Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me besides the original characters and the cracked storyline, everything else belongs to its rightful owners and I don't earn anything with it.

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Thanks for all the reviews :) to guest (18.3): yes you will probably hate me even more with reading the next chapter lol... sorry but I don't think that the range between 17years and 27 to 28 years isn't that threatening. That is still young and she has probably still the greater part of her life ahead of her... just saying. To Mia (8.3) sorry for not responding in the last chapter but I want to say thanks for reviewing^^. To all of my reviewers: thank you for taking the time to review and a big hug :)).

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Chapter 39 The majorly big party

It was ten years after Sauron's downfall and Lyra had enjoyed every single day of it. She had spent the time on Elrond's side and they had worked on all the projects they loved and wanted to see finished in Middle Earth and even in the wizarding world. Lyra had profited much from her stay in Greenwood as in addition to her centered and calm spirit she had now gained the right sharpness to deal not only with her powers but also with stupid wizard fools. Sadly there were still more of those than anyone would have wanted. Elrond had also enjoyed to put all the knowledge of Greenwood, Lorien and Imladris into books and they still had plenty of new challenges ahead of them with providing others with their ideas. Galadriel had also been able to persuade Thranduil into opening Greenwood to Lorien so the two realms would be able to work together more closely. Lyra had never been able to find out how exactly Galadriel had managed to accomplish this but the elf seemed to always have another ace up her sleeve if necessary. All in all Elrond and her had enjoyed their time there but had felt that they needed to catch up with things in the wizarding world too.

At first none of the two would have believed that there would come the day that they could call Black Manor a home but after the first time Lyra returned as guardian to her own world things changed, drastically. The house elves had finally finished their work and Lyra had decided to sell all unused Black properties except for one in France. It was a small weekend house where she intended to spend time with Elrond when they would travel the world. Her love was rightly curious about what the rest of her world looked like and so was she. Also she had once promised Hermione that she would learn about the Muggle world and keep an open mind for technology and new developments and she intended to keep her promise. It would also be a nice idea to spend their honeymoon while traveling the world. She was officially twenty eight and she had accomplished more in her life than many others ever would so who would argue with her if she wanted a nice loooooong holiday? Exactly no one would be that stupid.

With waking up one of the ancient streams of power Lyra noticed that the others seemed to revive too. Like with a domino effect the more aware and agile power of her lands caused the others to stir too. As the couple returned to England for the final preparations for the wedding, there were already two other guardians taking on their duty and helping with rebuilding their world. All in all the wizards and witches noticed that they got healthier and all their spell work became more powerful. Illnesses of the mind started to decrease and their lifespan seemed to lengthen again, not by much but while aging they remained healthy and didn't suffer under so many illnesses anymore. Especially their minds remained clear and untainted even in old age. Another phenomenon which they had to inspect closer were cases were genetically defects caused by inbreeding slowly decreased. Not that the new guardians didn't push for new and more liberal laws all over the world. The magical societies got a not so soft wake up call to finally reach the new millennium and to suck up on their antique behavior. It helped much that the other guardians were also very young and in opposition to Lyra weren't occupied by other worlds. So they spend their entire time, strength and heart to make things better for all of them. One of those changes were the new law that the Guardians became a fix part of the ICW and that caused the laws to be soon altered to a much more open minded state. So it wasn't that great of a loss that Lyra had spent so much time in middle earth. Things easily progressed on their own especially as Lucius and Narcissa had been able to find lots of competent young people even from the non-magical part of the society who helped with guiding the wizarding world to present times.

So with the feeling that everything went down the right path, Elrond and Lyra were able to concentrate on preparations of a more private matter.

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Preparations

Black Manor reminded now of a mixture between Aragorn's halls in Minas Tirith and the soft architecture of Imladris. It was much friendlier and light reached every corner of the building. To put it plainly nothing of it reminded now of the dark, gloomy and evil place. Not only the house elves were overjoyed by that fact. It wasn't the home of a Head of house anymore but the home of the lords and guardians. The lands around the place became less wild as the magic calmed itself under the ancient and wise guidance of her lord. Lyra was very grateful for Elrond's presence as she wouldn't have been able to calm and steady so much without him. Even with everything she had learned and how much she had centered herself, Elrond had still a few thousand years more experience than her. Her elf just hugged her and told her that he loved this new task for him and that they would help those lands to become a homely place for all the magical beings which would seek shelter there. It was true, with his experience he was able to get the overly excited because just newly woken magic to flow in steady paces. It wasn't an easy task and not even he could get the magic to change its will on one certain thing. The magic seemed to believe that they had been engaged long enough and that it was finally time to marry and as there was absolute no way that its own lord and lady would marry anywhere else but on their own lands, they had to plan a huge event.

The magic hadn't listened on the argument that there would be too much people to bring to her world and that it would be easier to marry in Imladris. She just got suddenly provided with the knowledge on how to install a permanent gate between worlds. One of the major differences between her stay in Middle Earth and her own home, was that she had enormous powers while being in her own realm. So she taught herself how to install a permanent gate that would feed of from the ancient magic and could easily allow a safe travel. It was an odd experience to balance such powers and her own desires evenly but she managed. Lyra knew that she owed Gimli as well as Thranduil a lot for their help, because without it she would have easily been overpowered and lost inside the storm that was the magical current.

She had sat for a long time with Elrond and both had discussed on how to manage to bring all the guests to Black Manor. The argument that they couldn't do such a thing without informing the Valar was one of their major points. It was true too, Lyra knew that Manwe wouldn't be happy with the idea but he would be angry with her if she wouldn't even ask. Especially as they had reached the agreement that she would seek his council if she ever planned more potentially dangerous things. After another evening of talking the both of them decided to just ask them and invite them too, even if they wouldn't come it was just polite to do so. Elrond was right she owed them her life and most of her happiness with Elrond so she should at least try to invite them. Lyra sighed as she sat in a huge leather chair in her office and tried to find the right words. How do you write letter to Manwe? Not an easy task. She had already tried different versions and Elrond couldn't help laughing as she ripped them apart in dissatisfaction. It didn't help her that Elrond kept laughing, contrary even it made things only harder but she couldn't give up so she continued trying.

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To Manwe Lord of Arda and the council of the Valar,

we would like to officially invite Lady Varda and you as well as anyone who wants to join you to our bonding celebration. It will be held at the first July on the grounds of Black Manor. We hope for a happy gathering of all of our friends and allies in both worlds and it would be a great honor if you would find joy in joining us. As wonderful as the circumstances are, they cause us the problem on how to allow all our guests to attend the celebration.

That is also the reason why we have to officially ask for your agreement to let us install a permanent gateway between Imladris and our home at Black Manor. It would be held by the ancient presence of the magical world and wouldn't cause any additional consequences for Middle Earth. We understand that we have to be very careful and that it could hold some risks but we don't see another possibility of allowing all our guests a safe journey between our worlds.

With the best wishes

Lady Lyra Black

Elrond son of Earendil

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Elrond just shook his head he couldn't think of what the Valar would do. He couldn't see that they would be too happy about this but despite all troubles they would stir up, the owls would be sent to his world at the next day trying to fulfill their task. Hopefully they would be able to deliver the letters even through the shields which secluded the sacred lands from the rest of the world. They also wrote more separate invitations to Frodo and Bilbo as well as the three other Valar which had healed Lyra but most important to Olorin, somehow they had the feeling that if someone would join the celebrations it would be the two Hobbits and a certain ex-wizard. Elrond tried hard to get the topic out of his head, it wasn't like they could do anything but waiting. He was a bit scared on what Manwe would say to their idea of installing such a risky thing like a gate between two worlds… He also knew that it was the only way to bring the parties from Gondor, Rohan, Lorien, Mirkwood and the grey haven, Erebor, Shire and Imladris to Black Manor. It would have been much easier to simply celebrate in Imladris but he did look forward to be not just officially Lyra's husband but also Lord and Guardian to these lands. The elf knew how excited Lyra was at the idea that they could share the responsibility and that kind of ritual could only take place on the magic's own grounds. What he didn't knew was that even if there weren't much witches and wizards invited besides the Malfoys and Lord Potter, there would be many of the sylphs, dryads and other elemental join, as well as a delegation of the goblins and even the dragons would sent a messenger to show their respect for the new lords. So in the end it would probably be fairly even between the number of guests from both worlds.

