Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants.

Chapter 12: A Hooked Intermission

Once upon a time, there were three siblings that could only depend on each other. One night, the eldest sibling left, wanting to start her own life on the other side of the Isle, after years of looking after and protecting her younger siblings…

"Hey! Enough of those tears, Cali! They're not gonna make Ettie come back!" a ten-year-old Harry Hook yelled, throwing a somewhat clean rag at his crying younger sister. Tears were streaming down her face, and though he meant well with his gesture, it seemed to only make the seven year old cry even more.

He scrubbed his face with the heel of his hand, frustrated. And Uma calls me dramatic, he thought. The fact that he knew the tears probably weren't real and merely an old trick Harriet had taught her when CJ was still too small didn't help him be any more sympathetic either. Did she think she was the only one affected by this?

Harriet had left in the dead of the night, collecting all of the few personal objects she had along with the red jacket that she had outfitted from one of their father's old coats. Harry had suspected she would desert them for the past month now. She already had a ship, one of their father's better ones with not too much rot, given a month earlier when she had turned twelve. Her crew was easy to come by since most of their father's crew all had children of their own who they had grown up with and were already used to Harriet bullying them all around.

Good riddance! Harry thought bitterly, ignoring how much his older sister leaving had felt like betrayal. (Actually, it felt closer to losing his mother, and he wasn't at all fond of the reminder.) He may only be ten, but he knew getting too close with anyone, even family was a risk. Blood wasn't always thicker on the Isle after all. His strenuous relationship with a father who most of the time couldn't bear to look at him was a prime example.

So he ignored how he would miss Harriet's cackle of a laugh when he did something that really helped carve an impression into the minds of those of the Isle that he was a pirate not to be messed with. He ignored how he would miss their daily spars, where woven in between sarcastic remarks and insulting names, there would actual be tidbits on how not to get himself killed, much more helpful than his father's slurred suggestion to just run himself through with a sword. (The frequency that Hook made that comment and ones similar had started to wear off...that is until the old Captain actually tried to force his suggestion onto the boy himself.)

"You're gonna leave me just like Ettie did!" CJ wailed, throwing the rag right back at him, anchoring him back to the present.

Harry refrained his desire to just shove her off the boat and into the murky water below with the sharks but a sneer that sounded too much like his older sister reminded him that if "precious Calista Jane" went overboard their father would have his neck. And Harry quite liked his neck.

"Stop that cryin' right now! Ye hear me? Or else I'll leave ye too!" he growled, trying to repress himself from turning into a useless heaving ball, curled up on the deck of the ship, struggling to breathe and waiting for the world to stop spinning like he did when he first found Harriet gone.

CJ paused, teary brown eyes wide. For a moment, the young boy thought that one of his sisters was finally listening to him, that he was finally getting the respect he deserved as someone who would one day be captain of his own ship… Until CJ stomped on his foot with as much force as she could (which was a lot for a seven year old) before kicking his shin.

"Bloody hell! Ye little goblin!" Harry howled, falling to the deck of the ship with a hard thud and clutching his lower leg.

"No!" CJ cried, stomping her foot, though this time thankfully nowhere near his own. "You can't leave! You can't! You can't!"

"Oh shut up ye idiot! I'm not going no where!" the boy rolled his eyes, flopping back on the deck of the ship. There was only a few of his father's crew above deck at the moment, many of them somewhere else, roaming the island, or sleeping off whatever questionable moonshine they managed to get their hands on. He was bored of the conversation now. He idly wondered what Uma was doing and if she was stuck working her mother's shop again.

"Promise?" CJ prodded, hovering over him, blonde hair knotted in a poor attempt at mimicking the braid Harriet usually pulled together. Her bottom lip was trembling and the only tell that this wasn't completely an act was the way the younger child bit the inside of her cheek. When Calista Jane was pulling a con, she bit her bottom lip.

Oh Davy Jones, he thought sitting up. He was never really good when CJ got like this, when she looked at him expectantly as if he could actually keep a damn promise on this pitiful rock made of broken dreams that they called home. He wasn't stupid. He hadn't made a name yet like Harriet. He was still known to too many as just one of Captain James Hook's bastards at the worst, and one of Harriet Hook's bratty little siblings at the best. But maybe...one day, (perhaps with a certain sea witch) he would be so feared on the Isle that he could make a promise to his sibling without his stomach twisting at the uncertainty of being able to keep such a promise.

