Thorn and Ember

·. 𝒮𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓀𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒞𝑜𝓃𝒻𝓁𝒾𝒸𝓉 ·.

THE MORNING AFTER their tense practice, Maleficent found herself in the Great Hall, trying to focus on her breakfast. The long table was filled with students chatting, laughing, and preparing for another day at Merlin Academy. Sunlight streamed in through the high windows, casting a golden glow over the room, but Maleficent's mood was anything but bright.

Eve and Cruella sat across from her, both absorbed in their own conversations. Eve was discussing potions homework with a group of students, her delicate features animated as she explained some complex formula. Cruella, on the other hand, was busy sketching designs in her notebook, her mind already a hundred miles ahead, lost in visions of fashion.

Maleficent absentmindedly stirred her porridge, her thoughts drifting back to the previous evening's dance practice with Hades. Despite her best efforts to push it aside, the memory of their almost-kiss lingered, a frustrating reminder of how easily he could get under her skin.

"Mal, you're going to turn that porridge into a potion if you keep stirring it like that," Eve teased, snapping her out of her reverie.

Maleficent blinked, realizing she'd been lost in thought for far too long. "Just thinking," she muttered, putting down her spoon.

Cruella glanced up from her sketches, raising an eyebrow. "Thinking? That's dangerous for someone like you."

Eve smirked, but her eyes softened with concern. "Is it about the dance? How did it go last night?"

Maleficent sighed, leaning back in her seat. "It was. . . fine. We managed to get through it without killing each other."

"Progress!" Cruella said with mock enthusiasm. "Did you accidentally set him on fire?"

"Unfortunately, no," Maleficent replied, though her voice lacked the usual bite. She knew her friends were only trying to lighten the mood, but the truth was, the dance had left her more unsettled than she cared to admit.

Eve tilted her head, her gaze more perceptive than usual. "What aren't you telling us, Mal?"

Maleficent hesitated, her fingers tracing the rim of her goblet. She didn't want to admit how much Hades had gotten to her, how that almost-kiss had left her feeling. . . confused. Vulnerable, even.

"It's nothing," she finally said, trying to brush it off. "Just. . . he's annoying, that's all."

"Is that all?" Cruella asked, her tone laced with curiosity. "Or is there something more to it?"

Maleficent shot her a warning a look, but it was too late. Cruella's eyes gleamed with interest, like a cat who had just spotted a mouse. "Oh, this is interesting. Does our Maleficent have a crush?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Maleficent snapped, feeling a flush rise to her cheeks. "Hades is the last person I'd ever—"

"Relax, Mal," Eve said gently, cutting her off before she could dig herself deeper. "We're just teasing. But if something's bothering you, you can tell us."

Maleficent hesitated again, glancing between her friends. Eve's concern was genuine, and even Cruella, with her teasing, was looking at her with a rare moment of seriousness.

"It's just. . . we almost kissed last night," Maleficent admitted in a rush, the words tumbling out before she could stop herself. "It was stupid, and it didn't mean anything, but—"

Eve's eyes widened, and Cruella let out a low whistle. "Almost kissed? That's a bit more than annoying, don't you think?"

"It was nothing," Maleficent insisted, though even to her own ears, it sounded weak. "We were just caught up in the dance, that's all. It doesn't matter."