AN: Hello everyone! So sorry for the past few months! I have been writing a little for this story, but I've just been really busy. I promise I've got more chapters coming after this one: Enjoy!

Music: "Box of Secrets" by Zarif

NOTES: "Sometimes the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. The Truth always comes out in the end."

Chapter 5: Box of Secrets

Emma slipped along the corridors, hoping to avoid Lady Tremaine. Technically speaking, she was supposed to join the woman in the Great Hall to rehearse for that evenings feast. Instead, the young girl was on her way to the courtyards, intent on finding a quiet spot to read the letter Pipsqueak had brought to her late the night before. Her ideal afternoon would've been spent in the library so that she could also do a little more research on the Ministry's political structure, but she was well aware that if Lady Tremaine or anyone else came looking for her, the library would be the first place they'd looked.

It was a Ravenclaw thing, she supposed.

She went to the main courtyard first, thinking it best to follow the quieter paths down towards the forest. Upon opening the door and feeling the fresh air wash over her face, Emma was given a sharp reminder of the new presence at Hogwarts.

A couple of large cages were staggered out in the courtyard, each one holding a dragon. There were a few Hunters walking into the castle through the main entrance, leaving them unguarded. Emma peered around, wary of anyone who might be lingering in shadows, but once she was certain the courtyard was empty, she tiptoed closer to the nearest cage.

Taking a peek inside, Emma found the young Dramillion the Hunters' had presented to the Court on their first night. He was a brilliant blue color, with a white belly and red markings. He looked tired, laying on the bottom of his cage, but when his ears twitched at her movement, he raised his head and growled warningly.

"It's okay." Emma whispered, holding out her hands soothingly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The Dramillion stopped growling, but held it's glare and got to it's feet, ready to lunge at her. Emma paused in her inching forward, thinking for a moment, and then drew back a bit to pick up the chain resting against the back of her neck. Pulling on the chain, she fished out her amulet from where it was tucked inside of her shirt and held it up for the Dramillion to see.

"See," She said with a smile as the dragon tilted it's head, confused. "I'm a friend." She held it out for him, letting him inspect the Night Fury insignia from a safe distance. He gave it a few sniffs, but still looked confused and uncertain.

Emma put the amulet back into her shirt and then looked back up at the dragon. Very slowly, she raised her hand and began inching forward again. The dragon squinted at her with a small rumble, but did not shrink back from her. There was a breath, a moment of suspension as they locked gazes with each other.

And then there was a loud bang of the main doors flying open and bellowing voices as the two guards came back. Emma leaped back as the Dramillion startled, eyes wide. He roared and lunged forward, biting the bars of his cage.

Emma stumbled back, her heart pounding and her breath labored, but she startled again when a hand rested on her shoulder. Her head snapped up to find Viggo Grimborn looking down at her with an almost apologetic expression.

"I'm terribly sorry, my dear." He said, his deep and smooth voice somehow making her want to twitch away from his hand. "My men should know better than to startle the dragons, especially when a young lady is passing through the yard." He threw a pointed glare at the two guards who looked as if they might wet themselves because of it.

"It's -It's alright." Emma murmured, glancing back at the Dramillion now pacing his small cage. "No harm done."

"Are you certain?" Mr. Grimborn persisted, lifting a brow at her curiously. "I would loathe to think a young lady was frightened by the avoidable incompetence of my men." He sent another harsh glare at the men.

"I'm perfectly well, Mr. Grimborn. Thank you for your concern." Emma assured him, taking a small step back so his hand would leave her shoulder.

"Well, I am truly grateful. Please, if there is anything I can do to assist you in the future, I hope you will not hesitate to ask, ah...?" Viggo gestured to her imploringly, and Emma dipped into the proper curtsy.

"Emma Frost, Sir." She gave her name to avoid suspicion, though she wondered if it was the best choice.

"I see, Mr. Frost's daughter, I presume? Well, I do hope that your family and I can be good friends, Miss Frost." Viggo bowed elegantly to her, and Emma offered another curtsy to be polite.

"Of course, Sir." She said, dipping her head. "I really must be going now."

"Certainly. A good day to you, my lady." Viggo nodded back, and Emma tried very hard not to run up the steps that led inside the castle.