"Yeah, yeah. I promise," he said pushing her away none too gently as he got up to his feet. "We'll even go on a grand adventure one day," he muttered, sarcasm heavy in his voice but CJ didn't seem to hear it as her eyes grew wide, any remaining traces of her crying now long gone and she let out a squeal of delight before running off to another part of the ship yelling "ADVENTURE!" and something or other about needing to go find that Freddie brat.

Harry rolled his eyes again, glancing at the dock where a familiar turquoise figure caught his eye, and a mischievous smirk came on his face, fading away his concerns for the time being.

He ran down the ship's ramp with casual disregard to his safety until he caught sight of an unpleasant head of purple hair waiting next to Uma.

"Mal," he ground out before turning to Uma. "Why'd ye bring her here?" he hissed.

"Yeah, I thought we were going to have some real fun, Uma…" Mal sighed, sounding almost bored as she barely gave the boy a glance. "Didn't know we were gonna spend the day with this charity case."

"Ye wanna say that a bit louder, pixie?" Harry fumed through clenched teeth, taking a step closer to her.

Uma pushed her way between the two. "Both of you, cut it out!" she growled before tugging Harry off to the side. "What's up with you? I thought you'd be up for causing a little bit of mayhem," she said, glancing back at Mal before in a lower voice saying, "I heard about Harriet and…ya know, thought it would cheer you up."

Davy Jones. That weird stomach fluttering thing always seemes to happen at the most inconvenient of times, he thought, taking in her rare look of concern.

"I do like causing mayhem, but with ye, lass. Not with that purple tadpole. I just don't see why ye would even want to hang out with her. She's got no real substance! Everyone knows she's just her mother's clone. And not even a good one."

Uma rolled her eyes. This wasn't the first time Harry had made his feelings about her friend from the other side of the Isle clear.

"Look Harry," she growled, irritated, poking him in the chest. "Mal and I have each other's back. We're gonna rule this island and then we're going to take over Auradon together and shove all those sugary sweet royal brats off their thrones. Now, I can do that with or without you, Hook, but if you're with me then you need to shut your clam about Mal."

Harry knocked her hand away from him. "This isn't going to end well, Uma. I can feel it. Mal. Is. Bad. News," he said putting emphasis on the last few words.

Rolling her eyes, Uma turned around, speaking over her shoulder, "You're too paranoid, Hook. Mal and I have a plan. You're either with us or against us, and when you come to your senses, Mal and I will be at the other end of the docks by that other ship of your old man's," she said before starting to walk towards where the purple half-fae was smirking triumphantly back at him.

(Damn pixie.)

The young boy bit his lip, holding back a curse as he watched them both disappear around a turn, hearing a faint conversation of needing to find something slippery for their next prank. His stomach twisted with a sense of foreboding that something irreversible was going to occur soon.

A few hours later, he would realize that he hated being right…and once again, he hated how he felt powerless in protecting what was his...

WLTF

Harry woke up, blinking blearily as sunlight forced its way from behind torn and slashed curtains. The pirate groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes as he continued to lie in the center of the mess he had caused the night before.

Despite being scared out of his mind for - not of - his Captain, Harry had attempted to run after Uma the night before only to be stopped by Gil. It took everything in the first mate to remember that no matter how thick the other boy was, he was crew. Uma didn't like when her crew was hurt. (And though he would be slow to admit it, Harry didn't like it either.) So after one last final attempt to get past Gil, Harry turned his frustration toward the room knocking over, smashing, and tearing anything he could get his hands on. Even though his hook was spelled, he could still use the blunt edge to smash or hit things, and smash and hit things he did. There was not a single inch of the room that he didn't make his mark on.

He had the brief thought that the room looked like his father had been through it, and he smiled bitterly at the thought (he ignored the way the thought also almost made bile rise up his throat). Not much like Pan now, am I Mickey-boy?

"Harry?"

