A/N: Since my writing and my life have been all over the place, I asked for random prompts on Tumblr. This is a response to one of those prompts, requesting that Maleficent and Aurora have a night out together at the House of Mouse. It will be relatively short and as light-hearted as I get. Feedback would be much appreciated! Enjoy!

In the center of the Magic Kingdom stood a glorious castle. It was home to many royal families from many different worlds, all of whom had agreed to come to this kingdom to be free from a variety of dangers, widespread or personal. It was also home to a few non-royal persons, and even a few persons who were not strictly human. While some people questioned the presence of these creatures in what was meant to be their sanctuary, they were sternly reminded that this was a safe haven for all, regardless of who they were, from whence they hailed, and yes-even their past misdeeds.

Around high noon, in the topmost tower of the castle, a telephone began to ring. It rang once...twice...a third time before the tower's resident even deigned to acknowledge that it had made any sound at all.

Maleficent looked up from her book and turned with superhuman slowness to award the telephone a menacing glower. The phone, blithely unaware of the hatred it engendered, rang a fourth and fifth time under its mistress's fearsome gaze.

Still with an eerie serenity belying the rage that boiled within her veins, Maleficent stood and walked languourously over to where the telephone sat. When the abnormally large mouse who was now her landlord had insisted every denizen of the Magic Kingdom have a telephone installed, Maleficent (following multitudinous and borderline violent protests) had chosen the least offensive place a telephone could sit, which was to say, out of her sight.

The telephone rang a sixth time, then a seventh. Whoever was calling was dreadfully persistent, or perhaps aware enough of Maleficent's distaste for the telephone not to be deterred by the waiting time.

On the ninth ring, Maleficent picked up the offending device and relished the instant of silence left in the wake of its infernal ringing. "You must have a great deal of time on your hands," she informed her caller coldly.

"You could say that," replied a voice Maleficent had hoped to avoid hearing for the rest of eternity.

"Princess Aurora," Maleficent barely suppressed a heavy sigh. "To what do I owe this disruption?"

"Oh. Well. This might sound a little crazy."

The sigh Maleficent had previously suppressed made itself known. "Go on."

"I wanted to ask you to go to dinner with me."

Were Maleficent another person, she would have laughed aloud. As it stood, she glowered furiously at nothing-and this was the thing she despised most about talking on the telephone! "Please tell me I've misheard you."

"Okay, I know, I know, but hear me out? There's this huge party tonight, and everyone will be there, and everyone will be there with someone..."

Maleficent cut her off. "I can think of an imbecilic prince and three simpering fairies who would be overjoyed to accompany you."

"My aunties might go for a time, of course, but they're like parents to me. And Philip...well, we're not exactly on dinner-eating terms since I asked to postpone the wedding again."

And we are on such terms? Maleficent pressed the tips of her fingers against her temple. "My condolences," she replied drily.

"Please?" Aurora continued, evidently unphased. "I just don't want to spend another evening as everyone's third wheel. Anyway, maybe you'll like it. Cindy said she's seen you at the House of Mouse dozens of times."

"The House of Mouse?" Maleficent echoed incredulously. But of course a large event would be held there. It was something of a local gathering spot for those who weren't born in this kingdom.

And it wasn't the place she minded, particularly, but rather, a significant portion of its clientele. In her land (and by extension, Princess Aurora's), Maleficent had been virtually immune to romantic overtures. The vast majority of the population found her revolting and had no trouble telling her so. Anyone who didn't would be hard-pressed to reach her. She had lived atop a foreboding mountain, far away from civilization, with no telephones to speak of.

But every time Maleficent took a meal at the House of Mouse, she fell prey to a relentless parade of idiot men from various worlds who seemed intent upon earning her favour. Their advances were not only unwelcome, but profoundly irritating.

"Isn't it true?" Aurora wondered.

"Why you think this is a compelling argument escapes me."

"Well," Aurora offered, and Maleficent sneered instinctively at the hopeful lilt in her voice, "you haven't hung up on me yet."

Maleficent's sneer intensified. "Touché."

And why was she considering this at all? Though it was true enough she'd never wanted to kill Aurora the person (as opposed to Aurora the concept), she also bore no especially positive feelings. All of their encounters in this new land had been surprisingly uneventful. If Aurora was any more frightened by or resentful toward Maleficent than the average person, she did not let on, nor did she adopt the strange, affected manner of those pretending bravery.

Indeed, Aurora was downright pleasant to Maleficent-far more so than many mortals who had no personal reason to be unpleasant. Without thinking very much on the matter, Maleficent had returned Aurora's pleasantries. Evidently this had been enough to earn her a dinner invitation.

It occurred to Maleficent that Aurora had always led a solitary existence, but she was surprised to learn that this loneliness had carried over past her stint as the charge of the three good fairies of Stefan's court. She had expected-again, without very much thought-that a beautiful and genuinely kind-hearted young maiden would easily find friends and admirers to fill her days, if she wished it. Therefore, that Aurora should request Maleficent's company, of all people, was at best perplexing.

Maleficent reconsidered this with a small shake of her head. At best, it was ever so slightly intriguing. And this was the reason Maleficent hadn't yet ended the conversation.

"So you are considering it?"

Then again, this could be a recipe for disaster. Maleficent suddenly felt slightly agitated. There was always the chance, however minute, that this innocuous phone call was part of some grand scheme to bring about her embarrassment and eventual downfall.

Well! If this simple peasant maid thought she could make a fool of Maleficent, she would soon see the error of her ways!

"Very well," Maleficent said at last. "What time shall this fiasco commence?"

"Oh, how wonderful!" Aurora cried, and the genuine happiness in her voice caused Maleficent's knuckles to whiten around the phone. "Thank you! Oh, thank you! You'll have a good time, I promise! I'll make sure of it!"

"You haven't answered my question," Maleficent snarled through clenched teeth.

Aurora remained utterly and infuriatingly unconcerned by the vitriol in Maleficent's tone. "Right! Of course! Six-thirty! Thank y-"

Maleficent slammed the telephone back onto the receiver.