The rest of the weekend was spent eating and laughing as the group talked and lounged around. They split their afternoon between baking cookies, reading and watching the old movies that were laying around the cabin. They chopped wood for the fire and played childish games as they collectively tried to cook dinner.

At around four o'clock on the Sunday, the ten were packed into the kitchen with someones phone playing upbeat music. Mal and Evie were singing along to the song from either side of the kitchen, both using wooden spoons as microphones. Jay was helping Carlos and Jane, the two honorary cooks, to prep the ingredients for homemade pizza. A car would arrive around eight pm to take them back to the school.

"How's the dough coming along?" Jane asked Ben, Gil and Lonnie who were gathered around a single, large mixing bowl on the siding table, each covered in a fine layer of flour.

"Dough-n't ask," Gil ginned, holding up a hand that was covered in the pizza dough they were making. Several people groaned at the bad pun.

"It's ready if you lot are," Ben smiled and they brought the lump of dough onto the island so that Mal and Evie could roll it out and proportion it.

"Doug, ya found it yet?" Harry's voice carried through the kitchen, muffled by the fact he was on the floor above and the music.

Doug pulled his head out from the sideboard he was rooting through. "No luck. How about you?"

The two boys were looking for the key that would unlock the cellar so that they could enjoy a few bottles of wine that Doug knew were kept there. They had been searching the house for nearly half an hour but neither were willing to give up.

"Check the floorboards," Jane called and a few heads turned in her direction. "What? That's where my mom keeps things safe and hidden at home."

"You heard the woman," Gil called, snapping out of the daze he was in. "Find that key and get her a drink!"

"Oh no, that's not necessary," Jane babbled, nearly slicing her finger off as she chopped tomatoes. Luckily Jay plucked the sharp knife out of her hands before any harm could happen.

"You don't have to," he told her gently, setting the knife down.

Lonnie and Ben were scrubbing their hands in the sink and Gil had taken a seat on one of the stools around the island to watch the two VKs roll the pizza bases. He held his sticky hands up in front of him as he patiently waited.

"Why don't you use your magic?" he quietly asked Mal and the two girls shared a mischievous look.

"I will when we serve but its keeping them busy and out of the kitchen so why ruin the fun," Evie smirked and Gil nodded along. The eight of them were bumping elbows so by adding the physically imposing pirate and the bumbling Doug, the place would be chaotic.

"Gotcha," he winked and went to wash his hands.

"There," Mal said triumphantly. "Pizza bases are ready!" A cheer went around.

"So are the toppings and the sauce so we can make them now," Carlos told the group. "Hook, Doug!"

The ten gathered around the island, shoulder to shoulder as they handed out the pizza bases and the bowls with the sauce.

"Cheese," someone asked and the bowl went from hand to hand.

"Ham." The same process happened and it looked hectic but the friends never faltered in their rhythm. They had created their pizzas within a matter of minutes and Jay placed them in the warm oven.

"So, the key?" Lonnie questioned the two who had practically ripped the house apart to find it.

Both were scowling and the group took it that they hadn't found it.

"I'll open it," Mal sighed playfully, taking pity on the two. She kissed Harry's bicep as she passed him and his frown faltered for a moment.

"I'll help you bring some bottles up," Evie said and she followed Mal down to the cellar.

Mal said a simple unlocking spell and the two descended the stairs into the cool cellar, going straight to the wine rack.

"Doug asked me something," Evie began hesitantly as the pair gathered several bottles of wine to drink over the course of their last evening.

Mal turned to Evie. "What was it?"

Evie broke into a ear-to-ear grin. "He asked me last night if I would marry him," she squealed.

"What!?" Mal exclaimed. "He asked you to marry him!" she echoed.

Evie nodded enthusiastically. "Well, he said would I marry him one day, and I said that wasn't the romantic proposal I had been envisioning and he said to think of it as a pre-question question," Evie explained.

"So he's asked but not technically asked you," Mal clarified. "Oh E," she grinned, throwing her empty arm around her best friends shoulders.

"Yeah, he said he was planning something but he just wanted to make sure," Evie told Mal and the two made their way to the stairs.