Once she was inside, she didn't stop walking, but she finally let go of the breath she'd been holding since she'd come face to face with the Dragon Hunter himself. She knew a little of who Viggo was from Cat's brief and vague letters, but she wasn't sure about what he would think of her. She could assume by his reactions to her just then that he didn't see her with the Dramillion, but being Percy's daughter might be enough to make her noteworthy to someone like Viggo. Which meant he might be watching her more closely from now on.

Lost in her thoughts, Emma almost didn't see the gaggle of boys walking down the corridor ahead of her. Jamie, Gustav, and Hiro were all heading towards the Auror's Office, and Emma trotted over to a column to hide behind, peeking at them as they loudly carried on down the hall. Emma squinted at them, vaguely remembering that at breakfast her father had mentioned a meeting scheduled for that afternoon. She pursed her lips thoughtfully, but then she perked up as an idea came to her mind. She whipped around and hurried off towards the kitchens.

Emma pushed the door open with her hip while balancing the multitude of cups and saucers on her tray as well as the large kettle. The meeting appeared to already be in full swing with the younger boys lined up along the side, listening closely to the adults as they discussed some of their most recent concerns. She was able to walk right into the office and set her tray on the far table, carefully setting up each saucer and cup pair. She glanced back at the adults and caught Percy's eye. He gave her a knowing smile before turning his attention back to the discussion that was being led by Toothiana.

"The other Fairies are just as concerned about Pitch's rising power and would be more than willing to work with the Royal Council." Toothiana shared, looking earnestly at the Prime Minister. "Seeking aid from the Wilder Creatures could give us the advantage we need to win this war! We have many potential allies from the Fairies to the Centaurs!"

Emma kept her back to the crowd and her eyes down on the cups as she poured out coffee, but her ears and focus were entirely fixated on the conversation behind her. She heard the Prime Minister sigh before speaking to the gathered people at large.

"But at what cost? I can understand the desire to add more members to our military force, however the Royal Council has already seen many difficulties in working alongside the Trollhunter and, consequently, the Troll Tribunal. We cannot afford to have more laws and debates that will hinder our movements. I am confident that the Dragon Hunters and the rest of our Human resources will be more than enough to ensure us victory over this darkness." The Prime Minister argued.

Murmurs went through the gathered Aurors. Emma glanced around discretely, and some seemed to agree with the Prime Minister. Others seemed less confident in continuing the fight without more resources. Merida appeared especially eager to say something as she stepped forward from her place beside Jack.

"Perhaps this is a vote that should be brought to the Royal Council. The Centaurs are very wise, and we can at least seek out some wisdom from them. I've met with their Seers before, and they are good friends to me. I'm sure they'd be happy to offer their assistance in defending the forest and Hogwarts. Then we could afford to send more men to the front lines." Merida pushed on, looking about in her efforts to convince the crowd.

It seemed to bolster some of the Aurors as they nodded more at her words. Merida had already proven herself in several battles alongside Jack and Rapunzel, and while she still lacked experience, she certainly had determination.

"I admire your passion, young princess, but such a vote could take weeks to find a conclusion. We must not lose focus in our efforts lest it all be for not." The Prime Minister cautioned her. "And in any case, I am told by Prince Proteus that Syracuse is currently in communications with more private contractors, much like the Dragon Hunters. We must recognize the opportunity we have to create better alliances among our own kind. Now, if we're quite finished, I have some important matters to attend to."

Emma stops herself from glaring after Claude Frollo as he sweeps out of the room, bringing the meeting to an abrupt end. Barely an hour of his time and barely a lick of productivity. It was enough to drive a girl mad.

Slipping away as the Aurors, warriors, and Guardians all gathered to get coffee and begin a long day of strategizing and analyzing tactics. Out in the hallway, Emma's mind began to turn. She already knew she didn't like the Prime Minister's answers. Though politics were jamming up their abilities to move and react quickly, the Troll Tribunal was only a small part of a much larger problem with In-Fighting among the Royals.

Whatever the case, it was becoming more and more apparent, both from her own observations and the few findings Cat had chosen to share with her by letter, that she was going to need to do some investigations on the Prime Minister. Emma already knew she wouldn't find anything useful at Hogwarts, so her best bet might be infiltrating Frollo's private office at the Ministry of Magic... Much easier said than done. She didn't have a clue as to how she was going to get to the Capital let alone how to sneak into the office of the most powerful man in the world. Add in the fact that she didn't have magic anymore, and even she had to admit that the whole thing seemed rather impossible.