What none of the two knew was that the letters which reached Valinor were the pebble stone which caused an avalanche to happen.

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Swanships

Olorin had seen the quarrel in Valinor, not that he would have been able to overlook it, no matter how secretive the inhabitants of the sacred island thought they had been. He just had decided that he needed a break before trying to safe another realm from evil. Even if he had his old appearance and powers back he wasn't the same being anymore. Before he had journeyed to Middle Earth he had felt timeless without sorrow or haste upon himself. Yes he had known about sorrows and his kin had already had it's fair share in the experience of loss but he never had known sorrow on his own. It had always been sorrow about others or sorrow about things far far behind their own borders. Now everything was different. The long years of travel and lonely wandering still haunted him and he was the only spirit who truly understood what loneliness meant. While all of them were separated from their father now they still had the strong feeling of being connected, he had taken it for granted but not anymore. After his change to a wizard he still had some strings of his connection to the great music left. At least it was that way most of the time but in situations of stress and trouble he wasn't able to hear it well. Basically that meant his entire journey to Middle Earth. There hadn't been a moment of calm or rest, he had always hurried, always raced to reach some unknown goal. Except the short time he had spent in the shire there he had been able to feel enough at peace to relax. His adventures had meant that he was the first of his kin to experience what the children of Illuvatar suffered since birth, loneliness… It was the reason why he understood them much better than his kin and why he was able to see the darkness clearer than even Varda. It was also the reason why he had developed such a love for the shire, it was the most homely place he had found in middle earth and even now he missed it. As he sat there lost in his thoughts he couldn't help but chuckle at the bad habits he had developed during his journey: sitting alone, brooding and smoking his pipe. Nothing made him stop with those habits though. He already felt that he would soon leave his home again to travel, he was curious at how middle earth fared and what his friends did. The arriving of the owls was just his excuse.

Bilbo had died three years ago in peace and old age. Frodo had been able to find closure and didn't mourn about him anymore, the old Hobbit had a great life. Until the very end he had been happy and even if Frodo missed his uncle he could let him go. The Maia had kept a close eye on the two little ones and been pleasantly surprise as they seemed immune against the darkness that raged beneath the surface. As Olorin and Frodo had settled for weekly gatherings both had chatted about unimportant things, the past or just some news on what happened around Arnor. Olorin had been surprised that the Hobbit sometimes was even better informed about the latter than he himself. Oddly enough the people that worked around Irmo's house seemed to have a great liking for Frodo and didn't mind to tell him stories. Also had the youngster gained quite the sharp mind during his time as he had carried the one ring, so he was able to inform the Maia about a lot of changes even if the Valar didn't thought it necessary to tell the spirit. At the last of their gatherings they chatted about the owls which had brought them invitations from Elrond and Lyra. Both were completely content with the bonding and agreed to go and see the celebration. They also discussed about the possibility to return to middle earth, in Frodo's case for ever and in Olorin's case for some time. Before they could reach a final decision, they suddenly felt how the air shifted next to them as Irmo joined them for their meeting. That wasn't a complete new experience but it also didn't happen very often but from time to time the Valar decided to join in and chat with them. Olorin suspected that Irmo watched out for him as he still felt the wariness and the tiredness coming from the Maia. He had cornered the spirit only one time and ask to share his burden and talk to him. It had been that time that Olorin had talked about the darkness he could feel in Valinor and it was also that time that Irmo informed him that Lyra and Elrond had felt the same. This time the Valar joined them not for any healing business but because he had gotten an invitation too and wanted to exchange some news. He told them about how the owls had landed in the middle of one of their gatherings and about how smug and proud they had looked about their achievement to successfully delivering their messages. The Hobbit and Maia laughed in good humor and choked on their pipes as they heard about Manwe's disbelieving reaction.

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Flashback

In the great hall of Ilmarim they gathered like always since they had taken Valinor as their homes, if they wished to exchange news and decide on how to guide things. Their meetings hadn't been accompanied with such light feelings of relief and joy since a very long time so all of them met with a good mood. Since a few short years they observed the changes in middle earth more closely and the siblings couldn't look away from Aule's deep happiness at how the wounds between the dwarves and the other children slowly mended. Even if Illuvatar had made them his third race of children, Aule still felt responsible and suffered greatly under their loss and hurt but now it seemed that the misunderstandings slowly healed and the dark manipulations of Morgoth came to an end. To say that Aule was happy was an understatement. Varda felt happy too, to see the dark mists and tendrils of evil lift and fade let her feel younger again and brought her joy. She also glanced happily at Minas Tirith enjoying that the city was called the white lady in her honor, she felt that the clearness and focus that was anchored there were very powerful as all inhabitants of the city embraced it and let it live. She just smiled.

Manwe enjoyed the calm that he sensed coming from middle earth greatly; it was such a difference to all the screams, tears and despair that he had to listen too for so long. He softly joined the thoughts of his brother Namo and let him feel his appreciation on how he had solved the difficult task to help and gather all the wounded feas that had reached his realm. He felt the other spirit's happiness about the decreasing numbers of deaths and that the feas reached him now in a much better condition. Caring for them became easier and even if there was still hurt in the realm of the dead it was nothing in comparison of all the ages before. Even Ulmo had joined their council and brought them more good news from the hidden valleys and settlements and to tell them that the taint of Mordor started to decrease and that there would be a day in the far future when even the waters in that land wouldn't be poisoned anymore. The Valar were happy at those news. Finally the darkness ad to bow and would be vanquished from their Arda. That the lord of all waters had joined their council was taken as an good sign, as he was a rare guest and only joined if it couldn't be prevented because he had so much to do. Now it seemed that he had finally joined once because he felt that he could risk it.

Suddenly their thoughts were disturbed by the sound of wings and soft knocks. It seemed that owls had appeared and now knocked at the sill to get their attention. The entire situation was confusing as none of their animals would come close during their gatherings, they felt that they needed to stay away. Not in the case of those birds it seemed. The Valar were puzzled as it seemed that the animals were sent to them on purpose and Varda smiled as she detected the letters attached to their feet. She had the feeling that things would start to move now and felt amusement in contrary to her love, who started to get worried about what had happened now. She went to the birds and softly petted them; they enjoyed the attention and looked very smug and proud of themselves about how they had sneaked through their shields and finally were able to deliver them the invitations. She felt what was written in the letter as Manwe stared at the words, while they all were invited to celebrate with the people of middle earth their lord had also received a request. She just smiled at how he couldn't believe it. That witch hadn't yet left them for more than some short years and already started on such mischief. What did she thought, installing a gate between two worlds, that was much too dangerous… Maybe she didn't think at all. His brother Namo broke through his disbelief and added that she at least had kept her promise to seek his council before doing something rash.

They discussed for days until reaching an agreement. They would send Olorin as the spirit already wanted to leave Valinor for some travels again and he was the one to make sure that everything with the gate was kept secure. The decision they had made was to allow them a gate for a short time but that they wouldn't risk installing it permanently.

End Flashback

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Irmo and Olorin shared their amusement about the entire situation and the Maia agreed to the task happily. He had gained permission for another journey and would also be the official messenger. That he would be able to see an entire different world was an added bonus. As he thought more closely about it, it really was an intriguing concept and a bit scary too. How was it possible that just from hearing those words... he already felt young and energized again, ready to face some adventures? But he wouldn't just head for middle earth directly; no he would use this unique opportunity to talk to some elves. Maybe he would be able to find some of them who would be happier in middle earth than they were here.

Some weeks later it was the beginning of February and really icy weather in middle earth especially as the wind came from the open sea. Cirdan stood again at the docks of the grey haven and saw five white ships appear on the horizon. This time he just smiled, smiled about some sneaky elf and his witch. He was joined by some other smiling elves which started to prepare everything for the arrival. They were all happy about the response, they had thought that after the leaving of the last ship that there wouldn't be any other ships and for ten years they had been right. Cirdan knew that changes in the undying lands took their time and he was really surprised that there were already some ships. He had to contain himself as he would get his answers soon. For the moment he would just stay there and enjoy the look of those eleven white ships coming closer.