"I'm so happy for you," Mal smiled. She could think of no others who deserved happiness like Evie and Doug did. "Wonder when he'll drop the question for real."

"So am I! And I'm happy for you, we all heard Harry say you were really in love the other day," Evie chuckled and Mal smiled fondly. The weekend retreat seemed to have lit flames for the three couples and they were stronger than ever.

Mal and Harry relationship had always been a passion filled romance but now they were in perfect sync with each other, co dependent to the absolute limit. Jay and Lonnie were also becoming more publicly affectionate and the pair gelled well. Evie and Doug were practically joined at the hip now.

"Its just that I'm worried," Evie halted Mal on the bottom step, chewing her lip.

"About what? You and Doug-"

Evie shook her head. "No, not us, I meant about the rest of them. Carlos, Gil, Jane, those three seem to revolve around each other and I'm sure there something there," she whispered despite the fact they had shut the cellar door behind them.

"I was beginning to see that too," Mal confessed. "I don't think Jane realises she doesn't actually have to chose." Gil and Carlos were obviously smitten with the Auradon girl and it didn't take a genius to realise that there was chemistry between the two boys as well.

"It's lovely that they've found romance with each other but its Ben I'm worried about," Evie agreed about the sweetness of the triad who had yet to actually evolve.

Mal's shoulders dropped at the mention of the King's name. She knew he must be feeling uncomfortable or left out surrounded by some much romance or tension. It had after all been less than a month since Harry had stormed onto the scene.

"I should talk to him," Mal sighed deeply. "I should have talked to him a week ago."

Evie's expression was sympathetic. "I can talk to him first, test the waters you know," she offered but Mal shook her head.

"Its the decent thing to do. He deserves a proper explanation and to know he is still as much apart of this friendship group as anybody else." The king had been isolating himself during the free hours of the day.

The two girls nodded in silent agreement and made their way back up the cellar stairs to the main kitchen. When they emerged into the warm space with bottles in their arms, a cheer went around and Gil rushed forward to take a bottle. Someone had taken the pizzas out of the oven and they were cooling on the island, already cut and on serving plates, waiting for the two girls.

Harry grabbed his hook from the side table he had left it upon and he used the sharp point to uncork the bottle. Jane passed around nine vessels to drink from, all mismatched as the cottage only had three wine glasses which Lonnie, Ben and Evie took.

Mal and Gil both had tea cups, Jane was clutching a small glass vase, Harry, Carlos and Jay had mugs and Doug had a small soup bowl. They passed around the bottle and filled up their make-shirt cups and glasses to make a toast.

"To this weekend, the friendship we share and the love we treasure," Jay toasted with a grin down at Lonnie who was leaning against his side.

The ten repeated the toast and took several sips. It was Jane's first sip of alcohol and she timidly drank with a wrinkled nose.

"Like it?" Carlos asked from her left.

Jane smacked her lips and paused. "Its sweet," she exclaimed in surprise.

Gil laughed at her other side and pressed a delicate kiss to her temple. "Well we wouldn't drink it if it were horrible," he smiled.

"Says you, I've watched ya drink from a grubby boot," Harry said and laughter echoed around the island. Mal handed Harry two more bottles to uncork and she passed them around to refill the glasses.

"One time man," Gil muttered as Carlos and Jane roared with laughter.

"Come on, lets eat," Doug said, reaching for a slice. The friends followed his lead and they joked as they ate the pizza and finished the two bottles. When the last slice had been consumed, they moved into the living room.

Jay and Lonnie were dancing along to the record Ben had put on the stereo in the corner. The soft music suited the atmosphere and soon Gil was tugging Carlos into a space and dancing along with him. Ben and Doug were talking on one of the sofas and then left through the patio doors so Evie joined Mal who was sat with Harry, and a gobsmacked Jane.

"Enjoying yourself?" Evie asked the girl. "Whats wrong?"

Jane had drank several small glasses of wine and she was more relaxed than she had ever been within their presence. She was openly staring at the two boys dancing together.

"Am I missing something again?" she asked the three to her side.

