Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or the Hobbit. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.

Note: The plan is to end the main story in the next chapter, but I will be having a few bridging chapters after that sort of describe what's going on between the end of this piece and the start of the Lord of the Rings.

Note: There are a few different ways to take LOTR characters now, and I rather like the personification of Shelob from the Shadow of Mordor games so I'm going to go that way.

Note: Sorry for the wait on this one. University classes picked up with a vengeance and I was busy with the course load.

Chapter Fifteen - Preparing For The Final Battle

Thorin was understandably disoriented after his death to awaken in his new state. He'd known about the blood beforehand as well as the possibility of its necessity, but he'd never actively planned for his new state. And so it was that Harry had taken him outside to get used to moving with his new strength and speed. As a regular vampire, Thorin only got those upgrades, but they were substantial. He ran so fast his form blurred, hopped over the tallest boulders, and lifted more than a few as well. Some of those feats of strength were more than Harry was capable of, and the wizard started to wonder if dwarven vampires were more inclined to that particular attribute.

As the dwarf continued to make the night his own in the space around the mountain, Tauriel came to sit beside him. "Will that blood always be inside me, ready to turn me if I die?"

"No." He shook his head in the negative. "It'll work itself out of your system in a day or two depending on how much you eat and drink. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it."

"Why didn't you?"

"A few reasons. I was afraid you all wouldn't take it, I'd never tried it before so the process was merely theory, and I thought some hope of keeping you alive after what we were to face was better than nothing."

Tauriel was silent for a moment, just contemplating his words, before saying, "If you do something like that again without telling me first, I'll put an arrow between your legs."

His knees closed on instinct and as the redhead laughed at his response he began to as well. "Noted." He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close. "I'm glad you're alright, Tauriel."

"You too." She snuggled in close to him. "You know, you did slay a dragon…" She trailed off leadingly.

"I did."

"And I did say that if you managed something like that I would join you in your sleeping mat."

Smiling wide, Harry leaned down so his lips were an inch away from her own, "You did, but I'd never dream of asking you to join me out of a bet."

"It wasn't a bet, darling, it was a challenge. A challenge you rose to marvelously. So, may I join you in your sleeping mat tonight?" She leaned in further and kissed his neck. Being the aggressor in this situation was so out of character for the elf, that it took a second for Harry to come out of his shock.

Then he said, "Nothing would make me happier. But isn't this fast for you? I don't want to push things between us more than you're comfortable with."

The elf maiden raised her green eyes to those of her partner and said seriously, "Whether it be the bond, or the time we've spent together talking and getting to know one another, I feel comfortable with you. I feel safe with you. I 'want' to feel loved by you." She wrapped her arms securely around his neck. "Will you love me, Harry?"

"With all of my being, Tauriel."

Anything else they might have said was cut off by a sudden chittering that had them both spinning around with Tauriel's bow raised and his claws at the ready. What they saw shocked them both. A giant spider, larger than any seen before, was waiting with its long arms raised and its body knelt low to the ground. The elf was all set to let her arrow fly when a voice came from all around them, "Peace," it crooned, "peace, I mean no harm."

For some reason he could not explain, the vampire believed it. What was more, the longer he stared at the creature the greater an impression became in his mind. "This is not your true form is it? Show yourself."

The massive arachnid shuddered in place and before their eyes the air around it began to shimmer and shift as if a mirage sat before them. A moment later it disappeared entirely and in its place was a beautiful, stately woman, with incredibly pale skin, black hair, and silver eyes as bright as a mirror. She bowed low before the vampire and spoke in a voice far more human than what had been heard before, "Greetings, Lord of Night. I am Shelob, the Great Spider, and technically that was just as much my true form as what you see before you. We are one and the same."

"Why have you come here, guardian of the Mountains of Shadow?" Tauriel demanded, still not lowering her bow.

The woman eyed the weapon with an amused expression and stepped forward until she was but five feet from the vampire before falling to one knee. "I seek sanctuary for myself and my children in service to yourself, Master Vampire."

