eight of the creatures, chopping off their heads, before she tucked away her wand and pulled her dagger, now fighting with both blades.

Merry and Pippin fought behind her, Boromir ahead. She would never have agreed to this before, but since their final prank upon Boromir she'd felt a new camaraderie with the Man of Gondor. She also would never admit to it.

She and Boromir both knew that this fight was too much for both of them. He began blowing on his white horn. Ginny held her dagger momentarily between her teeth and pointed her wand skyward. Red sparks erupted.

Hermione found her place soon enough. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were fighting viciously. She drew her bow and fired three arrows only before the horn began to sound. Of course something would call her away from this!

She shared a look with Legolas and knew he had wanted her to remain behind, but with a small smile she assured him she was fine.

And then she saw the flame-red sparks.

Aw, damn it, Ginny! What did you get yourself into?

Aragorn blew past her, fighting the creatures the whole way. Hermione was a second behind, releasing arrows into those he missed.

Ginny was far quicker and more agile than her fighting companions. She ducked and dodged the blades with ease, occasionally sweeping her leg under an opponent to smash him into the ground.

She ignored Boromir's command to run, instead continuing to fight the coal-skinned creatures. She would not give up.

One arrow struck Boromir.

Ginny froze for a moment, her eyes locked on the man's form, and she continued to fight.

Another arrow.

She did not stop this time; she continued to slice and strike at her opponents.

A third arrow.

Now she stopped fully. Her eyes were glued to the man's form, leaving her open to being wounded. But they did not; one of the creatures picked her up.

Hermione saw the coal-skinned archer before she saw anything else. She drew back her bow and struck the being through the shoulder, just before Aragorn landed upon him. And then she watched the fight intently, another arrow at the ready, should he need it.

Aragorn sliced off the creature's right arm and stabbed through his torso. It was ineffective.

Hermione started running.

Aragorn chopped off its head.

Only then did she see Boromir and the three black arrows sticking out of his chest. Aragorn ran to him.

"They took the little ones," the red-haired man said. "They took Rosmir."

"Hold still," Aragorn said. Hermione knelt down beside the two, untying her beaded bag, though she was certain it would be useless to summon any of her potions.

"Frodo. Where is Frodo?"

"I let Frodo go."

Hermione suddenly felt like a fool.

"Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him."

"The Ring is beyond our reach now."

"Forgive me. I did not see it. I have failed you all."

"No, Boromir."

"Boromir, you were one of the bravest ones here today," Hermione said, placing her hand on his free arm. "Nearly all of these corpses are proof of that. You fought to protect them."

Boromir did not smile. He did not acknowledge her words. But she knew he'd heard. Aragorn nodded slightly at what she had said and made a move to pull one of the arrows free.

"Leave it," Boromir said. "It is over. The world of Men will fall. And all will come to darkness, and my city to ruin."

"I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you, I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail."

Now Hermione felt like she was intruding on a very personal moment.

"Our people," Boromir said. "Our people." He turned his head, looking for something. Aragorn knew what he wanted and gave him his sword, which he clutched to his chest.

Hermione turned her head at the sound of approaching footsteps that she was sure only she could hear. Legolas was coming. She pushed herself up to her feet and took a few steps back from the two Men. But she could still hear Boromir's words.

"I would have followed you, my brother. My captain. My king."

And Boromir of Gondor took his last breath. Hermione turned away, shaking her head slightly, walking toward Legolas slowly. A single tear slid from each of her eyes.

Luna sat a few feet from the water's edge, unnoticed by Frodo as he stood there, watching the eastern shore as if for some sign. Finally, she had to do something.

"Are you just going to stand there, Frodo," she said, walking out of the brush and putting a hand on his shoulder, "or are you going to start your journey?"

The Hobbit looked up. "I don't know. It just feels like there's something missing."

"A traveling companion, perhaps?" the blonde said, patting his shoulder.

"Yes, that might be it." Frodo and Luna prepared to launch one of the boats, after he put the Ring into his vest pocket. Frodo seemed determined to reach the eastern shore before anyone else found him.

She began rowing.

"Frodo, no!" they heard from the bank they had left. "Frodo!"

The sounds of splashing were heard as Sam walked into the edge of the river.

"Mr. Frodo!"

"No, Sam," Frodo said to himself.

"You know he won't give up, I hope," Luna said softly.

More splashing was heard. Luna let the boat turn.

"Go back, Sam! We're going to Mordor alone."

"Of course you are," Sam replied. "And I'm coming with you!"

"You can't swim!"

As if to make the point, Sam started trying to swim for the boat

"Sam!"

He'd begun to sink down under the surface of the water. Luna turned the boat around and headed for the spot.

"I'll hold it steady, Frodo. You get him," she said.

The Hobbit nodded. As they reached the location, Frodo leaned over the side of the boat and reached into the water for Sam's hand. He pulled the red-haired Hobbit from the river, dripping.

"I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise: 'Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee.' And I don't mean to. I don't mean to."

"Oh, Sam," Frodo said. Luna placed a hand on the soaked Hobbit's shoulder.

"You don't have to leave him, Sam." And she began to row, with Frodo's help on the other side of the boat.

Hermione bowed her head as she watched the boat carrying Boromir's body drifted downstream. It was a very kingly sort of funeral, in her opinion. They had done this sort of thing years ago in the other world for great warriors, and still executed this practice in some countries.

Aragorn strapped Boromir's armguards onto his own arms as they watched the boat drift away.

"Hurry! Frodo, Sam, and Lothrendis have reached the eastern shore," Legolas said, sliding the third of the four boats toward the water. Hermione simply shook her head lightly, a faint smile turning up the corners of her lips.

"You mean not to follow them?"

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands, Legolas," Aragorn said, standing from his place just under the tree-cover.

"Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed," Gimli said.

"Not if we hold true to each other," Aragorn said, putting a hand on Legolas's and Gimli's shoulders.

"Are you just a permanent pessimist?" Hermione said, clapping a hand on Gimli's back. Her other hand found Legolas's other shoulder. He barely acknowledged it.

"We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left," Aragorn said. "Leave all that can be spared behind." He walked away and sheathed his knife, a gift from the Galadhirrim. "Let us hunt some Orc."

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "Maybe we can salvage some that seems to be useless with my bag," she said, putting a hand on the purple thing.

In the end, she had no choice but to admit that she could not fit anything that she thought they might have needed in her bag. It only took about five minutes' worth of a convincing argument from both Aragorn and Legolas that it was both illogical and impossible to take along the fourth Elvish boat.

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