Since Christmas, Hermione had been spending every waking moment in the library, having added to it with her own books, intent on finding a way to save her friends from spending the remainder of their lives as furniture and a beast. Mrs Potts had given up trying to get her to leave for dinner, simply bringing it to her, while Adam would, every night, carry her exhausted and sleeping body into her bedroom, tucking her in tenderly enough not to wake her up. But she hadn't found anything, and was now fretting more and more as the days ticked down.

For his part, Adam was spending more of his time reading the incredibly long book that he was prevented from reading ahead in. As Hermione had written in it almost every day for over 9 years, well he was making some progress, getting to her 6th year of Hogwarts by the middle of January. His task of reading had taken his mind from the rose that continued to wilt the closer they got to his 21st birthday, but when February 1st came around, he realised that he no longer feared remaining as a beast; Hermione would stay regardless and that was what really mattered. It was about that time that he also realised what the odd bubbling in his chest meant, having never felt it before he had only pointed it out after reading something in Hermione's journal, and was surprised to learn that he loved the witch. But he wouldn't tell her, she would never love him, while she would stick about she could never love a beast like himself, and he couldn't lose her friendship.

It was the day before Adam's 21st birthday and Hermione was outside under the tree that she and him had first talked after her first day, crying her heart out in despair. She'd run out of time and there was nothing more she could do to save them, it was tearing at her heart. She was startled from her crying by a soft weight landing on her knee, looking up with tear stained face and blood red eyes, she saw her small friend, "Chip."

"Hermione, what's wrong?" The little teacup asked, worried about his best friend, "Are you ill?"

"No Chip but I've failed you all, it's Adam's birthday tomorrow and I don't know how to change you all back," she began to cry again, "I'm an awful witch and an even worse friend."

Chip bounced up and hit her on the head, shocking her, before speaking with an intelligence that belied his age, "You are not an awful witch nor are you a worse friend. You are my best friend and I don't mind if I'm a teacup forever because I'll have you here to be my friend no matter what form I'm in. I know that the others are all the same, we've been like this for 10 years, and not once did we think we would be saved before you arrived. And then you threw yourself in trying to find an answer without even knowing us, and even though we may stay like this forever, you are a member of our family and that won't ever change."

The brunette was stunned at the words, "I, I know in my head that you're right Chip but in my heart, in my heart I feel like I've failed you all. Especially Adam."

"But don't you see, that is exactly where you haven't failed," seeing the odd look, the teacup sighed, "Adults are so stupid at times. The Enchantress, she cursed us because Beast had no love in his heart but he does now, he loves you!"

"He, he loves me?"

"See, stupid," Chip laughed, "Yes he does, he just doesn't want to admit it and risk losing you forever, he needs you just like you need him. I took this with the polaroid, he was looking at you when I did."

Hermione then spotted the photo curled tightly in Chip's handle, and removed it. In there was Adam, his eyes soft and a tender smile on his lips, and in the background was herself playing with Sultan, "He loves me. I have to go…"

That was all Hermione got out before the club hit her around the head, knocking her unconscious. Chip instantly dropped into her coat pocket, the charmed one that she had shown him, and watched as another human, a man, grabbed Hermione and the picture up, laughing darkly at the photo, "So there really is a beast. Maurice wasn't lying."

"Oh no," was all Chip whispered as they were carried off, no one else aware of what happened.

Up in his room, Adam was getting to the final pages of the journal, the pages that detailed Hermione's time with him at the castle, and was feeling much warmer in his chest as he read the nice things that she wrote about him. Finally he reached the last page and noticed that it wasn't a normal entry but a letter to him;

'Dearest Adam,

If you are reading this it means that you have finally reached the end of my journey called life, and now know why it is that I am so apprehensive in talking about my past; while you may think on the outside you are a monster, I have done things that would make my insides as though a monster. I truly thought that I could never find one who I would feel human with, someone who I would care for, until I met you and found exactly what I'd thought would forever elude me, I found that I loved you. It's silly, you took me as a prisoner but I've only ever felt as though I am meant to be here with you, Mrs Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth and everyone else, and I can only thank you for accepting that exchange those few months ago.

I intend on giving you this book on Christmas, this letter here as I don't know if I could see your face should you reject my affections of love. Please Adam, know that when I look at you, I do not see the outer appearance, I see the inner, and it is your true self, your inner self that I have fallen completely and truly in love with. My only hope is that by the time your 21st birthday comes about I have found a way to break the curse, not for anything but the fact that I know you truly wish to be human once more, and that is more important to me than anything else in the world.

Love forever more,

Hermione'

"She loves me?" Adam asked the room, not expecting an answer.

He got one though, "Oh course you silly boy, I think she has ever since that day out by the tree."

He looked and saw Mrs Potts by the door, "And you didn't think to tell me before now?"

"No because you needed to come to it on your own or else you would never know if it was true," the teapot smirked as well as a teapot was able to, "So, what are you waiting for? Go find her Adam."

Adam was out of his seat in a second, bounding from the room in search of the witch to tell her that he loved her also. He searched the castle first and then the grounds, not finding anything, concerning him, until he came upon a small spot of blood near their tree, and his body went deathly cold, "No. NO!"

The roar shook the castle, bringing out the furniture, the teapot, clock and candelabra racing to their fallen boss, "Adam, Adam, what's happened?"

"She's gone," pointing to the blood, "She's hurt, taken, and I wasn't there to save her."

"No," everyone gasped.

Lumiere bounced forward, "We go and find her, track her, bring her home."

"The scent is too faint"

Then Mrs Potts noticed something, "Chip? Has anyone seen my son?"

"No," the others all said.

A plain candlestick hopped forward, "He said he was going to see Hermione."

The teapot began to boil herself in fury, "They. Took. My. Son?"

"Search the grounds, be sure that he isn't hiding somewhere," Adam growled, before returning to his rooms, grasping hold of the Enchanted Mirror, "Hermione."

In the viewing surface, he spied his love being bodily thrown into a cellar of some kind, her face plastered with bloody locks of hair. Then he spotted Chip peaking from the charmed pocket of her coat, waiting until the door was closed before bouncing to her head, "Hermione, come on Hermione, you have to wake up now. Hermione?"

"Please wake up Hermione, please, come home to me," the beast pleaded, sitting in his seat, his eyes not leaving the mirror.