A/N: So, there had been a Dwilbo week over at tumbrl; a challenge raised by Aida, who made a prompt list, and every day of the week one was supposed to take a prompt and write a story, or a snippet, about it. Well, I'm not filling this for Dwalin/Bilbo pairing. Instead, I chose my original character Viola Whitfoot (you may have already met her in several of my Hobbit stories), and with her and Dwalin paired up I wrote a story consisting of seven chapters, using the prompt list.

The story had been graciously beta-read by absolutely awesomesauce whilewewereyetsinners.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the glass of pretty terribly tasting redwine. Ugh.

Arranged Marriage

Viola certainly wasn't sure what to think, or even how to feel about the whole thing. One moment she was complaining that nothing interesting ever happened to her, and the next moment she was looking at a small glass bead in her hand. A white bead, while all the others had been black.

She had been picked as a bride for one of the dwarves from Erebor who had come to offer the Shire a deal – Shire food for dwarven craftsmanship, the whole deal sealed by marriage. And since the Thain refused to just order someone, the rest of them agreed it would be probably better to draw lots, the 'winner' being the lucky bride.

Her husband-to-be towered above her, almost as tall as a Man in her eyes, as she awkwardly looked up to him. "Dwalin, son of Fundin," he offered gruffly, bowing slightly to her.

She gave him a nervous smile. "Viola Whitfoot," she replied, offering him her hand. His grip was strong, his fingers rough from handling the enormous weapons strapped to his back, but at the same time, he was careful not to press her hand too strongly, mindful of its fragility.

"Would you like some tea?" blurted Viola, a blush colouring her cheeks. Her friend Bilbo would ambush her as soon as she parted ways with Dwalin, she was sure about that, but first she wanted to get to know the dwarf a little better. He nodded his agreement to her proposal, and with her hand on his forearm she led him to the smial she now lived in. It was almost comical how uneasy Dwalin looked in a hobbit hole, having to be mindful of his every move lest he hit his head on the rather low ceiling, but it warmed her heart a bit to see him awkwardly handle the cup she handed him, and see his eyes lighten up when she brought a big plate of cookies she baked just the evening before.

"Tell me something about yourself," Viola requested, and for a moment it looked like Dwalin would just sit there in silence.

Finally, his voice rumbled, "What would you like to know?"

Viola learnt that Dwalin was head of the Royal guard, a close friend of Prince Thorin. He also had a brother named Balin, who was the King's advisor. As she already guessed, he really had a sweet-tooth. And he also played violin.

"Really?" she asked, quite surprised. "I certainly wouldn't have pegged you as a fiddler!"

For a moment, Dwalin's expression darkened and he started to stand up, when Viola laid her hand on his forearm again. "I didn't mean to offend you," she said quietly, looking into his eyes, willing him to see the truth there.

The dwarf relaxed minutely. "Sorry," he said, and for once, his voice wasn't grumbly. "It's just a bit of a sore spot."

"You tell me! Nobody ever believes me when I tell them I can juggle bunch of plates around, see?"

Bilbo still did ambush her the moment she closed her door behind Dwalin, worried about her. She gave him a smile. "It won't be that bad, Bilbo," she told him, embracing her friend tightly. "And if you don't believe that, you can always come with me to the Lonely Mountain!"

She and Dwalin had a big Shire wedding only a few days later, with lots of flowers and plentiful food, before they made their way to the smial Viola owned. There still had been lots of things to plan before they departed for Erebor, but for the time being Dwalin was content with carrying his wife over the threshold of her home, only slightly grumpy that it wasn't a home he had made for her. He held her in his arms for the first time that night, both of them agreeing that they should sleep in the same bed, but leave the, ah, marital matters for the time they would know each other better.

Bilbo had been a great help to Viola when it came to organizing her things, and planning for the journey ahead. And in the end, he joined the dwarves in journey to the Lonely Mountain, eager to see the mountain kingdom, unable to remain in the Shire without his most trusted friend.

Things certainly will get interesting in Erebor, Dwalin thought, as he watched both hobbits trying to play 20 Questions with the dwarves around them. He only hoped that he would be able to make his wife happy with her fate, for he already could feel himself drawn to her more than he would thought possible.