They saw the havens and the place was much more peacefully than those who had left from there remembered and how the others had heard about it. Olorin smiled he had taken on a new corporal form, his current appearance looked like mixture between elf and human but he had chosen a younger form as he had quite enough of leaning onto a staff and wearing that beard. Frodo sat next to him wrapped in a warm blanket as the small being slowly reached old age too. The Hobbit just smiled happy and couldn't wait to see Sam, Rose and their children again, he also craved to meet Pippin and Merry when they would start their journey to Imladris. At the moment he watched the elves most of them were still wary but he saw hope gleaming in their eyes. He saw the hope for returning to loved ones or just the place they had once known and he saw the hope for adventure and to fulfill great tasks. The greatest part of those who would stay with them in middle earth was from the Noldor clan but some of the Teleri had come too. Even a cousin of Celeborn who wished to visit the white lord of Lorien was with them.

Then it was time, the saw the smiling face of Cirdan who welcomed the party happily and especially Frodo and Mithrandir.

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Welcome to the grande finale….

Hope you had fun on the way up to this point of the story and that you brought a lot of excitement along today. As we are going to join a huge party today, those preparations are completely necessary. Wait a moment (here take that) let's take those fireworks along so we could actually blend in successfully. Yep that actually helps a lot.

I hope you have brought better clothes than that with you, seriously you can't think to join wearing those... firstly it's a warm summer night, as well as there is a dress code. Ladies please change into some dashing dresses (chose one that doesn't show too much, please consider that the main part of the guests will arrive from a medieval culture) or one of the stylish robes. Madame Malkin's latest fashion should be appropriate for our purpose. Oh colors doesn't matter, it will be a chaotic party anyway, so simply choose what you like most. All of the guys, sorry, I know you always get the bad hand but you have to come in formal robes. No don't give me that look... it is necessary and no you can't simply slip out of the outer layers if it gets to warm, never mind if some females would enjoy the sight.

All in all I hope you are able to tolerate some drinks, as there will be some mischievous young elves around that will try to dare you to some drink contests. Warning: If you aren't sure about how much alcohol you can stand then keep away from the Dorwinion wine and if you believe you could handle it then all the more stay away from it!

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Survival rules for the evening:

Don't insult others you can't know how dangerous they are… It doesn't matter how cute or small they seem, don't get on their bad side if you want to get a chance to leave afterwards in one piece.

Don't cross certain ex-wizards just because they don't have a staff anymore doesn't mean that they are any less dangerous.

For males only: Keep away from the girls even if they look dashing you never know how old they are and who their father and brothers are.

For females only: Keep away from the guys even if they look dashing you never know whom they are married too and believe me you don't want to find out.

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So if you are packed and ready let's start:

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The majorly big party

Silver gates gleamed softly as the first rows of the morning sun woke the earth for another busy day at Black Manor. Lyra smiled as she leaned back and felt the embrace of her love tighten around her. Elrond kissed her softly and both of them knew that today their first guests would arrive. The party from Gondor and Rohan was on its way. Elladan had now the misfortune of leading a huge amount of people through a portal stationed in his valley. Not that the elf would complain, on the contrary even he did everything that the preparations proceeded quickly as he finally wanted to see them married. So, as he told them that Arwen and her family together with his brothers would join them a week earlier than the others, his voice was full with mirth. It meant that everything came slowly to a closure and would even proceed faster, as the queen of Gondor wanted to have her part in the preparations. Lyra had the feeling that even if Arwen lived now in Gondor and was far away from her father most of the time, she couldn't wait that he would finally settle down and be happy for once. That the queen wanted that as much for Lyra as she wanted it for her father didn't strike the witch though.

There would be many guests who decided to stay with them at Black Manor for a longer time, be it because of the long journeys they had behind them or because of possible treaties with another world, didn't matter that much. It would be quite a long amount of time with lots of people and them playing hosts. Lyra never really enjoyed such political gatherings, yes she could handle them but it wasn't quite an enjoyment. Not like her aunt Narcissa, the older witch had formed such gatherings to an event of art. Lyra was already a bit exhausted with only the mere thought of what was going to happen. In the last months they had ordered the construction of some buildings close to the lake, as Black Manor wouldn't be able to house so much guests. It also had the adventage that the couple and their closest friends would have a bit more privacy and the guests were stationed closer to where the festivity would take place. Those additional buildings offered enough space to comfortably house all of those who wished to stay would find place inside them. They were built like the architecture in Imladris and the couple stood at one of the large verandas and looked over the soft waves on the lake which reflected the light of the sunrise. It was their last control of the process but both of them were more than excited with the work that the house elves had accomplished. The witch leaned into her love and enjoyed what she knew would be one of their last calm moments for the next month. As the celebrations would start in two weeks and even after the planned week of parties there would still be lots of gatherings between the different parties and the minister of magic as well as the premier minister.

Lyra kissed Elrond while snuggling close to his body, enjoying their last moments of privacy. She took in his presence and felt how pulled her closer. It felt nice to know that he enjoyed that moment as much as she did. Both of them were still in a relaxed mood as much of the work had been delegated. Twink led an army of house elves to prepare the meals for all guests, the small beings had been so excited that they had gone overboard to prepare the largest range of different foods possible. It was their intention to include as many different cultures and eating habits into their plans as possible. Lyra allowed them free hand in their doings, she knew that they were so happy that Lyra had found Love and that they all had finally gained their guardians back. She was very glad that her house elves had gotten some help though, luckily Lord Potter had sent them the Hogwarts elves as support, since the school was closed during summer it hadn't been that much trouble. Also it was probably her friends way of making sure that she finally got the happiness she deserved. Elrond and her had no idea what the elves were truly up to until they visited them in the kitchens to watch the busy chaos there. The untiring miracle workers had settled for all kind of fruits and light meals from all over the world but also offered some hearty options as variety. Lyra knew that the dwarves as well as their human guests would prefer that, she also knew that if she wanted to survive the action that the next time would bring, than she would also need to eat more than just fruit salad. The only problem was that her nervousness had cost her appetite. She also could make out some very exquisite and curious creations which probably were only for daring people. This time Elrond had the task to actually get her to eat something in between all the planning. He was glad that Arwen would arrive soon, she would be able to distract Lyra a bit and everything should go well.

The merpeople which lived under the surface of the lake had happily agreed to their idea to hold the ceremony on platforms on the water. They had organized a swimming place constructed of circular platforms in different sizes. They were organized in half circles around the main platform and those in second and third row hovered in the air to give the guests a good view. The platforms were connected through fragile looking silver bridges and surrounded with silver pillars and archways which had flowers growing along the fine metal. The plants were held in summer colors and the bushes that where arranged behind the seats would grant the people some shadow as protection from the warm sun. The first plan had a silvery spider web across the pillars to provide the people with some shadow but after their experiences in Dol Guldur, Lyra had declined. Instead she had added some deflecting magic to the pillars that would prevent her guests from direct sun rays but still gave the feeling of looking up into a clear blue sky. All in all Lyra was really happy with the result it looked simple without being boring. The music, dances and dinners would be held in a close by clearing as the dryads had been persistent on getting to know the elves. Elrond had just laughed but Lyra was happy as she suspected that they would have a lot of fun with those trickster spirits in the trees. Even her elf was fascinated with them but he hadn't been able to spend much time with them, as there lived other lovely races too and he had to split his time evenly to get to know all of them, he was also kept very busy with the preparations. He thought there was no reason why Galadriel as well as Thranduil and their people wouldn't enjoy the company of those elementals, he also hoped that maybe one of the unicorns would overcome its shyness and greet the white lady too. Elrond was sure that she would love to meet them as it had been such an amazing experience for himself as one had hopped out behind a bush and come to him. It had softly bowed its head in greeting. The elf had the feeling as if he was tested and after some time it felt like the being approved of him as their new lord. It had come close enough so he was able to touch the soft nuzzle. It had been a meeting of equals because in no way was he able to think about the unicorn as something of lesser intelligence. He had looked into the black eyes that reminded him of the night sky and had softly bowed to the amazing being. Within a brief moment the meeting was over but something had touched his heart, he had been accepted. Elrond smiled softly as he watched how the unicorn returned to it's herd which waited for the stray one before all of them ran off into the distance.

