Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine.
Author's note: I've had this story outlined for a while, and although I promised myself that I would only work on one story at a time, that didn't work out so well. This story has been in my head, waiting to be written for weeks, so this is me, giving in to temptation. But fear not, I haven't given up on Take Me Home. That being said, with school and two fics in the pipes, I can't promise updates. I'll get to them when I get to them. Enjoy!
Warning: There are mentions and descriptions of physical and mental abuse in this chapter.
Magnolia Bramblevine clutched her precious bundle to her chest and snuck out of her bedroom in her family's smial, listening carefully. She could hear snoring coming from the sitting room and kitchen and rain beginning to pound on the roof. Pausing in the hallway, the young hobbit-lass counted five distinct snores from her father and four of her brothers. She did not know where her fifth brother was, but this would likely be her only chance to run this personal errand. She had already had Mister Bilbo's book for two whole weeks longer than she'd promised, and if she didn't return the tome soon, Magnolia doubted very much that Mister Bilbo would let her borrow any more of his precious books.
Making her way quietly through the smial, Magnolia saw her father and four of her five older brothers passed out in various uncomfortable positions in the kitchen and sitting room. Many of their tankards had fallen from their hands, spilling the tankards' contents all over the floor. Magnolia did not see her eldest brother, nor was his jacket on his hook by the front door, but that just meant he was probably in a state similar to his father and brothers at the Green Dragon.
Very carefully and quietly, Magnolia opened the door to the smial and crept outside, quickly becoming drenched by the rain. Making sure Mr. Bilbo's book was protected, she set off at a mad run towards Mr. Bilbo's home, Bag-End. Magnolia did not encounter many other hobbits along the way, most being wise enough to seek shelter in the poor weather. When she finally reached her destination, Magnolia's honey blonde hair hung in a wet mass down her back, the sad little ribbon tying part of it back drooping from the rain.
She knocked quickly on the green door of Bag-End, eyes scanning the area nervously, looking to see if she had been followed. As the door opened, the hobbit-lass could hear loud, raucous laughter from inside the warm smial.
"Hello, Mister Bilbo, sir. I've come to return the book I borrowed last month. I'm terribly sorry I've kept it so long," she said in a rush.
"You needn't worry, my dear. Why, you're soaked to the bone! Come in, I think I should still have a bowl or two of stew left," Bilbo Baggins said kindly, moving aside to usher the girl inside.
"I wouldn't want to be an imposition, I can hear you already have guests. I'll just go home," Magnolia answered.
"Nonsense! It's no imposition. Besides, as I said before, you're soaked to the bone, and if you don't dry off soon you'll catch your death of cold. Now I insist, please come inside."
"If you're sure it wouldn't be an imposition, then I thank you," Magnolia said, stepping into the smial. Bilbo immediately bustled her into the kitchen, but she stopped in the doorway. There were dwarves in Mister Bilbo's dining room! And they were eating all his food! All at once, twelve pairs of dwarvish eyes and one pair of wizard's eyes turned to see the newcomer to their little unexpected party. Magnolia squeaked a bit at being the center of attention, but at least only a few of the dwarves were truly frightening looking.
At the questioning stares of the dwarves, Magnolia bobbed a quick curtsey, introducing herself as she went.
"Magnolia Bramblevine, at your service," she said in a tremulous voice. The dwarves all sprang to their feet to return the favor (at least they had some manners, if the state of Mister Bilbo's table was anything to go by). Magnolia felt herself flush red when a handsome young dwarf introduced himself as Fili. There were so many similar sounding names though, that Magnolia was certain to forget them all.
Bilbo pushed her to a seat close to the hearth when he saw her shivering in her wet clothes. As Bilbo set a small bowl of stew and cup of tea down in front of her, Magnolia muttered her thanks, quietly tucking in amid the shouts and laughter of the dwarves. She was quite hungry, not having eaten anything since elevenses, when she was able to sneak a scone from the batch her father had demanded she bake. As such, she had quickly polished off the bowl of stew, and was feeling much better, finally starting to dry out and with a full belly to boot. When the dwarves saw that she, the last one eating, had finished, they began tossing the dirty dishes into the kitchen, where their comrade with a rusty axe embedded in his forehead was at the sink washing up.
As the dishes flew through the air, the dwarves all began singing a mocking, cheerful tune:
Blunt the knives and bend the forks!
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!
Chip the glasses and crack the plates!
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
Cut the cloth, tread on the fat,
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!
Pour the milk on the pantry floor,
Splash the wine on every door!
Dump the crocks in boiling bowl,
Pound them up with a thumping pole!
And when you've finished if they are whole,
Send them down the hall to roll!
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
Magnolia giggled quietly a the dwarves' antics, and at Mister Bilbo's indignation. The song reminded her though of Mister Bilbo's care for his personal belongings. Drawing the borrowed book from her pocket, she handed it to him.
"Thank you for letting me borrow your book. I quite enjoyed it. I think I must have read it three times in the time that I had it. I do apologize though, for not returning it promptly when I said I would."
"As I said earlier, you needn't worry. I knew you would return my book when you had the chance. I'm glad you liked it. You are welcome to borrow any of my books any time you like," Bilbo answered.