Harry was understandably shocked. "Excuse me?"

Tauriel was equally surprised. "The legends say you serve the dark forces in Mordor."

A look of barely controlled anger passed the beautiful brunette's face before she answered, "Those legends are false. I existed in the Southlands long before Sauron's name was even a whisper on the lips of men, even if I was not fully aware of myself as I am now. I guarded the Mountains of Shadow merely because they were my territory. In the time of Sauron's rise, I actually was aware, and he courted my favor to watch the boundaries of his lands. In my mind, those boundaries were already mine, I'd cast webs there for centuries and my children had long fed on those that wandered in. I saw no harm in continuing my nature, and if he thought I served him in the process and he left me and mine alone, what was the harm? However, even I could not have forseen the depths of his evil. Sauron cared not for the nature of those in his keeping. He started to steal my children for his experiments into dark magic and alchemy." She shuddered, "The things that were left behind in their bodies were not of my make. It was honestly a relief when he fell."

"So you would claim to not be a creature of evil?" The elf raised a brow.

"I claim to be only what I am. My nature and instincts have led me, not intent to perform evil acts."

Tauriel had to admit, this was certainly different from the stories whispered to frighten children in Mirkwood. "Yet Sauron is gone, and you are here. Why? Would you not rather stay in your own home without his influence?"

To her credit, the great spider nodded. "Indeed I would. To keep to myself would be ideal, but it is not currently possible. I can feel a malevolent force in the Dark Lands growing, and it is strong. I do not doubt when it gains true strength it will seek the control of myself and my children."

"So you seek control from me instead?" Harry wondered. "Why?"

"The world will not leave me in peace it seems. If I must serve someone, then I would prefer it to be a creature of darkness, like myself. I have seen you through the eyes of my children. I have seen your power, your bloodlust, but also your honor. You did not dispatch my children with hatred in Mirkwood. You did so because it was necessary, and you even offered words of benediction to the last after questioning it. You are a power unto yourself and beholden to none. What is more, I can sense that you are a lord of beasts, and you treat them well. Please, treat me and mine well."

"What exactly is it that you expect of me as your master?" He supposed he should get that out of the way before deciding anything.

"A place for my children to roam and settle, and the promise they will not be exterminated simply for existing. In return you will have their service in the defense of your lands, my service as your personal attendant, and the benefit of the information I currently hold."

Harry was actually thinking that an army of giant spiders looking after his borders sounded pretty good, and Tauriel must have noticed that look because she said, "You can't honestly think you can trust this monster?"

"I know a way I can be sure. Shelob, what happens to your children if you die?"

Tilting her head quizzically the ancient being responded, "They would as well. We are tied together in the hive."

"Then how about this, would you accept an unbreakable vow to me? You swear to serve me and never betray me. In return, I too will swear to always treat you and yours fairly, with respect, and offer the use of my domain in Dol Guldur for your safe harbor. The oath will be sealed by magic, and should either of us break our oath we would die on the spot. For you, that would mean the deaths of all of your children as well."

Shelob thought the offer over for a few moments before agreeing. "That sounds reasonable. What must I do?"

Harry directed her to take his hand and then he focused his magic and began the ritual. "I, Harry son of James, do hereby swear on my life and magic to treat you and yours fairly, with respect, and offer the use of Dol Guldur to you for safe harbor. So mote it be." Crisp lines of magical energy began to ribbon themselves from his arm over to his hand before wrapping around their clasped palms and extending to Shelob's own arm.

Seeming to get the gist of the process, the great spider copied, "I Shelob, daughter of Ungoliant, do hereby swear on my life, magic, and children to serve Harry son of James faithfully from this moment on. I will never work to harm him, reveal his secrets, or betray him in any way. So mote it be."

At once the ribbon of magic contracted hard on their skin, earning a pained gasp from them both before disappearing, and leaving a ring of darkened skin around their index fingers that began to pale after a few seconds until they were only just noticeable.

