Chapter Nine: Joy
It has been already a month ever since Jack and Hiccup became officially friends. The tension between Jack and Astrid had diminished after the boy had finally asked her to just forget about it, and the girl promised not to judge Hiccup – at least not when Jack was around. Flimsy, but it was just enough for them.
When Hiccup reached the entrance of the Great Hall that morning, though, Jack was already standing near the doors, waiting, wearing that old blue hoodie and those skinny brown jeans. It was sort of amusing to see the other boy looking so casual, a high contrast to the usual Hogwarts' dark vests.
"Hey." He said, stepping closer to the pale boy.
Jack had his mouth open for a second, for a minute his eyes were lost on the green shirt Hiccup was wearing, a bit long on the sleeves but that suited his skin and frame perfectly. He made a mental note not to comment on it, though.
"Hi." Jack said, his voice lower than usual.
"Any plans for today?" Hiccup started walking past Jack, and making the other boy run a few steps to catch up to him.
"It's Saturday, so basically everyone's going to Hogsmead right now." He said, but with a frown.
By the entrance of the Grand Staircase behind them, some students yelled when the small Poltergeist flew above them.
"…Something wicked this way comes…" Peeves sang as he messed up through the halls, dropping a handful of books - probably stolen from the Library – on the entrance Hall. "Oh, look everybody! It's the Skeleton and the Snowman, our new Valentines!" He yelled, gesturing at the two boys who blushed furiously.
"Shut it, Peeves!" Jack yelled back, dodging from a book that flew over his head, nearly striking him in the face.
"Oh, the snowman is bringing the twig to Hogsmead! Snowman loves the twig, the Snowman looooooves the twig!" Peeves flew into the Great Hall, disappearing behind the big wooden doors until all the boys could hear was the mocking song and the laughter.
"Don't listen to him." Hiccup said, noticing how Jack's cheeks were burning. "He's gonna end up finding someone else to mess up with before the weekend ends."
"Yeah, but I just wish he could shut up about it." Jack nearly whispered.
Hiccup raised his eyebrow. "About it?" He repeated with a demanding tone that begged for an explanation.
"Just… never mind," Jack said, now pushing Hiccup to the Entrance Courtyard. "Come on, off to Hogsmead."
"Wait, what did you…"
"I said never mind, Hic!" Jack interrupted, now messing with Hiccup's hair, making the boy huff in frustration.
"Wait, we're still going the wrong way!" Hiccup yelled, making Jack stop in confusion.
"What you mean, the wrong way? There's only one way to Hogsmead…"
Hiccup placed his hand over Jack's mouth, effectively shutting him up.
"My dear friend, this is when you start to appreciate our friendship." Hiccup smirked, and Jack cocked his eyebrow. "Follow me, I'll show you once we're out of this crowd."
Jack followed Hiccup back to the halls, flinching when he heard that Peeves' mocking still hadn't ended, since now half the hall was laughing along with his singing. Indeed, some people gave them amused looks when they linked the song to the scene of the two boys rushing upwards through the castle, against most of the crowd that descended against them.
"Hic, where the hell are we going?" Jack said as Hiccup sped up into a desert hall in the third floor, finally dragging his feet so the smaller boy would have to slow down and give him the attention.
"Okay, I guess I can show you now." Hiccup slid his hand into his pocket, which made Jack gulp until he saw that Hiccup had a parchment in his hand. "This." He gave the brown piece of parchment to Jack.
"What is this?"
"That's the Labyrinth." Hiccup replied, excited. "I've been working on it ever since the third year."
As Jack unfolded the parchment, he understood what Hiccup meant for Labyrinth. His mouth gaped open. Every little detail of Hogwarts grounds were accurately sketched, to the corridors and pathways to the common rooms and toilets. Not missing a single spot.
"This is… It's all… you made this?" Jack was speechless, the details and the cleverness behind it all was just brilliant.