Emma huffed out a heavy sigh, slowing to a stop in the middle of the corridor.

"What a complicated mess you've gotten yourself into." She muttered to herself, almost hearing Cat's voice in her head as she said it.

"You can say that again." Emma's head snapped up, a little startled, and found Jim standing a few feet away as if just coming around the corner. He continued forward, coming over to stand in front of her.

"Jim! I'm sorry. I guess I was lost in my thoughts again..." Emma offered him a wince she hoped could pass for a smile, but Jim chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't worry. I won't tell Dr. Sweet." He whispered conspiratorially, and Emma giggled.

"Thanks." She rolled her eyes as he grinned. "How are you?" She asked. It was the first time she'd really looked at him in a while, and Jim looked tired. His shoulders were ever so slightly drooped, his hair hung limp around the edges, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"Things... Have been better. What about you?" He sighed before quirking an eyebrow at her.

"I've been hiding from Lady Tremaine all day. She's determined to have me perform at the feast tonight. It'll be my first time performing for Royalty." Emma shared, shrugging her shoulders up but her tone fell short of excitement.

"I'm sorry, Emma..." Jim opened his mouth, obviously wanting to offer her some type of comfort, but she shook her head.

"It's not all bad. There are lots of people who have it much worse than me." She told him quietly. "Anyways, I know you had a mission recently back near your home town, right? You look tired. So what happened? What's wrong?"

"It's... A long story..." Jim said lamely, scratching the back of his neck. Emma looked at him for a moment before smiling.

"I'm not busy... If you wanted to talk about it..." Emma shrugged, and Jim looked at her, surprised, before he smiled softly.

"Know anywhere to get away from people? I think Blinky's looking for me for the Tribunal." Jim told her, and she laughed a little.

"Come on. I know a few good spots." She nudged his arm as she trotted passed.

"I mean, I figured if anyone would..." He joked.

"Hey!"

Sneaking out to the Forbidden Forest was easier than it probably should have been, but Emma also suspected that any of the guards stationed around the castle walls wouldn't have stopped them even if they spotted them. Jim's status as the Trollhunter had to come with some perks, and he was coming and going from the castle just as much as the Guardians these days. So the two wandered in the forest side by side, chatting about this and that.

"So..." Emma trailed leadingly, tilting her head towards Jim expectantly. He laughed at her antics, but sobered rather quickly as he gathered his thoughts.

"We were following a lead on Strickler and we definitely found him." Jim started, scuffing the dirt with his shoe. "He's got a new friend; Angor Rot. He's an ancient warrior who lost his soul in a magic accident. He's known for killing Trollhunters."

"Well, that doesn't sound good at all..." Emma murmured.

"You're not the only one stuck in a complicated mess. And I wanna hear about yours!" Jim told her with mock sternness. She laughed and nudged him with her elbow.

"Later! Finish telling me about what happened!" Emma insisted, and Jim sighed as his shoulders lifted into a helpless shrug.

"Not much, honestly. They both got away. I'm just thankful Toby, Claire, and Blinky are all okay." Jim shared, but Emma pursed her lips.

"Is that really all of it?" She pressed. Jim sighed again.

"...There was a moment when... I was caught in a trap that Angor Rot had set for me. The others were fighting his golems and I was really far away..." Jim shivered, but his eyes were looking at memories Emma couldn't see and she wondered if he even realized he was shaking. "I thought for sure he was gonna kill me right then. But he didn't. He wants to enjoy the hunt." He spat out the words as his hands clenched into fists. "...Being hunted isn't an uncommon feeling for me. It's something Kittrolls get used to pretty early on... But that was the worst I've ever felt and for the first time ever it wasn't because of what I am..."

"Jim." Emma gently grabbed his arm, stopping their walking as she drew to a stop and tugged him to face her.

"I'm okay. Or I will be. It's just nice to be able to talk about it with someone." Jim smiled at her, and though it was small, it was genuine and managed to ease some of Emma's worry.

