There's Always More

by AlicevsWonderland

Hogwarts AU. When Hiccup's secret of being the first to train a dragon is revealed, he struggles to handle his new popularity among the other students. Jack decides not to bother him like many of the others, even though he is also curious about the whole story. Despite this, an unlikely friendship blooms between the two boys and eventually turns into something more. Rated M!

13. Jealousy Rides With Me

Author's note:

Chapter title is from the Death Cab for Cutie song.

---

Crowds were one of the most unpleasant places on earth. They weren't supposed to be though. To most people they were places of laughter, eager conversation, traveling towards a destination, witnessing events, meeting new people. It made sense. Humans are social creatures and being in packs is something that's deeply ingrained in human nature. Safety in numbers and all that rubbish. Hiccup did not like crowds.

The air felt thick and warm, like the oxygen had been sucked out by all the students breathing in and out and had been heated up from the warmth emanating from every body in the corridor. He was beginning to sense that vague, dull throbbing that indicated an upcoming headache. His brain wasn't getting enough fresh air and his mind was currently shooting into overdrive to try and take in the massive amount of sounds and sights all around him. The feeling of being trapped was approaching. Everything around him seemed to be growing in intensity. Some kind of pressure was building inside him. He knew this feeling all too well.

The sound of shoes scraping across ancient stone floors. Excited chatter spilling from fast moving mouths. Serious discussions spoken in hushed voices. Smiles appearing on pink lips. Laughter floating through the air. Ruffling of bags. The longer he walked through the crowd, the more the noise seemed to be building in volume, until it felt like all the voices and sounds were screaming and shrieking in his head. His eyes drifted across his surroundings, observing every impression whether it was impossible to miss or barely visible.

An endless sea of similar black and white school uniforms, only differing in the discreet splashes of color that indicates ones House. Countless heads of hair, all in slightly different nuances, different styles and lengths, some of it swaying gently from movement. The faces of the students heading the opposite direction of him. Round childish-looking faces, sharp angled faces, wide mouths, small mouths, slender noses, small button noses, large noses, freckles, scars, dimples, beauty marks.

He accidentally locked gazes with a blonde Hufflepuff girl with curiosity gleaming in large brown eyes. He quickly looked away again. The eyes were the worst when he was feeling like this. All the hundreds of varied, complex expressions that could be reflected in the colored orbs of another human being.

He focused on that old stone floor with plenty of discreet yet visible small cracks and scrapes from so many years of use. Thousands of people had walked across this particular floor. Thousands of footsteps had graced it, some belonging to people who ended up going down in history and others who lived more quiet lives and were eventually forgotten as time went on.

As he kept walking through the sea of students, he suddenly spotted Astrid with her friends Megan and Katie. She shot him a genuine smile and waved at him as they passed each other by and he did the same. They were still not spending time together, but it seemed like things got better every day, so hopefully their friendship could remain intact.

It was the beginning of December now, so almost every room and hallway in the magical castle had been decorated with lights, wreaths, Christmas trees, pine branches or baubles. In the passageway he was currently walking through, pine branches were hanging along the stone walls, decorated with ornaments and small, white lights. Despite being a Viking and therefore never having actually celebrated Christmas, he kind of liked the holiday, or at least what he experienced of it here at the castle. All the decorations, lights and nice, rich foods were very pleasant and the other students in the castle always seemed to be in an extra good mood during this month. It was sort of like this holiday had some kind of magic all of its own, causing everyone to be filled with excitement and happiness. Of course the prospect of going home and also the presents probably had something to do with that too.

Vikings didn't have many occasions where giving gifts were involved, so he couldn't fully relate, but on the other hand, he, Rapunzel and Fishlegs exchanged presents every year. As his feet kept carrying him across the stone floor towards the workshop, he managed to finally block out all the impressions by thinking about what he should get his two friends this year…and if he should get Jack something too. He wasn't sure if that would seem odd, but on the other hand they were such close friends now that it would also seem kind of strange not to give him something.

"Hic!" he suddenly heard a familiar voice yell from behind him. He stopped in his tracks and instantly smiled. Speak of the snow-loving idiot…

"Hey Snowcone." he greeted his friend happily, as he watched Jack walking towards him with a bright smile on his face. He could immediately feel his heartbeat quicken and those tiny Terrible Terrors stirring in his stomach. Crap…they'd been asleep for a little while but now that Jack was here, they were moving again.

Jack threw an arm around his shoulder and they began walking together through the corridor among the other students without a word. It was such a familiar ritual to them that they never really needed words for it. It just sort of happened every day.

The noise and warmth and close proximity of all the other students weren't quite as annoying and exhausting now that he had Jack to keep him company for a while. It seemed like that unnerving feeling of stress slowly faded away. It was something he had thought about before…how Jack made him a little nervous because he didn't want him to know about his crush but at the same time...Jack managed to calm his mind, when it was being overwhelmed by something. His presence was somehow soothing.

"How was Herbology?" Jack asked him and turned his head to fix those blue eyes on him.

"It was fine. I actually got out of it today without being mauled by some demonic hell-plant." he told his friend and grinned a little.

"Wow, that's quite an achievement." Jack replied with an amused, crooked smile.

"I know, right?" he said enthusiastically.

"Although it's not so strange you keep getting mauled, when you're always volunteering yourself."

"Yeah, well…I'd rather have it be me than Rapunzel or Fishlegs." he explained and Jack's blue eyes softened at that. By Odin and Thor and Freyr and Freyja and all the other gods…why…why did that look affect him so much and practically make him feel like he was melting into a puddle?

"You're a good friend, Hic." Jack told him. Hiccup appreciated the kind words that were filled with fondness. He knew Jack valued their friendship as much as he did and it made him happy just knowing that Jack appreciated having him around.

"Thanks." he replied and a warm smile made his lips curve. "So anyway, where are you off to now?" he asked Jack, partly because he was curious and couldn't remember what class he had now and partly because he wanted to take his mind off that bubbly sensation growing inside him whenever Jack was around.

"Care of Magical Creatures."

"Oh right." He had actually known that since Rapunzel and Fishlegs shared that class with Jack and Flynn, but he'd temporarily forgotten that it was now.

"What about you?"

"I'm going to the workshop."

"Well, we're heading the same way for a little while then." Jack replied with a happy smile that made him feel a tug of affection inside.

"Yeah…Rapunzel and Fishlegs told me at breakfast that you're having your lesson in the Forbidden Forest today?" he asked Jack. His two friends had seemed quite excited about that, since it was an indication that they were going to be dealing with something a bit more unusual.

"Yeah, we are…not sure what to expect from that. Usually when that happens, it's something big and dangerous that we have to deal with." Jack told him and laughed a little.

"Yeah, that's true…just hope it won't be something with a bad temper."

Jack hummed in agreement, while a little smile tugged at his lips. "That wouldn't be good. I still remember the time we had to handle Fire Crabs and I got this seriously temperamental one. It gave me some nasty burns on one of my arms." Jack chuckled.

"Pssh. It was probably a completely normal one and you just pissed it off by being your usual, infuriating self." Hiccup said and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh please." Jack replied dismissively. "I can charm any creature, Firecrab or Hippogrif, unless it's obviously emotionally disturbed."

"Well, it was emotionally disturbed after meeting you, that's for sure." he joked.

"Yeah, it was emotionally disturbed alright…with awe!" Jack grinned brightly and Hiccup couldn't hold back a chuckle, while he shook his head a little.

They continued to walk together in comfortable, amiable silence for a little while down the corridor, Jack still having his arm around him. Hiccup enjoyed the familiar weight resting on his shoulder, the warmth emanating from both their bodies and the sense of bonding that this little ritual of theirs always brought. It was almost unbelievable how such a small gesture could make him feel so…happy. Just being close to Jack, just having this simple contact between them was making him feel this soft, warm contentment spreading through his entire being.

Suddenly Jack stopped in his tracks and withdrew his arm. Hiccup stopped as well, a few steps ahead. He saw two girls, a blonde Hufflepuff with large, blue eyes and full lips and a brunette Slytherin with long curls.

It only took Hiccup a second to assess the situation. "I'll give you some privacy." he told Jack in a neutral tone before the girls even managed to say anything. He walked a little distance ahead, enough for him to not be able to hear what they were saying. He knew what this was about and he really didn't want to listen to it. It was bad enough to see it unfold before his eyes. He didn't need to know the details.

He tried to keep himself occupied by just observing all the students walking through the corridor, taking in their different appearances, different expressions and listening to pieces of the conversations floating through the air, as people passed him by. Now that he was in a less crowded place and being around Jack had soothed his mind, it didn't stress him to just watch and take in the impressions around him for a few moments. He spotted a small, young Hufflepuff girl who was walking next to another young Hufflepuff and showing him a long list, several pages long in fact, of what was apparently her wishes for Christmas.

After a few minutes he glanced at Jack, who was still talking to the two girls. They were both clearly flirting with him. The brunette Slytherin was giggling and smiling shyly, while the blonde Hufflepuff was currently squeezing his shoulder briefly. As usual, Jack was comfortable in his own skin in these situations. He seemed to be polite about it as always, listening to what they were saying with a little smile on his face and not appearing affected by their touches and smiles.

He sighed to himself. An unfamiliar emotion emerged inside him. He had never felt it before, but he instantly knew what it was.

It was so incredibly unreasonable and ridiculous, but it was the sharp bite of jealousy. He really wished it wasn't…but it was. Watching other people touch and flirt with the person he had feelings for was just…painful. It made him a little bitter even though he had no right to be and even though he knew it was stupid and unfair. Jack was free to do whatever he wanted and he couldn't blame those girls either. They didn't know he had feelings for Jack, and even if they did, they still had every right to approach him. It's not like he and Jack were ever going to be together anyway.

He had never even considered himself capable of jealousy, but he couldn't deny the feelings that were currently twisting and turning inside him, grabbing hold of him, infecting his mind and body with its sickening, pathetic presence. It was…unpleasant and confusing. He'd never felt like this before…even with his other crushes, like the one he'd had on Astrid, he wouldn't feel jealous when other guys gave her attention. He would be sad, sometimes even depressed but not jealous.

This was different.

He sighed once again and decided to just get on his way to the workshop. At least that way he wouldn't have to keep looking at this and feeling horrible inside…and working on a project would help calm his mind and keep him distracted for a while.

He kept an eye on Jack. When he met his eyes, Hiccup gave him a small smile and a wave as a "bye, see you later, mate." gesture. Jack frowned and looked disappointed. He probably felt bad for being occupied right now and letting him stand here alone. Knowing Jack, he would much rather walk to class with friends and laugh and joke around than be approached by girls, even if he usually did find that a little amusing too.

Hiccup turned around and started walking through the corridor towards the workshop. He wasn't going to stick around to watch this, when he and Jack didn't even share their next class. Several students passed him by as he continued to make his way down the passageway, but the noise was now only a slight buzzing, easy to push out of his mind. Unlike other things.

He knew it was only a matter of time before Jack found someone. It was inevitable. He was just really hoping it wouldn't happen until they were no longer at school together. He wasn't sure if he could see Jack with someone else without falling into a deep, dark depression.

He wrapped his arms around himself in a subconscious way of shielding himself from other people right now. Why couldn't he have feelings for someone who was less popular? Jack was so likeable that a lot of the other students wanted his attention. It reminded him of what he could never have. It was almost like being taunted.

He picked up the pace and began walking more briskly towards his destination, as the hallways became less and less crowded and he was nearing that usually deserted part of the castle where the workshop was. He was eager to just get his hands on a project and forget his emotional issues for a while. Building or repairing things depended on logic and rationality…something that emotions certainly didn't and right now, he needed something that made sense.

---

There was only one person who could affect him this much by the simple act of walking away. That person was Hiccup.

Jack sighed when Hiccup disappeared into the sea of other students on their way to classes. Why did he have to go? He would much rather be with him than these two girls. He instantly felt a wave of sadness crash over him and he had to restrain himself, so he wouldn't just go running after Hiccup, which was what he actually wanted to do. Of course he was going to see Hiccup later but…he was enjoying their time together and wanted to be around him all the time, and now these girls had occupied him for long enough to make Hiccup leave.

"So Jack, what do you say?" a girl's voice suddenly said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Uh, sorry, what did you say?" he asked and turned his attention back to the pretty, blonde Hufflepuff girl in front of him. It was too late now anyway, since Hiccup was nowhere to be seen anymore, so he might as well just get this interaction over with.

"I was asking you if you'd want to go out with me?" the blonde girl said with a slightly amused smile, not seeming bothered at all that he hadn't paid attention to what she was saying. She reminded him somewhat of a little girl with her heartshaped face, big blue eyes and the way her lips seemed to do a subconscious pout once in a while. Her Slytherin friend with the long, brown curls giggled a little and somehow the sound annoyed him right now. It reminded him of the sound little first year girls with pigtails made when they were gossiping in the hallways.

"Oh...uh, sorry. You seem like a nice person, but I'm not dating right now." he told her honestly with a small, polite smile that wasn't genuine in any sense of the word. It had sort of become an automatic reply of his lately.

"Oh…can't say I'm not disappointed to hear that." she replied, as her smile slowly vanished. "Any particular reason?" she asked, tilting that head of long, straight hair.

Yes. There is a particular reason and his name is Hiccup Haddock. I'm sure you know who he is, like everyone else in this castle does these days? Oh yeah, and I have feelings for him. I've sort of been going through a sexuality crisis, but there's no doubt in my mind that I want to be with him… and I'm annoyed that you just chased him away, because I'd rather spend a few minutes with him than hours with you.

"No, no particular reason." he said casually and shrugged, keeping up that confident, friendly demeanor. In situations like this he was especially grateful for his natural ability to talk to pretty much anyone and appear confident, even in those rare situations when he wasn't. If he was awkward and shy like Hiccup, this would be a lot harder. It was thought-provoking though…how a lot of interactions with people you didn't know well were sort of like a play. You had to pretend that you were okay, that everything was normal, even when it wasn't. You protected yourself by obscuring the truth, because everyone has truths that they don't want other people knowing about for one reason or another. He, for example, did not want other people knowing that he wasn't interested in dating anyone because of his crush, so he had to just lie and pretend.

"Okay. Well, let me know if you have a change of heart." she told him, a warm smile appearing on her lips, as she adjusted her bag to hang more comfortably on her shoulder.

"Sure." he replied and gave her a small smile in response.

He definitely wouldn't have a change of heart. He would just wallow in his hopeless crush instead.

"Great. Bye Jack." the blonde said with a smile and her Slytherin friend gave him a small wave.

He sighed a little once more and then started to put one foot in front of the other to get to his own class. He had Care of Magical Creatures, so he would need to head outside and meet up with Flynn, Rapunzel and Fishlegs. His black shoes scraped across the hard stone floor and when he spotted a small, crumbled paper ball lying around, he kicked it in frustration and watched it fly through the air and then roll a little before stopping by a large pillar. God, it was so frustrating having feelings for one of your closest friends and not even being able to tell them about it. It was exhausting and painful and sometimes he just felt like screaming and smashing something.

But then the next time Hiccup smiled at him, touched him, laughed or was adorable awkward…all those frustrations melted away and a fluttering, delicate, warm sensation took its place.

He sighed to himself, as he kept moving towards one of the exits. He still had a slight headache from sitting through Arithmancy. That horribly boring, slow class in combination with the unpleasant warmth that always emerged in the small, cramped classroom filled with students usually always gave him a headache. Mavis had ended up abandoning writing notes and helped him survive the class by whispering really bad jokes in his ear, making him chuckle because of all of the horribly bad puns.

As he exited the castle and walked through one of the courtyards, his steps were brisk. He adjusted his striped Gryffindor scarf around his neck and then pulled out his black, knitted gloves from the pocket in his black school cloak. Luckily the thick, black Hogwarts cloak was very warm, so even though it was winter and the air was chilly, it was enough to keep him warm, in combination with his scarf, gloves and thick, grey Gryffindor cardigan. He enjoyed the sensation of the chilly winter air on his skin. Some fresh air, not to mention the beautiful, snow-covered surroundings were both guaranteed to lessen his headache.

Noises of complaint from the white powder erupted under the pressure of his footsteps, and usually he found that sound very calming but right now the thoughts were whirling in his head. It was unbelievable how Hiccup could change his mood so much with only the smallest actions. If he was in a bad mood, Hiccup could smile at him or say a few kind words and it would soothe him and replace his worries with warmth. If he was happy and Hiccup had to handle flirty people or if he was in a quiet, pensive mood and didn't want to share his thoughts, it would make the uncertainty and sadness swirl inside him.

His thoughts continued to be occupied by Hiccup and how he just wanted to be near him some more, as his feet took him towards the Forbidden Forest, where today's lesson would be. The fresh, cold air nipped at his nose and cheeks but as usual he didn't mind. In fact, he enjoyed it. Because of all the happy memories he had of winter and playing in the snow, the cold air tingling his skin was kind of like being greeted by an old friend.

He decided to slow down a little and just watch the snow-covered surroundings, as he continued towards the forest. The way the white powder gently laid on every inch of ground, every bush, every tree and branch, shimmering in the sunlight like millions of tiny diamonds was a little calming for his mind as always.

He wasn't quite sure what it was about winter that had always appealed so much to him. Maybe it was the way everything around him transformed from the greyness of late autumn to the beautiful, glittering white wonderland of winter. Maybe it was because winter was fragile and yet unyielding all at once. Strong yet delicate. Its fierce, harsh cold had the potential to easily snuff out life but at the same time its brittle snowflakes and clear blue ice could be banished by the warm rays of the sun, surrendering to the superior strength of that flaming ball of light.

