The braids were barely noticeable in blonde and black hair. They'd been carefully woven in so as not to attract too much attention, but people saw and people whispered. Kili's was rested just behind his ear, mostly hidden with the rest of his hair, and only the silver clasp on the end caught people's attention. Ovila's was amongst the numerous other braids she wore and only distinguished by the unique, six strands needed to create it and the silver clasp bearing another's name hanging at the end.
Kili and Ovila were officially courting and it was about time.
At sixty-two and sixty-five, they'd been dancing around one another for over fifty years and now they were finally together properly. They didn't really act like it in public, still bickering lightly, but they could be seen, on occasion, walking through the city with their hands linked together. They were exploring this relationship carefully after the disaster of rushing in before and it was rather strange for them. It was best, they'd both decided, to take things one step at a time and tread carefully into this newfound territory. There were arguments, of course there were ("you're the one that left!" "You're the one that was too dense to just admit how you were feeling!" "Me?! What about you?!"), but things weren't as explosive as they could've been. The time ticked by slowly, allowing the couple to get used to one another once more, and they were surprised to find that a year passed before they'd really grasped it.
Yuletide was fast approaching with Chalrim, Hilda, Caldin, and little Balili back in Belegost, and Ovila was attempting to sleep. Caldin and Balili weren't having any of it, though, and leapt on their aunt's bed to wake her up. She groaned and Balili kindly wrenched on Ovila's hair, nearly tearing some of it out. With a grumble and a scowl, Ovila sat up and threw the covers back. The children laughed happily as she dressed in her warmest clothes and sent them to get their own, coats, gloves, scarves, and hats. A quick glance out of the window told her that the little monsters wanted to go out in the snow and she would not be responsible for them catching colds.
Half an hour later, Ovila was leading her niece and nephew out into the thick flurries of snow and Balili immediately squealed and demanded to be picked up. The snow came up past the child's knees and Ovila had to laugh as she swung the little girl up onto her shoulders. Caldin just ran through the snow with delighted whoops and dropped down to make snow angels. Ovila let him for a moment, but soon hauled him up and urged him towards her own destination. If she had to be up this early on her day off, then someone else could too and she smirked slightly.
The door to the house in question was just being opened when the trio arrived and Thorin looked at the snow covered group for a long moment. "His room's the second on the left," Thorin stated simply and left the door open as he made his way to the forge. "Fili's is opposite."
"Thank you Mister Thorin!" the trio chimed simultaneously and Balili wriggled to the ground to help scoop up snow with her brother and aunt.
With as little noise as possible, the three crept up the stairs to Kili's room and Ovila pressed a finger to her lips when Balili giggled. Honestly, that child had none of her mother's tact or her aunt's sneaking skills and Ovila shook her head slightly at the thought. She nudged open Kili's door and paused at the sight of him. He was curled up in a ball on his bed, snoring loud enough to wake up a rock, and had the blankets drawn tight about him. Poor little lamb was cold and she had a moment of hesitation, before she remembered how he'd shoved her into a freezing lake just two weeks ago.
The snow was dropped and a very unmanly shriek followed, especially when Balili scrambled onto the bed and shoved the snow right into Kili's face. "Morning, honey," Ovila smiled sweetly, throwing a spare snowball from hand to hand, and Kili's eyes narrowed on her.
"Don't you dare," he warned.
The snowball slammed into his chest and Ovila snatched Balili, grabbed Caldin's hand, and bolted. Fili blinked sleepily at them from his doorway, then caught sight of his snow covered brother and started laughing so hard he doubled over. Kili shot out of his snow drenched bed, shuddering from the cold, and bellowed out promises of revenge against his darling courting partner. He shook the snow from his hair, threw off his freezing sleeping clothes, and hastily dressed in his warmest things. Yells at his brother urged Fili to do the same and Dis stopped them on their way out to shove hats onto their heads, much to their annoyance. She tied scarves around their necks and forced gloves onto their hands.