The couple had absolutely no idea of the fact that those beings enjoyed the return of so much power and life to their lands so much, that they had sworn to make it a gorgeous event. It wouldn't be just a celebration for the magical people but for all of the inhabitants of these lands. Elrond and Lyra as well as their guests were in for a lot surprises.

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The guests

As promised arrived Arwen, Aragorn, their son and Elrohir a week early. They lived with the couple inside the Manor, while the rest of the Gondor party settled into the first of the guest houses. The place became quite lively especially with Eldarion around. The kid had a lot of fun playing with the house elves. Aragorn made sure to accompany his brother and son on their adventure trips through the foreign lands and Lyra had made sure that they were careful. Aragorn just nodded but had a hard time to keep up with his son who was already out and on his way to find some unicorns or a dragon. They hadn't really managed a proper greeting but none of them minded. Elrond managed to embrace his grandson before the child was off for adventures. He just shook his head as he looked after the boy and Aragorn who tried to catch up with his son. For Elrond it wasn't that long ago as he himself ran after some small boys and tried to prevent them from too much mischief. Lyra just laughed and went to accompany her fiancé on his way to greet the rest of the party. There were about thirty people, some did she know like Faramir his wife Eowyn and her brother Eomer; she also recognized some elves who had to be Elrohir's company from Ithilien but some of the humans were complete strangers. She was introduced to some land lords of the southern parts of Gondor and welcomed them all with a wide smile. Most people were surprised, they hadn't expected their hosts to be so welcoming. It had been a really alienating idea for most of them to visit a complete foreign country but now their fears were calmed as Lyra was able to put their minds at ease.

"Welcome my friends and all of you who have joined us here. I know that you have a long journey behind you and don't really know what to expect. I want to reassure you that we have prepared rooms for you to rest and that while things may happen a bit differently around her than you maybe used to, please be at peace and just relax as our friends will try their best to help you."

With her last words she introduced Twink and the house elves under her lead. There were surprised reactions from most of the guests but soon all seemed to get used to the idea of those bat like creatures helping them. That Lyra spoke of them with such warmth and respect in her voice helped them to overlook the outer appearance and build the basis for a respectful interaction. The house elves made sure that everyone found a comfortable place in the houses and settled in well. The people needed some time to get used to the overly eager small beings but after more reassurance from Elrond they took it with good humor.

Elrond made sure that everyone felt comfortable. In their planning, they had decided that the people of his kin would settle in a house closer to the forest and the lake while the invited hobbits got rooms on ground-level. It had taken some thought and preparation but they at least tried to provide their guests with an environment that made them feel more at home. The rooms for the dwarves were designed a bit more closed of and not so openly constructed as the elven places. For impartial observers the differences probably wouldn't be that easily noticed but Lyra knew that at least Frodo and his friends were very happy about the choice of not having to walk up too many stairs.

The next arrivals were the Malfoys and the official representative of the ministry under the lead of the Minister. They all seemed curious to meet the other worldly guests and seemed eager to settle in. Lyra was just glad that Lucius had a firm grip on them and that most of them still remembered at least some manners, so they hoped there wouldn't be too much trouble. At their greeting Lucius managed to smile at her. Elrond was glad about the change that clearly showed on his face. It seemed that the wizard had found some sense in his life and that the work kept him not only busy but also challenged him in a way that he always had liked. Lyra suspected that Narcissa and Lucius fit to each other in a way that was unique, both seemed to breath social rules and loved to play political games. At least that were her thoughts as she saw the gleam in his eyes as Lord Malfoy promised to watch especially the press very closely. Narcissa on the other hand took more time to greet her niece, as she had another secret mission and retrieved Lyra to lead her to a secluded place inside the manor.

"Aunt, what is it?"

Lyra was very curious about what her aunt had in store for her and with her faltering nerves she had a bit of a hard time to keep her collected and centered self.

"Lyra, Lucius and I spent some time in one of our chateaus in France over the last years."

The younger witch nodded. She had known that the couple had tried to reach out for the European communities of magical people and that some of the ICW meetings had been held in France. The Blacks had a lot of Manors all over the world and some were given to their daughters when they were married off to other families. As Narcissa saw that her niece followed her story she continued to explain.

"It was merely by chance that I discovered something in one of the hidden places."

Lyra knew that it wasn't unlikely that with their paranoid family, that her aunt had discovered secret hideouts and concealed storages but now she was really curious about what had been discovered. Narcissa pulled a small black box out of her cloaks pocket. It was flat and had the size of a palm. Lyra couldn't help the question.

"What is this?"

"It is one of the old family heirlooms, an ancient one that wasn't used by the later generations of Blacks. It was kept hidden and never touched by those who followed the dark lord or the evil arts. I thought you would like to have something of our past that isn't tainted with evil."

Lyra's eyes stung with tears as she carefully took the box from Narcissa's hands, she couldn't find words to express how grateful she felt but it seemed that Narcissa could see it on her face anyway because the woman only nodded. Then Lyra carefully opened it and looked inside. It held a silver hairpin; it was a graceful work and reeked of protection spells.

"The eagle represented the house and it was traditional worn if a Lady of the house was married off and joined another family. It was a piece that should guarantee her protection and luck. In former times it was necessary because young brides often became victims of political assassinations. I know that your marriage is a happy one and that you don't have need for the protection but I would feel better if you could wear it."

Lyra just hugged her aunt, with tears in her eyes. It was true, after cleaning out Black Manor there hadn't been much left of the family as everything had been cursed or jinxed even the jewelry which was stored in Gringotts was corrupted beyond use. The goblins had taken it back and cleaned it from the taint and Lyra had been much gladder with having a good acquaintanceship with them, so she had let them keep it. In the end there hasn't been much left with the official crest of the house of Black on it. Not even the silver ware could be saved. She had only kept the rings of the lord post and heirs and one old mirror that seemingly had never had much use and so got spared to be turned into anything nasty. Therefore she felt really happy to be able to wear it to show a connection and reaching peace with her family. After her stay in Middle Earth she had changed and grown enough to let her grudge behind her. The dead were exactly that... dead and she had decided that she wanted to restore the image of the Black family to something useful. Besides it was a very beautiful piece, fragile artwork and she loved the silver eagle with his spread wings and the black belly which was made of a nearly black sapphire. The eyes of the eagle were made of brilliants and the spread feathers were crafted in such details that you had the feeling it would spread it's wings and fly away as soon as you stopped looking at it.

Then the two women were joined by Arwen and Lyra introduced her to Narcissa. The elf looked happy to meet one of Lyra's relatives and it didn't take soon for the two to unite against the younger witch. Lyra had a very bad feeling about it and thought that she would soon come to regret that she had introduced the two. Arwen also liked the hairpin and agreed that she should wear it. Sadly the topic brought her directly to the one thing that seemed to have raised her ire against Lyra, she berated the younger female for not having any respectable clothes for the ceremony. Lyra just raised an eyebrow questioning at the elf not getting her point. The young witch had been confident in her choice of clothing and couldn't see what would be amiss.

"No Lyra, don't even think about it! You won't just wear robes."

"Arwen I have to survive three weeks while hosting too many guests and I really like those robes. I wouldn't survive that in a gown anyway…"

The elf interrupted her with a serious tone.

"I don't speak about wearing a gown the whole time. I speak about the one moment when you stand next to my father and promise him to love him and stay by his side, it will be just one evening and you will wear the most gorgeous gown ever seen. Is that clear?"

Lyra gulped, she saw the gleam in Arwen's eyes which let her know that she had no saying in that matter and just nodded. Narcissa sighed and shook her head disbelieving. A thing like that could only happen to her niece, no one else would end up a week before their wedding without the right gown. How couldn't she have things settled yet… Lady Malfoy knew that she should have trusted her instinct and come earlier to help Lyra but Lucius had been persistent on giving her enough space and not get involved too much. Now she would need all her connections and long year experience to safe the day. They dragged the young witch off to a small room and Lyra had the feeling that she would now get the payback for trying to put Arwen into a mini skirt. Her tormentors agreed on the eight sets of robes that she would wear during the festivities. Lyra had chosen them according to Elrond's ensembles so they would fit together. For the welcoming and opening evening she had a light colored robes and a beautiful red cloak, the only other light ensemble had been the one for the ceremony which had been held in silver, white and blue but that one was canceled. All her other robes had been held colorful but quite dark due to pragmatic reasons like preventing stains and such.