When he reached the edge of the forest, his eyes took in snowflakes that drifted from the branches of the trees towards the ground, gently pushed by the chilly breeze. Three familiar people soon came into view, standing a little distance away from some other students, who were also waiting for class to begin. As he walked past the other students on his way to the others, he saw Liam talking with Samuel, one of his Ravenclaw friends, and gently nudged him on the shoulder and gave him a "hey mate", as he passed him by. Liam threw him a quick "hey" and a toothy grin in response.

Flynn, Rapunzel and Fishlegs were in the middle of some conversation, when they spotted him and then waved at him with bright smiles on their faces. He managed a small but genuine smile in response. It did make him feel a little better already to see his friends…and it wouldn't hurt occupying his mind with something else.

"Hey guys." he told them, when he was by their sides.

"Hi Jackie." Flynn said happily and ruffled his hair, quickly followed by warm greetings from Rapunzel and Fishlegs as well.

"I see you're still alive after Arithmancy?" Rapunzel teased him with a grin, flashing her straight, white teeth.

"Yeah, but it was seriously a close call…there's only so much boredom the human body and mind can take." he replied, making the others chuckle.

"Do you guys know what we'll be learning today? Professor Lucero didn't mention anything the last time?" Fishlegs asked eagerly, clutching their heavy Care of Magical Creatures textbook in his arms.

"I have no idea." Jack said and gave him a smile. He really liked Fishlegs' enthusiasm towards animals. He was practically obsessed with learning all knowledge about magical creatures by heart and he wouldn't be surprised if Fishlegs could recite their entire textbook.

Flynn and Rapunzel told Fishlegs that they didn't know what they would be learning today either.

"It has to be something quite big though, since it's in the forest instead of down by the hut as usual." Flynn said and shrugged.

"Something…big?" Rapunzel asked and now she seemed slightly nervous.

"Come on, it'll be fine." Jack said. Rapunzel liked this subject at lot, since she loved animals almost as much as Fishlegs, so it was strange to see her be nervous about it.

"I hope so." she said uncertainly, furrowing her brow.

"Of course it'll be fine, Goldie." Flynn said and did a dismissive motion with one hand.

"Yeah." Fishlegs agreed. "Nothing dangerous has ever happened to us in this class, so don't worry Rapunzel."

"That doesn't mean that nothing dangerous could ever happen." Rapunzel objected.

"That's true but…why worry? You'll just waste time and energy…and besides, we'll all be there to help you if you need it." Jack said.

"Thanks Jack." she replied with genuine appreciation in her eyes.

Their conversation was interrupted as Professor Lucero appeared and the tall, dark-haired professor quickly asked all the students to follow him, as he began to walk into the snow-covered forest. They all complied and instantly started to walk through the bare trees, whose absence of leaves made them resemble skeletal figures except for the pine trees whose needles were all sprinkled with a soft, white layer. The light buzz of conversations and the cracking of the snow underneath all the students' footsteps reached Jack's ears as they all made their way towards their destination. Despite the calm surroundings though, there was still a certain sense of awareness among all the students that something could go wrong. This was the Forbidden Forest after all. It might seem quite calm and peaceful sometimes but it was still filled with a lot of different creatures, not all of them harmless and friendly.

Jack walked next to Flynn, with Rapunzel and Fishlegs behind them, and as he exhaled he could see his breath in front of him in the form of a pale mist. He remained quiet as he kept putting one foot in front of the other on the soft blanket of snow covering the ground and listened to his two friends behind him, who were having an eager conversation about Hippogrifs all of the sudden. He kept his eyes trained ahead, as thoughts of Hiccup once again invaded his mind. He had no choice in the matter, it happened all the time and it was beyond his control.

In his peripheral vision he could see Flynn leaning in. His friend started whispering to him and Jack turned his head to look at him.

"Are you okay, mate?" he said with a look of concern in his brown eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he replied without much emotion.

"Something happened with Hiccup, huh?" Flynn whispered to him.

"How do you do that?" he asked in disbelief. He shouldn't have been surprised though. Flynn was really good at reading him and he always had been.

"I'm one of your best friends, Jackie. It's my job to know these things…and the only one who can make you look like that...all pensive and insecure and slightly frustrated…is Hiccup." Flynn explained and of course Jack knew that this was true.

"We were just walking together but then I got held up by some girls, so Hiccup left for his class." he explained to his friend, still making sure to whisper so the two behind them wouldn't hear it.

"Well…you'll see him later." Flynn said with a smile, obviously trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah, I know..." he sighed and Flynn gave him a knowing look that he didn't like at all. It was like he could see right through him right now.

Flynn suddenly let out a massive yawn and covered his mouth with a hand, as they kept walking next to each other. Jack looked at him sympathetically. He knew that Flynn hadn't slept very well today.

Jack observed the ground for a while, seeing logs, large rocks and bushes all covered in sparkling frost, reminding him of a thin layer of crunchy sugar. As the silence between him and Flynn stretched on, he listened to the sounds all around him from the forest. It was like nature's own little symphony.

He suddenly heard gasps and hushed conversation among the students walking in front of them, and as their classmates spread out and Jack and the others actually managed to see what they were looking at, he smiled at the odd looking creatures a little distance ahead in the snowy forest.

Six, black, skeletal horse-resembling creatures were scraping their hooves in the snow, walking around or interacting with each other. They had white eyes without any pupils and their sharp, long faces instantly reminded Jack of dragons…which didn't really help his attempt of pushing Hiccup out of his mind. He noticed that one of the creatures was clearly a foal…much smaller than the others. It was standing next to a larger one, presumably its mother and nuzzled against it. Despite their fairly horror-movie-like appearance they actually seemed kind of cute.

"What are those?" Flynn asked in disbelief from next to him, as they all kept observing the animals.

"They're…Thestrals." Fishlegs said in awe and his eyes were a little wide with excitement.

"Thestrals?" Jack asked him with a furrowed forehead.

"Yeah. They're not visible to everyone though." Fishlegs explained, which made sense since several of their classmates seemed quite confused about what they were currently looking at.

"Really?" Flynn asked.

Fishlegs nodded. Jack glanced at Rapunzel and noticed she was watching the Thestrals with uncertainty in her eyes. She seemed on edge.

Professor Lucero turned around to face the class. "How many of you can see them?" he asked.

Jack and his three friends all raised their hands, as well as some of the other students. All in all though, the majority couldn't see them.

"Does anyone know why they're not visible to everyone?" their professor asked and let his friendly eyes drift across the students.

Fishlegs raised his hand. Jack smiled. He really wasn't surprised. Fishlegs was the most active student in this particular class.

"Yes, Mr. Ingerman?" Professor Lucero said.

"Thestrals can only be seen by people who have seen death." Fishlegs explained.

Jack shared a look with Flynn. So that was why the four of them could all see them. He knew that Hiccup and Fishlegs had both seen death, since they were Vikings and had been subjected to fights with trappers and hostile tribes (and dragon attacks before that) so it was inevitable that someone would die along the way. Flynn had lost his mother a few years ago from illness, and obviously Jack himself had seen both his parents die. He didn't know why Rapunzel could see the Thestrals though.

"Correct, Mr. Ingerman. Well done." Professor Lucero said with a small smile. "Are Thestrals dangerous?"

"Not unless they feel threatened. They are fairly gentle creatures. They can even be trained." Fishlegs replied with an underlying excitement. Jack once again smiled. Maybe this situation sort of reminded Fishlegs of the dragons…creatures that were generally misunderstood but could actually form a bond with humans.

"Correct." Professor Lucero said with a nod of approval. "A trained Thestral is a rare occurrence but it can be done. Now, I will be giving a short lecture on Thestrals in general, how to care for them and how to approach them and afterwards you will all practice interacting with them in a safe way."

As their professor finished that sentence, Fishlegs did a small jump of anticipation, while Rapunzel looked quite concerned about all of this.

Professor Lucero began informing them about Thestrals and everyone started pulling out their quills and parchment or notebooks. It was fairly difficult to write properly while standing up, but Jack did his best to scribble down the most important information he was given about these interesting animals.

When their professor finished his lecture, he told them to form five short lines, one towards each adult Thestral, and begin approaching the animals. Jack and his three friends all went together towards one of the large, black creatures and formed a little line. Fishlegs was eager to go first and they all agreed to that without an objections.

The three of them watched Fishlegs in silence, as he walked towards the Thestral in front of them, his footsteps making the snow crack. The animal lifted its head when Fishlegs was near it and watched him without really reacting.

Fishlegs avoided eye contact to not make it feel threatened and then let the animal smell his outstretched hand. He began to gently let his hand glide along the animal's neck. Fishlegs glanced over his shoulder and shot them all a huge, beaming smile before he turned his attention back to the black animal. Jack couldn't help grinning in response.

After a little while of Fishlegs interacting with the Thestral, talking to it, petting it and feeding it with some of the food Professor Lucero had brought for them to use, it was Jack's turn.

When Fishlegs was once again beside them, Jack began walking towards the skeletal creature carefully. He was never really nervous about interacting with animals of any kind, but it was still better to be safe than sorry and he didn't want to make the Thestral nervous.

A brief moment after he was standing in front of the quite large, horse-like animal. He slowly reached out his hand and let the animal sniff at it, before he let his hand move across the side of its, long black head. Its black skin and very thin coat felt like old, wrinkled leather underneath his touch. He let his fingertips trace over the bones that stuck out under the skin on the Thestrals cheeks and muzzle. When he let his blue eyes meet the creature's white ones, it was like staring into a slightly unnerving nothingness. There were no pupils, no iris, nothing that indicated expression of any kind and yet…he had the feeling of being observed and he sensed the creature's intelligence.

When he too had spent some time with the animal, fed it and interacted with it, he headed back towards his friends. Flynn was eager to get his turn, so he immediately approached the Thestral and started talking to it and gave it some more food. As Flynn began petting the animal eagerly, Jack smiled a little to himself. It was quite interesting that Flynn seemed so interested in the Thestrals, since he wasn't that fond of horses in general and these black skeletal animals were very horse-like. Well, to be honest it wasn't that Flynn was scared of horses, he just didn't like them that much after having been attacked by a police horse a few years ago. Flynn had been home for the summer about three years ago and had caused a bit of mischief in his neighborhood with some spray cans. Apparently the police horse had ended up throwing its rider off and then tracked Flynn down on its own. Whenever Flynn talked about that horse, he described it as "bloody mental" and "the evil lovechild of Chuck Norris and a gladiator"…which only made it more fitting that the horse's name turned out to be Maximus.

When Flynn walked towards them and it was Rapunzel's turn, she hesitated and remained where she was, watching the Thestral with nervous anticipation.

"Come on, Blondie. You can do this." Flynn said.

"Uhh….I don't know…" Rapunzel replied. She wrung her hands anxiously, eyes darting back and forth between them all.

"What are you afraid of?" Flynn asked, watching her with warmth in his eyes.

"I just…they just look quite frightening and I don't want them to bite me." Rapunzel explained.

"They won't bite you, Goldie. You saw the rest of us approach them and nothing bad happened."

"Yeah, I know…it's just easier said than done."

"Yeah, it is." Flynn agreed. "But come on, I'll go with you, okay? We can do it together?" Flynn asked. Jack couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

Rapunzel observed him in silence, seemingly unsure of whether she should accept this offer. She sighed. "Okay."

"Great. Come on then, Blondie." Flynn said with a reassuring smile and began to approach the Thestral again. Rapunzel slowly walked behind him, eyeing the large, black creature.

Jack watched his two friends with a smile, as Flynn confidently walked up to the black animal, Rapunzel following him with less confidence. It was a nice gesture that Flynn wanted to help her.

"Okay." Flynn said and turned his head to look at Rapunzel. "Just reach out your hand very slowly, so it knows you're not a threat and let it smell it."

Rapunzel slowly extended her arm towards the large black creature. Jack couldn't see her face as she and Flynn were standing with their backs to him and Fishlegs now, but her body language conveyed the tenseness she was probably feeling within.

When Rapunzel's hand was near the Thestral's muzzle, it watched her for a brief moment before gently sniffing the offered hand and then bumping its nostrils against her palm.

"Well done, Goldie. Now try to stroke it." Flynn told her encouragingly.

"What?"

"Come on, I'll start." Flynn said and slowly reached out and began to pet the Thestral on the side of its skeletal head.

Rapunzel observed this for a few moments, before she also reached out her hand and then let it gently brush across the Thestral's black coat.

Jack grinned when Rapunzel let out a little happy squeal. She began to pet the Thestral more eagerly, apparently having gained some confidence now.

Flynn took a few steps back and just let Rapunzel interact with the Thestral all by herself.

"Aww, you're just a big sweetheart aren't you?" she cooed at the large animal, stroking its head and neck. "I'm sorry I couldn't see that before. I was just a bit scared of you." Rapunzel said. "But…there's a lot more to you than meets the eye isn't there?"

Jack shared a bright smile with Fishlegs. They both watched Rapunzel and the Thestral for a while in silence. When Jack glanced at Flynn, he was also observing Rapunzel with a warm smile on his face.

A few minutes later Professor Lucero dismissed the class and told them to follow him out of the forest again. Rapunzel retracted her hand from the Thestral and told it goodbye, before she joined Jack, Fishlegs and Flynn and they all began following the other students and their Professor. All the way back through the forest and towards the castle, Rapunzel, Flynn Fishlegs were eagerly discussing her encounter with the Thestral, while Jack was content to just listen to their excited, happy conversation.

When the four of them walked through one of the courtyards heading for an entrance to the castle, Rapunzel and Fishlegs briefly waved and said "hi" to a familiar, blonde girl who was sitting with her nose in a book on one of the benches. The girl lifted her head and waved back, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Elsa. A seventh year Ravenclaw. He'd seen Rapunzel, Hiccup and Fishlegs usually wave at her when they passed her by, but they didn't really have anything to do with her.

People had often told him during the years that he and Elsa would be perfect for each other, but he just couldn't see that. Yes, they both had pale skin, blue eyes, white hair, and they both had a love for winter and the cold, but that wasn't enough to conclude that they would be great together. It wasn't that he disliked her, she had been perfectly nice the few times he had actually talked with her but she could be a bit uptight. He'd never really seen her just have some completely unrestrained fun, it seemed like she was constantly holding back and keeping herself in control… as if it wasn't proper or right to just be childish once in a while. She clearly had some kind of issue and didn't know how to just let it go.

When they were inside the castle, they said goodbye to Fishlegs and then the three of them headed towards their Transfiguration class. Jack was already eager to see Hiccup again, so he was relieved that he shared the next class with him. Not to mention that they were going to start actually practicing human transfiguration today and that was bound to be hilarious and exciting.

As soon as they entered the Transfiguration classroom with the dark mahogany tables and the several cages with animals in them, he spotted that familiar, brown hair, and a warm smile spread across his face and his heart already beat faster in his chest. Hiccup heard them approach and gave them one of those looks where the fondness was gleaming in his green eyes…one of those looks that made Jack feel like his legs were suddenly made of water, threatening to give in underneath him. God… he affected him so much and he wasn't even aware of it.

"Hey guys." Hiccup said.

"Hi Hic." Jack replied.

He slumped down next to Hiccup as usual. Rapunzel pulled out her textbook, quill and parchment from her brown bag and Jack decided to do the same.

"So…what was it that you had to deal with in the forest?" Hiccup asked them, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"Thestrals." Rapunzel replied, bubbly happiness evident on her face.

"Really?" he asked.

"You know what they are?" Jack said in surprise. He hadn't known what they were until this class, so how did Hiccup know?

"Of course I know. By now Fishlegs has basically recited the whole Care of Magical Creatures textbook to me." he said and grinned.

"You know…that doesn't surprise me one bit." Jack chuckled.

While Rapunzel began eagerly telling Hiccup about her encounter with the Thestral, Flynn suddenly let out a massive yawn next to him and covered his mouth with one hand.

"Knackered, Rider?" Jack asked him with an amused smile.

"You know very well I am, Jackie." Flynn replied.

"Well, you better still be able to pay attention…I don't want you to get me stuck with some animal part for days, so don't be distracted."

"Is that so? I could say the same thing to you, Jackie. Don't be…distracted." Flynn replied with an amused smile and then waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

Shit. He had him there. Since he realized that he had feelings for Hiccup, he did have trouble concentrating sometimes, because it was too tempting to just sit and observe Hiccup in class or think about him in the classes where they were separated.

"I won't be. I'll be brilliant as usual." he said.

"Sure you will, mate." Flynn deadpanned and then let out another yawn, this time not bothering to cover his mouth with a hand. Flynn leaned over the table, placed his arms in front of him and then rested his head on them.

Jack decided to let Flynn rest for a few minutes. After all he hadn't slept well. He turned his attention to Hiccup instead. Apparently Rapunzel had finished telling him about the Thestral and Hiccup had started to write something in runes.

"What are you doing?" he asked. It clearly wasn't notes, because his textbook wasn't open.

"Oh...I was just writing down some ideas I have for some new kinds of shields and then I thought of a way to improve some of the metal rods connected to Toothless' saddle." Hiccup explained, putting down his quill.

"Is that brain of yours ever on 'off'?" Jack replied with an amused smile. He could never actually tell his friend, but he found his inventiveness positively adorable. Not to mention impressive.

"No." Rapunzel said and then grinned.

