[[A/N. It is such a treat to know that a few people liked my previous Diamond and Pippin oneshots. :) This is going to be a longer story, with quite a few chapters. Each chapter will be a different month of various years. This isn't quite a story, more like a collection of sketches into the lives of Pippin and Diamond, but they all thread together. I hope you enjoy. :) ~Rachel ]]
Blotmath, 1419; by Shire Reckoning
"Come on now Diamond." Estella Bolger tossed her curly, raven hair over her shoulder and snatched the mug from Diamond's hands; garnering a small squeak of protest from the younger hobbit lass.
"You've been sitting here all night." Estella grinned down at her, and Diamond gulped at that all too familiar sparkle in Estella's eyes.
"That is not true," Diamond replied hotly, "Not all night. In fact I walked right over there" she gestured with her now free hands to the table filled with food and drink, "And spoke with your brother, Stella." She nodded curtly, and Stella raised an eyebrow.
'The Troubles' hadn't been over a month, but the celebration seemed to last forever. The Shire was celebrating the end to the oppression of Sharkey and his men, as well as the return of the Four Travelers. Diamond had seen them, though had not recognized the Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck of her youth, and Stella had needed to point them out to her.
They seemed unattainable now, it seemed foolish to Diamond that either of them most certainly Pippin would even remember her.
"Peregrin Took," Stella emphasized the name as if she was saying something completely and utterly scandalous "has been staring at you all night." Estella whispered excitedly pulling Diamond from her thoughts. Stella dropped into the seat next to Diamond with a sigh when she realized Diamond was going no where fast.
"Is he? I didn't notice." Diamond answered quietly; as she stared at him dancing awkwardly with another hobbit lass by the name of Belladonna Proudfoot- she was much too short for him, Diamond thought. For a fleeting moment she saw him glance over his shoulder to see if she was watching, and she quickly ducked her head and averted her eyes.
"Go talk to him Diamond, you know him… Not to mention he's the heir to the Thain-ship." Estella grinned and poked Diamond in the ribs; smiling at the squeak of annoyance that she again drew from Diamond's lips.
No. Diamond thought. No, she didn't know him: not anymore, anyhow. Peregrin looked absolutely strange in his foreign garb from distant lands.
"I could care less about him being the next Thain." Diamond frowned and absent mindedly twirled her fingers through the brown ringlet that was hanging over her shoulder.
Estella sighed exasperatedly, "Diamond, please, every lass wants him, but it's you he's looking at." Diamond drew her lips in a straight line; Estella could be positively maddening at times.
"Let him look then." Diamond replied crossly.
"Diamond you're absolutely infuriating." Stella harrumphed and flounced off to again find Meriadoc Brandybuck with whom Stella had been dancing and flirting with the whole night. Diamond watched the two quietly at a distance. The smile on his lips, the cheeky blush in Stella's cheeks- she was so effortless around him, why did she grow up while Diamond stayed the same? Diamond wondered for a moment if she would ever grow up.
She didn't know why she was so aggravated with Pippin; or Stella for that matter. If there was any lad she fancied, it was Pippin. It was Pippin all those years ago lying out next to her in the field under the shade of the oak tree with Merry and Stella. It was Pippin and Merry that she and Stella chased after trying to play their "boy" games. It was Pippin who kept her hands warm one frigid Yule. And it was Pippin who kissed her once between the ears of corn in her father's field despite her giggling protests. But that was a long time ago, and despite the fact that he was watching her, Diamond was certain he didn't remember.
No. She didn't want him to remember, she wasn't worthy of him, she never had been. Especially not now that he was dressed in fancy attire, dancing with any and every other lass here. He could have his pick, why would he ever pick her?
He wasn't even wearing the scarf anymore: she felt a stab in her chest as she recalled the countless hours knitting the scarf for him as a Yule present. Diamond closed her eyes and felt sorry for herself. She didn't open them for a long time until she felt someone standing in front of her.
"Miss Diamond, may I ask you for a dance or will I have to carry you to the floor? I've been waiting for you all night." Diamond listened to the voice, the sweetest thing she had ever heard; the Tookish rumble in his voice was unmistakable. She opened her eyes and stared up at him: Pippin.
With a coy smile she gave him her hand. "I suppose carrying me out there would be most outlandish, I'll save you the embarrassment." His eyes lit up, those beautiful, green eyes that Diamond remembered so well, and his hand enveloped hers.
Diamond stood up and studied him carefully. "Peregrin Took, I do believe you are taller." He gave a small chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "Not too tall to dance with you I should think." He winked and bobbed his head to the side. It was then Diamond realized that her Pippin was back.