prompt: "in a castle in the middle of the night"
AU where the enchanted castle begins to curse Belle with its magic.
Once he stops locking her door, she begins to wander the castle at night. Belle floats soundlessly across the stones, silk nightgown trailing behind her. She is like a ghost, Beast thinks. Beautiful, untouchable, wandering. He takes care not to let Belle see him watching her. After all, he is starting to earn her trust. The last thing he wants is to frighten her.
He cannot help it. She enchants him. She goes to the library at night. She follows the hallways. She runs her fingertips over the banisters and the paintings on the walls. It is almost as if she is in a trance. Her eyes, at times, seem glazed. As if the castle has taken a hold on her.
As if she has become enchanted herself.
Outside, a snowstorm rages. Beast worries. What if Belle wanders outside? She is only in her nightdress. He watches her from the corner of the hall, shrouded in shadows. She has stopped at the top of the staircase and she stares seemingly at nothing. He worries.
She turns her gaze to him suddenly and he flinches. It's as if her eyes are piercing him, piercing through him, the same glare the enchantress gave him when she cast her spell over him...
"Beast?" Her voice uncertainly floats through the air. She blinks a few times and the glaze is gone. She looks around, then back towards him. "How did I get out here? Was I sleepwalking?"
Still shaken, he answers, "yes...yes, you must have been."