"Oh, come on…it's off sometimes." Hiccup told them with mirth in his eyes.

"Yeah, when you're sleeping or unconscious." Rapunzel shot back.

"Doesn't that count as 'sometimes'?" Hiccup asked innocently, pretending to not understand the issue, and Jack couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"You think waaay too much." Jack told him with a teasing smile.

"And you never think."

"Oh please, that's just not true. I'm a genius."

"Really?" Hiccup asked in mock curiosity and then looked him over. "You're hiding it awfully well."

Before Jack got to know Hiccup, he had always loved witty banter, but he had never known just how attractive sarcasm and sass could be.

Jack opened his mouth and was about to throw a retort back in Hiccup's face, when suddenly he heard a snore from next to him. He saw Flynn still leaned over the table with his head resting on his arms, but now he was snoring and his face was in peaceful folds.

"Is he…sleeping?" Rapunzel asked in slight disbelief.

"It looks like it." Jack replied, unable to keep an amused smile away from his lips.

"Well, class will begin soon, so we should probably wake him." Hiccup said.

"True…" Jack agreed. "Hey, can I borrow Pascal for a moment?" he asked Rapunzel with a mischievous smile.

"Uhh, sure." she said and put her hand into her bag. When she pulled it out again, Pascal was resting in her palm. She put the green lizard down on the desk.

"Heey Pascal. Could you help me wake up Flynn?" he asked the reptile and placed him right next to Flynn.

Pascal eyed Flynn for a few moments and then began to jab at his face with one of his tiny feet. When that didn't cause any reaction, the small lizard began to crawl onto his face. However, Flynn kept lying completely still, not affected by this in the slightest. Jack, Rapunzel and Hiccup all kept their eyes on the reptile, as he then crawled onto the side of Flynn's face. He seemed to be thinking for a little while, before he suddenly shot out his tongue into Flynn's ear, like if he was catching a fly.

"ARGH!" Flynn instantly yelled and sat up right away with wide eyes. Pascal had jumped down from him and was sitting on the table with a smirk on his face…if lizards could actually smirk? It sure looked like Pascal could.

Jack immediately burst into a laughter fit, quickly followed by Hiccup and Rapunzel, and all of them soon had trouble breathing.

Flynn scowled at him. "What the bloody hell was that!?"

"Just a little wake up call…chameleon style." Jack replied with a bright grin and waggled his eyebrows.

"Don't ever do that again." Flynn told him and narrowed his eyes a little.

"Well, don't worry, Rider…chameleon waking is just one of the many wake up services I provide." he told his friend with a crooked smile.

"Be careful, Jackie. Remember who's in charge of waking you up every single morning."

"Like I couldn't get up just fine by myself." he said and did a dismissive hand movement.

"You really couldn't and you know it." Flynn replied. Of course he was right, but Jack wasn't about to admit that.

Their conversation had to be put on hold, when Professor Hyde entered the old classroom and made his way towards the desk. Most of the chatter in the room subsided instantly, except for a few girls sitting by the table behind Jack and the others. The tall, slim professor put his books down on the desk and eyed the girls impatiently before clearing his throat. The girls took the hint and ceased their conversation and paid attention.

"Good afternoon class. Today we will be practicing human transfiguration, so I hope you have all re-read the chapters for today as well as your notes from the previous lesson. You will need that knowledge now. For this lesson you will be attempting to transfigure each other into cats using the spell on page 85. Pair up in groups of four and begin practicing, taking turns. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance if you need it. Human transfiguration is one of the most advanced fields in transfiguration. This also means that it's very likely none of you will succeed in performing a complete transfiguration today. You will need to concentrate completely and if I see anyone practicing any other spells or trying to fool around in other ways, you will receive detention. Now…get to work." their professor told them.

The sound of chairs scraping across the stone floor and the low buzzing of chatter quickly filled the air, as the eager students began forming groups. Jack and the others left their seats and walked to a corner of the classroom with some distance to the other students. Jack was feeling quite excited about this. He had been looking forward to practicing human transfiguration and he was sure it was going to be a lot of fun.

"Let's get started." Rapunzel said impatiently with a happy smile on her lips.

"Okay, I'll go first at trying to transfigure one of you. Who is volunteering as the first victim?" Jack asked with an amused smile and looked at his three friends.

"Don't look at me, Jackie. I'm way too handsome to be subjected to something like that." Flynn told him jokingly.

Rapunzel looked at Hiccup and raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

Hiccup sighed. "Seriously, guys? Seriously?...Fine, I volunteer."

"Great." Jack told him happily and instantly took out his pale wand from the pocket in his school robes.

Okay, it might not be the best plan that his crush had volunteered, since he would need to concentrate and his feelings and his attraction to Hiccup was something that easily made him distracted. However, he would do his best to focus like Professor Hyde had told them and if he happened to produce some funny results, it would be very entertaining to tease Hiccup about it.

He took a few steps back. "Ready, Hic?" he asked.

"Sure. I can't wait to be turned into some kind of mutant cross-breed."

"As if that would ever happen. My amazing abilities know no bounds."

"Jack, we've had this class together for a while. I've seen some of the results you've produced." Hiccup told him with a small, amused smile.

"Whatever, Viking boy. Be nice to me or I'll screw it up on purpose and you'll be stuck with cat paws for days."

Hiccup rolled his eyes in response with a flicker of a smile on his lips. "Let's just get it over with."

Jack extended his arm and pointed his wand at Hiccup. Then he clearly said the incantation. A few sparks instantly flew from the tip of the wand.

A few seconds after, Jack, Rapunzel and Flynn were all laughing hard at the sight before them.

Hiccup looked so amazingly adorable. He was still in human form, except for two, furry brown cat ears sticking out of his messy, brown hair.

"Awwww." Jack cooed, "A cat Viking!"

Even though he was teasing Hiccup right now, he was positively adorable. He was never going to admit it to anyone, but he felt the sudden urge to cuddle him.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and then reached out his hands and touched the ears that twitched in response.

"You're so cute!" Rapunzel squealed and smiled brightly at her friend. Flynn chuckled.

Hiccup shook his head with a tiny smile appearing on his lips. "At least it's not as bad as it could be."

"Well…I'm ready to give it another try, if you are, dragon boy…or should I say, cat boy?" Jack said.

"Do your worst, Snowflake. I'm ready."

Jack held out his wand once more and said the required words.

Another laughter fit erupted between him, Flynn and Rapunzel when they saw what the spell had done.

This time, Hiccup not only had the cat ears but his arms had been replaced with two brown, furry cat legs and paws.

"Oh for Thor's sake." Hiccup said as he observed his new limbs and moved them around, watching them with a mix of curiosity and repulsion.

"Now, that's a weird, mutant cross-breed." Flynn said in amusement and Rapunzel giggled at that.

"Yeah yeah laugh it up, Flynn. You know, you're going to have to be experimented on at some point too." Hiccup said, lips twitching in amusement.

"Well in that case, I choose you to practice on me. That way I probably won't be turned into too many weird things before you succeed."

Hiccup smiled a little in response to the compliment.

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence, Rider." Jack said sarcastically and raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, Jackie. Hiccup is the best of us at Transfiguration…and several other things, you know that."

"Pssh, I know no such thing…anyway, one last try?" he asked Hiccup.

"Sure." Hiccup said, resigned to his fate.

He extended his arm, gripping his pale wand and once again the incantation left his mouth. The sparks left the tip of the wand.

This time he was temporarily confused as he looked at Hiccup. Not only had the cat ears and paws vanished, but nothing had seemed to appear in its place.

"Huh. That's weird…you've just gone back to normal." he said to Hiccup, furrowing his forehead a little.

"Err, not exactly." Hiccup said uncertainly.

"What?" he asked in confusion, looking Hiccup over. He couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary.

Hiccup reached into the back of his trousers and pulled out a long, brown, fluffy tail.

"Oh, that's a great look, Hic. You should just keep that." Jack chuckled and Rapunzel and Flynn quickly joined in.

"I'd rather have Ragnarok* unleashed right now than to keep this." Hiccup told him with a mock threatening glare.

"Wow, that's pretty serious." he grinned in response.

Hiccup nodded. "I don't intend to be half cat, half Viking any longer than I have to." he said with amusement in his eyes.

"Hey, can I go next?" Rapunzel asked, as she did a little, excited jump.

"Sure Punzie. Go ahead." Jack said with a happy smile. He liked when Rapunzel got all bubbly and excited about something. The two of them shared that slightly childish side.

"Whoa whoa whoa." Hiccup said, waving his hands around. "First of all…get rid of this." he told him and motioned towards the long, fluffy tail. "And second of all…Punzie?"

"Hey, we need more nicknames for you and Rapunzel and Fishlegs. You guys almost don't have any, and we can't have that." Jack said.

"I agree with Jackie." Flynn said and nodded.

"I'm fine with nicknames but…Punzie?" Hiccup asked again.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that…Hiccy?" Jack said.

"No, Jack. Just no."

Jack chuckled. Hiccup's reluctance towards that particular nickname was seriously amusing.

"Fine. Because I'm so incredibly nice I'm going to let it go. Punzie doesn't get off the hook so easily though."

"I'm fine with the name." Rapunzel told him with an amused smile.

"Good. You're probably going to get more names in time, so you should get used to it." Jack grinned.

"Again…can you just get rid of this?" Hiccup asked him and pointed to his tail.

"Sure, dragon boy." he said and then waved his wand and broke the spell. The furry tail vanished instantly.

Hiccup sighed a little in relief and then smiled at him. "Good. I'd rather not be a cat Viking."

"But you were so cute." Jack blurted out before he was able to stop himself.

Okay, why did that sentence just leave his mouth? He instantly felt nervous but covered it up with a grin and then glanced at his friends to see if any of them had noticed anything.

Flynn instantly started laughing and Rapunzel giggled a little.

"Ugh. Don't say things like that." Hiccup groaned. Rapunzel and Flynn both chuckled.

Okay, thank whatever god might exist that Hiccup had just taken it as a joke, even though he was actually being serious. He wasn't sure if Flynn had laughed to save him from that incredibly stupid thing he had blurted out or if he actually just found it really funny, but no matter what, he was grateful for it.

"Okay, who should be the victim of Punzie?" he asked the others, eager to get past that awkwardness he had just felt.

"You can be my victim, Jack." she said.

"Okay…Turn me into the most beautiful feline on earth!" Jack said and dramatically threw his hands in the air.

"I'll do my best." Rapunzel replied with a grin and pulled out her wand. She narrowed her eyes in concentration. Her gentle voice said the incantation in determined way and the familiar light flew out from the tip of the wand towards him.

He blinked. Then he heard Flynn and Hiccup laugh and Rapunzel giggle.

He looked down himself and didn't really see anything different. Then he started to feel around his face and hair with his hands. Okay…there it was. He had a cat nose and whiskers.

"Whoops." Rapunzel said.

"You look great, Jackie." Flynn told him as he got his laughter under control. Hiccup watched him with an amused grin.

"I always look great no matter what, Flynn. I thought you knew that by now."

"Always the humble one, Snowball." Hiccup told him and shook his head a little.

"Of course, Hic. You know me."

"Yeah…unfortunately I do." Hiccup deadpanned.

"You're a sarcastic shit, you know that?" he said with an amused smile.

Hiccup laughed. "I'm well aware."

"Are you ready for another try, Jack?" Rapunzel asked him.

"Sure. Go ahead."

She extended her arm towards him, wand in hand, and spoke the needed words for the incantation. The sparks left the wand and came towards him and he briefly wondered what would happen this time.

The next thing he knew, his legs gave in underneath him and he landed on his back on the stone floor. What the…?

"Jack, are you okay?" he heard Hiccup ask. He sounded like he was trying to suppress laughter.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he replied, still confused about what was going on right now.

"Okay, then you won't mind us laughing now." Flynn said and instantly broke into a laughter fit, quickly followed by Hiccup and Rapunzel.

Jack sat up and took a look at the lower part of his body. His eyes widened for a second before he also began laughing at the ridiculous sight before him. His black trousers were flat against the floor, like there weren't any legs inside them and he instantly knew what had happened. He had cat legs and of course those two small legs couldn't support the weight of his human upper body, which was why he had instantly fallen over. He began rolling up his trousers a little to reveal two, white furry cat legs, which only made his friends laugh even harder.

"Wow…this looks really odd." he then said to his friends. He moved his little cat legs from side to side while still sitting down and then laughed a little once again. This was just…like something you'd see in a weird dream.

"Yeah it does." Flynn agreed with a huge grin.

"I should probably get rid of those." Rapunzel said with an amused smile and then waved her wand to break the spell.

Jack watched as his own legs came back and was actually a little relieved about that. It wasn't that he thought they wouldn't, but it was very surreal to see yourself with animal limbs.

He rolled down his trousers again and got to his feet quickly. He grinned at his three friends, who were all still looking quite amused by this whole cat legs thing.

For the remainder of the class, they continued taking turns trying to transfigure each other into cats. Jack, Hiccup and Flynn all almost choked on their own laughter when Flynn turned Rapunzel's head into a cat head but with the rest of her human body intact. She tried to speak but could only meow in discontent and look extremely dissatisfied, which made him and Hiccup get tears in their eyes. As Flynn had insisted, Hiccup was the one who attempted to turn him into a feline, but even he didn't manage a full transfiguration in this lesson. Jack had a another laughing fit, when Hiccup had cast the incantation and Flynn lifted up his shirt to reveal his entire stomach and chest covered in brown fur. At Hiccup's second attempt, Flynn got cat ears, cat eyes and whiskers and those green cat eyes made him look so creepy and weird that Jack couldn't even laugh for a few moments but just stare. By the end of the class, they all had a stomach ache from laughing so much at all their failed attempts.

None of their classmates were able to do it either, but every time Jack glanced around the classroom he saw some hilarious results. He particularly had to suppress laughing hysterically at Astrid, when he spotted her from across the room and saw her getting transfigured by one of her friends. Astrid was completely covered in thick, cream colored fur but still in human shape and that sight was just amazing. He wished he had a camera in that moment.

After they were dismissed by their professor, they once again had to split up and head to different classes. Hiccup had no more classes for today, but wanted to head to the workshop to finish working on the bow he was making for himself.

As he and Flynn walked next to each other through the corridors, having just said goodbye to Hiccup and Rapunzel, Flynn turned his head and looked at him.

"But you were so cute?" Seriously? Not very subtle, Jackie." Flynn said.

Okay. So Flynn had laughed to help him, after he had blurted out those embarrassing words. "I know, I know." he sighed. "It just sort of slipped out before I could stop myself. Thanks for having my back." he told his friend with a sheepish smile.

"Anytime, mate." Flynn replied and nudged his shoulder.

Jack felt lucky to have such great friends, who always looked out for him. He had needed their help on several occasions to keep his crush a secret, and he would probably need them even more in the future if these feelings didn't go away. Sometimes it was really difficult to keep his emotions in check and avoid saying or doing something that would make Hiccup suspicious.

He sighed a little to himself as he and Flynn continued down the passageway among several other students. God, how he wished that he didn't need to keep it a secret. That he could just tell Hiccup about it. He couldn't risk losing him though, so he had to just…pretend that he didn't have feelings for him, no matter how incredibly difficult that was.

---

Somehow being in the workshop always helped soothe his mind. The smell of wood, paint, leather and several other materials in the air not only reminded him of all the times he'd been working excitedly on something, but also all the ideas he often had in his head for future projects just waiting to be done.

He spent about an hour in the workshop, working hard and focused, managing to temporarily push thoughts of Jack out of his mind and just becoming engulfed in crafting his bow which he managed to finally finish. He was quite pleased with how it had turned out and as he observed the complete weapon in his hands, he smiled a little to himself as the usual feeling of accomplishment washed over him. The bow was very different from the one he had made for Merida, even though they were both recurve bows. Where Merida's bow was made of red oak, his was made of pale elm wood. Where hers had a dark brown leather grip, he had chosen a light brown one. He had designed a pattern of Celtic knot symbols and carved it into her bow, but for his own he had carved a pattern of Toothless' silhouette like the one he had on his shield, combined with carvings of long roots woven in between, representing Yggdrasil, the tree of life. All in all, he was happy with the result and he couldn't wait to practice with it. That would have to wait though. He and Fishlegs had to practice fighting today, so there wouldn't also be time and energy to shoot arrows with Merida.

After he'd cleaned up the workstation he'd been working at, he placed the bow and arrows in his designated cupboard and locked it. Then he exited the classroom and began walking down the old corridors. His friends would be done with classes about now, so he would go see if he could find any of them. After all, he had promised them they could come with him and Fishlegs to their fighting practice today and that the ones' who were interested could get some lessons.

As he continued on his way through the stone corridors, more and more students came into view. The workshop was located in a part of the castle that was mostly deserted, but now he was approaching the corridors that most students went through at one point or another to get to class. All around him, students were laughing and talking, creating that familiar buzzing of noise and the mild rays of the winter sun streamed through the large arch windows, filling the passageway with a soft light. He blocked out most of the sounds to avoid getting stressed again and just kept a watchful eye out for any of his friends, but he couldn't spot them so far among all the other students. When he passed one of the large windows in the corridor, he trained his green eyes on the sunbeam entering through the window and watched tiny specks of dust drift lazily through the air, only visible due to the warm rays illuminating them.

As he walked by a little group of first year Gryffindors talking excitedly about their first flying lesson, someone suddenly grabbed his arm from behind and quickly pulled him to the side of the corridor.

