A/N: I don't know if I've just found more time or I'm pushing everything else aside because I need to write to stay sane (okay so I know I'm being irresponsible and pushing everything aside...). But in any case here is the next chapter for my current favorite story! I'm currently finishing up part 2 to this segment and should have it up tonight as well. Hope you guys enjoy!
Over the years Rumplestiltskin Gold had grown rather accustomed to the undertones of avid dislike he received from pretty much everyone. It was routine for him to expect insults and harassment of some form or another. After his second year, he decided to never hide away in his room because his father had been mentioned in the Prophet for yet another crime. If he did, he'd never manage to leave. So, when he found himself stared at by the entire hostile student body he knew it would be one of those days.
Putting on his usual brave face, Rumple dealt with the constant pushes and trip ups he experienced in the hallways. He ignored the snide comments and nasty words directed at him. He even managed to avoid Jones and his crew successfully for most of the first day. However, the fourth year girl who'd cornered him after Ancient Runes almost made him reconsider hiding in his dorm. The girl yelled a stream of insults and curses at him that caused others to stop and gawk at the spectacle. Knowing how it would end if he tried, Rumplestiltskin did nothing to defend himself which only seemed to incense the girl further. He'd no idea who she was or what house she belonged to, but when she spat on n his face before walking away he made a mental note to find out.
All in all, he'd had worse days. He just couldn't quite recall those at the moment.
Yet it wasn't the stream of dirty looks, cruel words, and unkind actions that caused the current pain in his chest. No that had been the moment he'd finally decided to stop dragging Belle down with him.
She'd chased him down as he made his way across the grounds to the greenhouses. It was dangerous to be alone so soon after whatever news had just broken. But he couldn't find it in himself to care. To his great surprise, Belle caught up with him halfway to the first greenhouse.
"Hey," she attempted in a falsely cheerful voice.
"Hey," he shot back without looking up.
To his utter dismay, she cut right to the heart of the matter. "Did you see the Prophet yet?
"I really don't care," he sighed as he finally stopped his race to nowhere.
"Yes, you do," she corrected, bumping his shoulder with hers.
The smallest of smiles tugged at the corner of his mouth. She knew him too well at this point. "What's happened then?"
"Malcolm and the lost boys took over a protest. The Prince brothers lost their entire family and Victor lost his father."
"Shit," he replied eloquently.
"That seems to be the sentiment. How are you?"
"It's going to be a day." While he'd never admit it to anyone, it warmed his long-abused heart that Belle so quickly dismissed the pain of others in order to find out how he was doing. At least in her books, he came first. Which is why what he had to do next hurt so damn much.
Belle nodded in agreement, "But you don't have to face it alone."
"Yes, I do," he replied turning his back to her.
"Rumple," she pleaded putting a light hand on his arm, "I'm here for you. Don't push me away."
"Thank you Belle, but I can handle this on my own. It's not like it's the first time."
"Don't be a prat you're my best friend I'm not just leaving you."
"I. Don't. Need. You," he replied with more venom than he intended. But if ever he had a chance to break ties with her, it was now. Spinning back to face her, he pulled darkness around him like a shroud hoping it would mask the ache in his heart. "I don't need your help or your pity. So, spare me your meddling."
Belle looked as if he'd slapped her. "Rumple I don't pity you. Surly, you know that."
"No, I really don't. Now go."
The stubborn set of her jaw gave him his answer before a word left her mouth. "No," Belle said forcefully. "I'm not letting you push me away right now. Not when you need someone in your corner."
"I don't!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted. "You want to know truth of it. I am glad that it was the Prince brothers. They deserve it. After everything they've done to me I don't give a shit about them or their family."
"You don't mean that."
"Yes, I do Belle. I don't care about anyone at this damn school. Why should I?"
With her eyes full of tears she refused to let fall, Belle put her face inches from his. "Because a few of us actually care about you, you prat."
With that Belle stalked away. Instead of heading for the greenhouses, the bookworm made her way back into the castle. Which Rumple took to mean he wouldn't have to sit through an awkward Herbology class today. Sighing as he resigned himself to loneliness once more, Rumpelstiltskin walked back to face the onslaught he knew would be his life for the next several weeks.
"Well if it isn't my least favorite crocodile," an all too familiar voice called across the courtyard.
Well damn, thought Rumpelstiltskin as he looked up from his (obviously not as isolated as he thought) corner of the courtyard. Killian Jones and three of his cronies had snuck up on him while he'd been absorbed in a book. Quickly coming to his feet, the Ravenclaw's hand flew instinctively to his wand.
