First and foremost, thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I'm not too proud to admit that the reviews really get my juices pumping, and seriously, if there's a direction in the story you don't like, let me know. You're ideas could be better than mine, and I can always reevaluate the story line.

With a jaw cracking yawn, Hermione moved her hands closer to the fire and sighed in satisfaction as the flames warmed her palms. It had been a long night, and as much as her body demanded she find some rest, she found it nearly impossible when she was forced to share a tent with a snoring Dwarf. At least she had been spared having to share space with his holly highness, the pointy eared caveman who seemed to have adopted an indifferent attitude toward her after their heated introduction the previous day.

Well bully for him, like she was supposed to feel upset over trying to stun them so she could escape. It wasn't as though she had casted an Unforgivable their way.

On the bright side, his apathetic presence seemed to have transferred onto Gimli, as the two men nearly forgot she was there. Well that wasn't entirely true. They at them knew she was there, she felt their heavy stares, even when it appeared they weren't even looking. She was pretty sure should she make any sudden movements, or try to flee from the perimeter of the campsite, she wouldn't get too far.

Not like she had anywhere to really go. She wasn't ignorant of her plight, whether she had gone back in time – way, way, way back – or had gone sideways and down some rabbit hole like Alice, she was nowhere near where she should be. And fleeing would ultimately mean leaving her wand, tent, and all her precious items behind.

Snatching the Time-Turner from the Ministry had seemed like a smashing brilliant plan at the time. She even had the nerve to preen over her discovery and sneakiness. What really could go wrong? She'd thought. As she studied the pendant by the dying embers of the campfire, when the boys had fallen into their cots in a deep restless asleep. Go back in time a tad bit more than she'd intended? On her lengthy list of pros and cons it was a price she was willing to take if it meant that Harry succeeded in the end. What she hadn't anticipated was Draco suddenly growing a conscious and tossing out a spell at the very same moment his darling of a Father was casting the killing curse her way. Or, at least that's what she had concluded after many hours of contemplation. It was the only viable explanation she was able to come up with that made any sense whatsoever.

Another yawn threatened to spill from her lips, and the world started to tilt, forcing her to drop to the ground near the fire. Perhaps staying awake through the night had been a poor decision, and refusing to eat even more insane. Logically she knew now more than ever the importance of being alert, because if given an opening to rid herself of her newly appointed 'escorts' she intended on taking it, and it would do her no good if she were blurry eyed and beyond exhausted.

One simple Accio wand, when Legolas's guard was down, and she'd have her chance at freedom. For this to work of course, she would need to wait at least a day into their travel. That way she could Apparate back to this location and go from there. In the very least it would give her a day's head start, that is if Legolas and Gimli even bothered trying to hunt her down.

Pulling her knees up to her chest, Hermione allowed herself just a moment to let down her guard. Legolas and Gimli were currently occupied, as they circled the tent, trying to figure out how to pack up the structure, while debating on what to do with the objects inside. Both had pointedly ignored her, and she saw no reason to speak up. There was no way she would willing help her captors.

Legolas could talk himself blue in the face, she wasn't numb enough to buy his sale of goods. His show of gallantry, by self-proclaiming himself her 'escort' was nothing but pretty words. She wasn't a fool. She'd been at war long enough to know the definition of prisoner. When she wasn't free to leave, or to decide her own fate, it meant her freedom had been stripped away. Making her a captive. How was she to know what lay ahead of her at this White City they kept speaking of? For all she knew a stake in the ground, surrounded by a pile of dry kindling and a jeering crowd was in her future.

Without permission her eyelids lowered, and it took every ounce of discipline to force them open again. Merlin, she was so tired. Had she been this tired earlier when Gimli had shoved a plate of food and tea her way, grumbling something about her being nothing but skin and bones? She'd passed on the food, cold charred meat didn't seem all that appealing, and instead sipped on the weird tasting tea.

Honestly, what had she expected? Months of wear and tear, plus a few sessions of torture, mixed in with a near death experience, her body was bound to shut down sooner or later. She just wished it had been later than sooner.

