Chapter Text
The bright sunny morning our story starts upon, Bilbo Baggins awoke in his plush, comfy bed in a startlingly good mood. He smiled through his morning wash and selecting his morning clothes, he hummed while preparing his bread, jam and cold meats for first breakfast and while he washed up. He was even still in a good mood as he went outside to smoke his pipe and let his breakfast settle. Being invited on an adventure rather broke him out of it though, not least because Gandalf, having been invited to tea, reminded him of another invitation.
Peony Bolger-Took and her five daughters, Stephanotis, Orchid, Myrtle, Forsythia and Gloxinia had managed to inveigle an invitation to dinner, hoping to ensnare one of Hobbiton's most eligible bachelors, and in self defence Bilbo had invited several cousins who were either eligible, handsome or both. And so Bardolph, Jasco, Rambard, Benji and Timallan would also be joining him for the evening.
If Bilbo was going to feed twelve hungry hobbits, many of which would be taking advantage of someone else footing the bill, he would have to go to market, for his stores were not going to suffice.
Twelve hours later, Bilbo was actually thinking wistfully of adventure, for surely it had to be less stressful than this! His cousins had shown up early, one by one, each carrying a side dish or dessert, which would have been more welcome if they hadn't also brought a friend carrying alcohol. The ladies had shown up carrying bread and salad and also accompanied, this time by cousins. By the time he'd welcomed everyone and served aperitifs, a further fifteen uninvited guests had shown up with the words "Hullo Bilbo! I heard you were throwing a party!" on their tongues. If he had actually been the one to answer the door when the Dwarrow turned up, he would hardly have been suprised to hear that word had spread to the Blue Mountains. As it was, Bardolph got the honour.
By the time Dwalin approached Bag End it was dark, and the hobbit he asked for directions to Bag End had told him to tell "Master Bilbo" that he'd be along in about half an hour. When he knocked at the door, it was flung open by a hobbit who looked far too young to be joining the Company.
"Hullo, I didn't know Cousin Bilbo knew any dwarves, well you might as well come in. We run out of cloakroom an hour ago so just drop your stuff in the guest bed, third on the right. Drink is in the kitchen, food in the dining room, games in the library and dancing in the back hall. I think Cousin Bilbo is in the parlour, or possibly the drawing room, or even the study. Oh hey, Astoria, wait up! Please excuse me." And the hobbit darted off with an apologetic flutter of hands.
"Really, Bardy, what do you want..." The conversation trailed off into the general raucous atmosphere of the party, and Dwalin stood in the hallway, bemused. Was Gandalf offering them a choice of burglar? Was this some kind of test? He shrugged and moved to deposit his pack in the indicated guest room. Gandalf had promised food, and food seemed to be available. Best to leave the complex thinking to his brother and Thorin.