Loki sat at the great feasting table quietly as his brother bragged his battles to his enraptured audience of females. You would think that battles would give him a brain for strategy but even after all these years of rescuing Thor from an enemy too great his part was only mentioned in passing. Loki's part of actually winning the battle with a little tact and preventing a full scale was virtually ignored.

Still they were blood and as long as they were brothers he would love Thor and tollerate his ways. Maybe a prank was in order. Loki smirked his mind filling with ideas to get back at Thor

After waiting as short amount of time as was socially acceptable Loki rose and with one last roll of his eyes started the long treck back to his chambers.

Pausing breifly to wish goodnight to his mother he headed for the doors when a sound like thunder echoed around the hall causing everyone to fall silent. Loki turned and arched an eyebrow at Thors abtics but was suprised when Thors face showed only confusion.

"What on Asgard..." Loki trailed off. Odin and Frigga now standing, Thor clutching his precious hammer. Loki reached for his knives tucked neatly into his boots for easy access.

Suddenly a giant flash of pure white light burst through the hall temporarily blinging all.

As the light faded a shape came into view. It seemed to be a girl. She swayed softly on the spot for almost a full minute before collapsing into a ball on the golden floor; a pool of crimson blood pooling around her.

As Loki's eyes quickly recovered he looked up to see a girl, no a woman whose clothes were torn and dirty but that wasn't what alarmed him. It was her body. Her whole body was covered in scars. Recently afflicted. Then as she began to fall he noticed one more thing. There was a knife in her stomach.

~o0OO0o~

He was the first to react. Everyone, including the allfather, was in shock, eyes transfixed on the girl but unmoving.

Rushing swiftly to her side, Loki yanked the dagger out of her before starting to heal that wound whilst calling for a healer. His main skill with magic was after all illusions and party tricks but he did know some healing spells that may sustain her long enough for someone else to heal her.

So focused was he on his task that he missed the aproach of his Father and his Mother, who gently pushed him aside before replacing him with her magic which closed the wound and sealed it. She had done this for both Thor and Loki throughout their childhoods whenever they cut their knees playing.

Stepping back to join Odin he looked enquiringly at his Father. Odin merely shook his head in denial at his unspoken question. Hmm. So the all knowing all seeing allfather did not know who it was that had crashed into their grand hall on a celebration of Thors latest victory.

~o0OO0o~

Hermione awoke a few days later on a bed so soft it felt like clouds. She had either succeeded and was at a safe house or had gone to heaven to join her family. Eiher option sounded good as both had Harry. Her brother in all but blood.

The quiet murmer of voices cause her war trained brain to kick into overdrive as she attempted to identify them and their location within the room without alerting them to the fact she was awake.

"How is she today?" A feminine yet strong voice. Left of Hermione's location by around 30 paces.

Still shows no sign of waking your majesty. " male closer than the last. Was the first Royalty or just a ruler like Voldemort?

"Her injuries? " the first voice inquired, sounded concerned.

"Steadily healing" the second "but not as fast as we would like. "

"Thank you Master Healer" another title. A professional. Good.

Light footsteps. Towards her. Time to move.

Leaping off the bed in a flash Hermione had categorized every escape root in order of usefulness and immediately ran to the nearest door. Suddenly there was a woman standing in her way. Where had she come from? Without breaking stride she changed direction to the balcony only to find the same won an in the way. Growling out her irritation Hermione had had enough. She wanted out and anyone to stand in her way was the enemy.

Not having a wand didn't bother her any more as she had self taught herself wandless magic back in 4th year at Hogwarts. With a sweep of her hand she cast a sleeping spell on the woman who instead of dropping to the floor like she expected, merely vanished.

Confused but not willing to wait around and find out Hermione continued her path to the balcony and did not hesitate to throw herself off. Instantly changing into the smoke form both the Order and the Death Eaters used to fly without brooms.

~o0OO0o~

Frigga watched in astonishment as the girl she had healed partially, who until this moment had looked close to death and certainly not conscious, rose to her feet with the grace of the light elves who had passed on a few millennium before and darted towards the door.

In an attempt to calm her and prevent her panicked escape she sent a duplicate of herself with her magic to block her escape, but to her astonishment the girl merely changed direction this time towards the balcony. Sending out another duplicate she watched in surprise as the girl made a slashing movement with her hand that instantly disintegrated Frigga's illusion.

Magic. The girl had magic and it was powerful. Hmm.

As the girl continued on her path towards the balcony Frigga called out to get her to stop. If she jumped off the balcony it was over 50 stories to the floor and she would most certainly die. The girl however did not stop but jumped and changed into a grey smoke streaming at a breath taking speed away from the room.

~o0OO0o~

Loki was in his chambers looking over the gardens careful watching the room which the mysterious woman from the feast had been moved to. Where had she come from and what secrets did she possess? He wanted the answers but he would not get them till she awoke. Damn.

He had always been curious to the new and unusually. That was one of the main differences between him and his brother. Thor would attack first ask questions later, like their Father and he would ask questions then decide a suitable action, much like their Mother. However knew that in some situations he was more like his brother than he would ever admit and did act rashly.

Thor would always be the favourite but Loki was comfortable in the shadows as long as he had his family.

Suddenly a grey smoke blurred out of the room, at least he thought it was smoke, but it seemed to stay together in a solid form and it was traveling at unbelievably high speeds. No smoke he knew of could do this. Curiosity peaked he followed its path towards the gardens and watched as when it touched the ground turned into the woman from the feast.

Closing his eyes and focusing he created a small portal to the rose gardens he slipped through it and then peaked around the corner to watch as the woman took in her surroundings.

Her hair which was previously matted and filthy hung in long waves down her back, her clothes which had been nothing more than rags were now the gowns of the healers ward. She slowly turned in a circle taking in her surroundings.

"What an enigma" Loki thought, smiling softly at this new resident of Asgard.

~o0OO0o~