Change seemed almost as drastic as the change of seasons. Everything seemed amiss after Bilbo's extraordinary party. All of Hobbiton was shocked. Even though Diamond herself hadn't gone to the party, she had been readily informed of what had happened.
Each hobbit seemed to change individually as well. Everyone noticed that Frodo seemed to go through some change. His behavior was quite serious, and sometimes, he seemed like he was hiding something. It was most prominent during the weeks after Gandalf left. Pippin and Merry's behavior stayed mostly the same, or got worse. But mostly, the hobbits noticed Diamond's major and awkward change. They rarely ever talked to her nowadays, and she rarely ever saw them. She seemed too busy, courting, waltzing around in some sort of fantasy world that made her oblivious to them. Eventually, they stopped trying and focused on their own lives and decisions.

"Ilberic Bracegirdle, of all the hobbits here, I'd say you are the most promising!"

This statement was met with many interjections from the other hobbits surrounding Diamond. This started the regular matches of who could offer her the most and in the largest quantity in exchange for her love. Diamond smiled at them all and hopped up onto the short stone garden wall that the group had approached. She stayed her balance on her feet and pulled up her skirts. Surveying the assemblage, she gave an irresistible smile and stepped back out of the reach of the hobbits.
"Now, now, you all know that I can't have all of you."
She smiled outwardly, but on the inside she was slightly disgusted. She enjoyed the attention, and if it meant acting like a priss, then so be it. She had stopped writing quite a while ago. She had no time or energy for it.

She scooped Ilberic's hat off of his head, placing it on her own and deftly pranced along the narrow edge wall. As the throng crowded around her, she tossed the hat up into the air, letting it fall among them. They became distracted by the hat, reacting like hobbit boys did, scrabbling for it. She ran a little farther along the wall, going into a sort of light, carefree dance. She twirled, lost her footing, and fell. By some miracle, she was caught and she started to thank whichever hobbit had won the instant fight as to who would catch her. However, there was a slight problem. She had been caught, but in an awkward way in which her rescuer's hand was over her eyes. She frowned slightly at this.
"Not in the mood to guess I suppose?"
That voice. She smiled broadly and pulled the hand off her eyes.

"Pippin, it's you!!"
She wrapped her arms around him in a joyous embrace, almost choking him in the process. He set her down on the ground and struggled for air. She broke away and grinned at him.

"I haven't seen you in almost a year! What have you been doing?"

"Dad's been keeping me busy farming around Tuckborough. I'm apparently his most valued worker." Pippin rolled his eyes and smirked. Diamond smiled back.

"And are you?"

Pippin began to answer, but he was cut off.

"Peregrin! Come!"

"We don't have all day!"
Diamond looked past Pippin and caught sight of two hobbitesses, probably about her age give or take a few years, well dressed. When Diamond looked back to Pippin, he was concentrating fiercely on his feet. Diamond coughed politely and perhaps a bit awkwardly.
"So, you say that you've been working for your father?"
"Hmm? Oh yes, well, I plan on quitting soon. I wasn't cut out to be a farmer."

Diamond looked past him again at the two hobbitesses.
"And who are your two attractive followers?"
Pippin blushed.

"The one on the left is Myrtle Burrows. The other is Angelica Goodbody. How about the throng of hobbits that you seem to have brought along?"
Diamond also blushed in turn.
"I haven't the foggiest. It's a mixture of Bracegirdles, Noakes, and Boffins."
She again looked over his shoulder, and Pippin caught a small smile in her eyes.
"Well, it would appear that your entourage has taken quite nicely to my entourage, leaving the two of us relatively free to escape."
Pippin turned slowly, and sure enough, the two hobbitesses had been surrounded by the ever so fickle hobbit men. Diamond took off on a light run for the glade, with Pippin soon after her. Once there, the two sat down, laughing for a little while. However, they soon became serious.
"Pip, you're not.....involved with either of those two girls, are you?"
"Them? Oh, no, my sisters tried to set me up, but it didn't take."
He leaned back against a tree trunk.

"What about you? You aren't engaged to any of those half wits back there are you?"

She shook her head fiercely.

"No, not at all. It's all an act. Something that I, too, must blame on my sisters."
"Good. If any of those idiots comes close to marrying you, I'll give them a good hearing out. I'll knock them from here all the way to Brandy hall."

Diamond flushed incredibly and covered her red cheeks with her hands.

"Pippin, you've turned into a shameless flatterer. No wonder those two are practically your disciples."

Pippin grinned lopsidedly at her.

"Why not flatter? It seems to be working."
This only made her blush even more and she laughed in spite of herself. From that point, they continued to talk, exchanging questions, opinions, and catching up on everything. They walked all over as they spoke late into the day. It was evening by the time they had reached Diamond's home just north of the Smials. He walked her to the door.

"Pip, it was good getting to know you again after a year."
Pippin just smiled and shuffled his feet. Diamond suddenly leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before quickly turning and shutting the door. It had only been a peck, but Pippin felt his head swimming and his stomach doing somersaults. He felt giddy, drunk, excited. That night, he danced his way home.
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Ready everybody? One....Two....Three! Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!
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