Finally, Kili and Fili were allowed outside and Fili yelled when a snowball smacked into the side of his face. Caldin's mischievous giggle followed and Ovila's loud, clear, cheery laugh sounded with Balili's bell like giggles. They were stood a little down the street behind a snow covered wagon. Balili was on Ovila's hip and Caldin was peeking out around the side of the wagon. Ovila just stuck her tongue out childishly and took another snowball from Caldin and threw it with deadly precision. It hit Kili right in the face and the brothers looked at each other.
Battle cries echoed through the streets as snow was gathered up and flung back and forth. Balili spent most of her time on Ovila's shoulders, clinging to her aunt's hair, and Caldin was quick on his little feet. His aim could use some work, since his snowballs seemed to keep glancing their targets, but Ovila would soon put him right and she yelled out instructions. They were all grinning like idiots, though, and laughter punctured the war cries so they weren't threatening in the slightest.
"Wait! Wait!" Fili cried breathlessly and Caldin and Ovila stopped with snowballs about to fly. "Let's get Ori," Fili suggested with that wicked grin that his brother and Ovila loved so much and the snowballs were dropped.
"Let's get Ori," Ovila agreed and shook the snow from her hair. Balili squealed happily as she was swung down to Ovila's hip and Ovila frowned slightly at the red nose and cheeks of the small child. "We might be able to get something warm to drink from Dori," stated Ovila and Balili grinned happily. "Are you cold, Lili?"
"I'm cold," Kili whined and slunk closer to Ovila. "Can you carry me?" he pouted, tugging on her hair, and Balili abruptly whacked him on the nose with her little fist. "Hey!"
"Mister Fili will carry you," Balili said firmly and possessively grabbed the laughing Ovila's scarf. "My Auntie Ovila," Balili stated and Kili rubbed his nose with a scowl.
"I pity any boy that courts you," Kili muttered and Balili stuck her tongue out at him.
"Boys are stinky," Balili retorted and wrinkled her little nose. "No kissing, it's yucky."
"Kissing isn't yucky," Fili said slyly. "Just ask your Auntie Ovila and Uncle Kili."
"They don't kiss," Balili argued and Ovila's cheeks and Kili's ears turned red.
"They do," Caldin put in helpfully and all eyes swung to him. "I saw them yesterday outside the house when Nana told me to get Aunt Ovila for dinner."
"Yucky! No kissing! Kissing's bad!" Balili scolded and smacked Ovila and Kili on their heads. "No more kissing!" the child shouted and the two in question just looked extremely embarrassed. "Or I'll tell Nana," Balili added threateningly and both looked terrified. "And I'll tell Miss Dis."
"Tell Miss Dis what?" a cool voice asked and everyone swung round to find Thorin walking through the snow with Balin and Dwalin.
"That Auntie Ovila and Uncle Kili have been kissing," Caldin answered with that evil little grin that Ovila vowed to wipe off of his face the second she had a chance and Balili made a disgusted sound. "Papa says they're allowed to kiss, because they're courting."
"That's true," Thorin agreed and Balili shook her head.
"No," she denied and everyone looked at the child with amusement. "Kissing's yucky," she said stubbornly and folded her little arms over her chest.
"I guess that means you don't want kisses," Fili sighed and Balili barely had time to squeal before Fili swept her into his arms and smacked a loud kiss against her round, chubby cheek.
"NO! Bad Mister Fili! No kissing!" Balili cried, giggling, and she swatted at Fili's face uselessly. "You're a bad Mister Fili," she said firmly and poked him in his long nose. "Because you kissed me, we have to get married now," she decided and Kili and Ovila clung to each other as they laughed helplessly.
Thorin's eyebrows rose slightly and Balin and Dwalin exchanged broad grins. "You two haven't even courted," Thorin pointed out and Balili sighed, as though Thorin were slow.
"Mister Fili's the one that kissed me and Papa said that the only boy to kiss me will be the one I marry, so Mister Fili has to marry me now," the three-year-old babbled with a screwed up, serious face and Thorin's lips twitched at the corners.
"We can get Mister Ori to do the ceremony! He knows loads of stuff!" Caldin grinned and Ovila and Kili spluttered with delighted laughter at Fili's horrified expression.
"You did kiss her, Fili," Balin said when the Dwarf in question looked to the adults for help and Fili's mouth fell open slightly. "You'll just have to marry her now," Balin sighed and Thorin nodded his agreement.
