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Shadows of the Past	By : LadyLaran Category: Harry Potter Crossovers > Het - Male/Female Views: 12317 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Disclaimer – We do not own “Harry Potter,” “the Silmarillion,” and “the Hobbit.” We don't make any money for this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Authors’ Note - I’m afraid I must apologize for the delay in posting; my mother passed away at the end of February, and it’s taken me this long to finally regain some of my inspiration. Until recently, I hadn’t been able to stomach the idea of writing and when I opened my word processing program, I just stared at a blank screen. Rogercat has also been handling a loss in her family as well; it just seems to be a bad year for everyone. I have to thank Rogercat for her patience and kind sympathies. I just hope my muses don’t abandon me again.

Warnings – Time skip, female Bilbo with special gifts

Disclaimer – We do not own “Harry Potter,” “the Hobbit,” or “the Silmarillion.” We also do not make money from this story.

Chapter Twelve – Adding a Hobbit

The next seven years slowly passed. After healing from her injuries, Hari began her training so she would have the skills from her old life back. Being in a human body made it a little tricky since humans didn’t have the reflexes or agility that elves did. The fact that a female body is built differently from a male body made things a challenge for her, but she did her best. She adapted, learning what she needed to know, and she spoke to Fili about everything as it happened. There was only one fact that she kept from him, knowing this needed to be spoken of face to face. Something told her she would have that chance as changes were brewing – not only in Imladris but others locations as well.

Unbeknownst to Hari, the changes were also occurring in a small little area known as the Shire as the dwarf she had met and befriended in her dreams had gone there with his uncle, family, and friends in order to gain the final member of the company that would change everything for the Longbeards.

“Repeat that again, Thain Took, because I am not fully certain I heard you correctly,” Thorin requested, hoping that he had heard wrong.

“You heard me correctly,” the elderly hobbit said. “This should not be a problem for you; you need a hobbit for this quest, and Gandalf wants your betrothed to be the one who goes with your company. I have no issue with her going. However, for the sake of propriety, you need to marry Acacia before you two leave with your group. I will not have what’s left of her reputation ruined.”

Mentally, Thorin groaned. He had not planned for his visit in the Shire to end up like this. He had come to visit his betrothed to tell her of the final plans to retake Erebor and get some fresh supplies before heading out. What he hadn’t expected was for a certain meddling wizard to insist that a hobbit was needed to join the group as a burglar to sneak into Erebor, and he was even more displeased to discover that the insane wizard wanted his betrothed to become said burglar.

“It’s not going to be a safe journey,” he said softly. “I know Acacia has been trained to defend herself during her visits to Ered Luin, but this is going to be a treacherous journey. I don’t want her safety compromised, but the damned wizard insists on her coming along.”

“I know,” Gerontius said to him. “However, it’s reaching the point where my granddaughter may not be safe in the Shire for much longer. Even with the help of your priests, her gifts are getting stronger. I was about to send for you to see about moving the wedding up.”

“Dis is going to kill you and me for not allowing her sister-in-law to wear the wedding dress she and her ladies-in-waiting have sewn for the wedding. It’s made from what we managed to save of the family bridal gown that every new royal bride in the line of Durin has worn as well as the lace Acacia’s grandmother and aunts crafted for her.”

“Not necessarily,” he replied soothingly. “As I suggested, we can use this as a way to protect her reputation and keep her out of danger here in the Shire. Don’t consummate the marriage after the ceremony here, and then Dis can plan a royal wedding once you have your kingdom back. I’ll even write her and let her know what’s going on so she won’t be angry with you. Thorin, I can’t let Acacia stay here much longer. Some of the Bagginses and other families are treating her poorly, almost violently.”

“What?! Being that kind of seer is a holy gift among the Stone Children, a rare gift from the Lady of Mercy that only dams are blessed with.”

“The idea of anyone being able to interact with the dead frightens most hobbits,” the thain stated. “The only ones who remember this kind of thing are the Tooks and Brandybucks, and only then because the gift randomly shows up in those two lines. This was why Acacia was chosen to be betrothed to you to seal the treaty, remember?”

