A/N: Just so we're all clear: this chapter is sort of a throwback, focusing on the events of Chapter Nine and Chapter Ten through other characters' eyes. If you're confused at all, that's probably why.
Aurora Briar stretched and moaned as she and Phillip Drake walked down the High Street in Hogsmeade. The fall day was unusually cold, making Aurora shiver.
"Ugh, it's too early and too cold to be here," she grumbled.
Phillip laughed as he pulled her closer to his side. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm in an effort to warm her.
"Let's get you a coffee, then," he suggested.
Aurora smiled and glanced up at him apologetically. "That would be lovely,"
Phillip returned her smile and guided them to the side street leading to Madam Bleu's.
They walked into the tiny blue café and instantly warmed up. Phillip walked straight up to Madam Bleu and asked for one coffee to go.
As they waited, Aurora glanced around the room, rolling her eyes at the obnoxious couples acting all lovey-dovey with each other. She remembered the way she and Phillip acted when they first started dating. Aurora shivered again at the memory. She wrapped her hands around his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.
As she looked around the room again, she caught sight of her friend and housemate Belle French sitting across from the last person she could imagine her being with.
Aurora tugged on Phillip's shirt sleeve and indicated to the couple sitting at the window.
"Is that Belle and Adam de la Bête on a date?" she asked.
Phillip looked where she pointed and raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah, it looks like it," he replied.
Madam Bleu appeared and shoved a cup into his hand. Phillip handed Aurora the cup and the two headed for the door.
When they were once again out in the crisp cold air, Aurora pulled them in the direction of the High Street.
"I can't believe she's with him!" she exclaimed suddenly.
Phillip lifted an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?" he asked.
"Because Adam is...well, Adam!"
"And that's a bad thing?"
"Yes!"
Phillip sighed. "You know, he wasn't always like that. Being rude and such, I mean,"
Aurora stopped in her tracks and turned sharply to look at him.
"What do you mean?" she wondered.
"Well...I grew up with him. Before we both attended Hogwarts, our parents would have meetings with each other and we were dragged along," he explained. "We would play with each other. He was always a bit of selfish brat, but when you got him alone, Adam really wasn't all that bad. It was just the year his parents died I think he got progressively worse."
"Oh," was all Aurora could utter.
"It doesn't excuse his behaviour for the past six years," Phillip reassured her.
Aurora smiled and stepped closer until they were chest to chest, with only the coffee cup in between them.
"Naturally," she agreed.
Phillip wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tightly.
"Of course, growing up with him wasn't like growing up with you," he said quietly.
She giggled, "I would hope so. Adam and I are very different,"
He leaned in closer until their noses touched.
"Very much so," he whispered.
Aurora closed her eyes and started to rise on her toes.
"Oi, get a room!" Merida Dunbroch shouted.
Aurora yelped in surprise, effectively knocking the still-hot coffee cup out of her hand, with the liquid spilling all over Philip's shirt.
Merida howled in laughter, clutching her sides and her tears watering. Aladdin Ali, Ariel Finn and Eric Castle joined her not long after, though they didn't laugh quite as hard.
Phillip looked down at his stained white shirt, then looked back up at Merida and glared.
"Merida, remind me to take ten points from Gryffindor," Phillip announced.
Merida immediately stopped laughing and glared right back. "What for?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"For inappropriate and unnecessary yelling," he answered.
She stomped away, muttering angrily under her breath.
Aladdin, Ariel and Eric gave him an apologetic look and turned to catch up to the angry red-head.
As the group left, Phillip and Aurora looked at each other.
"Well, that was...uncomfortable," she said after a moment.
"It certainly was," he agreed.
Aurora gently wrapped her fingers around his arm and pulled him in the direction of the village.
"Come on, let's go get you a clean shirt," she said.
"Phillip is just so...ugh!" Merida groaned as she sat in the Three Broomsticks with Aladdin, Ariel and Eric.
The three glanced at each other then looked back at their angry friend.
"Well, you did cause Aurora to drop hot coffee all over Phillip's shirt," Eric pointed out.
"Maybe if she wasn't such a sleeping beauty she wouldn't even need hot coffee," Merida retorted sharply.
Aladdin lifted an eyebrow in surprise. Ariel reached for her hand and gently squeezed it.
"What's wrong, Merida?" she asked quietly. "Why are you acting like this?"
Merida snapped her hand away, crossing her arms as if to ward off anymore questions, and looked away. Her friends once again glanced at each other worriedly.
After a tense moment of silence, she finally relaxed and faced her friends with a slight grimace.
"My mum sent me a Howler this morning," she said.
Her friends went still as their eyes widened in shock.
"What did she say?" Aladdin wondered.