Three hours later and they still hadn't found anything that Lyra would agree on wearing but Narcissa wouldn't accept a "no" and in that point she was scaring similar to Arwen. They had agreed on that her hair would be pinned up and that she would wear some silver earrings in spiral form in combination to a similar necklace and the hairpin but besides that they still knew just that it wouldn't be anything of what they had tried until now. They just couldn't understand why she wanted to keep her back clothed…

"Honestly I want long sleeves and not too much décolleté…"

"Oh Lyra, with those creams you could easily hide the scars for one evening and just wear the most dashing outfit we can think of!"

"I don't want too, most people I care for know what I've been through and it would feel like a lie but I don't want to shock them with the bare truth either, so could we please keep to a fitting dress."

"You don't make that any easier…"

"I agree with Lady Malfoy, please just think about how warm it will be and you don't want to wear too much…"

"We will be on the lake; there is always a light breeze."

After another three hours they had finally found a solution and Lyra was able to escape the two devils while Narcissa sent the measurements to her most trusted seamstress. It was an elderly women that lived in France but also the only one she trusted with the task to do it on time and to keep quiet about it and prevent the press from publishing pictures of it before the celebration.

#

Opening

Olorin smiled. The Hobbits, Elladan, Erestor and Glorfindel were with him the last guests to join the party, as they had waited for the elves and the young lord had to make sure that everyone who wished to participate had safely reached the grounds before sealing the gate off behind them. The small group had reached the other side safely and where greeted by a bubbly joyful feeling. The Maia nearly laughed, he hadn't felt so young since ages and it seemed that whatever kind of spirit guided these lands was very young and childish. He also thought that this was maybe not the best combination with that reckless mischievous witch. Elrond had cut the work out for him. The Hobbits felt the happiness of the place too and were immediately caught up in a prankster mood, they even argued with their Maia if he couldn't make a firework for the feast. Elladan just chuckled; the elf couldn't wait to meet the couple and wish Lyra and his father luck and maybe warn them about eager Hobbits.

They were greeted by small beings in uniforms and with a pop whisked to the lake. There they walked to a small forest, following the lights and the voices. The Maia sensed a lot of spirit beings around him and was intrigued by his surroundings. As they reached the clearing they found the couple greeting their guests and soon they came over to them. Lyra smiled at them and came closer. She just hugged Elladan and his advisors and thanked them for all the trouble they had gone through. The elves just smiled and wished her luck before turning to his father.

"Welcome son, my friends, Mithrandir and our guests from the shire. It's good to see all of you again."

Elrond smiled softly at them all. He also asked Elladan if he had any troubles with the guests but the elf just shook his head and said that it had been surprisingly uneventful. Imladris my have had never so many visitors before but they all had shown their best behavior and so everything had proceeded smoothly. Lyra faced the Maia too and only said a cryptic sentence.

"As you have a body again at the moment you will just have to forgive me..."

A moment later he was caught in a hug and couldn't help but laugh.

"How could I have forgotten how dangerous it is to have body, it's not that I have changed back so long ago."

The group just laughed.

"I'm glad that we meet again Lyra and under such joyful circumstances."

It took a good part of an hour until finally everyone had gathered. Drinks were handed out and Twink and her friends made sure that everyone was cared for. As all had some drinks in their hands it was finally time for Elrond and Lyra to open the celebration.

"We are glad that all of you have found time to join us here to celebrate our wedding with us. We are very lucky to be able to now live in such happy and peaceful times. Welcome and please enjoy yourself as well as we are. Let's begin."

Their guests clapped and the music started but it wasn't the kind of music they had planned on. It was a breeze, a rustle and suddenly all of the present were shocked into silence. It was as if the forest sang itself, every leave and root told them an ancient story.

They saw and heard about the old druids and how they lived in union with their lands. The dryads sang about the old stones and the magic that gave life to all of them. They sang about how every year that had passed was recorded in their age rings as it always had been even with those which had come before them and also would always happen with those who will follow them. They sang from Camelot and from the union between the king and the priestess of Avalon and of the twelve knights. They told about struggles and how the old magic began to fail. They sang about their guardians and their failing fight against the inner turmoil. The melody turned very sad as they came to the part about how after peaceful times they were destroyed and how the land returned to sleep. The rustling of the dryads became tired and weak like they had felt for all the years when the lands had slept. Suddenly the melody changed once more and became strong again, powerful, excited and waiting. It was the part where they sang about their hope. It was a song about their beloved lady and the kind lord which they now welcomed to their lands in hope that under their caring hands everything would blossom again.

After they voices faded away everyone was silent they were touched by the deep longing of the lands to wake up again. Thranduil smiled it wasn't a happy smile because it held a bitter note. The song had just reminded him of his own home and how things somehow were scarily similar in both worlds. It was an unique experience to visit Lyra here in her own realm but one that had been worth it. His smile turned a bit more soft at the memory on how he had felt at the moment he had set foot on this lands. These lands were aware and powerful but unstable, mostly because of how young they felt. He had listened carefully to the voices of those magnificent beings in the trees and he knew that he would use today's stars to wander during the forest and to talk to the dryads. He looked to his son who tried to explain what had happened to his friend Gimli. The king of Greenwood smiled even more, not a few years ago he would have thought that such an effort was a complete waste of time but now he knew that at least this dwarf really tried to understand their way of life. Legolas looked at him and nodded silently understanding what he wished to do.

Lyra watched the elven king too and understood that he had very good grip on what had just happened. He would probably be the only elf that not only got the story that had been told but also the sneakiness of the dryads because she knew that they did that for the main reason of making the elves curious about them. Obviously they had succeeded. She watched as he left the clearing with two elves and a certain Maia, she trusted them to take care of themselves. The witch went over to talk to Legolas and Gimli. The orchestra had started to play a soft tune and the people started to relax. The prince noticed her and nodded in greeting

"Hello Lady Lyra it was an amazing feeling to listen to those beings, I was surprised that such amazing spirits live in your realm. None of us expected something like that to happen but I could tell that my father just loved it."

The elf smiled at her with amusement. Even more so as she told them how those dryads were trickster and had wanted to impress their elves. Gimli's laughter sounded throughout the clearing and he mumbled something about "typically".

"Yes it is great to see the both of you again, were you able to finish your journey?"

Both nodded but seemed too impressed by what they had seen in the grotto and the fangorn forest that none seemed to find words to describe it to her. They decided to talk rather about some common topics than risking to take away from the amazing wonders they had seen by putting them into unfitting words. They were soon joined by Elrond who came to retrieve Lyra so they would be able to open the dance. Lyra also still needed to talk to the minister of magic and the others from the magical delegation. Lucius made sure to entertain them as good as possible but after what had happened with the dryads they would want answers soon. The song of the nature's spirits had revealed enough facts that could have an enormous impact on their world. She needed to reassure them that the guardians wouldn't try to take over the world and such other nonsense.

After she had been able to smooth out the political waves she returned to making her rounds to greet all her guests. She had been very happy that Lord Potter had been able to join the festivity.

"Aww Lyra you can't really believe that we wouldn't see for ourselves when our best friend finally decides to marry."

"Thank you I'm so glad to have you here. I just thought that you maybe wouldn't be able to leave Hogwarts."

"You are right we can't leave the castle for too long but it helps that you are still connected to us so it's easier to stay in your company."

Lyra nodded softly and pulled her friend/friends into an embrace. All in all it was a great evening and everyone enjoyed the dances as they tried out those of the different cultures. Lyra liked the dances of the dwarves the most as they had the ability to calm her nerves and settle her more back to reality. Even though she danced with different people like Celeborn and Aragorn she danced most of the time with her love. Somehow she was amused at the soft spark of jealousy she had been able to sense from him as she had danced with someone else.