Harry was about to say something but Mal wriggled so that she was sat upon his lap, distracting him. "Don't be mean," she warned under her breath and Harry was happy enough to play along, kissing along Mal's shoulder instead. Ben and Doug slipped back into the living room unnoticed.

Evie smiled at the girl. She was usually the last to realise or know something and didn't pick up subtle hints. Evie thought that Jane probably didn't realise she had two boys flirting with her.

"What do you mean?" Evie asked kindly over the music, taking a sip of her drink to stop the smirk.

"Carlos and Gil, are they..." Jane trailed off, looking back to the two boys who had their hands on each others hips and their heads awfully close. "I thought they were..."

"Were what Jane?" Mal asked, wanting to hear exactly what the Auradon girl had been thinking.

Jane blushed and dropped her eyes. "I thought they liked me," she said sadly and the three VKs on the sofa giggled.

"Oh Janie, they do like you," Evie told her.

"But they're dancing awfully close," Jane argued.

"They like you and each other and you like them right," Harry spoke up and Jane nodded with a slightly frightened expression at Harry's blunt tone. "Well go and dance with em," he ordered the girl and she jumped from the sofa obediently.

"Wait Jane, here," Evie held out the rest of her wine and Jane took it hesitantly. "Liquid courage," she smiled and Jane finished the drink before making her way shyly to the two boys. They broke away from each other when she approached.

"I like both of you," Jane said quickly, feeling both embarrassed and exhilarated. The two boys shared an incredulous look.

"We like you too Jane," Carlos said slowly, wondering what had prompted the braveness in the girl.

"And you like each other right," Jane asked, hoping that her and the others hadn't misread the signals. Gil scratched his head and glanced at Carlos who was blushing as much as Jane.

"Uh, yeah, I do," Gil told them and Carlos nodded a dumbstruck look on his face.

"Wanna dance," Jane said at the speed of light. She didn't give them time to answer as she had their hands in hers and she was swaying along to the music.

From the sofa Evie squealed and Mal looked happy. "I can't believe she did it!"

"I thought Gil was gonna have to kiss her as he was tossing off Carlos or something to make sure that she got the message," Harry said and Mal slapped his arm as the crassness of his suggestion.

"Just give them time, it won't be overnight," she said.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt but do you wanna dance Eve," Doug was stood with one hand behind his back and the other outstretched to his girlfriend.

"Always," she replied. "Can we dance outside though, theres not much room in here," she asked, nodding towards the kissing Lonnie and Jay and the triad who were twisting and turning almost violently to the slow song.

"They look ridiculous, sure," Doug grinned at the three, leading Evie to the patio doors with a smile.

"Talk to him now Mal," Evie said over her shoulder and Mal sighed.

"You gonna be okay for a moment, I need to talk to Ben," she asked Harry, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the long hair at the nape of his neck.

"I'll hold my own," he grinned, trapping his chin in his fingers. His eyes flickered to where the King was sat and he deeply kissed the girl on his lap until they were breathless.

"You're evil," Mal whispered onto his smirking lips.

"So are you," he answered surging his hips upwards so that Mal could feel the arousal in his trousers. "Go, I know its important to ya."

Mal thanked the pirate with a chaste kiss and she climbed off him to approach Ben. "Can we talk outside for a moment," she asked and the King nodded with a heavy head.

They walked silently out of the house and Ben lead them down to the bank of the river, still benefiting from the atmosphere spell that had yet to wear off. Ben sat down and Mal followed his lead, both annoyed by the awkward tension that seemed to have settled over them.

"I'm sorry," both said simultaneously and they chuckled nervously.

"Go on, I know you've wanted to talk to me for some time," Ben said, folding his arms over his bent knees and looking out over the river.

Mal nodded and summoned up all of her courage. "I wanna tell you about Harry and I-," she began and Ben stiffened. "Please."

"Everyone knows everyone on the Isle but we didn't really meet until we were fourteen. Both of us had made a deal with this guy but we didn't realise. Anyway, the guy lot the bet and both of us went to collect the winnings at the same time. Should have seen his face when he realised he had to share the guys money with me but we clicked and began working together.

