"Touch me like that again, Harry James Potter," she growled, "and you will lose your hand."
"Hermione?" he whispered, dropping her arm.
"What happened to you?" Harry asked
"That is none of your concern," Nira snapped in reply.
"You're my friend. Of course it's my concern."
"You are no friend of mine, not anymore. I didn't know real friendship until I left. A true friend tries to keep you out of a war even when you insist otherwise. Friends try to keep you safe. Friends are people you fight for not causes you fight for. Friends feel horrible when they make you cry and are the reason you laugh, even when it seems impossible."
Harry looked at Nira in disbelief. He had never seen this side of her before, and it had surprised him. Nira glared at him before seeing Minerva McGonagall walking down the steps of the castle. The headmistress stopped beside Harry and smiled at Nira.
"You know, now," she stated. "Am I to assume the Ring of power has been destroyed?"
"A brave hobbit threw the Ring into Mt. Doom," Nira replied. "The war has ended. Sauron is gone, and a king is to be crowned."
"Isildur's heir has come forward?"
"Aragorn," Nira said, nodding to him.
"We can speak more inside. I want to hear about everything."
"We need to get back. Gandalf is expecting us in the White City."
"If I am not mistaken, Gandalf probably already knows and has taken this into account. The portal into Middle Earth will not open again for a month. I shall have the house elves make up rooms for your company for that amount of time."
Nira nodded and took her horses reins, leading it after the headmistress. She looked at the rest of her group, nodding that it was safe, and they all dismounted. She threw a glance around them at the students who were watching them intently. A group of house elves were waiting at the front doors with McGonagall.
"They will see to your horses on a day to day basis. They will be kept in the paddock by Hagrid's hut. All your belongings will be taken to your rooms that are being readied as we speak."
Nira handed her horse's reins to one of the house elves with a smile. The elf bowed to her before leading the horse away. Nira and her group followed the headmistress to her office. There were enough chairs in the office for everyone to sit.
"Welcome back to our world, Miss Granger," Dumbledore's portrait said from over the door.
Her group spun around, trying to figure out who had spoken. Upon seeing no one, they looked around warily. Nira laughed at their faces before pointing to the picture overhead. They looked where she pointed and jumped backward when they say Dumbledore move.
"Gandalf?" Aragorn asked.
"I was, am, and always will be Gandalf, but in this picture I am known as Albus Dumbledore," the portrait replied.
Nira turned to the portrait over the desk and smirked.
"You knew, didn't you?" she asked the painting of Severus Snape.
"What did I know?" he asked in reply.
"About everything, Dumbledore being Gandalf, Middle Earth, me."
"You didn't think someone as important as you would have only one protector. Dumbledore, Minerva, and I were all charged with protecting you until the time came for your return to Middle Earth. I was the only one who was actually a part of this world."
"So," McGonagall said, "What happened to you in the past three months?"
Nira sat down, as did the rest of her group, and launched into the story, starting when she awoke in Rivendell. She let the hobbits explain what happened to them after they were separated. Minerva could only smile as they told of what had occurred.
"The time of the elves has ended," she said more to herself than her guests. "They will be leaving Middle Earth for the Undying Lands. I would like to return to Middle Earth with you when you go. My time here is ending. I wish to go into the West with my kin."
"You are an elf?" Gimli asked.
"My appearance is merely a spell. When I prepare to go back to Middle Earth, the spell will break, and I will be seen as I am. Now, if you will follow me, I will show you to your rooms."
They followed her to the west tower, near the Ravenclaw common room. She opened the door and led them inside. The central room was large and had several chairs around the fireplace. There were four main doors branching off the main room. Two led to single rooms for Aragorn and Gimli. One led to a second room with four more doors beyond, for the hobbits. The final door led to a long hallway with doors on either side for the elves.
"The door to these rooms," Minerva told them, "can only be found by someone from Middle Earth. None other than us can enter here. You can either come down to the Great Hall for meals or you may stay here. Feel free to explore and use the library. You will always be able to find your way back to this room, no matter where you are in the castle. I would not advise going into the forest. Lady Nira can tell you what is in there is you must know. I will have clothes from this world brought to you. If you have any questions, Nira will know the answer to most of them."
They all turned to Nira to start asking questions, but stopped as she walked over to the window. She touched the glass, looking out over the mountains. She was glad to be back, but at the same time, didn't feel like she belonged. She turned and found her room, so she could change. Legolas trailed right behind her.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, worried.
"I just feel odd being back here," she replied quietly.
She turned toward him, and he smiled at her. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. She stepped into him and pressed her lips to his. He ran his hands down her back, resting them on her hips, pulling her tightly against him. She stepped away from him, smiling at him. She picked up the set of clothes that were hers, and turned away from him. He picked up the clothes left for him and felt the denim jeans.
When Nira had finished changing, she turned to see Legolas still fascinated by the material. She chuckled at him, and he looked at her. His eyes swept over her quickly taking in the clothes. She wore dark jeans that rode low on her hips and a tight fitting red blouse. He turned away from her to change his clothes.
Nira looked him over when he was changed. He wore jeans that were a lighter shade than hers that hung loosely at his waist. He also wore a black t-shirt that clung to his frame, emphasizing him muscled chest. He pulled her into him, her back against his chest. He smiled into her hair as they stood in front of a mirror.
"I think I like this world," he whispered into her ear.
"And why is that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
He gave her a mischievous smile, before slipping his hands under the hem of her shirt. She squeaked in surprise, but didn't say anything. He spread out his fingers, covering most of her abdomen. She turned around in his arms, his hands brushing to her back. She kissed him gently, as she slid her hands under the back of his shirt, leaning into his chest.
A/N Okay more for my awesome readers, please review.