Rain in Rivendell

Disclaimer: I have done my best, but they still don't belong to me

A/N: a prize of virtual chocolate (sorry, not as good as the real thing, I know) to the first person to spot the X-Files reference.

A/N 2: I had major problems with this – the document on my floppy got "corrupted" and I'd completely forgotten to save this chapter to the hard drive, so, although the computer techs at uni managed to retrieve the document, it was all out of the correct order so there may be errors and weird stuff. If there is, *please* point them out to me so I can change it!!! There is also a chance that some parts are missing.

Thanks to:

Radioactive Bubblegum, Artemisa, La Diosa, Orangeblossom Took1, Cerridwen-Evereven

Amlee – this must go down in history as one of the fastest ever reviews! I'd only posted this about 5 or 10 minutes before I got your review!!

lucidity – I hope I get the inspiration to write more twin mischief (or should that be 'twinschief'?)

mirielle – I may yet be inspired to write a humour fic concerning the dangers of consuming too much Mirkwood wine…Watch this space!!!

Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – I couldn't resist mentioning the dye just once more: it begged me for an encore and who am I to resist??? May I take this opportunity to say that it's not really a case of what they'll do to Arwen; it's more a case of what she'll do to them

Lutris – wow, you reviewed every chapter in one go!! Many thanks!!!

Senkensha – I kind of feel sorry for Elrond, but it is mentioned at the start that the twins have their reasons (whether or not they're justified is a completely different matter!!!)

Estel Elven Enchantress – I didn't get your review for chapter 5 in time to say thanks in the last lot, so I'll say it here. I have to confess that I'm not entirely sure how Elrond's still alive, either!!!

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"Do you think he will recover?"

"How do you think he is feeling?"

"I will be wary about touching such wine again, if that is the effect it has."

"I shall ensure that it is checked when I return to my realm."

"I hope Ada will not suffer for too long." The implication in Arwen's voice as she looked hard at her brothers was clear: I know you had something to do with this and I intend to find out what.

They stared back, faces devoid of any expression.

"Let us finish our dessert, please," requested Erestor wearily. He had his suspicions about the twins as well, but now was not the time to voice them.

The twins wisely remained silent and dared not move from their seats until Erestor, noticing their restlessness, decided to dismiss them. He had learned about the effects of forcing restless twins to remain at the table – the hard way. He inwardly cringed at the memory.

They began to rise from their seats, but stopped as something tugged at their clothes and forced them to sit down again.

"Is there a problem?" asked Arwen sweetly. "Are you too attached to your seats to bear being able to rise from them?"

Elladan's eyes narrowed in the direction of his sister. "Is there a point to that question?" he inquired coolly.

"Should there be?" asked Arwen in apparent confusion.

"You know there is."

She shook her head in disagreement. "No, I am afraid that you must be mistaken. Or perhaps it is paranoia."

"It is not paranoia when they are really after you," replied Elladan, almost growling, glaring at her.

"Then you are paranoid."

Elladan stood and hauled his twin to his feet. Unfortunately, the chairs on which they had been sitting for the duration of the meal were stuck to their clothes. Arwen looked away. Erestor bit back a grin. Legolas snickered, earning identical furious glares from his best friends. Haldir rolled his eyes in resignation. Arassuil let out an amused chuckle. Gandalf arched his bushy eyebrows in amusement. The others gathered at the table showed their amusement in similar fashions.

"What. Did. You. Use?" hissed Elladan furiously.

"I am sure that I do not have the faintest idea of what it is that you speak," answered his sister sweetly.

Erestor shook his head, still smiling. "Perhaps you should rip the chairs from your clothes," he suggested.

"But – but – they are some of our best clothes, and our best best clothes, we discovered, have already been destroyed!" protested Elladan, turning his gaze once more to his sister.

"I am afraid that that is tough luck," replied Erestor. He rose and moved to stand behind the twins. Seizing hold of one chair, he tugged hard several times and released Elladan. The sound of the delicate material ripping caused all present to wince, even more so when Erestor repeated the act on Elrohir. "It appears that the chairs are ruined. Whoever spread the glue upon them shall have to ensure that they are replaced," he said, his intense gaze resting momentarily upon Arwen, who flinched away, clearly guilty. He turned to the twins. "I suggest you go and change."

"For the sixth time," muttered Elladan in his brother's ear. Elrohir nodded, also sick of constantly changing clothes that day. They left the room for their own, faces burning from the embarrassment.

