- Charlie -

Whoever decided they should put guard dragons on Hogwarts this year had to be high on some kind of Muggle drug. Seriously. Don't these people realize how DANGEROUS dragons are? Do they think there's no reason I always look like I've recently been lit on fire? It's because I HAVE BEEN.

I resist the urge to find a flat surface and bang my head against it. Instead I go looking for some peace and a hopefully extremely alcoholic beverage. I'd settle for the first one though. If I remember correctly, there's nobody by the lake this time of day.

Of course, the one day I'm looking for peace and quiet, there's somebody there. But, hey, at least she's kinda pretty.

Wow. Where can somebody get a scar like THAT?

She is, however, very good with knives. And apparently anything that comes near her right now is doomed to being potentially gutted. After a moment, she goes still, then gives her blades a little twirl and sheaths them in her boots. "Hi."

Wow. Nearly scared the crap out of me. "Hi."

She turns and looks at me intently, brushing her her hair behind her shoulders. She's...rather intense. I've never seen anyone who looks so young with eyes that intense. "You must be one of Ron's brothers."

I stare at her, then grin. "Weasley family genes," I tell her. "People recognize you wherever you go. I think it's the hair." I hold out a hand and take a step forward. "Charlie Weasley."

She takes it and squeezes. "Kayli."

"Just Kayli?" I ask, grinning at her.

She doesn't smile back. Wow, tough crowd. I'm beginning to wonder if even the twins could soften her up. "I don't remember my last name," she says. "It's been a year or two since I've had to use it."

I stare at her, and she finally smiles. "I know. Very weird." Her hair falls into her face, and she practically snarls. I try not to laugh. "Charlie, right? The one who works with the dragons? Or are you the banker?"

I never thought I'd live to see the day where Bill was described as 'the banker.' I am very amused. "I'm the one who works with dragons. Bill's the banker."

She nods, like this all makes sense. To her, maybe it does. "Yeah, that's right. Ron talks about you two alot. And Fred, and George, and he's mentioned Percy, but then Ginny makes this noise like an angry teakettle, and then Harry changes the subject."

I laugh. I have never, ever heard Ginny described as sounding like an angry teakettle. Angry cat, yes. Teakettle, no. I haven't been this amused since I saw the look on Bill's face when he told me Fleur was a quarter veela. "Thanks," I tell her. "I needed that."

She bows. I have never seen anyone make that gesture like it comes naturally. Somehow, she manages. "Glad to be of service to SOMEONE," she says, irritably. Her hair falls into her face, and she looks at the offending peice like she'd rip it out by the roots if she didn't know it would hurt.

I hide a smile. "Where did you learn how to do that?" I ask.

She stares at me blankly for a moment. "Do what? Recognize Weasleys?"

I laugh again. "No. Fight like that."

Kayli smiles and draws one of the blades. It's beautifully crafted, I notice. Ornate hilt, but still looks comfortable to grip. "Two very good friends of mine."

I raise my eyebrows. "Some friends."

She smiles sadly. "Yes, they are." For a moment, she looks wistful, like she misses something so much it hurts to even contemplate. It hurts to look at, even. She shakes it off, almost literally, and resheathes the blade. "But I'd rather not think about them, since it's looking like I'll never see them again."

I wince. "Dammit, I'm sorry."

Kayli grins and shakes her head. "Never mind. I'm morbid today. I didn't sleep, I'm apparently in the wrong bloody dimension, screaming fight at four in the morning, take your pick."

I just stare at her for a second. "...Wrong dimension?"

She makes a face. "Apparently."

"Screaming fight at four AM?"

"Marital issues."

"That's why the no sleep?"

"Pretty much."

"...This is a story I GOTTA hear."

She groans. "Got a couple hours?"

- Legolas -

This is a bloody nightmare. This is the day from hell. Sauron himself could not have engineered a day this bloody horrible.

I grit my teeth, nock another arrow, and fire. I have been at this for three hours. Another hour, and my shoulders will start to hurt. I have no idea what I'll do then. I'm not really fit for human company right now.