When he came face to face with the person who had just grabbed him, he took in the slightly long, tousled, dark hair that reached just below the ears, the clear, blue eyes, the high cheek bones and the slender nose. He recognized the tall, quite handsome Hufflepuff instantly.

Well…this was awkward.

"Hey Hiccup." the familiar Hufflepuff said to him with a warm, confident smile tugging at his lips. Hiccup noticed the black cloak, the yellow and black House scarf and the few snowflakes on the guy's shoulders. Apparently he'd just been outside…probably for some class.

Hiccup hesitated for a few moments, just looking at the guy in front of him, being a little surprised by him just appearing out of nowhere and pulling him to the side like that. What did he want?

"Hi Sam. What's up?" he asked, using the guy's first name since he'd used his and also trying to seem casual, despite already feeling a little awkward about this. He knew this guy was interested in him. He'd gotten a note from him before, so he could only imagine that this encounter was going to be about something along those lines too.

Sam tilted his head and observed him for a brief moment, those piercing, blue eyes analyzing him. Sam's lips parted to reveal rows of white teeth. "Relax Hiccup. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable."

Well…that's exactly what you're doing right now even if you don't mean to, Hiccup thought to himself. "What?" he then asked, mostly because he was confused about how easily Sam could read him. He tugged a little on one of his braids for a brief moment and took comfort in the familiar act.

"Come on…you're a shy, private person. I know that. I can tell you're feeling awkward now." Sam told him and once again smiled at him. It was a friendly, reassuring smile, obviously meant to make him feel less uncomfortable. It didn't really work though.

"Okay…" he started hesitantly. "Uhm, so…why exactly did you grab me just now?" he then asked, really wanting some answers.

"I just wanted to talk to you." Sam told him and then casually adjusted his yellow and black striped Hufflepuff scarf a little around his neck.

Hiccup just remained silent for a couple of moments, not really knowing how to answer that. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

"Look…I'm not trying to be rude or anything but…what is it that you want from me?" he asked the Hufflepuff, deciding it would be better to just ask instead of beating around the bush. He disliked the whole social 'game' everyone in the world had to play on a regular basis when they interacted with others…the game of guessing people's true thoughts, intentions and emotions, because humans, including himself, were often so incredibly bad at just saying what they wanted and didn't want.

"Your time." Sam shrugged with a ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.

"What?" Hiccup asked in confusion, furrowing his forehead. His…time?

"I just want to spend some time with you. I like you." Sam said, like he wasn't nervous about saying something like that. Not that that really surprised Hiccup. He didn't know Sam very well, but he had always seemed like a confident person who was comfortable in his own skin. Much like Jack.

Although…Sam could never compare to Jack.

Hiccup could sense that annoying, familiar warmth begin to coat his cheeks, and he knew he was blushing now. Gods, why did he have to blush every time someone showed an interest in him?

Well, obviously that was a rhetorical question because he knew exactly why…

It was because every time someone told him they liked him, he heard that voice in his head. The voice he both loved and hated, because it was his friend and his enemy all at the same time. It reminded him of all the reasons why he felt uncomfortable in such situations and why he should never let his guard down for people he didn't know.

They only like you because you're popular now. They never cared about you before.

They're just trying to use you to get information about the dragons.

It's just some kind of cruel joke.

They don't know anything about you. They just think they like you because you're a dragon trainer.

Even if they actually do like you, you can't take that chance. You can't trust their motivations.

That voice…it was his enemy because he knew he would never be able to trust people more often when it kept saying those things to him…but at the same time, it was his friend for that exact same reason. It was his own way of protecting himself from more hurt and more disappointing experiences with people, so even though his ability to trust would probably not get better, there was an even more important aspect to it…that at least it wouldn't get worse.

When people hit on him it brought out all those thoughts about whether they were just trying to use him. It also made all the little insecurities that gnawed at his mind rush to the surface. He had a little trouble actually believing that people were genuinely interested in him as a person.

Sam chuckled and it pulled him out of his thoughts. Sam shook his head. "Hiccup seriously…you've always needed more confidence. You blush too easily. Not that I'm complaining. It's pretty adorable." Sam told him with a look in his eyes that appeared almost…

Oh gods no...now he was actually flirting with him?

"How do you even know that about me?" he asked while trying his best to will that blush away. He and Sam had never really spoken much, only a few times in classes during the years when they'd been paired up for something, but he seemed like he actually knew several things about him.

Sam shrugged. "I noticed you even before you had that whole growth spurt and suddenly became a dragon trainer." the Hufflepuff told him with a certain underlying warmth.

"You…did?" he found himself asking in slight disbelief, feeling quite baffled by this. He'd never even seen the slightest sign of that…not that he was looking for it but still…he was usually quite observant, but this had completely evaded him.

"Well, yeah." Sam said, as if it was obvious. "You've always been incredibly intelligent…quick-witted…funny…cute. I noticed that."

Hiccup's awkwardness increased in that moment but he forced himself to maintain eye contact and try not to seem too affected by it. At least when he was approached by girls, they rarely said those kinds of things to him…usually they just asked him out right away or gave him a note where those sorts of things were written, but those he could avoid by just handing them over to Fishlegs and Rapunzel. Now though…someone was actually saying these things to him. Of course it was flattering but at the same time he just wanted to turn around and leave because it made him uncomfortable.

"Uhm…thanks, I guess?" he said uncertainly, not knowing what else to say right now. He had never thought anyone had really noticed him in that way until his secret about the dragons was out and he had grown up as well, not being short and scrawny anymore…but apparently he was wrong.

Sam smiled in amusement and put his hands in the pockets of his school robes. "No need to thank me, I'm just stating the obvious…I don't know if you ever read the note I asked Fishlegs to give you some time ago because…well, you usually don't read the notes people give you."

"You've noticed that too?"

"I think a lot of people have noticed that by now, Hiccup. After all, it's not a rare occurrence that people give you notes, and you usually pass them on to Fishlegs or Rapunzel."

"Well, I can't deny that…but I read your note." he replied, before he adjusted his satchel hanging on his shoulder.

"Oh, you did?" Sam asked and raised an eyebrow, seeming quite pleased with that.

"Yeah…I was curious." he told the Hufflepuff honestly and then shrugged.

"Well, obviously I know you might not be into guys but...I just felt like I should let you know I like you, since everyone seems to notice you now." Sam told him.

What could he say to that? Oh yeah, you know…funny story…I am actually into guys, but I sort of have this huge, unrequited crush on my amazing friend Jack 'Frost'. You know, talented Quidditch seeker, popular prankster, mind-blowingly attractive, incredibly funny, wonderfully playful and so kind and caring that it almost hurts? Has the bluest eyes you'll ever see and hair and teeth as white as freshly fallen snow? Yeah…so I don't really feel like getting involved with anyone.

Oh and by the way, I'm also the future leader of a Viking tribe, so there isn't really a place in my life for a relationship with a guy.

Yeah…he was not going to say that.

He remained silent for a brief moment, trying to figure out what to say, but Sam chose to speak again, chasing the quietness between them away.

"So…do you have any plans now or do you want to spend some time together?" the Hufflepuff asked him, tilting his head of brown hair a little, still watching him with those quite blue eyes.

"Uhm…" he started hesitantly, thinking about how to let him down without hurting his feelings too much and without admitting that he actually liked guys as well as girls. That was not something he was ready for anyone to know…and especially not someone who wasn't even his friend. It was kind of impressive though…how the Hufflepuff had just opened up to him like this…made himself completely vulnerable, when he knew there was a major risk of being turned down.

Hiccup wasn't certain if he could ever do something like that. The fear of rejection and hurt was terrifying.

---

The hallways were buzzing with noise from the flow of students all around him, as his eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for any sign of his friends. He was very relieved that classes were over, as his limit of concentration had pretty much been reached for today. Now though, he was meeting up with the others to watch Hiccup and Fishlegs practice fighting and he was really looking forward to that. He loved it every time he got to see Hiccup's Viking side come out…he actually felt kind of privileged to get regular glimpses of something Hiccup kept hidden from everyone else. Only the people he trusted were allowed to witness it and the fact that Jack was one of those people made him feel grateful and warm inside. He had gained Hiccup's trust and that was really something special.

As he began walking down the corridor to search for his friends, he smiled at the students who greeted him or waved at him. His eyes drifted across every student he saw, trying to find one of those familiar faces. He was excited to just round everyone up, see some Viking fighting and then get some lessons with the others. He knew a little self-defense already since North had insisted that he got a few lessons every summer, but it definitely couldn't compare to getting private lessons Hiccup and Fishlegs who had actual experience with fighting.

Among the students heading in the opposite direction of him through the corridor, he suddenly spotted Jim and Harry coming towards him. As he passed them by, he ruffled Harry's slightly long, blonde hair and grinned at the both of them. Harry shot him an amused smile while Jim nudged his shoulder playfully, before they kept going in the other direction.

Even though the passageways were full of students heading in all directions, he would recognize that mess of familiar brown hair anywhere. He smiled fondly to himself, until he also spotted the slightly familiar bloke who was currently talking to Hiccup and clearly trying to flirt with him. His smile vanished and he stopped dead in his tracks. He took a few steps to the side to lean casually against a wall, while he observed the interaction. He would wait for it to be over and then get Hiccup so they could find the rest of their friends. Not to mention that…he sort of wanted to keep an eye on where this was going.

Hiccup and the guy kept talking for a little while and Jack just observed them. What was that bloke's name, again? Zack? Sam? Something like that…Jack had only talked to him a few times over the years and he had seemed like a good guy, but right now he really disliked him.

It was clear that Hiccup was feeling awkward about the situation. Not that that was surprising. He always felt awkward with these kinds of things. Jack knew all of the small signs that indicated Hiccup's mood by now, like the way he briefly tugged at one of his braids when he was nervous or somehow uncomfortable. Jack sighed to himself. He wanted to interfere, but he knew that he didn't have any right to do that.

When the Hufflepuff suddenly said something followed by a flirty smile and Hiccup blushed in response, Jack felt that unpleasant sting of jealousy inside him, turning his stomach to horrible, twisted knots. He didn't like the way the guy was looking at Hiccup. It was…soft and affectionate and Jack suspected that it was probably the same way he looked at Hiccup sometimes. But this guy was practically a stranger.

He made up his mind to interrupt the interaction anyway, even though he knew he couldn't really trust his own motivations when it came to Hiccup. He didn't want to just stand there and watch any longer and at the same time he knew Hiccup wouldn't mind being pulled out of an awkward situation.

As he came closer to Hiccup, he was able to hear their voices.

"So…do you have any plans now or do you want to spend some time together?"

He has plans, Jack thought to himself and he couldn't help feeling a little smug.

"Uhm…" Hiccup began uncertainly, obviously trying to figure out how to let the guy down gently, like he did with everyone.

By then though, he was by Hiccup's side. Hiccup met his eyes. Jack smiled, before turning his attention to the guy in front of them.

"Sorry, mate. I'm occupying the time of everyone's favorite Ravenclaw for the rest of the day." Jack said with a little smile. He tried to make it seem friendly but he wasn't sure if he succeeded.

Then he put an arm around Hiccup as usual and deep down inside he knew it wasn't just because he wanted to be close to him, but also because it was a tiny expression of possessiveness…as pathetic as that was. When met Hiccup's eyes again, Hiccup's lips twitched in a fond smile.

"Oh. Hey Jack." the guy greeted him, before he once again looked at Hiccup. "Well, that's a shame. Maybe some other time then, Hiccup." he said, trying to hide his disappointment.

The Hufflepuff looked back and forth between him and Hiccup. Something flickered in the guy's eyes, but Jack couldn't decipher what it was and that bothered him. He had the sudden distinct feeling of being analyzed right now and he didn't like it.

"See you around Hiccup." the guy said with a fond smile tugging at his lips.

"See you Sam." Hiccup replied and did one of those little waves he did sometimes.

So Jack had been right about the name then.

Sam nodded and then turned around and began walking away into the sea of students passing through the hallways. Jack watched him retreat for a few moments.

Then he turned his attention back to Hiccup, who seemed somewhat distracted. His green eyes were a little glazed over and his brown eyebrows were lowered, creating a little wrinkle on his forehead. Jack was very familiar with that look…it meant that Hiccup was in deep thought.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, observing him for any hint of how Hiccup was feeling about this whole situation. He kept his arm around Hiccup's shoulder, even though they were standing still and not walking as usual.

"No, it's just…he told me something strange." Hiccup explained, still with a contemplating look on his face.

"What?" he asked curiously. He wanted to know what had happened between Hiccup and this guy, even though the Hufflepuff obviously wasn't a threat in any way.

"That…he liked me even before I had my growth spurt and before everyone knew about the dragons. It's just…strange." Hiccup explained, keeping his eyes trained ahead.

"Strange?"

"Yeah, it's strange that someone liked me that way and I wasn't even aware of it."

Jack smiled a little to himself in amusement.

Oh, you mean like how I fancy you so fucking much and you're completely oblivious about it?

Hiccup was an observant guy, sometimes way too observant for his own good, but his lack of confidence and self-esteem often made him pretty blind to people's interest in him. He had quickly learned that in their friendship.

"Yeah, I guess." Jack replied and shrugged, trying to seem casual about it.

"Not to mention strange that someone liked me back then…I mean…I don't even fully get it now." Hiccup told him.

"I know, Hic. You're always judging yourself too harshly." he said, unable to keep the hint of sadness out of his voice. He tightened his grip around Hiccup's shoulder and squeezed it as a comforting gesture. It really was awful that Hiccup's self-esteem had been so broken down through the years that he couldn't fully understand what other people saw in him. In these situations, whenever Hiccup said something with that underlying insecurity, he just wanted to pull him close, place a soft kiss on his lips and tell him about the many things he adored about him.

"Yeah…it's sort of become instinctual now." Hiccup said, like he was just making an obvious statement.

"I know. I don't like it." Jack frowned.

Hiccup smiled fondly at him. "I'm aware of that. I don't like it either."

"Seriously Hic, you should really be able to see all your great qualities." he said. Sure, he couldn't tell him just how amazing he was, but at least he could let him know that he thought he was great. Not that Hiccup didn't already know that but it certainly didn't hurt to remind him once in a while.

"Thanks Snowflake." Hiccup told him with a warm smile appearing on his lips.

"No problem, dragon boy. Now…am I going to be seeing some Viking fighting today or what?" he asked, wanting to get Hiccup to think about something else.

"Sure. Let's find the others and we'll go to the room of requirement." Hiccup told him as they began walking across the stone floor, Jack's arm still slung around him.

"The room of requirement? That's where you guys practice?" he asked.

"Well, it's where we practice in the autumn and the winter. In the summer and the spring we practice in the forest where Toothless is staying."

"That makes sense, I guess. Well, let's go find the others then." he said.

---

It didn't take him and Jack long to locate their friends since they knew which classes they had all had and therefore where in the castle they would be. Soon all seven teens were heading towards the room of requirement together, talking and laughing along the way. Flynn, Merida and Mavis told him that they were excited to actually finally see the room of requirement, since they'd never been there before but only heard about it. Then he told them the story of how he and Fishlegs had discovered it by accident a couple of years ago, while trying to find a place that could give them the privacy they needed for practicing fighting indoors when the weather was bad.

When they reached their destination, Hiccup made sure to look around to see if there were other students nearby. Most people in this castle had no idea where the room of requirement was and it'd be nice to keep it that way. Otherwise people would probably come here all the time. As he began thinking about what they needed, the familiar, massive doors soon appeared where the wall had previously been blank. He quickly pushed the doors open and the other teens followed him inside the room.

The room of requirement looked like it always did, when he and Fishlegs came here to practice. It was almost completely empty except for a few chairs by one of the walls and a small, low bookcase that contained towels, water bottles and a box of medical supplies like bandages if one of them got badly injured and needed some help right away before they went to the hospital wing. Not that that had ever happened, but it definitely couldn't hurt to take precautions. The floor was padded to soften the impact when they threw each other down on the ground, since it could quickly become quite serious if one of them smacked their head into a stone floor. The large, lit fireplace at the end of the room, the half-pillars that hung from the ceiling and the big, arch windows that let the sun stream through remained the same as always.

"So this is the room of requirement." Flynn said and looked around to take in the whole room.

"Yep." Jack replied.

"And you told us once that it's always equipped for the user's needs?" Mavis asked.

"Yeah, but someone actually has to have need of it. Otherwise it won't appear." Hiccup explained.

They all moved towards the center of the large room and then dropped their bags on the floor.

"So…are you going to teach us something now?" Merida asked eagerly.

"We kind of need to change first. We don't practice in our school robes." Fishlegs told her.

"Okay. So…is there some place you can change?" Jack asked in strange tone that sounded almost like he was a bit uncomfortable with the idea. That had to be in Hiccup's own imagination though. Jack was almost never uncomfortable with anything.

"Not really." Fishlegs shrugged. "So just…keep looking ahead and we'll go to the other end of the room I suppose. What do you say, Hiccup?"

"All right." he replied before grabbing his bag and then walking away from their friends, Fishlegs following behind him.

When they were standing in one of the corners, a little distance away from the others, they began changing out of their school robes. Of course Hiccup felt a little awkward about this, but he knew their friends would respect their privacy and not look or anything, so he just got on with it and took off his cloak and then his white shirt and blue and white striped tie. He could hear their friends talk about some random stuff in the background. Next to him, Fishlegs began changing as well. They had done that in the same room a lot of times through the years and even though they were such close friends, they were also both quite shy people, so they had an unspoken rule to never look in the other's direction.