On their way, they encountered Thranduil, who stopped them, looking somewhat bemused. "What has happened to you two?" he asked.

"Arwen happened," huffed Elladan, thoroughly sick of their predicament. "How is Ada?"

"He will recover. In the meantime, he is sleeping in one of the guestrooms, seeing as his own room appears to be locked and I cannot find the key. If he has consumed too much wine, he will suffer greatly in the morning. I have given him something to ensure that he sleeps for a long period of time. I trust Erestor will ensure things continue to run smoothly in the meantime – especially as you are perhaps otherwise occupied." Thranduil silently vowed to never fall for their innocent act ever again.

The twins scowled fiercely and Thranduil took a step back. "I shall let you pass."

"Thankyou," said Elrohir with as much dignity as one can muster with half of their clothes torn from the lower half of their body, and he and Elladan reached their rooms without further incident.

Once changed (again), they met in Elladan's room. The older twin was particularly enraged by the latest event. "She shall suffer!" he declared vehemently, now dressed in simple clothing. "She ruined our best clothes. Our absolute best!"

"We shall bide our time; we agreed," answered Elrohir, shaking his head. "It gives us time to think up something worthy of sheer and utter PUBLIC HUMILIATION. It will be another story, as they say." *

"Fine, fine. If you say so."

"I do. Now perhaps we should check on Ada. And who locked his room? I did not and I left after you, so it could not have been you."

"Arwen, I expect," growled Elladan. "Thus preventing us from accessing it and reversing the apple-pie bed, should we wish to do so."

"You are backing out? You? Elladan, son of Elrond Peredhil, is backing out of a prank? Again? It is not as though Ada will be going into his room tonight, if Thranduil has anything to say in the matter."

"You have a point."

A brief pause. "You do not appear yourself tonight."

"I'm bored."

"Oh. Me too."

They sat in silence for a while, thinking of not very much at all except for possible acts of revenge that they could wreak upon their younger sister, until someone knocked on the door. Elladan jumped, startled. "Who is it?"

"One who likes to smoke that which your father detests the smell of," came the reply.

The twins relaxed. "Gandalf!" cried Elladan. "Do come in!"

The door opened and the wizard stepped in, clad in his usual grey robes. "Your father will suffer no ill-effects from the mushrooms he ingested – yes, I know it was mushrooms," he added, holding up his hand to fend off Elrohir's protests. "King Thranduil may be wary of laying blame in a house other than his own on those who are not his kin, and he may be open to having the wool pulled over his eyes occasionally – but I am not, and your expressions, behaviour and my generally knowing you too well for your own good, prevented this from happening to myself. Now, I came by to inform you that I plan on putting on a small firework display tonight at nine o'clock exactly, in your father's best garden."

Elrohir frowned. "But it is raining still. In fact, it is pouring."

"A little rain never stopped a firework of mine from performing below standard," replied the wizard, apparently offended and insulted at least.

"It is more than 'a little rain'," muttered Elladan in his twin's ear. "It is 'a bloody great downpour', in the words of Arassuil!"

"Well, young Elladan, 'a bloody great downpour' never stopped my fireworks from performing to standard," retorted the sharp-eared wizard somewhat irritably. He shook his head, muttering under his breath about 'disrespectful Elves' and 'the young of today' and words such as these. Elladan had the decency to turn pink and mutter an apology.

"Well, I must go. Enjoy the fireworks." Gandalf turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Elladan's eyes were gleaming. "Fireworks! Did you hear that?"

"You know I did," said Elrohir. "I cannot work out why it is so exciting. It is not as though we have never seen them before."

"I mean, let's borrow a few!"

"What? Are you insane? Gandalf would string us up by our insides for all of Rivendell – and probably the whole of Middle-Earth – to see!"

"What harm could possibly come of it?"

Elrohir nearly choked. "I cannot believe you just said that! Plenty could go wrong!"

"Relax. Trust me; I have it all covered."

"I hope so, for your sake," Elrohir muttered. He shook his head, sighing resignedly. "Fine. What do you intend to do?"

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~TBC~

*A/N: probably one that will go unwritten

A/N 2: the idea of using Gandalf's fireworks come courtesy of Steffi Snape, so it is not mine and all credit goes in her direction

Elvish translations:

Peredhil - Halfelven