Bilbo Baggins was rounder than in the movies, Serenity thought to herself as she and Gandalf approached Bag End. The hobbit was out smoking a pipe on a bench beside the bright green door of Bag End.
"Good morning!" he called cheerfully to them, raising his pipe in greeting.
Before Serenity could respond with her own good morning, Gandalf said, "What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"
"All of them at once," Bilbo returned, smiling. "And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain. If you have a pipe about you, sit down and have a fill of mine! There's no hurry, we have all the day before us!"
As he blew a large grey smoke ring up over Bag End, Serenity reached into her bag. She was noticing a slight difference in the way Bilbo spoke Westron as opposed to Gandalf, and wanted to mark it for later. Unable to find a pen that didn't require an inkwell, she finally gave up and decided to try to remember it for later.
Gandalf then gently pushed her out from behind him as he spoke about an adventure, and she could feel Bilbo's gaze turn cold.
"Good morning!" he said again, then got up and headed to the mailbox. "We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water." Taking his mail, he appeared to be reading through it, but even Serenity good tell he was anxious about their appearance.
"What a lot of things you use good morning for! Now you mean that you want to get rid of me and my friend here, and that it won't be good till I move off."
Serenity glanced up and back at Gandalf, absolutely amazed that he was not crumbling under the glares openly being sent their way by the hobbit. Instantly, Bilbo's demeaner changed.
"Not at all, not at all, my dear sirs! Let me see, I don't think I know your names?"
Gandalf placed a hand against Serenity's shoulder, and she realized he was waiting for her to speak first.
"Serenity Lockwood, at your service," she said, bowing slightly. She hoped that was accurate to dwarvish culture in Middle-Earth.
"At yours and your family's," Bilbo responded politely, then turned to Gandalf expectantly.
"I do know your name, Mr Bilbo Baggins. And you know my name, though you don't remember I belong to it. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me!"
"Gandalf, Gandalf! Good gracious me! Not the wandering wizard that gave Old Took a pair of magic diamond studs that fastened themselves and never came undone till ordered?"
He went on for much longer, and Serenity held back an eye roll. This hobbit clearly didn't get out much, although having read the book, she probably should have guessed. He finally finished with, "I beg your pardon, but I had no idea you were still in business."
"Where else should I be?" Gandalf said smiling down at him. "All the same I am pleased to find you remember something about me. You seem to remember my fireworks kindly, at any rate, and that is not without hope. Indeed for your old grandfather Took's sake, and for the sake of poor Belladonna, I will give you what you asked for."
"I beg your pardon, I haven't asked for anything!"
"Yes, you have! Twice now. My pardon." Serenity thought she could see a twinkle in Gandalf's eye. "I give it to you. In fact I will go so far as to send you on this adventure. Very amusing for me, very good for you, and profitable too, very likely, if you ever get over it."
"Sorry! I don't want any adventures, thank you. Not today. Good morning! But please come to tea - any time you like! Why not tomorrow? Come tomrrow! Good bye!"
Bilbo quickly turned and hurried back into his hobbit-hole as fast as he could. After a moment, Gandalf brushed past Serenity and went up to the door. When he stepped away, she could see a funny symbol engraved in the green paint. She tried to commit the symbol to memory. He smiled warmly at her, then motioned for her to follow him.
"We will set up a camp elsewhere, not to worry, miss Serenity."
Nodding, she followed after the wizard in silence for a moment before asking, "What dialect does Mr Bilbo speak? And why is yours different?"
Gandalf laughed before answering.