"Love, is everything alright?"

He just smiled warmly at her and explained that he couldn't help it always and just behaved like a young elfling in her company. Both of them chuckled and she couldn't wait for the moment they would be able to officially retreat for the evening.

#

The ceremony

The last two weeks had gone very well, there had been just a few mishaps concerning some drunk and daring youths. Everyone chuckled at how they had gotten the house elves to agree to put the ice sculpture just there… Lyra also smiled about how the Hobbits and Lord Potter had united and pranked every single guest on the place. She still hadn't gotten the green out of her hair completely but she had just laughed as it was really good to see that the spirit being still held some human traits. Even if it wasn't a good mixture to have Rowena's and Hermione's intelligence combined with Godric's and Harry's daring and the Slytherin slyness…

The dwarves had taken the whole thing with humor too and were now talking about business ideas for some prankster stuff. Lyra hadn't been too sure how they would react as the boys had charmed their beards and that was always a touchy topic with the dwarves but they had just laughed at the comically new variations and colors. They even sported them proudly for a whole week. Lyra's favorite prank had been how the troublemakers had fed everyone besides the elves a potion that wouldn't let them get drunk. It was the picture of the millennia as the daring contests suddenly ended with quite opposite results. Gimli had laughed himself silly as even Glorfindel's head joined the others on the table. It was a great picture as nearly every elf lay sleeping and completely knocked out around the clearing as they just hadn't wanted to believe that there could be someone who would defeat them. The elves on the other hand took it not that easily as they caught on the prank the next day, their mood only raised a bit as Lyra generously handed out some hangover potions.

Olorin's favorite prank had been the one as all guests got turned into animals for an hour. He still laughed at what cute fox Legolas had made and how Gimli was turned into an ibex. The spirit didn't know how those forms were chosen but he thought that Thranduil's hawk form was oddly fitting not the Maia could laugh at someone as he had to wait until his wolf form faded away again. Lyra was turned to her normal cat form but she had admired as her love was turned into a black owl. Elrond had looked at her with his soft grey eyes and they had both calmly waited until the trouble was over. Even as a dangerous prediator of the night, her elf managed to radiate a calming aura. She had used the time to seek closeness to him and she didn't care if it looked odd that an owl and cat would sit together. They had been joined by two white swans which they had immediately known as Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, Lyra had watched as the ancient couple had cuddled to each other. How did those two manage to look so gracefully even as animal? It was a welcomed company that the other couple settled beside them and they seemed to create a field of seriousness around them. It had the effect that all others stayed clear from them and Lyra was quite happy with that as she observed the chaos around them. The others hadn't taken it that calm to be turned into animals and as it seemed that the hobbits had been turned into some dormouse the others took this as invitation to hunt them. In less than five minutes their noble guests had developed an odd need for revenge. Luckily nothing too bad had happened and then the potion had lost its power and everyone was normal again. The Hobbits may have looked a bit exhausted but everyone thought that they deserved at least that.

All in all the days passed by with a lot of action, not all of it appreciated but everything remained harmless enough so Lyra didn't need a headache potion. After days of mischief the couple looked a bit worn though and the both were happy that it was finally time for the ceremony. As the witch had woken up that morning she had enjoyed the very clear sunshine that had woken her. Elrond gave her a soft kiss before they settled to a private breakfast. None of them had much appetite and Lyra knew that her nerves showed. She managed to let the knife drop twice while trying to peel of the skin of an orange.

"My love, there is no need to be nervous."

Elrond tried to comfort her but couldn't ban the mirth from his voice.

"I know but sadly that doesn't change anything. My heart and stomach have united against my mind and have taken control over my body. I think my brain had given up somewhere during last night and only left a letter which contained the words: will be back in a week or two... maybe."

Both had to laugh about that and suddenly some of the tension left. Yes it was true that she had nothing to fear. She loved Elrond and knew that he returned her feelings. This was just a ritual to formalize their brilliant relationship. It didn't mean that things would change now... The only thing that would change was that she now would have help with balancing the ancient magic. Nothing more. Their hearts and even souls had been connected since their stay in Valinor, so she should just lean back and enjoy the day.

After finishing the meal they parted ways, as both of them would change into the formal attire. Lyra enjoyed his kiss and pulled him back to her as he had wanted to retreat, they just hadn't much privacy together in the last weeks and she already felt how much she missed their closeness. She felt confirmation in her thoughts and knew that he felt the same. As they left both still remained in thoughts with the other, there was still a lot of longing between them.

As she stood in the chambers to change into her gown, she was sure that the hardest part was the waiting. Her nervousness finally reached its peak as some lamps exploded. That was the clear sign that she needed to shut herself away to prevent more accidents. Her occlumency walls were build up and suddenly calm came over her again. She managed to get a more relaxed point of view and was able to look at things more clearly. It showed her how childish she had behaved and she slowly sunk into a mental state of meditation. Arwen and Narcissa who had both stayed with her felt her change and welcomed the change in the air as everything seemed to stabilize and relax. Lyra slipped into the white silk that flowed naturally down her body. She had managed to get a somewhat decent design, one she felt comfortable with. Despite her additional wishes it looked awesome and like drawn in one line. Arwen gave her one last embrace and a kiss on her forehead before heading out. She would join the other guests and comfort her father. The elf knew that he was at least as nervous as his bride. Meanwhile Lyra put on the earrings and necklace.

Their guests were already settled on the platforms waiting for the ceremony to begin and the merpeople had started a concert. It was soon time for them to join them and Lyra's mind wandered back to their conversations. Elrond and her had long thought about the ceremony and how to make their vows. Even if their traditions weren't that different it was still difficult to plan out on how to do it. As both of them had no parents which would be able to declare the bonding they couldn't do it the way how Elrond would have wanted. It was sad but they needed to adapt the traditions to something that they would be able to do. It had been Lyra's idea to go with the wizarding ritual to appoint witnesses who would act as supporters and Narcissa had found the idea great, that she would lead her niece to her future husband. Elrond had agreed with the idea and had asked his sons to stand with him. Elrohir and Elladan had both agreed and were happy to be part of it. They also had brought up the part on who should actually bond them. Before they could come to any conclusions though they had been interrupted. In their minds they had heard a voice that Lyra had recognized as the ancient magic.

"I will bond you to each other and announce you as my Lord and Lady."

For both of them it felt like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Lyra hadn't known that it had bothered her so much but as she saw how Elrond's face lit up she couldn't help but smile too. She got hugged and kissed by her love and had soon forgotten about her former frustration.

So it came that she got shaken out of her memories by Narcissa who told her that it was time. Narcissa Malfoy tried to finish the final touch and the house elves made sure to come to an end too. They had been especially motivated to make her look perfect. Her black hair which she had still kept at shoulder length was now pinned up in a beautiful but complicated looking style. Next to the eagle hairpin some pearls braided by the skilled hands of Notsy joined into the hairdo as the small being finally released her from the chair. Some strands were let loose so it wouldn't get to stern looking, then she had to smooth out the gown and suddenly she was grateful for the light silk fabric as it was really hot outside. It was white and the neckline with a silver hem kept her shoulders free but had sleeves that fell wide and long. The gown was held simple but had different layers which hugged her figure petal-like, in general it softly flow down and was held in the middle with a silver girdle. The white fabric had some crystals set onto the sleeves. All in all she felt light and with the flowing cut Lyra could move freely and undisturbed. She thanked Narcissa for her help. The seamstress had done a wonder as she couldn't really feel that she wore a gown at all, there was no weight or moving restriction it was fantastic. The witch just smiled and then the both of them were on their way down to the guests.

Elrond already waited on the platform listening to the voices of the lake. The music sounded old even if they weren't really using words as far as he could make it out. The sounds reminded him of some songs of the Teleri, the longing and depth of the voices could carry him away. The melody just carried on and if he would let himself drawn away he wouldn't be sure if he could find a way back. It was beautiful even more so as there were fountains of water that shot in the air like curtains and glittered like rainbows in last rows of the sunlight. Elrond took a deep breath and centered himself into the moment forcing his thoughts to remain at the platform and the lake, waiting for his love to join them. He couldn't believe himself that he felt impatient and nervous. He looked back at the buildings and hoped that she would come soon. Elladan noticed the look on his father's face and had a hard time not to start laughing. It was high time that this came to an end, his father deserved this happiness, especially after everything that had happened with their mother.

