13:09 pm - Fairy Godmother's office
The afternoon sun was shining through the large windows that puncture the walls of the spacious office. Dust swirled in the shafts of sunlight and the chiffon curtains danced in the soft breeze coming through the open windows.
Fairy Godmother opened the door and swept around the room to settle at behind the desk. Mal and Doug followed slowly, carefully entering the room to find that they weren't alone.
Doug sat down next to Evie on the chaise lounge in front of two windows. Jay was sat next to them listening to Carlos whisper something in his ear when Mal entered the room. Jane and Lonnie were also in the room, both sat on the chairs in front of Godmother's desk.
Mal shuffled forward a few steps when a secretary snapped the door closed behind her. She stumbled slightly and a hand shot out to steady her, his fingers gripping her elbow tightly.
Mal's heart hammered as she looked up at Ben's kind face. It took physical effort not to jerk her arm out of his hand. Behind the King, Harry was leaning against a bookshelf, scowling, his usually full lips were pressed into a thin line.
"Thanks Ben, I'm fine," Mal assured him, prising his fingers away from her skin. Ben's smile faltered for a split second and he nodded in reply.
"As I am sure you are all aware-" Fairy Godmother began, resting the tips of her fingers together so she could rest her chin on the apex of the digits. Mal's heart skipped several beats as she thought about the possibility that herself and Harry had been seen earlier that afternoon. "Doug placed a weekend pass request for you all so I have gathered you here to discuss it."
Mal saw Doug's tight posture relax, his shoulders dropping into a more natural shape, out of the corner of her eye. Mal herself let out a small sigh of relief. Her secret was still safe.
"A weekend pass?" Lonnie asked aloud, turning to Doug. "For what? For all weekend?"
"From this Friday night to early Sunday evening," Fairy Godmother told the room. "I have discussed it with your parents, tutors and other faculty members and we have all agreed that the pass can be given, for the entire weekend."
"Really Mom?" Jane's surprise was obvious as her jaw dropped and Evie squealed in delight behind her.
"To do what?" Ben wondered, still not up to date about the groups plans.
"My dad and uncles have given me the cottage so I wanted to take everyone. You know, to celebrate our first week back and to relax and stuff," Doug replied, slotting his fingers through Evie's as though it was second nature to him.
"Well, I wanted to tell you all in person because writing nine notes and then delivering them seemed to be too much work," Godmother laughed merrily, getting to her feet slowly. "I will also be personally dropping you off and placing a few enchantments around the property and the room, just to be on the safe side," Godmother told them sternly.
A succession of rapid knock rang around the room and a secretary's head appeared around the door. "Madame Godmother, you're appointment has arrived and I requesting to see you straight away," the young woman said, retreating once Godmother nodded.
"If I am not back in five minutes, please go to your afternoon lessons and do not be late." Godmother left quickly, leaving them alone.
"Is this really happening?" Lonnie asked Doug, swivelling on her chair to look him in the eye.
Doug nodded. "Yeah, I've already cleared it with my parents. The cottage belongs solely to me now so we won't be disturbed and there are old enchantments so we will be fine for three days."
"We're going to have a weekend to ourselves, off of the campus, alone," Evie grinned.
"Will the cottage sleep nine easily?" Jay asked Doug.
"It was Snow White and Seven Dwarfs Jay, of course it'll sleep all of us," Carlos replied sarcastically.
"No, I mean will we be sharing beds? Will we be in one big room? Will some of us be sleeping on sofas or hammocks or something?" Jay clarified.
Evie and Doug's cheeks darkened at this which made Mal smirk, her hands on her hip with a point look at the couple.
"Girls will be in one room and the boys in another presumably," Ben answered unsurely.
"Actually, there are several bedrooms now, so some will be sharing," Doug told him, not meeting the King's eyes.
"Can Lonnie and I?" Jane asked quickly.
"I'll room with Jay then," Carlos added.
"I guess Mal and Evie are going to be sharing so me and you Doug?" Ben said to which Doug shook his head, his cheeks rosy red now.
"Um, actually- Evie and, and I- we're going to share a room," Doug stuttered Mal bit back a laugh at the sight of the Auradon Kids. Jane and Ben looked flabbergasted whereas Lonnie was smirking. Jay and Carlos acted as though this was an obvious progression in their friends' relationship.
"You can't share a room!" Jane protested. "What will happen?"
Mal snickered and glanced at Harry. "They are their own people Jane, let them make their own decisions and choices," Mal told the girl gently.
"What do you have to say about this Ben?" Jane said hotly, snapping the King out of his daze.
"Um, I don't really know. I can't stop them Jane. Like Mal said, its up to them," Ben said slowly, as if calculating every word before he said it.
"So will you and Mal share a room then?" Jane continued, an air of disapproval surrounding every letter.
"No, they won't," Harry interrupted the King before he could say anything.
"This has nothing to do with you," Ben almost spat, not daring to look at the pirate. Instead, he looked at Mal. "Can we have a moment alone."
The rest of the room shifted and tried to dissolve the awkward tension that had settled over the duo by clearing their throats as they left for their next class. Harry was the last to leave with a lingering look into Mal's eyes which were still electric green.
Finally, it was just Mal and Ben facing each other in the quiet office. Ben opened and closed his mouth, effectively speechless. Mal took the opportunity to sit down on the chaise lounge as Ben struggled to get his thoughts straight.
"Where were you at lunchtime?" he asked, settling himself on one of the high backed chairs in front of the desk.
"I wasn't with Evie if that was what you were wondering," Mal replied slowly. "I hope that answers your question."
