((Here is the new chapter. Hope you like it!
And, The Deadly Black Rose, it will be soon, very soon. (P.S. Like in this chapter. And thank you so much for the idea. It would have never occured to me.))
Chapter Six: It Takes Courage to Have a Crush
"Can you believe it is going to be our fourth year already?" Rapunzel squealed in excitement. She could barely sit still in the compartment.
"I know. I remember our first year as if it were just yesterday. I remember how awkward Hiccup was, but that has changed, though he is still clumsy and-" Merida began.
"Hey! I was a nervous kid who turned out to be a wizard. In such a big school" Hiccup retorted and then added, "It still is a big school..."
"Sure" Jack chimed in.
Both girls gave a small grin and then gave Hiccup and apologetic look.
"Ugh, I swear this ride gets longer each year. I am going to dread it our seventh year" Merida complained slouching down on her seat, while crossing her arms.
"Should have taken your carriage then princess, maybe it would be faster. And I wouldn't be troubled with your presence" Jack suggested.
Merida ignored Jack and looked out her window, which she had learned to do in order to avoid an argument.
Hiccup looked over at Merida, who was sitting across from him and just admired her. The rosy pink color in her cheeks was more visible through the years. It looked as if she wore make up, but she hated it. The color had also darkened on her lips. Now her eyes were much more visible. Their color was much brighter in their color blue. The contrast they held with her cheeks and lips made them much more beautiful, but of course these were only the thought going through Hiccup's head.
Hiccup was so lost in thought, that he didn't realize there was a person watching him too, but not in the same way. Jack was grinning while looking at the dazed off fellow. He thought about pointing it out, but when he decided he would the train came to a stop, indicating they had arrived.
All four rose from their seat and walked out along with the rest. They smiled as they saw the small coming first years. Merida and Rapunzel thought they were so adorable, just so cute. They remembered being that nervous and scared.
"I don't remember ever being that small" Jack complained after having gotten off the train.
"Yes you were, we all were" Rapunzel contradicted, getting nods from both Hiccup and Merida.
Jack shrugged, "I don't think so."
The rest chuckled at Jack's denial of ever being small.
"You were that adorable too" Merida said, already knowing Jack's response.
"That I was" he said with a grin.
Soon everyone had been guided to their specific route into Hogwarts and were all inside, watching the first years get sorted into their house. Their seemed to be more students this year. It made Everyone happy, because for the past years not many students had come, until Merida, Rapunzel, Hiccup, and Jack had arrived. Qudditch was back, not that it was the biggest reason, but it called back to that old tradition. Merida and Jack pride themselves in that area. Though it was time to get sorted, this year like the years after their arrival, the sorting hat had begun to sing a little song before the sorting. Jack wasn't very fond of it, but was curious as to what the sorting hat would sing this time.
The hat waited for the silence and then slowly came alive with its song:
"A thousand years or more ago
when I was newly sewn,
there lived four wizards of renown,
whose names are still well known:
bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
they hatched a daring plan,
to educate young sorcerers
thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
formed their own house, for each
did value different virtues
in the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
loved those with great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favorite from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
Do I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!"
And with that the sorting began.
Now all the attention was on the small first years, who everyone knew were nervous.
Merida, from when she had entered the train in platform 9 and 3/4, had spotted a small girl with black hair up in a pony tail, with many little buttons and beads in her hair. Merida had found that very cute and creative. As she looked at the girl again, but now in the Great Hall she smiled in a welcoming manner. It took the girl some time to be called up to get sorted, her last name starting with a V and all.
"Von Schweetz, Vanellope!" Mrs. Corona called.
Vanellope walked up and Merida knew exactly how she felt. She internally cheered and rooted for the girl.
It took the sorting hat some time to decide, saying something about her being very nice and sweet which would go well with Hufflepuff, but then also saying she was smart enough to create some of her own thing, cleverness which belong in Ravenclaw. Not long after though, the hat shouted out her house, "Gryffindor!"
Merida found herself standing up and clapping along with some other students of her table. She hadn't ever done that before and so she was curious as to why. As the girl walked over to the table, Merida being at the end of the table where the new student sit, went over to greet her.
"Welcome to the best house in the school!" Merida happily greeted, with a handshake.
Some other students from different houses scoffed at her remark.
"You wish Merida. You know cleverness is the best" Hiccup disagreed.
"What is cleverness without bravery?" Merida questioned.
"We are clever enough not to get into a situation where bravery is needed. And if we ever get into it, we are smart enough to get out of it."
"Alright alright, I'm not going to argue which house is better" Merida said, walking back to her table with Vanellope, "but ours is better!" she yelled before going back to sit down.
Hiccup shook his head and chuckled.
Merida and Vanellope hit it off. Now Vanellope had someone to help her around the school, and look out for her.
"Ah! I can't believe we have a class where we are all together!" exclaimed Rapunzel. She set down her book on the desk. It seated four, so they all sat together. Merida and Rapunzel next to each other, with the guys across from them.
