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!

18. The Beast

Author's note:

So...here I am, back again. I hope you guys will enjoy this new chapter.

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~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

"You…" Hiccup whispered. His eyes had widened.

The professor's gaze fixed on him.

"You." he repeated and exhaled shakily. He shook his head in disbelief. "How could you do that to me?"

"I didn't want to, if that makes you feel better." the professor said, breaking eye contact to observe the floor.

"It doesn't." he said through gritted teeth. His fists clenched by his sides.

Professor Cooke didn't respond. He just sat there in the chair and did nothing. It didn't help all of that frustration and hurt and anger that was building up inside Hiccup at a dangerously fast pace.

"Why?" Hiccup asked and much to his regret, his voice sounded small and fragile rather than angry.

He wasn't going to leave this room before he had an answer to this question. He needed to know what could make someone he had trusted and liked turn against him like this. He couldn't think of anything that made sense.

"It's complicated." Professor Cooke told him, as he lifted his head and met his eyes. He had that annoying look on his face that people often had when they uttered that phrase. The look of calmness that seemed to signal, that they had some kind of secret knowledge, that was too deep for the other person to understand.

Well, if he thought Hiccup was going to settle for that pathetic answer, he could think again.

"I don't care how complicated it is." he said, narrowing his eyes and taking a few steps closer to the sitting professor. "You will explain it to me and you will explain it now." he dug his hand into one of his pockets and clutched his wand tightly.

"They probably should have taken your wand."

Hiccup scoffed. He pulled his hand out of his pocket again. "If I wanted to kill you, do you honestly think I would need a wand to do it?" he replied and glared at the dark-haired man in the chair.

"No." the professor softly spoke.

"No." he confirmed.

Professor Cooke sighed and even that exhalation of air was making the hostility grow inside Hiccup.

Every act. Every word. Every expression. It made an angry beast stir inside him, scraping its sharp claws against his insides, threatening to crumble his self-control.

"I wasn't lying when I said I didn't want to. You've always been my favorite student, Hiccup. I've always liked you and seen something of myself in you." Professor Cooke told him.

The softening of the professor's eyes made Hiccup believe his words. But that didn't appease the beast inside in the slightest.

"Well, I can think of a rather big difference between us, since you apparently don't hesitate to participate in torture and murder." he snapped.

"I had a debt to pay." Professor Cooke said. "You merely happened to be a part of that debt."

There was that air of calm again. It pissed Hiccup off. It was like the professor in front of him was distancing himself from what he had done. Like Hiccup wasn't a real person but some kind of commodity to be exchanged to gain something. Like it had all been a simple trade.

"What kind of debt could you possibly have with the tribes? You're not even from the archipelago." he asked, gesturing wildly with his hands to express just some of his frustration.

The silence that suddenly enveloped them was unnatural. All Hiccup heard was the sound of his angry, quick breathing and his heartbeat pounding in his head. He and Professor Cooke held each other's gazes.

When the professor spoke again, the implications of his words made Hiccup's stomach twist painfully.

"Er þú víss? [Are you certain?]"

Air left his lungs, like he had been punched in the gut.

"You…you speak old norse?" he asked quietly, trying to wrap his head around this new revelation.

"Yes."

"You're from the archipelago?"

"Yes."

Hiccup shook his head, staring at the professor sitting in front of him. How the Hel had he missed this? This wasn't just a few puzzle pieces he had overlooked.

"Why do you have a debt with the hostile tribes?" He pressed his lips together in a thin line.

"It's a long story." the professor sighed, blue eyes drifting from Hiccup to the nearest stone wall.

"I. Don't. Care." Hiccup spoke, the anger boiling more violently in his chest by the second. "You will tell me."

"I didn't have a choice." Professor Cooke said, as his gaze fixed on Hiccup again.

Those words did nothing to soothe Hiccup's anger. Those words were a coward's defense.

"There's always a choice." he replied, refusing to accept that answer. "You could have said no."

"Then they would have killed me." Professor Cooke replied and shrugged. That casual gesture deepened the impression Hiccup had that the professor had convinced himself that his actions had been justified. To him it was probably reasonable. He had probably warped the entire thing in his mind, made himself believe that it was some kind of self-defense.

"Yes, they probably would have." Hiccup agreed. "You would have made your choice and you would have died with dignity instead of trying to kill someone else to pay off your debt." he spat. His jaw clenched tightly.

"It's just so easy for you Hiccup, isn't it?" the professor shook his head. The act seemed condescending.

"What's easy for me?"

"To be such a defender of morality, when you have never experienced desperation." Professor Cooke told him.

The burning rage in his chest intensified. The beast inside him threw itself wildly against the edges of his mind, scratching and howling, begging to be let out.

"You think I haven't experienced desperation?" Hiccup said. "You're wrong. But I would never trade someone else's life just to save myself!"

"No, you probably wouldn't." the professor agreed. "But I value my life and I don't intend for it to be over just yet."

"Well, now you can live your precious life in Azkaban." Hiccup said.

"I suppose." Professor Cooke said softly. His blue eyes seemed to have a certain acceptance in them.

"Why didn't you come to me for help?" he demanded to know. "I could have helped. You could have stayed on Berk for as long as you wanted!"

Professor Cooke shook his head. "No. That was never a real option."

"Why?" Hiccup crossed his arms.

"You're still young and naïve, Hiccup. You might have been willing to let me stay on Berk, but I doubt your father would have. He's an experienced warrior, it's not very likely he would risk increasing the tension with the hostile tribes and potentially endangering his people just because of a stranger and-"

"I think I know my father better than you do." Hiccup interrupted. "And even if he disagreed, I could have convinced him. I would have done all I could to protect you!"

"Maybe you would have. Maybe you could even have convinced your father. But even if I had moved to Berk, I would still be living the rest of my life in fear and paranoia, constantly looking over my shoulder and worrying that some day they would get to me. And don't be naïve, Hiccup. They have connections. They could get to someone in your tribe."

"Then why am I not dead yet?"

"There's a big difference between convincing someone to hand you over and to hand me over. You're the chief's son, the one who created peace with the dragons, you have significant meaning to the tribe. I'm just a stranger. Not everyone would agree that it's in your tribe's best interest to protect a stranger, risking even more wrath from your enemies. A lot of the Vikings on Berk have experienced war before. They know how horrible it is."

"This is all just speculation!" Hiccup said. "You could also have lived out the rest of your days in peace on Berk, being protected by my tribe."

"Maybe I could have." Professor Cooke agreed. "But I couldn't take that risk, Hiccup. I want to live but I don't want to be sick with worry every day, constantly fretting that something might happen any minute. That I might be captured and tortured or killed. That's not a real life."

Air left his lips in an aggravated huff. "So instead you decided to sell me out? You coward."

"Not all of us can be brave people. Some of us are scared to die." Professor Cooke told him. Hiccup picked up on the underlying chiding and his nose wrinkled.

"You think I believe you're a coward because you're scared to die?" he sneered. "No. Being scared to die is natural. You're a coward because instead of telling me the truth and coming to me for help, instead of living a more inconvenient and risky life yourself, you chose the easy way out. You chose pain and death for me so nothing in your own life had to change!"

"It was the only solution I could see."

Hiccup took a few deep breaths. He had to keep it together. He couldn't let himself be overcome by the rage. He needed answers.

"If you didn't trust me and my tribe to protect you, why didn't you go to the authorities then?" he asked, trying his best to keep his voice steady.

"I couldn't do that when nothing had happened yet. They weren't going to set aside resources to protect me from something that may or may not happen. I was on my own with this, Hiccup."

Hiccup watched him for a few moments in silence. The calmness of Professor Cooke's eyes and voice, the dismissive body language, the weak, warped arguments. It all pointed towards one thing: that he had no regrets about what he had done to him. That he truly believed what he had done was necessary, that it was justified to keep himself alive by paying with someone else's life.

"You're not the man I thought you were." Hiccup said and clenched his bottom lip between his teeth.

"No. I suppose I'm not." the Professor agreed but didn't seem too bothered by that fact.

"And don't try to deflect anymore. Tell me what kind of debt you have with the tribes and why. Now."

He was done with patience. The time for answers was now.

"It's a longer story."

"Then start talking."

Professor Cooke sighed and waited for a few moments. Then he spoke and Hiccup paid attention to every single word, trying to determine if it was the truth.

"I lived in the archipelago when I was younger. My dad was a trader traveling from island to island on a regular basis. He had many connections and acquaintances but we never belonged to a tribe ourselves. We didn't have much but we managed to turn over enough profit to get by." Professor Cooke explained. "Have you ever heard of the Blood Ravens"?

"Yeah. They were invaded and wiped out." Hiccup said, wondering where this was going. He tried to summon some patience to hear this explanation out. The Blood Ravens had all been killed by one of the hostile tribes, due to a long lasting grudge between the two tribes. It was a testament to the brutality of those particular Vikings. It was said they enjoyed battle more than any other Vikings.

"Yes. I was there when it happened." Professor Cooke said, eyes glazing over. "I had come home from Hogwarts for the summer. I was 13. We were on the island, trading with the Blood Ravens and one of them was unhappy with his trade. He accused my father of cheating him, which my dad denied. They threw us in a cell, awaiting a trial to determine who was right. That same night a dragon attack occurred. The entire island was bathed in flames and roars. When one of the walls to the cell was smashed in, my father and I tried to escape. But he only managed to take a few steps outside before a Monstrous Nightmare burned him. There was nothing left of him at all. The flames had consumed everything." Professor Cooke said, sadness creeping into his voice, eyes turning to the floor.

A pang of sympathy shot through Hiccup's chest but he quickly pushed it down.

"I quickly scrambled back into our cell, pushing myself into the nearest corner, trying to hide as much as possible, just waiting for the dragons to leave. Eventually they did but I was still too afraid to move. It was a good thing I didn't, because shortly after the dragons had abandoned the island, the Blood Ravens were invaded. Apparently, their enemies had waited to attack until the Blood Ravens would be most vulnerable. I stayed in that spot. I heard clashes of weapons, screams, flesh ripping open...when everything quieted down hours later, I was hoping the invaders would leave without seeing me." Professor Cooke explained and Hiccup already had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"But of course I wasn't that lucky. The leader found me along with several of his men. I assume you've heard the name Ivar the Bonesmasher?"