Hiccup took out the soft, green cotton T-shirt from his bag and threw it over his head, before he removed his black trousers and put on the loose, black sweatpants he always used for practice. Then he took off his black shoes before putting on his dark green Converse shoes. He quickly wrapped the home-made straps inside the left one around his prosthetic to keep the shoe in place as usual.

He turned around and covered the distance between him and his friends, quickly followed by Fishlegs, who had apparently also finished changing into his usual practice clothing: a large, dark brown and black striped T-shirt, loose dark grey trousers and black sneakers.

Their friends all looked at them when they walked around them and then positioned themselves in front of them.

"So…how many of you want to do some practice?" Fishlegs asked.

"All of us I think." Flynn said and glanced at the others.

"Well, we're sort of an uneven number." Mavis pointed out.

"That's all right. I don't mind sitting out." Rapunzel said. Not that that really surprised Hiccup. Rapunzel wasn't interested in physical fighting of any kind, except for the basic self-defense techniques he and Fishlegs had taught her.

"Well, you're not going to miss much anyway. You've already done the things that we'll probably make them do as well" Hiccup said.

"What?" Flynn asked in confusion, looking from Rapunzel to Hiccup.

"Yeah…Hiccup and Fishlegs insisted a few years back that I learned some basic self-defense techniques, so we practiced it a lot for a while and now they just…give me a lesson once in a while, so I don't forget it." she explained.

"That's good. It never hurts to be prepared." Flynn told Rapunzel, who nodded in response.

"Okay. Well, pair up two and two then." Hiccup said. "We'll ask you to do some exercises and I can keep an eye on two of you and Fishlegs can do the same with the others."

"Yeah, that's fine." Fishlegs said and the others nodded.

"Who's with me?" Flynn asked.

"I'll be your partner, Rider…if you think you can handle me?" Merida said and raised an eyebrow in one of those challenges that were a big part of her and Flynn's sibling rivalry.

"I could ask you the same thing…I'm not sure if you can resist this amount of raw, sexual energy. After all…We all know how much you yearn to rip my clothes off." Flynn told her and lifted his eyebrows up and down. Hiccup couldn't hold back a grin, while the others chuckled at that comment.

"I think I just threw up in my mouth a little." Merida shot back and made a disgusted face.

"Well, since the two lovebirds over there are together, I guess you're with me, Mav." Jack told Mavis with one of those bright grins that lit up his face and revealed his perfect, white teeth. Hiccup felt a goofy smile spread across his lips, before he pulled himself together and quickly got rid of it before anyone noticed. It was not a good idea to look at Jack that way, if he wanted to keep his crush a secret.

"I'll take you down." Mavis said in a mock threatening way and put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it. We all know that a ninja can beat a vampire any day." Jack replied, as if the notion of Mavis beating him was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

"Pfft, as if. Vampires are clearly superior." Mavis told him and rolled her eyes.

"What? They are not!" Jack protested.

"We'll see about that." Mavis said and rubbed her hands together slowly in an I'm-so-evil gesture.

"I suppose we will…it is on, you bloodsucking creature of the night!" Jack said and pointed a finger at Mavis' face. She just laughed.

"So…I know Merida really wants to do some damage, but you guys need to know some basic stuff first. Then you can get to practice hitting and kicking each other, if you're up for it." Hiccup told his friends, who all nodded or hummed in agreement.

"I just hope I don't get my handsome face ruined by Curly." Flynn said and motioned to Merida, who just rolled her eyes.

"What do you think we should start with, Fish?" Hiccup asked.

"Hmm…maybe something about the misconceptions about fighting and then show them the most vulnerable parts of the body? Then we can move on to show them how to move around when you're fighting and then we can do some simple hit and block exercises." Fishlegs suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Hiccup agreed and then turned his attention towards the rest of his friends, who were all standing in front of him and Fishlegs, watching them.

"Okay…we'll start by killing off some myths for you guys about fighting. First of all, when you get punched or kicked, no matter how experienced you are, it hurts and you get distracted. In movies it often seems like someone can just get punched in the face and then carry on as if nothing happened. That is not how it happens in real life. Of course the more you're used to it, the faster you can pull yourself together again but…it's not just going to leave you completely unaffected." Hiccup told his friends.

"Oh, I know. I've been punched in the face before." Jack said with a small smile.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Hiccup replied in amusement.

"Oh, ha ha…" Jack said sarcastically and stuck out his tongue.

"When were you hit in the face?" Fishlegs asked curiously and tilted his head.

"One time it was my sister, who thought I was the boogeyman or something…then the evil Scot over there punched me because she thought I was a murderer when I was pulling a prank on her…and once Flynn and I were in a fight with two guys, who wouldn't leave a girl alone." Jack explained to them and Flynn nodded next to him.

"Who won?" Hiccup asked.

"We did of course!" Jack said excitedly with a grin.

"Yeah well, it only lasted like 10 seconds." Flynn said. "None of us really knew what we were doing, but we were older and stronger than them."

"Okay, well it's good that you won at least." Fishlegs said and Hiccup quickly agreed.

"Second of all." Hiccup began to explain once more. "Forget all about fancy, intricate techniques. When you're in a fight, insisting on trying to do complicated moves will get you injured or killed. Most fights are quick and sloppy. There isn't time to do fancy maneuvers. What you need is to get familiar with some basic but effective moves and then learn how to target…which means knowing the weakest parts of the human body and then learning how to quickly take advantage when one of these parts becomes exposed."

"Yeah." Fishlegs agreed. "There are plenty of vulnerable parts on a human being that can easily cause a lot of pain and discomfort if you hit them and some of them you don't even have to hit that hard. If you take advantage of some of those parts you can cause a lot of uncomfortable reactions for your opponent like massive pain, trouble breathing, shock, messing with their balance and affecting their reflexes. All of these things can end the fight."

"Be afraid, Rider." Merida told Flynn with slightly narrowed eyes and then nudged his shoulder. He quickly nudged her back, starting a play fight.

"I'm not scared of you, you're just a fragile, little girl." Flynn replied with laughter in his brown eyes.

"Oh, you'll regret that those words ever left your mouth." Merida said and then shoved him playfully. Hiccup smiled brightly at his two friends and their banter. He quickly glanced at Jack who was also watching with a wide grin on his face.

Flynn took a few steps back. "I will not. I'll easily incapacitate you and bring you down."

"Yeah right." Merida huffed.

"Well...if you two are done with your sibling rivalry, Hiccup and I can show you the weakest parts of the body." Fishlegs said with a toothy grin. "Since you probably won't ever find yourselves in a serious fight, at least let's hope you won't, you're unlikely to actually use this information but it's good to know just in case."

Merida and Flynn both shut up and then focused their attention on him and Fishlegs.

"Okay, first of all" Fishlegs started to explain. "Several parts of the body are very dangerous to hit and kick, so don't use those for practice but only if you're in an actual fight. For example…" Fishlegs said and then moved closer to him.

"The throat is a very vulnerable place. If you hit someone straight on the throat with a lot of force, the best case scenario for them is that they gasp for air for a while and is very uncomfortable, the worst case scenario is that you make their windpipe collapse and kill them by suffocation." Fishlegs said and pointed towards Hiccup's windpipe.

"What? You can actually kill someone just like that?" Flynn asked, clearly in slight disbelief. The others looked a little surprised as well.

"Yeah." Hiccup said, choosing to add something to this a well. "Depending on exactly where you hit it and how much force is behind it, then yes. You can kill someone like that. It's not easy but it's possible and it can happen by accident, and that's why you should never take the risk unless you're in an actual, serious fight."

"Wow…that's actually…kind of shocking." Mavis said with a contemplating look on her face.

"There are a lot of very fragile places on the human body." Fishlegs told their friends. "Like the Solar Plexus" he said and then turned towards Hiccup again. "It's a big bundle of nerves that's placed here." he pointed below Hiccup's chest in the middle where there was a slight dip, where the ribs joined on the front of the abdomen. "It's difficult to hit properly, because most opponents will protect this part of the body, but it's the most vulnerable place on the front of the torso, and if you manage to hit it hard then it hurts a lot and knocks the wind out of your attacker for enough time to give you a big advantage. Some people will even be so affected by it that they fall down and have trouble breathing for quite a while and needless to say that that ends the fight."

Hiccup just stood still and listened to Fishlegs as he went on explaining several other weak parts of the body while he used him to show the others were they were located. Once in a while Hiccup explained a few things too, but mostly he let Fishlegs take the lead. Their friends all listened attentively, clearly very interested in knowing these things, regardless of the fact that they probably wouldn't ever find themselves in an actual fight.

Fishlegs quickly but efficiently went through a lot of different weak points like the hollow of the knees, the kidneys, the temples, under the nose, the lower back of the head, the neck, the spine, the spot right above the ears, the adam's apple and a lot of others. He also told them about the bones in the body that were the easiest to break, like the floating ribs, the fingers, the collarbone and the sternum. He explained why they were weak and how you could potentially attack them and made sure to stress the parts of the body that they should never ever try to hit in practice, because it had the potential to cause serious injury.

"Not many people know this except for people who already have fighting experience" Fishlegs began, as he moved on to telling their friends about hits to the liver. "But a punch to the liver can be excruciating and very dangerous." his large friend said and pointed out on Hiccup, where exactly the liver was placed. "If you hit it hard, your opponent's legs gives in under him and he's unable to stand and breathe properly. Not to mention that it's very painful and with enough force, a liver punch can actually kill someone if the liver ruptures and causes internal bleeding."

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed. "Gobber was once in a fight where he got hit really hard in the liver. He was in a lot of pain. He was lucky that it didn't kill him."

"Yeah, I remember that." Fishlegs agreed. "I've never actually heard Gobber complain about pain before except that time."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, and he's missing a hand and a foot, so when he says something hurts…it hurts." he chuckled and his friends all grinned in response.

"Well…should we get started with some exercises?" Hiccup then asked the others and their eyes lit up and they quickly got to their feet.

He looked at Fishlegs. "Uhm…I'll take…Flynn and Merida, and you take Jack and Mavis, does that sound okay?" he asked. Fishlegs nodded.

Hiccup had made it sound like he'd just randomly chosen Flynn and Merida, but in all honesty it was because he knew they were going to help their friends once in a while to get the exercises right and that involved touching…and he did not want to have to touch Jack…well actually, the real problem was that he wanted to touch Jack a lot because that brush of skin was addictive, but that would definitely distract him and make him all flustered.

He really didn't need that. He was trying to hide his feelings and getting all embarrassed by touching him would definitely make him suspicious.

---

Jack sighed in relief, when Hiccup chose to help Flynn and Merida, and he and Mavis got Fishlegs. He wasn't sure at all if he could handle Hiccup touching him. Sure, they touched each other when Jack slung his arm around him when they walked together or when they nudged each other playfully on the shoulder or the rare occasions when they hugged… but they usually didn't touch each other's bare skin.

Hiccup and Fishlegs started to explain that it was important to always keep moving in a fight, because you needed to be ready to sidestep, duck or jump forwards or backwards at all times. You should never let your feet stand still but just keep jumping a little on the spot or from side to side, while always keeping your fists up, so you were constantly prepared to block, grab or punch. Then they moved on to show them different ways of punching and blocking and had them practice it on each other in slow motion to get them familiar with doing the movements.

Jack and Mavis both caught on fairly quickly and managed to do the different kinds of punches the correct way, according to Fishlegs. As they kept going, the movements became easier and easier to do, and Fishlegs told them that if they wanted more lessons, they would be repeating these movements a lot to get even more used to them. Once in a while, Fishlegs adjusted their arms or fists or fingers depending on the punch. In those moments Jack found himself being grateful that it wasn't Hiccup touching his skin, because that would probably drive him mad.

Jack had a blast with Mavis, as they had a little competition going on who could manage the different punches and blocks most effectively. When they had become used to doing the movements slowly, they started to up the pace a little. Once in a while, Jack did a quick glance at Hiccup, Merida and Flynn. His two friends seemed to have a lot of fun as well, taunting each other with insults and sexual comments, as they kept trying to punch and block. Just like Fishlegs did with him and Mavis, Hiccup gave Flynn and Merida advice and adjusted their hands and arms once in a while. When he saw Hiccup practically hold Merida's hand as he showed her how her hand should be when she did a palm strike, he was once again relieved that Hiccup was not doing that with him. That would definitely make him all nervous and the butterflies would probably end up exploding in his stomach.

After continuing practicing punches and blocks for a while longer, Merida asked if Hiccup and Fishlegs could show them some ways of getting out of an opponent's grip. Fishlegs made Jack grip Mavis' wrists and Hiccup made Flynn do the same with Merida. Then they showed them how to get out of those tight grips as effectively as possible and made them repeat those movements several times and then switch around, so they would all try both gripping and escaping. Afterwards they showed them other kinds of grips and how to get out of them.

Hiccup and Fishlegs made it clear to them that if they wanted more lessons, they should know that a lot of repetition was going to occur, since learning to fight properly took a long time. Training it over and over was the only way to achieve it and even though Jack wasn't really a big fan of repetition, he understood the necessity. He wasn't sure if Flynn and Mavis would keep wanting to get lessons, but Jack definitely wanted to stick with it if possible.

---

When they all agreed that they had practiced enough for today, Jack and the others sat down on the floor by Rapunzel and Pascal and rested. They all appeared a little tired but happy nonetheless. Hiccup was glad that they'd all seemed to actually have fun while practicing. That definitely made the whole thing a lot easier.

"Why do you guys even have to know fighting when you have dragons and magic?" Merida then asked Hiccup and Fishlegs. "Not that I'm complaining, I think it's wicked."

"Well…we've tried getting separated from our dragons before and wands can be lost or broken or taken away from you somehow, so we should never be completely defenseless if these things should happen." Hiccup answered her question.

"Do you guys carry weapons with you everywhere at home?" Flynn asked, as he reached out and stroked Pascal a few times. The small, green lizard was sitting on one of Rapunzel's legs and closed his eyes in response to the touch.

"Yes, we bring weapons everywhere." Hiccup replied and nodded.

"Never walk away from home ahead of your axe and sword. You can't feel a battle in your bones or foresee a fight." Fishlegs said and to Hiccup it was very familiar words.

All of their friends looked at them with perplexed expressions, so an explanation was in order. "It's from the Hávámal." Hiccup told them. "It's this old, very very long poem that sort of puts up these guidelines for how Vikings should ideally live. It's written as if it's Odin explaining it."

Fishlegs hummed in agreement. "Anyway…are you ready to get your ass kicked, Hiccup?"

"Like that would ever happen…three rounds?" he asked Fishlegs.

"Yeah, that's fine. The usual rules?"

"Yeah." he nodded.

"Okay. Are you ready, Bacraut [Asshole]?"

"Bring it, you stinky heap of Gronckle crap!" he shot back with a bright grin.

Then he instantly started moving his feet, doing faint jumps from side to side.. He needed to be ready to dodge the upcoming attack and standing still was never a good idea in a fight.

Fishlegs came charging towards him. A fist flew through the air.

He quickly ducked. He thrust his arm forward and landed a low blow in Fishlegs' gut.

The air was knocked out of his friend. Fishlegs grabbed his shirt in a tight grip and threw him down on the ground. He landed on his back. He saw Fishlegs lift his leg to land a kick.

Roll over. Get up quickly.

As he stood up straight, Fishlegs had closed the distance. A palm strike shot towards him. He sidestepped and whirled around. He kicked out his leg towards Fishlegs but Fishlegs grabbed it and held on with one arm.

Fishlegs landed a hard blow on his cheek with his other hand.

Seeing spots. Pain rushing through the skin and flesh. Blurry vision.

Another fist came towards him. His arm shot up to block it.

His mind pulled itself together.

His other arm flew through the air and struck Fishlegs on the nose. Knuckles against hard cartilage. Pain spreading through his hand. A cracking noise. Fishlegs groaning in pain.

The grip on his leg loosened. He ripped it out of his friend's grasp in one quick movement.

They both took a few steps away from each other, keeping their fists up and remaining in short, sharp movements from side to side or back and forth to avoid standing still.

They moved closer to each other.

Hiccup's arm shot through the air towards Fishlegs' jaw, but Fishlegs grabbed it and twisted it to the side, turning slightly.

More pain.

His side is exposed. Hit it.

Fishlegs groaned a little, as he used his other arm and landed several strikes in a row on the large boy's unprotected side. Fishlegs let go of his arm. His friend kicked straight ahead, his foot colliding with Hiccup's chest.

Air being forced out of his lungs.

Fishlegs' arm shot back and forth at massive speed, trying to jab him. His arms instinctually guarded his body from the punches.

Hiccup grabbed the sides of Fishlegs' head and forced him to lean forward. He kneed him in the gut repeatedly.

The feel of his kneecap impacting with flesh.

Fishlegs flailed his arms and hands at him, not being able to see properly.

He managed to jab Hiccup hard in the side. A sharp stab of pain. Hiccup loosened his grip. Fishlegs wrenched himself backwards, away from him.

They both kept moving their feet. Fishlegs started to close the little distance between them in short, sharp movements.

Hiccup kept his fists up.

Fishlegs came closer. His arm was about to start an upwards trajectory. Don't let him punch first.

Fishlegs blocked his punch with his arms and then quickly grabbed his hand. Fishlegs flung him to the side, Hiccup's hand leaving his grasp. Hiccup wobbled but stayed on his feet. He steadied himself.

A fist launched towards him.

Move forward first. Close the distance. Block the punch.