I'd probably kill somebody.

Sweet Elbereth, why do I let these things get to me like this? She doesn't mean anything by it, she just...Kayli is one of those people who needs to be constantly in motion, constantly doing something, constantly trying to help people. Just look at what she did in Gondor, taking those Men under her wing as she did.

I reach for another arrow, realize I don't have any more, and swear. I go to retrieve my arrows and I hear laughter. Very familiar laughter. Kayli's laughter. With someone else's. A Man's.

I look around, and see them. They're sitting by the edge of the lake, on a rock. He has bright red hair, and he's speckled, like Ron. Also, he looks like he's been lit on fire recently. He has very frizzy, bright red hair. And Kayli is sitting very close to him, listening to him raptly, and laughing.

I'm so very jealous I have to restrain myself from shooting him.

I clench my teeth and try to remember how to breathe. I feel like I've been punched.

Elbereth. Why is this so difficult.

She hasn't seen me. She's too wrapped up in this...this CHILD'S conversation. I retrieve the rest of my arrows and walk away. I don't want to see this. I don't want to think about this. This is a bloody nightmare.

I crouch by the edge of lake and splash water on my face. I haven't had any rest in days, and I'm extremely on edge. I could make excuses, and say my exhaustion is the reason I went at Kayli this morning. But although that is part of it, mostly it's the fact that I can't stand to be without her, and I am very, very afraid.

My brothers would be having the time of their lives if they could see me now. This brings another stab of pain, and I breathe until it passes.

The worst thing about being an Elf, other than the immortality, is that an Elf can die from grief. It can literally kill us. We can, very literally, die of a broken heart. Pining kills us. Part of what sustains us is our homes. The places and people that we are most connected with it. When apart from these, we pine, and we die.

I bury my face in my hands.

Now do you understand why I don't like it here?

I hear footsteps behind me. I glance up, and meet Harry's vivid green eyes. "Hey," he says, after a moment.

I rub my eyes and stand. "Hello."

Another long silence. "You look like Hell," he tells me carefully.

He's very right. That's the most logical thing I've heard all day.

"Thank you," I say. I try to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, but I'm pretty sure I fail.

Harry smiles at me. "Where's Kayli?" he asks.

And just like that, the jealousy is back, punching me in the stomach. I smile grimly, and gesture down the shore. "Down there. With someone who looks like your friend."

"Ah," he says. "Charlie. He's here because of the dragons."

I stare at him blankly. "Dragons?"

He smiles a bit grimly. "They're like guard dogs."

Another blank stare. "Guard dogs? You are using dragons...as guard dogs."

He laughs at my disbelieving expression. "Yeah. Seems kinda wrong, huh?"

I nod. "Oh, yes."

There's another moment of silence. "Kayli seemed upset this morning."

I wince. "We fought."

"She said something like that. Something about screaming fights, actually. And not speaking Elvish."

I wince again. I had said some rather ... unkind things at the end of our...discussion. Or screaming fight. That's probably more accurate. I sigh and rub my temples. This is very much not a good day. "I need to apologize to her. I was rather...horrible."

He nods and crouches down. "She loves you. She can't stand being like this with you." He grins at me, suddenly, looking so much younger than he did a moment ago. He's young, even for a human, I know that. But sometimes, he seems far older than even I. And almost as wise. Wiser, sometimes. As this proves, I think. "Besides, she'll probably think it's cute that you're jealous."

I almost growl. "I am not jealous."

Harry outright laughs at that, nearly falling over. "Liar." He straightens up, smirking. That expression reminds me of Elladan. It's frightening. I wish he'd stop. "If you were any more jealous, you'd be turning green."

I smile slightly and extend a hand to help him back to his feet. "Whatever you say."

We walk back towards the castle, in silence. "What do you do back in your world?" he asks suddenly. "I mean...do you have a, a job, or something?"

I think about that for a while. Do I have a job, as it is in this world? "I have a ... function," I tell him. "Before our Quest, my job was to protect my home. My father's realm is - was - a dangerous place, a land in the Shadow of the Dark Lord's servants."