#

Flashback

They had gathered again to talk. Most of the time stayed with happy topics like Arwen's pregnancy or the future plans for Imladris and Middle Earth but not this time. This time their mood was as dark as the night sky as the conversation held great sadness. Elladan watched his siblings, he already knew what their ada would tell them but it wasn't easier because of it. He would try to help his siblings to come to terms with it even though he hadn't been able to really process it himself. Gondor slept again and only the four elves were awake to talk and try to put their past at peace. The light of the stars seemed dim and even their grandfather couldn't twinkle as clear as normally.

Elrond sat there looking into the last gleaming remains of the fire. All of their faces were covered in shadow and it didn't make it any easier to tell them. The former lord of Imladris looked sad. He had been able to find peace but he knew that it would still be hard for his beloved children to accept his next words. He slowly pulled some of his black hair out of his face. He didn't know how long they had already sat there. He looked for the right words.

"My children this will be very hard to accept but you have the right and the need to know the truth."

Even in the darkness he could see their wary eyes looking at him. They waited until he was ready to tell them...

"My reason for travelling to Valinor was to find closure for my past and I have found it. It didn't happen the way I had expected but looking back at it it's probably for the best. Lyra and I visited your mother. She lives in the sacred land now and she won't come back to us, she has found a new life and a new family."

He was interrupted by disbelieving gasps of Arwen and Elrohir. Elladan's face only showed pain.

"Father are you sure?"

Arwen's voice held the pain of betrayal. A child that had been left behind without any explanation.

"I'm sorry my evening star but it's true."

Tears fell and within one breath Arwen has left her chair and Elrond found himself with his distraught child in his arms. He pulled her into an embrace and held her close. His chin rested on her head, while she cried into his shoulder. His gaze turned to his Elrohir. His son only sat there, stoic unmoving. Elrond hoped that he wouldn't run off in the same fashion as they had done so long ago when he hadn't been able to heal their mother. His hopes came true and while the older elf could clearly see the sharp pain in his son's eyes, he could also see how much he had grown. His son was now beyond running away and he was more proud at him now than ever before. It took a while before Elrohir could say something.

"How long ago has she abandoned us?"

Elrond couldn't stop his own tears as he had to tell them that Celebrian had a new family and that she never wanted to return to them. It was hard to accept for all of them but she had left middle earth with everything of her old life behind her as she left the grey haven.

End Flashback

#

Elrohir shook himself out of the dark thoughts. It still hurt even after ten years but he had learned that it was time to build his own life and family now and that he couldn't change the past and he had stopped to try. He had also seen that some of the reasons why he had never allowed himself to fall in love before had been his fix idea to leave middle earth. He wouldn't have wanted to bind himself to someone when he would have to let his family behind. Now that his life was in middle earth he had overcome his own reluctance and finally found his own love. She had helped him to heal the past and he could finally accept that while his family had been unnecessarily hurt they now had the chance for true happiness. Sileen was a wonderful woman and he loved her dearly, she had lived in the Greenwood forest nearly all her life but never believed in the separation from the rest of the world. She had been one of the first to travel south to help with the rebuilding, she had let a group of eight healers but while her younger sister had returned home after a while she had agreed to come and life with him in Ithilien. They only needed to tell their families now but had agreed to take their time to get to know each other well enough before making anything official.

Then he saw how his father's face lit up and he turned to the buildings too. There she was the beautiful, funny and gorgeous human maiden which had captured his father's heart. Elladan followed his sibling's look and had to smile too, she looked simply wonderful. Most of all it was her radiation of true happiness that captured them. They could feel her nervousness but also her joy and it was simply addicting. Lyra went forward and mustered all her courage accompanied by her aunt, they came closer. With careful steps she walked across the silver bridges out to the water where her love waited. She saw the smiling faces of their friends and looked deeply in the eyes she loved most. His face mirrored her nervousness and her joy. A smile as radiant as the sun broke out on her face. Elrond's grey eyes never left her form, he couldn't help himself he simply walked to her and embraced her.

"Lyra, I'm so grateful that I have met you and that I have the honor to be your partner in this life."

Lyra returned the embrace and buried her face in his chest. It was a stolen moment for just the two of them but the clapping and the happy laughter pulled them back to the event.

"My love you have my heart and I feel so grateful to be here with you."

It took a while before they managed to head for the central platform but no one minded. It was clearly to see for everyone how much love was shared between the couple. So they only enjoyed this gesture of affection. They were a team, a couple and a force to be reckoned with, even an elf as old as the lord and lady of Lothlorien could see how unique their relationship was. Galadriel fought against her sadness, as she observed the couple and their joy she was sure that this could have been a love strong enough to withstand all ages of the world. It was so sad that Elrond would be so lucky to find his true love only to be cursed to lose her again. In her opinion this day was bittersweet, there was so much joy and peacefulness and it would only last for short years but Elrond had made his choice. He would rather face the poison of loss again instead of never feeling this love at all.

#

Flashback

Nights in Lorien were always mild. Only a soft breeze cooled his face a bit. As Elrond stood at the platform he was cloaked in darkness and only the light of the stars touched him softly. His father twinkled down on him through the leaves of the trees but no moon shared it's light in this night.

"It's a calm night, good for long and difficult conversations."

Elrond turned around and bowed softly in greeting. As always the white lady stood there as if she was cloaked in starlight itself. She radiated peace but also sadness and he knew that this was the time to talk about Celebrian.

"Lady Galadriel."

The elven lady told him to follow and both walked across the stairs and bridges which connected the different talans to each other. He noticed that they visited her garden and also that Lord Celeborn already waited for them. The three elves took place near Galadriel's mirror and started to share stories. Galadriel was as concerned as Cirdan had been as Elrond told them about the hatred they had found there. As he spoke about Celebrian and Elgund it was Celeborn who took those news worse than his wife. His face didn't show anything about his anger but Elrond could see it in his eyes. Elrond didn't know if the Lord of Lothlorien was angry at his daughter or the Valar or a combination of both. Galadriel took his hand and tried to calm her husband.

"My love we don't know everything that has happened. It may have been the only way to heal our daughter and her soul. It wasn't right to not inform us but it's a long way from Valinor to middle earth and even the Valar had to be careful whom to trust with Sauron returning to strength. Even Saruman their own messenger had been corrupted so we shouldn't assume the worst about them."

"You are right my star but we should have been informed and even if Celebrian couldn't return to Middle Earth she could have waited until matters had been cleared before betraying her family. If what Elrond has told us is true than she hadn't even waited until Arwen was an adult before cutting the bond."

"Yes that's true. I truly believe that she had been so hurt that this new family was her only chance not to die but it showed her lack of caring that she couldn't face the truth and just divorce Elrond rather than denying the marriage as a whole. The suffering that has caused was unnecessary and I don't see why the Valar had agreed to this."

Elrond's face showed some of his own pain as he shared his thoughts about that matter.

"I believe that Celebrian has painted her marriage to me in a light that made them believe that I wasn't a good husband. I also believe that the main reason for them to not inform us was that it would have broken me and I wouldn't have been able to fight against Sauron."

All three of them sat in silence for a while. Celeborn agreed with Elrond and it didn't make things easier to accept. Of course no one could have said what Elrond would have done if he had known that Celebrian wished for her freedom but going behind their backs in such a matter felt like an betrayal on its own. As her parents Galadriel and he should have been asked for agreement as normally they were the only ones to be able to end such an relationship. He had never had the wish to return to Valinor and now he only felt confirmed in his decision. It took some time before he could reach an end in his inner turmoil.

"I won't oppose the decision of the Valar or my daughter but I won't accept how things had been handled either. I only hope that Celebrian has found her happiness now and we will have to accept that she doesn't wish to talk to us."