"Let's go, Mister Fili," Balili declared imperiously and yanked on Fili's braids. "We have to get to Mister Ori's house so he can do the thing."
"Yes, Fili, you must join the family as my nephew," Ovila taunted and Fili sighed.
"Let's just get this over with," he relented and glanced at his clearly amused uncle, though the smile was hidden well in Thorin's beard. "Won't you join us, Uncle?" he asked airily. "Your heir is getting married after all."
"Mister Thorin has work to do!" Balili scolded and whacked Fili across the head. "He's stupid," she added to Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin. "Stupider than Uncle Kili."
"When did I get dragged into this?" Kili asked the giggling Ovila and she shrugged helplessly. "She's like a miniature Thondi," Kili observed with amusement as Balili barked out orders at Fili and Fili was forced to say his goodbyes to the elder Dwarves and make his way to Dori's and Ori's home.
"We should follow them," Ovila said and quickly bowed at her superiors. "I'll keep him as safe as possible," she promised and grabbed Caldin's hand to pull him after Fili and Balili.
"You'll have a new niece soon, Uncle," Kili grinned and jogged after Ovila and Caldin.
The trip took longer than it should when Caldin begged to get a warm cake from the bakery and Ovila ended up having to pay for everyone to have one. She was just grateful she'd thought to tuck her purse into the pocket of her cloak and they were all soon munching on warm cakes that'd just come out of the oven. Balili was still being carried by Fili and Caldin was trotting along at his side and giving a lecture on how to look after Balili. Ovila and Kili followed behind with their gloved hands linked together and their other hands occupied with stuffing cake into their mouths. Simple minded creatures, Fili thought fondly with a glance back at his brother and Ovila and Balili was chattering cheerily about their impending nuptials.
Caldin was the one to knock on the door of the house Dori, Ori, and occasionally Nori lived in and a grumbling Dori opened it. He stared in surprise at the snow covered group on his doorstep, especially when Balili chirped that she and Fili were getting married and Fili merely smiled, though it did look rather like a grimace. With the wise decision to not ask questions, Dori stepped aside and allowed them all to go and find Ori, who was sat by the fire with a book and a cup of hot tea.
"Fili, Kili, Ovila, Caldin, Balili," Ori greeted with a small smile and Caldin and Balili immediately started crowing about the wedding that was to happen. "Wedding?" Ori interrupted gently. "Whose wedding? Ovila's and Kili's?"
"No! Mine and Fili's!" Balili cried. "He kissed me, so he has to marry me."
"On the cheek," Ovila promised at Ori's expression and Fili looked insulted. "They want you to perform the ceremony," Ovila added and Ori smiled a little.
"Will you, Mister Ori?" Caldin smiled hopefully and Ori felt rather cornered.
Ten minutes later, the group of six were stood in the snow with a few onlookers as Fili and Balili recited fake vows and were 'wed'. Balili did kick Fili when he kissed her forehead and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from teaching the children many words they shouldn't know. Ovila and Kili just grinned innocently at him and waved cheerfully. Ori was obviously trying very hard not to laugh and Caldin was giving another talk on taking care of Balili.
"Hey, Kili."
"Yeah?"
"You know the snow was revenge for pushing me into that lake, right?"
"Yeah."
"So, you also know that I still haven't had my revenge for the time you told Bombur that I was carrying your child?"
"That was a joke."
"Exactly, just like when I told him that you were actually part Hobbit and that was why you couldn't grow a beard."
"You what?! You can't grow a beard either!"
Ovila just grinned all over her beardless face, kissed him, and bounced over to lug her niece and nephew home. Balili was half asleep after her wedding and Caldin was eager to inform his parents, grandparents, and Uncle Calim of their excitement. The laughter from their aunt bounced through the streets and she flashed Fili, Kili, and Ori a grin over her shoulder, before she turned a corner and disappeared into the snow.
This chapter was inspired by the snow that's drowned my house and, also, please don't kill me for the slightly misleading chapter title. There was a sort-of wedding after all!
Thanks, as always to those that reviewed, alerted, and favourited!