"Of course I have." Hiccup confirmed, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice from being asked a question with such an obvious answer, when he just wanted to cut to the chase. He doubted there was a single person in the entire archipelago who hadn't heard of Ivar the Bonesmasher and not just because he was a tribe leader, but because he was well known for his ruthlessness, especially his treatment of his enemies. He had earned his nickname from his tendency to break as many bones in his prisoner's bodies as he could without them dying first. It was said he enjoyed the cracking sound and that he wore the ribs of the first person he ever killed in his belt. Whether those last things were actually true or just rumors, Hiccup didn't know, but the fact was that Ivar the Bonesmasher was a feared man and for good reasons.

"His men hadn't spotted me hiding in the ruins of the cell but Ivar is an attentive man. He found me and since the objective was to leave no one on the island alive, he was about to kill me. He drew his sword and grabbed me. I panicked and screamed and writhed to get away but it was no use. In my panic, I accidentally made his sword disappear right before his eyes. He let go of me and was quiet for a long time. Then he made me a deal. He would let me live and supply me with enough gold, clothes and other necessities to get by. In exchange, I would finish my education at Hogwarts and be at his disposal whenever he wanted it until he decided my debt was paid. Needless to say, I agreed." Professor Cooke said. His shoulders slumped.

"So…you've been at his disposal since you were 13 and he only wanted you to do something now?" Hiccup asked, finding that very difficult to believe. He wanted answers but he was unsure if Professor Cooke was being truthful or trying to manipulate him.

"No." the professor said. "I've done plenty of things for him through the years. Using the Hogwarts library to gain knowledge on magic he wanted to know more about, buy stuff from the wizarding community for his tribe's wizards and witches and such…a lot of minor things."

"Until a few weeks ago." Hiccup said. He ground his teeth together.

"Yes. He told me to let him know if you made any enemies that he could use against you. When McGowan and Levin were expelled, he said I had to offer them a deal. Then I would let them into the castle and inform them when you would be alone and then my debt would finally be paid off, since it was a big risk for me to take. Then I could do whatever I wanted. If I refused, he would take my life." Professor Cooke glanced at him before directing his attention to his knees.

"So why didn't you leave when McGowan and the others were arrested?"

"If I had left right after something like that, it would only have raised suspicion. I stayed behind and laid low because then I wouldn't be a suspect. I expected McGowan to be clever enough to keep his mouth shut, but apparently the ministry have offered him something he couldn't refuse."

Hiccup thought about the professor's words. It seemed plausible. It would have appeared strange for him to leave after the torture. That raised another question though.

"Why are you confessing to me now? You could deny the whole thing and it would be his word against yours." he said, watching the professor's expression attentively for any change that he could decode. He was more than aware that he could be trying to manipulate him.

"Once they begin to dig into my past, they will find plenty of connections to the archipelago and the tribes there and that, along with McGowan's testimony and the fact that I obviously don't have an alibi will be plenty of evidence to convict me. So what does it matter if I give you some answers now?" Professor Cooke explained. There was a level of defeat in his blue eyes that gave Hiccup the impression that he was telling the truth.

"Did you only come to Hogwarts to teach because of me?" he asked, holding in a breath.

"Yes." Professor Cooke said and hesitated for a few moments before speaking again. "I've always been good at building and fixing things and when Hogwarts decided to issue a new class that relied on that skill, Ivar demanded that I get the job, so I could keep an eye on you."

Hiccup exhaled. Everything about his relationship with Professor Cooke had been a lie right from the beginning.

"Then why wait two years to do something?"

The professor squirmed a little on the chair. "I had to avoid becoming a suspect, so I had to be here for a while before I did anything. And the right opportunity had to come along too."

Hiccup sighed.

Yes. He had handed them that opportunity when he had fought McGowan and Levin.

"So you put your faith in McGowan and Levin…"

"I knew none of them were particularly intelligent, but I expected them to be clever enough to get away with it…but they managed to mess up something that should have been so simple." Professor Cooke said, furrowing his forehead the way he did when he was disappointed in a student.

"Yeah, it must be such a burden for you that I'm still alive." Hiccup said, every word dripping with venom. His feet carried him towards the nearest stone wall and then back again, as he began pacing to get some of the restless, angry energy out of his body.

"It wasn't personal." Professor Cooke said, as if he was stating something obvious. Something understandable. Something relatable.

The rage shot out its long, pointy claws, ripping through his veins and flesh, tearing into anything it could reach in blind fury.

He whirled around and stared straight into Professor Cooke's eyes.

"IT WASN'T PERSONAL!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" he screamed and slammed his fist down on one of the tables next to him. A loud bang against the wooden surface. Pain through his hand.

"As I said…it wasn't personal." Professor Cooke spoke. The calmness only fueled the anger inside Hiccup even more. It made him want to strangle him with his bare hands.

"It wasn't personal." Hiccup repeated the words in disbelief. "Silly me. How could I possibly have thought it was personal that you tried to kill me?" he told him, every word like acid burning through skin, his hands gesturing angrily in the air.

"I didn't try anything."

"No." Hiccup said. "No! You don't get to pretend your hands are clean just because it wasn't you stabbing me and cutting me and casting the Cruciatus curse. You are just as responsible as they are!"

"All I did was let them into the castle and tell them when you'd be at the workshop alone. That's not the same as torturing you or trying to kill you." Professor Cooke replied and his lips tightened.

Hiccup shook his head quickly. His chest was heaving from the anger weighing down on him.

Professor Cooke had convinced himself that he just did what was necessary and that he wasn't really to blame because he hadn't been present when it happened. He was using physical distance and desperation as a defense for his actions.

"You played a part in it and no matter how much you want to deny it to convince yourself you're still a decent person, the fact is you didn't mind letting me pay for your deal!" he yelled, eyes narrowed in disdain.

He had no other outlet for his rage than the sheer volume of the words leaving his mouth and the venom and disgust he wrapped every syllable in.

He was shaking a little now. Tears stung in the corners of his eyes. The fury was overwhelming. It was infecting him. It was making him lose control over himself.

"It was survival, Hiccup." Professor Cooke told him. Despite the hint of reluctance that told him the professor hadn't actually wanted to do it, there wasn't an ounce of regret in his voice.

He began pacing around the room again, looking anywhere but the professor sitting in the chair. He tugged at his hair, brown strands pulling at the skin underneath. He scratched his arms hard, leaving thin red lines across his skin from angry fingernails.

The worst part wasn't the anger. He could handle anger on its own. He could even handle red-hot rage on its own.

This was something different. It was hurt. Vulnerability. Broken trust. Someone he cared about had offered him as some kind of sacrificial lamb.

It was unforgivable. Devastating.

He froze in his tracks, snapped his head to the side and focused on the traitor again.

When those familiar, blue eyes gazed into his once more, the roar of the rage inside him was deafening, drowning out any rational thought. The anger burned in him like a dragon's flame.

He kicked a nearby chair with the force of all his hurt behind it. In his peripheral vision, Professor Cooke flinched. The chair flew through the air, landing on the floor with a crash, legs breaking off, sliding across stone before lying still.

Rest in peace, chair.

The doors opened with a loud creak and professor Bunnymund's head appeared, eyes scanning the room. When he was content that nothing dangerous was going on, he shut the door once more.

Hiccup's quick, furious breathing was making his lungs ache. He knew he had to put his rage back into its cage.

His eyes slid shut. Soothing darkness. Deep breaths in and out. Fists clenching and unclenching, clammy with sweat.

Anger slowly ebbing away to a level he could control. A level that didn't threaten to make him break Professor Cooke's kneecaps or slam his face into the wall until he was an unrecognizable mess of blood and bruises and broken cartilage.

Self-control. He could do this.

His eyelids lifted, revealing the source of his misery and fury again. Professor Cooke was observing the floor. He appeared more tired than anything else; half-lidded eyes, the corners of his mouth sagging. In this moment, he seemed older than usual.

It was probably exhausting to be involved in a murder plot. Not that Hiccup had any sympathy in him to give.

The scorching infection inside him had been contained. Searing rage was banished by the cold of unyielding disdain.

"So…"

His voice was ice. His eyes were hard with the chill of a blizzard. "I guess this is it."

"Look, Hiccup. I'm sorry for what you had to go through." the professor told him.

"No." Hiccup said. There was no room for discussion or forgiveness. "You don't get to say you're sorry. You don't deserve to feel better about yourself just for saying a few words. What you did…it can never be erased. You'll have to live with it for the rest of your life, just like I have to live with it."

His breathing had become strained again and he was fighting the anger's determination to be let out into the light once more. He blinked away the few tears invading his eyes.

The professor didn't reply but just trained his eyes on the floor again.

Hiccup turned around and headed for the door. He was done with this. He couldn't stand to look at him for even a second longer.

He got the answers he needed. Now he had to find some way to live with those answers.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The fretting, nail-biting silence in the corridor was putting Jack on edge.

His stomach churned as he walked back and forth between two of the stone walls. Hiccup was in that room right now with whoever had assisted in the torture and attempt on his life and Jack couldn't keep still until he saw his boyfriend.

He had tried to get in there. He really had. Professor Bunnymund and Professor Mansnoozie had kept him out, despite his protests. Jack didn't like the idea of Hiccup being alone with whoever had betrayed him at all, but he didn't have a choice at the moment.

He wasn't alone in being frustrated by that.

"Ugh, why can't you just let us in there?" Astrid asked Professor Bunnymund, gesturing wildly with her hands. "We're his friends!"

The Australian professor was unaffected by her angry outburst. "That doesn't matter, Ms. Hofferson. Only Mr. Haddock was allowed to go in there. Headmaster Lunar asked us specifically to keep all others out until the authorities get here."

Astrid groaned and threw her hands in the air before stomping to the side of the corridor. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, her lips in a thin line.

The exact same frustration was bubbling inside Jack. Neither him nor his friends had taken it well that they weren't allowed in there. He and Merida had even been close to trying to force their way through.

He let his eyes drift over his friends, as he continued his impatient pacing. Fishlegs' eyes darted from person to person constantly, while he sat on the floor, leaning against a wall. Rapunzel and Flynn stood together, the blonde girl with Pascal resting in one of her palms. Mavis and Merida sat together on a wide window sill below one of the large arch windows. Merida's eyebrows were drawn together and one of her feet was tapping impatiently on the stone beneath it.

Jack wasn't sure how much time passed, as he kept pacing back and forth, waiting for Hiccup to come out of that room, so he could get some answers and be there for him. He fiddled with his sleeves, gripped his wand in his pocket, wrung his hands, anything to keep himself busy and express the nervous energy that flowed through him.

When the wooden doors creaked as they opened, everyone's heads snapped towards the sound. Hiccup appeared in the hallway.

Their eyes locked. Jack could see the tiredness, the hurt, the barely restrained rage hiding in those green irises. It was a myriad of intense emotions melting together and he was unsure what the best way to handle it would be.