"Yes," Hiccup smiled, proud of his achievement. "This…" He pointed at the corridor they were currently in, and Jack saw the small drawings of two minimal black head and shoulders that wrote in neat calligraphy Jackson Overland and Hiccup Haddock. "This is us." Hiccup said. "And this is where we are going." Hiccup said, gesturing to the One-Eyed witch statue near the Defence Against the Dark Arts class. "It's a secret passage to Hogsmead, now we have to worry with this," Hiccup's finger touched the small point near them that read Argus Filch, "Or we're basically screwed."
Jack couldn't say a word.
"…brilliant!" He said, a smiling creeping on his cheeks, mirroring the mischievous smile Hiccup had.
"Let's go." And with that, Hiccup gathered the courage to grab Jack's hand, pulling him into the halls and running towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts corridor, and he could not help but smile when he felt Jack's fingers hadn't left his as they ran.
The one-eyed witch statue was the creepiest thing Jack had seen in that castle, and that was something to remark. He could not believe how he had never paid attention to it before.
"Okay, now watch out for Filch as I take care of this…" Hiccup had his wand in his hand, and Jack nodded before looking out the corridor.
"Dissendium!" Hiccup's wand tapped on the witch's hump, and not a second later, it opened up to reveal the small entrance to a dark tunnel beneath the corridor.
"That is wicked!" Jack said, walking towards Hiccup to look at the dark entrance before them.
"What is going on here?" The tired voice of Argus Filch sounded through the corridor, and the two boys froze.
Before they could say anything, Jack took Hiccup's hand, jumping into the darkness and pulling the smaller boy behind himself. They slid down on the cold stone shortly until they landed on what felt like a rabbit hole.
"Come out, you little cowards!" Filch's voice was getting closer, but not close enough so he could've seen them.
Hiccup swung his wand, and the entrance closed behind them, leaving them in the dark.
"Lumus!" Jack said, and light flooded them from the tip of his wand.
"He can't hear us from down here, now, can he?" Hiccup asked.
"I think not." Jack answered, looking right into the green eyes.
Both erupted in laughter right then. Laughed until they were gasping for air and tears slid down their cheeks. The sudden adrenaline of doing something forbidden getting the best of them.
"Okay, that was a good one." Jack said, wiping his face with his sleeves.
"Let's go." Hiccup pointed his own wand forward, lighting it and taking the lead through the dark tunnel covered in dust and vines. "The first time I got here I ended up tripping and had to go on all the way to Honeydukes with dirt covering my clothes."
Jack laughed. "Wait, so this leads to Honeydukes?"
"Yeah, gets us right underneath the store where we can climb up to the cellar." Hiccup replied, crouching to avoid a spider web nested on the cavernous walls.
"I have a question, though." Jack said.
"Shoot."
"How come you never tried to talk to me all these years?"
Hiccup's steps went more slowly as he digested Jack's question, swallowing at the anticipation of answering such an innocent question that he truly couldn't come up with an appropriate answer.
"I don't know…" He muttered. "I guess you were always surrounded by your friends, I guess it made me nervous."
Jack stared down for a bit. "I wasn't… always surrounded by them," He tried to say, but his voice was lingering on uncertainty. "I mean, I'm sure there was plenty of opportunity so say something, perhaps in the library or… wherever."
"You hate the library." Jack nodded, smiling. "And say what, anyways?" Hiccup said, still not looking back, only walking forwards.
"I don't know, perhaps 'hey' or 'how are you doing?'" Jack would deny if you asked him, but the thought that Hiccup also didn't try to talk to him made him quite upset.
"I guess we're both suckers." Hiccup said. "None of us tried anyways."
"Gladly I did." Jack said, suddenly. Hiccup only snorted.
"You only did because I showed up that night, and it was just a week ago."
"True, but you would have left if I didn't ask you to stay." Jack pointed. "Plus, better late than ever, right?"
Hiccup smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right." They kept walking quietly for a few moments. "I didn't know you actually wanted to talk to me."
Jack looked at him.
"Of course I wanted," Jack said. "It's just you never even looked at me after the first year. I thought you were mad that I didn't talk to you first."
"I was a bit mad, but I never really blamed you." He stated. "I mean… I didn't help much either, did I?" Hiccup finally looked at Jack, green eyes on blue, and both boys finally saw how much they liked the other's looks.