Fishlegs' hit was stopped as his fist landed on the side of one of Hiccup's raised arms.

His other arm instantly shot forwards. He hit Fishlegs straight under the nose with the heel of his flat palm.

Sounds of groaning. Blue eyes watering.

He's distracted. End it now.

Hiccup grabbed fists of Fishlegs' shirt and tipped him backwards. He stuck his leg out and tripped him. Fishlegs crashed to the floor.

Hiccup bent down and rolled him over. He quickly put Fishlegs in an armlock. "Miskunn? [Mercy?]" he asked his friend, holding him in a tight grip.

"Aldri! [Never!]" Fishlegs shouted and his whole body began to writhe in an attempt to get away. It wasn't working though. Fishlegs may be a lot stronger than him, but right now he was unable to get away.

Hiccup smiled in amusement. "Miskunn? [Mercy?]" he asked again.

Fishlegs sighed in resignation. "Já. [Yes]"

Hiccup let go of him and got to his feet. Fishlegs rolled over and got up. They grinned at each other, while breathing a little erratically from all the activity.

"I'll get my revenge, Burlufotr [Clumsy Foot]" Fishlegs said and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you. Do your worst!"

"Don't get cocky, Hiccup. I won the last time we practiced." Fishlegs grinned at him.

"That you did." he agreed. "But I won this round."

Fishlegs nodded. "Yes…unfortunately I'll have to destroy you now."

Hiccup heard their friends chuckle in the background.

They both agreed to take a few minutes to catch their breath before the next round.

---

Watching Hiccup and Fishlegs fight was fun. He was fascinated by watching them punch, kick, block, duck, as if it was second nature to them. Of course he knew that they had years of experience but it was still surprising to actually see for himself just how familiar they were with this. They moved swiftly and without hesitation, as if they acted on instinct and could sense what they needed to do.

As he observed Hiccup and Fishlegs catch their breath a little before they began fighting again, he took in the damage on their faces. Of course he didn't like his friends getting hurt, but he knew they could both handle it and that it was necessary for them to practice this way. After all…they were sometimes involved in conflicts with hostile tribes back home, so they needed to be as prepared as they could possibly be. He still didn't like thinking about it though…that Hiccup and Fishlegs were actually in real fights sometimes in the archipelago and could potentially get seriously hurt or even killed.

He pushed the thought away. It was no use thinking of 'what if' scenarios. He glanced at his friends, who were all still watching Hiccup and Fishlegs getting ready for more fighting. Pascal had crawled up on Rapunzel's shoulder.

"Okay…ready for another round?" Fishlegs asked Hiccup, having steadied his breathing now.

"Sure. Let's go." Hiccup smiled a little.

They began moving their feet in brief, swift movements again and raised their fists to be able to guard themselves from punches and kicks.

They began to move towards each other.

Hiccup swung out his leg and landed a kick on the side of Fishlegs' leg. Fishlegs winced but moved closer, keeping his fists raised. Hiccup thrust his fist towards him. Fishlegs sidestepped. He grabbed Hiccup's shoulders tightly and spun him around, so he held him from behind.

Fishlegs forced Hiccup forwards and pushed his face into the wall.

Jack winced. That looked like it hurt.

The pained sound leaving Hiccup's mouth a second after confirmed that thought. Jack frowned. Of course he knew they would get hurt from this, but he didn't like hearing Hiccup sound like that.

Hiccup shoved his elbow backwards into Fishlegs' chest. Fishlegs let go of his hold on Hiccup's shoulders.

Hiccup whirled around. Fishlegs' hand sped towards his face.

Hiccup ducked and punched Fishlegs in the stomach. Fishlegs backed away.

They moved around each other a little.

Fishlegs closed the distance. They both shot a fist through the air. Fishlegs' landed a blow on Hiccup's cheek, while Hiccup's own fist had struck the side of Fishleg's head. They were both distracted for a few seconds.

Fishlegs' hand shot towards Hiccup again. Hiccup's right arm flew up and blocked the punch. He shoved Fishlegs away.

Hiccup rushed forwards and swung his leg out and landed a kick in Fishlegs' stomach. Fishlegs staggered back a little. Hiccup jumped at him and landed a kick on his shin. Then another in his gut. Hiccup stepped back, when Fishlegs tried to launch a fist at him.

They approached each other again and Hiccup attempted to strike, but Fishlegs blocked the hit and then landed a blow on Hiccup's nose. Hiccup recoiled on unsteady legs.

Blood began to flow from Hiccup's nose down to his chin in uneven, red lines.

Fishlegs quickly moved in to land another blow. Hiccup swiftly ducked and then sidestepped.

Fishlegs kicked out his leg and landed his foot on Hiccup's kneecap. Hiccup groaned and was distracted for a brief moment. Fishlegs grabbed his shoulders, kneed him in the gut and then threw him down on the floor with a lot of force.

Hiccup landed on his stomach.

Fishlegs instantly sat down on top of Hiccup's back and then held an arm around his throat in a tight grip.

"Miskunn, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked with a triumphant grin.

"Já." Hiccup agreed reluctantly.

Even though Jack didn't understand the words (except for the "yes" part. Hiccup had told him a few easy words in old norse), it was easy to figure out that they were asking if the other gave up.

His friends began to clap a little and he quickly joined in. Fishlegs let go of Hiccup and then helped him get to his feet.

"Nice going, Fishlegs!" Flynn cheered.

"Yeah, that was great!" Merida agreed with a bright smile.

"Hey Hic, are you okay?" Jack asked, looking him over. Of course he knew that Hiccup wasn't seriously hurt but he really couldn't help that small knot of concern inside him…he was very protective of Hiccup and if anything caused him pain or discomfort, he needed to know if Hiccup was okay, before those worries disappeared again.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Snowflake." Hiccup told him breathlessly with a small smile twitching his lips. Jack gave him a smile in response. That was good. He felt better now.

Hiccup and Fishlegs took a few minutes to breathe once again. Merida, Mavis, Flynn and Rapunzel quickly began to chat, while they waited for Hiccup and Fishlegs to be ready again.

Fishlegs took one of the water bottles the room of requirement had provided and drank a little water from it. Jack watched Hiccup take some slow, deep breaths. Hiccup grabbed the front of his green shirt and lifted it up to use it to wipe the blood away from under his nose, exposing his stomach.

Jack's heartbeat sped up and heat coated his cheeks. His mind told him that he should look away, because Hiccup was such a private person, but he just couldn't. He kept staring at the visible skin, unable to look away. It looked smooth and incredibly soft, and Hiccup was definitely a little toned despite his slender frame...that must be from dragon riding and fighting...bloody hell, how cool was that? Jack noticed that he had two long scars on one side of the stomach that stood out with their slightly paler color, and he briefly wondered where they came from. Somehow it just made him more excited about staring at Hiccup like this...maybe because it reminded him that despite Hiccup's shy, awkward personality, he was not some innocent little boy.

He desperately wanted to run his hands along that stomach...let his fingers trail along those scars...and why couldn't Hiccup just take that annoying shirt off so he could see more of his skin?

God, Hiccup was unknowingly being such a tease right now.

Hiccup let go of the shirt and it folded downwards again, covering up the skin once more. Now it had a fairly large, crimson stain on it.

Jack shook his head to himself and broke the trance he had just been completely engulfed in. Oh crap! He looked down and his eyes widened for a few seconds. He quickly grabbed his cloak and threw it in his lap to cover up his sudden...problem. God, how he hoped no one would notice that. Why did he have to be practically bursting with hormones? Stupid teenage body...and why did Hiccup have to be so attractive? It was seriously impossible to ignore.

"Ready to go again?" Hiccup asked Fishlegs.

"Yeah." Fishlegs replied and then put the lid back on the water bottle and threw it on the floor.

Their friends' conversations from next to Jack died down instantly, as they all focused their attention on Hiccup and Fishlegs again. Jack tried his best to just focus on watching them fight, so his little problem would go away quicker.

Hiccup and Fishlegs raised their arms again and began moving their feet around.

They closed in on each other.

Fishlegs landed a sideways kick in Hiccup's gut. Hiccup simultaneously moved and landed an elbow in Fishlegs' chest. Both of them instantly recoiled a few feet to avoid more attacks from the other.

Then Fishlegs rushed forwards and lifted his arm to hit. Hiccup blocked the punch with his elbow. Fishlegs' other fist shot towards Hiccup. He punched Hiccup in the side repeatedly.

Hiccup lifted his other arm as if he was about to throw a punch and Fishlegs managed to sidestep. Hiccup dropped his arm to his side in less than a second and then kicked Fishlegs on the kneecap instead. Apparently it was a bluff. Jack smiled to himself.

Fishlegs groaned and was distracted.

Hiccup swept a foot behind Fishlegs' leg and tripped him.

Fishlegs crashed down on the floor but reached out and grabbed Hiccup's shirt, taking Hiccup down with him. Fishlegs rolled backwards and then flung Hiccup over his head, so he landed on the floor behind him.

Hiccup groaned but rolled around and then quickly got to his feet. He wobbled a little for a few seconds. Fishlegs stood up while Hiccup was temporarily distracted.

They closed in on each other again.

Hiccup's fist shot through the air. Fishlegs blocked. He grabbed Hiccup's shoulders and forced him backwards. He slammed him against the stone wall. Fishlegs held his forearm tight against Hiccup's throat, putting pressure on his windpipe. He held Hiccup in place for a few moments. Hiccup gasped for air.

Hiccup stepped hard on one of Fishlegs' feet and punched him in the gut. Fishlegs instantly lessened the pressure on his throat. Hiccup shoved him away forcefully. Fishlegs staggered back on unsteady legs. Hiccup was breathing heavily.

Hiccup jumped forwards and instantly kicked Fishlegs' on the shin. Fishlegs let out a very pained sound. Hiccup kicked him again. Fishlegs' was obviously in a lot of pain but his arms shot forwards and grabbed Hiccup by the shoulders. Fishlegs pulled him closer.

Hiccup head butted Fishlegs, smashing their skulls together. It looked incredibly painful.

Fishlegs quickly stepped back and seemed very disoriented.

Blood started to flow from one of Hiccup's eyebrows.

Hiccup jumped at Fishlegs, stuck one of his feet behind one of Fishlegs' legs and then shoved him on the chest. Fishlegs landed on the back on the floor and grunted in pain.

Hiccup dropped down, flipped Fishlegs over, twisted his arm behind his back in a tight grip and pressed his knee into his back.

"Miskunn?" Hiccup asked Fishlegs.

"Já." Fishlegs agreed without hesitation this time.

"Sigr*!" Hiccup said joyfully with a bright grin on his face. Jack couldn't stop the huge smile that spread across his face. He loved seeing Hiccup happy.

Hiccup immediately let go of Fishlegs and got to his feet. Fishlegs rolled on to his back and then Hiccup reached out a hand to help him get up. Fishlegs grabbed the extended hand and Hiccup helped him to his feet. Both boys were breathing heavily from all the activity.

Hiccup and Fishlegs gave each other a hug and Jack found that there was something quite ritualistic about that.

"Goðr víg." Hiccup said to Fishlegs with a smile on his lips.

"Goðr víg." Fishlegs agreed happily.

Jack turned his head and looked at Rapunzel for an explanation.

"Good fight." she translated. "They say that to each other every time they're finished practicing. It's a habit they have from home." she explained and Jack nodded with a small smile gracing his lips.

"Yay, Hiccup!" Merida shouted and Jack and the others instantly gave Hiccup and Fishlegs a little applause and some cheers. Jack grinned brightly at his two friends.

Hiccup smiled at Merida, revealing his straight teeth that were less white right now, because he had blood in his mouth. Hiccup also had blood running from his nose down his face and into his mouth. He had several red, angry scratches and small cuts on his cheeks and forehead, some skin scrapes on his chin and a split eyebrow that left a small trail of blood down his face. All in all, he looked pretty damaged but that wasn't exactly surprising after the fight Jack had just witnessed.

He looked at Fishlegs, who didn't look any better than Hiccup. Fishlegs had a swollen eyelid, a broken nose, blood from his nose to his chin, several red skin scrapes on his face and also some small, narrow cuts like Hiccup had.

Not to mention that they were both definitely going to get plenty of bruises all over, once a little time had passed.

Hiccup and Fishlegs both grabbed a towel each as well as a water bottle. They eagerly drank some water, both seeming quite thirsty after the fighting. Hiccup then poured a little water onto the white towel, before he began to wipe the blood off his face carefully. Then he wiped both his hands in the white piece of cloth as well. Fishlegs quickly followed his example.

Rapunzel approached them and took out her wand from one of the pockets in her robes. "Come here." she told her two friends.

She pointed her wand at Fishlegs first and said some words and a cracking sound was heard. Fishlegs winced but then grabbed his nose and smiled at Rapunzel, who had apparently healed it. Rapunzel turned to Hiccup and lifted her wand once more. Jack knew that Rapunzel and Hiccup sometimes practiced basic healing spells, which came in useful in situations like this.

"Thanks." Hiccup said breathlessly.

Rapunzel smiled in response and then put her wand back in her pocket.

Hiccup threw the towel he was holding in his hands on to a chair by the wall and then approached Jack and the others. When he sat down next to him on the padded floor, Jack noticed how damaged Hiccup's hands were. The skin on his knuckles was red and scraped and several places on his hands had little narrow, red wounds. It made sense though…obviously you couldn't come out of a fight with your hands unscathed.

He raised his head and observed Hiccup, who seemed to be trying to just sit still and calm down from all the adrenaline. Hiccup was panting after all the physical activity he had just endured and a little sweat was clinging to his skin, making his slightly long, brown hair stick to his forehead and his neck. Hiccup quickly ran a hand through his hair to get it away from his forehead. He gave Jack a tired but happy smile.

Oh this was so not fair…the universe must really hate him today. First Hiccup had to actually change in the same room as him, and it had taken all of his self-control and respect for Hiccup's privacy not to sneak a peek, then he had to flash his stomach and now Jack was supposed to handle this too? Hiccup had just been fighting and been all awesome and now he was breathing heavily and sweating a little and being so bloody attractive…right next to him. He tried his best to stop those thoughts from entering his mind but it was no use. The panting and the slight sweating were already making him think of several things he really should not be thinking about.

"That was wicked!" Merida exclaimed, thankfully breaking Jack's train of thought. He was quite relieved by that. He needed a distraction right now.

Hiccup gave her a tired smile and then began taking slow, deep breaths, obviously to steady his breathing again.

Fishlegs had slumped down next to Rapunzel and was breathing even more heavily than Hiccup and sweating as well.

"Yeah, it was great!" Flynn agreed and Mavis hummed to show that she also thought this.

"Thanks." Hiccup said breathlessly and Fishlegs nodded with a small smile on his lips.

"Yeah, it was pretty impressive to actually see you guys fight. You have skills." Jack said.

"Thanks. We've practiced…a lot through the years." Fishlegs said, having steadied his breathing enough to talk properly now.

"Who wins the most?" Mavis asked curiously.

"I think it's pretty equal actually." Hiccup said.

"Yeah…I'm stronger and bigger than Hiccup but he's faster than me and has better reflexes so it sort of evens things out." Fishlegs said. "Not to mention that even though it's covered with a shoe, it fucking hurts to be kicked by his prosthetic." Fishlegs said and chuckled.

"Yeah…at least that's one advantage of having a metal, artificial limb in a fight." Hiccup said with a grin spreading across his face.

"I hope you guys will give us more lessons some time." Merida said.

"Sure, no problem. You can have all the lessons you want. It's a good idea to be able to defend yourself." Hiccup replied, lips twitching.

Merida smiled brightly in response.

"Do all Vikings practice like this?" Flynn asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah…and sometimes with weapons too of course." Fishlegs replied.

"Don't you ever get really hurt?" Mavis asked.

Hiccup and Fishlegs grinned. "Yes, we do. Everyone does. That's kind of unavoidable but…it also helps you learn and become familiar with dealing with pain." Hiccup said.

Fishlegs nodded. "Yeah. The more you get used to it, the better. That way you won't be shocked or scared in a real fight."

"Who do you practice with back home?" Merida asked.

"Usually the other teens on Berk, but sometimes we practice with some of the adults as well." Hiccup told them. "That's really good for us, because they're much more experienced so it's a bigger challenge."

Hiccup lay down on his back suddenly. Jack resisted the sudden urge to lie down with him.

"Tired, Hic?" Jack asked with an amused smile gracing his lips.

"You have no idea."

Jack chuckled at that.

"Are there any…rules for Viking fighting? I mean…if you fight someone for real, do you have an honor code or something like that?" Flynn asked curiously.

Hiccup sat up once again. "No. There are plenty of honor codes between Vikings but between a Viking and an enemy? No. It's about survival, so you do what you need to do to win. It would be stupid to get yourself killed based on some vague concept of what is "honorable" to do to an enemy in a fight and what isn't." Hiccup explained and Fishlegs nodded in agreement.

"So basically anything goes?" Flynn replied.

"Yes, anything goes in a real fight or a real battle. We don't hold back or follow any rules." Hiccup confirmed.

"No wonder those guys wanted you to teach them self-defense after that fight you had with McGowan and Levin." Flynn said and grinned.

"Yeah, well…they need to find someone else to teach them that." Hiccup told him, unable to fully keep the hint of annoyance out of his tone. Jack knew it was because he didn't like getting attention from people who just wanted to use him for their own purpose and didn't really care about him at all.