"I think I had just turned fifteen when we first kissed. Harry's a few months older than me but it was my first kiss. Things escalated and we eventually did more but we didn't tell anyone. On the Isle there was this warehouse that we used and we basically lived in there. People began rumours and we didn't do anything to stop them."

"What kind of rumours," Ben asked quietly, still not looking at Mal.

"That we were in love or magically bonded and we used them to our advantage when it was called for but we would deny anything when asked out right. I used to dream about leaving the Isle on his ship and we would sail around the world and start a new life where no one knew us. Stupid right," Mal scoffed.

"No, of course not," Ben assured her with kind eyes. "What happened?"

"You did," Mal said. "Or at least when the Auradon prep letter arrived, thats when things changed. We decided that it would be safer to no longer be seen together in public so that my mother wouldn't use Harry as a bargaining tool to make sure that I would get the wand. We spent a final night together in that warehouse and we promised each other we would remain together and find a way to leave Auradon and the Isle."

"But then I ruined it again," Ben said with a frown. "I was advised to not let any of you have any contact with the Isle so you wouldn't have been able to explain anything to him, and modern technology doesn't work on the Isle," he concluded.

"He found out through gossip and the television," Mal told Ben with a sad expression. If she could change one thing in her life it would have been that.

"Did you love each other before you left?" Ben questioned and Mal sighed deeply.

"We told each other we did and I believe we did love and care for each other but we certainly weren't in love, not like now. I told him I had been lying a few days after and he told me the same thing. We were heartbroken."

"He must hate me," Ben said.

"He hated himself most of all. In the few months between me leaving and us becoming a couple, Harry became something of a hired hitman. He did some terrible things during that time," said Mal and Ben turned to her. "He hated me too because he couldn't make himself forget me."

"He killed people?"

"I have too Ben, we didn't come to be known as heartless and ruthless because we stole candy. Murder is uncommon but it does happen on the Isle," she told him gently and he flinched. "Everyone of your villainous friends has committed some sort of crime."

"You've killed someone?" he focused on the more taboo topic.

Mal took a shaky breath. "I helped my mother poison somebody but it was the first and last time," she promised, shivering at the terrible memory.

"I'm sorry," was all Ben said.

"No, I am," she groaned frustratedly. "I told you I loved you and we were practically engaged Ben but as soon as Harry arrived I crumbled. When I met him that lunchtime, we did things that I'm pretty sure are illegal over here for unmarried couples, especially out in public," Mal's cheeks were tinged red at the thought of Harry's head between her thighs in the woods.

"Public? Where did you do ... it?" Ben questioned with wide eyes.

"In the forests around the school but we didn't have sex," she reassured him, recognising the panic in his tone.

"That doesn't help Mal. I assume you have now," he told her. "Wait, you had before hadn't you, back on the Isle."

"Yeah, he's the only person I've ever been with, but we have over the weekend," she decided to tell him the whole truth. "So have Evie, Doug, Lonnie and Jay if that makes it easier to handle."

Ben looked as though his head was about to explode and he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. "Thanks Mal, that really helps," he said through gritted teeth sarcastically.

"Right, probably didn't need to know that," she said through the silence. "Are you okay with this all though?"

He huffed and looked at her. "Honestly, I've always had a nagging feeling that we weren't right for each other, even before cotillion. I'm annoyed that you let this go on for so long when it obviously hurt both of us. You should have told me where to stick it when I banned you from contacting the Isle. I'm also annoyed you saw him whilst we were still technically together and that he's a prick," Ben's eyes widened as he swore accidentally. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Its alright, he can be," Mal reassured the King. "But are you okay?"

"I guess I'm just upset because everyone is coupling up and I am alone," he huffed and Mal wrapped a friendly arm around his shoulders as a squeal carried through the clearing. Both stood up and looked to see Evie jumping onto of Doug. The rest of the friends had made their way outside to the commotion and were looking at the couple who had fallen to the floor.

"When did he set up candles?" Jane asked aloud and everyone took time to look at the forest floor.

Doug and Evie were in a circular enclosure of small lit candles, and with the setting sun, the pair seemed encased in a hazy atmosphere as they kissed.

"What happened?" Carlos asked and Mal gasped with wide eyes.