While Magnolia and Bilbo were discussing the book, which was a book of histories of the races of Middle Earth, Gandalf had allowed a thirteenth dwarf entrance to Bag-End.
"Allow me to introduce Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of our Company," the wizard announced, drawing the hobbits' attention to the newly arrived dwarf. He was just as intimidating as several of the others, but there was an aura that set him apart, that readily identified him as a leader.
"Which one is the hobbit you promised me, Gandalf? I see a grocer and a girl before me, hardly burglar material," Thorin sneered. His sharp eyes did notice fading bruises scattered along the hobbit lass' arms, and the threadbare quality of her dress. He wondered how such a tiny person came by so many bruises, and what prevented her from wearing better clothes.
"Bilbo Baggins, the owner of this home, will be your burglar. The girl is Magnolia Bramblevine," at this Magnolia bobbed another curtsey, "she is a good friend of Bilbo's who happened to drop by tonight," the Grey Wizard said.
While Thorin ate the last of the stew Bilbo had served, he and the other dwarves were discussing a meeting with their kin not going well. Magnolia's interest was piqued, however, when Thorin mentioned a quest and an adventure. When the white haired dwarf with the swooping beard gave Bilbo a contract, the older hobbit reiterated arguments that he had made to Gandalf earlier that day.
"No, I will not go on an adventure! Nasty, uncomfortable things that make you late for supper! I don't want any of those here!"
"But Mister Bilbo, I don't think adventures are meant to be comfortable. They're meant to test the strength of your spirit, and the strength of your body, and that only happens through danger and discomfort!" Magnolia blurted out. She flushed deeply red when she felt fourteen pairs of eyes stare at her with varying degrees of disbelief. "Although, those are the romanticized notions of a stupid girl, you really ought not to listen to me," she muttered.
Just as she was beginning to recover from her embarrassment, there was a loud pounding on Bilbo's front door, accompanied by shouting. Magnolia recognized the drunken tones of her eldest brother, Thom, and she blanched, her freckles standing out starkly against her pale skin.
"I'm so sorry, Mister Bilbo! I didn't mean for any trouble to come of me returning your book! The others were asleep, and I thought that Thom was at the Green Dragon! I didn't think he would find me here! Oh, I should have gone straight home after I returned your book!" The obvious note of fear in the lass' voice was more than enough to rile the dwarves' blood. Thorin was not the only dwarf to have noticed the bruises nor the holes, and to think of a lass being so mistreated angered the dwarves.
Bilbo had answered the door, polite gentle-hobbit that he was, and he was attempting to waylay this new intruder. Thom, though, was large for a hobbit, both in terms of height and weight, so he simply barreled past the homeowner.
"There you are, you stupid girl! Supper was to be ready when I got home, and you were gone!" the large hobbit yelled drunkenly.
"I'm sorry Thom, but I needed to return Mister Bilbo's book that he loaned me. I did not mean to be gone for so long," Magnolia muttered, eyes downcast. She let out a yelp of pain though, when Thom grabbed her roughly by the wrist, attempting to drag her out of Bag-End.
"Now see here, you let her go! She's already apologized, there's no need to handle her so roughly!" Bilbo scolded.
"Shut your mouth, Baggins! This is between me and my sister." The dwarves were all taken aback that this brute was the brother of the hobbit-lass. He was dressed very similarly to Bilbo, with a fine waistcoat and cravat over a linen shirt. The only thing marring the image of the large "gentle-hobbit" was the ale-stains all over the front of his clothes.
"I promise, Thom, I'll be home soon. I just need to fetch something from Missus Bracegirdle. When I get home I'll get straight to cooking, and I'll have supper ready as soon as I - " Magnolia was cut off by a harsh backhanded blow to her left cheek, splitting her lip. She was sent tumbling to the floor by the force of the blow, and most of the dwarves, together with Gandalf and Bilbo, were able to forcibly eject the belligerent drunk from the home. Dori and Oin knelt to help Magnolia up, before ushering her into the kitchen so that they could tend to her split lip and the rapidly spreading bruise across her cheek.
Later, the dwarves were scattered around Bilbo's sitting room smoking their pipes. They had been telling stories about their journeys, reminiscing and catching up with friends. Magnolia was curled up in the window seat, arms wrapped around her knees. She listened to all of the fantastic tales, amazed at the dwarves' experiences. Some of the dwarves still intimidated her, like the big, bald dwarf named Dwalin, and the unpredictable dwarf with the axe in his head named Bifur, but many of the dwarves were kind to her.
The dwarves began singing again, led by Thorin, a melancholy song about mountains burning. Magnolia found herself lulled to sleep though, by the deep voices of the dwarves. Bilbo, noticing the sleeping girl, grabbed an afghan from the back of a chair and carefully draped it over her. He looked at her with such sad, pitying eyes that the dwarves wondered just how long her family's treatment of her had been going on. When the shy dwarf known as Ori voiced those thoughts, Bilbo told them Magnolia's story.