Harry starts at Sauron's title. "You have a Dark Lord too?" he asks.

I smile grimly. "Had. He was destroyed, when Frodo Baggins destroyed his Ring of Power." I push my hair back behind my shoulders.

Harry looks interested. I take a deep breath. "All right," I say, and look at the trees overhead. "What do you wish to know?"

- Kayli -

Charlie has some funky tales to tell, let me tell you. Stories about Fred and George's experiments for their joke shop, tales of Ron's chess skills, Bill's tomb-breaking experiences, Percy's Ministry job, tales of family Quidditch games.

"You should try it," he tells me, after the end of one such tale. "Quidditch is the best."

I think about it. "Don't you play it on a broom? Like, hundreds off feet of the ground?"

He looks confused for a second and nods.

I shake my head. "Oh, no. Uh-uh. No way in hell."

He stares at me for a second, then starts to laugh. "You're afraid of heights!"

I'd argue, but it seems pointless. Besides, I just caught sight of Legolas and Harry by the lake, and I can't breathe.

Charlie stares at me for a second, looking concerned, then follows my gaze. "Ah," he murmurs. "This must be your husband." He gives me a wicked little grin. "Unless you have designs on Harry."

That snaps me out of it. I am so completely and utterly revolted by the thought that I don't know whether to laugh or hit him. Instead, I make a little gagging noise and stare at him incredulously. "EWW! He's a kid!"

Charlie almost topples over laughing. I take a deep breath and try to fix my hair. I need to talk to Legolas. I HAVE to talk to Legolas. I don't really want to, not after this morning, but I have to. God. Valar. Merlin. Whoever. Shoot me.

Charlie grins at me. "You're nervous about talking to your own husband?"

I glare at him. "Shut up, Weasley."

"Yes, ma'am."

Harry and Legolas seem to still be deep in conversation when I approach with Charlie. He seems to be telling Harry about Lothlorien. I crouch down next to him. "Don't forget the part about Hal."

Legolas looks up at me and grins, and I breathe. He takes my hand and pulls me down onto his lap. "I figured I'd leave that to you, love."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. You think the oh-so-wise-and-immortal Elvenkind would be beyond the petty jealousy crap, yeah? Oh, hell no. Legolas is one of the most jealous people I have ever met. And if there happens to be another guy around, he absolutely has to do the jealous alpha-male pissing contest bullshit to prove who I supposedly belong to.

Not that I'm complaining, or anything.

Charlie rather pointedly clears his throat. Legolas does a really poor job of hiding a smirk.

"Charlie Weasley, this is Legolas. Legolas, Charlie."

Charlie smirks. Legolas does one of those polite yet arrogant Elvish expressions that irritate the living crap out of me. I look at Harry and roll my eyes. He laughs. "Anyways," he says. "Who's Hal?"

I do my best evil smirk, and launch into the immortal tale of everyone's favorite Lothlorien border guard, and his intrepid and quite nude trek through the Golden Woods in search of his clothes. Somehow, I manage to keep the details straight and maintain it was Merry and Pippin's idea, entirely, and that Frodo and I were observers only.

By the time I'm finished, Harry has tipped over backward, he's laughing so hard, and Charlie is staring at me with respect. He presses a hand over his heart and bows, looking almost like he means it. He wouldn't make a bad Elf. "My lady, I stand in awe."

I smirk. I think this one is actually alot more evil than my other attempt. Which is kinda scary, because I'm not even trying. I bow back, which is kind of awkward since I'm on somebody's lap. "Thank you, m'Lord."

We get back into the tale, filling Harry in on Emmyn Muil, Rohan, the Battle of Helm's Deep, Gondor, Pelennor, the Battle of the Black Gate, and what we know of Sam and Frodo's trip through Mordor. Which isn't much, since Sam and Frodo don't particular like talking about it.

"So after the end, Eowyn and Faramir got married, right?" he asks.

I nod. "Yeah. We had a whole bunch of weddings over the next year. Aragorn and Arwen, Faramir and Eowyn, Sam and Rosie, me and Legolas." I stop and think. "Hopefully Boromir and Edana will get of their dead asses and get it over with soon."