Galadriel agreed with her husband but still suffered that her daughter didn't even wish to answer their letters. She didn't even know if Celebrian would have read theirs. She sighed softly. Long ago had she accepted that they had made a lot of mistakes with raising their daughter. The princess had been spoiled beyond reason and never had to face the consequences of her own decisions. Everyone had expected her to become as her mother but she had clearly never wanted that and had opposed her decisions just to rebel against her perfect mother. Galadriel had hoped that marring such a kind being like Elrond would help her daughter to grow up and take on some responsibility but the only thing her daughter had learned in all her life seemed to be how to rebel and fight against those who meant well. That she didn't even seem to know or understand the pain she has caused for her own children with leaving them behind was something that had shocked even Galadriel and it made her sad beyond anything that she had felt since her daughters loss.

End Flashback

#

Galadriel closed her eyes and faced the sun, allowing the hot feeling to burn away all lingering of pain. Today was a time of joy and celebration and the past would remain in the past. Erestor smiled at the couple, like Galadriel he had fought with his own feelings of happiness and sadness. He had hated that Elrond and Lyra had fallen for each other but somehow he had the feeling that it had been fate. In hindsight it would have been worse if they had never met, not only for the fate of Middle Earth but also for the heart of his friend. He would lose Elrond one day but at least he hadn't already lost him, which would have been very likely with what Celebrian had done. Even if his mind knew that it had been for the best that the two had met, his heart still suffered at the thought of doom hovering over the two souls that looked at each other with so much love in their eyes. Erestor wished Lyra and Elrond just the best and waited. As he turned to Glorfindel who was placed next to him he saw a soft smile on the warrior's face. It seemed that his friend knew about his conflict but appreciated the result that he had reached.

It was time and all of the guests listened carefully as the couple took their place in front of them. The music stopped and all guests and spirit beings waited for them to speak. Before anyone could open their mouth they suddenly felt a forceful shift in the air. It was like the entire land turned around and huddled up in one spot. Within a few seconds a blinding light erupted and all of them had to shield their eyes. Wind blew all over the lake and the water crashed with unruly waves against the platforms. The merpeople tried to calm the water but it seemed too stubborn to listen. With a loud sound like a pang there suddenly stood a being with a body that reminded of Lyra. It was a bit larger than the witch and its frame was created from a soft white light but some of the features like the face structure reminded them of the witch. It was a great surprise but the feeling that the being radiated was peaceful enough that no one felt threatened. Then they heard a soft but deep voice echoing throughout the place. It felt like the voice was within them rather than coming from the being but there was no doubt to who spoke.

"Welcome my guests, you have travelled far over the distances of countries and even worlds to join us here today. I'm what people call the heart and soul of these lands and today I have taken on a visible form to announce my new Lord and Lady."

Lyra was stunned herself, she had already heard the voice before but not known that it would appear in a visible form today. She felt Elrond's calming presence and his promise that whatever would happen, he wouldn't leave her. She was glad that he wouldn't agree to any demand of being separated from her anymore. With a soft smile at each other they turned towards the being and waited for the bonding to begin.

"Lyra Phoenix Black will you guard the magic, the lands and it's people with the care and respect they deserve?"

It wasn't just a question but a test and she felt as if her entire soul was judged at that very moment. She answered as clear as she could.

"Yes, I will care for all beings and lands with equal care and responsibility."

The being gave her a soft nod and turned to Elrond. The process was repeated and what Lyra could feel from Elrond gave her the impression that he was judged as well but she could only hear his soft answer.

"Yes, I will take on the honor of watching over this lands and all who live in them."

From there on they followed the ceremony and promised each other, that they would live together and care for each other. The audience could feel different layers of magic that tied both of them to the magic of the lands. Lyra had been first, as she accepted the magic everyone could see as a golden glow surrounded her and how her power increased tenfold. Lyra herself felt dizzy as she could feel her already powerful magic growing. It felt like she wasn't just in her body anymore but also the water in the lake, the grass on the hills and everything around them. Also her knowledge grew as she simply knew that she now only needed to want to go somewhere and would already be there as long as it was on her own grounds. The same change happened to Elrond and old elf or not it took every inch of self control to manage the feeling of power that flooded through his consciousness after agreeing to take the post as lord. The guests didn't knew about their inner turmoil and only watched as they took each other's hands and just promised to love each other. Then the soft, childish bubbly being that was the spirit of their environment took the word again to seal their bond. With a soft voice it spoke.

"I declare you both as bonded in love. You will master your life together and from this day forward you will share your hearts and souls with each other."

It was short but powerful as everyone could feel that those words had finality. Lyra just smiled at Elrond and hugged him. He embraced her too before entangling her in a longing kiss. Under the clapping of the guests, the smiling faces and a glowing spirit the couple was officially bonded and the sun said goodbye for the day with the last soft red gleaming. The merpeople started to sing again and slowly the sky sunk into darkness. It was accompanied with a soft silence and the couple used those minutes to share a long embrace before they broke apart to face their friends and everyone that wished them luck and congratulated them. After some moments everyone's attention was drawn back to the water as they could see how the dark surface of the water suddenly got gleaming points. As if it would mirror the appearing stars in the sky. The light was intensifying and with a soft "flopp" hundreds of brightly gleaming crystals floated out of the dark. They flew up against the sky, were the first stars appeared. The guests stood and watched fascinated as hundreds of this lanterns floated upwards to the darkening night sky. Lyra snuggled into her loves embrace as she softly leaning on him watched how the platforms were surrounded with those lovely lights.

#

The party

From that point on the celebrations became much less formal, even the elves lost their stiff attitude and joined in happy songs from the shire. Lyra loved the dances and suddenly felt how the stress and nervousness from the last weeks disappeared and she could freely laugh and enjoy the party. It felt great to be there and share her happiness not only with her guests but also with the entire lands through the new connection. It felt like all plants and animals were humming a happy tune in agreement. It was such a nice and lovely feeling. She had been so caught up in her own world that she hadn't even noticed that Elrohir danced with a certain elven maiden again. This time she wasn't the only one to notice them though. Elrond's face lit up in happiness before he drew her away to give his son the privacy he needed.

You knew about them?

Only for some days.

Why didn't you tell me?

Because Elrohir seemed to try his best to keep you all ignorant. I thought it would be nice if he tells you himself when he is ready.

She felt how Elrond struggled between disappointment that she hadn't told him and agreement that Elrohir should tell them himself and tried to end his inner debate with a soft kiss. He smiled and agreed that it was a good way of dealing with some problems. Both chuckled at that. Lyra only thought one more time about how Arwen wouldn't be happy to find out last. Then she had no more time to wonder about others as a certain elf claimed her full attention. Kissing her love was as addicting as the first time. She could lean in on him and feel the passion and deep longing. She loved to feel his hands softly stroking across her back and pulling her even closer. She looked into his eyes and felt lost in the deep grey again, they gleamed with happiness and he let her know that he could very much see the same in her own eyes. Then she knew nothing more only that all people seemed to dance and enjoy themselves and she got to kiss her beloved husband. Suddenly the music was disrupted and everyone stopped. Lyra felt disappointment that she had to break away from the kiss but had to look up at the night sky like everyone else did.

Lyra didn't know if it was Lord Potter, the Hobbits or a certain Maia but above their heads suddenly exploded lots of fireworks in all colors. The explosions and pangs had surprised them at first but now the first laughter was to hear. Elrond sat down and pulled her into his lap, both of them watched snuggling close to each other as blue and green lights concurred with the stars. All of them enjoyed it as one of the fireworks looked like a picture of Bilbo and Gandalf while smoking, followed by Aragorn and the Hobbits as well as Lyra, Eledir and Gloin; it ended with a picture of the smoking gathering from the garden party in Imladris where all had smoked even the elves. Then the scenes turned to other happy events that they had seen or lived through in the last ten years. Lyra chuckled softly and while she leaned against her husband's chest, completely content with the world she felt how she slowly slipped to the dream realm.

Fin.

Thank you very much to everyone who followed and supported this story. Again I want to put out that I would be happy if someone could proofread the story and correct my numerous mistakes. I'm happy that it's finally done but I'm also somewhat sad to have to say goodbye...

You will hear from me soon but now I'm going to do a happy dance because I have finally finished it.

Guys believe me that's a damn good feeling.

Bye ^^