The door to the bathroom cracked open, Gil's head peeking out.

So that's where he was, Harry thought, a small pit of guilt forming in his stomach. He didn't respond to Gil right away. Instead, he moved his arm from his eyes and stared up at the ceiling.

"Harry?" Gil called out again, moving slowly out from the bathroom when Harry wordlessly waved him over.

"Didn't hit ye, did I?"

Gil shook his head. "I'm good at ducking," he smiled proudly helping Harry to his feet.

Harry nodded, standing unsteadily on his feet. It had been a very long time since Uma had ever been this upset with him...

Scratch that.

Uma had never been this upset with him. Annoyed? Irritated? Frustrated? Yes. (Thoughts of the time before the incident, when Uma was still friends with a certain purple haired harpy came to mind.) But this…This...This seemed to even go beyond Mal dumping shrimp on her head...

"She's not mad."

Harry's head snapped up, looking at a softly smiling Gil. (When the hells did he start reading minds?)

"She's not mad," the blonde said simply. "She's the captain, and you're the first mate," Gil said as if that was a universal truth, as if it was something that would never change like the rise and setting of the sun and moon or the push and pull of the tides. (Not for the first time, Harry wished he could look at things from Gil's simple and uncomplicated perspective.)

He wanted to believe that was true. That the history, blood, sweat, and tears between Uma and he wasn't as disposable as that insecure voice in the back of his mind always whispered it was.

So he decided to believe Gil and ignored the doubt in the pit of his stomach and swept on his signature red coat, eyes surrounded by the previous day's smudged kohl like an armor. He ignored the way his hands shook, the slight breathless feeling that lurked near the edges of his awareness and instead focused on Gil's unwavering optimism and the comforting warm metal of his hook. It only did so much, wasn't as cutting in the darkness of his mind as the mere presence of Uma, but Gil was crew - a bit thick headed but a loyal member all the same - and until otherwise stated, Harry was the first mate, second in command. He couldn't let these...these...shitty panic attacks (that's what the damn therapist called them, wasn't it?) stop him from doing his job. From doing his duty of supporting Uma even though he felt so powerless and out of place here...

"Wow, you sure did a number here, Hook."

Harry snarled, glaring at the nonchalant smirk on Diego De Vil's face as he looked around the room with an impressed expression from the dorm room's entrance.

"Being cheeky are ye De Vil?" the pirate snarled, his stance hostile. The older boy wasn't crew and agreement or not, he hadn't earned Harry's trust. "And how in the seven seas did you get into me room?"

As Diego moved to turn upright and sit in a chair further into the room like he wasn't intruding in someone else's space, Harry noticed that the heir of the underworld had been apparently hidden behind Diego's taller figure. The younger boy always managed to creep Harry out, which was saying a lot.

"Your door wasn't locked," Diego said simply, bringing the pirate's attention back to him.

Harry didn't even have the energy or desire to glare at Gil for his forgetfulness. "Is there a reason why ye and Lord Death Junior are gracing us with yer presence?"

The carefree look on Diego's face was instantly replaced with a look of seriousness. "Have you seen the news, yet?" he questioned.

"The news?" Harry questioned looking to Gil, who merely shrugged. "Why would I be concerned about the news?"

A snort was heard behind him where Hadie stood arms crossed as he leaned against the room's door, a look of irritation on his usually impassive face.

"Because," he began, voice sounding like the crunch of dead leaves in the fall. "You done fucked up, Hook."

WLTF

Once upon a time, before a Captain and her first mate went to Auradon, before they kidnapped a king, before it was Uma and Harry Hook, it had been Harriet Hook and her stupid baby brother Harry…

"Stop dragging your feet, idiot! Keep up! If the witches get and eat ya it's not m'fault."

"Arrgh!"

"And stop that stupid sound! No one is going to take you seriously as a pirate making that dumb sound!"

"Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!"