"A sign of our bargain." Harry noted, showing his off to Tauriel so she could see it worked. "It will never fade completely, so that we can never forget what was promised here."

"I would never wish to, my lord." Shelob knelt once more, "I promised you information, and one of my children has heard something of great interest."

"I would be pleased to hear it, Shelob."

"The white orc, Azog, has gained control of the goblins of Goblin Town. He marches with their number to engage you here at the mountain."

A dark scowl formed on the vampire's face as he said, "I thought I dealt with him when I destroyed most of his army at Dol Guldur, but I guess he just picked up the other's scraps. How many does he have under his banner?"

"Roughly ten thousand of his own orcs, and thirty thousand goblins from the mountains. Had he maintained the forces at Dol Guldur he would be closer to sixty thousand goblins."

"Yes, I did good work there. How long until they get here?"

"A few weeks at the most."

Harry strode over to the statuesque woman and raised her to her feet. "Rule number one is that I don't like my friends kneeling to me. And if you are to be my retainer then you will also be a friend. Now come, we must prepare. Thorin!" He called to the still rock lifting vampire who hurried to his side.

"Yes brother? Who the hell is this?"

"No time. Azog is coming with an army and we need to prepare."

The dwarf vampire (Dwampire? Varf?) gave a noise of exclamation and asked, "You have some ideas? We could easily wait for them to come and simply let them break themselves against the mountainside while we wait for Dane's army."

"We could, but according to shelob here they'll actually be arriving around the same time. No, first I have a few letters to send by pigeon, and then you, me, and Balin have some work to do in those legendary forges you were telling me about."

"What kinds of things will we be making?"

"Well, first we'll be repairing some dwarven weapons and armor, but then I have some ideas for things we can do with the Arkenstone as well as Smaug's body." Yes, already his mind was swirling with all the little uses Voldemort had read over the decades for uses of a dragon carcass.

For the next three weeks the forges ran nonstop and soon enough the dwarves all found themselves with a full set of plate mail enhanced with freshly carved runes of power and protection, and they were often seen prowling the halls with them to get used to the weight. Well, most of them did. Kili was limping most of the time and slowly getting back to the point where he could walk well enough to support that much weight before trying it on.

Shortly after the event with Smaug, Balin, Dwalin, and Fili had taken him below the mountain and spent a good twenty minutes 'reminding' him why it was imperative to follow the orders of your king. Dwarves take the chain of command and following orders very seriously and to break it is almost taboo in their culture. Needless to say, the youngest dwarf was beaten black and blue for getting his king and patriarch literally killed.

Gandalf had tried to make something of such barbaric treatment of one of their own, but Kili himself had defended it, stating that it was what he deserved for what happened to his uncle. Even then the older wizard had tried to complain to Thorin himself, up until Harry left his furnace and anvil for the first time in days to take him aside.

"Gandalf, you need to let this go."

"The others almost crippled Kili and-"

"Have you lived amongst dwarves?"

"No, but I am well studied in their-"

"Study means nothing here." Harry interrupted. "Kili violated their rules, got his patriarch killed as a result, and took the throne from him all in one fell swoop. Of course there were going to be repercussions. Just be glad the others took care of it before Dane got here. Kili wouldn't have survived what that redhead would do to him."

The gray wizard gasped at those words, "Took the throne? Whatever do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Ask yourself two questions, oh great and wise wizard. Would dwarves allow themselves to be ruled by someone who isn't one? And more importantly, would they allow themselves to be ruled by an immortal, like an elf?"

"You mean…"

"Yes. In becoming a vampire Thorin has lost all rights to the throne of his fathers. He knew it was a possibility going in, but to lose that right by way of his own nephew stings more than you or I will ever know. So seriously, stop asking him to step in with Kili. His feelings are complicated enough."

"I… had not considered that." Gandalf's brows were drawn down with sadness. "So the throne will pass to young Fili, then?"

"Yes, and to show his support Thorin is turning the Arkenstone into a gift worthy of a king. Don't worry, it'll be ready by the time the enemy, and our friends, arrive."