Ben nodded, his hair falling into his eyes as he looked at his shoes and his distorted reflection looking back up at him. Mal could just make out the frown on his face.
"Are you still practising magic?"
"What makes you think that?" Mal's voice was quiet and serious.
Ben didn't look up. "Your eyes are that shade of green again," he told his shoes.
"I did not purposely cast any magic today. They're green because of a hormonal change." It was based in truth and not an outright lie.
"Is this because I went to Aurora's castle without giving you proper notice?"
Mal surpassed a sigh and drummed her fingers on her knee. "No Ben, it isn't. I no longer feel the same way as I did. I don't feel like myself."
Ben finally looked into her eyes. "How did you used to feel?"
"I thought I was in love but I'm sorry. I was never in love with you, I think I just enjoyed the moments more. I would like to be removed from the court," she was only a few decibels above a whisper now.
"You never loved me? You've just been using me all this time?" She looked his balled up fists and annoyed expression and suddenly anger washed over her, burning away all of the sadness and guilt she had been feeling.
"No Ben. I was taken from my home and the person I did love. I was not allowed to write to him. You didn't give me time to explain things properly and then I was given a task by my mother and you became an annoying side effect and I cared for you Ben, I truly did.
"But then your mother drafted me into the court and I became the subject of Auradon media and I had to hide who I was. I couldn't do anything that felt natural to me without being branded as a threat to you and the kingdom, but if I did something uncharacteristically nice I was accused over using magic to entrap you! And I did! Don't you get it, we began because of a love potion and my evilness. I cannot hide the fact that I am evil in someways."
Mal huffed, on the verge of tears that she would not allow herself to shed.
"Evie told me that when you were pretending to be a VK on the Isle, you had said it was hard being something that you weren't. Well now you know how I have felt for the past six months. I am not a Auradon girl and when I went back to the Isle and fought Uma, I realise just how miserable I truly was."
Ben remained quiet and Mal continued to confess her feelings, unable to stop now that she had started.
"Don't get me wrong, I love Auradon Prep and I love having you as a friend but I can no longer put myself through the pain of being controlled within such a high profile relationship that makes me unhappy. Don't you see Ben, you don't even know the real me and the extent of the evil I have done. But I like doing magic and breaking rules and graffitiing things. I like sneaking off of school groups and getting drunk or doing the littlest things that are considered evil over here.
"I miss intimacy and being free on the Isle. Doing whatever I pleased without having hundreds of people I don't know criticising me or writing to tell me how my behaviour is unacceptable for a princess. I never wanted to be a princess or a lady of the court or to give up my magic!"
Mal was now stood up, breathing hard as she finished her rant, her anger leaving her as quickly as it had come on. Ben sat silent for a moment regarding her before he pulled her into the chair in front of him. "I returned your ring a few days ago." Mal expected that to be the final point in which Ben would being to crack.
"I'm sorry. You're right. I was trying to control you; I forbid you to do any magic and you've been scrutinised for every aspect of yourself," he apologised quietly and Mal groaned in frustration.
"No, you don't get it. I have done terrible things today and to you in general and you're just forgiving me for them!" Mal wanted Ben to retaliate, to be angry and shout at her, to fight for the relationship like she knew the pirate would.
"Was he your love back on the Isle?" Ben said instead and Mal took a sharp breath.
"How did you know?"
Ben cracked a watery smile. "I was held hostage by him Mal, he liked to brag and I'm not blind. His eyes follow you around the room. You met with him at lunch didn't you."
Mal nodded, not trusting her voice.
"I thought so," Ben said sadly. "Does Harry make you happy Mal?"
Harry did make her happy. He made her feel safe and content and he knew her body and heart better than she did but it was more than that. Harry pushed her limits and boundaries to their edges and breaking points. He made her be better, act smarter and work harder. He made her feel alive and as though she was the only girl in the world when he simply looked at her. Mal involuntarily smiled at what he had helped her achieve earlier that afternoon. He had pushed the limits of her magic and she had created life around them without saying a word, a feat she had never thought to be possible.
"He really does," she told the King with a dazzling smile. "He makes me feel like me Ben."
Ben let his head hang and he addressed his shoes once more. "I thought so. On the Isle he spoke of an unforgetable, wild girl; uncontrollable like sea and bursting with magic, but I had thought that that sounded nothing like you. I realise now that's because I don't know you Mal. I only know the character Auradon has forced you to be."
Her hand came out, right into his eye line. Ben sat up straight, looking confused as a small tear rolled down his cheek. Mal looked down at her outstretched hand with her eyebrows raised. Ben finally clutched it, wiping at his face with his other hand.
"My name is Mal, I'm the daughter of Maleficent and I am well skilled in the art of magic," she introduced herself, shaking their joined hands with a small smile.
"King Ben of Auradon. I enjoy playing tourney and I hope that my team makes it to the finals this year. It's nice to meet you Mal" he played along.
"Likewise King Ben. Do you by happen chance have History this period?" Mal asked playfully, letting go of his hand.
"Yes, I think I do. I can escort you if you would like," he held out the crook of his arm which Mal took, placing barely any pressure on his skin and they walked to History as friends, their relationship finally at the place where it could flourish; simply as friends and nothing more.
AN: Bonus chapter tonight. This one addresses Mal and Ben and I hopefully did it justice. What do you think. Next chapter might be a filler to get through the rest of the week until when the gang go to the cottage or it may just skip straight to then, I haven't decided yet.
Did anyone guess what Doug was worried about?
As always, please favourite, follow, review and enjoy XO