Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings and all related subjects/places/persons belong to the Professor.  Roopie, on the other hand, was (I believe) created by the esteemable Baylor, and I use it briefly with the hope that she will not mind.  Thank you.

The Fellowship of the Greenholms

Chapter Three: Sweethearts

Midsummer was the most festive time of year on the Westmarch, even more so than Yuletide.  So it was no surprise that it was even before first Lithe that visitors began arriving for the Midsummer Festival.  Some families came from as far east as Frogmorton and Buckland (although the Bucklanders were relatives of Pippin Brandybuck's parents and came every year).

"Posie, dear, it is good to see you." Elanor embraced her childhood friend.  "I am so glad you decided to visit."

"Yes indeed." Posie Baggins smiled and looked over Elanor's shoulder.  "Oh, Ellie, just look at all of them!"  All the children of both families were out on the lawn in little groups.

"They're quite a handful, aren't they?" Elanor smiled.

"I'm lucky to only have four, I think." Bingo commented to Fastred as he puffed on his pipe.

"I expect every day to find our hole has been burnt to a crisp or worse." Fastred laughed.  "But I wouldn't change any of them for the world."

"Pip Brandybuck has a bigger one." Sadie insisted, poking the toad in Paddie's hand.

"Pip Brandybuck would be afraid to come near a toad." Paddie scoffed.

"Can I see?" Togo bounced around the Walkers.  "Let me see!"

"Oh, Lavvy, what a nice dress.  Is it new?" Esmie admired the lace-covered garment.

"Mama finished it just yesterday." Lavender beamed proudly.

"I don't think it's all that pretty." Ruby sniffed disdainfully.

"Nya!" Vinca crossed her eyes.

"Nya!" Willen crossed his eyes.

"It's been a while." Lily smiled at Elfstan.

"Only a few weeks, Lily-lass!" Elfstan laughed.

"Well, still." Lily blushed, and Elfstan pulled one of her curls.

It was a loud holiday at the Warren, with the four Baggins children staying there.  Pip Brandybuck and Sandy Boffin were in and out more than usual, and Elanor had her hands more than full.  Midsummer came with a cloudless sky, and all the children of the Westmarch were determined to make the most of it, the Greenholms and Bagginses included.

"Where are you five sneaking off to?" Elfstan asked as the Walkers and Togo tried to slip unnoticed out the back door shortly after second breakfast.

"Well you see," Sadie explained, "The Boffins have had a specially good crop of mushrooms."

"Oh, really?" Elfstan grinned and put down the wooden cat he had been carving for Vinca.  "And I suppose they're going to share those mushrooms with you, eh?" Frodo nodded solemnly.  "Oh!" Elfstan continued.  "In that case, you won't mind if Lily and I tag along, will you?"  Togo looked doubtful, but Sadie's face lit up.

"Oh, would you come?" she pleaded with her eldest brother.  "Please?  It would be such fun!"

"Of course." Elfstan laughed and ruffled Sadie's hair.  "Go get Lily, then." he told her, and she disappeared down the hallway, heading for the room she was sharing with the older girl.  Only moments later, Sadie came running back, a rather confused-looking Lily in tow.

"Alright, let's go!" Paddie pushed Sam and Togo towards the door, and Sadie grabbed a large basket and Frodo's hand.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked Elfstan quietly as the walked behind the younger children.

"Mushroom hunting." Elfstan answered mischieviously, and Lily laughed.  The group walked slowly towards the Boffin's farm, enjoying the grass and the sunshine, and stopping every time Frodo or Togo saw an interesting bug or flower.  As the walked, Lily and Elfstan talked, laughed, and eventually fell into a comfortable silence as they held hands.

"I found some!" Sam exclaimed shortly after they crossed into the Boffins' fields.

"Hey, someone's here." a voice carried from the other side of a little hill.  Sadie gasped.

"Oh, no, we're caught!" she whispered.  The lads and lasses looked at each other, unsure of what to do, but before they could decide, two heads poked over the top of the hill.  Everyone sighed with relief.