Bringing a hand to her face, Hermione scrubbed relentlessly at her eyes, trying to erase the fatigue from them. She knew sitting before a fire wasn't helping, what she needed to do was make herself stand up and walk about a bit. The activity may help clear her head, give her a second wind. It was better than just sitting there, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Struggling to her feet, Hermione paused as the world righted itself, before taking a step away from the campfire. Her first few steps made it feel as though she were walking through water, muddy water that was waist deep. As she made her way to the tent flap, she was only feet away when it became crystal clear she wasn't going to make her destination. It felt as through the world was closing in on her, and the more she struggled against it the harder it pushed back. Taking one last step, it felt as if a large black pit had appeared beneath her feet, swallowing her whole.

Before Hermione could hit the ground, Legolas was there. With the grace of a cat, he had her cradled against his chest. Barely missing a beat, he carried her through the tent opening and straight to her cot.

"About bloody time." Gimli grunted, as he followed. "I was starting to wonder if you mixed the herbs right."

Sending a scowl over his shoulder toward his friend, Legolas muttered. "Of course I mixed them correctly."

"Then perhaps your elven concoctions aren't as potent as you claim them to be." Moving to the cot, Gimli pulled off the blanket to clear a space for Legolas to place the young girl.

"What were you expecting? The idea was to get her to rest, not to kill her." Looking down at the girl in question, Legolas frowned. He hadn't expected her to last as long as she had, and he'd be lying that her close proximity to the fire hadn't caused him some alarm. Typically the sleeping herbs would pull a mortal to a peaceful sleep within minutes.

"Don't suppose you have anything in that bag to make the lass eat." Sending the slumbering witch a calculating glance, Gimli shook his head. "It's plain as day the girl hasn't been fed right for some time. She'll blow away should a gentle breeze blow across the plains."

"She'll eat when she's hungry." Placing Hermione gently on makeshift bed, Legolas took a step back. It was true she was nothing but skin and bones, but at the moment he was more concerned over the apparent harm that had come to the girl. In the shape she currently was in, there was no way she'd make it to Minas Tirith.

"So that's it then? We just stand back and watch as she fades into nothing?" Crossing his beefy arms over his barrel chest, Gimli looked anything but pleased.

"What would you have us do? Shove food down her throat?" Running a hand over his face in frustration, Legolas sighed. "She already mistrusts us."

"Oh, don't you be looking at me." The Dwarf growled. "You're the one who went blathering on about being the one in charge, telling the poor thing she had no other choice than to do as you say, when you said it."

Not needing the reminder, Legolas felt the tips of his ears burn in shame. It was rare when his temper got the best of him, and he wasn't proud on how he handled the situation. "Need I remind you that that poor thing you're referring to, stunned you with some strange magic?"

With a casual shrug, the shorter man waived his hand. "She thought she was in danger. Can we fault her for trying to protect herself?"

No, he couldn't, Legolas thought. In fact he admired the strength she had shown the day before, even if he found himself unusually annoyed. "Perhaps we should take advantage of this moment to find out more about the girl."

"In other words, you're too ashamed to admit you acted poorly and wish to change the subject."

"Gimli."

"Fine. Fine. Have it your way, but only because I know you, and it will be a long time before you stop punishing yourself over your actions." With a shake of his head, Gimli moved about the tent, looking for any clue that could explain more. "Perhaps we should inspect that enchanted bag of hers."

"Itching for another round with the book are you?" Tearing his eyes away from Hermione's slumbering form, Legolas moved to where he'd hidden the bag the night before.

"More like I'm itching to tear that monstrosity to pieces." Gimli said with a growl. "You wouldn't find it so amusing if it had latched onto you."

"Perhaps not." He admitted. "But the image will provide me many days of humor."

With a sour look upon his face, Gimli snatch the beaded purse from his friend's hands. "Well, let's get this done with. There's no telling how long the Lass will be out."

With some trepidation, the Dwarf opened the bag and peered in. "I just can't wrap my head around this, look at all the stuff she has stashed away in there."

Sharing a look of unease with his friend, Legolas put his hand through the opening and latched onto the first item it encountered. Pulling out the book, he examined it for any oddities. "Looks to be just a book."

"No teeth?"

