" You want to court me?" Poppy asked with her eyes wide open.

Fili simply nodded. He didn't know what to say. His whole world seemed to be falling apart. He felt tears welling up in his eyes and quickly lowered his head to hide them. Poppy didn't want him. No one wanted him or cared about him. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't stay in Hobbiton, where he would see Poppy every day. He also couldn't live among dwarves. They might recognise him and tell Thorin. He could try to live in Bree or he could simple end his life.

#

Poppy needed a few seconds to realise that this wasn't a joke, but that Fili seriously wanted to court her, though she didn't really know what that would mean. She was happy.

Soon her smile turned into a frown. He didn't even look at her. He looked sad and disappointed. Poppy realised that she hadn't answered his question. He had to think that she didn't want him.

The hobbit girl crawled over to Fili and wrapped her small arms tight around his neck. Fili was that deep in his dark thoughts that he hadn't paid attention to Poppy movements anymore. The young dwarf startled and turned his head towards her. In that moment Poppy wanted to put a kiss on his cheek but kissed him on the lips instead.

They blushed and looked at each other. Poppy started to smile again and caressed his cheek. "Fili, of course I want you to court me! What did you think?"

"I thought, that you wouldn't want me. You... You didn't answer." Fili answered, still not completely sure if she really wanted him.

"Oh, Fili! I have liked you so much since the moment I first saw you. But I never would have thought that you might be attracted by me. I, I mean, I'm completely different from what you told me about female dwarves." Poppy explained, still caressing his face.

"That's why I like you so much! Because you are different! Are you really sure that you want that?" Fili asked. He had to hear it again to make sure that he had understood her correctly.

"Yes, Fili, yes, I want you to court me!" Poppy had a huge smile on her face and tears of happiness twinkled in her eyes.

Fili wrapped his arms around her waist. He never wanted to let her go again. Poppy cuddled close against him and placed her head on his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head and whispered into her hair "You just made me the happiest dwarf, or most likely even the happiest living being in all of Middle Earth."

After a few momenents Fili let her go. He still held the now again closed box with the necklace in his hand. "I made this for you! I hope you like it." Fili said nervously.

Poppy took the box and opened it. Her jaw dropped. The wooden box held a delicate silver necklace with a small flower pendant. It was about the size of the fingernail of her thumb. The petals were made of small round bright red rubies and in the middle was a small dark sapphire in the shape of a heart. Poppy took it in her hands and realised that it looked like the flowers she was named after.

Tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks once again. No one had ever give her with such a beautiful thing before.

She wiped her tears away and smiled at Fili. "Oh Fili, this is such a beautiful gift. I promise that I'll wear it every day."

Poppy took the necklace out of its box to put it around her neck. It was perfect. She didn't like opulent jewellery. "Did you make this?"

"Yes, I made it with some of the things Bilbo and I brought from Erebor. The necklace is mithril, a very precious and rare metal. It's as light as a feather but as strong as a dragon's hide. And the pendant... Well, I can't find real flowers anymore. So I wanted to give you a flower you can carry around all the time." Fili explained.

"So you made a poppy pendant for me? That's wonderful. None has ever given so much thoughts to a gift for me." Poppy said.

"Yes, I'm glad that you recognised, which flower it's meant to be. I know that the dot in the middle is normally black. But I couldn't find any black gems and the dark blue is the colour of the" Fili bit his tongue, he had nearly said 'the house of Durin'. He didn't want to reveal his origin, not yet, maybe he would tell her later.

Poppy looked at him with a questioning look on her face."Of the what?"

Fili thought about what to say and quickly added "Umm, of the river where we spent so much time together."

"That's such a wonderful idea, Fili. Would you put it around my neck? I don't want to break it." Poppy said with a smile.

Fili nodded and sat down behind her. Poppy held up her curls and Fili closed the necklace. He thought that this was the perfect moment to ask her about the braid. He played with her curls and wondered how to ask.

Poppy turned around. "Fili, what's wrong?"

"Umm, I don't know how to explain it properly. Braids play an important role in our culture and they have many meanings." Fili swallowed "When two dwarves are courting, they put special braids in each other's hair, so that the others can see that they belong together. Umm, well, I was wordering, if you would allow me to braid your hair?"

Poppy nodded. "That's a nice idea, Fili. I want to wear your braid."

Fili grinned and started to braid a streak of hair on the left side of her face. He needed a while because he wasn't used to braid such curly hair but in the end he was satisfied. He took the bead out of his pocket and finished the braid.

Poppy looked at the bead and then at Fili's. "It looks like yours."

Fili smiled "Yes, it does. It is actually one of mine. Now everyone can see how much you mean to me and that we are courting."

"Thank you, Fili!" Poppy looked at the young dwarf lovingly and places another kiss on his cheek.

#

Bilbo was standing in the door and watched the two. He was glad, that they had fallen in love. After so much pain and sadness in ther past, they deserved happiness. He wasn't sure if all hobbits would accept them as a couple. But Bilbo would try everything he could to help them.