Later that night, after having tried to get out her older brother the reason why he had mentioned the Grey Wizard that was often the center of attention due to his marvellous fireworks, Bella found herself sitting on the armchair in front of the fireplace in the living room of her close friend and confidante, Linette Proudfeet.

"I'm telling young Linette. He's gone quite mad, paranoid even." Bella confessed, holding the mug of warm red fruit tea she'd been nursing. "It's your brother we're talking about Bella. I've seen him go quite mad in the past." Linette argued, sitting in the armchair opposite to Bella's, her light blonde hair shinning with the light the fire gave out.

"For example, he went mad with the whole ordeal with what's her name." she added, furrowing her brows as she tried to remember the name of the young Hobbitess that had fancied Bilbo a while back, going as far as breaking into the Baggin's home to try and seduce him. "Beatrix Potter." Bella replied, the name still too fresh in her mind along with the memories that came with it.

"Exactly. Beatrix Potter. Your brother went quite mad because of her." the blonde Hobbitess reminded, giving her friend a raised brows look, as if to remind her of that time but it didn't work for Bella shook her now tamed dark honey curls and countered "This is different. Not even Beatrix got him this worked up." A sigh left the blonde's lips before she brought her own mug of tea to her lips, sipping some of it.

"I wonder what was it the old wizard said that got him like this." Bella whispered, looking at the fire with furrowed brows yet a determined look on her face. It was well in the night and the Shire was one of the most peaceful cities to live in, no robberies, no big fights and disruption of peace and no break-ins, well with the exception of the Beatrix Potter's incident, so there was no problem for Bella to walk back to her home alone, although she was waiting until Linette's husband, Tommy Proudfeet, to return home before doing the same herself.

"Your brother is well into the age of marriage, he's just grown a little paranoid, nothing that won't happen to you when you're his age. Trust me, as soon as he meets the right woman, he'll settle down and all this paranoia will end." Linette told the dark honey haired woman before her just as the door to her Hobbit Hole Home opened.

Bella leaned sideways on the armchair she was in and caught the sight of an exhausted Tommy, ale drenching from what she could only assume had been from stopping an altercation or being poured on a mug in a joking manner. "Evening Bella, darling." the tired Hobbit greeted as he crossed the hallway that led to the living room. "Evening Tommy./My love." both women greeted in return, Linette being the latter, peeking her husband's lips as he arrived near her.

"Well, I ought to get home myself." Bella stated, smiling kindly at the couple, watching as Tommy placed a caring hand on Linette's very swollen stomach, Linette placing her own hand over his. "I'll walk you home." Tommy instantly offered, moving his eyes from his pregnant wife to their guest. "No, stay home. You clearly had a rough day." Bella was quiet to reply, extending her hand in a stop motion. Tommy looked torn between doing, what would be considered, the gentleman thing and obeying to her words as he was barely able to keep himself standing.

"The walk is not long and I can manage myself." She quickly added, setting her tea down over the fireplace. Tommy nodded slowly, still silently debating whether he should walk her home or not while Linette merely smiled in appreciation at her friend. The before Tommy could make his decision known, Bella was out the door with her cloak fastened over her shoulders.

It was a warm night with clearly no need for cloak as there was no cloud in sight, meaning that there was no chance of rain, the crickets were singing and the frogs were croaking from the many ponds and the river that were in the Shire.