Ok, another chapter. I've been busy with school, sorry for the gap in updates. Housekeeping notes:
1. Hermione is Nira reencarnated.
2. You will find out more about Nira as Hermione does.
3. Nira's daughter will be part of the future bits of the story, because I'm not cruel enough to leave you without more information on her.
4. Just to state again, I haven't read the books, so all of this is based off the movies and internet sites, so stop telling me that it doesn't match the books. I KNOW THAT!
Hermione woke first the next morning. She didn't want to pull Legolas out of his peaceful state, but she knew they needed to get moving. She pushed herself up and kissed him lightly. He leaned toward her as she pulled away, trying to continue. He opened his eyes, smiling at her.
"I could get used to waking up like that," he muttered, nuzzling her neck.
"We have to get ready to leave," Hermione reminded him.
"In a bit," he replied, kissing her. "I have to get this out of the way, because we won't be able to do this until we're in a city."
She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, running her hands over his chest. He explored her mouth with his tongue. She pulled away placing feathery kisses down his neck, before moving to his chest. He groaned as she ran her fingers over the skin above his waistband.
"God, woman," he growled in frustration. "You are going to make this impossible. If you keep this up, I won't be able to keep under control."
She grinned wickedly, making his heart skip a beat. Before she could do anything else, he pulled her up to kiss him, pushing her on her back. He took her wrists and held them over her head, never letting their lips part from one another.
"Hermione," Aragorn called as he knocked on the door. "Legolas, we have to get going."
Legolas reluctantly pushed himself off Hermione, and retrieved his shirt. The pair went back to the rest of the Fellowship as they packed. Hermione pulled Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli aside.
"Do not call me Nira with Boromir or the hobbits around," she whispered. "They may have my trust, but Boromir has already been corrupted by the ring once, I want my identity kept secret until I deem it right for the world to know. As for the hobbits, Frodo is so tightly bound to the ring, anything he knows may fall into the hands of Sauron, and none of the rest of them can keep quiet."
"Of course, m'lady," Aragorn said with a slight bow of his head.
"And don't do that. Don't change the way you act around me, because they will ask questions. Those hobbits are surprisingly perceptive."
As they were leaving, Galadriel gave each of them a gift ranging from weapons to light to words of encouragement. To Hermione, Galadriel gave a sword. The hilt was decorated with elven writing, a large blue gem, and a raven. She drew the blade, watching it gleam in the sunlight. Down the center of the blade was engraved "Rowena Ravenclaw." Hermione smiled at Galadriel in thanks.
"I was charged with protecting it until an heir returned for it," Galadriel explained quietly. "You are like her in many ways, but you surpass her in bravery, which will please her. She would not have taken the challenge of this quest. She left Middle Earth because she feared what this land offered her. It will only serve one from the line of Ravenclaw, a true Ravenclaw, and they whom the heir deems worthy of its use. Farewell."
The Fellowship clambered into the boats provided to them by Galadriel and set off down the river. Boromir, Merry, and Pippin sat in one boat, Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam in the second, and Legolas, Hermione, and Gimli in the third. They were all silent while they followed where the river took them. They finally reached their destination and pulled the boats onto shore.
Legolas and Hermione were wary about stopping until nightfall and express their feelings about it to Aragorn. Merry spoke up and asked where Frodo was. They all turned to where Frodo had been, then to Boromir. Neither were there. They split up to look for them.
Hermione walked quietly and swiftly through the trees looking for the ring-bearing hobbit. Her keen eyes and ears caught movement at the same time and ran toward it to find Aragorn fighting a large number of creatures she could only assume were orcs, not having seen the creatures before in daylight. She drew her bow, shooting it quickly. Legolas and Gimli showed up to help them fight off the monsters. They frozen for a second, hearing a loud horn.
"The horn of Gondor," Legolas said. "there are Uruk-hai surrounding him."
Aragorn tore toward the horn as Legolas, Hermione, and Gimli fought off the Uruk-hai that tried to follow. Hermione picked up an Uruk-hai shield and tossed it out in front of her. She stepped on it, sliding down the hill shooting arrows. An Uruk-hai caught her off guard from above and knocked her bow out of her hand. She drew her sword and stabbed the creature in the heart, before looking for Aragorn. He was held by an Uruk-hai by the neck inches from the ground. Hermione felt her blood run cold and threw out her hand, yelling "Avada Kadavra."
The Uruk-hai dropped Aragorn before falling to the ground, dead. Aragorn ran to Boromir as Legolas and Gimli ran over. Hermione fell to her knees, her eyes not leaving the creature she'd killed with magic. Aragorn walked over and knelt beside her.
"Thank you," he whispered. "You saved my life, Hermione. You were very brave."
"Bravery has nothing to do with it," Hermione snapped. "Using that spell is cowardice. I've never used it before. I told you I could kill with saying two words. There's your proof. I used that damned spell. I'm a coward."
"No," Aragorn told her. "You are no coward. You did it to protect someone you care about. Hermione, you are not a coward."
"I'm no longer Hermione. Now, call me Nira. Hermione would never have used that curse."
"Very well, Nira, you are not a coward."
Aragorn stood and extended a hand toward her, which she took, letting him pull her to her feet. She threw one last look at the dead Uruk-hai and turned to Boromir.
"You let Frodo go, didn't you?" she asked Aragorn.
"The temptation within the Fellowship was too great. He and Sam have shown the ability to fight the power of the ring. I would have sent you with them, but you wouldn't leave Legolas."
Ok, I know there was some amount of time in there between Lothlorien and the orc attack on the river, but I didn't feel like writing that in.