"Ah yes, and you're sure they'll be here by then?"

"I attached portkeyes to the letters. They'll be here. All that remains is to finish up these projects and prepare the field."

"Can so much truly be done with the corpse of a dragon?"

"You'd be surprised. The blood alone is fantastic. Thorin and I barreled it all up and we're aging it like fine whiskey. We honestly won't be able to get to most of the corpse in this time frame so I'll have a project to work on and off with for a few years at least. I'm mainly making a few very specific things for now. Trust me, they'll be worth it."

Shelob was keeping herself busy with her network of children, monitoring the enemy advance and notifying them all of any changes in their pattern. The introduction of land worms to speed up the goblin march was troubling, but still well within their abilities to combat. According to Balin the beasts were incapable of eating through the mountain's rock.

Finally, it was the morning of the day before the attack. Harry spent it in his long coat and wide brimmed hat out on the field before the mountain. He would have called a storm for cover from the sun, but he was saving as much of his vampiric energy for the fight as possible. In contrast, his magic would be replenished by the morning so he was using it to transfigure the earth into hidden ditches with spikes, sloppy terrain to make it harder to march, and making several square quadrant lines on the plains. When that was done he carted out all the lamp oil he could find in the caverns and filled all of those quadrant lines to capacity before conjuring them to look like unbroken grass. Oh yes, the orcs were in for a fine surprise on this field when they arrived.

That evening Harry passed out his products to the group. In addition to the armor the dwarves already possessed he passed out swords and axes that had been engraved with runes that would keep them ever sharp and insanely durable, negating the need for sharpening and further repair. He also provided gold wristlets that would curb arrows away from impacting vital organs.

The biggest reveal, however, came when Thorin marched right up to Fili and presented him with his gift. A massive war hammer, absolutely covered in runes, and secured in the pommel, shining with the light of a star, was the Arkenstone.

"U-Uncle!" The young dwarf gasped, "I cannot accept this."

"You can, and you will." The new vampire spoke solemnly. "You are the next in line, and a proud descendent of Durin himself. This stone is yours by right, and by the ancestors you will take it." The last sentence was spoken with such steel that none could have negated his intent if they'd tried.

Ever so slowly, Fili gripped the haft of the weapon, and pulled it to him, latching his other hand onto it as well to compensate for its surprising weight. At once, the stone flashed anew, before settling down to a more manageable glow.

Seeing the curious expressions of the crowd, Thorin explained, "The stone of kings has found Fili worthy. Harry and I designed it that way, in case the line of Durin should ever end. The next wielder, and thus the leader of the Dwarven Nation, must be worthy of its responsibility. The bearer of this hammer shall have the strength of the mountain at his back after all."

"The strength of the mountain?" Fili questioned.

"I will explain it to you now. Come with me." So saying, the former king led his nephew away, and the others were all quick to meander off to their own activities and rest. No one wanted to be too tired for the battle to come. All except for Harry, who led Tauriel out of the meeting chamber and down several flights of stairs to his personal rooms, where several items were laid out for display.

"Tauriel, I need to apologize. We were all set to do something amazing those few weeks ago, but then Shelob came, and the news took priority. I honestly had not realized how long I was down in the forges."

The elf merely smiled and palmed his cheek. "You need not apologize for putting duty to your friends first. It is a trait I admire. Though, for all that time locked up in the forges and armory I expected more than a few swords and gold bands."

Harry blushed at those words. "Yes, well, Fili's hammer took a bit of extra time, but most of my time spent below was used making items for you."

"For me?"

"Yes." The vampire kissed the redhead warmly on the mouth and led her by the hand to a nearby table where he'd laid out his gifts. First, he handed her what appeared to be leather cuirass, leg wraps, and forearm guards, but upon closer inspection appeared to be covered in finely overlaid scales.

"Are these-"

"Scales from Smaug's neck. The smallest and finest on his body. Impenetrable. I care about you, Tauriel, and… I've already lost one woman that I gave my all to. Please, promise me you will wear these tomorrow."