Merida slumped in her chair and groaned again. "Oh, you know, the usual: take care of my brothers, improve my grades, don't waste too much time on Quidditch," she answered. "It's the fifth Howler I've gotten in two months. It's like my mum wants me to not have a life,"
Ariel nodded emphatically. "I know how you feel. My father and older sisters always send me letters about my responsibilities. I'm sixteen years old now! It's not like I'm a child or anything,"
Merida, Aladdin and Eric exchanged skeptical looks but kept silent anyways. They cared for Ariel, they really did, and while she has many good qualities about her, sometimes she doesn't always make the wisest decisions.
"Well, how are your grades?" Eric directed the question at Merida in an effort to return to the subject.
"They're fine," she replied. "Well, except for Potions. But Jafar is a right bloody jerk, so I can't be too upset with my grades in that class,"
"Yeah, same here. But it's like he doesn't want me, specifically, to pass his class," Aladdin added.
They started to collectively complain about Jafar and other teachers. The conversation somehow moved onto the Quidditch match last weekend.
"That was weird, right?" Aladdin said.
"More like downright scary," Ariel shivered. She scooted closer to Eric, who threw a comforting arm around her shoulders.
Merida downed the rest of her butterbeer, thinking about that day.
"I wonder how her Mark got there?" she asked.
Ariel shivered again, adamantly insisting that she doesn't want to know, let alone continue thinking about it. Eric suggested that they go outside and walk around the village, which she agreed to immediately. They stood up and said their goodbyes to Aladdin and Merida.
Aladdin finished his butterbeer and started to stand. "I'm going to go to Honeydukes, wanna join me?"
Merida shook her head.
"I'd like to be by myself for a while, thanks. I'll catch up with you later?" she replied.
Aladdin nodded and waved before leaving the tavern. Merida half-heartedly returned the wave before getting lost in her thoughts.
Jane looked at the empty space to her right and sighed. Belle skipped lunch and was refusing to talk with her, which left a big, gaping hole both beside her and in her heart.
When Adam had asked Belle out on a date, Jane was suspicious of his intentions, but had begrudingly allowed her friend to do whatever she wanted.
When Belle had disappeared last night, she was worried.
When she reappeared hours later, just past dawn, she was angry at her. Jane thought Belle sneaked off to be with Adam, and because of her own suspcions and the rumors about Adam, she searched for injuries on Belle's body.
When Belle refused to tell her what happened, both with Adam and last night, despite the fear she saw in her eyes, Jane became worried again.
That worry gnawed at her again, and it made her feel sick.
She had quickly lost her appetite, and pushed her food away. Jane stood up and left the Great Hall.
She rushed through the corridors until she found an empty courtyard. She sat on a nearby stone bench, brought her knees up to her chest and started to cry.
A warm hand rested on her shoulder, which caused her to jump in surprise. Jane turned to see that Tarzan was standing behind her. His brown eyes shone with concern.
He sat down next to Jane and pulled her close to his side. She continued to cry and Tarzan remained silent, simply holding her.
When Jane's tears turned into the occasional sniffle, she rested her head on Tarzan's shoulder and let out a shaky breath.
"Aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?" she croaked.
He shook his head. "No. I figured you would tell me on your own," he replied.
Jane bit her lip, knowing he was right. Tarzan never asked her about her problems, because eventually she would tell him and he would quietly listen. Sometimes he would even offer advice or words of comfort, but mostly he would nod in understanding and give some small gesture like a pat on the shoulder or a hug.
"It's about Belle. She disappeared last night, and with that whole 'Sea Witch returning to destroy the whole world' thing going on, I was really worried about her. Then she came back early this morning and blatantly lied about where she had been, and...we argued. We never argue," she said finally. "I know she had that date with Adam de la Bête and she was really happy about it, but I don't know if he's good for her. Not only that -"
Tarzan placed his fingers on her mouth, effectively silencing her. Jane glared and was ready to muffle angrily at him when he said, "You two are friends. When Belle's ready to tell you about what happened last night, she will. Trust her, and she'll trust you."
Jane stilled. He was right. He was absolutely, positively right. Belle is and always will be her friend; when she's ready to talk to her, she will because she trusts Jane. So Jane simply had to return to favor and trust her too.
She nodded in understanding, and Tarzan removed his fingers. He stood up and gave her his hand.
"Let's walk around for a little while," he suggested.
Jane smiled and took his hand. He helped her up, pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly on the lips. Then he grabbed her hand again and led them out of the empty courtyard.
A/N:I'm sorry it's so short! I lost motivation while writing this chapter. My goal is to write and post two more chapters before I leave on vacation. Don't forget to let me know which characters you want to see!