That's when Jack suddenly tripped, falling on his face when his foot crashed hard against the first step of the stairs. "We're here." Hiccup said, smiling. Jack rolled his eyes before he gave room for Hiccup to take the lead, and then they climbed up the stairs until Jack got hit again, this time in the head as they reached the top of the tunnel.
"Ouch!" He hissed. Hiccup laughed. "This really isn't funny." If looks could kill, his eyes would have torn Hiccup apart right there. "Stop laughing at me!"
"I'm not laughing at you!" Hiccup said, but it was such an obvious lie that both boys started laughing. "It happened to me the first time as well, both things."
"Good to know," Jack said. Hiccup reached up to the trapdoor and pushed it upwards, climbing the final steps until he was standing in the dusted cellar of Honeydukes. Behind him, Jack rose up, his hand still pressing the top of his forehead as he looked around. "I can't believe we actually did this." He said.
Hiccup smiled. "We just did."
"How many of those passages there are at Hogwarts?" He asked.
"I don't know, that I know at least four, but possibly many more. I mean… this is Hogwarts, you know."
Break through the crowd of students that filled all the corners of Honeydukes to their way out wasn't an easy task, but as soon as they did, the cold air blew on their faces. Hogsmead looked like a Christmas card, its wooden buildings and cottages in weird shapes covered in snow and sparking with ice crystals. It wasn't even winter yet, but Jack and Hiccup still wondered if there was a single day when it wouldn't snow at Hogsmead.
Jack made sure to rush to Gladrags Wizardwear, noticing how they were both shaking with the sudden cold. None of them had brought their winter coats or vests.
"And one would think we'd dress up appropriately to go to Hogsmead." Hiccup remarked, and Jack gave him a half-assed smile while they picked a pair of brown and grey coats.
"Well, we would have if we had planned on it." Jack commented.
"Your fault that asked me on the last second." Hiccup retorted.
"Your fault that you haven't hesitated!" Jack raised his voice, even though jokingly, but made some of the people near to look at the two. "Sorry," he muttered. Hiccup laughed.
Suddenly, Jack's fingers reached a grey beanie that he immediately imagined on Hiccup.
"Try that one." He said, offering it to Hiccup.
The freckled boy adjusted it on his head, feeling how his ears seemed to warm up nearly instantly. "Feels nice." He said. "How do I look?"
Jack was again, at a loss for words.
"Adorable as ever." He remarked, but masking it by pulling the edge of the hat over the green eyes, messing with the other boy. "Take it, I'm paying for everything."
"Jack, you don't have to pay for my clothes, seriously…"
"Nope, I do, I was the one who invited you here anyways." Jack said, stepping further to try on this greyish-blue coat he found. "Yep, definitely taking this."
"You look like a girl shopping." Hiccup said, smirking at Jack's face. Jack only faked offense.
"You wound me, Hiccup." Jack placed his hand over his chest, and Hiccup chuckled. "I should just let you pay for your own clothing."
"Like I just told you to…"
"-Nope, I'm definitely buyin' it." Jack stated, walking past the boy straight to the counter, then looking down at the balcony where he was resting his elbows on as he waited for the wizard to cast his spell, folding their new clothing neatly in two separate bags.
"Why packin' them if we're gonna go out wearin' them?" Jack asked, curious.
"To spread the brand!" The wizard replied, returning the pack and making sure to display the Gladrads logo on it. Hiccup laughed.
Both boys were now wandering through the main street, holding half-full mugs of butterbeer on their hands. Jack stepped closer to Hiccup, swinging his free arm around the other boy's shoulders.
"So, where do you wanna go?" He said.
"Oh, I don't know, it feels like we've been here for hours." Hiccup replied, suddenly content with the weight of Jack's arm around him. He took the opportunity to actually wrap his free arm around the other's waist, and for a blissful moment, pressing the side of his forehead on Jack's chest.
"We could go to Zonko's." Jack suggested. "Haven't been there in a while."
"Sure." Hiccup stated, turning his steps and heading towards the prank shop. "I heard it's nothing compared to the Weasley's Wheezes shop."
"Yeah," Jack nodded. "Shame what happened to the other twin, though."