"Of course." She was touched by his concern for her safety, but more importantly she was glad he respected her enough not to ask that she stay out of the fighting, instead looking to make her as secure as he could. She turned her eyes further to the right and beheld two objects that immediately captured her attention. "And what are these?"

Harry chuckled and slid them closer to the excited redhead. "Smaug told me his teeth were swords, so I decided to take that literally. I also found a use for one of his bones."

And indeed he had. The first item was a thirty-seven inch curved sword in the style of an elvish falchion. Its color was so bleached white that there was no denying it to have been a large tooth before. Tauriel picked it up and it felt almost weightless in her grasp. Making a few experimental swings she delighted in how it sang before swiping at a nearby tapestry and marveling at how clearly it parted the threads from the main body.

"It of course has the same enchantments as the other swords I handed out." The vampire noted, pleased that she liked the first of his weapons.

Setting the blade down almost regretfully, Tauriel picked up the second item and found herself once more incredibly pleased. A longbow was held in her grasp of the same color as her new sword, and the string was of a substance she could not identify.

"Smaug's ribs were enormous, so I selected a portion of one and fashioned a new bow for you. I used several strands of his heartstring interweaved together for your drawstring. Give it a pull."

The elf woman did so, and was surprised at the draw weight. It was more than she was used to, but not to the point of being unmanageable. "This is perfect. I assume it too is unbreakable?"

"Of course. There is also this…" He pointed to a quiver of blackwood arrows beside where the bow had previously rested and pulled out an arrow for her viewing. Both the bleached arrowhead and the quiver shared the same runic inscription she noted. "The arrowheads are also made from the rib I made your bow. They will pierce any armor, and they are linked to the quiver itself. Once your arrows run out, they will return to your keeping. In short, you will never be without arrows for more than the two or three seconds it will take your fired ammunition to warp back to you."

"These are marvelous gifts, Harry." and indeed they were. Tauriel could not think even of any kings that were so well outfitted.

"They are meant for a marvelous person." He gently took the bow from her hands, placed it back on the table, and wrapped his arms around her. "This is the most I can do to keep you safe tomorrow. Though I wish I could do more."

"You have done enough." Tauriel's voice was calm, cool, and understanding. "Now take me to bed, and let me do something for you in turn."

Harry kissed her deeply and led her down the length of the space to a large black door. "I think I love you, Tauriel."

"I think I love you too."

He opened the door, swept the elf woman into his arms, and carried her into his bedroom.

**** Lemon Scene *****

The bed was a regal four poster design that he'd transfigured from a bunch of random objects, but the mattress was softer than feather down as he set Tauriel down upon it. "You're wearing too many clothes."

"As are you." The redhead purred as she shuffled back to recline on the pillows, "Yours first."

Harry raised a hand, snapped his fingers, and a second later his clothes were folded on a nearby chair. "Now you. Slowly."

Tauriel gave herself a moment to admire the visage before her before slowly starting to peel off her leathers. Her mate was a fine specimen of the male species. His body was lean, strong, and 'above average' in ways that greatly pleased her. What was more, he had the perfect dusting of chest hair that she just knew she'd be running her fingers through later, and loving it. The only thing that worried her was all the scars. Her beloved had more than could ever be considered healthy, branching up over his shoulders and down his back, visible as he stepped toward her. The worry came from one fact. As far as she knew, her vampire could heal from pretty much anything, which meant this all happened before he was turned. She was put in mind of the memory she'd seen of his time as a child. He had suffered greatly, and she vowed here and now he would never do so again if it was within her power to stop it.

For his part, Harry stopped at the end of the bed with his shins just touching the draping sheets and stared as Tauriel peeled her layers off, revealing the fact that she was completely naked underneath. It seemed he'd been right in his guess that evening in Mirkwood when they'd lounged in the pool together. She had the athletic build of a sprinter, long and inviting legs, and perfect breasts the size of large apples, just begging to fill his hands. Honestly, when she was finally free of her clothing and laying there ready for him with that gorgeous red hair splayed out around her, he thought he was gazing upon the visage of an angel.

