A/N: Okay, this muse is becoming a favorite of mine. I know the chapters are short, but I'm not trying to right a new story. I'm really just trying to keep it to short one-shots across their time at Hogwarts. But here we are, three chapters in and still in their fourth year. I'll let you guys know when we change years. Hope you enjoy!
October brought with it a frigid change to the air, promising that winter was well on its way. The inhabitants of Hogwarts spent any free time out on the castle's lawns, enjoying the sunshine and warmth as much as possible. October also brought with it the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Students from third year up spent the days leading up to the trip in a state of frenzied excitement.
Rumpelstiltskin found himself warring between excitement at the prospect of getting out of the castle while potentially spending time with Belle and terror at the prospects of leaving the relative safety of his routine. Last year he skipped out on most trips to the quaint little village. There were just too many places for him to be jumped. However, this year he had a valid reason for wanting a little alone time. Or at least alone time with someone special.
In the week leading up to the fated trip, it took Rumple two days to decide he was going to Hogsmeade this time. It took him another three days to work up the courage to ask Belle to join him there. All of that limited courage and time making his decision led him to the cluster of armchairs closest to the fire Ravenclaw tower. Tomorrow was the day and it was now or never. He had to ask Belle.
It's not like I'm asking her out on a date, the nervous young man assured himself. Just to spend the day with me in Hogsmeade. We do it all the time here. She probably expects to hang out with me tomorrow anyway. Right?
Continuing his stream of encouraging thoughts, Rumpelstiltskin dropped heavily into the armchair next to Belle's. The girl in question was curled up comfortably in the overly large chair with a book propped up on her knees. For several minutes Rumple simply watched her, knowing that she was too engrossed in her book to have noticed him. He admired the way her nose crinkled as she read something distasteful and the way her eyes seemed a blur as the skimmed across the page, drinking in every word.
Shaking himself from such odd thoughts, Rumpelstiltskin cleared his throat. "I could sit her and watch you read for the rest of the evening, or I could simply go to bed."
To his amusement, Belle startled at his words. He'd been right, she hadn't even noticed him.
"Rumple," she breathed as she pulled herself from the book, "I didn't see you there."
"Well you were rather fixated," he teased easily. "You know, I think it's rather fortunate that we have homework every now and then or I'd never actually be able to talk with you."
With all the grace and poise of an adult, Belle stuck her tongue out at him. "I'd make time to talk with you anyway. As long as I was allowed to finish a chapter first," she conceded the least with a sheepish grin.
"At least I know where I stand."
Belle marked her spot in the book with a loose strip of paper and sat the book on a rickety side table. Stretching and looking about the common room, she seemed to realize just how late in the evening it was. "What time is it?"
"A bit past nine."
"Time got away from me!"
"I had noticed."
The bookworm swatted at him for his cheek as he stifled a yawn. "Where've you been then?" she asked.
"Just doing a bit of thinking."
"How terribly exciting," Belle quipped with a wink.
The past month had provided the two with an easy companionship. Truthfully, Rumpelstiltskin had never been so pleased to be teased by someone. Belle somehow turned a quip or snarky remark into a form of endearment. Having never really had a friend before, Rumple found that he rather enjoyed the easy banter that often existed between them.
"Thinking about something important?" she inquired leaning her head back. The fire glinted off her eyes adding an odd shade of amber to the deep blue. The shadows painted a fierceness that didn't quite fit the bookish girl. And yet it stirred something in Rumpelstiltskin's long abused heart. Something dangerous and ridiculous that he quickly shook off.
Not knowing how else to broach the topic, the nervous boy's mouth began speaking before he'd fully given it permission. "I was actually thinking about Hogsmeade tomorrow. I'm going and if you're going, would you like me to show you around."
Unless he was very much mistaken, Belle's eyes took on a hopeful look for a split second. But the next moment an oddly uncomfortable look snuck onto her features. "I'm sorry Rumple, I, I didn't figure you'd be going. You're always talking about how much you dislike large groups of people and all that and I just," Belle stopped suddenly, aware that she was rambling something awful. Her eyes slipped down to her folded hands as she continued. "I've already got plans for tomorrow. I'm meeting someone at the Three Broomsticks first thing. I don't know how long it'll last, but I'd love to see you afterwards."
She'd added the last in a rush of words that were obviously meant to be some form of apology. An apology he didn't need. Belle was popular, of course she had plans. They were friendly in classes and at lunch, but she had other people to talk to and hang out with. She couldn't be with him all the time.
"Of course," Rumpelstiltskin relented hurriedly. "I just… wanted to put the offer out there. I usually don't go, but I figured… it's no matter. No matter at all."
Sensing that he was about to flee, Belle reached out and took his hand. It shamed the boy to no end when he twitched at the contact, but if she noticed she didn't say anything about it. "It's really sweet of you to offer that Rumpelstiltskin. I really would love to hang out with you afterwards. Maybe I can talk him into leaving early and we can meet up with you at Honeydukes."
A strange stab of something almost like jealousy hit Rumple at the mention of "him." Belle was meeting up with another guy. More than that, she was going on a date. It really wasn't any of his business, but it still stung a bit more than he thought it should. So, what if Belle found a guy she fancied. It didn't matter to him, did it?