While they stepped into the shop, they noticed most of Hogwarts students were contemplating the items in there. Piles after piles of boxes filled with Boxing telescopes, explosive pumpkin pie, sugar quills and other things Jack couldn't even name right. Everything glowing in bright red and purple shades of the store.
"Feels like home." Jack said, smiling at Hiccup. "Come on, let's plan something."
"Uh-oh, on who?" Hiccup asked, with a sick feeling that Jack's plan would lead to at least a whole month of detention.
"I don't know, maybe Hofferson…"
"Wait, weren't you friends?" Hiccup cocked his eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. Jack was about to answer something when another voice reached them:
"Oh, Peeves was right, if it ain't the new lovebirds?" Nicholas Stonem, a tall boy with olive skin and dark eyes spoke, and he was not alone. At least three other friends were behind him, a girl included.
"Shut up, Stonem, Peeves is just messing with us," Jack retorted, trying not to sound defensive, hoping that the sniggering would end soon.
"I doubt it." Nicholas gave a malicious grim, taking a step forwards. "I think I'm looking at Hogwarts' new couple… of faggots." His hand was heading for his vests, certainly after his wand.
Jack took an instinctive step forward, placing himself ahead of Hiccup.
"Stay away, Stonem." Jack said, his voice stronger than Hiccup ever remembered. "There is nothing for you here."
"Oh, look at him, trying to defend his boyfriend already." The mocking now brought laughter.
"He's not my boyfriend," Jack stated, pulling his wand out of his pocket.
"Oi, Nick," Suddenly it was Hiccup's voice who rose up behind Jack, and things suddenly happened too fast. "Why don't you quit talking shit for a moment?"
In an instant, Hiccup's hand pulled Jack's shoulder backwards, throwing the boy on the floor, then swinging his wand, levitating a small brown sphere, the dungbomb flying all the way to Stonem's face, exploding in a horribly smell of putrefaction.
"Run, run, run!" Hiccup said, pulling Jack along as they sprinted to the exit of the store, the laughter and screams behind them as they exited, and kept on running until they found themselves surrounded by nothing but snows and trees.
They stopped, bent on their knees and stared at each other before, for the second time on that day, they erupted in laughter at how wickedly sudden all of that was.
"Did you look at his face?" Jack nearly screamed, tears streaming out his eyes as he laughed. Hiccup nodded, his hands over his mouth in a way to contain it. And with that, Jack couldn't hold it. Soon, both boys hugged, perhaps the heat of the moment, but they just held one another as they laughed, and everything just seemed at peace for that one moment.
"That was badass, Hic, really." Jack said, finally stepping away.
"Thanks." Hiccup replied.
"How did you learn how to duel?" He asked, taking another step back to look at the green eyes. "I mean, I don't remember you being that good before."
Hiccup laughed. "And I wasn't." Then his smile faded. "I guess I haven't felt too inclined to duelling before this year."
Jack only looked at him. They were surrounded by snow, but there was a small wooden fence near them. They walked to it, resting their arms on it.
"Because of your mother?" Jack's voice was soft, but still firm.
Hiccup nodded after a moment. "Thinking about her makes me angry." He said. "And for what I've read, anger helps in battles."
The blue eyes looked down, staring at the snow.
"I feel angry, all the time, to be honest." Hiccup said. "As if I could literally kill someone with my bare hands, even myself."
"Don't say that," Jack snapped. "Don't you ever say that."
"It's true!" Hiccup finally looked back at him. "I mean, I'm not going to jump off a bridge or anything, but I'm so… Argh, I don't know, perhaps I would…"
Jack's body again acted before his mind as he once again wrapped his arms around Hiccup, close enough so his lips were near the other boy's ear.
"Don't." He said, and he could feel his own heart sinking.
"Why?" Hiccup's voice was broken. Crying.
"Because you matter." He answered, his voice much softer than before.
"I don't…"
"You matter to me." He said, finally, holding Hiccup even tighter. It took a moment, but he soon felt the other's arms circling around his shoulders, and then they were in a tight embrace, as Hiccup's tears feel on Jack's shoulder.