Harry laughs. "You really are a matchmaker, aren't you?"

Legolas laughs. "Definitely."

I open my mouth to reply, but I'm cut off - remind me to find a different phrase for that, cut off sounds painful - by a voice calling from towards the castle. Harry's friend, the one with the strange eyes and funky vibes, is sprinting towards us. Wow. I've never seen a smoker run like that.

"Harry!" he yells.

Harry practically jumps to his feet, immediately intent and worried. "Remus!" He catches the man as he stumbles to a stop in front of us. "What's wrong?"

Remus doubles over, gasping for breath. "Death Eaters -" he manages. "Escaped from Azakaban."

Why do I get the sneaky suspicion that's not a good thing?

"What are Death Eaters?" Legolas asks. He stands and puts me back on my feet. His hands don't leave my waist.

"Lord Voldemort's followers," Harry says grimly. Charlie looks pale. "Anything else, Remus?"

Remus straightens up. "Dumbledore has reason to believe Voldemort is going to launch an attack on your aunt and uncle."

Legolas swears. I rake both hands through my hair. "So what do we do?"

Charlie looks at me. "We?"

I glare. "Yeah. We."

Remus shakes her head. "We can't ask you to get involved in this. It's too dangerous." He shrugs. "You're both to young to get involved in a battle against the Dark Lord, if you don't have to."

Legolas and I look at each other and laugh.

"I'm sorry," I say, after a minute. "But I've already been in a battle against a Dark Lord. I think I can handle another one. And as for the young bit...you're only really right about half of us."

Legolas shakes his head. "I am young," he tells me. He's grinning. "By Elven standards, at least."

Remus folds his arms over his chest. "How old are YOU, Kayli?" he demands.

I stop and think about it. "Uh...22. I think."

Charlie stares at me. "You don't look that young."

I glare at him. "Thanks."

He shakes his head quickly. "I mean, no, you LOOK very young, you just..."

"You have very wise eyes," Legolas says softly.

Remus shakes his head and glares at Legolas. "And how old are you?"

Legolas stops and think about it. "About three thousand, five hundred." He shrugs. "Give or take a few decades."

Remus's glare, like, doubles. "That's not amusing."

Legolas returns his gaze, very calmly. "I'm not joking."

Everyone just stops and stares at him for a second. Well, except me. I'm used to it. Believe me, I have spent more time contemplating his age and experience than is probably healthy.

No, not THAT kind of experience. Perverts.

Remus is just kind of staring at him, so that those pretty eyes take up most of his face. "Um..."

I smile at him. "Don't worry," I tell him, and pat his shoulder. "It happens to the best of us."

Remus turns and stares at me. He works his mouth for a second, then quickly shakes his head. "You know, after the last couple of years, that is really not hard to beleive." He manages a smile, and mostly fails. I've noticed that about him. He doesn't seem to smile very much. Not even when he tries. "Right. Talk to Dumbledore, he'll make the final decision." He turns around, wraps an arm around Harry's shoulders, and starts heading us back to the castle.

I lean into Legolas shoulder and frown. I'm thinking about Remus. See, there's this habit I have, of trying to solve the problems of the people around me. And if I can't do that, I just try to understand. This has given me all sorts of experience, which makes me think of something.

Remus has lost someone. Someone he loved very much. And there's this innate, morbid curiousity I have of wondering who it was. Yes, I am a sick, twisted individual. I know this.

I think it's the eyes. Those haunted, funky eyes. They look like Legolas's do, sometimes, when he's looking at me and think I'm not noticing. When he's thinking about me dying, and doesn't want me to know.

It happens more than I thought it would. Of course, when you're immortal, I guess time passes quicker.

Legolas loops an arm around my waist and kisses my hair. "Why so sad, love?"

I nod at Remus. "He's lost someone."

Legolas nods. "Yes."

See? He's really very observant. He kisses me quickly. "You can't help everyone, love."

I lean into him. "I know. But I can still try."

TBC...