A young Harriet Hook, just turned six years of age, dug her heels into the mud covered ground and spun around to face her younger brother (but no longer the youngest Hook sibling - that whelp that Hook's last whore abandoned on their ship had survived a year despite her smallness, earning her finally a name, Calista Jane Hook, and the title of the youngest - known - Hook sibling). Bright blue eyes cut through the smudge of dirt that was ever present on his face, making their father's most recent…lesson that surrounded his right eye barely noticeable except for a bit of swelling. (She would never admit the guilt she felt as an older sister when she couldn't even protect him in their own home.)

Harriet frowned as the boy raised an old fish hook, tucked between his middle and index finger, a slight surly look on his face before letting out a taunting "Arrrrrrrrrgh."

Tired and frustrated, Harriet did what any six year old who had enough of their annoying sibling would do. She pushed him. Hard.

The oldest child of Hook cackled as her brother was sent sprawling into the mud, knocking over another child who had been passing by in the process.

"Get off me!" a somewhat familiar voice barked, pushing Harry none too gently off to reveal the sea witch's brat, teal, small, and already as nasty and assertive as someone three times her age. Harriet had met her a few times when her father asked her to run a few messages between him and Ursula. The younger girl was always either clearing leftovers off of a table or standing on a crate to reach the sink as she washed chipped plate after chipped plate.

Initially, Harriet though she was just another weakling, a child of the Isle that wouldn't have survived as long as she did if it hadn't been for the reputation her mother once held. (It wasn't too unheard of. Madam Mim's airheaded daughters and granddaughters were a prime example of that.) It wasn't until she had tried to discreetly take a tip left behind by one of the restaurant's patrons from a table and found a kitchen knife embedded between her fingers with the girl staring coldly up at her, that she realized she may have judged Ursula's spawn a little too soon.

Harriet was about to yell at Harry to stop wasting time on his back when the younger girl dragged Harry up to his feet with a strength not expected of a four year old, her grip tight on his arms.

"You made me drop my candy!" the girl hissed, eyes narrowed as she got into his face. Harriet glanced amusedly down at the ground where there were indeed three red fish-shaped candy, covered in mud and other sludge that covered most of the streets of the Isle. She must have scavenged for hours in the pitiful excuse for supplies that Auradon sent over.

Harry sputtered. As the son of Hook, no one outside of Harriet and their father had ever spoken to him in this way. Looking back and forth from Harriet to this strange girl before his confused expression morphed into what should have been a scowl but looked more like he had a bad case of the runs. "I ain't did nothin' and even if I did, I ain't apologizing!" he declared crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out at her. "I dunno who ye even are!"

"Uma," the girl said as if it was something that should be common knowledge. "And you owe me for making me drop my candy! Or else" she hissed, pushing his nose with her finger before stomping away.

"Yer crazy, lass!" Harry yelled at her back but Uma didn't seem to acknowledge his words as she continued on until she was lost in the usual Isle bustle and hustle. "Girls are weird," Harry muttered pushing past Harriet, getting some mud on her coat which got him a hard whack on the head. "And evil," he pouted.

That made Harriet let out an honest and true laugh, wordlessly tugging her brother behind her as they continued on with their errands.

If Harriet noticed Harry stuff some small toys and shiny trinkets, as well as a lollipop from an unsuspecting baby into his pockets, she didn't say anything. And she didn't say anything when he tried to weasel out from under her when they passed Ursula's Fish and Chips Shoppe. (She did however, tease him mercilessly for hours. "Aw, is little Hook-boy in love?" "Shut up, Ettie! Ye dunno nothing!") And months later, after his multiple visits to Ursula's, she didn't say anything when he went to the Chip Shop instead of to Harriet to bandage his wounds after their father had ranted and raved about Neverland and Lost Boys who had defeated him and mistakenly thought his own son was the boy who was the reason he was imprisoned in the first place. (Harriet would follow behind her limping brother, all battered and bruised but never crying, watching from the shadows until he reached Ursula's where a small but commanding teal figure would wait on the steps as if she innately felt the pain that radiated off the boy and knew he was coming.) Harriet didn't say anything when Harry stopped following her around, or when he stopped taking her orders and instead followed another with a sense of purpose that Harriet could never truly inspire in her brother…

Years later, when Uma, daughter of Ursula took on the title of Captain and named Harry Hook her first mate, of course Harriet teased him about never being a captain, but she never said anything against Uma's declared title (or how utterly smitten her brother had become of the girl and how that both eased and frightened Harriet's worries).

