For a long time Maglor had played no Christmas-carols. He had done so earlier, back in Valinor. When his mother had made tons of cookies weeks before the holiday. When his father had vanished in his workshop for days, trying to create the perfect present for each of them. And then, at Christmas eve, when they had all been together laughing, singing, remembering.

Earlier, when they had still been a family.

Later, when being a family had become impossible, it had been clear that those times wouldn't return. Nothing of the magic and laughter would be left, except empty chairs beside the chimney and unspoken accusations hanging in the air. Silently, the brothers had agreed to forget about this holiday in Valinor, as if they had never been there.

Yet, Maglor always realized, when it was this time of the year again. He knew it by the growing emptiness in his chest and the terrible silence of his harp. Still, something was different, now. It was the first time in years, that they would all be together at this particular date. Even though Maedhros was still injured and would never be the same as before his captivity. Even though Curufin still cried for their father sometimes. Even though none of them was the person they had been, when they had celebrated in Valinor.

This was, why Maglor had taken a heart and called them. On this particular date, in this particular time of the year, when grief and loss threatened to overcome him, he had called for his brothers and they had come.

Now they sat around this warm fireplace. In this room, that - despite the rich furniture - felt sow painfully empty. Noone had said a word. Noone dared to break the heavy silence.

Silence that slowly pressed the lats drops of love and comfort and home out of Maglor's heart. Silence, that stood like a wall between every part of this so-called family.

When he felt, that he couldn't stand the weight of loneliness any longer, Maglor reached for his harp. At first he didn't really play a song. Only single tunes sprang from the vibrating strings. Caranthir was the first to look up. His empty gaze lay on Maglor without seeing him, before he lowered his head again.

The tunes became tacts. Familiar groups of notes, that hang in the air, that broke down the silence, very slowly, very carefully, piece by piece.

The Ambarussa looked up. Their eyes met Maglor's and he noticed the distant shadow of a long gone light in them. Only an echo of a hope they had once had, but it was enough, that he finally started playing a real song.

It was one of the old once, from times before the elves had even known about Valinor, that grandpa Finwe had taught them. An eerie, haunted melody, that had nothing to do with the joyfull, heartwarming songs they had sung more often.

But it fitted their mood much better, than any other Christmas-carol would have done. It was not warm, not comforting, but it rose memories that were.

The longer Maglor played, the weaker the silence between the brothers became. From time to time one of them would look up, as Maglor's fingers danced on the strings, trying to keep up with the melody's breathtaking pace.

Tears streamed down Curufin's face The Ambarussa were pale and held each other's hand tightly. Maedhros had put his arms around his brothers' shoulders, in his eyes the expression of grief, where for so long there had been only emptiness.

On and on Maglor played that Christmas-carol, that wasn't comforting, but was a song where before there had only be silence. On and on he played for his brothers who weren't happy, but were a family where before there had only been loneliness.

Here we go! I promised you a Christmas-oneshot and here you have it. I'm so sorry for being that inactive for such a long time! I really, really wanted to write, but I had not a single idea.

Don't even really know, how this oneshot happened. I certainly didn't plan to make it an English one, but I'm not quite in the mood translating it right now. Anyway, my original plan has been to write about Eregion, because, come on, Eregion at Christmas! But, again: Total emptiness in my head. Then I considered to include Fingon and Aredhel in this, because of their friendship with the Feanorians. Didn't work.

Well, it all came out very differently. Still, I appreciate the use of noise and silence as a stylistic device here (a very maglorish thing to do, if I may say so). The Christmas-Carol he plays, of course, is "carol of the bells". I first heard it this week and, Eru Illuvatar, this song is creepy! It gave me chills so much, that I still feel haunted. Very beautiful, nevertheless. And it kind of fits the elvish prevalinorian dark ages, where I placed it's origins.

And... here I am talking and talking, again.

Anyway, I wish you all a great Christmas-time (really, really hope, I'll get to post another oneshot before Christmas)

and you'll read from me

Alice