The Green Dragon-the greatest pub in all Middle-Earth as far as Merry could conclude. The air of the pub was a scent of the finest South Farthing pipeweed, friendship and beautiful ladies. He swung his mug of beer round to his cousin and they clinked. "To my cousin, Merry Brandybuck and his lovely lass, Estella Bolger. May they live in peace for as long as the brandy holds out! And may their little ones not look like their Da!" Pippin toasted as Estella and family watched on. What a night this would be, thought Merry, the night before I make the prettiest, sweetest lass in all the Shire my wife. Gulping down a mouthful of ale, Merry plunked down the mug, grabbed Estella and smirked at her in the most curious of ways. The only way Merry knew how.
"C'mon 'ere lass, have a dance with me!" he said, grabbing for her waist and spinning her towards the dance floor. Her pretty brown curls bounced by his face, her sweet candy apple cheeks flushed in a smile only for him. He shivered. "You cold, dear?" Estella asked.
"I guess I just realized how incredibly close I am to having everything I've ever wanted. How happy you make me." Estella smiled meekly and rested her head upon his shoulders. Merry felt as if he could just melt. But Estella never faltered. "I love you, Merry," she spoke just high enough for him to hear. Merry's face must've turned as red as a beet for Pippin was glaring at him, laughter in his eyes. "That Took had better find a lass. He always makes fun of me when I am around you, cause, well, I guess-"
"You get all lovey-dovey?" Estella finished, "Yes, not very masculine, is it? Well, that TOOK has no idea that this future Brandybuck will be the only one laughing soon!"
"What do you mean, love?" Merry questioned his fiance, furrowing his brow in curiousity, "You don't mean you are going to try and set my poor Pip up?"
"The stage is already set, Mer. I have only to manipulate the players a bit."
"You obviously do not know Pippin very well, do you? Manipulate him? Ha! It is folly, dear, even for one such as persuasive as you!"
"You don't think I can do it?" Estella asked him, "Don't you want your dearest friend to have someone to be with when you are not able to spend every waking moment with him?"
"Oh you mean I can't?" Merry joked.
"Shut up," Estella trumped, "you know what I mean!"
"Yes, yes, but if I may be so bold to ask you, have you a lass in mind?"
"Yes, indeed, I do."
"And who is the lucky lass?"
"Lucky or not, I have been planning the uniting of these two for some time now. I am sure it will work!"
"Who!?"
"None other than my right hand lass, Diamond of Long Cleeve." Merry broke out into rambunctious laughter. "Okay, m'lady, you are on. But I warn you, the wager you raise is unusually high and so will be the punishment for losing."
"I will not lose,"
"Aye, but if you do, I get to exact it."
"Fine, but do not waste your thoughts upon how you will broker this trounce of yours. For I do not lose what bets I enter upon." "Indeed." So the two shook on it and continued to dance. Merry glanced over at his single friend and sighed. He would love for his friend to be as happy as he is with Estella. But love was tricky and Pippin could get hurt, and the poor hobbit had been hurt far too many times in his short life.

Could Estella really be right? Could Diamond really be the one for Peregrin Took?