"Did you help him set the candles up?" Mal asked the King, remembering when the two had slipped away earlier in the evening, and Ben nodded with a shy smile. "Oh my fucking god," Mal swore, alerting the couple to their friends.

"I'm engaged! We're gonna get married! Holy shit we're engaged!" Evie cried, her smile so wide she was barely audible as she told her friends.

"Engaged?!" Jay said in disbelief as the girls surged forward to hug the couple, all on their knees surrounding them. Gil and Carlos followed, joining the mass of bodies in the group hug on the floor.

"They're getting married," Jay muttered as Evie showed the girls her delicate ring. "What?"

Harry laughed and clapped the boy on the back. "Was gonna happen sooner or later mate."

The friends on the floor got up and hugged the couple again as they were pulled to their feet. Evie was crying and Doug seemed to be on the verge of tears as they were handed from one person to another.

Jay gripped both tightly in a bear hug, tears in his eyes to Lonnie's disbelief.

"Why are you crying?" she asked him after the happy couple had been passed to Gil and Carlos. Jay sniffled.

"I'm just so happy for her, for them," he said into Lonnie's hair as he buried his face into it.

Ben and Jane hugged Evie and Doug with congratulatory words and Doug quietly thanked Ben for setting up the romantic candles like he had envisioned.

"Evie," Mal sobbed, wrapping her best friend into a tight embrace as Harry did the same to Doug to her right.

"Will you be my maid of honour?" Evie asked and the two girls smiled and laughed.

"Can I see it again?" Mal asked and Evie placed her left hand in Mal's so that she could see the ring better.

It was a small, white gold band with one modest diamond in the centre. It oozed simplicity but also elegance and it looked like a family heirloom rather than a store bought ring.

"It's beautiful Eve," Mal told her and Evie nodded.

"I know. I can't believe we were talking about it in the cellar and he asked today. I thought it would be months or years before he asked," Evie said and the group laughed and Doug wrapped an arm around her.

"Couples usually marry at around nineteen here on Auradon," Lonnie told the pair and Jay's eyes went wide. He was only a month away from being eighteen and had not even thought about that stage of his life.

"Well, regardless, I think it's wonderful," Jane said. "We should finish the last of the wine before the car comes and we can have another toast," she squeaked in excitement, leading the friends back into the house.

"One sip of alcohol and now she's ruined forever," Gil commented.

"Who would have thought," Carlos snickered as the two blew out all of the candles and followed their friends.

Back in the house, Ben helped pass out the glasses and mugs again as Harry used his hook to uncork another two bottles. Mal caught Ben's eye when he handed her the tea cup she had been drinking from previously.

"I'll be alright," was all he said and he moved on to give the vase to Jane. Mal nodded and chose to believe him. When Harry stood by her side she linked their fingers, squeezing his hand.

Once their glasses were full Harry raised his high. "To love and friendship , yada yada yada, and those two; Evie and Doug," he said.

"Evie and Doug," the rest echoed and they raised their glasses before drinking from them.

"The car will be here in an hour and a half so pack your stuff and then we can celebrate," Jane ordered, making everyone retreat to their rooms with more congratulations to the happy couple.

Evie and Doug had already sorted their stuff so they remained in the living room, encircled in each others arms as they swayed to the soft song playing through the speakers. Every so often they would kiss but for the most part they simply held each other.

"I love you," Evie whispered into his cheek.

"I love you too," Doug said, feeling lighter than air as he danced with his girl.

Okay so this was a surprise as I wrote it which is why this chapter is a few days later than promised! What do you think? Like this new development?

There is barely any more chapters left of this fic, possibly two and an epilogue and I would like to thank every single person who had reviewed this and left me such sweet messages! They really motivate me.

ALSO a massive thankyou to everyone who has read my oneshot! I've got a few more in the works and a couple of requests down the line.

Look out for a pregnancy during high school fic, a fighting fic in which Mal is injured and Harry has to take care of her and one set during Christmas so please keep an eye out if any of those take your fancy or if you have any requests yourself.

Please review, comment, follow and favourite and please enjoy reading XO Pops