"No doubt who will be the best in this class" Jack muttered over to the girls, covering his mouth over towards the girls, as if Hiccup wouldn't hear him.
"Hey... I heard that. The physical motion of covering your mouth doesn't really atop me from hearing" Hiccup muttered back.
"Well, it is true, you are the best in potions" Merida offered with a grin.
Hiccup shrugged, but smiled.
"Let's go get the cauldrons, c'mon" Rapunzel told Merida, pulling her along with her.
"Alright alright I'm coming" Merida giggled.
Jack didn't loose time. The instant the girls left he turned to Hiccup. "You like her huh?"
"What?" Hiccup was confused.
"You like Merida. It isn't a question. I saw how you were looking at her in the train when we were coming to Hogwarts yesterday."
"...I don't know..." Hiccup mumbled, a small blush appearing on his cheeks.
"What are you going to do?" Jack asked curiously.
"I guess there is no point denying it to you if you already found out... I was actually thinking of asking her out. What do you say? Do you think she'll say yes?" Hiccup asked, suddenly turning on Jack.
Jack was taken by surprise. He wasn't expecting that response from Hiccup, he was just teasing. He didn't even know Hiccup really liked Merida. "Um..."
"Ypu know what? I don't care, I am going to ask her out! Even-"
"No!"
"Why?" Hiccup raised a brow. "Do you think she'll say no?"
Jack hadn't realized his blurt out until Hiccup spoke. "...no it isn't that... It is just... Isn't it too soon? I mean... I don't know. Do what you will" he said getting up. "The cauldrons must be heavy, I'm going to go help the girls."
Hiccup stared after Jack in a puzzled state. 'Well that was weird...' he thought turning back to the desk. He began to play with his quill, pondering on what he should do. Since that day in the library, he had seen Merida in a new light. It was weird and he didn't know what was wrong. Did he like her or was it just a crush? He didn't know.
"Hiccup! I'm talking to you!" Merida shouted in his ear, stabbing him in the ribs with the cauldron.
"Agh!" he cried out.
"You were in some trance, lost in thought?" she asked setting his cauldron in front of him and then setting hers on her table.
"Yeah, kind of..."
"Of what? Maybe I can help" she suggested happily, leaning on his table, setting her hands professionally in front of her.
Hiccup chuckled, "Nah, I doubt you can. I mean I don't think you would be the adequate person I should talk to about it."
"Oh..." Merida mumbled, feeling a bit down. She pushed off from the desk and went over to sit over at her seat.
"No, don't take it that way..." Hiccup tried to fix what he had said. "I didn't mean it like that!"
"It's fine. I understand, it might be a guy thing" she said with a smile.
Hiccup felt really bad, but just sat there playing with his quill until the other two came.
Jack had many thoughts go through his mind of what could have happened, but none of what did happen. He set the rest of the things down and looked over at Hiccup.
Rapunzel noticed the sudden change of aura and looked at Jack questiongly. He just shrugged.
After that class went fairly well, though Hiccup and Merida didn't exchange many words. The only few words they exchanged had to do with the ingredients required for the potion.
It was noticable something was going on so Jack decided to do something about it. "Hey Merida can I talk to you for a sec" Jack asked Merida.
"Sure" she shrugged following him.
He stepped out of the class with the permission of the teacher. Jack was trying to find some words of what to say, he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing and shut the door on his robes.
Merida didn't notice it either, having stepped out first and only turning around to ask him what he wanted to talk about, until she did and had to catch him in mid fall. "Are you ok Jack?!" she exclaimed, holding him in mid air.
"Um...Um..." he couldn't find his words. He was at a loss of them when he looked up to her. These past three years had done well to her. He wasn't sure if this was what Hiccup was admiring on the train, but Jack now saw the rosy cheeks of Merida. That was their natural color, which made her in a way look adorable. He also noticed the almost red color of her lips and the blue glow of her eyes.
"Jack?" she called, having already pulled him up to stand.
"Y-yes?" he asked.
"Um, I asked if you were ok. You almost hit your head and not to mention you ripped your robes."
"What?!" he almost yelled turning to look at his robes. They were slashed all the way up to his knees, but only from the back. He groaned as he looked them over, seeing if they were in any way repairable.
"You can always get new ones if a spell can't fix them" Merida suggested.
"Yeah yeah" he said as he turned to look at her. A light, very light shade of pink appeared on his cheeks, remebering what had just happened. For anyone else that wouldn't have been visible, but in Jack's pale white skin it was quite visible.
"I don't think you are ok. You look off, feel sick? Your face just got pink" Mwrida pointed out in concern, stretching out to help Jack.
"Nah, I'm fine. Let's go back inside" he said pulling away and opening the door.
Merida was left outside to wonder what was wrong. 'Is there something wrong?!' she asked herself, walking back in.
((Well there it is. Hope you liked it, please let me know what you think, it helps a lot. Thank you for everyone who has reviewed.
Also I didn't include Norman because I wasn't sure of his last name, but now I know, so I'll add him later.))
