A/N: Okay, okay, I lied. This is the final chapter for year four. David had to go all noble on me. So, this is a follow up to the previous chapter. And I actually found the time to work on a new chapter during the middle of a crazy week! Yay! It's really short, but it is here. I hope you guys enjoy.
It had been an odd day. One that started normally enough when a few third years (who should have been terrified of him) had knocked Rumpelstiltskin's books from his arms in the hallway. The strangeness started when he'd bent over to gather his things from among the mass of teeming legs and found that he wasn't alone. Bent down and picking up Rumpelstiltskin's things was David Nolan. Completely shocked, the Ravenclaw had taken his things from David with a small nod before scurrying away.
Now here he sat in his usual corner of the arithmancy classroom with the same Gryffindor sitting right beside him. Puzzled, Rumpelstiltskin did his best to ignore David while trying to figure out what prank the Gryffindor and his buddies were trying to pull.
As professor Vector assigned problems, David leaned over and whispered. "Do you actually understand this?"
Surprise at being addressed led Rumpelstiltskin to look up at the other boy. However, surprise wasn't enough to keep him from replying in his normal sharp voice, "of course I do." Believing that would be the end of their brief odd moment, he turned back to his work.
"Well I have no bloody clue," David sighed leaning back in his chair and tossing his pencil onto the table. Rumpelstiltskin ignored the boy beside him and continued working. But David was having none of that. "How did you get to that point?"
"I moved the numbers around," Rumple snapped. Despite himself, the Ravenclaw felt bad as David's face fell at the sharp retort. Taking a deep breath, he explained his work step by step to the other boy.
"You make it sound easy," David acknowledged.
Rumpelstiltskin snorted. "I've had a lot of free time to devote to studying it."
David grew visibly uncomfortable at that. "I guess so."
The two spent the rest of class in an uneasy silence, broken occasionally when David had a polite question about the work. It was easily the strangest class Rumpelstiltskin had ever been a part of. He was accustomed to people giving him a cold shoulder, pretending he didn't exist, or harassing him endlessly. He knew how to deal with that. Having someone acting downright friendly towards him, left the young man feeling awkward and unsure.
Noticing that David seemed to be taking his time collecting his things, Rumpelstiltskin hurriedly stuffed his notes and book into his bag. Stalking from the room, Rumple didn't notice as David began shoving materials into a bag as well. To Rumpelstiltskin's great dismay, the other boy caught up to him on the stairs down to the Great Hall.
"Hey Gold," David huffed as they both came to a stop on the landing.
"Nolan?" Rumpelstiltskin replied warily. Casting a quick glance around him he noted that they were completely alone and not close to any secret passages that he knew of.
"Look," the blonde said running a hand along the back of his neck in a manner that almost looked nervous. "I… Well…" David took a deep breath and turned his gaze to Rumpelstiltskin. "I wanted to apologize."
Rumpelstiltskin felt his mouth fall open. No amount of self-control could force him to school his expression or shut his now gaping mouth. "For what?"
"Everything really," David responded. "I know that it doesn't make up for all the crap we've done, but I'm sorry for not stopping them. And for not taking the right stand. You're not your dad and I never should have treated you like shite for who you were born. Especially without asking what you actually believe about the whole mess."
What the actual hell, the boy thought. Uncertain of how to progress Rumpelstiltskin merely nodded at the Gryffindor. David had obviously rehearsed these words and given them a lot of thought.
But he wasn't finished either. "I can't condone what you've done, Gold. That muggle girl from second year-"
"Was a rumor and nothing more," Rumpelstiltskin growled as anger took over every other emotion at the reminder of that particularly vicious rumor.
It was David's turn to look gob smacked. "What?"
"It was a rumor. I've never hurt anyone that didn't hurt me first."
"I'm sorry," David finished lamely.
In the face of everything that had transpired today, Rumpelstiltskin couldn't say he blamed the other boy's lame finish to an otherwise great speech. He couldn't understand the change that had overcome his (former?) tormentor, but he had to admit it was nice to hear someone besides Belle apologize to him.
Rumpelstiltskin was startled further as David stuck out a hand. "Truce?"
Giving the Gryffindor a long hard look, Rumple slowly grasped the outstretched hand fully expecting it to be a trick of some form. After waiting several moments for the hammer to fall, he was once again surprised when David didn't turn on him. "Truce," Rumpelstiltskin replied.
As the two boys parted ways, Rumpelstiltskin couldn't help but reflect once again on just how odd his day had been.
A/N: Thanks for reading and, as always, please let me know what you think. See you guys in the next chapter. (Which unless someone decides they need a chapter, should take place in Diagon Alley).