A wizard's most arduous adventure: Babysitting (oneshot)

Oneshot

A wizard's most arduous adventure: Babysitting

"Gandalf, thank you so much!" Belladonna said as she gave her wizard-friend a quick hug while standing in the doorway of Bag End. "You don't know how grateful I am."

"Think nothing of it Bella. When will you and Bungo be back?" Gandalf asked as he held little Bilbo in his arms.

"Probably by tonight," Bella answered. "The Thain has called every able-bodied Hobbit to the Great Smails. I think it has to do with the envoy from Ered Luin."

"The Dwarves of Ered Luin have been facing some hard times lately." Gandalf nodded while young Bilbo tugged his beard.

"I just worry, you know." Bella said as she looked at her son fondly. "You've babysat Bilbo a few times....... But the others...."

"Bella, do not worry yourselves." Gandalf ushered them further out. "Go to your meeting. As you've said I have babysat before. The others will be no problem."

Bella gave Gandalf a look of skepticism but then nodded before she and her husband departed. The wizard went back inside and shut the door. He put Bilbo down and glanced around the large smail. "You wouldn't happen to know where the other little ones are, would you?"

"Hiding," Young Bilbo uttered as he stood awkwardly next to Gandalf and looked up.

"Do I have to find them? Gandalf asked with confusion.

"Of course," the young fauntling said while nodding his head. "It's hide and seek!" Bilbo uttered matter-of-factly as he too ran further into the house before Gandalf could really think on it further. The old wizard pursed his lips as he was left alone in the entryway. Gandalf then ambled further into the corridors of the smail thinking 'A game of hide and seek surely wouldn't be so bad.' Oh, how wrong he was.

He found Bilbo quite easily, the young Hobbit had hidden himself in between the piles of books in his mother's study. Finding the others had been a challenge. He'd found young Drogo under a bed in one of the guestrooms and little Primula had been hiding in the linen closet. Young Otho he found hiding under the sink in the kitchen and Falco had been under a wooden box in the pantry but it seemed he was one short.

"Where is Lobelia?" Gandalf asked with a frown. He was sure he had combed the house. He'd even checked the chimney..... Twice.

"Lobelia is really good at hiding," Young Drogo said as he held onto his little cousin Falco who was easily distracted by something shiny on the table.

"Oh dear," The wizard muttered. He was a fauntling short and the children were starting to get hungry. It was nearly time for a luncheon afterall.

"Lobelia!" Gandalf called out. "LOBELIA!!!! LOBELIA!!!"

"That's not going to work Mr. Gandalf," Bilbo said as he tugged the wizard's robe. "You have to be sneaky-sneaky to catch her."

"Sneaky-sneaky?" Gandalf's brows shot up towards his hairline. "Whatever do you mean my boy?"

"Just tell her Bilbo is sharing cookies with Primula," Otho huffed as he shot a glare at young Bilbo.

"Eeeeuw! I don't want her pulling my hair again!" Primula muttered while latching onto Drogo.

"Why ever would she be pulling your hair lass?" Gandalf asked with great confusion as to why Primula was cringing.

"Because Lobelia likes Bilbo!" Drogo happily supplied and then sing-songed "She has a crush! She has a crush!"

"I DO NOT!" Came from the living room and Gandalf strode over to see Lobelia hefting herself out of a porcelain vase, or at least trying to. She got out halfway before getting stuck.