Smiling softly as his friends tense words, Legolas shook his head. "No teeth." Turning the tome over to inspect the front, his eyes skimmed over the title. "Hogwarts, A History." His frown reached his eyes, as he carefully opened the cover. At first all he saw was a very clear image of a castle, and was about to turn the page when something happened. The water in the lower corner looked to be moving. Blinking his eyes, Legolas nearly dropped the book. "I don't believe it."

"What?" Trying not to sound panicked, Gimli looked to see what had his friend so astonished. "Is the water moving?"

"It is my friend." Legolas whisper in awe.

With a visible gulp, Gimli slammed the cover shut. "Perhaps we should inspect it later?"

"Perhaps." Setting the book to the side, but determined to inspect it in more depth, Legolas reached into the bag again. "Another book."

"More?" Standing on his toes, Gimli looked into the bag. "How many books does she need?"

Setting the book aside, Legolas returned to the bag and pulled out a frame. Unlike yesterday, this one wasn't empty. Staring back at him, was a cleaner, slightly younger, happy Hermione, flanked by two boys close to her age. Large, fat snowflakes floated down around her head, as one of the boys tugged playfully on her knit cap, making her eyes crinkle when she laughed at his antics.

"She's a comely Lass." Gimli's voice broke in. "When she's not dirty, battered and hissing at you like a wet kitten. These moving portraits make me uneasy, they aren't natural."

With one last look, Legolas set the item aside. "The bag seems to be a bottomless pit."

"Well then we best get to it, she's not going to sleep forever." The picture forgotten, Legolas and Gimli got to work.

After an extensive search, Legolas and Gimli looked at the piles of items littered around them. Trying to make sense of their finds, they had started to place the objects from the bag into four separate piles. Books, garments, known, and unknown.

"The Lass sure fancies books." Gimli pondered the over flowing pile of tomes. "Do you suppose she's read them all then?"

"I'm sure she doesn't carry them around for no reason." The moving portrait was back in his hands, and Legolas watched in wonder as Hermione waved at him, before turning around to send a scowl at one of the boys for having thrown a handful of snow at her.

Poking at a pile of clothing, Gimli picked up a small piece of material to inspect it more closely. "What do you think these are?"

Tearing his eyes away from the picture, Legolas eyed the pink flowered fabric. The scrap of material dangled from the Dwarfs finger. "Perhaps they are not garments as we predicted."

Using both hands, Gimli stretched the material out, when suddenly his face bloomed with color, as a dawning comprehension forced Legolas to reach out and swipe the item from the Dwarf's hands. "Perhaps we should place these back in the bag. I doubt her mood will improve should she discover we've been snooping through her underthings."

"How was I supposed to know?" Clearly embarrassed, the Dwarf cleared his throat and looked away. "I don't see why we can't keep this between just the two of us."

"The secret will never pass my lips."

His eyes going back to the pile where Hermione's garments were gathered, Gimli looked a little uneasy, as though anymore undergarments may jump out at him. "Well there's one thing we know about the Lass."

Almost too afraid to ask, Legolas raised a brow instead. "She's like most women, packing way too many things for a journey."

"True." The pile was pretty extensive, which made him wonder just how long the girl had been traveling. "But a much more efficient way of packing."

"Don't suppose she could show Arwen." Gimli half joked, as both were reminded of the numerous trunks they'd been responsible of transporting for their new Queen.

The smile slid off Legolas's face, as he studied the items before him again. They were no closer to unraveling the mystery surrounding the slumbering girl. If anything, there were more unanswered questions. "She's a bigger secrete than she was before. We don't know who she is, where she's from, who harmed her, or how she ended up here."

"Perhaps the answer lies in one of her numerous books." With a heavy sigh, Gimli looked toward the stack of books.

He knew Gimli was right, and with a glance in Hermione's direction he could see she was still deep in slumber. "Put everything back, I will start with the Hogwarts book, perhaps you should go in search of our dinner."

Relieved to have a route out of hours of boredom, Gimli started to shove the items back into the bag, being extra careful while he grabbed the garments. "I will bring back with a feast worthy of a King."

Shaking his head at Gimli's antics, Legolas set aside the picture and reached for the book. "Remember you will be cooking whatever you catch."

"That's not the deal." Pausing, Gimli scowled. "Whoever doesn't provide, cooks."

