An Unexpected Turn

Chapter Two

Harry couldn't stop thinking about what Mal had said earlier. Were things not as perfect in her relationship as they made it seem? For the rest of the day, he kept an eye out for the couple, trying to see if he could find any hint of upset. With Ben, things seemed to be normal. Harry guessed he had been taught to keep his emotions in check at all times to keep people from prying even more than they already did. Mal, on the other hand, was different. She still had her usual smile, laughed when she was supposed to, spoke when spoken to, but it was her eyes that caught Harry's attention. When she smiled, it didn't reach those green orbs of hers. Something was on her mind. It was the look she had when her mother would torture a random person on the street and Mal had to pretend to enjoy it to avoid her mother's wrath. It was a look Harry had seen all too much when they were younger.

As he was watching her, he felt his breathing stop as her eyes moved towards him, locking with his gaze. She knew he saw through her façade. It felt as though her eyes were burning into his soul. They just stood there, staring at one another for a moment before Harry pulled out his pocket watch, swinging it slightly in front of him.

"Come on." He mouthed before walking towards the dining hall.

Harry immediately found the VKs sitting at their usual table. He grabbed a plate of food and walked over, sitting next to Carlos. He couldn't take a bite before Evie began talking.

"Something is wrong with Mal, but she won't talk to me. Do you think she wants to go back to the Isle again? Maybe she's becoming overwhelmed with school? If I were her, I wouldn't even worry about it. I'm sure being engaged to the king has its perks when it comes to school." She sighed, taking a sip of her tea. "Has she said anything to any of you?"

Jay let out a laugh, "Evie, do you really think she trusts anyone at this table more than you? She may call all of us her best friends, but we all know that you kinda hold that spot as her favorite."

Harry just silently ate, not wanting to contribute to the conversation. He wouldn't be much help, anyway. His eyes kept searching the hall for Mal, but she never came. Probably some fancy dinner with Ben, he thought. Why would she need to uphold any plans with anyone else when she had the king?

Once he was finished, Harry stood up from the table and walked towards the exit, sliding his tray into the washer before walking out. Immediately, he felt his arm being tugged, pulling him around the corner. In his confusion, all he saw was purple. She silently led him towards the dorms, not wanting anyone to know she was around. It was only a matter of time before Evie came looking for her. When they came to a stop outside of Harry's dorm, he raised an eyebrow, unlocked the door, and walked inside.

"So are you going to tell me what all that was about?" He asked, sitting on the small sofa next to the window. "Because you've been avoiding everyone all day, and Evie is about to send out a search party."

Mal took a deep breath as she sat next to him, closing her eyes as the breeze hit her face. "I just needed some time to think. Last time I tried, I got ambushed by the press again, and Ben had to come save me. You're the only person who will let me talk and get everything out of my system."

A smirk appeared on Harry's face. "And I'll only use some of it against you."

Mal closed her eyes, ignoring his remark. "I don't think I'm in love with Ben." She whispered. "I can't talk to Evie about it because she would just say I'm getting cold feet and it'll blow over, but I know it's not that. Maybe I loved the idea of being loved because I had never felt it before. You know my mother and you know what it's like on the Isle. Love is a weakness. It felt so good to be truly cared about by someone I didn't see as family like Evie, Carlos, and Jay. But even after everything that's happened in the last year, I still feel as though I can never be truly honest with Ben. I want my spellbook back, I want to go wherever and do whatever without being followed by cameras. If I make a mistake, I don't want it on the news an hour later. I've talked to Ben about it, but he keeps saying that I'll get used to it. Well, I've been here for well over a year, and I'm not used to it. I hate it more than ever."

Harry fiddled with the tip of his hook as she spoke, not knowing what to say or even if she wanted him to say anything. He knew that being in Auradon was still an issue for Mal. Even with the barrier down, she was rarely able to visit the Isle. The last time she did, it sparked rumors that she was meeting up with her lizard mother to plan a takeover of the kingdom again. She hadn't been back since.

She slowly opened her eyes, looking out the window at the ocean. "And when Evie explained how she felt when she fell in love with Doug, I realized that I never had any of that. Our relationship started as a lie, and even after that lie ended, more kept stacking up. Now I'm engaged to a king and I don't know if I really want to be."

Her words made Harry feel as though he would be killed for just hearing them. Why was it him that she confided in? What could he say to make her feel better? What could he do to help her situation?

"An engagement isn't a marriage." He said, avoiding her eyes. "You have every right to tell him exactly what you've just told me. His reaction should tell you all you need to know to make a decision. If he doesn't understand where you're coming from, he's a prick and you're better off without him. After all the shit you've had to deal with in your life, you deserve a bit of happiness."

Mal let out a small laugh, resting her head on his shoulder. "I like this softer side of you. It almost feels like you aren't a crazy pirate."

Harry placed the point of his hook on the tip of her nose. "I'll always be a crazy pirate, so if you tell anyone about this, I'll hook you and anyone you tell." He teased before placing the hook on the window ledge.

"Thank you, Harry." She whispered, her eyes closing. Falling asleep in the pirate's dorm wouldn't look good to the press or anyone else in Auradon, but in that moment, she didn't care at all. Like Harry had said, she deserved to be happy. It was in that moment, a second before she drifted off to sleep, that she decided to do whatever made her happy, no matter the consequences.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hi, again! Hope you guys are enjoying this so far. I know Harry's a bit more crazed in the movies, but I figured, after being in Auradon for a while and getting closer to the original four VKs, he would've calmed down a bit, especially if he's starting to develop feelings for Mal. Don't worry, his "crazy pirate" self will make a few appearances. I'll try to make chapters a little longer after this. Right now, it's just setting things up for the story to come.