Thorin remembered, having been in awe of her gift when he’d met her during his first visit to the Shire. Acacia had not even been of age then, but she had already managed to see that he was one of the dwarrow who had been reincarnated. She hadn’t been able to see who he had been in the past. Being from the thain’s family, she had been seen as among the closest thing the Shire had to royal blood and thus fitting for a king. No one had argued about the betrothal since it was needed to seal the treaty between the hobbits and dwarrow; food and other supplies had been too important to worry about the bride chosen for the king of Durin’s Folk.

“Right,” he murmured, rubbing his forehead. “I’ll do it if she’s in agreement, and you are the one who gets to explain all this to Dis. Fair warning, you may have to duck anything thrown at you if she decides to head here to yell.”

“She’ll be able to wear the dress for the royal wedding in Erebor,” Gerontius reminded him. “She’ll be fine with it once she hears the explanation. Are you in a hurry to leave the Shire?”

“We need to be at the mountain before Durin’s day, which falls on the 19th of October this year, and we will need the Lord of Imladris’ help to read the map to find the keyhole. Since I want to be at the mountain around that day and there’s no telling how long the elf will take to figure out the map, I need to leave the Shire as soon as possible.”

“We can have the wedding this evening then,” the thain said. “Her aunts and grandmother won’t be too pleased with the rush, but that can be made up to them whenever invitations to the royal wedding come out. I have a feeling they’ll insist on helping Dis with the planning.`”

At the sound of the door opening, Thorin turned around to see his sister-sons standing in the doorway. Both had looks of concern on their faces, stemming from the fact they cared about their future aunt and knew she wouldn’t be happy with the rushed wedding.

“Fili, Kili, please find Acacia and tell her that it would please me to see her in her best dress this evening. Ask Bombur to help with the cooking while she makes herself pretty. A bride should not have to cook on her wedding.”

“Are you sure about Bombur, uncle? Mrs. Adamanta and her daughters tried to break a skillet over his head when he made the attempt during the last visit, remember? It wasn’t pretty,” Fili reminded his uncle.

Thorin winced at the memory, knowing the Took women were territorial about their kitchens, and poor Bombur had nearly had his skull cracked when he’d been chased out of the kitchen the last time the group had come to the Shire.

“Get him to buy fresh food for the journey then; we will need it.”

The two brothers bowed, then went to fulfill their orders while the thain went to make the announcement to his wife. Moments later, there was a sharp sounding “WHAT?” coming from another area of the grand smial, and Thorin’s shoulders shook with muted laughter. He had a feeling Gerontius was going to get an ear full very soon; he just hoped he wouldn’t be targeted by an unhappy hobbit lass or matron.

His hopes were soon dashed as an adult hobbit lass, dressed in her gardening clothes, entered the thain’s office. Thorin could see that her hands were covered in soil.

“Thorin Oakenshield, what is all of this about us getting married tonight,” she asked in slight fury, looking even prettier with her cheeks flushed in anger.

“Ask your grandfather, my dear,” he said softly, bowing when she entered the study.

He was pretty sure that Acacia must have been a dwarrowdam in a past life for she was fairly matched in temper to the dams of his race when it came to anger and pride. Thorin had seen her hold her own in arguments with his sister and Gloin’s wife, and she’d earned a lot of respect from them because of it.

“I know that we have talked about me coming along on the journey to the mountain as the final trial of proving myself worthy as Queen of Durin’s Folk, but I am sure that we did not plan to have the wedding before that! I have been looking forward to it, despite knowing it’ll turn out to be an overly grand affair.”

“There are reasons for this, Acacia,” Gerontius told his granddaughter as he entered the study too. His red left ear was proof that he must have gotten it boxed in response to the announcement about the hurried wedding. “One, you cannot go with the company and not be married to Thorin. Your reputation will be shattered, and you will be a target for men if you are not bound to someone. Secondly, you will have your big wedding in Erebor once the kingdom is reclaimed. Thirdly, my child, you cannot remain in the Shire for much longer. Not after what happened last week.”