"Oh? What about your fangirls? They would probably really like you to teach them." Flynn waggled his eyebrows teasingly and the others chuckled.

"I'd rather stick my hand in Fenrir's mouth." Hiccup deadpanned.

"Wow." Fishlegs said in amusement and he and Rapunzel instantly laughed.

"Pfft. Fenrir…so overrated." Jack said, rolling his eyes. He saw an opening to tease them and he was going to take it.

"What?" Hiccup asked, furrowing his forehead in confusion.

"Fenrir is just some bloody overgrown puppy." Jack said and smiled mischievously.

"What? No!" Fishlegs said.

"Overgrown puppy? What are you talking about? He's massive!" Hiccup told him, gesturing with his hands to illustrate his point.

"Nah…he was just some wolf pup that scared the gods." Jack replied and did a dismissive hand motion.

"Are we actually hearing this?" Hiccup asked Fishlegs. "Fenrir is not a puppy, Jack."

"Sure, he is. Don't you know that Fenrir means "overgrown puppy?" he replied and raised an eyebrow in a challenging way. It was fun to bash on Norse mythology to pick on his two Viking friends.

"Actually his name in old norse…Fenris…means "fen-dweller." Hiccup told him and Fishlegs nodded in confirmation.

"Pssh, like you speak every language on earth. It means "overgrown puppy." Jack grinned.

"Who's Fenrir?" Merida asked in confusion.

"Fenrir is one of Loki's children." Hiccup started to explain. "He's a huge, dangerous wolf. At first the gods brought him to Asgard* to live with them to raise him themselves and to keep an eye on him, because it was prophesized that he would bring destruction wherever he went in the world. However, he quickly grew so much that the gods began to become worried about his strength, so they decided to trick him into being bound. They tried all kinds of chains on him, convincing him that they just wanted to test his strength. Every time Fenrir broke free of a chain they clapped and praised him, so he wouldn't be suspicious. Then the gods had an enchanted chain made by the dwarves. At first Fenrir didn't want them to put the chain on him, but they convinced him it was just another test of his strength. Fenrir agreed on the condition that one of the gods would put their hand in his mouth, so they had something to risk as well. Tyr* was the only god who had a bond with Fenrir and he volunteered to put his hand in the wolf's mouth, even though he knew they were all trying to trick Fenrir. When Fenrir found out that he couldn't break the enchanted chain, he bit Tyr's hand off. Since then it's said that Fenrir remains chained in a desolate place where he can't harm anyone, howling in rage and waiting for Ragnarok when he'll finally be able to break free and get his revenge on the gods." Hiccup told them.

"Yeah…and Odin, supposedly the strongest of the gods, gets killed by the overgrown puppy in the battle of Ragnarok." Jack said and raised his eyebrows.

"Jack, are you drunk or something?" Hiccup asked him with a grin and their friends all chuckled or giggled. "Fenrir is not a puppy."

"Pfft…Odin got scared by the pup and went to the dwarves for help, so he wouldn't be killed….which actually just made it possible for him to be killed, because the puppy got so angry about being chained. So if Odin hadn't been such a coward, he might have actually lived." Jack retorted with an amused smile twitching his lips.

"Wow…it's a good thing me and Fishlegs aren't religious because that kind of talk could land you in a serious fight with certain Vikings." Hiccup said and chuckled.

"Why? They don't want to acknowledge that Fenrir was just a pup?"

"It's more than just that. You called Odin a coward."

Jack shrugged but couldn't stop the amused smile tugging the corners of his lips upwards. "How did Loki even father a wolf in the first place? Did he like…shag one?" he asked them and then grinned teasingly.

Fishlegs had a coughing fit. "No!"

"No." Hiccup said. "Loki had three children with the Jotunn* named Angrboda. One was Jormungandr, a giant serpent that grew so big that it could encircle all of Midgard* where the humans live, another was Hel, a girl in human-like form who was later made the keeper of the underworld and the last one was Fenrir."

"So she obviously cheated on Loki then." Jack concluded, furrowing his brow to pretend to be contemplating something.

"She did not." Hiccup rolled his eyes but with one of those ghosts of a smile on his lips that revealed his amusement.

"Of course she did. How else would you explain it?" Jack protested.

"Well…first of all there are other examples in Norse mythology where a human or a god or a Jotunn gives birth to a creature of a different kind. Second of all, Loki was a shapeshifter so that could have influenced it." Hiccup told him, gesturing with his hands in that familiar way of his.

"She so cheated on him…I can't believe the prankster god fell for that." Jack replied, making sure to flash them a teasing smile. He heard Flynn and Merida chuckle.

"She didn't cheat on him…and he isn't really a god, Jack." Hiccup replied.

"What?" he asked in confusion. He wasn't expecting that one.

"He isn't a god like the others…and he has never been worshipped as one."

"What is he then?"

"He's one of the Jötnar. In English, they're often just called giants. Anyway…Odin met Loki when Loki was a young boy and took in him. It's said that Odin and Loki mixed blood in a ritual and that might be how Loki gained his magical powers. Then Odin brought him to Asgard and let him live among the gods. In the sagas he sort of…alternates between helping the gods as well as stopping them from getting what they want and even helping their enemies to harm them, which is why he's considered a trickster. He's unpredictable and you never really know for sure what side he's on. When Ragnarok* unfolds he actually turns against them and helps lead the armies of the Jotunn against the gods in the final battle when the world is ending." Hiccup explained.

"Huh…I always thought Loki was just another one of the gods." he replied.

"Yeah, me too." Flynn agreed with a few nods.

"Most people do. It's a pretty common misunderstanding." Fishlegs said and shrugged.

"What's the most common misunderstanding about Vikings?" Mavis asked. Jack already knew the answer.

"Horned helmets." Hiccup and Fishlegs said in unison. Jack felt a smile spread across his face.

"What about them?" Flynn asked, furrowing his forehead.

"They don't wear them." Jack said.

"True." Hiccup said and gave him one of those fond smiles that resurrected the butterflies within him every time he thought they'd temporarily gone into hibernation. "It's just a myth. Vikings have never worn horned helmets. Wearing helmets with horns on them would be seriously impractical and dangerous in a battle."

"How?" Merida asked, looking quite perplexed.

"Well, first of all, the horns could easily get stuck or entangled in something and make you distracted and distractions can mean the difference between life and death. Second of all, your enemy could grab the horns and use it to their advantage and third of all, Vikings often fight in close quarters so a horned helmet could end up stabbing one of your own." Hiccup told her.

"It's strange how some things just become accepted truths even if they don't have an ounce of truth in them." Mavis said, her blue eyes a little glazed over as if she was contemplating something.

"That often happens with Vikings." Fishlegs said with a small smile appearing on his lips.

"It happens with many things." Hiccup said. "Like the way we used to think dragons were mindless beasts who killed everything they came across."

"Yeah…it's so strange to think that a few years ago, someone might have killed Meatlug…it could even have been me." Fishlegs said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Yeah...but let's not dwell on that too much." Hiccup said and smiled.

"I know…things did change after all." Fishlegs said and looked at Hiccup with warmth in his eyes.

It was obvious to Jack that Fishlegs felt grateful that Hiccup had managed to bring peace between the Vikings and the dragons. If he hadn't… Fishlegs would have never had Meatlug as his dragon and Jack knew that Fishlegs loved Meatlug to pieces.

As he once again looked at Hiccup and took in the damaged, slightly sweating guy, his heart began to beat faster in response and he suddenly felt a pang of sadness in his chest. It hurt knowing he could never have him.

---

Hiccup had never thought he would ever find himself in a situation, where he would actually be grateful for his shy, awkward nature. Since he realized his feelings for Jack though, that was exactly what he was. The fact that Jack was used to him getting awkward on a regular basis made it a lot easier to hide his feelings for him, because Jack wouldn't find it strange if he suddenly became shy.

This morning was particularly bad.

As he was walking next to Fishlegs and Rapunzel on their way to meet up with their friends by the Quidditch pitch before the match began, he remained quiet and just listened to his two friends discussing the Gryffindor team's chances against the Slytherins. He was carrying the rolled up banner he and Rapunzel had painted in their last art class, much to the approval of their art Professor, who not only supported the Gryffindor team but was also impressed with the effort they put into it.

He filled his lungs with the crisp, chilly air and heard his feet leave imprints in the snow. It was windy today and his brown hair was ruffled by the quite strong gusts of air. It wasn't exactly the ideal weather for Quidditch, but a Quidditch match was very rarely cancelled because of the weather.

While he kept moving towards the Quidditch pitch next to his two friends, he was feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement churn inside him at the prospect of seeing Jack, making him slightly nauseous. Of course he wanted to see him (as always) and he wanted to wish him luck before the match began but gods…it would be very difficult not to feel all embarrassed after those…dreams.

He'd awoken abruptly early this morning after a dream that left him feeling very unsettled. When he finally managed to go back to sleep, it happened all over again.

The heat rushed to his cheeks just by thinking about it and he was grateful that he was outside in the cold air, because that way no one would find it strange that the skin on his face was coated in pink.

Oh gods...how was he going to look Jack in the eye today? It was one thing to have a crush on him, but a whole other thing to have wet dreams about the guy. By Freyja*, he really needed to push that out of his mind...the thought of their hands caressing each other's naked skin...of their mouths moving together in harmony, tongues twirling around each other in a combination of playfulness and need, the wet, warm passion driving them both crazy...their bodies rubbing against each other, the friction creating the most wonderful pleasure...

He shook his head to himself.

Okay...

He needed to pull himself together now, unless he wanted to be sprouting a boner. He briefly wondered if it was actually physically possible to die from shame and embarrassment, because if it was...he was dangerously close to the end.

Why did he have to be so attracted to his friend like this? It was like some cruel curse.

He was used to self-control…he was actually really good at it…but this was difficult. Sometimes he had to really hold himself back so he wouldn't do something insanely stupid and ruin his friendship with Jack. The fact that he was actually close to losing control once in a while scared the Hel* out of him. He almost never lost control.

Delicate wet touches suddenly tingled his skin. He lifted his green eyes from the ground and took in the surroundings. Thousands of fragile snowflakes drifted from the grey winter skies and whirled through the air, pushed forcefully by the brisk wind.

"Well this isn't very good…" Fishleg said from next to him.

"Yeah, I know. The visibility is going to be terrible for them." Rapunzel agreed, referring to their friends and the upcoming Quidditch match.

Hiccup hummed in agreement but then remained silent, as Fishlegs and Rapunzel began discussing the sudden change in weather. Snow and harsh winds were definitely not a good thing while playing Quidditch. Sudden gusts of wind affected the players' abilities to fly properly and the snow made it difficult to see where you were going. He hoped his friends would be okay. Sure, the professors were always there to observe the matches, but Quidditch still came with certain risks.

He remained lost in his own thoughts, as he and his two friends kept moving towards the Quidditch pitch. His thoughts drifted to Jack.…like they did almost constantly these days. Sometimes it was so hard to keep it together, whenever Jack looked at him with that soft, caring expression in his piercing blue eyes…those perfect eyes that reminded Hiccup of a blue, icy lake shimmering in the winter sun…or when he gave him one of those joyful, bright smiles that showed off his perfect, white teeth and lit up his entire face.

As they neared the Quidditch pitch, they headed towards the place under the stands where the Gryffindor players stayed until the match began. Luckily, it was an enclosed space, boarded off with large wooden planks, so they would be dry and warm in there. The two teams were kept in separate places not just to avoid conflicts but also because the players often needed to discuss some last minute strategy.

Rapunzel pushed open the doors and the wood creaked in protest. The three of them entered and Hiccup's eyes drifted across the surroundings. He'd never been in here before. It was a bit like a very large shed, which was adequate since the players only needed to be there for a short while before the game but also needed to be kept shielded from the weather. There were several benches and chairs inside and large cloth banners from all four Houses hung decoratively on the wooden walls. The light shone through the exit of the room, where only some see-through cloth hung in front, since it was facing away from the wind.

He quickly located their friends, who were in the middle of some kind of conversation. The three of them immediately approached them and Hiccup's heartbeat sped up.

"Hi guys!" Jack said to them with happiness in his eyes.

"Hey Snær Flekkr*. Hey guys." he replied. Rapunzel and Fishlegs became occupied in a conversation with the others about the upcoming game and whether Jack and Merida were nervous.

After a little while, Hiccup turned his head and saw Astrid at the other side of the room, talking with Thomas, who was one of the other Chasers. He decided to take a chance today and actually talk to her to just wish her luck.

He walked away from his other friends and headed towards Astrid, who soon spotted him and then said something to Thomas, who nodded and then left.

When he was by her side, she smiled a little at him.

"Hey Astrid." he said with a fond smile tugging at his lips. He was hoping he wasn't pushing his luck by talking to her.

"Hi Hiccup." she greeted him and her blue eyes held no pain or avoidance, just joy, which made him feel relieved.

"I know we're not really talking right now but…I just wanted to say good luck." he told her honestly.

"Thanks." Astrid said and then flashed her white teeth in a genuine smile.

He nodded and his own lips twitched in a smile as well.

When he turned around to approach his friends again, Astrid grabbed his arm. He spun around to face her.

"Look, Hiccup…I need a little more time but…I want us to be friends again." Astrid told him and her eyes softened. She let go of his arm.

"I really want that too." he replied and he felt almost bubbly inside at Astrid's words.

"Then that's what will happen…I'll let you know when I'm ready."

"Thanks Astrid." he said with a fond smile on his lips.

She smiled in response and then turned and walked towards her friends Katie and Megan.

Hiccup stood still for a little while, just taking in the relief he felt that Astrid still wanted to be his friend. It would have hit him incredibly hard if he had lost her but that wasn't the case. Thank the gods.

He watched his friends eagerly talk and laugh. Fishlegs made a joke that sent all of them into a laughter fit and Jack patted him on the back.

He observed Jack for a moment with a small smile appearing on his lips. There should definitely be some kind of rule on how great a player was allowed to look in their Quidditch uniform, because Jack was just…gorgeous right now. Well, Jack was always attractive but this was just unfair. He instantly felt his cheeks flush. He tore his eyes away and just watched one of the walls for a minute, trying to banish those thoughts and the reminders it gave him of those dreams he'd had.

"Hey Hic…is something wrong?" he suddenly heard that incredibly familiar voice say from behind him.

He turned around to face Jack and when his eyes met those blue orbs, he gave him a small smile, trying to disguise his nervousness as much as he could.

But how could he possibly answer that question?

Oh yeah, you know...I just sort of had some wet dreams last night about us having sex and now I can't stop thinking about it. No big deal? Right?

Hel no. It was a huge deal.

"I just…had some weird dreams last night that I haven't been able to push out of my mind." he replied and shrugged, trying to seem casual about it.

It wasn't the whole truth but at least it wasn't a lie either.

"Sorry." Jack said sympathetically and then reached out and squeezed his shoulder, before letting his arm drop to his side again.

Even such a brief, light touch from Jack made his heart skip a beat and once again he found himself thinking that Jack had no idea what he was doing to him. In moments like this it felt like he was a lump of putty in Jack's hands and that he could mold him into anything he fucking wanted, without Hiccup resisting it.

"It's okay. I'm just a bit absent-minded." he explained.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jack asked with a little, encouraging smile.

No. Hel no. Not ever.

"No…but thanks." he said, forcing himself to maintain eye contact, even though he was still feeling quite embarrassed about those dreams.

"Anytime, Hic." Jack smiled. "Oh, by the way…" he said and began to take off his Gryffindor scarf. "You need this." Jack wrapped the striped scarf around his neck. It was soft and warm.

"This is becoming somewhat of a ritual, huh?" he told Jack.

"Definitely." Jack just agreed with an amused smile curving his lips.

"Hiccup! We need to go now, the match is about to begin!" Rapunzel shouted at him. She was standing by the wooden doors with Fishlegs, Flynn and Mavis.

"Well…good luck Snær Flekkr*." he told Jack fondly.

"Thanks Hic." Jack replied softly with a flicker of a smile gracing his lips, warmth shining in his eyes.

Gods, why did he have to be so incredible and unbelievably attractive? With his flawless pale skin without any impurities or scars, his amazingly blue eyes, his white hair that reminded Hiccup of delicate, beautiful snowflakes falling from a winter sky, and his straight, perfectly white teeth. Of course Hiccup had noticed that Jack was a good-looking guy before he realized how he felt about him, but now it was like he couldn't stop focusing on it…and it made it difficult to actually walk away from him. Hiccup took one last look at Jack, before he turned and began to cover the distance to the door and his four friends. He passed Merida on the way and wished her good luck.

The five of them quickly headed for the stands and found a good spot among some other Gryffindor supporters. It was still snowing, those cold, icy flakes whirling eagerly around in the air, pushed by the brisk winter wind that howled in his ears and ruffled his brown hair. He zipped his brown jacket all the way to the top and wrapped Jack's scarf a little tighter around his neck. Next to him, Rapunzel put on her purple, wooly hat. They had all made sure to put on very warm clothes, since they were going to be standing here for a while. Everywhere he looked Hiccup saw students with Gryffindor scarves, red and yellow flags, face paint or banners ready to show their support for their team. Excited talking and laughing was buzzing everywhere, anticipation of the upcoming match evident in the atmosphere. Hiccup and the others spent the remaining time before the game talking about how freezing cold it was and how the weather would affect their friends in this match.