"What about your team? Toby and Claire? Or Blinky and Draal? I'm sure they'd be happy to listen." Emma questioned as they slowly started walking again, but Jim shrugged again.

"Of course I know that, but... I don't know. It's not easy to talk about and it's not very often I find myself in the middle of an abandoned forest." Jim pointed out wryly and Emma rolled her eyes. "Anyways, everyone has been really busy at Troll Market, especially with the Tribunal putting pressure on Vendal." Jim scratched the back of his head, shrugging again. "And there's also the fact that I promised Claire I'd help her find her brother in the Darklands, which, I guess is a mess all on it's own..."

"You think?" Emma quipped, shaking her head slightly. But then she frowned and looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry I haven't been very helpful, or even around much."

"That's not your fault." Jim immediately replied. It was his turn to pull them to a stop with a hand on her shoulder. "You're... hurt Emma. You don't have to apologize for that. You should just focus on getting better."

"People tell me that, but it doesn't stop the frustration. It doesn't make me feel any less useless." Emma told him before sighing and moving off to the side to sit on a log.

Jim followed her and sat down beside her quietly. They stayed there in the silence for a little while, just taking in the forest around them, far away from the castle, the people, the war. After a few moments, Jim fidgets slightly and then gently bumps his shoulder against hers.

"So..." He said leadingly, tilting his head toward her. Emma couldn't help but laugh a little, and he grinned. "You promised to share once I finished." He reminded her, his expression softening with an undertone of concern.

"I just..." She sighed. "Ever since I lost my magic, everyone's been telling me all the things I can't do and... I just wonder, without my magic, what can I do? I feel so helpless... I'm just not strong enough..."

"Not having magic doesn't make you -" Jim started, but Emma cut him off.

"Useless? Helpless? Weak? Tell that to Lady Tremaine, or anyone else for that matter." She grumbled. She knew she wasn't being very fair, and sitting there feeling sorry for herself wasn't going to fix anything, but she was finding it quite difficult to care in that moment.

They fell into another short lapse of silence as Emma glared at the dirt.

"Well... Maybe you don't have to be strong." Jim said thoughtfully after a moment, and when she looked up at him in surprise, he looked down to meet her stare. "Isn't that a saying? Work smarter, not harder? I thought that's what you Ravenclaws are known for?" He gave a small smirk as she just continued to stare at him, blinking.

The words rolled around in her head, expanding and taking up space as she considered the thought.

"A change in perspective, huh?" She muttered and then looked down at the ground again with a small huff of a laugh.

"And, for what it's worth, with or without your magic, you're still pretty incredible to me." Jim said genuinely.

"Aww... That's a pretty cheesy line." Emma laughed and Jim laughed with her.

"Hey! I thought it sounded pretty sweet and charming!" Jim defended himself, though the wide grin spoke of mischief.

"Shut up!" Emma giggled, giving his shoulder a small shove.

Their laughter dissolved into chuckles and giggles before fading completely into a comfortable quiet. Emma tilted her head back and closed her eyes, listening even though she knew she couldn't hear it anymore. Something about knowing it was there, regardless of her ability to hear it or not, was equal parts heartbreaking as it was comforting. Like a home that she ached for, but knew would be there when she finally found her way back.

"What are you doing?" Jim asked softly, hesitant to disturb her but obviously curious.

"If you stay silent for a few minutes you'll hear it -the music."

There was a spotlight, near blinding, and beyond it an expanse of darkness that she knew held a crowd full of people. All of their eyes were on her, watching her expectantly. She had a strong urge to fidget and move, suddenly sympathizing with the dragon she'd come face-to-face with earlier that same day.

The piano began to play, soft and delicate notes. An old song, familiar to many. One she knew well, herself, and did not mind at all, though the notes fell flat to her own ears that night. The life lost on the dreariness of a dark Hall and under the sharp as glass eyes watching her every move.

Her cue was coming, so she took a breath.

"Oh sing sweet nightingale... Sing sweet... High above..."

Perhaps she wasn't strong, but Jim's words had taken root not only in her mind, but in her heart as well. Helped her build a stronger resolve.

"The pair shaped tool... Oh sing sweet nightingale... Sing sweet nightingale... High above me..."

Perhaps, for now, her song was empty, but there was still hope.