Acacia shuddered at the memory. If not for the battle training given to her by Dis and the other dams at the royal court, who knew how it could have ended.

“Exactly,” the thain told his granddaughter. “So you’ll marry Thorin tonight, which will be in name only, and once Erebor is ready to welcome its rightful people again, you’ll have the grandest wedding beyond your wildest childhood dreams. Dis will make sure of it, my dear.”

She sighed, ducking her head for a moment. Tawny colored curls slid over her shoulder as she did this, revealing the engagement braid Thorin had put in her hair years ago when they had first become betrothed roughly ten years ago when she still had been in her tweens. Now she was of age at 33 and allowed to get married if she wished.

“If you deem it best, Grandfather, then we’ll do it your way. I just hate having to do this so quickly.”

“At least you are not getting wed in your garden clothes,” Kili joked from somewhere down the hall, having gotten the duty of carrying in firewood to the kitchen.

“I really need to find their Ones one of these days, and let them enjoy the horrors of being in the focus for everyone when it’s their royal wedding taking place,” Thorin said while rubbing a hand over his face.

“Knowing them, they’d really enjoy it. Or at least Fili would while Kili would try to escape,” she said before excusing herself so she could clean up and dress for that evening.

The company helped their hostess as the Took family prepared for a wedding. Thorin helped as well with moving tables, benches, and chairs outside, and he soon caught sight of other hobbits arriving. Fili quietly told him that these were members of the Brandybuck family, who held strong ties to Acacia and didn’t shun her because of her gift.

Adamanta, his bride’s grandmother, pulled him aside to perform a quick task. She showed him the ribbons that were usually used in hobbit weddings, asking him to choose the ones that felt right. At her instruction, he closed his eyes and drew out four ribbons that his fingers were guided to. The ones he choose were sky-blue, a soft shade of red, white, and green, and he had a feeling that it was some kind of omen for the future. Sky-blue normally symbolized the introduction of a new bride into the line of Durin; soft red could either stand for love or an important bloodline. White meant innocence, and green represented fertility. It could be a sign of a blessing from Mahal since he was taking Acacia as his bride, but he felt as if it held a deeper meaning too. Could there be a second royal wedding in his family soon? Maybe one of his sister-sons would finally find his One?

The familiar voice of his betrothed drew him from his thoughts.

“So glad that Dis gave me this lovely dress as a coming-of-age gift last year. While I had planned to wear it in a different situation, I think she would agree on that it would fit for this ceremony too.”

“You look lovely as always, Acacia,” he said when he spotted his bride.

The dress in question was done in dwarvish style with a dark green bodice and over-skirt in rich brocade that held silver and gold embroidery. The underskirt was done in a cream color with a simple knot pattern that dwarrow favored. The dress suited her well and was one of Dis’ latest masterworks.

He was dressed in a dark blue tunic, the nicest one he’d put in his pack, and he’d gone with a more intricate set of braids for his hair. Fili had ensured his boots were clean and ready for the ceremony and festivities; it was something he was grateful for since they’d gone through several muddy fields to reach the thain’s smial. Spring in the Shire tended to be fairly wet, which was good for crops but not so good for travelers.

“Thank you, Thorin,” she said with a smile. “You look very handsome.”

“Thank you,” he replied, offering his arm to her. “I take it they are ready for us?”

“Grandmother said so,” she answered. “She took the ribbons and gave them to Grandpapa.”

´”The ribbons mean something in hobbit ceremonies, right? I think I heard them mention something about them during a talk about weddings at your coming-of-age party.”

“That’s right,” Acacia responded. “They represent the joining of mind, heart, body, and soul. It’s a tradition we’ve had since our people were created; the stories say that the Stone Father gifted the Green Lady with four ribbons created of a special metal and stone that reflect the love they have for each other. That’s why we use four in our ceremony.”