And months later, when Mal and Evie and Jay and Carlos left the Isle and Uma clawed and pushed and snarled her way to the top of the Isle hierarchy with first mate and crew by her side, taking over Mal's turf and a few others that not even the Rotten Four dared to go up against when they ruled, Harriet begrudgingly tipped her hat at her brother and his Captain.

(And if Harriet Hook's crew were ordered to never to harm even a hair on any member of the Lost Revenge, well they weren't going to reveal one of their captain's weaknesses.)

"I suppose I did this to myself," Harriet sighed as she used a spyglass from the deck of her ship to watch as her brother, his captain, and their blonde oaf pile into a limousine, off to give Auradon hell.

"You say somethin' Cap'n?" one of the members of her crew asked.

"No," she snapped, pivoting on her heels, her back facing her one of her greatest treasures. "Not at all."

Present, On the Isle

"We're still waiting for more eyewitness details on these incidents, but if this first day is any indication, High King Ben might find some push back on his proclamation. Despite the success of the original Four, some are saying that enough disapproval is being felt to force the Council of Heroes to meet, something that hasn't been done since former High King Adam first united the kingdoms. This is Snow White bringing you the latest news in Auradon. Back to you in the studio!"

Lady Tremaine released a sigh, turning down the volume of the television. "I should have known Ursula's daughter would be unable to succeed. After all, what's to be expected of those who went to Serpent Prep? I suppose they'll be sending her and her band of hooligans back any day now," she said running a brush through the hair of her current client. The Evil Step-Mother's eyes narrowed, her brushing becoming almost bruising as she sneered in thought, "And when I get my hands on that granddaughter of mine, she'll see that what I put that insufferable waste of space Cinderella through was nothing compared to what I have in mind for her."

Harriet bit her lip, ignoring the urge to curse out the older woman as she abused her scalp. Eventually, Lady Tremaine finished, spinning the oldest child of Hook to face the cracked mirror. Harriet gave herself a quick glance in the cracked mirror, giving the woman a curt nod of approval. Though lacking in hospitality, the owner of Curl Up and Dye and Dragon Hall teacher was the best at what she did. The pirate reached into her jacket, ready to pay the usual overpriced amount when the Lady placed her hand tightly on her shoulder, stopping her.

"No need this time, my dear," the woman said with a smile that could freeze the seven hells. "After all, you're nearly family now."

Though Lady Tremaine's words almost made her want to scream and shatter the mirror into dust. Harriet silently nodded, putting back her coins and standing up. She wanted to get out of the salon before her former teacher brought up the topic of being part of the Tremaine family again. (I'm already part of one fucked up family. I don't need another one, she thought.)

Harriet was just about to leave when Lady Tremaine's daughter, Anastasia, stopped her at the door, pulling her off to the side, and away from the interested stare of Lady Tremaine. The former evil-step sister, now merely an unfortunate casualty of Auradon's biased rule, looked sympathetically at the girl as she reached to tuck raven chin-length hair behind Harriet's ear, ignoring the way the girl tensed at the contact. "I know this may not be how you wanted things but we really do consider you a part of our family, Harriet. Even before-" Anastasia began, stopping to clear her throat, struggling to get the words out. (Harriet couldn't blame her. She struggled with saying the words too.) "I mean, even before…"

"I understand," Harriet said quickly cutting her off. She still wasn't used to Anastasia's...mothering and always felt disorientated by even the simple gestures the woman made, like hugs or the warm and seemingly understanding look she always had in her eyes every time Harriet spoke with her, like the one she had now. It was off-putting and didn't deserve to be on the Isle. It was too warm. Too bright. Too Loving. (Harriet couldn't decide if she wanted to run away from it or hoard the warmth that the woman gave all for herself.)

Sensing the younger woman's uncomfortableness, Anastasia nodded. She placed a light kiss on both of Harriet's cheeks (something that never ceased to catch Harriet off guard no matter how many times she saw it coming) before stepping back, a sad smile on her face at the girl's obvious discomfort.

