Hello everyone! I recently came across this about a day ago and realized that I had found the spark again. You all are long overdue for an update and I am happy to continue this story on now that I have that inspiration back. Here you go, the next chapter.
Belle woke up that morning knowing things had changed. A smile spread across her face as she remembered the events of last night. Almost a dream and yet so much better. He'd kissed her. He'd kissed her in abandon of all fears and worries.
She slipped gracefully out of bed and couldn't help but almost dance to her things as she got ready that morning. Someone somewhere had decided that she had served her time and that she would be allowed to start being happy again. She let herself twirl as she grabbed her books to put them in her bag. The feeling of her newfound happiness felt more powerful than the most powerful magic in all the world.
"It's too early to be this cheery," Zelena mumbled at her as she threw a pillow at her.
Even the force of the pillow colliding with her made her feel giggly rather than shut down as she threw the pillow back at her friend. She laughed as Zelena let out a small gasp as it landed on her back. "Come on, we've got to get ready for today," she told her as she slipped on her shoes.
"Uhh," Zelena groaned as she dragged herself from her cozy bed and met the harsh air. "Why must morning come so early?"
"Oh come now," Belle smiled as she shook her head. "Exciting adventure is right around every corner with you all and I don't want to waste a single moment. I can feel it in the air."
"Yeah well, this adventure starts with a coffee or it will not be the kind of exciting you will like," Zelena quipped as she headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
Belle laughed before slinging her backpack onto her shoulders. She walked out into the main area and to no surprise, there were very few people up. It seemed most of her friends were late risers. Oh well, nothing was going to put a damper on her mood today. She would simply find something entertaining to do. She could read that new book she'd found in her room. She stopped and smiled to herself. Just a month ago, she was living in a closet, no one talked to her, she lived in constant misery. Yet now, she had a room she shared with one of her wonderful new friends. She had people who cared for her and one of whom cared for her even more than she thought she would ever receive while she stayed here. Her life had made such a turn around she wouldn't have believed was possible more than a month ago.
Sooner than later, everyone else started waking up and putting themselves together. She was excited to head down to breakfast with them. Another adventure filled with promise and wonder.
Rumplestiltskin woke up that morning feeling a couple of different things. First, he remembered the kiss he'd shared with Belle last night. Oh, that brought him feelings of wonder and comfort. She cared for him in that way. He didn't think that he would ever find that again. However, he then remembered how he had led her out there to find out the secret she was hiding from them and how he was using her. He was using her to win the house cup.
He didn't feel bad about making Hufflepuff suffer. They were Hufflepuff for crying out loud. It was like if everyone in Gryffindor became cowards. It was all backwards.
The thing that made his heart squeeze was if Belle should ever find out that all this had been a giant lie. If she ever found out that she was part of a ploy to win the house cup, she would never trust any of them ever again. She could want to go back to that dungeon and to that life that kept her in misery. She could never know. Never.
He pulled himself out of bed as he needed to get ready to go to breakfast. He would have to tell the group he hadn't gotten her secret out of her yet but he hadn't given up yet. He needed some more time. Maybe he could get it out of her during their potions class. If not there then maybe he could see what was going on in her Charms class.
He walked out of his room to find her reading a book on one of the couches by the fire. She almost looked like she belonged there. The only thing that didn't look quite right was that yellow of her uniform. While it was pretty, he was sure she'd look even more lovely in green. He took a breath as he thought about that happening. How could they even bring up the subject? It would take time. He'd have to strategize and figure out the best possible way to even begin this.
He was pulled from his thoughts when Belle looked up and noticed him. She smiled, bookmarked the page, and closed her book as she greeted him, "Good morning Rumple."
"Good morning Belle," he returned as he sat in a chair across from her. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Oh, It was lovely," she told him as she thought of how wonderfully she'd slept. "It was like lying on a dream."
He smiled as she had such a way with words. Her voice only added in making every word one that he wanted to listen to. "I'm glad to see you doing so well," he told her.
Her smile was now accompanied by some blush as she looked down and then back to his eyes, "I'm really happy here."
He could see it in her eyes, the sincerity of her words. She was. She couldn't have meant it more if she wanted to. He hoped that she could see the same in him when he told her, "I'm happy you're here too."
She knew.
"Come on mates," Hook told them as everyone started billowing out of their rooms. "We have breakfast to attend to."
Belle laughed as she watched him lead the pack towards their quest. Rumple had gotten up as well but he walked over to her and extended his hand to her. "What do you say, darling?" he asked. "Shall we?"
She lifted her hand up to gently set it in his, "We shall."
Breakfast time proceeded just like any other. Students came up and grabbed food before sitting down at their tables with their friends as they discussed their plans for their days and coordinated them with others. As Rumplestiltskin ate and talked with his friends, he had a sense of pride. As he looked over them he knew that they could accomplish anything together. Before, they were just together because they couldn't be tolerated by anyone else. Now, they were there because they were friends.
"Attention students," Dumbledore called as he took the podium. They all turned to face him as they hadn't been expecting an announcement. Rumplestilskin's mind started to race as he wondered if Belle had been discovered or if Hufflepuff had come forward with what they'd done or even if someone else outside his circle had found out about Belle. "It is that time of the year again when we celebrate how far we've all come as students and as people. In one week, the traditional New Moon Ball will be held for fourth years and above to attend."
Oh, well, that could have been a lot worse. He let out a quiet breath of relief. He hadn't been to this ball in years. He didn't see the point. He'd rather be looking at how to collect power than awkwardly stand next to the punch bowl while others went around crazily and doing stupid things.