Thorin nodded, appreciating the tradition since the dwarrow had one similar. The only difference was that, instead of ribbons, it was four different gemstones that a bridegroom was to present to his bride at a dwarven marriage ceremony.

When he heard a voice calling for them to exit the smial, the king-in-exile escorted his bride out of her home and found the hobbits and his company were sitting in rows in front of where the thain was waiting. He walked with Acacia down the aisle that had been formed in a surprisingly short time of only a few hours, pausing when they reached her grandfather.

“Beloved friends and family, we are assembled today to celebrate the union of Acacia and Thorin,” Gerontius began. “During our early days, the Green Lady bade us to join together in heart, soul, mind, and body so that we never have to walk the path of life alone. As She is happy and loved by the Stone Father so She determined that we too should find happiness and love.

“Today, we honor not just Her instructions to us but also celebrate a joining that echoes Hers with the Stone Father for a daughter of Yavanna and a son of Mahal are joining their lives together to ensure peace, happiness, and prosperity not only for themselves but for their peoples”

He didn’t show his surprise, but Thorin realized that Gerontius was right in that he and Acacia were following the example of their makers. He drew in a slow breath, listening to the thain as he continued to speak.

“Thorin, as Acacia stands before you, will you take her as your wife, help-mate, and dearest friend to walk together on the path that Vairë has laid out?”

“I will honor her as the Maker honors the Green Lady as His wife and so I will take her as my wife, help-mate, and dearest friend,” he answered, watching the hobbit lass’s face. She was already blushing at his words.

“Acacia, as Thorin stands before you, will you take him as your husband, help-mate, and dearest friend to walk together on the path that Vairë has laid out?”

“As the Green Lady stood before the Stone Father and accepted Him, so shall I accept Thorin, son of Thrain, as my husband, help-mate, and dearest friend. I also accept him as King under the Mountain and Lord of Durin’s Folk,” she replied clearly.

“The ribbons chosen by Thorin represent the wishes of his heart and that of his Maker for the marriage he and Acacia embark upon today,” Gerontius said, taking the first ribbon from his eldest son.

Thorin, remembering the hobbit weddings he had seen, held his left hand out, and Acacia set her own left hand into his. His fingers closed over hers, meeting her eyes as the thain continued.

“White represents the innocence that is bequeathed unto you in these early days of marriage; may your love remain pure for each other and only grow deeper as the days grow longer,” the elderly hobbit stated, winding the silky ribbon around their clasped hands.

“Sky-blue for harmony in your marriage so that the skies of your life may ever be filled with joy and laughter,” he continued, adding the ribbon to the white one.

“The fiery red ribbon represents your love to each other and the desire to keep the other happy,” the hobbit said, winding that one as well. Then, the final one was brought forth to be added to the other ribbons.

“And finally, green stands for the hope of being blessed with fauntlings and a long line of descendants to stand as testimony to the marriage you two share,” Gerontius said, working in the final ribbon. “Thorin, you may speak your vows to your bride.”

“Like the mountains protect the lands, I swear to protect you. Like the river flows to the sea, I will nourish you in life. Like a rock, I will shelter you from harm.”

“My heart will be the fertile fields where friendship, love, and respect ever grow. I will honor you as the Green Lady honors the Father of Stone, and I will walk beside you as the days grow long and be the one you can turn to when you need someone who will see you for who you are beyond the title that is yours by birth and Valar given right,” Acacia said in a clear voice.

“The vows are witnessed, and may this joining be blessed by both Yavanna and Mahal. You may kiss your bride,” Gerontius said, eyes twinkling.

Knowing that Acacia was slightly embarrassed due to having to kiss in front of people, Thorin gave her a light kiss on the cheek for now. The real wedding kiss could happen at the wedding ceremony in Erebor when his bead was in her hair and the tiara crafted for Erebor’s queen rested upon her head.

