"Sam, where's the bloody milk?" Gandalf roared from the kitchen, slamming the door of the fridge with a bang. He stomped over to his bowl of dry cornflakes and stared down at them morosely.

Sam's face appeared timidly over the edge of the bannister at the top of the stairs. "Wh-what was that Mr Gandalf, please sir?" he stammered.

Gandalf waved his bowl wildly at Sam, causing cornflakes to rain across the tiles. "Where. Is. The. Milk?"

Sam's face went pale. "I thought it was Boromir's turn to get it…" he said in a small voice.

Boromir marched jauntily into the kitchen, already dressed. His hair, still damp from the shower, was neatly tied back and he had a grey towel slung over his shoulder. He worked as a personal trainer at the nearby gym. Wordlessly, he pointed to the rota. Sure enough, Sam's name was written clearly in black marker pen.

Sam gulped. "Oh."

"See you later," Boromir sung cheerfully and stepped out the front door as Gandalf's wrath exploded and woke the whole house.

Frodo tumbled down the stairs. "Sam, we really need to get goin…" he trailed off when he saw Gandalf's livid face. "Never mind. We'll see you there." He muttered hastily as Merry and Pippin joined him, both staring in wide eyed terror at the scene before them. The three scuttled to the pub where they and Sam worked as waiters. Sam gave a whimper as his friends deserted him. Words such as "Worthless" and "Idiotic" recommenced reverberating about the house.

After another few minutes, Aragorn entered the kitchen. He made straight for the coffee machine on the counter. "That's enough, Gandalf." He said quietly over his shoulder, before turning and giving Sam a warm smile. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

Sam by now was a gibbering, jelly-kneed wreck. "T-th-thank y-you strider!" he gasped, sounding pathetically grateful. "Don't overwork yourself, now Aragorn." He added worriedly as he fled after his friends.

Aragorn smiled tiredly before heaving a weary sigh.

"That hobbit's right now and then you know." Gandalf said gruffly. "You do overwork yourself." He noted the dark shadow's smudged beneath the man's eyes and the drop of his shoulders.

"I'll be fine." Aragorn murmured. "It's all a bit hectic at the school at the moment – exams, you know…"

Gandalf rested his hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "It will be fine, you'll see."

Aragorn gave him a grateful look.

"Not many teachers care half so much about their student's grades as you do."

"Math's is an important subject!" Aragorn grinned. "I only wish more of them would see that…" he added glumly.

A new voice joined the discussion. "Teenagers eh?" rumbled Gimli, grabbing a pork pie from the fridge and taking a large bite. "Can't teach em anythin'!" He slapped Aragorn so hard on the back he fell into the coffee machine.

"Day off today, have you?" Gandalf asked Gimli severely.

"Yup!" Gimli clapped his hands in delight. He worked as a car mechanic, and always got Friday off.

"I could use one of those. Where's Legolas?" asked Aragorn.

"Where d'ya think?" Gimli rolled his eyes. "In the ruddy shower as usual sorting his hair! Just my luck he's not working today either…"

Gandalf and Aragorn shared an alarmed look. Legolas and Gimli were not the best of friends, despite being housemates. Who knew what could happen with them alone together for a whole day.

Aragorn put down his empty coffee mug. "Well, better go." He sighed.

"Bye Aragorn!" came Legolas's melodic voice from somewhere above, before the shower recommenced. As was usual whenever Legolas spoke, Gimli's eye twitched in irritation.

"I'd better go too." Gandalf glanced at the clock. "The library will be open soon." He thoroughly enjoyed his job as librarian. Needless to say, he kept it in religious and rigid silence through his whip-like shushing and sharp tongue….

HI FOLKS! THE NEXT CHAPTERS WILL BE A BIT MORE INTERESTING - THIS ONE IS MORE TO SET THE SCENE. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT HOWEVER, AND DO PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LORD OF THE RINGS OR ANY OF HIS CHARACTERS