He slowly stepped closer to his boyfriend.

The Viking was frozen, just watching him approach.

For a moment, Jack feared Hiccup was going to storm off. That he was going to use his usual approach of dealing with things: isolation. He was half expecting him to run away any minute, and attempt to bottle all of this up inside.

To his surprise, he managed to stand right in front of Hiccup without him moving at all, except turning his eyes towards the floor. Toothless was rubbing his head against Hiccup's leg, meowing worriedly.

"Hic?" he asked softly, desperate to help in any way he could.

Hiccup lifted his head. The shine in the green eyes told Jack that his resolve was crumbling.

He slowly extended his arms towards Hiccup. He just wanted to hold him, to keep him close and comfort him.

Hiccup didn't move. It was like someone had taken away all his energy and willpower.

Jack pulled him into a warm embrace and began to slowly stroke his back. Hiccup hesitantly put his arms around him and leaned his face on Jack's shoulder and he could feel the Viking's breath warm his shirt and skin.

"It'll be okay." he whispered to his boyfriend and let a hand softly glide through the brown locks. "I'm here."

Hiccup tightened his grip around him in response, as if he was afraid those words weren't actually real.

"Who?" Jack asked softly, needing to know who had hurt the person he loved.

The word that left Hiccup's mouth resulted in gasps and cursing from their friends and fiery rage to coil dangerously in Jack's stomach.

"Cooke."

Jack sucked in a breath. He clenched the fist that wasn't stroking Hiccup's back. He was certain the knuckles turned white.

Professor Cooke, of all people? A person Hiccup had actually had a connection with, had actually spent a lot of time with?

He stopped stroking Hiccup's back and squeezed him, holding him close. It made him feel a little better, because as long as Hiccup was in his arms, he could control the situation. He could comfort him and protect him.

He couldn't believe Professor Cooke was involved in this. He had desperately hoped the person wasn't someone Hiccup had actually known. That his boyfriend would catch a break after everything he had been through.

But no. Instead, the universe had decided Hiccup should have his faith in people broken even more. Someone Hiccup had cared about had helped someone hurt him and try to kill him. What kind of emotional damage would that leave?

He knew their friends were watching them, despite standing with his back to them and he wondered if it was making Hiccup uncomfortable. They only wanted to help, but he knew Hiccup was fragile right now, so their attention might not be what he needed.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he asked and planted a kiss in the Viking's hair. The soft strands tickled his lips. He tightened the grip around Hiccup protectively.

"Yeah." Hiccup said, almost inaudibly into his blue hoodie.

"Okay." Jack replied and slid his hand into Hiccup's. His boyfriend lifted his head and then took a step back, breaking their embrace.

"We'll see you guys later." Jack told their friends who all nodded slowly without saying anything. The concern was evident in their tightened lips, their crinkled foreheads, their caring eyes, but they understood that now wasn't the time to talk about all of this. Clearly, Hiccup needed some peace and quiet first, before he would be ready to discuss it with all of them.

Jack was going to make sure he got that. He was going to make sure Hiccup got anything he needed. As his boyfriend, it was his job to protect him, to comfort him and support him and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Why would Professor Cooke do this to Hiccup? That was the question that kept gnawing at his mind, as he and Hiccup headed towards the room of requirement to get some privacy. Toothless followed them closely, his black paws swiftly moving to keep up with them. Jack kept his boyfriend close with an arm around his shoulder and shielded him from the students passing them by in the corridors. Whenever he glanced at Hiccup, the Viking just stared ahead blankly.

All of this just didn't make sense. Professor Cooke had always seemed like a decent person and he liked Hiccup. He always complimented his skills, they often talked and laughed during class and they seemed to have many things in common. Why would he play a part in Hiccup's torture and near death experience?

Hiccup had the answers he needed but he knew he had to be patient.

When they found themselves in front of the familiar wall, the large wooden doors to the room appeared shortly after. Jack wasted no time in flinging them open and getting him and Hiccup inside, so he could comfort his boyfriend without worrying about prying eyes and people overhearing their conversation.

Hiccup slumped down on one of the couches and sat in silence, staring into nothing. The anger Jack had seen in his eyes when he came out of the classroom after having talked to Professor Cooke had dimmed.

He sat down next to Hiccup and Toothless jumped onto the couch and placed himself on Hiccup's other side. The black cat watched the brunet with large, worried eyes.

The silence was tense and the longer Hiccup remained quiet and avoided eye contact, the more concerned Jack became.

Despite this, he gave Hiccup his space. He would speak when he was ready and Jack was not going to push him. The situation was delicate enough as it was.

The room of requirement seemed darker than usual, the stone walls closer and more confining. Maybe it was his gloomy mood that made the room seem less inviting. Even the flames in the fireplace appeared less lively and the warmth from them seemed faded. He fiddled a little with one of his blue sleeves.

"Jack?" Hiccup said. His voice was tired. His green eyes were glazed over.

"Yeah?" he asked softly, watching Hiccup's face for any change in his expression.

"Do you think you can ever truly trust another human being?"

The words were careful. Hesitant. Wrapped in years' worth of solitude and broken trust. Hiccup's suffering was like sharp nails jabbing straight into Jack's heart, tearing through the soft tissue within.

"Yeah…I really believe you can." he replied, trying his best to hide the sadness building up inside him. "I trust you completely." he added and he really hoped Hiccup still trusted him in return, despite how much his faith in people had just been shaken.

Toothless crawled into Hiccup's lap and began nuzzling his black, furry head against Hiccup's chest. The Viking leaned forward and put his arms around Toothless, hugging him tightly and burying his face in the cat's soft fur. Hiccup and Toothless sat like that for a few minutes and Jack had no doubt that it was soothing for Hiccup's mind. Toothless was always a calming presence for Hiccup but right now…when Hiccup had just had his trust in people damaged once again…the closeness of his animal best friend was probably what he took most comfort in. Toothless had human-like intelligence but he wasn't capable of those selfish hidden agendas and that deep greed and ambition that people were often guilty of. The traits that led to betrayals and horror. Hiccup could count on Toothless to never turn on him and in this moment, as Hiccup clung to Toothless, holding him as close as possible, it seemed like the Viking desperately needed that reassurance. Needed to remind himself that he had a bond that would never change with another creature.

Jack was conflicted as he took in Hiccup's and Toothless' embrace. He was grateful for Hiccup's bond with Toothless but he was also afraid that Hiccup no longer trusted him as much as he used to. That thought made his heart ache and he knew he needed to ask. He needed to know where they stood.

"Hiccup…Do you still trust me?" he said and his voice sounded small, revealing his insecurity. He had to know, no matter how devastating it would be if Hiccup said no. He had to know if he had to start all over again to earn Hiccup's trust. He would do whatever it took but there was no denying that it would hurt.

Hiccup exhaled deeply into Toothless' fur and then lifted his head. The black cat sat still in the Viking's lap and Hiccup stroked him slowly.

"Yes." Hiccup almost whispered, eyes still focused on Toothless.

Jack let out a shaky breath. Relief washed over him.

"But I trusted him too." Hiccup added quietly.

Jack sighed a little. He understood how Hiccup had to be feeling right now. He was questioning his relationships with the people he cared about, the people he knew, because he had thought he had known Professor Cooke and yet that traitor hadn't hesitated in playing a part in Hiccup's torture and near death.

He scooted closer to Hiccup and put an arm around his shoulder. He wanted to give his boyfriend some kind of comfort. Hiccup didn't react but just kept petting the black cat in his lap. Well…at least he didn't pull away or flinch.

He leaned against him and planted a gentle, careful kiss on his cheek.

The three of them sat in silence for a few moments, nothing but the sound of their breathing and the crackling fire to be heard in the large, stone room. The flames in the fireplace cast shadows across Hiccup's face. Jack kept his arm around him and waited patiently, despite the nervousness inside him. He wanted answers on why Professor Cooke had done this and what exactly Hiccup was thinking right now. He wanted to know how he could help him move on.

When Hiccup turned his head to look at him, Jack noticed the wet shine in those green eyes.

"I don't know what to do with this." Hiccup spoke softly.

"I know." Jack replied and rubbed Hiccup's shoulder. "But I'm here for you. Just talk to me."

"Someone I trusted handed me over to be tortured and murdered." Hiccup said, shaking his head to himself. "How can I stop that from making me doubt everyone I know?" he asked and bit his bottom lip. Hiccup rubbed his eyes and refused to let any droplets fall. Jack briefly wondered if Hiccup had ever let himself cry openly in front of anyone, or if it was one of those things the Viking had always suppressed and waited to do until he was alone.

A sad smile appeared on Jack's lips. "I know this is one more dent in your ability to trust people, Hic, but…just try to focus on those who have proven themselves to you. Words are easy. Actions aren't. Rapunzel, Astrid and Fishlegs have been your friends for years without wavering, your dad and Gobber have always tried to protect you even when they didn't understand you and they only made things worse, Flynn and Merida and Mavis haven't hesitated to be there if you needed it, they've kept your secrets and they haven't shied away from defending you, just like they would defend me." he explained. "And I…I love you more than I ever thought was possible and I hope I've proven to you by now that you can trust me with anything."

"You have." Hiccup told him and then sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack. You don't deserve this. You've been there for me right from the start. You've never betrayed my trust."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. Anyone who's experienced what you have would probably start to question how they can trust other people from now on." Jack told him. "But just know that you do have people who love you and would do anything for you."

Hiccup shook his head to himself. "Thanks, Jack." He said and then chuckled sadly. "I seriously don't know what I've done to deserve you."

Jack's chest constricted. His heart was swelling with love and sadness simultaneously.

He cupped Hiccup's face and leaned in. He pressed their lips together softly.

"Don't talk like that, Hic." he said, when he pulled away. "I don't like hearing that self-loathing in your voice."

"I know." Hiccup said. "I'm just…struggling right now."

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "But don't let this ruin everything for you. I know it's hard but you need to hold on to the trust you have with me…and with the others."

Hiccup nodded stiffly. "Yeah…and I want to do that." he said. "This is the worst part of all of this…that it's affecting how I see everyone else in my life. I know I can trust you and the others but...I have this uneasiness inside me and I don't know when it will go away." Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands in frustration. Toothless shifted in Hiccup's lap and brushed his furry head against Hiccup's stomach. The cat curled his black tail protectively around the Viking's arm.

Jack nodded. "You just need some time, Hiccup. It won't make it all go away but it'll get better." he said and squeezed his boyfriend's shoulder. "Trust me?" he added with a small, hopeful smile, looking into Hiccup's green eyes. They were still a little watery.