Noticing this movement Jones flashed a dangerous smile and held up his hands placatingly. "No need for all of that Crocodile," Jones said. "We just wanted to check in on you. Make sure you're doing all right after that nasty row with the French girl."
Rumple's cheeks flushed an annoying shade of red at the mention of his fight with Belle. "I'm just fine thanks," he snapped back.
Noticing the upcoming confrontation, the other students in the courtyard began gathering around them, effectively removing all possibilities of a quick escape. The greedy faces of his peers told him they wouldn't allow it anyway. They were looking forward to seeing the "Supremacist" git get what he deserved.
The anger that generally boiled within him cooled into a chilling resentment and resignation as he realized that now they had reason to openly hate him. Before, their dislike had been a thinly hidden thing. Now that the war hit close to home, they had no reason to hide behind masks of polite indifference. Blatant hatred of Malcolm Gold's son happened to be the latest fad.
"Come now Crocodile," Jones continued in show of false concern, "it's always difficult when you fight with friends. Course I can understand why you wouldn't know what that feels like. Never having had any friends before."
"Still can't believe you managed to hang on to one for a whole year," Thomas added. Scattered laughter coursed through the crowd."
"Better no friends at all than the moronic followers you call friends," Rumpelstiltskin fired back. To his satisfaction, James Nolan and Gaston both bristled at that comment. Gripping his wand tighter, Rumple waited patiently for the attack he knew was imminent.
However, Jones merely smiled and changed subjects. "Do you think they allow you and your father joint cells in Azkaban?" The boy asked. "Might make it a bit less lonely for you."
"I doubt he'll want for company," Thomas chimed in once again, smiling darkly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rumple growled, berating himself for rising to their bate at all.
"I'm sure you'll have plenty of bodies to keep you warm at night," Thomas supplied. "If they can stand the sight of you that is."
When nothing but prolonged silence that followed, Gaston decided to make plain his friend's intent. "He's calling you the bitch. Might even enjoy the attention. Merlin knows you won't get some any other way."
The blush that had been growing since the altercation began firmly planted itself on Rumpelstiltskin's face, while the anger he'd been pushing down for the past several days rose to new heights. Ignore them. He repeated over and over to himself. It's nothing new. Don't make the first move. If he made the first move, Blue would have his hide and he really couldn't afford another weeks' worth of detentions.
"Oh, I'm sorry Gold," Thomas continued. "Did you not want everyone to know you're that pathetic?"
"Like you've ever had someone you didn't pay for," Rumple sneered. "Which I guess is better than Jones's obvious attempts to overcompensate and Gaston's inability to hide that he doesn't really care for women anyway."
All three boys blanched at the Ravenclaw's words. Thomas reacted first. Drawing his wand in apparent fury he pointed it directly into Rumpelstiltskin's face. "You've got a lot of nerve-"
Killian cut him off before the boy could act. Grabbing his friend's arm, he pulled Thomas back. "Think you're clever don't you Gold," Killian commented allowing an edge to creep into his tone.
It wasn't a question, but Rumple answered Jones all the same. "It's more of an ingrained knowledge of my own cleverness."
"Want to know what I think?"
"I don't particularly care."
"I think you're scared," Jones smirked.
"Scared?" Rumple scoffed wondering where the other boy was going with this.
"The Ministry's being pressured into providing results when dealing with your father. The public is outraged, the Ministry's being exposed for the group of fools it really is, and your father's gaining followers. They have to do something soon. I'm willing to bet they come for you within the month. Cart you off for questioning or toss you in a cell until you cooperate."
Rumpelstiltskin let out a low whistle while he rolled his eyes. "That's a bold prediction Jones. What makes you think they haven't already talked to me?"
"Prophet article from this morning. Seems there are a lot of people tired of the Ministry refusing to hold you accountable."
"And I'm supposed to be frightened?"
"I would be," Jones admitted. However, the hungry smile that followed that admission quickly dispelled any false sense of understanding. "When they start asking your friends about your character at school... well that'll be a short conversation. You'll finally be exposed for the git you are. I think you're scared because you know deep down, that you just alienated the only person who didn't realize just how worthless you are."
A pin dropping would have made more noise than those students standing in the courtyard at that moment.
But Jones's eyes were fixed solely on the boy he considered his worst enemy as he continued. "Poor Belle French. So misguided when she first showed up. Tell me, what happened to finally make her see sense? To understand why no one else can stand the sight of you?"
Shame cut through the rage that had been building within Rumpelstiltskin. Jones was right, he'd led Belle on for far too long. He'd allowed her to believe the best of him, when, truthfully, there was no best side of him. The truth was that he'd always been as useless and pathetic as his father said. He never stood up to his father or Malcolm's followers. He'd taken a stand against them once and immediately learned just how futile resistance was.
