With the thirteen dwarves crammed around the table in Bilbo's tiny house, it was impossible to hear the knock at the door over the noise. Only when Bilbo drifted towards his bedroom to seek refuge from the incessant chatter and laughter that he heard it; muttering to himself about 'those bloody dwarves' and how if it was another one 'I swear to Gandalf I'll slam the door in its bearded face', he moved towards the door, opening it only a smidge so he could peer through with one eye.
"Ash!" he cried, opening the door and embracing the girl stood on his doorstep.
"Bilbo Baggins, are you having a party without me?" she asked, laughing as she stepped past him into the house.
"Um, now I don't know if this is quite a good time for you to visit. It's not that I don't want you here, it's just…" he trailed off as the girl ignored him, putting her cloak down on top of a pile of swords, eyebrow raised.
She made her way towards the ruckus, not seeming to hear Bilbo's pleas to come back tomorrow when he'd sorted out the 'mess' he was currently in. As she reached the dining room she stopped dead, surprised but with almost excited eyes, which was unusual for a hobbit faced with a room of dwarves. She took in the sight before her; thirteen of them there were, all bearded, all merry and laughing, none as of yet having noticed her presence. Except of course Gandalf, who was sat in a corner of the room puffing away on his pipe, a knowing smile on his lips as he made eye contact with her.
He stood up, knocking his head on the ceiling, and made his way around the dwarves to address Ash, "Asphodel Took. A long time indeed it has been."
"Gandalf the wizard, back, filling old Bilbo's house full of dwarves. I'm sure he isn't very happy about this whole ordeal."
"I wouldn't use the word 'ordeal'," Gandalf chuckled, "When Bilbo was a boy he would have loved for something like this to occur!"
"He would have, but nowadays I can tell you that is not the case."
"Well that I have seen for myself."
"So," Ash beckoned for Gandalf to bend down so she could lower her voice, "What's going on?"
"You always were too excitable for a hobbit."
"It's the elf in me."
Gandalf smiled, "Our dwarf friends have a quest, of sorts. And your good friend Bilbo is going to help them."
"Bilbo?!" Ash spluttered, "Bilbo, on a quest with a bunch of dwarves? I'll be impressed if you convince him of that."
Gandalf merely smiled. He put a hand on Ash's back and steered her towards the head of the table, "Dwarves! My dear friends, I ask you to be most courteous to Mr Bilbo Baggins' guest, Miss Asphodel Took."
"Ash!" she piped up before they had a chance to call her otherwise.
"Well, well, well," Bofur said, stepping up to be the first to inspect the new hobbit, "You're a lot more pleasing to the eye than the other one!"
Most of the hobbits started squawking with laughter, but seeing the hobbit's raised eyebrow, Balin approached her and said, "Don't worry lassie, they're only joking around."
Ash smiled and made her way into the dining room, greeting a few of the dwarves, trying to get the full story of what their journey actually was. Meanwhile Bilbo stood in the hallway, looking even more unimpressed than before. The only person who looked more unhappy than Bilbo was Thorin, stood in a corner of the dining room, observing the second hobbit with a look that was deeply indignant.