A tiny smile appeared on Hiccup's lips and his eyes softened. Jack's muscles relaxed and he exhaled. He knew that look.

"I trust you." Hiccup said quietly.

The words were simple. Short and to the point. But Hiccup's eyes revealed the emotional depth behind them. There was no doubt in those green irises. There was only love and hope. The love Hiccup had for him. The hope he had that Jack would never break his trust.

Jack swore to himself that he would do anything to avoid hurting Hiccup. That he would do his best to bring him love and laughter and joy every day instead. That was a promise most people would probably make about their loved ones but it was all the more important when it was about a person whose trust in people was already limited.

He took one of Hiccup's hands. Their fingers intertwined, warm skin brushing. He let a pale thumb move back and forth over one of Hiccup's fingers in soothing motions. Toothless leaned against Hiccup's chest, tail still wrapped around the Viking' arm as a comforting, safe gesture.

"Are you ready to talk about it?" Jack asked him.

"Yeah…" Hiccup said. "But I'm not sure how to start."

"Did he tell you why he did it?"

That was the crucial part in all of this. Professor Cooke's motivations would determine just how deep the betrayal ran.

"He had a debt with the hostile tribes. They demanded he settled it by helping them get rid of me."

Jack stopped breathing for a few seconds.

"What? He was willing to let you be tortured and murdered to settle a debt he had built up?" he asked.

Hiccup nodded. Jack clenched the hand that wasn't comfortably brushing Hiccup's fingers.

It was a good thing he couldn't get access to Professor Cooke right now. If he could, he might not be able to hold himself back from beating him to a pulp or hexing him from the rage that boiled inside him. The rage that was not just a product of his anger but of sadness as well. He hadn't known Professor Cooke very well but Hiccup had trusted him. Had practically considered him a friend.

"That's just…I can't even…" Jack said, unable to find the right words to express just how angry and shocked he was by this revelation.

Hiccup nodded slowly in response, apparently understanding what he was trying to say.

"How could he do that to you?" he said to him. "Why didn't he try to get help? Go to the authorities or something?"

That was the moment where Hiccup began to explain everything. He told him about how Professor Cooke was actually from the archipelago, how he had been found and spared by Ivar the Bonesmasher in return for being at his disposal, why he didn't go to the authorities or Hiccup for protection, how he couldn't accept a life of paranoia and fear, so he had chosen to sacrifice Hiccup's life instead to gain his freedom. Jack held his hand throughout, brushing over fingers with his thumb and squeezing it reassuringly. He didn't say anything but just listened and let Hiccup take as many breaks as he needed to explain everything.

"Would those tribes even have gone through that much trouble just for one person?" Jack asked when Hiccup had finished telling him about everything Professor Cooke had said. He was trying to wrap his head around this load of shocking information he had just been told but it was more than just difficult.

Hiccup shrugged. "They might have. They're quite…insistent on getting revenge on anyone they feel have wronged them. And debt is taken very seriously in Viking culture but…we could have helped him. If he would have just told me about it, I'm sure I could have protected him. He could have stayed on Berk for as long as he wanted..." Hiccup told him. The words were brimming with sadness and frustration.

"But he couldn't live with the paranoia and fear?"

"No." Hiccup said and then sighed. "To be honest…it seemed like he was reluctant to leave his comfortable life here, when he could just trade my life and be done with his debt and the hostile tribes once and for all."

Jack scoffed. "I can't believe I thought he was actually a good person."

"You weren't the only one he fooled." Hiccup said, brushing a palm over his face. "I feel like an idiot."

"Don't." Jack said. "He fooled everyone here. No one would have thought he was capable of something like that."

"No, but…I let him get close to me. I liked him." Hiccup said. "That just makes all of this worse." His gaze had lowered to Toothless once more and he let his free hand glide through the black fur.

"But why now?" Jack asked. "Professor Cooke has been here for almost two years."

"He needed to avoid becoming a suspect, so he had to build up a certain image first…and they also had to get someone who would do the actual…killing...so they waited until an opportunity came along…which I gave them, when McGowan and Levin got expelled."

A sigh escaped Jack's lips. All of this was surreal.

"This is so messed up." he said and shook his head.

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed. "I just…he always seemed like such a good person. We've talked and laughed so many times through the years and he's helped me with a lot of different projects and…it's just…everything was just a lie. There was an agenda behind all of it."

Jack took in Hiccup's words.

It was probably one of the most dangerous things about human beings. The ability to pretend, to manipulate, to make someone believe you are a different person than you are. To put on the mask of a friend and lure them into a false sense of security, before you strike and reveal your true motivations. Despite the evolved intelligence such a thing requires, there was something very primitive about using other people for your own gain. About being conscious about the hurt you're going to inflict but doing it nonetheless for selfish reasons.

"There's always more." he said, holding Hiccup's hand a little tighter. "And that's not always a good thing."

"No. It isn't." Hiccup said quietly, eyes focused on his lap, where Toothless still rested, the cat comforting his friend with his presence.

Jack's eyes drifted across the subtle sprinkle of freckles on Hiccup's nose and cheeks, the little scar on his chin, the long strands of brown hair swept across his forehead, the slightly parted lips that inhaled and exhaled, breathing life into the Viking's body.

A soft warmth bloomed in the pit of his stomach. He could have lost Hiccup that day he was tortured but his boyfriend was alive. He was safe.

The instinctual need to soothe Hiccup's pain grew inside him. He would let his love and support wash over Hiccup, drowning his misery and self-loathing in warmth and closeness and loving words. And there was a kind of comfort no one but him could bring Hiccup. Something only Jack was allowed to do, as Hiccup's boyfriend.

He rested a hand on Hiccup's jaw, stroking the skin gently with his thumb, before he leaned towards him. They gazed into each other's eyes until their lips met and Jack's eyelids slid down, bringing that soothing darkness that made his senses focus on nothing but the tingling, warm sensation of Hiccup's mouth.

It was repeated gentle brushes of lips, nothing more. Soft. Loving. He relished the closeness and hoped their affection for each other would calm Hiccup's mind.

They moved their lips together in a slow, steady rhythm. This was not about passion. It was expressing a deep spring of emotions that words could not sufficiently portray. Jack was not the poetic type, not one to put things into grand metaphors or abstract concepts, but he knew no amount of syllables strung together could adequately convey what he could feel in these soft, devoted grazing of lips.

He brought a hand to Hiccup's neck and let his pale fingers stroke the soft skin, as his other arm wrapped itself around Hiccup' back. His fingertips sensed the tension leave Hiccup's body. The Viking's muscles relaxed and he melted into Jack's arms and lips.

Their mouths separated. He gently pushed Hiccup downwards onto the couch and the Viking lay down without any questions. He placed himself on top of Hiccup, resting most of his weight on his elbows and legs. Hiccup watched him, eyes appearing calmer than before, as if Jack had managed to make at least some of his pain evaporate. But there was still hurt behind the shades of green.

His mouth curved into a small smile, before his lips met the tip of Hiccup's nose. He tilted his head and began to press his lips softly along one of Hiccup's cheeks. Then the other. His lips found Hiccup's brow, his chin, the sides of his head, his ears, kissing every inch of skin slowly.

He dipped his head and began leaving a trail of light, feathery kisses down the warm skin of Hiccup's throat. His nose grazed along the skin, brushing over the dampness lift by his lips. Pleasant tingles ran through his head, when Hiccup's fingertips raked through his snowy locks, showing his appreciation for his affection. When Jack reached the collarbone, he pressed his face gently against it and inhaled the familiar scent of his boyfriend.

He lifted his head and his fingers quickly rolled up one of Hiccup's white sleeves. He turned his boyfriend's arm and lowered his lips to the skin once more, beginning a new path of kisses.

He wanted every airy brush of lips he placed on Hiccup to purge him of a fragment of his pain, until it made him forget just how much he was hurting.

He carefully kissed along the Viking's palm, the taste of salty skin on his lips. He slowly worked his way towards Hiccup's fingers and when he reached the calloused fingertips, the rough skin tickled his lips pleasantly. He flipped the hand over once more and pressed his lips lightly along every knuckle. Then he gave the other arm and hand the same treatment.

Afterwards he pulled himself upwards to Hiccup's face and planted a tender kiss on his lips, before he wrapped his arms around Hiccup's neck and slumped down on him. One of his hands rubbed the side of his boyfriend's head in soothing circles, while he nuzzled into Hiccup's neck, nose brushing against the ends of brown locks. He could hear the sound of Hiccup's relaxed breathing and feel his chest rise and fall evenly. Jack sighed against the warm skin.

"How do you always manage to do that?" Hiccup asked.

"What?" he asked, twirling a few brown strands around a finger.

Hiccup shook his head a little. "No matter how shitty everything is…you can always make me feel better."

Jack smiled against his boyfriend's neck. He was relieved he had been able to soothe him. "Good…you do the same for me."

Hiccup merely hummed in reply, bringing a hand to Jack's neck, fingers gliding across the sensitive skin.

"I'm just so relieved you're safe, Hic. That things didn't…turn out even worse." he told Hiccup as he slid off him to lie down next to him instead. He reached out an arm and grabbed the hand Hiccup was resting on his stomach.

"Yeah…but we're not out of the woods yet." Hiccup sighed. "Everything is still messed up."

"Yeah." Jack said. "What do you think will happen now back in the archipelago?"

Hiccup was quiet for a few moments, looking at the ceiling.

"I'm not sure. I'm going to tell my dad about what Professor Cooke has told me…and then I'm going to beg him not to start a war."

"You think he would do that?"

"Usually he wouldn't but this is…different." Hiccup said vaguely.

"How?"

"It's…" he started hesitantly. "An attack on a chief's son is pretty much the same as declaring war. When you put that together with the tension we've had with the hostile tribes for so long now and the fear my dad must have about future attacks on me, I'm not sure if he'll be able to contain himself and try to find a peaceful solution or if he'll gather our allies and prepare for war." Hiccup explained. He kept watching the ceiling, but in those green eyes, Jack could see the worries and the fatigue weighing Hiccup down.

The nausea roiled in his stomach from just thinking about the implications of a war. He couldn't stand the thought of Hiccup being involved in that…of Hiccup potentially dying or getting injured or losing someone he cared about. And if Hiccup ever went to war…then Jack would follow him. What would happen then? What sort of things would he see? What horrors would they both be exposed to?

No. Those thoughts were too horrible. They had to avoid a war. They just had to.

"He can't do that." Jack said. "You have to convince him war is not the answer."

"I know." Hiccup whispered, his eyes half-lidded from tiredness.

