Hermione's mind was reeling with the news that Colette had shared. She didn't know what to make of it, but she knew that Belle needed to come back. Hermione knew that she needed to go back home. She needed to fix her mess.
Colette and Hermione entered Estelle's room. Adam stood in the corner, as far away from his mother as possible. The staff had tended to her. She'd clearly been given a bath and changed into fresh clothes. Her eyes were closed.
Colette rushed to her side and held her friend's hand. "Estelle?" she asked. "How are you?"
Estelle's eyes fluttered open and fixed on her friend. "Colette?" she asked. "Where are we? Are we free?"
"Yes, my dear," Colette said. "We've escaped from that wretched man. We're in your home."
"My home!" Estelle exclaimed, looking around for the first time. Adam edged towards the door.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.
"I don't want her to see me like this," he muttered.
"Estelle," Colette said firmly, pulling Estelle's attention back to her. "I have to confess something to you."
"Don't leave," Hermione said to Adam. "You'll want to hear this."
"When I was looking for you all those years ago…when the witch hunts came here," Colette began. "I came to this castle. But I didn't know it was your home. In hindsight, I should have. I feel stupid. I made a terrible mistake."
Estelle looked at Colette patiently, waiting for her to continue.
"I set a curse on your son and all the inhabitants," Colette said very quickly. "He's been transformed into a beast until he can learn to love and be loved in return."
"WHAT?!" roared Adam. Estelle startled, taking in Adam for the first time and shrank back in involuntary fear at the strange creature in her bedroom.
Immediately, Adam withdrew in on himself and looked away from the terror in his mother's eyes. But Hermione was watching Estelle and saw the way that she allowed Colette's words to sink in. Saw the realization come over Estelle and the terror shift to compassion and love.
"Adam?" Estelle said, feebly reaching towards him. "Is that you? Come here my son."
Adam looked at his mother, not daring to hope. He seemed to detect the shift in her and took a step forward. Hermione wanted to yell at him, "go to her!" But knew she shouldn't interfere. This was between them.
"Yes, come here, my love," Estelle said, encouragingly. "It's okay." She was soothing the Beast, trying to encourage him to come forward. Hermione couldn't help but think of the way they had to be cautious with wild creatures when working with them. Any sudden movements or actions could startle. This was a moment like that. Adam was almost in flight mode, ready to flee to avoid hurt.
Yet, overcoming his instincts to flee, Adam slowly approached his mother and stood next to Colette, looking down at her with what Hermione suspected was mingled fear and hope.
Her eyes went to his. "Yes," she said, weakly moving her hand to rest on his large paw. "You are my son. I would know your eyes from anywhere."
"Mother," he said, his voice breaking. "You're alive."
"Did you think I was not?" she asked, her voice full of emotion.
"Father led me to believe that you'd died," he said bitterly. "Then he changed everything."
Estelle stroked his paw. "My son," she said. "There has not been a day since that I haven't thought of you. I love you."
The words hit Adam and he closed his eyes. He placed his free paw over his heart, letting the words sink in. Letting the emotion sink in. "I forgot what that felt like," he said. "To be loved. And to love in return. My heart feels full again and light. I love you, too, Mother."
As the words settled in to the air, light suddenly poured out from Adam's heart, blinding everyone in the room. He lifted into the air as light shot from his hands, his feet, his head. He was light embodied. The fur vanished, revealing pale white skin. The paws shifted into hands and feet. The claws retracted, turning into human nails.
As the light vanished, the man that replaced the beast was tall and handsome. He had the same blue eyes as the Beast. His hair color was a golden brown.
"The curse broke," Colette said in awe. "Thank goodness."
Hermione too was awed. He had transformed back into a human without Belle. The love he shared with his mother ran deep.
The door burst open and two men ran into the room.
"Is it true?" said the familiar voice of Lumiere, but this man was tall with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Ze curse has broken?"
"Yes!" said the shorter man, who had the voice of Cogsworth. "Look!" He pointed at Adam, freshly human.
Adam rushed back to his mother and kissed her on the cheek. "Mother, you helped me break the curse!" he cried.
She smiled. "I am so glad, my son," she said, stroking his smooth face. "It's good to see you. My how you've grown! You're a man now."
"Mademoiselle!" Lumiere said, turning to Hermione. "You saved us all!"
"What?" Hermione said. "No, I didn't."
"Yes," Cogsworth said. "For once, I agree with Lumiere. Without you, we wouldn't have been able to save the mistress and bring her home. The master could experience love once more."
Hermione was stunned. In a way, Hermione had broken the curse after all. Rather than feeling accomplished, she felt like she had interfered in something that she shouldn't have interfered with.
Would Adam and Belle still be able to fall in love like they should? She didn't know.
What Hermione did know was that she needed to try to bring Belle back and make things right.
Leaving the happy reunion, Hermione slipped away and went into her room and shut the door. Hermione noted that Madame De Garderobe was absent. She must have become human again and left to celebrate with the others. Hermione was glad.
Hermione stood in the middle of the room and summoned her magic. It had been inside her all along. She'd only needed to believe in herself. Hermione centered herself, focusing her thoughts on finding Belle. The Belle inside of her true body. Hermione saw a vision of herself/Belle at Hogwarts alone in the bathroom in the Gryffindor Tower, getting ready for bed.
Hermione willed her consciousness to go to that space and become form. Now she had become part of the vision, standing behind Belle who washed her face in the sink.
As Belle dried her face with a towel, Hermione willed herself to speak and said, "Belle."
Belle looked up, startled, and saw Hermione's reflection in the mirror. It was almost as if she were seeing double. Belle whirled around to face Hermione.
"Hermione!" Belle cried. "How are you here?"
"I found my source of magic," Hermione said. "Are you ready to go back home?"
Belle's eyes filled with tears. "Yes," she said. "I know it's time for me to go back."
"Good," Hermione said. "Your mother is waiting for you."
"My mother?" Belle said wonderingly. "She's there?"
"I don't know how long I can sustain my presence here," Hermione said. "But yes, she's there."
Hermione approached Belle and hugged her. Hermione opened her heart up to Belle. "We need to do this together," Hermione said. "Visualize that you're back home. Wish with all of your might. Summon your magic and make it so."
Belle's arms wrapped around Hermione. Hermione could feel Belle opening her heart and pouring love and light into Hermione. Hermione sent love and light back into Belle. She could feel their consciousnesses merging together to become one. For a brief instant, there was no separation between Belle and Hermione. They were completely together. Then they broke apart and Hermione was back inside of herself and Belle was back in her body.
Belle smiled at Hermione. "We're back," she said.
"Yes," agreed Hermione. "Now go back to your home and live your life."
"I will," Belle said. "Thank you for the adventure. I love you."
"I love you, too," Hermione said.
Belle smiled and slowly vanished into the air.
Hermione was back home.