"Be safe," she said in farewell. "And please, don't be a stranger, Harriet. You are always welcome with the Tremaines."

Harriet merely nodded in response, not trusting her voice to stay steady, before stepping further out into the filth covered street, placing her captain's hat firmly on her head. It wasn't until the salon was far behind her did she feel the tension leave her shoulders, that she felt a bit more like herself. She had to be sure of herself. With Uma gone, a few idiots thought it was suitable time for a takeover until Harriet reminded them of their place. And if blood was spilled here and there to get the message clear that the pirates still ran the Isle, well, that was all more the fun.

She walked confidently down the streets, barely noticing as people rushed to move out of her way or the way that both men and women alike leered after her commanding strut. These were all things that she had grown used to as one of the rising power players on the Isle. Many said that she was just as fearsome as her father had been in his prime. Others said she was worst, more cruel, less forgiving of slights against her. Harriet didn't really care what people said as long as she was feared, and if she wasn't feared, she didn't hesitate to squish any pathetic insects underneath her boot to remind anyone who even entertained the idea of going against her that there was a reason why the infamous Captain James Hook allowed his heir to be his eldest daughter despite old sexist sailor superstition.

Not that she needed her father's backing anymore. He was getting old and was barely sober these days, spending more days either sleeping or fishing with Old Mr. Smee. Soon he would be more of a hindrance than an asset, Harriet thought coldly. Soon...but not yet.

So deep in her thoughts, Harriet didn't even realize that she was nearing her destination until she arrived at the graveyard where the tomb that acted as the entrance into Dragon Hall. She had stopped attending her classes years ago, running her crew taking precedent over learning about the failed plans of has-been villains that she could just hear whenever there was an excuse for the adults to get drunk. But she made sure the younger members of her crew attended.

The heels of her boots echoed eerily down the mostly empty halls. The few students who were either just hanging out during their free periods or just ditching classes, watched in awe as she passed by. Not many who were not part of her crew were able to get this close to the heir of the Jolly Roger and keep their lives.

Eventually, Harriet came to a door that with slanted script that read "Weird Science", pushing the door open unannounced and walking into the class filled with students and an exasperated looking professor.

"Miss Hook, I am in the middle of a class," Yen Sid sighed, leaning tiredly against his podium. Despite his remark, he already knew that scolding the young woman was pointless from his memories of her as a student.

Harriet moved to the front of the room with the swagger that only a Hook could have, sitting on the professor's old desk, and crossing her leg over the other. She picked up a crudely written essay from a pile on the desk and began to flip through it.

"You sent your little assistant to me requesting for a meeting, Professor, so I came as fast as I could," she sighed, bored, before tsking and looking up from the paper directly at Mad Maddy, one of Madam Mim's many granddaughters. "Oh Maddy, this paper is bad. Like, really bad. Maybe if you stopped turning tricks over by the wharf, trying to stir up some mess with my crew and maybe, I don't know, applied yourself a bit more, you might have enough brains to at least know not to copy off one of Gaston's lads," The sincerity in her voice contrasted greatly with the nasty sneer on her face. "I mean, I'm not an expert on this science shit but if it has anything to do with eggs and it's not biology related, it's probably not right, sweetie."

The girl in question blushed angrily, sliding down in her chair as her classmates laughed and jeered at her. Harriet smirked triumphantly, but memories of her walking through the back door of Curl Up and Dye after hours, instantly hearing the lusty moans and other sounds of carnal desire before hearing Maddy cry out, "Oh Anthony!" played over and over in her mind like a damn broken record…

Harriet looked away from the other girl, stomach feeling sick, and instead looked at the other members of the class. There were a few students, if Harriet looked closely, who were obviously forcing their mean behavior, members of Yen-Sid's little club. She wondered if they would have stood up for their classmate if they had been born in Auradon.

Distracted, Harriet didn't even notice Yen Sid's assistant shuffle close to her until she snatched the paper out of her hand, the quick motion causing a paper cut.

"Damn it!" Harriet hissed, hopping off the desk. She moved to corner the mousy-looking woman when Yen Sid, old as he appeared to be, easily stepped into the space between them.