It was clear that he was exhausted. This emotional rollercoaster must have completely drained him. And even though Jack wanted to talk more about what a war in the archipelago would mean, they could talk about that later.

Jack rolled onto his back, leaning his head against the armrest. "Come here." he said softly and pulled Hiccup closer. The Viking was soon lying on his side next to him, his head on Jack's chest and an arm across his stomach. The soft pressure of cat paws weighed down on Jack's legs, as Toothless walked lazily up his body. When the cat reached Jack's abdomen, it curled up right next to Hiccup's hand. The feline rested his head on top of the hand and Jack quite enjoyed the warmth from the ball of fur.

He let his fingers glide through Hiccup's hair in slow movements. The Viking sighed into his chest and Jack watched him with a small smile on his face.

"I love you." Hiccup spoke, his eyes closed.

Jack would never become tired of hearing those words.

"I love you too." he said and pressed his lips on the brown hair. "Get some sleep, Hic." he told his boyfriend and squeezed him a little to convey to him that he was safe here. That it was okay to let his guard down completely and drift off to sleep.

"Mhm." Hiccup agreed. He sounded like he was already on his way into the dream world. That was good. It didn't matter that it was still the afternoon. Hiccup could use the rest after everything that had happened.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: THAT EVENING

"He said what?!" Astrid exclaimed and clenched her jaw.

The room of requirement was warm and snug, illuminated by the soft glow from the lit fireplace. Long shadows danced across the massive stone walls, moving according to the rhythm of the crackling flames. They were all sitting on pillows close to the warmth of the fire, their faces bathed in the orange light. They had retreated in here to be absolutely certain they had complete privacy to discuss this.

After being comforted by Jack and sleeping for a few hours, Hiccup had decided to speak to their friends after dinner. He knew they were all worried sick and he didn't want to prolong their concern. He also knew it would probably help him process all of this to talk about it with them, even though he knew it was going to be difficult. But at least Jack's comfort had made him feel stronger than before.

So he had explained almost everything that had went on between him and Professor Cooke in that room. How the professor was actually from the archipelago, the story of how he built up a debt with the hostile tribes and what his motivations were for helping them.

"He said it wasn't personal." Hiccup repeated, anger instantly stirring inside him from reliving those words. He had no idea what to do with all of his unresolved rage. The frustration still flowed through his veins and he was unable to let it out because the source of it was long gone. He stroked Toothless who was curled up in his lap.

"That is just…" Merida started, nose wrinkling in disgust. "fucking unbelievable! He helped someone torture you and try to kill you to get rid of his own problem and he said it wasn't personal? How does that make any kind of bloody sense?" the Scot shook her head and threw her hands in the air.

"It doesn't." Hiccup said. "Except to him. He told me he didn't want to do it but…he didn't feel sorry about it either. He was only sorry he was caught. That much was clear to me."

Jack laced their fingers and squeezed his hand. Hiccup's anger was subdued a little.

"How can someone just stab a person who trusted them in the back and not even regret it afterwards?" Rapunzel asked and shook her head to herself, eyes focused on the fireplace.

"I think…he's convinced himself there was no other way. That he needed to do this to survive and because he wasn't actually the one doing the torturing and trying to kill me, he thinks that somehow makes him more innocent." Hiccup tried to explain, conveying his impression of the situation. He could never be certain though, if Professor Cooke had manipulated him or if he had understood his motivations correctly.

"He's a coward." Astrid spat. "He should have just come to us and we could have helped him."

"I told him that too but…he didn't believe my dad would risk even more tension with the hostile tribes and he said he didn't want to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, getting eaten alive by paranoia."

"So the solution was to help them torture and murder you?" Astrid said, narrowing her eyes.

Hiccup sighed. "In his mind it was. That way he could live the rest of his life without being afraid someone would suddenly show up for revenge."

"How are you so calm, Hiccup?" Flynn asked him. "Why aren't you angrier about this?"

"Trust me." Hiccup said, pressure building in his chest from being reminded of his rage. "I'm angry all right. I just…don't have an outlet for it right now and I don't want to take it out on you guys."

Toothless stirred at the words and licked his hand with his raspy tongue in a comforting gesture. Jack squeezed his other hand reassuringly. Hiccup scratched Toothless behind the ear, before he gave his boyfriend a small smile.

Jack and Toothless would probably never know just how much he appreciated their love and support. They meant more to him than he would ever be able to express and were both special to him in a way that no one else could ever be. The love he held for the two of them were of very different kinds but had the same fierce, unrestrained devotion.

"Maybe you could use a training session soon?" Fishlegs offered. "Blow off some steam? Get the frustrations out?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, that might help. Thank you, Fish." he replied.

It would be a good way of releasing some of his anger and Fishlegs was a tough fighter. He could handle the aggressions he needed to express.

Fishlegs nodded with a smile on his lips.

"I still can't believe Professor Cooke would do that." Mavis said, tucking a lock of black hair behind one of her ears. "He always seemed like such a nice, decent person."

"I think all of us are having trouble believing it." Jack said.

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed. "I just keep thinking there must have been some kind of sign that I missed…just…something that indicated things were off."

"If there was, no one noticed it." Rapunzel said softly, stroking Pascal who was sitting in her lap.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Hiccup." Flynn said, a wrinkle between his lowered eyebrows. "You couldn't possibly have known."

"Yeah." Fishlegs quickly agreed. "You can't blame yourself for this."

"I know. It's just hard not to." he explained and scratched his neck with his free hand. He knew he shouldn't blame himself but it was difficult to accept that someone had gotten so close to him without his suspicions being raised in the slightest.

"I hope Professor Cooke gets a life-time stay in Azkaban." Merida said, scowling at one of the walls.

Hiccup's gaze moved towards the swaying flames in the fireplace. "We probably shouldn't count on that."

"What are you thinking?" Fishlegs asked.

Hiccup exhaled, listening to the breaking and snapping noises from the fire eating into the logs, his eyes staring into hypnotizing, frolicking flames.

"There's not enough evidence to get him a life-long sentence." he began to explain. "There's McGowan's testimony, his connections to the archipelago, my testimony and the lack of an alibi during the time it all happened. That'll get him a long sentence…but not life, I'm pretty sure of that."

He heard Astrid huff in discontent. "You're probably right but it's not fair. He knew what they were planning to do to you and he still helped them."

"Yeah…but it's not up to us what's going to happen to him now." Jack said and there was a sharp edge to his words that conveyed his annoyance with that fact.

Hiccup forced himself to tear his gaze away from the mesmerizing fire. "No, it isn't. There's nothing more we can do now." he said. Toothless' warm, black tail brushed back and forth across his arm.

"Except that you still need to testify, Hiccup." Merida said. "How is that going to happen?"

"Well…" Hiccup said. "Professor Lunar has told me that I've been allowed to record a testimony so I don't actually have to show up for the trial for McGowan, Levin and Zamora. You know…because of the very…personal nature of it…and because they were caught in the middle of the act. So maybe I'll be allowed to do the same thing with Professor Cooke. At least I hope so…"

"Yeah. That would be the best way." Jack said. "But me and Flynn still have to show up for McGowan's and Levin's and Zamora's trial to talk about what we saw." he said to the rest of their friends.

"Yeah, but that's not a problem." Flynn said and did a dismissive motion with one hand. "We'll make sure to explain every single thing, so nothing will be left out."

Hiccup nodded. He was glad he didn't have to be there himself. He really didn't have the need to look those boys in the eyes again and be reminded of how they had taken all of his power away from him. He also didn't need to hear testimonies and explanations that spoke so unbearably clearly of what he was seen as: a victim. No. It was a relief that he didn't have to go through that.

"Do you have any idea when it will be?" Rapunzel asked.

"No." Jack said. "They haven't set a date for the trial yet."

"I hope it won't be too bad." Hiccup said, eyes drifting from Jack to Flynn and back again.

"No, Hic. Don't worry about it." Jack told him with a small smile. "We'll be fine."

"Yeah, of course." Flynn agreed with his usual air of confidence. "And it won't all be awful…at least we'll get to see the ministry of magic."

Jack hummed in agreement and gave him a smile.

Silence filled the room of requirement, the sounds of the snapping flames and his own breathing the only thing he heard. His eyes darted across his friends' faces. They all appeared to be either deep in thought or not knowing what to say right now. He pulled on one of his braids.

"There is something else…" he told them, eyes taking in the stone floor.

Jack's grip on his hand tightened. He knew what this was about and was showing his support. It was incredible how such a small gesture could warm Hiccup's heart.

"What?" Rapunzel asked.

"I think it's time you all knew…what happened that day." Hiccup said, a little moisture forming on his palms.

No one spoke. The air around them was heavy with tension. Hiccup didn't have to look at his friends to know their reactions. They were all concerned and eager to support him. On one hand they wanted to know what had happened, on the other hand it would be terrible to imagine the horrible details.

But this was something he needed them to know. And now he was finally ready to talk about it with someone besides Jack and Toothless.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and mentally prepared himself. Jack's hand slid out of his and began stroking his back slowly. Toothless nuzzled against his chest.

He opened his eyes and focused on his friends, his gaze drifting across their faces, one by one. As he expected, they were all watching him with worry evident in their eyes but no one wanted to pressure him so they kept quiet, waiting for him to speak.

He focused on the soothing feel of Jack's hand gently stroking his back, calming him.

Then he spoke.

In the dim room of requirement only illuminated by the bright, crackling flames, he told his friends everything. How he had been ambushed, what they had told him, what they had done to him. He didn't look at them but kept his gaze locked on either the warm fire or the dark stone floor, finding eye contact too overwhelming when he was revealing something this personal and difficult. As he explained what they had done to him, how they had cut him and beat him up and cast the Cruciatus curse, he heard gasps and swearing and angry muttering coming from his friends.

When he told them how it had made him feel powerless, weak and ashamed, he had to take a few breaks once in a while to gather his thoughts. His heartbeat had sped up and his bottom lip was sore from him chewing on it.

This was something he needed to do but it was draining to actually share those intense feelings. Jack gave him support throughout by either stroking his back, squeezing his hand or brushing fingers along his arm and his boyfriend's affections helped to keep him determined to open up to their friends. He really needed to learn how to lean on others and his friends were all more than willing to be there for him. The least he could do was to tell them the truth about what had happened.

"And...then everything went dark and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital wing." he finished explaining, sinking into silence after having been the only one to speak for a long time now.

The lack of voices in the room stretched on. Hiccup gave his friends some time to process all of this, but the nervousness of sharing something this emotional had his stomach roiling unpleasantly.

"Hiccup…" Rapunzel's voice said, almost breaking.

"I can't believe they used the Cruciatus curse on you…" Flynn said quietly.