"So does that mean you will pick up in the reading where I leave off?"

The scowl deepened. "You think you're so clever you lazy Elf." Grabbing his axe, Gimli stomped toward the flap. "But you aren't half as clever as you think you are."

When the Dwarf disappeared, Legolas turned his attention back to the book in his lap. "I wouldn't count on that my friend."

By the time Gimli returned, Legolas was pretty sure about a few things. One, Hogwarts was a school, a place where young children gathered to learn from adults known as Professors. Two, wizards and witches were different than muggles, which he was pretty certain were the same thing as mortals. Three, their new acquaintance had a connection to this dwelling. Mostly, from many mentions, he had the sickening knowledge that this Hogwarts did not exist in Middle-Earth, which meant Hermione was in more trouble than he first assumed.

"So what did you find?" Carrying several rabbits over his shoulder, Gimli stopped in the entrance of the tent and sent him a curious look.

"More than we bargained for." Putting the book to the side, Legolas rose from the chair he'd been using and stretched. "Let's go prepare the food and I will fill you in."

H~L

"So you're telling me that wee lass is not from Middle-Earth." Tossing the gnawed on bone into the fire, Gimli shook his head. "Well that won't do."

"I was thinking the same." Legolas nodding thoughtfully. "Perhaps we are in need of Gandalf's assistance."

"Good luck finding him." Reaching for another piece of meat, Gimli grunted. "He's been wandering the land for many moons. There's no telling where he is. Perhaps after we bring her to the White City, we could go in search of him."

Staring into the dancing flames, Legolas felt his stomach clench at the idea of leaving the girl at Minas Tirith. "I do not know my friend if that is the best course of action."

Slowly, Gimli raised his head from his meal and stared across the campfire. "Do you fear that Aragorn wouldn't take care of the Lass?"

Hearing the censor in Gimli's tone, Legolas frowned. "It's not Aragorn I doubt, but the people he keeps as guests. Too many times our friend has hand his hand swayed in the name of keeping peace. These are unsettling times, if any were to realize there was something amiss with the girl, their small minded suspicions could place her in harm. It would be too much to ask of Aragorn to go against the other rulers over a complete stranger."

"You know as well as I that he would never allow harm to come to an innocent." Fire burned in Gimli's eyes.

"I do." Legolas sent his piqued friend a solemn nod. "Think on it. If anyone were to find out that Hermione possess the ability to cast magic, a female no less, what do you think they would do?"

Some of the fire faded from the Dwarf's eyes as he thought over Legolas's words. "Try to capture her for their own gain or simply kill her so no others could have her."

"You know as well as I that many blame the war and the destruction of the land on the wizards." He had seen it first hand, before Gandalf had left to roam the land, how the look in the people's eyes went from gratitude to disgust. Legolas had watched with a heavy heart, as the commoners of Middle-Earth started to turn their backs on the wizard who had sacrificed himself for the greater good. He couldn't fault them though. Their lives and homes had been torn asunder, by forces they had little comprehension of, while the relief they were promised was instead snatched away by those who claimed to be their protectors.

"So what do we do?" Tossing the half eaten piece of meat into the roaring flames, suddenly lost his appetite, Gimli sighed. "We can't leave her at Minas Tirith, and in the shape she's in we can't be dragging her around Middle-Earth in search of a wizard who doesn't want to be found."

Staring off into the distance, Legolas considered their options. "I wish there was a way to pull Aragorn away from his throne so we could counsel with him."

"Not without his bloody guard surrounding him." Gimli made a face. "It's rather insulting don't you gather? Assuming that when Aragorn became King, he was suddenly unable to defend himself, and in need of pestering knights who probably shit themselves during battle. What of the Hobbits?"

"They've sacrificed enough, and it would be unkind to place the girl in their hands, knowing we may once again place them in danger." Shaking his head, Legolas stared ahead. "There's no other recourse that I can see. Minas Tirith it is, I only pray we can convince her of the importance of keeping a low profile there."

Gimli grunted at Legolas's words. "Sure." He said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "She seems the type who would easily be persuaded."

His cool eyes flickered toward Gimli and Legolas felt his stomach sink. "I wish we had encountered an army of Orcs instead."