Acacia blushed, grateful there hadn’t been a spectacle made, and as her uncle removed the ribbons to create the circle of knots that would go in their home, she heard the cheers from her family and Thorin’s company as her grandfather announced them both as husband and wife.

The party that followed was loud and rambunctious as only a party of Tooks, Brandybucks, and dwarrow could make it. Even Gandalf contributed to the noise by setting off a few fireworks, promising his friend he’d have a bigger display when the marriage in Erebor took place.

Together, Thorin and Acacia wrote a letter to Dis, explaining what had happened today since they didn’t want Gerontius’s missive to be the only announcement. They assured her that this was only to ensure her reputation and safety, and that they were both looking forward to the ceremony the princess would plan for when Erebor was Thorin’s once more.

Once that was done and set in Gerontius’s study to be sent along with his own letter, the couple went to enjoy the meal the family had put together for the wedding. She proved her knowledge in what Thorin enjoyed eating by putting a plate together of things she knew he really liked, setting it in front of him at the table. He smiled while thanking her, making her smile in return.

As they ate with the company, Gandalf explained that he’d been informed that there had been sightings of a lone wanderer no one had seen for a very long time. He mentioned that if they happened to come across that person on the way to Imladris, then Elrond could perhaps help the wanderer as he had looked very starved and ill.

“If he is who I hope he is, then it would be very important to bring him to Elrond. He could be someone very dear to the Lord of Imladris and would also need protection from the dangers of the road. An ill person is in great danger when traveling alone.”

“While I agree that can be dangerous for anyone, if we find him, we’ll take him to the elves’ home since we need aid in reading the map. However, we will not go out of our way to find this wanderer,” he said flatly.

“But a good deed, even a such simple one as helping someone quickly to safely in about the same way you are going, can feel good for the heart and mind at least, Thorin.”

“As I said, Tharkûn, if our path crosses this wanderer’s and he is indeed in need of aid, we’ll take him to Rivendell since our journey will take us there. As I said before, I cannot compromise this quest by going out of our way to find one wanderer,” he stated in a firm tone to the wizard.

The Istar nodded in understanding, not pushing it further. At least the conversation had gone somewhere, if not what he really had wished for but he could bear it. If Sauron got his hands on Maglor, the last surviving member of the House of Fëanor, who knew what kind of horrors that may be done to him. Sauron had deeply hated the House of Fëanor for their deeds in the First Age, and he strongly believed that Sauron had chosen Celebrimbor to help forge the Rings of Power in order to bring that House even deeper into ruin and dishonor. Killing the last survivor after all these years would likely feel like a true victory for the fallen Maia who once had been the most skilled follower of Mahal.

Instead of speaking his thoughts, Gandalf simply smoked his pipe and discussed the route of the journey with the king-in-exile. There was a lot to speak of, and the pair continued to do so as Acacia got up occasionally to provide more food or drink for them.

“I do not know why, but I have a strong feeling that something important is going to be found in Imladris, Gandalf, not just the secret of the map. Something from the past, an important key of some kind,” Acacia whispered to him as she passed by the wizard to refill Thorin’s tankard with some good ale she had gotten as a birthday gift from her now nephews-by-marriage.

“You may be right, my dear, but we shall see,” the Istar said, lighting his pipe once again as he contemplated the events that had taken place.

He suspected that this quest was part of the reason to why Hari had been brought back to Arda, to help free Middle-earth from the mistakes she once had made in her old life as Celebrimbor without knowing what his actions would cause. This quest was the start of making amends, and he suspected that she would be the linchpin of fate regarding the sons of Durin in the company.

The wizard was drawn from his thoughts when a group of fauntlings begged for a story so he happily obliged them, knowing he had time to focus on his worries whenever the party finally subsided.

Author’s End Note - Rogercat and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter; Fili and the company are now involved with the story in more depths, and we’ll be seeing more of them again. Please let us know what you think of the chapter, and thank you for reading! ~ Rogercat & Laran
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Shadows of the Past