Only then did he lift his head and meet his friends' eyes. Rapunzel's, Fishlegs' and Mavis' eyes gleamed with tears in the light of the fireplace. Flynn had pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, his eyes narrowed and eyebrows lowered in concern, while Merida and Astrid concealed their sadness behind clenched jaws and tense shoulders, even though their soft eyes revealed their true emotions.

When he stared into Rapunzel's large, shining eyes with a small, sad smile on his lips, it became too much for his friend. She flew from her sitting position and flung herself at him, arms tightly keeping him close, a head of blonde hair resting on his shoulder. Toothless was squashed between them but apparently it didn't bother the feline.

He put his arms around Rapunzel and when he could feel her tremble, he knew that she was crying softly. He rubbed soothing circles on her back and shared a sad look with Jack.

"I'm sorry." Rapunzel choked out, words muffled by his shirt.

"Don't be sorry." Hiccup told her. "I know it's a lot to take in."

Rapunzel pulled out of his arms again. Her large green eyes were brimming with tears and droplets had left wet trails down her cheeks. He brushed her tears away with his thumbs and smiled at her.

"I'm okay now." he said to cheer her up a little. It wasn't completely true but he would be okay at some point.

She nodded and sniffled. Then she leaned back and sat in front of him, cross-legged. She grabbed his hand and let her slender fingers brush over it.

Fishlegs got to his feet and slowly covered the little distance between them. He stood beside them for a few awkward moments, before he sat down next to him and put a large, heavy arm around his shoulder, squeezing him tightly.

"We're here for you no matter what, Hiccup." his Viking friend told him.

"Thanks Fish." he said with a fond smile, looking into Fishlegs' teary eyes.

It wasn't long before everyone else left their comfortable positions on the pillows on the floor too to give him hugs and reassuring words. Even Merida, who wasn't much for public displays of affection, pulled him into a tight embrace and promised him that if anyone ever hurt him again, she would hunt them down and hex their bits off. He chuckled a little into her wild, curly hair.

When they had all calmed down a little after being so emotional, Jack scooted closer and put his arm around his waist, leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Even such a simple contact from Jack made his heart thump happily.

"I'm proud of you, Hic." he whispered.

He smiled softly in response. "Thanks…this wasn't easy but...it feels good that everything's out in the open now."

Jack nodded and their friends all observed him with warm smiles on their faces, seeming grateful that he had told them everything that happened, despite how terrible that day had been.

They continued to stay in the room of requirement until curfew was approaching. None of them spoke more of Hiccup's torture and near death experience but chose to focus on happier topics. Hiccup found that it was just what he needed. In between all the chaos and the sadness and hurt, still being able to laugh and have fun with his friends left him more hopeful about his current situation. He couldn't let himself be consumed by his worries and demons. He had to keep focusing on the good things, on the things that made him smile and laugh and feel warm inside.

And he was lucky he had such wonderful people in his life, who would always be able to help him do that.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

TIME SKIP: THE NEXT DAY

The fresh air had cleansed his head from the terrible headache a full day of being inside had given him. It had been a long day in more ways than one. Jack, Hiccup and their friends had had their minds full of worries about the future, of thoughts about war and death and betrayals, finding it difficult to completely concentrate on classes when they had so much looming over them. Hiccup worked through his classes as usual but he drifted off into his own thoughts more than usual and there were moments when his smile faded and there was a second of sadness, before he regained his composure. Jack had the same problem. He tried his best to be his usual cheerful self, but once in a while the worrying got to him and he zoned out and got lost in his own head and all those horrible worst case scenarios he was imagining.

Their spot by the lake was enveloped in an unusual but pleasant quietness. The lack of wind left the branches and leaves in the trees undisturbed and the surface of the lake still and clear as a mirror. A few lone birds sang in the forest around them and it was not shrill, high-pitched noise but a calming, mellow symphony.

The weather seemed warmer than usual due to the wind's absence. A grey sheet of clouds covered the skies, hindering the sun's rays in reaching the ground. To Jack, the surroundings appeared dimmed today: the colors were muted, the sounds were lower and the fresh scents of spring were faded.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked Hiccup.

"Yeah…" the Viking nodded, folding the piece of paper and stuffing it in a pocket in his school robes. "It's the right thing to do."

As Jack looked into those green eyes, he found no doubt in them. Hiccup had already made up his mind, so he would support his decision.

"Are you sure Zamora didn't know about it?" Flynn asked Hiccup, a concerned furrow between his eyebrows.

"Yes." Hiccup said. "He was trying to talk McGowan and Levin out of killing me. It was clear that he didn't know the plan."

Merida scoffed. "What did he think they were going to do to you?"

"I don't know…" Hiccup replied and bit his lip. "I'm guessing he must have thought they were just going to beat me up or injure me in some other way."

"Idiot." Merida shook her head.

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed. "But he doesn't deserve to spend decades in Azkaban. It's different with McGowan and Levin. They knew all along what was going to happen."

Jack hummed in agreement. From what Hiccup had told him about all that had happened that day, it wouldn't be justice if Zamora received the same punishment as McGowan and Levin. He had been a part of it and he deserved to spend time in prison, but at least he hadn't helped them attack Hiccup with the intention of torturing him and killing him. That made a difference.

"It's just…why would they lie to him?" Rapunzel asked, gripping a long lock of golden hair tightly.

"I don't know. Maybe they thought it was the only way to get him to cooperate." Hiccup shrugged.

"That would make sense." Jack said. "McGowan and Levin already got their asses kicked once when they tried to attack Hic, so they probably thought they needed one more person."

"Do you think it will make a difference that you're writing that letter?" Fishlegs said.

"Yeah, definitely." Hiccup nodded. "I have no reason to want to help any of them, so the Wizengamot won't doubt that I'm telling the truth."

Jack couldn't argue with that. In the letter, Hiccup was asking the Wizengamot for a shorter sentence for Zamora, in light of his uninformed role in everything that had happened. He would have no motivation to do that, if Zamora hadn't in fact been unaware of what the plan was.

A sad smile appeared on Fishlegs' lips. "I hope you're right. I never liked Zamora, he's a git, but…I can't imagine being lied to in that situation. Suddenly finding yourself in the middle of torture and murder, when you never wanted any part of that. He must be falling apart right now."

Hiccup nodded solemnly and green eyes glanced ahead where Toothless was napping in the grass.

Jack couldn't help the surge of pity that spread through him. Zamora had wanted to hurt Hiccup and just for that, Jack had the strong urge to bash his face in. But he hadn't wanted to torture or kill him and now he was being accused of those things and had to go through a trial, as McGowan's and Levin's equal. Because of that, he actually felt a little sorry for him.

"Well, it might not be that bad for him. Now Hiccup is writing that letter and Jack and Flynn can explain the whole thing in their testimony, so maybe they will let him off easier than McGowan and Levin." Mavis said with a reassuring smile.

"Let's hope so." Hiccup said. "I wouldn't feel better if he had to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban." he explained and turned his head to look at Jack.

The tiny, strained smile on Hiccup's lips and the emotion in his eyes told Jack he was conflicted. And why wouldn't he be? He was writing a letter that would most likely get one of his tormentors a highly reduced sentence. Sure, Zamora hadn't had the same horrible intentions as McGowan and Levin but he had still been a part of it. He hadn't defended Hiccup, because he was afraid. Instead, he had let Hiccup suffer. So even if Hiccup was doing the right thing, Jack definitely understood why he would feel conflicted about it.

"At least the conditions have improved in Azkaban." Rapunzel said. "I mean, obviously it's still horrible to spend years in there, but it's better now than before the war."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, that's true." he said, eyes turning to the grass. A worried crease formed on his forehead.

"Hic…after you write that letter, there's nothing more you can do. You're trying to help Zamora, which is way more than anyone could ask of you, so after that…it's up to the justice system." Jack told his boyfriend.

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed and sighed. "I know. I need to push it away."

"Well…let's move on to something less depressing to help you do that, shall we?" Flynn asked. "It's no use to keep talking about it, when we can't do anything."

"Yeah." Hiccup said with a small smile and the rest of them uttered words of agreement.

"Now, Hiccup…there's something I've been meaning to ask you." Flynn said with an air of fatherly authority over him.

"Uh-oh." Jack said, as a smile creeped onto his lips. He knew that whatever this was, it was going to be bad news for Hiccup, because Flynn had that teasing gleam in his eyes and that whole fatherly attitude was also definitely a sign of mischief to come.

"What exactly are your intentions with our Jackie?" Flynn asked.

And there it was. Shit, it was even worse than Jack had expected. His smile transformed into an amused grin.

"Err…what?" Hiccup asked, a wrinkle of confusion between his eyebrows.

Flynn rubbed his chin, as if he was in deep thought. "What are your plans for the future? How are you going to provide for him? What about children? Are you going to wait with the shagging until you get married, like a decent, morally righteous guy?"

Merida and Mavis both put their faces in serious folds, playing along with Flynn's charade, only revealing their amusement through tightened lips and sparkling eyes.

Hiccup coughed and his eyes darted from Flynn to Merida to Mavis. "Uh…"

"Hey, I don't need someone to 'provide' for me." Jack objected. "I'm not some little kid or a damn housewife."

"Hush, Jackie. The grown-ups are talking." Flynn said in a soothing voice, as if he was a child ready to throw a massive tantrum.

Jack rolled his eyes but couldn't keep the smile off his face. This was just bloody typical.

"You need to think about these things, Hiccup." Mavis said, stepping in and matching Flynn's fatherly authority with a certain motherly chiding. "We can't just leave our Jack in the hands of the first guy that comes along. We need to make sure he gets a stable life. And I mean…dragon-riding Viking? Is that even a profession?"

Jack and the rest of their friends chuckled. He looked at Hiccup. The Viking was watching Mavis in disbelief, eyebrows raised at that statement.

"Well, he'll be chief someday." Merida pointed out. "Then he'll be able to provide for our dear Snowflake."

"Hmm, true." Flynn agreed. "So financially, the future looks okay…we can accept that."

"Yes. But what about marriage?" Mavis said and trained her eyes on Hiccup.

"Yes, what about that, Hiccup?" Merida asked him. "We want to protect the Snowflake's virtue." she explained, her serious expression transforming into a teasing grin.

"Come on guys." Jack smiled brightly. "You're being such bastards right now."

"Didn't I say 'hush' before, Jackie?" Flynn asked, one hand raised in a calming gesture.

Jack shook his head in amusement. His friends were enjoying this way too much.

"I'm not planning to propose to him." Hiccup deadpanned to get their friends to drop it. Jack knew that definitely wasn't going to happen.