The crowds suddenly erupted in cheers and clapping and the noise was deafening, when the two Quidditch teams flew into the air and took their positions, waiting for the match to begin. All the Quidditch players wore their winter uniforms, which consisted of warm, insulated longsleeved shirts and pants, as well as vests with long capes in their House colors and protective gear like kneepads and armpads. They also wore goggles to protect their eyes from the wind and snow. Hiccup kept his eyes on Jack, who he could see in the distance, despite the poor visibility right now.

As the whistle sounded and the match officially began, all the players whirled in different directions, as the crowds in the stands once more created a massive wall of noise. He and his four friends all shouted supportive words, whistled or clapped eagerly.

He, Fishlegs and Rapunzel held up the large banner he and Rapunzel had made. Instead of a Gryffindor lion, this time they had painted Jack, Merida and Astrid flying on their brooms as well as written their names. It had taken a long time to make it, but they were both really satisfied with the result and if Hiccup had to say so himself, it resembled their three friends a lot.

The first 10 minutes of the game went by fairly uneventfully. They all watched their friends and cheered for them and waved when one of them flew past them in the stands.

He kept his eyes on Jack for as long as he could actually see him. The snow and the somewhat aggressive wind made the visibility quite poor and even though they could spot their three friends most of the time, sometimes they vanished from sight, disguised by the wind and snow. Currently Jack was whooshing through the air on his broom a little distance away from them, his red and yellow Quidditch uniform flapping in the wind. The Slytherin's seeker was following him, obviously suspecting that Jack had already found the snitch, although Hiccup knew he hadn't. He knew Jack and even from this distance he could tell that Jack was currently just searching based on the way he was flying.

When Jack disappeared from view, he turned his eyes towards Astrid, who was trying to grab the Quaffle from one of the Slytherins. She was chasing the particular Slytherin closely, waiting for her opportunity to strike. Her blonde braid was flailing in the wind and the long red cape of her uniform rippled and flapped violently, while both her hands were gripping her broomstick tightly. A few seconds later the Slytherin threw the Quaffle towards one of his teammates, but was intercepted by William Gray, one of the Gryffindors, who quickly passed it on to Astrid, as she swooshed by at massive speed. A brief moment later he was surrounded by Slytherins, but since Astrid now had the Quaffle they quickly followed her instead. She was making her way towards the goals with the Quaffle under one arm, but two Slytherins, a guy and a girl, were gaining on her.

Suddenly the guy was knocked off his broom by a bludger and fell to the ground. Luckily they weren't high up, so he wasn't in danger. The Gryffindor supporters all cheered and when Hiccup looked closer he saw Merida with her beater's bat in the distance, having successfully taken down one of Astrid's followers. Despite the poor visibility, that massive, red hair made Merida easier to spot than the rest of the players. He, Rapunzel and Fishlegs waved the banner eagerly, while Mavis and Flynn whistled and clapped loudly.

Astrid was almost at the goal posts now, still with one of the Slytherins behind her. The Slytherin goalkeeper seemed to be preparing himself for Astrid's attack. Astrid swiftly flew towards him, gripping the Quaffle tightly under one of her arms. When she was close enough she launched the Quaffle towards the goal with an impressive speed and force that would surprise anyone who didn't know her and the ball flew straight through the goal, despite the keeper's efforts to block. Their part of the crowd instantly created a massive wave of sound from cheers and claps and whistles. The commentator announced that Gryffindor had gained 10 points from Astrid's goal.

Hiccup cheered loudly for Astrid, joined by the others and they held up their banner a little higher and then moved it slightly up and down. When Astrid looked their way he waved at her and she instantly waved back, which made him feel quite happy. Astrid quickly shot through the air again and headed towards the other end of the Quidditch pitch to once again try to obtain the Quaffle.

Hiccup adjusted Jack's scarf around his neck to avoid that very chilly and quite insistent wind touching his skin. It was a good thing that those Quidditch uniforms their friends were wearing were so warm and insulated, because this was seriously brutal weather to play Quidditch in.

"Hey, there's Jack again." Rapunzel said happily and he and the others followed the direction her eyes were looking in and located Jack. Jack was speeding through the air, as if the snow and wind didn't really affect him much. The Slytherin seeker was nowhere to be seen anymore.

A bludger swooshed towards Jack, but he quickly evaded it and moved on searching for the snitch. Hiccup smiled a little to himself. Jack was a very talented flyer and that was never more apparent than when he did those swift, creative maneuvers in the air on his broom to chase the snitch, avoid bludgers or evade opponents trying to mess with him. Hiccup suspected that he found some of the same freedom in the skies on his broom that Hiccup found when he was flying with Toothless.

Flynn and Mavis suddenly cheered Merida's name, as she flew past them and Hiccup and the others quickly joined in and waved the banner once more.

Unfortunately the Slytherins had taken the Quaffle now. Astrid, William and Thomas Wells (the last of the chasers) all followed the Slytherin with the Quaffle closely, attempting to steal it from him.

A bludger came shooting through the air at massive speed but suddenly Merida came flying in a blur of red and yellow, quickly placing herself next to William, swinging her beater's bat. It hit the bludger that instantly swooshed in the opposite direction. Hiccup and the others shouted words of praise and support at Merida, who was an incredibly effective Beater.

Merida flew off again, while Astrid and the other chasers kept pursuing the Slytherin, as he neared the Gryffindor goals and the keeper. The dark-haired Slytherin threw his arm back, holding the Quaffle and then hurled the red ball through the air towards the goal. The keeper shot to the side and spread his arm out, but the ball was just out of his grasp and flew through the goal. The commentator announced the goal and the 10 points it brought to the Slytherins.

Hiccup heard dissatisfied groans next to him and knew it was from Mavis and Flynn.

About an hour went by, where the Gryffindor team and the Slytherin team both scored several goals until the score was 50-60 in the Slytherins' favor. Astrid had scored three goals, while William and Thomas had each scored one. The harsh weather continued, not loosening its cold grip in the slightest.

Merida and Graham Marsh did a great job at keeping their team safe from the bludgers, managing to swiftly intercept and making them fly in another direction, almost every time one of the balls came towards someone from their team. Luckily, their team members were all able to avoid the ones that the two beaters couldn't reach in time.

Hiccup mostly kept his eyes on Jack, when he could actually see him through the wind and snow. He really liked watching him fly. He was bloody amazing on that broom. Everyone had their own unique style of flying and Jack's was…graceful, fluid…even playful. He liked to do swift, elegant, sometimes quite complicated moves that were not just fast and effective but creative as well, which was what made him such an excellent Seeker.

Jack had begun shooting through the air at massive speed, turning sharply, dipping, climbing upwards, doing all sorts of changes in direction and altitude and Hiccup knew what that meant. Jack was chasing the snitch.

"Jack's found the snitch!" he said excitedly to his four friends, who all immediately looked around to spot Jack. When they did, their faces lit up in huge, bright smiles.

"Woooo! Go Jack!" Mavis yelled as loudly as she could, even though it was unlikely that Jack would hear her.

"Yeah, Jackie!" Flynn roared next to him.

All of their eyes followed Jack, as he kept swerving and turning through the air eagerly pursuing that tiny golden snitch. He suddenly dived and flew towards the ground at massive speed, his uniform thrashing in protest from the wind resistance, his hands gripping his broomstick firmly. When he was getting close to the ground, he pulled up, leveled out and then turned sharply, flying in the other direction now. Hiccup found himself thinking that it was seriously impressive how fast he was on that broom and just how swiftly he could turn, dive and ascend without hesitation and without losing sight of that elusive golden snitch. He was almost tempted to agree with Jack the next time he claimed he had 'ninja reflexes'. Almost.

Apparently the Slytherin Seeker soon discovered what Jack was doing and rushed through the air to begin to follow him. After a while, it was a blur of red, yellow and green in the harsh snow and wind, as both of them competed to get their hands on the snitch first. Jack was ahead of the Slytherin, but the guy was chasing him closely.

"Come on, Jackie…" he heard Flynn say next to him.

Hiccup kept his eyes glued to Jack. He was really hoping he would get to catch that snitch before the Slytherin.

Jack climbed upwards into the grey sky and then leveled out again. The other Seeker kept following him closely and right now it was fucking nail biting to watch.

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Rapunzel stand on her toes and lean anxiously against the railing in front of her.

Jack swooshed through the snowy air, heading straight towards one of the spectator towers. The Slytherin had gained on him and was now flying right next to him. The green-clad opponent bumped his shoulder into Jack, but Jack kept focused and on course.

They both shot towards the tower at massive speed and the time for turning around or pulling up was getting nearer, unless they wanted to crash into the wooden structure and get injured.

Hiccup felt his heartbeat speeding up and the concern growing inside him. He wrung his hands a little. He was really hoping Jack wasn't going to be reckless with this. He needed to change direction. Soon.

"What is he doing? He needs to turn." Rapunzel said nervously.

Hiccup just kept staring at Jack flying speedily towards the tower. Jack was a talented flyer and he put his faith in that but he still couldn't help being worried right now.

"Pull up, Jack. Pull up." he heard Mavis' voice say.

Jack and the Slytherin Seeker kept shooting through the air. Now they were almost by the spectator tower. Suddenly the Slytherin turned, avoiding colliding with the structure. Jack kept going.

In the last few moments before impact, Jack made the sharpest turn Hiccup had ever seen anyone do on a broom and then put one of his arms in the air, holding something.

"He caught it!" Flynn shouted excitedly.

A few seconds later the commentator announced that Gryffindor had won the game by Jack catching the snitch. The crowd burst into a chaos of shouting, clapping, screaming and whistling.

"Yeah!" Hiccup shouted happily and threw his arms in the air.

"Woooooo!" he heard Rapunzel scream next to him while she jumped up and down, before she turned and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Fishlegs whistled and then clapped eagerly.

"Woooo!" Mavis joined in with Rapunzel and then she and Flynn hugged each other happily too.

Flynn grabbed Hiccup's shoulders and pulled him closer, along with Rapunzel and Fishlegs and suddenly he found himself in a group hug. They were all laughing or smiling brightly at their friends' success.

"Let's go congratulate them!" Flynn said and they all quickly agreed to that.

They started walking quickly through the stands and then descended the wooden steps that led down to the Quidditch pitch, where all the Gryffindor players were currently hugging each other or shouting cries of joy.

The Gryffindor supporters in the crowd had abandoned their chaos of different sounds and just chanted Jack's name over and over again. Well, not his actual name but what they knew him as: "Frost".

As they approached their friends at a fast pace, Hiccup saw Jack and Merida hug each other and then jump around a little together still hugging. It warmed his heart to see them so happy and he couldn't hold back a huge smile. Astrid was laughing and hugging some of the other team members.

When Jack and Merida spotted them, they both beamed with pure joy and came running towards them.

Flynn threw his arms around Jack and laughed, while Mavis pulled Merida into a tight hug. They both praised their friends and congratulated them, before Hiccup, Fishlegs and Rapunzel also got the chance to hug their friends and tell them how awesome they were.

Jack's white hair was filled with snowflakes and his red and yellow Quidditch uniform was wet, weighing down on his skin. He looked tired but so incredibly happy and that combination made Hiccup feel that familiar affection almost make his heart burst inside him. He loved to see Jack so happy.

"You were great, Snowflake!" he told Jack with a fond smile and nudged his shoulder playfully. He actually felt a tug of pride from having such an amazing, talented friend.

"Thanks Hic!" Jack responded and smiled brightly at him. Jack threw his arms around him and pulled him into a hug. It wasn't very often that they hugged but when they did, Hiccup instantly sensed the Terrible Terrors spring to life inside him and he stopped breathing for a few moments. He put his arms around Jack and enjoyed being so close to him for a brief moment, before they had to pull apart again. The warmth, the feel of their chests being pressed against each other and that faint smell of peppermint that always clung to Jack was just so…familiar and comforting and felt right in every way. It was actually sort of worrying just how addictive it was being close to him. He never wanted to let go…but of course he had to.

When they pulled away from each other, Hiccup instantly missed that amazing closeness but of course he couldn't show it in any way.

After a little while of just hugging, dancing around, jumping and talking excitedly, they all calmed down a little. Jack and Merida had been filled with adrenaline, but now they seemed to coming down from those bursts of energy. Hiccup and his six friends all continued to talk for a few moments about the match and how great Jack and Merida both were, discussing all the great maneuvers and strategies they'd used.

"So…Where are you guys off to now?" Rapunzel asked Jack and Merida after they had all finished praising their two talented friends.

"Well, first I think Jack and I really need to go back to the common room and get a shower and a change of clothes…and then there's a party in the Gryffindor common room after dinner, so we're going to go to that and celebrate our victory." Merida told them and grinned excitedly.

"I wish you guys could come." Jack told them with a small smile on his lips.

"Yeah, but it's only for Gryffindors right?" Rapunzel asked, tilting her head.

"Unfortunately, yes." Merida replied and nodded.

"Well…you guys have fun." Hiccup said, his lips twitching in a little smile.

As they left their friends behind, Hiccup felt that faint tug of sadness. He had barely spent any time with Jack today and he just wanted to be near him some more. It was so pathetically needy and he really didn't like just how attached he was to being in Jack's presence but he couldn't help it.

When they'd walked a little distance, he glanced over his shoulder to take one last look at Jack. Surprisingly, Jack was already looking at them. Jack lifted his arm and waved at him and Hiccup quickly spun around, waved and then turned again and continued walking.

He, Rapunzel and Fishlegs trudged through the snow on their way to the castle and Hiccup listened to his two friends' excited conversation about the match they had just witnessed, once in a while humming in agreement. He didn't feel particularly talkative, as he was once again in a pensive mood. Thoughts of Jack just would not leave his mind, no matter how much he tried to think about something else.

Those dreams last night had made everything worse. Of course he already knew that he was incredibly attracted to Jack but those…images and feelings of him and Jack being together like that being planted in his head by his traitorous subconscious…it made it that much harder to push that attraction down and pretend like nothing was wrong.

He really hoped that those dreams were a one time thing.

Somehow though…he knew they wouldn't be.

Author's note:

In the next chapter, Jack, Hiccup and their friends go on their Christmas shopping trip to Hogsmeade and then they all go home for the Christmas holidays.

Ragnarok: A series of events that lead to the end of the known world. This includes various natural disasters and a final giant battle between the norse gods, the Jotunns and several other creatures. Almost everyone in the world except a few gods and humans will die in Ragnarok. When Ragnarok begins, all bindings in the world will be absolved, and creatures like Fenris and many others will be let loose and cause chaos and death in the battle with the gods. After Ragnarok, a new world will emerge, new and fertile where life can start again.

Sigr: Means "victory" in old norse.

Asgard: The home of the gods in norse mythology. Odin and his wife Frigg are the rulers. There are various descriptions of what it looks like, some of them contradictory. In some sources it says that Asgard is one giant fortress, where others describe it as a place filled with various farms and fortresses where the gods live. Some sources claim it's placed in the middle of Midgard, where other say it is placed in the heavens (although this is in sources written by Christians, so their own view of the homes of gods can have influenced this). Asgard is also the place where Valhalla is. This is Odin's home and the place where warriors who die bravely in battle go in the afterlife (Well, half of them...the other half goes to Freyja's hall Fólkvangr).

Tyr: He is one of Odin's sons and one of the gods associated with war, justice and law. He doesn't play a big role in norse mythology. In fact the only myth where he plays an active part is the story of how he helps trick the giant wolf Fenris (Fenrir) into being bound. In the battle of Ragnarok, Tyr dies fighting the big dog Garmr (old norse: Rag. He is the dog that stands bound by the entrance to Hel, guards it and howls when new souls arrive).

Jötnar (singular: Jotunn): Creatures that mostly live in Jotunheimr. Often referred to as giants in English. They could look very different from each other, since some of them could be as big as towers, some of them were ugly, some of them were beautiful, some were born with animal heads or wings. They're mostly the enemies of the norse gods, often getting in their way somehow or waging war with them. However, there are also examples of Jötnar and gods marrying or having children together or somehow helping each other. Jötnar are beings closely related to the forces of nature and are considered unpredictable in temperament and beings of 'chaos'. Some of them have magic powers.

Midgard: One of the nine worlds in norse mythology and the place where the humans live. Midgard was created by Odin and his two brothers Vili and Vé by killing the ancient Jotunn Ymir (the ancestor of all Jötnar) and used his body parts as material, for example using his skull to create the heavens and his flesh to create the earth and his blood to form the oceans. Midgard was created as a place of order in contrast to the places where the Jötnar lived and humans (who were also created by Odin and his brothers) were put there to tend to the fertile lands. It is separated from most of the other worlds by impassable waters, where Jormungandr (a giant serpent, one of Loki's children) encircles it. Midgard is only connected somewhat to Asgard, where the rainbow-bridge Bifröst is the entrance, but this bridge is guarded by the god Heimdallr.

Freyja: An important goddess in norse mythology. She is the goddess of love and fertility but she is also associated with magic, wealth and death.

Hel: the underworld in Norse mythology. Ruled by Loki's daughter who is also named Hel. It's the place where many (such as the people who died of disease and old age) go when they die. Beliefs in other kinds of afterlives existed too (and could vary from place to place in Scandinavia). For example, half of the warriors who died bravely in battle go to Valhalla, because Odin wants the best warriors to assist him in the battle during Ragnarok (the end of the known world). Half of the dead warriors goes to Freyja's place Fólkvangr. There are other kinds of afterlives too but I won't get into that now. Hel is not a place of punishment and suffering for deeds committed in life like the Christian idea of hell (although the Christians took the word from Hel).

Snærflekkr: Snowflake. Hiccup's nickname for Jack.