However, admitting that to himself and admitting it to Jones in front of a crowd of his peers were two very different things. Allowing the rage to rule him, Rumple raised his wand and cast a Furnunculus curse at Jones quicker than any of his tormentors could react.
Jones scream of pain as his skin burst out in painful boils distracted the others long enough for Rumpelstiltskin to disarm James as well.
Before he could cast another spell, he found his wrists and ankles encased in charmed ropes that only squeezed tighter as he struggled. Gasping as the ropes tightened around his bad ankle, Rumple overbalanced and hit the ground hard. His wand skittered away as Gaston and Thomas covered him with their wands.
The onlooking crowd that had broke out in excited chatter as the boy's began dueling let out a few cheers as Rumpelstiltskin hit the ground.
He quickly pulled himself into a sitting position, hoping to find some leverage with which to dive towards his wand. But apparently Jones had been provided with enough time to master his new painful condition. Disfigured though Jones was at present, Rumple could still make out the malevolent smile crossing his face.
Rumpelstiltskin stopped struggling against his bonds as he looked at the tip of Jones's wand, now centimeters in front of his face. "That wasn't very nice Crocodile," Jones laughed.
"I think he'd better apologize," James growled stepping into place beside Jones.
With all four tormentors surrounding him and no one from the crowd coming to his rescue, Rumple knew the situation was hopeless. Not to mention, he'd attacked first, which meant that Blue would lay the blame completely at his feet. Everything boiled down to the fact, at this point, he had absolutely nothing to lose.
Which meant the suggestion of exactly where James could stick his apology that followed his eloquent statement of "Fuck you," couldn't get him into more trouble than he'd already found himself. Or at least that's what Rumpelstiltskin thought.
"Such language," James tutted. "I think a stinging hex for each curse word might teach him a lesson. What do you think Killian?"
Laughter from the crowd was all Jones needed to encourage his already growing smile. A few hexes later – one landing in a very uncomfortable place that left Rumple gasping for breath and with tears in his eyes – and Rumpelstiltskin was, once again, utterly humiliated. Beyond wishing he could sink into the ground, the young man wished he'd never had the audacity to get out of bed this morning.
"I've got something for you Crocodile," Jones was saying as he walked around his prone prey. "Little gift I found just for you."
A nod to Gaston and Thomas and the two boys pulled the still bound Ravenclaw to his feet.
"You can keep your gifts Jones," Rumple growled as the other boy walked up to him.
"Now that's not very polite," James insisted. "Didn't we just have a lesson about this?"
Rumpelstiltskin wisely kept his mouth shut this time. He had no interest in any more well-placed stinging hexes.
"I think you're really going to like this one Crocodile. I picked it out especially for you," Jones continued as he sauntered forward. Grabbing his left arm forcefully, Jones pulled up the sleeve of Rumpelstiltskin's robe exposing his forearm. Leaning in Jones whispered so that only Rumple could hear his next words. "You disgust me Crocodile. Wanting to follow in the steps of your pathetic father and his supremacist bullshit. If anyone deserved to die at that protest it was him… or maybe you."
Rumple felt as if he'd been doused with cold water as he stared Killian Jones in the eyes and saw nothing but honest hatred there. The boy wasn't lying, he truly wished for Rumpelstiltskin's death. Rumple could see it written in every feature of his face. He felt hollow after everything he'd suffered this summer for refusing to hurt Jones. He'd tried to protect a person who hated him to his very core. A person who didn't even know him.
In that moment Rumpelstiltskin knew that his father had been right, it would have been better if he'd never been born. He was a pathetic, worthless, waste of space that didn't deserve happiness or peace. Whatever Jones did next, that's what he deserved.
Grabbing his wrist in one hand, Jones fished in his pocket with the other. Jones pulled out a clear piece of plastic that had something drawn on it.
"Ever seen those Muggle temporary tattoos?" Jones asked the crowd at large. "This is kind of like that… only I don't plan on it being temporary."
Before Rumple could even react to his words, Jones slapped the plastic down onto his forearm and performed a fancy bit of spell work. Pain radiated from the area causing Rumple to cry out. As fire raced through the veins of his arms, Gaston and Thomas threw him to the ground. Cradling his arm carefully, Rumpelstiltskin looked down to see what Jones had done. The sight knocked what breath was left right out of him.
There seared onto his forearm was a perfect replica of the Dark Mark.
A/N: Sorry for the slight cliff hanger, but hopefully it won't be a long wait. Thank you guys so much for reading! Let me know what you think and as always prompts are very welcome! I have a few that I'm building up to, so if you haven't seen your prompt used yet, that's probably why. See you guys in the next chapter!