Rumpelstiltskin plastered on the best fake smile he could manage before answering Belle's kind offer. "I'd really rather not. I don't usually go anyway. I, I just wanted to make sure that you had someone to show you around."
"Rumple- "
"Seriously Belle, it's fine. I hope you have fun tomorrow. I'll be waiting to hear all the details."
With that Rumpelstiltskin picked himself up from the chair and made his way up to his dormitory. A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach caused him to question his sanity. Who Belle decided to hang out with wasn't his concern. She could do whatever she liked.
Despite all his reassurances and assertions that he didn't care, Rumple spent a sleepless night shifting through various nightmares concerning Belle and a horde of nameless, faceless young suitors.
Finding the Three Broomsticks had been easy enough with Ruby's help. The young fourth year Gryffindor and Belle had hit it off immediately. Now they were rarely far from each other's side. In fact, if it wasn't for her friendship with Rumpelstiltskin, Belle figured that she and Ruby would only ever part when they had to leave for their respective common rooms. However, Belle had discovered that being friends with Malcolm Gold's son didn't earn her popularity points. The friends that she'd made so far couldn't understand her continued relationship with Rumple and they point blank refused to hang out with him. But as long as he wasn't in the picture, Belle found the people of Hogwarts to be ridiculously friendly.
It had taken every bit of coercion and will power to get Ruby to leave once they'd arrive. It took even more than that to convince the young lady to leave. Now Belle found herself seated at a cozy corner table twenty minutes early.
To say that she was nervous about this meeting was an understatement. It was officially her first date. She'd spent thirty minutes picking out the perfect outfit, with help from the other fourth year Ravenclaw girls. This morning Belle had made sure that she looked her absolute best before walking down to meet Ruby. Excitement bubbled within the young woman's stomach, mixing with a nervous anticipation that caused her to feel slightly unwell.
Belle gave herself a mental shake. She was behaving like a child. There was no reason to be so nervous, Gaston had proven himself a proper gentleman time and time again. He'd talked her up in several classes and had walked her to dinner each day this week. In fact, she'd seen more of Gaston than she had Rumple here lately. Shoving her insecurities to the back of her mind Belle focused on her guilt over ditching her best friend.
She truly hadn't expected Rumpelstiltskin to have any desire to come to Hogsmeade today. He hated crowds and disliked being around people in general. That coupled with the isolation that went hand in hand with the long walk down to the village created a combination of reasons for him not to come.
And yet he'd been willing to deal with his own discomfort just to show Belle around. Unwilling to admit it to herself, Belle felt her stomach do a flip at that thought. Rumple had swiftly become her dearest friend at Hogwarts. Despite all that was said about him, she found him to be kind, witty, and caring. He certainly had a temper and wasn't afraid to display his rather extensive knowledge of jinxes and hexes, but behind that he was different that what she'd been told to expect. He was unexpected in every way.
Belle's thoughts turned from her guilt as time ticked away until Gaston was meant to arrive. She waved the waitress away several times explaining that she'd simply been early and was waiting on her date to arrive. Yet as the time drew nearer, Gaston didn't appear. Patiently, Belle waited, assuring herself that he was just a few minutes late.
A few minutes turned into thirty and that then turned into an hour. He must be caught up with something, she thought, convincing herself of the idea. But an hour turned into two and Belle had to admit to herself that perhaps he just wasn't coming.
The students sitting around her shot her sympathetic looks as time ticked by and Belle played with the straw in her drink. This was turning into quite the horrible day. No matter how many times she convinced herself that it was a mistake and that maybe he'd just been held up, Belle couldn't shake the knot in her throat. She'd been stood up and that was that.
About the time she finally decided that he wasn't coming a slim figure slipped into the seat in front of her. Hope and anger rushed through Belle's veins as she looked up… and smiled in pleasant confusion. It wasn't the sturdy figure of Gaston sitting across from her. Instead Rumple had, seemingly from nowhere, appeared in his place.
He was wearing that crooked half smile of his that she found so endearing as he gave her a wink. "Sorry, I'm so late. I got caught up with Professor Flitwick. Apparently, Peeves has taken it upon himself to enchant pumpkins so that they'll chase unsuspecting students down the hallways. I, of course, was the unlucky guinea pig for his latest project." He spoke loudly enough that those sitting around them could hear as well.
But when he continued it was in a low whisper that only she could hear. "I decided to come and meet you and crash your date. But it looks like it's my lucky day."
"How's that?" Belle asked her voice thick with either tears or laughter, she couldn't tell.
"I don't have to pretend to be interested in whoever it was, and I get to spend the rest of the day showing you around Hogsmeade. Sounds like a good deal to me."
An earsplitting grin forced its way across Belle's face. Returning her smile with equal fervor, Rumpelstiltskin began perusing the menu. Two butterbeers later and the two were well on there way to another grand adventure.
Whether either of them knew it (or even admitted it) or not, Rumpelstiltskin had just firmly won a piece of Belle's heart.
A/N: I know this is one of those writing prompts you run across all the time, but I just couldn't pass it up this time. It fit so well and so perfectly. If you guys are enjoying this story or want to see anything else, let me know in the comments or shoot me a message. Thanks for reading!