AN: So this is the end. I just want to thank you all for reading my little creation, and wish you all Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas or Happy Whatever Day!
Disclaimer: If I owned it I'd be a very old, dead man at this point.
Ori was the first of the company to awaken, but had quietly made his way to the library. Fili and Kili were the next up, and they chose to investigate the high-pitched laughter coming from the dinning room.
Popping their heads around the corner, the two dwarf brothers spied on the three hobbit cousins. As each group eyed the other Bilbo came in with several plates and began to serve up dessert.
"Come in boys, I would like to introduce you to my young cousins: Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took and Frodo Baggjns. Boys, please say hello to Fili and Kili; your new cousins." As greetings were made on all sides, Bilbo waved his new nephews to a couple of seats.
"I'll get plates for you as well, just don't let these ones scare you too badly." Not going to pass up the chance for dessert, the brothers quickly settled in chairs across from the cousins. As Bilbo headed back to the kitchen for more plates Kili spoke up.
"So what are you doing here? Uncle Bilbo didn't mention expecting more visitors." Eyeing up their new 'cousins' the young hobbits gave innocent smile, causing the brothers to tense- trouble makers knew trouble makers, where ever they went.
"Uncle Bilbo has always had a standing invitation for us at his table." Frodo replied, then Pippin spoke up.
"It makes things convenient for when we get kicked out for being too 'underfoot' as my Ma says."
"So all your parents kicked you out at once?" Fili asked, Merry chose to answer this time.
"Nah. Pippin was staying with me for mid-winter, we got out as soon as the smoke cleared- and it wasn't our fault! We grabbed Frodo on our way over, and know we have dwarven cousins. This is an odd winter this year." Bilbo came back at this point and finished dishing up dessert for his table full of young ones.
"It is an odd one Merry, but I wouldn't change a thing if I could." As the Durin brothers puffed up at the knowledge that their new uncle did indeed enjoy his Dwarf full smial, they also dug into the overflowing plates set before them. They wouldn't admit it of course, but they were secretly awed by the amount that he hobbit boys manged to woof down.
As the now empty plates were taken away, Pippin leaned across the table in a conspiratorial manner.
"Would you two like to have some fun?" As the brothers eyed the cousins, Bilbo rushed back in.
"No! You three will not drag my nephews into one of your little plans! Do you here me?" At the nods of all those around he table he returned to his kitchen. As soon as they were sure he was gone, Fili whispered:
"What did you have in mind?"
HOBBITHOBBITHOBBITHOBBIT
Fili carefully stalked his prey, he just knew that they had come this way. As he rounded a snow drift he took a hit to his chest! And on to the head, he was going down!
"Kili!" He cried, but it was too late. His assailants had already made their escape.
Kili lifted his brother from the snow- They were getting slaughtered out here!- and assessed the damage. Fili was covered in snow, it was sticking to his beard and hair, and it was clumped up from were he had been pelted.
These Hobbits were sneaky, they had led the brothers to believe they knew nothing of snowball fighting; and then proceeded to take the Dwarves down at every chance without a single hit to them!
It was infuriating. And rather fun. It was nice to finally have cousins to play with.
Just then Bilbo could be heard at the newly dug out door.
"Boys! Time to eat!" Had they really been out there that long? Looking at each other they had the perfect idea.
As the young hobbits cautiously made their way to the bright green door- they had yet to see the Dwarf brothers come out of hiding- they kept their eyes open for any movement around them.
Coming to the doorway without incident, the cousins relaxed. Hearing a noise from above them, they looked up at the smiling faces of the Durin brothers; and had half the snow on the roof dumped on their heads!
With wide smiles and lots of giggles, the group of cold and wet trouble makers dug out the door again and went inside. Once dry, and changed into warm clothes, the boys made their way to the already full dinning room.
As they made to take the empty seats, they were stopped by a stern looking Bilbo.
"Didn't I say no wild plans?" As the group of five slowly nodded Bilbo turned so only they and the rest of the company could see his face, and the Wizard could only see his back.
"I think you boys owe Mister Gandalf a heartfelt apology." As the boys tried not to smirk at the look of glee Bilbo was hiding from the istari, they went over and made the best possible apology they could to the glaring Wizard.
"We're sorry, Mister Gandalf." Kili started.
"It was only in fun, Mister Gandalf." Pippin chipped in.
"It will wash right out, Mister Gandalf." Fili finished. Then they all bowed low to the pink-haired and pink-bearded old Man. With one final glare at the boys the old Man settled down with all dignity at the table.
Once the Wizard's back was to them Bilbo clapped them lightly on the shoulders and gave a silent promise of a second dessert later on. Pushing them to their seats, Bilbo dished them up some of the rich soup he had made from some of the leftovers- he really didn't want to make his dwarves sick by feeding them too much after the large meal earlier.
"Now boys, I've had to put you all in one room as I'm short of space at the moment. I do hope you're still alright sharing." As the hobbit youths nodded Kili spoke up excitedly.
"You mean you're staying the night?" Oh! the things they could get done in a night!
"We normally do when we get kicked out for being rambunctious." Pippin answered with a matching twinkle in his eye, the cousins had found true kindred spirits in the form of these Dwarven brothers. They were proud to call them cousins!
A sudden exclamation from Ori drew attention away from what the- now large- group of trouble makers and their plans.
"I've found it! I've found it!" As Nori tried to calm his little brother, Bilbo rushed to see what Ori had found.
The scribe had been reading an old Elvish book, it was a recent addition to the collection and Bilbo hadn't yet gone through it himself. The page it was open to had an ingredient list and mixing instructions for a potion of some kind. The next page held a description of what the potion did. With a gasp that silenced the whole dinning room, Bilbo realized just what Ori had found.
"Ori really did find it." He whispered. As a warm arm wrapped around his shoulders and the small man looked up into the face of his husband.
Thorin was staring at the page of flowing Elvish script, he had never bothered to learn to read the language, and asked Bilbo what it said.
"It's a recipe for a powerful sleep potion. If ingested, rubbed into the skin or inhaled; it will cause instant paralysis to any creäture. It says that it was used extensively during the wars with the Ice Giants, before Middle Earth was fully settled. It is very powerful."
"Powerful enough to stop a Dragon?" Thorin was excited now, if he could take out Smaug without endangering any of his men... it would be a dream come true.
"Yes. Dragons were allies to the Giants after all. We would need to get Smaug to inhale the fumes from the potion, but we shouldn't have a problem with that."
"We? Are you coming with us then?" Asked Thorin, his mind was still reeling from this most recent miracle to befall his quest since stepping into this smial. Maybe his people should start celebrating mid-winter now.
"Of course I'm coming with you. I can't let my family go off on an adventure without me, now can I?" As he was pulled into a tight hug a cheer went up around the room. Pippin made himself heard above the noise.
"What's so important about putting a Dragon to sleep?" Every Dwarf made to answer the tween, and Thorin brought Bilbo into a kiss.
This was the best Mid-Winter ever!