"That is enough. Though I had wished to meet with you after class, I see it can't be helped. Let's take this to my office, Miss Hook," the old sorcerer said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. He turned to his assistant. "Sophie, please look after the class and continue the lesson."

His assistant nodded. "Yes sir."

Yen Sid gestured towards another door at the back of the room. "After you, Miss Hook."

Harriet sneered at Sophie, pride somewhat mollified when the assistant took a fearful step back, before making her way towards the back of the room, ruffling the hair of a few of her younger crew mates that she still made to attend classes as she passed, more a show of claim than actual show of affection. (Or at least that was what Harriet would say if questioned. Thankfully though, most on the Isle had wised up on not questioning her.)

When Harriet stepped into Yen Sid's private office, she had to bite her tongue again for what felt like the millionth time that day. There was no way that a room this big and tall could exist in Dragon Hall, not on their current level, not without a bit of magic, barrier or no, Harriet thought. Even Maleficent, when she was large and in charge and not a lizard, had not even dared to mess with the sorcerer despite the fact that on the Isle he should have just been a powerless frail old man.

"Tea?" he asked, already placing a beaker of water over a Bunsen burner. "I received so many wonderful new selections of tea from the supplies that the capital has recently sent over. You might like them my dear, I have rooibos. Or maybe," he said with a knowing look, "you would prefer something simpler like ginger or mint in your current condition."

Harriet's nails bit into the palm of her hands as she tightly clutched them into fists. "I would prefer if you just spat out why you called me here. If you haven't realized, not only do I have turfs to maintain and supplies to make sure are distributed, I now have to prepare for the repercussions, on and off the Isle, due to the mess that my brother surely had a hand in instigating with those pompous Auradon lot. So please excuse me, sir," she snarled. "If I want to skip the pleasantries that you shove down your little club member's throat and just get to the point!"

If Harriet was anyone else, she would have stumbled back at the sheer weight of the man's gaze, how it felt like he was looking at her past, present, and future. But she wasn't just anyone. After a moment, the professor broke his gaze, turning back to the Bunsen burner.

"Hm, chamomile, for your insomnia," he decided.

Harriet froze, as he began to prepare to cups.

"How did you-"

"My dear, it doesn't take magic to see the bags underneath your eyes," he chuckled, using tongs to pour the boiling water into the cups that already contained to the tea bags.

The pirate captain admittedly felt silly thinking that magic was involved, as she surprisingly took the cup of tea offered. She hadn't slept in days since that night at Curl Up and Dye, too angry at Mad Maddy, too angry at the male Tremaine heir, too frustrated and angry at herself for not only falling for the boy, but now she was - Harriet stopped her thoughts, taking a large scalding sip of the tea, focusing on the burning pain that went down her throat.

Once Yen Sid had prepared his own cup (two sugars and a squeeze of lemon) he sat in a tall armchair with Harriet sitting on a stool across from him.

"I have asked you here, Miss Hook," he began after taking a sip, "to discuss the next group of children bound to go to Auradon."

Nearly choking, Harriet thumped her chest to get the tea she had just swallowed down the correct pipe. "Excuse me? Are you going senile, old man? Have you not heard the news that's been playing on repeat since yesterday? Uma and my little brother fucked things up. Any idiot can tell you that once that damn Council of Groupies meet, all the kids from the Isle will be sent back with boot prints on their asses and it'll be more than twenty years before the next 'garbage strike' ends, let alone them considering letting us off this island again."

Yen Sid sat patiently, allowing her to verbalize her anger. She hated how he looked unruffled, merely taking a long sip of tea before placing the cup on the side stand next to him.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret, Miss Hook," he said, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands folded under his chin behind his long gray beard. "Whether Miss Uma or your brother, Mister Hook, had lasted a day, a week, a month over there, this was going to happen. Biases were going to force them into a less than pleasing position. After all, in the perspective of many born and raised on that side of the barrier, they are villains as evil and wicked as their parents that will amount to nothing other than creating complete chaos."