"Oh the ball," Bell fawned quietly. His head snapped down to listen to her as she kept her eyes on Dumbledore until he finished and left. "I've never been to one before."
"Believe me," he told her. "They're not all they're made out to be."
"Rumplestiltskin, you know very well that it's only bad when you don't have a date to go with you," Regina told him sternly. "Hook knows that more than anyone."
"Hey," Hook scoffed and shook his head. "I actually give it a try and thanks to Belle, I actually have a shot at going with Emma. Our date last night went very well and I'm quite sure she would go out with me again."
"So did you two kiss? Was there a good night shared?" Regina asked him bluntly as she continued to butter her toast.
"Well um," Hook stammered as he really didn't want to say. "We said good night and I did kiss her cheek." He looked around with this falling dread.
"I think that's lovely," Belle told him, Hook's head quickly turning to her looking for some hope. "You had courage to give her that kiss and you were gentlemanly and you let her know that it was up to her where she could take the relationship. Emma's been burned a lot so she might take it slow for a bit as she remembers how to take down her walls."
"You're sure?" he asked her, his heart in her hands.
"Of course," she reassured him. "I have no doubt that when the time is right and the moment is just perfect, you'll have a magical kiss that you'll remember forever."
"You read too many books," Cruella told her as she shook her head.
Belle smiled and shrugged, "Maybe, but I like to believe in hope and romance."
"I'm with Belle on this particular subject," Hook told them.
"You have to be," Maleficent pointed out, "otherwise your relationship is doomed."
"Belle is actually not far off on this one," Regina said, not even bothering to look up at the shocked faces of her friends. "I still remember my first kiss with Robin and how we got together. It wasn't always rainbows and unicorn stickers especially at the beginning when he was with Marrian. But it all turned out right in the end. I think Hook's waited long enough."
"Thank you," Hook told her sincerely. She nodded as she continued to eat her breakfast. Hook stood up from the table. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go figure how to ask Emma to go with me to the ball."
"Good luck," Belle wished for him.
"Thank you lass," he said as he went to go throw away his garbage.
Belle smiled as she watched him go. She looked down and realized she'd left her bag in the Slytherin common area this morning in all of the fun. "Oh rats," she said before standing up. "I left my bag in the common area. Uh, Rumple, you can go whenever you like. I'll meet you there. I'll see you later," she promised after placing a hand on his shoulder. She waved goodbye and followed the same path Hook had.
Rumplestiltskin watched her until she had slipped out of sight.
"So Rumple," Zelena started, using the name Belle had called him in affection.
"Say that name again and you won't be saying anything," he told her as he turned back around to face the group.
"So touchy," Regina smiled.
"Did you find out what she's hiding?" Zelena asked him.
"Not yet," he told them. "She's adjusting to everything. It may take her a little longer to open up about whatever it is she's hiding. Besides, I'm still trying to figure out how to get her to want to become a permanent member of Slytherin. That's going to be even longer."
"Well, you'll have to put those on the back burners won't you?" Pan asked as he finished his drink.
"Why on earth would I do that?" he asked them. "If we don't come up with a plan, everything we've built will have been for nothing."
"Of course darling, but you do realize that you have to take your darling Belle to the dance, don't you?" Zelena asked him a little more directly than Pan.
"What?" he asked in confusion.
"This is a perfect opportunity to help her bond with almost the entire house," Regina began to explain. "If she has a date to the dance, she can bond with us girls. We'll go shopping for a dress, do our hair and makeup, talk about our dates, bond over mutual things, strengthening our friendship, and all that other stuff."
"Besides," Pan popped in, "She clearly wants to go. If you need to, you can invite her as a friend to go with you as you're the only one she would probably go with. Except, do you think she would go out with me?"
"I beg your pardon?" Rumplestiltskin asked in a still and almost annoyed voice.
"Well, she hangs out with you, Hook, and me the most," Pan started. "We get along quite well together. Do you think if I asked her she would say yes?"
"That's true," Zelena contemplated. "You could be a candidate if Rumplestiltskin here didn't want to take her."
"That won't be necessary," Rumplestiltskin told them in a calm and clear voice.
"No, no," Pan waved him off, "If you don't want to…"
"I'll take her," he said in an even lower voice. One that commanded authority but in its tone and not in volume.
"If you're sure then," Pan picked up his fork.
"Quite," he said before taking his tray to the garbage as he tried to figure out how to ask Belle to this forsaken gathering.
Zelena waited until Rumplestiltskin was out of the room to tell Pan, "That was very dirty."
"Wasn't it?" he smiled.
"You never intended to do anything did you?" Regina asked him as she put all the pieces together.
"Only to reveal just how he's gone," he admitted.
"One thing's for sure," Zelena started, "that man is slipping fast."
"Twenty knuts he kisses her at the dance," Regina said.
"Twenty knuts says that it's Belle who kisses him," Pan put in.
"Really?" Zelena asked in astonishment.
"Belle's a brave girl," Pan told her. "I can see her being the one to make the first move."
"I meant you betting on their love life," Zelena clarified. "Clearly, they're going to kiss before the dance there's so much tension between them. I'd put a sickle on it."
"Done," Pan and Regina agreed to the new terms.
There you have it. I'm continuing to write as you read this now. I hope you all love it and that it's what you had been hoping for. The larger arcs will take more time but the plan is more clear than ever. Don't forget to comment.