Safe Haven

(A Hogwarts AU, in which Rapunzel is a Hufflepuff and Jack a Slytherin. I know most Hogwarts AU writers put Rapunzel in Ravenclaw, but to me she seems a Hufflepuff from top to toe - fair-minded, cheerful, true to her word, not to mention extremely industrious. I like to imagine she leads house singalongs, and believe me, they do singalongs in House Hufflepuff.)

(P.S. I don't own Hogwarts.)

First day of school at Hogwarts, and Rapunzel was, as usual, one of the first Hufflepuffs to reach the Great Hall for breakfast. Her long braids, woven with black ribbons (Hufflepuff pride!) swung beside her as she sat down. She was just helping herself to orange juice when a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and gave a happy shriek.

"Jack!" she jumped up and hugged him as if they hadn't seen each other in years. Which was not too far off – Rapunzel and her mother lived in Hogsmeade, so she never took the Hogwarts Express to the castle, and only Merida was allowed to visit her over the summer. She stepped back, giving his trachea time to relax. "You've gotten taller," she said, looking him up and down.

"Thanks," he said. One hand flew to his strikingly colored hair to preen, automatically, but he scanned the Hufflepuff table up and down as he did so, with uncharacteristic anxiety.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

"Zellie, you remember the Sorting last night – did you meet Mary Katherine Overland, new Hufflepuff extraordinaire?"

"Of course, I welcomed her in the common room," Rapunzel nodded. "She seemed really sweet."

There was a pause, while he looked at her expectantly. Rapunzel fidgeted, wondering what she was doing wrong – then her eyes brightened. "She's your sister, isn't she?"

"That took you long enough," he quipped.

"What? Overland is a common last name."

"Not that common."

"I was more interested in that Pacifica Pico kid who went to Ravenclaw. Now that is a cool name!"

"Zellie."

"Besides, you don't look anything alike."

He paused. "Y'got me there. Anywho… I introduced her to Merida and Hiccup on the train, and was planning on introducing you guys in Diagon Alley but…"

"That didn't work out." Once again, Rapunzel's mother had insisted that excursions to London were too dangerous, and mail-order shopping worked just as well anyway, and why did Rapunzel depend so much on those friends of hers, anyway?

"Yeah."

"And you want me to look out for her."

"… Yeah. I hope it's not too much – she's just – she's really shy. I was hoping she'd sort into Slytherin, but she takes after Dad, I guess."

She giggled. She had never seen him look so discomfited. Asking for help on schoolwork of any kind was a piece of cake – but asking for help to look after his little sis? That was tough.

"She's a really lucky girl, you know."

"Oh? Because she's got me for a big brother?"

"Because whatever House the Hat picked, she'd have someone looking out for her. Don't worry, Jack, I'll look after her like she was my own little sister."

"Starting today."

"Starting right now." They both glanced to the faculty table, where the first years – Mary Katherine Overland included – were picking up their very first timetables. Mary Katherine saw both of them and waved.

Rapunzel waved back and gestured 'Sit by me.' Jack grinned at her.

"Just don't be too good of an influence on her. A little devilry is the family tradition."

"Mm-hmm. And Jack?"

"Yeah?"

She took his wrist, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek. He stared at her, completely flabbergasted for once in his life.

"Happy back-to-school," she said, and then turned away with a serene smile. "Mary Katherine! I didn't realize you were Jack's sister – but he's told me so much about you."