"So this was just a bunch of shit?" Harriet asked, the accent of her father's heritage that she started hiding since childhood growing thick in her anger and frustration. "Ye telling me them Auradon lot are just waving all their fancy things in our faces only to snatch 'em back? Just because of our parents?! I didn't ask for James Hook to be me Da! I didn't-"

"Calm yourself, child," Yen Sid cut her off. Harriet took a deep breath. She wouldn't let this has-been magician see her riled up. Couldn't let anyone see how she was falling apart from the inside out. "As I was saying, though this was expected, all change meets resistance. If Miss Uma is the leader that King Ben claims her to be, she will not stand alone once put in front of the Council of Sidekicks. Allies come from unexpected places."

Harriet narrowed her eyes at him, head tilted to the side to observe him. She was silent for a few minutes. "What do you know?" she questioned.

"Honestly?" Yen Sid said getting up and collecting both of their cups. "Nothing really. I have long been out of the loop of Auradonian politics for years now and even before this Isle was created, I chose not to spend my time peddling to royalty."

Harriet got up, following him to the door and begrudgingly taking a rolled up piece of parchment that she knew had recommended names for the next group of kids to be sent over if the Auradon messengers ever returned.

The old man opened the door to reveal a now empty classroom with Sophie picking up a stack of assignments, slowly inching herself around the other side of the room away from Harriet. (How did she even make it this long on the Isle, Harriet wondered.)

"I know that this is not something that comes naturally for you after living on the Isle, but please Miss Hook, have hope. A storm cannot be told to stop. It only stops when it decides it has ran its course," Yen Sid said cryptically.

Harriet rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Whatever mumbo jumbo shit you're on just keep it to yourself," she said, nearly out the door of the classroom and back into the hall.

She thought she had ended the conversation when suddenly she heard the old man call after her: "And may I also give my congratulations to you Miss Hook. You're definitely setting upon a new adventure."

Harriet walked quickly away, not pausing until she was back on her ship, in the privacy of her cabin. She pressed her forehead against the door, taking a moment to compose herself.

Pale arms, with long delicate hands wrapped themselves around her waist, a broad chest pressing against her back.

"What's wrong, m'Lady?" the voice of her past dreams and recent nightmares murmured as he pressed kisses along her neck.

Inwardly, Harriet broke apart, wanting nothing but the soft warm memory of curling around Harry and CJ protectively in the bed that they had shared, listening to her siblings breathing softly, reassured and calmed in the knowledge that they were both still there, that she had managed to keep them alive for one day longer.

Outwardly, she turned around in his arms, meeting the usually haughty but now puzzled looking visage of Anthony Tremaine. She plucked a hair of Mim-purple hair from his jacket, both very aware of where it had come from and both knowing that Mad Maddy had been in school all day.

"Harriet," he began. "You know I am very...fond of you," he struggled to say, words of vulnerability not even a luxury amongst his family (except for his warm, warm mother who gave more than she would ever receive here).

"But not fond enough," she said coldly, shoving him away and walking over to her desk where her maps were mixed with his records of all of their transactions and who owed them what. "Mr. Tremaine, I want a report on our recent shipment of supplies including the projected income or whatever it's called, by tomorrow morning."

"That'll take hours!" he protested.

Harriet merely grinned, sitting in her chair with feet propped on her desk, hands folded on her stomach where she ignored the slight bump there. "Then you'd better tell your little girlfriends that you're going to be working all night and have to miss your date, then."

If "fondness" wasn't enough to obtain his complete loyalty, she would take his fear instead.

Hello hello! I know it's been awhile but thank you all for your patience, likes, reviews, favorites, subscriptions, etc. Your support has always been amazing and it's really helped me through some recent stressful times.

As always, thank you to my wonderful beta, elphaba_swan (kindofchaoticgood on Tumblr). Elphaba has some great Huma stuff on AO3 and also some more awesome Huma stuff on Tumblr so please check them out!

Sorry for the lack of present Harry/Uma in this chapter but next chapter we'll definitely get back to what's going on in Auradon. Until then, if you haven't already checked it out, I have a Huma AU story out called "I'm Hooked On All These Feelings". It's basically a AU What if Harry was born in Auradon story that was given to me as a prompt on Tumblr (edream93) that I really liked and wanted to expand on. Check it out if you have time.

Thank you again for being so patient! Until next time!