"Hmf." Mavis said and frowned. "I can't say we're too happy about that, Hiccup. We want grandchildren soon, after all."

Jack's lips curved into a smile. It was a good thing Hiccup already knew about their relentless teasing, so he didn't take all of this seriously.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that 1) we just started dating 2) neither of us can get pregnant and 3) you're not Jack's parents?"

Merida scoffed. "1) You need to move quickly, you're already 17. I mean come on…you're going to get old soon! 2) You can always adopt and 3) We have so much wisdom and love that we might as well have custody over Frosty. AND 4) we expect at least three children and that they'll be named after us." she said and motioned to her and then Mavis and Flynn, who both nodded instantly in agreement.

Jack chuckled at that. His friends were absolutely mental. Completely bonkers. They were perfect candidates for a life-time stay in an insane asylum. And that was one of the things he loved the most about them.

"That's definitely not a part of the plan." Hiccup said, biting his lip to avoid laughing.

"You're just digging yourself deeper, Hiccup." Flynn said and shook his head, pretending to be disappointed. "We're not sure we can give our blessing to this relationship, unless you turn this around."

Hiccup sighed, an amused smile gracing his lips.

"Bloody hell guys, are you planning to scare Hic away with all that talk about marriage and kids?" Jack grinned.

"I'm used to hearing about marriage and kids from my dad." Hiccup shrugged. "It's going to take a lot more than that to scare me….but those three do have serious boundary issues." he said and gestured to Flynn, Merida and Mavis.

"Pssh, we do not." Merida said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Yeah, you do." Jack said and chuckled.

"Like you wouldn't be doing exactly the same thing if the situation was reversed." Mavis told him and stuck her tongue out.

Jack scoffed. "I'm way too nice, I would never do that."

He would definitely do that.

"Yeah right." Mavis said sarcastically. "So…the last crucial thing to interrogate you on, Hiccup…" She rubbed her hands together as an evil smile appeared on her lips.

Jack saw Hiccup's eyes widen a little, as the Viking realized where this was going. Apparently, Hiccup was not used to talking about that subject. Jack couldn't help but grin, despite how embarrassing this was going to be for both of them.

"Yes." Flynn continued, where Mavis left off and turned to Hiccup. "Are you going to protect Jack's virtue until you're married or are you planning on bonking each other before that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes skeptically, like a protective father interrogating his young daughter's new boyfriend.

Hiccup had a small coughing fit. Fishlegs and Rapunzel chuckled, while Merida, Flynn and Mavis kept their serious expressions in place, despite struggling to keep from laughing.

"Okay guys, maybe that's enough." Jack said, pressing his lips together to attempt to avoid smiling too much. He should at least try to help his boyfriend out here.

"We haven't gotten an answer yet, Jackie." Flynn said and snapped his head towards Hiccup dramatically.

Hiccup hid his face in his hands. "Err…" he said, his voice muffled by his palms. "That's kind of…private?"

"Okay, so you're planning to do some bonking before marriage. Got it." Mavis said, and she, Merida and Flynn all abandoned their serious faces in favor of huge grins.

Hiccup lifted his head again and rolled his eyes. "Ugh…you guys are pure evil."

Merida gasped and clutched her chest. "How can you say that, Hiccup? We're merely looking out for Frosty's best interests."

"Oh please." Jack told them. "You are not. You're just using any opportunity you can find to tease me and Hic."

"Can you blame us?" Flynn asked and waggled his eyebrows. "There's so much wicked teasing material here!"

"Yeah, it's a bloody gold mine." Merida said.

Jack shook his head. His friends were hopeless but he would never get tired of the teasing between all of them.

"So what do you say, guys?" Mavis asked Flynn and Merida. "Can we accept Hiccup as Jack's boyfriend or do we need to interfere?"

"Accept him! Accept him!" Rapunzel urged them with a wide, happy smile.

"Hmm…well, financially it looks pretty good." Flynn said.

"Yeah, but on the other hand, he seemed very unwilling to name their children after us." Merida pointed out.

"That's true." Mavis said. "He definitely loses points for that."

"Oh for Odin's sake…" Hiccup sighed.

"And also, he's clearly not willing to wait with the bonking until marriage. Definitely loses points for that too." Flynn said.

Hiccup groaned and a pink tint had invaded his cheeks.

"Since when did you three become such defenders of virtue?" Jack asked them and rolled his eyes.

"Uh, since always!" Merida said as if it was obvious.

"Yeah, we're clearly some of the purest, most morally righteous people around." Flynn said, holding his hands over his heart.

"That's just not true." he replied. "Anyway…you better accept Hic as my boyfriend or I'll run away and hate you forever and never speak to you again!" he exclaimed dramatically, trying his best to sound like an angry teenage girl.

His friends all laughed at his impression.

"Hmm." Mavis said, eyes towards the sky to seem like she was deep in thought. "Well, I guess Jack does seem to love him."

"Yeah, he does." Merida nodded. "I guess we could add some points for that."

"Okay, Hiccup." Flynn clapped his hands together once. "It seems you've actually been accepted as Jackie's boyfriend."

"Don't I get a ribbon or something for that achievement?" Hiccup asked sarcastically.

Mavis eyes widened in mock excitement. "Yeah, maybe a pink one with lots of frills!"

"Okay, never mind, I don't need a ribbon." Hiccup quickly said, seeming quite disturbed by that thought.

Jack laughed at Hiccup's reluctance towards that particular color.

"Come on Hiccup, pink would suit you!" Rapunzel teased him.

Hiccup scoffed. "Vikings don't wear pink, Rapunzel. Ever."

"I have to agree with Hiccup on that one." Fishlegs smiled.

Rapunzel sighed, as if Hiccup and Fishlegs were completely hopeless. "You're not the most adventurous bunch when it comes to style, you know."

"Yes, we know." Hiccup said. "Dress sense isn't one of the things we're known for."

"No, you're more famous for being drunk, violent giants with huge battleaxes who have just as much appetite for blood as that mental devil plant we had to handle in Herbology the other day." Flynn said, narrowing his eyes at the memory of the plant.

Jack smiled. Whenever he heard about the kind of insane, aggressive plants his friends had to handle in Herbology, he became very grateful that he had chosen not to continue with that particular subject.

A flicker of a smile appeared on Hiccup's lips. "I know you're just kidding but seriously…a lot of people actually believe that."

"I know." Flynn said. "That's what makes it so much fun to joke about."

"Well, at least that 'mental devil plant' isn't aware of peoples' misconceptions of it." Fishlegs said and twiddled his thumbs.

"I'm not so sure about that one, Fish." Hiccup said. "It was seriously pissed off about something."

"Yeah, what was Professor Cherry even thinking, bringing another bloodthirsty piece of flora?" Flynn asked.

"She does seem to have a preference for the more dangerous plants." Fishlegs said.

"Definitely." Mavis agreed, raising her eyebrows. "I still have red marks from its teeth."

"Me too." Hiccup said.

"I really like Professor Cherry but sometimes I still wish we had Professor Longbottom back." Fishlegs said. "He really knew his stuff and he didn't have a preference for the angriest plants."

"That's true." Hiccup agreed.

"Yeah." Flynn said. "Although it was pretty annoying to constantly hear the sound of girls sighing and seeing them making googly eyes at him in every single Herbology lesson."

"Yeah, I remember that…" Jack said. "I've never seen a teacher get that much attention from the girls."

He had a brief flash back to those classes, back when he still had Herbology. The girls were all whispering and giggling about their professor and many of them got bitten or got skin scrapes from the plants, because they had trouble concentrating. There wasn't any other teacher at Hogwarts that had that effect on the female students. It was quite amusing to watch but after a while, it got old.

"Rapunzel had a huge crush on him." Fishlegs said, lips curving in a teasing smile, as he looked at the blonde.

"I did not!" Rapunzel protested, eyes widening in mortification.

"You totally did." Hiccup said and shook his head at his friend's protest. "You blushed every time he talked to you or even looked at you for more than a few seconds."

Rapunzel sighed in defeat, cheeks turning pink. Hiccup and Fishlegs both chuckled.

"Well, she wasn't alone." Jack said. "The Vampire over there was pretty infatuated with him too."

He clearly recalled how Mavis would get all distracted by watching their teacher, instead of actually paying attention, so he often had to pull her out of her thoughts and bring her up to speed.

Mavis hummed. "Well, it's not my fault he was handsome."

"Have you seen pictures of him when he was a kid?" Flynn grinned. "Someone showed one to me once. I swear, I've never seen puberty be that nice to anyone…except maybe Freckles over there." he said and motioned to Hiccup.

"Can we not talk about that?" Hiccup said warily. The way Hiccup was eying Flynn told Jack that his boyfriend was aware that this could lead into teasing territory.

He smiled. It was amusing how reluctant Hiccup was to discuss his change in appearance. He definitely hadn't gotten used to the idea that people found him attractive now and any reminders of it left him all awkward and flustered.

"Why?" Flynn asked innocently. "You should be proud you were able to pull a Neville Longbottom."

They all shared a laugh.

"Is that an actual expression now?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm certainly trying to make it one!" Flynn said happily. "You guys should all start using it too."

"I'm in." Merida grinned.

"Yeah, me too." Mavis said. "That man could show me how to re-plant a Mandrake any day."

Laughter left all of them and echoed in their surroundings. They quickly moved on to teasing Rapunzel more about the massive crush she had had on the previous Herbology teacher that she still refused to admit to.

They stayed by the quiet lake for the rest of the afternoon, talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company. It was a pleasant change from the emotional havoc that had been swirling inside all of them today.

Despite the worries and fears hanging over them, Jack took comfort in the sense of normalcy that afternoon by the lake brought. Even though the hostile tribes were still out there, threatening Hiccup's safety, even though a war might be brewing in the archipelago, even though Hiccup's tormentors hadn't been convicted yet, he found a small sliver of peace and happiness in their friends' joyful faces, the familiar teasing banter between all of them, and Hiccup's amused smiles.

It was familiar. Comforting.

So many things seemed to be changing all around them lately but luckily some things stayed the same.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: THAT EVENING

It was strange how the mind was able to hold so many conflicted emotions. Strings of different feelings had created an intricate web in his mind that he couldn't untangle.

He sighed as he flopped down on his bed. Toothless jumped up next to him and nudged his head with his furry cat face. He petted his best friend, stroking him and scratching his neck. Toothless purred and leaned into his touch.

Hiccup's eyes found the dark ceiling and stared at wooden beams running across stone. Toothless cuddled up against his side and his fingers glided through the soft, black fur.