"Magnolia's mother was such a sweet woman. She always had a smile on her face. The whole town was surprised when she fell in love with Magnolia's father. The Bramblevine family has never had the best of reputations, and Magnolia's father only reinforces the image. He was happier though, when he first married Magnolia's mother. Then, when he had five sons to carry on the family name, I've never seen him happier. He never wanted a daughter though, so when Magnolia's mother fell pregnant the last time and gave birth to Magnolia, his anger began returning. He could frequently be seen at the Green Dragon, and he always ranted about the uselessness of females. Things got really bad though, around Magnolia's twentieth birthday, when her mother fell ill.
No one knew what was wrong with her. She would go through periods of being so weak she could barely lift her head, and then she would recover. Each time she got sick though, it took her longer and longer to recover. The sicker Magnolia's mother got, the meaner her father and brothers got. They all took their anger out on Magnolia. When Magnolia's mother finally died about five years ago, the Bramblevines no longer cared about appearances. They openly began beating Magnolia, calling her names and belittling her in public. When she came of age last summer, they had a huge party, as was expected. However, they forced Magnolia to wear her old, dirty clothes, and they further humiliated her by not allowing her to purchase gifts for her friends. You see, in the Shire, when a hobbit has a birthday, he or she gives gifts, rather than receiving them. Magnolia wasn't allowed to do that, so it was quite embarrassing for her, having to tell all the party-goers that she had no gifts for them. The whole time, her father and brothers just laughed. Everyone pities her, but no one wishes to risk the unpredictable wrath of her family," the older hobbit said.
The dwarves all turned somber eyes to the small figure curled up in the window seat. Fili noticed that she was shivering beneath the thin blanket covering her, so without thinking, he swept off his fur-lined coat and draped it over the sleeping lass. The dwarves dissipated, off to negotiate sleeping arrangements, but Fili and Thorin stayed and watched Magnolia curl further into Fili's coat.
"What are you thinking, Fili?" Thorin asked quietly. He had not seen the caring, protective look on his eldest nephew's face since Kili had been dangerously ill several years before.
"I do not know, Uncle. I find myself drawn to the hobbit-lass, and I wish to protect her. I cannot remember being so angry as I was when her brother struck her. How could he do that? She is his flesh and blood!" the blond dwarf seethed.
"Some in this world care little for that, and it seems this girl has been cursed to have such creatures for family," the older dwarf answered, something in his tone beseeching his nephew to be calm. "I know you wish to protect her, but what would you have me do?" he asked.
"I know this is requesting a great deal, Uncle, but I beg that you allow her to come with us to reclaim Erebor. I am convinced, from what Master Baggins said, that she would be safer on the quest with us than she would be if we left her here with her kin," Fili said. A few of the dwarves loitering nearby heard the exchange and silently agreed with the younger dwarf. Thorin was silent for several moments while he considered his nephew's request.
"Very well, I shall have Balin draw up a contract for her. But, Fili, you will be responsible for her safety," Thorin finally answered. Balin had overheard the exchange, as had Gandalf, and the former quickly requested some parchment, a quill, and ink from their reluctant host. Gandalf smiled around his pipe, pleased that the dwarves would so readily protect Magnolia.
Balin finished writing the contract quickly, especially since it was a mirror copy of the contract that had made Bilbo faint earlier in the evening. When the ink had dried on the contract, Fili tried to gently wake Magnolia up.
"Mistress Magnolia, we would like to extend a formal offer to accompany us on our quest to reclaim Erebor. We think you might be safer with us than if you were to stay here. What say you?" Thorin asked.
All Magnolia could do was nod shyly and mutter that she would like to go with them. Thorin then showed her the contract, and told her it was identical to Bilbo's. He then produced a quill and some ink, which he passed to Magnolia. She quickly signed the contract, a true smile blooming across her face.
"Thank you so much. I promise, I will find a way to be useful! I won't be a burden!" she said fervently.
"I believe you. For now, though, it is late and we should all seek our beds," Thorin declared. When Magnolia moved to lie back down in the window seat, several of the dwarves protested, offering to give up the guest rooms that Bilbo had allotted them.
"I will be fine here. You have all been traveling for Yavanna knows how long, and you're about to set out on another journey tomorrow. I would not feel right about depriving you of your only chance to sleep in a real bed for the foreseeable future, not after you've been kind to me," Magnolia said, trying to silence their protests. When the dwarves heard her sweet reasoning though, they acquiesced, touched that this girl who had been through so much in her short life, would still put the comfort of strangers above her own. Bidding each other a good night, the dwarves began to head to their respective rooms. Before he could leave, Magnolia called out to Fili.
"Mister Fili, here's your coat back," she said, trying to return the aforementioned item.
"Keep it for tonight. You were shivering earlier, and I would not feel right about you being cold if there was something I could do to stop it," the dwarf answered.
Magnolia blushed at Fili's words, an unexpected warmth flooding through her.
"Thank you, Mister Fili. That is very kind of you. Good night," Magnolia said, lying back down, pulling Fili's coat up under her chin.
"Good night, Miss Magnolia. I wish you pleasant dreams."
Author's Note part 2: The song is "Blunt the Knives" as appears in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Don't forget to leave a review!