The spirits of Pippin were unusually low. His best friend was leaving him tommorow. Well, sort of. Getting married. He would have taken it better had he believed Merry that night he had come to Brandybuck hall, three hours late for supper, saying he had proposed to Estella Bolger. He hadn't even really known that anything was going on between the two. In fact, Merry had only ever let on that the two of them were friends. But suddenly, they were courting. Now they were getting married. What's next, Merry will be a father and entirely too busy to hang around his boring, single cousin. It wasn't that Pippin didn't like Estella, he thought that she was absolutly what Merry needed in his life. But she was taking away the person whom, when things were dire, when things were dim, he relied on the most. Who would he rely on now? Certainly never himself! They didn't call him 'Fool of a Took!' for nothing! Merry was his best friend. No one could ever replace him.
"Peregrin?" he heard a soft voice say. He almost didn't realize they were calling him, for no one called him Peregrin unless they were mad at him and this voice did not sound mad.
"Yes?" he replied, looking around for whom he was speaking to. He swiveled around on his barstool and found himself staring into a pair of velvety, blue eyes, as deep as the sea.
"Could you move? I need to grab those mugs for my father and brother." she said. But Pippin could hear nothing but the sound of his heart beating. "Oh, Aye." And so he moved.
"Thanks," she said and went to reach for the heavy mugs.
"Are you Diamond, Estella's friend?"
"Aye."
"How did you know who I was?" Pippin questioned. The girl tottered with the mugs as she stood. Instinctively, Pippin reached out to grab one and help her when one of his fingers brushed against hers. He faltered and before he knew it, the mug was falling to the ground, splashing all over her. Diamond shrieked.
"How could anyone NOT know, what with your foolishness!" she gasped. Pippin blushed. "I apologize," then grew angry, "but if you hadn't let go so quickly than I would have gotten a better grip!"
"Oh, aye, so its my fault?!"
"Yes!" Before any punches could be thrown (hehe), Merry and Estella intervened. Estella calmly took a rag and started to help cleaning up Diamonds' dress as Merry pulled Pippin outside to cool off.
"She's such a brat!" Pippin concluded.
"Oh so you fancy her, eh?" Merry threw in for laughs. Pippin merely grumbled and folded his arms.
"Insufferable." he replied. Merry bit his lip.
"Thats just lady-folk for ya though. They are designed to make us crawl."
"I used to sort of envy you, Merry. For having a lass. Now I pity you!"
"Aye, well, its not so bad."
"So you say. But to be safe, I am never going to suffer a lass in my life. I will die a lonely, old and stinky hobbit before I marry into such subjugation!" Merry shrugged and patted his friend on the back. Pippin sighed. He really shouldn't have said all those things about lady-folk. Quite improper, even for him. And Merry was marrying tommorow. "Forgive me, cousin..." Pippin moaned, sadly. Merry wrapped an arm about his friend, his cousin and smiled. A curious smile.

"I know, Pip. I know."

She had been dreaming of marriage all night, watching Merry hold her friend in his arms and spin her about the dance floor. It all seemed so romantic. The occasion brought family and friends together, hobbits who may not have even met before and all seemed right. Until she met Peregrin Took. "Insufferable, clumsy, should I go on?" Diamond grumbled to Estella as the two sat by the fire to dry her sopping dress, the one she had been working on for weeks to make for this very night. "If you like," Estella humbled her, "but you know, he really was just trying to help you."
"Fine job he made of that! And now look at this," Diamond moaned, pointing to her dress, "ruined!"
"All it needs is a good wash," Estella replied.
"Everything is ruined." Diamond reiterated, wrapping the damp part of her dress into a bunch. Estella smiled and gave her friend a hug. "Come and dance a bit with me, let me help you make the best of your tragic night."
"You tease me!" Diamond exclaimed.
"You must admit the sillyness of all this, Diamond! And besides, Merry has Pippin outside and he is talking to him. Soon you both will be laughing about this and your ruined night may not seem so ruined."
"Aye, you may be right," Diamond sighed, feeling suddenly awful for making such a fuss on her friends special night, "Please forgive me, for being such a fuss."
"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't let you fuss alittle bit? Now come, lets dance!" The two girls got up and waded through the crowd to get to an open area where they could dance. Samwise and Rosie were dancing about, arm in arm with little Elanor mimicking them by their side. The band played long into the night and the more Diamond danced, the better she began to feel. Estella and Merry soon met back up with each other and decided they were going to sit by the fire for awhile.
"Pippin, would you take care of my friend here?" Estella said, motioning behind her. Unbeknownst to Diamond, Pippin had been sitting behind her the whole time, watching as she made a fool of herself on the dance floor! Her face mush have turned as red as an apple because Pippin's eyes glittered in laughter. Oh, what a night....

If you like what you read, let me know! And if you have any tips for me, go ahead and tell me! Thanks!

-Heather