"Esmie, what're you doing here?" Paddie asked, an irratable scowl on his face.

"Looking for mushrooms with Sandy." she said simply, pointing at the youngest of the Boffins, who grinned at them.  The two almost-teens came down from the hill.

"Have you found any yet?" Lily asked, surpressing a giggle.  Esmie held out the basket she was carrying, filled to the brim with mushrooms.  Sam and Frodo looked at it and immediately made themselves busy filling up their basket - although more disappeared into Frodo's mouth than he actually put in the basket.

"Oh, we can have quite a feast!" Paddie said eagerly, forgetting his annoyance at his little sister.

"Esmie, do you and Sandy want to come roast the mushrooms with us by the pond?" Sadie asked kindly.  She was - however else she might act - rather fond of her sister, and thought it was a perfect chance to spend time together without the danger of Sadie being "dressed up".

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Sandy hopped from foot to foot impatiently.  "Can we go now?  It would make a good lunch, and we've missed elevensies."

"C'mon, I'll race you, Togo!" Frodo took off running, Togo close behind and the other young ones following slower.  Esmie hung back for a moment.

"Elfstan, Lily, are you coming?" she asked.

"No, lass, you go on." Elfstan smiled at Esmie.  "We'll see you at the festival this evening." Esmie smiled and ran off, and Elfstan turned to his petite friend.  "So, Lily-lass," he said, "Can you still climb trees?"

"Of course." Lily said with a mischievious grin.  "And I'll wager I can still climb faster and higher than you."

~*~

The Westmarch Midsummer festival began around tea-time in one of the unused fields on the Brandybuck farm.  Pip took great pride in the fact that the festival was being held at his home, but most of the children and teens ignored him when he mentioned it.  There was a good amount of food and ale, and music, dancing, and games of all sorts.  Some of the tween and older teen lads decided to get a game of Roopie going, and made Elfstan one of the team captains, as he was one of the best Roopie players in the area.  After a very good game, his team reigned victorious - largely on account of his "secret weapons" Paddie and Sadie, who were both quite passable players for their ages.

Elanor found herself in high demand among the younger children after she was overheard comparing the festival to Bilbo Baggins' 111th birthday party.  The story of that party (as told to her by her father) was retold at least four times, by which time the children were longing for such excitement as Gandalf's fireworks.  They didn't get quite what they wished for, but as the sun was beginning to set (around dinner-time) a cart was spotted in the distance.  Before long, the Greenholm children were racing excitedly down the road towards their aunt and uncles.  Elanor's 'little' brothers Merry and Pippin, along with her sister Goldilocks and Goldie's husband Faramir Took, laughingly helped their neices and nephews into the cart to ride back to the festival.  The cart turned out - when they had brought it to a stop - to be full of fireworks.  Not, it must be admitted, fine fireworks such as Gandalf's, but many squibs, crackers, orc chasers, and elf fountains (among other kinds) imported from Chetwood by the Thain.

It was amidst all the laughter and commotion that Elfstan and Lily slipped away, hiding behind the barn to be alone.  They talked for awhile in the growing darkness, the muffled sounds of the festival echoing across the hills.  They fell silent finally, Lily resting in Elfstan's arms.

Vinca, Willen, and Togo found them like that.  Giggling secretively and being careful not to let the tweens notice them, they ran off and brought Sadie, Paddie, and Frodo back.  Sadie promptly fetched Sam and Esmie, which attracted the attention of Lavvy and Ruby, who followed them.  Upon seeing Elfstan and Lily - still unaware of their audience - Ruby took off to find Tom, and they ran into Goldie on their way back.  Goldie tried to get Faramir, Merry, and Pippin without attracting her sister's attention, but Elanor saw her siblings sneaking off and immediately followed, with Reedy in her arms and Posie close behind.  Fastred and Bingo noticed their wives' departure and snuck after them like a pair of tweenagers.

So it was that Elfstan Greenholm and Lily Baggins had quite an audience when they shared their first kiss.