After Happily Ever After

Chapter 1- In the Beginning

"Miss Petunia Celandine Brandybuck-Took!" Mrs Underhill screamed "Get back here this instant!"

Petunia sighed. She had just wanted to have a few minutes peace before her lessons started again.

"Just coming Mrs Underhill" Petunia called, she climbed down from her perch in her tree picked up her book and ran as quickly as her bare feet would carry her, back to the little hobbit hole that she lived in with her mother and father, just outside Hobbiton.

When Petunia arrived breathless at the small bedroom they used as a classroom (hobbit holes aren't built with classrooms), she found another hobbit girl sitting at her desk! "Sorry I'm late Mrs Underhill, it won't happen again," She panted.

"See that it doesn't" Mrs Underhill huffed "Now Petunia, this is my daughter Elanor. She is to be taking lessons with you from today. We only have one desk, so either you share or we move to the dinning room," and without giving them much choice, she picked up the books that were lying on the table and swept passed the girls and out of the room.

Petunia stared at the girl. She looked nothing like her mother. 'But' Petunia thought 'she is probably just as bossy and presumptuous.'

"Hello," Elanor said shyly "I suppose you think I'm just as horrible as my mother," she sighed. "Don't worry about it, most people do."

As soon as Elanor said those words Petunia instantly regretted her silence, but the prospect was almost too funny to imagine. This gentle hobbit-girl, daughter of the loud and bossy Mrs Rose Underhill! Petunia burst out into uncontrollable laughter! Elanor jumped. She certainly wasn't expecting this reaction! She started to blush. She hoped Petunia wasn't laughing at her because she hated her mother and so she was going to hate her.

When Petunia's laughing fit subsided, she took a big breath and said "Sorry about that. I just couldn't imagine you being Mrs Underhill's daughter! You! A pretty young hobbit girl, who is about what? Eighteen? And has a mother as tough as that!"

Elanor gave a delighted little giggle. "I know! It is true! My mother frightens me sometimes, but she has her good points. She's tough, and fair. And she's good enough to our donkey."

"You have a donkey! Oh you're so lucky! My uncle rode a proper pony you know! He fought in the War of the Ring! And you know the country of Rohan? Of course you do, your mama would have told you about it. Well, my Uncle Pippin is a knight in that country!"

Elanor gasped in disbelief. "Your uncle is Ernil-I-Pheriannath!"

"Yes and Meriadoc Brandybuck, my other uncle, is a knight in Gondor. He's a friend of King Aragorns you know. You may know my Uncle Merry as 'Holdwine' or 'Meriadoc the Magnificent'." Petunia said proudly. "Anyway we had better get to the dinning room, I'll show you the way"

When the two girls arrived at the new classroom, they were already fast friends.

"Finally. It shouldn't take that long to get from the old classroom to here!" Mrs Underhill said "Petunia, will you pick up that small table and bring it up here."

Petunia did as she was told and took the table to Mrs Underhill.

"Where shall I put it Mrs Underhill?"

"Just there. Thank You. Elanor, hold these," and she dumped a pile of thick, heavy books in her hand. Elanor gave a small gasp as she felt the weight of the books. Mrs Underhill went on giving books to Elanor, until eventually she collapsed under the weight of them.

"Oh! My dear Elanor! Are you alright?" Mrs Underhill ran to her daughter.

"I'm so sorry! You should have told me when it got to heavy!" Petunia smiled. She could see Mrs Underhill definitely loved her daughter.

As Mrs Underhill fussed over her daughter Petunia sat down at her desk and started reading one of her history books.

Meriadoc Brandybuck (more often known as Holdwine or Meriadoc the magnificent), son of Saradoc Brandybuck accompanied Frodo on the quest to Mount Doom. He was captured by Orcs along with his friend Peregrin Took, son of Paladin the Second (his elven name is Ernil-I-Pheriannath), and was separated from the rest of The Fellowship of the Ring. Luckily he and Peregrin Took escape. They became the first mortals to see the Ents of Fangorn Forest in centuries. Both of them were present at the Siege of Isengard and, after being made a knight of Rohan, rode with the Rohirrim to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, while Peregrin Took was made a knight of Gondor. Both fought valiantly in the battle and are renowned warriors because of it.

"Oh silly me!" Petunia cried, "I'm always doing that," she laughed at herself.

"Doing what?" Elanor asked

"Getting my uncles mixed up."

Elanor laughed "Oh Petunia, you are a breeze!"

"What do you mean getting your uncles mixed up?" Mrs Underhill asked looking bewildered at the two hobbit girls. Elanor attempted to explain but then burst out in to fits of laughter so Petunia took over.

"I told Elanor that Uncle Pippin was a knight of Rohan when he is actually a knight in Gondor and I also told her that Uncle Merry was a knight in Gondor and I just found out know that he is actually a knight in Rohan!"

"Oh you silly girl, have you not known your uncles and their tales long enough to know what country they are knights in?" Petunia blushed; she really needed to think before she spoke!

Thank you to WendWriter for all her paticent help! Thanks!

Pronounciation:

Ernil-I-Pheriannath- Er-neel-ee-fer-ee-an-nath