Without another word he stalked onto the mattress, gripped her delectable calves and threw them over his shoulders as he slithered forward until his face was level with the glistening visage of her core.

"H-H-Harry, I've never done this before." Tauriel whispered, suddenly nervous now that they were finally getting to it.

"Don't worry, my love," He breathed over her lips and smirked at the groan his actions elicited, "I promise that I will make this experience pleasurable for you." He gave a slow lick and his woman gasped.

"D-Don't just make it about me. I want you to enjoy this just as much."

"Oh, trust me, I will." And so saying, he dug in. Licking, sucking, introducing parseltongue, fingers, and rhythm where he would, and forcing every bit of pleasure from Tauriel that he could until at last her thighs clamped hard around his ears in the way he loved and she shrieked with pure delight as she drenched his chin.

Now normally he'd have spent the next few minutes letting her cool down and licking every inch of skin from her toes up to her neck, but a slight thrumming was making his ears twitch, and slowly his eyes followed it to a new space on the inside of her legs, ah, the femoral artery. Well, she had said she wanted him to enjoy this 'just' as much. Perhaps a little nibble… His fangs elongated, he bit softly into her skin, and her body locked up in a rictus of fresh pleasure as a second orgasm ripped from her body at his feeding. He'd been told his teeth felt nice, but this was ridiculous!

Harry only took a few slurps before releasing his captured limb and licking the wound to heal it up. Then he carried on up her body to lay his head on her delectable chest, marveling at the way her breasts seemed to perfectly frame his face, and just watched her panting visage as her wide eyes slowly lowered down to his own.

"That was amazing."

"I aim to please. Are you ready for what comes next?"

"Yes, please."

"I'll be gentle." Harry still remembered how uncomfortable his first time with Luna had been for the blonde, and he had no urge to make the same mistakes twice, hence why he'd made sure to help Tauriel lubricate the passage first. He propped himself onto his elbow, reached down to grip himself, and guided his length ever so slowly into the tightness of her passage. He made it only a little ways before reaching a barrier, and once he was sure she was ready, he pushed forward.

There was a slight gasp of pain, and he paused for a minute or two to let her get adjusted to him, and when she gave him a nod he pushed the rest of the way forward until he was fully sheathed and her back was arching beneath him. Wrapping his arm around her and kissing her deeply he started to thrust, slowly at first, but eventually picking up speed as she began to rock her hips back against his own. Dimly he noted that the loose blood from his feeding had smeared across her own lips, yet Tauriel seemed not to care as her legs gripped him powerfully and she flipped them both until she was on top.

In this new position the redhead seemed to come into her own as she started riding him like a bronco. It seemed she'd shed any prior trepidation and was embracing this new experience wholeheartedly. Harry was certainly appreciative of that action, the overpowering feelings she was creating in him and for him, and the sheer look of adoration and pleasure on her face. He'd not thought she could ever look more sexy to him, but mouth slightly parted with groans of ecstasy, red hair flying about her head, and pointy ears tinged with exertion, she was sex incarnate.

Eventually he felt her tighten hard around him with her third release of the night, and he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. "T-Tauriel, I'm close."

She lurched down to lay on his chest, continued to roll her hips, and invaded his mouth with her tongue. "Give it to me, Harry. Give me all of you." At the last instant she turned her head away and parted her hair from her neck, inviting him to bite down. He happily complied, and as the sweet taste of her blood once more filled his mouth, he released inside her with what felt like the strength of a canon blast.

For a while after he came back down they just layed there, holding each other naked and warm in the soft ease of his bed. "I love you, Tauriel. Whatever happens tomorrow, I want you to know that."

"And I love you, Harry. I've been in battle before, so I will not promise you that nothing bad will happen, but I will promise that should we both make it out unscathed, I will be with you for as long as we both shall live."