Thank you all for such a lovely response to the first chapter! It was great to hear from people! I wanted to let y'all know that I already have a few chapters written out, 2 more after this, so if you do send suggestions, I'd incorporate those in chapters past the 4th one! Feel free to message me if you have any ideas you'd think would be good, I love chatting about ideas and this movie with people! :)

Hope you enjoy this one! It takes place while the curse is still around.

The Beast moved slowly through the upper level of the library, eyes scanning the spines of each book. He had almost forgotten how many books were actually within this space, how many years of history each book held.

As a child, he loved to read. He and his mother would sit for hours in the library, going over tales of adventure, heroes, and discovering the true beauty of the world. It was at these times, sitting next to his mother by the fire, where he was truly happy.

After she passed, it took him months to step back into that room. The simple act of standing outside the door would cause a swell of sadness to wash over him. Stepping inside the library, it was almost too much to bear. He would run out, fighting back the tears that formed in his eyes. He couldn't let those tears fall, he couldn't show this type of sadness, this emotion, or his father would ridicule him once again.

Eventually he found himself back in the maze of books, though he avoided the sections he used to go in every day as a child. It was a small escape for him from his father, who grew colder and crueler with each passing day. He found himself finding books that held dark themes, twisted tales, with little love to be found in them. The fun stories he recalled from childhood brought with them too much pain.

Sometimes within these tales, it would bring up the idea of romance or true love. He would scoff, quickly dismissing the book, and let it collect dust in the parts of the library he rarely visited. Romance...the pining, the warmth, the "care" people had for one another, it was a feeling he wanted very little to do with. Sometimes, when talking to some of the servants, he would let that small feeling creep into his heart, a warmth long forgotten. But he would quickly shut it away, knowing the pain it brought with it. It was this lack of warmth and love that drove him into the person he was that night his life changed.

Once he turned into a beast, it was years before he set foot into the library again. It was too much of a reminder of what he wasn't anymore. And the Enchantress...she had left that cursed book, another cruel trick she had laid for him.

Eventually, he did go back into the library. It was a hiding spot for himself away from the servants in the castle, though it was rare they would come looking for him. Lumiere and Mrs. Potts were the exceptions, but everyone else...they knew better then to come looking for their master. He found himself looking through the shelves, something to distract his mind from what he had become.

It was frustrating at first, his claws would rip the pages of the books and his irritation would grow with each torn page. He couldn't even flip a simple page! If he couldn't do something as simple as that, how could he get someone to fall in love with him? Looking the way he did?

But somehow...he had. Now, the Beast found himself in a section of the library he rarely visited and shut those memories and thoughts away. He may care for Belle, but she would never love him. She was far too beautiful, too kind of a person to love a creature like himself.

He huffed, shaking his head. Who was he trying to fool?

"Oh, there you are!"

If his heart skipped for a minute, he didn't let it show. But he did jump slightly and turned quickly, looking down at the small brunette that had somehow snuck up on him.

Her long chestnut hair was down today and the sunlight from the window made it look as if she was glowing. He also noticed she was wearing her blue dress, the same type of outfit he had first seen her in. He would never say it outloud, but it was one of his favorite outfits for her. It was...just so Belle, he wasn't sure how to describe it.

An eyebrow playfully raised, Belle tried to fight off a smirk tugging on the edge of her lips, "I didn't expect to find you in this section."

Confused, the Beast looked around and realizing what she meant, he fought back a groan.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was in order," he deflected with a huff, "you've been going through them all so much…"

"I'll have you know," she countered, digging around in one of the pockets she had tied around her waist, "That I put the books back correctly every time."

Pulling out a book from the pocket, she turned it over in her hand a few times, looking down at it's cover, before meeting his gaze, "I must say...you're taste in books is a little...more intense then I am used to."

She held out the book for him and he took it gently, aching to brush his paw against her hand. Even for just a moment.

Fighting back the thought, his eyes skimmed over the title, "Oh, you read Hamlet," he commented gruffly, looking back at her with a bit of a shrug, "It is a favorite of mine."

"I saw you finished it the other day and I was just curious as to what had you so captivated."

A small laugh escaped him, "So that's where it ran off to before I could put it away…"

Belle laughed lightly, she has a beautiful laugh he thought, and a flush of red came to her cheeks, "Sorry, I needed something new to read and took the chance…," she trailed off, her eyebrows furrowed, "it was fantastic, of course, but...sad. Do you tend to read sad books?"

The Beast was taken aback for a moment. Did she really pick that up about him so quickly?

"I…" he trailed off, finding the right way to word it, "don't seek it out on purpose. They just happen to be a bit more tragic than some of the other things here."

"That's an understatement!" she chimed in, ""Between Hamlet and Macbeth…"

"Two of Shakespeare's most famous works," he countered, smirking slightly as Belle rolled her eyes.

"Two which are just...depressing as can be. Though, wonderfully written of course," she added, "I mean, Romeo and Juliet was sa-"

"More like boring."

Hands on her hips, she glared up at the Beast, trying to keep a serious face, "Says you. Pére Robert and I happen to enjoy it quite a bit!"

"That makes two of you," he huffed, though a small smile crossed his face, "but to ease your mind, not everything I read is depressing. I happen to enjoy adventure novels, my moth-" he abruptly stopped himself, looking away from Belle.

From the corner of his eye, he could see her body language drop, the carefree nature of their conversation quickly disappearing, and he cursed himself. They were having a nice moment and in typical fashion, he went and messed it up.

His mother wasn't a subject he liked to linger on. But Belle already knew most of it thanks to Mrs. Potts, though the Beast wasn't thrilled about that. He weighed his options and as the air grew more tense, he sighed and turned back to look at Belle.

"My mother…" he started again, waving to the shelves around them, "she loved adventure novels. She would read them to me when I was younger, before...she grew ill."

Belle watched him, crossing her arms over her chest. Her brown eyes were warm and she smiled slowly, tugging nervously at a lock of her hair, "My papa would do the same thing," she replied, "he was always nervous about leaving the village, but he know that I wanted to explore. We didn't have much, but the small books he did find...they would brighten up my day.

"It's funny," she laughed, "He told me...that when I was ill, that he would read to me because I was a nightmare to take of."

"You?" The Beast asked, chuckling under his breath, "Truly, I am shocked…"

"Oh ha-ha," she mocked, raising an eyebrow, "I'm sure you were just an angel…"

"If he says that!" a cry came from below them, causing the pair to jump, "then he's a liar!"

The Beast groaned, Belle laughing at his expense, as they both leaned over the railing and saw Mrs. Potts and Chip on their trolley below them.

"The young master was anything but cooperative," Mrs. Potts continued, "now come on down you two! I have some tea, it'll warm you right up."

The Beast sighed gruffly, shaking his head, before looking at Belle and shrugging, "After you then."

Her smile didn't leave her face as she walked by him, patting his arm lightly as she said 'thank you' under her breath.

He froze as he watched her go down the stairs. She didn't flinch, didn't hesitate to touch him. The warmth of it still lingered on his arm and he could feel his heart racing.

'She didn't...could she actually…?'

Realizing he hadn't moved, he shook his head and quickly followed the brunette. It was a ridiculous thought to have. But the feeling that Belle gave him, the warmth he always felt when she was around him, the way she would laugh...he hadn't felt that feeling in so long. She made him feel almost human again.

'Don't be foolish…' a small voice echoed in his head, 'she could never love a beast like you…'

Belle turned, standing next to the trolley, and held out a cup for him. Her smile inviting, no fear in her eyes as he slowly took it from her. Though she may never love him, the Beast could still enjoy the time he had with her.

And at that moment, it was good enough for him.