He was furious with Professor Cooke, hurt beyond words by his actions and yet he felt pity towards him. He hadn't chosen to be indebted to the hostile tribes, he had just been a scared child. He had however chosen to make Hiccup pay for that debt.

He was immensely grateful for Jack's support and yet it made him sad and concerned because it reminded him that he was putting him in danger.

He didn't want to let the hostile tribes get away with what they had done to him and yet he would do anything to avoid a war.

It was a strange swarm of emotions. A whirlwind of anger, sadness, guilt, hope, confusion. Sometimes it almost seemed impossible for one person to feel this many different things all at once and yet it was happening to him.

It was intangible. Out of reach. There was something unnerving about feeling contradictory emotions and whenever he tried to analyze them, to grab onto these emotions and figure them out, they simply slipped through his fingers.

A tapping noise broke his train of thought and he snapped his head towards the window. His father's large, black owl was sitting outside with a letter in its beak. He left the bed and quickly opened the window to let the bird in. He gently took the letter it had and stroked its feathers a few times.

"Thanks." he told it and it watched him with brown eyes before it hooted and simply took off into the skies once more.

He unfolded the note, as he sat down on his bed. Toothless placed himself next to him and looked at the letter as well, despite not being able to read it.

He quickly took in the runes written on the paper. Much to his surprise, it was not a letter from his dad but from Gobber.

Apparently, the meeting with the leaders of the hostile tribes had not gone well. No one had been willing to admit to trying to hurt and kill him, but Gobber and his dad were both convinced they were all lying to avoid a declaration of war from Berk and its allies. Normally he wouldn't be completely convinced by his dad's judgment on this particular matter because first of all, his dad could be rather blind when it came to Hiccup's safety, because he desperately wanted to protect him and second of all, he wasn't always the best at reading other people. Gobber however, had always been a sharp observer, able to sense when something was off, so if he was certain they were lying, Hiccup would believe that. He already knew that Ivar the Bonesmasher was responsible, but he still didn't know for sure if the other two hostile tribes were in on it too or if that single tribe was acting on its own.

He sighed to himself as he folded the note and put it in his pocket.

In the past, they had tried to hurt him and capture him and Toothless in the archipelago, but he had never thought he would be in danger here at Hogwarts as well.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes for a few moments.

This was such a big escalation that war might be inevitable. He would do everything he could to avoid that, but in the end it wasn't something he alone could control.

His eyes opened and he slumped down on his bed again. Toothless nudged his side with his black head and Hiccup scratched the feline's neck to reassure him.

The thoughts began to swirl in his head.

Was this in fact the start of a war? Would he and the other teens on Berk be forced into the kind of violent conflict they had been trained for almost their entire lives but always wished they could avoid?

People would die…dragons would die…he might even lose people and dragons he loved.

He put a hand on Toothless' side and pressed him against his own side protectively.

Then his thoughts turned to Jack.

Life in the archipelago had always been dangerous but this was different. He was a target to eliminate and the hostile tribes would probably not hesitate to use any means they could to get to him. They were well known for their brutality.

What if Jack got hurt somehow?

He would never be able to forgive himself. He had dragged him into this by agreeing to give their love a chance. It would be his fault if something happened to him.

How had everything become so messed up? All he had wanted was to make peace between the Vikings and the dragons. To end the war that had been raging on for centuries. He had expected some of the tribes to be very skeptical. In fact, he had expected all of them to be skeptical. But he had been certain he could convince them if he let them see his bond with Toothless for themselves.

And for most of the tribes, that had been enough. Sure, it was a long process to get the Vikings to actually trust the dragons but at least they had agreed to try and to stop killing dragons. For three of the tribes though, none of it had been enough. They refused to see the dragons as anything but savage beasts who had killed and raided Vikings for so many years that it was impossible to put the hatred behind.

And now his wish to end a war between the Vikings and the dragons might have sparked a war between the Vikings themselves.

The horrible irony…he wanted peace but got a potential war instead. How could he protect Jack from that?

He sighed. The nausea was building up inside him just from the thought of losing Jack or someone hurting him. He loved him so much it would break him if he ever lost him or if Jack was subjected to something horrible at the hands of his enemies.

He sat up and made a decision.

He needed to see Jack. To talk to him.

He got to his feet and hurried towards the door. Toothless followed him.

He knew where he could find Jack right now, so he headed towards the library. Normally his boyfriend wasn't exactly eager to spend time there, but Hiccup knew he had an assignment with Merida that they had to work on.

After walking through several quiet, abandoned corridors and up staircases, thinking hard on what he would say but still having no clue, he and Toothless reached the familiar entrance to the Hogwarts library.

He made his way through the rows of bookcases and it didn't take him long to locate his boyfriend, who was sitting with Merida by a table, working together on their assignment, flipping through pages in their books and writing down notes on parchment.

He stopped in his tracks and watched Jack and Merida for a few moments. Jack twirled his quill between two fingers, as his eyes drifted across a page in his book.

Was this really the right thing to do? Wouldn't he just make Jack worry by telling him about this? He really wanted to talk to him, but…he didn't want to cause him any distress.

'Hiccup, seriously.' Jack's voice sounded in his head. 'Don't be an idiot.'

He sighed.

Of course the Jack in his mind was right. Jack was his boyfriend. He had to let him know when he needed emotional support, just like he wanted Jack to lean on him if he had problems he needed to talk about.

Okay…

He could do this.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The Hogwarts library was not Jack's favorite part of the castle. He appreciated the large collection of knowledge stored in those seemingly endless rows of dark bookcases but the large room was often stuffy. Specks of dust from old books and parchment floated through the air, warmth emanated from the students and there was never an open window.

Jack preferred the outdoors. The fresh air and nature were nourishment for his brain and helped him focus. Places like this with warm, stagnant air, surrounded by dark stone walls was almost suffocating for him.

"Ugh, why is it so difficult?" Merida said and smacked her face down on her Potions textbook with a thud.

He chuckled. "Come on Mer, it's not that bad. And you have me as your partner!" he said to cheer her up.

The two of them had decided to work on the Potions assignment today, when they actually had some spare time. They had only been studying for about half an hour but Merida was already letting her hatred for the subject break her focus.

"Hmmf." came the muffled reply from the Scot currently resting on the textbook. She lifted her head. "I guess you're right."

Jack smiled at her and trained his eyes on his book again. At least he was really good at Potions, so it probably wouldn't take them too long to get the job done.

He spotted movement in his peripheral vision so he turned his head and saw Hiccup coming towards them. Usually Jack would smile whenever he spotted his boyfriend but Hiccup appeared tense, hands balled into fists, lips in a thin line.

Something was clearly wrong.

"Jack?" Hiccup asked, as he came to a halt in front of their table.

"Yeah?" he said. "Is everything okay?" he quickly added. It obviously wasn't, but he wanted to cut to the chase. He didn't like the way his stomach seemed to squirm nervously.

"Can we talk…alone?" Hiccup asked him, eyes darting over Merida until they returned to focus on him.

"Yeah, of course." Jack nodded and left his chair. "Let's work on this again tomorrow, Mer." he told the Scot, who let out a sigh of relief.

He quickly pushed his book and quill into his backpack and slung it over one shoulder.

"You got it, Snow Queen." Merida said, lips curving into a smile.

He gave her a quick wave, before he turned around and followed Hiccup.

The two of them left the library with Toothless behind them. Hiccup led him into the empty corridor outside the library and a little further down the passageway until they reached the currently abandoned Charms classroom.

Hiccup closed the large wooden door behind them, before he turned to face him. The Viking shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

Jack placed himself on top of a dark wooden desk and observed his boyfriend's nervous body language. He really didn't like this. So many horrible and unpredictable things had happened lately, that he feared what else might occur.

"So…what's bothering you?" he asked, hoping to find out as quickly as possible.

Hiccup hesitated. He pulled on one of his braids.

Okay. This was clearly something that was difficult for Hiccup to say. Jack remained quiet and let him take his time, even though the nervousness was slithering unpleasantly in his gut.

"Jack…I'm afraid."

Jack blinked.

Those were not words he had expected to hear. They were simple but the meaning behind them was anything but. He suddenly understood why Hiccup was anxious. This was hard for him. He wasn't used to admitting to people when he was afraid of something. It was a deep vulnerability, he was exposing now and even though Jack was worried, he also felt grateful that Hiccup had chosen to open up to him with this instead of just keeping it inside.

Jack tilted his head. "What are you afraid of?" he asked softly.

A sigh left Hiccup's mouth. Green eyes darted across stone walls, dark wooden tables and chairs and cupboards with supplies before focusing on him again.

"I'm afraid…" Hiccup said. "that you'll get hurt because of me. That I've dragged you into something that will somehow put you in danger." he said, scratching one of his arms in short, anxious movements.

Jack exhaled. Understanding washed over him. "Because of the hostile tribes?"

Hiccup nodded slowly. "Jack…they want to kill me. I don't know what else they're willing to do. I just…I can't have them hurt you."

Jack smiled softly at his boyfriend. Hiccup was scared he couldn't keep him safe, just like he had been miserable when Hiccup was tortured, because he hadn't been able to protect him. He could relate to his boyfriend's fears.

He slid off the table and was standing in front of Hiccup a few seconds later. Hiccup observed him with those intense, green eyes, uncertainty shining in them. Jack grabbed one of his hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He held on to it and enjoyed the touch of warm skin.

"Hic." he said, looking into his boyfriend's eyes. "I chose to be with you. I knew what I was getting into. And I'm willing to take whatever risks there might be."

He meant every word. He would take on warring tribes, homophobic Vikings, wild angry dragons and anything else that might be thrown at them, as long as they could be together.

Hiccup's eyes softened. "Are you scared about what might happen?"

Jack scrunched his face in thought. Was he scared? When he thought about it, there was only one thing about it that truly frightened him.

"I'm scared something might happen to you." he said.

He wasn't afraid of dying or getting injured. What he was afraid of was losing his loved ones or someone hurting them. Hiccup's torture had been a nightmare unfolding before his eyes and he would do anything in his power to prevent something like that from ever happening again.

Hiccup nodded with a small, somber smile.

He gently put his arms around Jack's back and drew him closer, into a hug. Jack's arms wrapped around Hiccup and he rested his head against Hiccup's shoulder. The Viking buried his face in his white hair and breathed in deep, before he exhaled and left a tender kiss on top of it. Jack smiled a little and squeezed him closer.

"You would be safer if you weren't my boyfriend." Hiccup mumbled. He sounded almost regretful for actually saying the words but somehow needing to get that thought out there.

"Yes, I probably would." Jack agreed and then pulled out of the hug. "But then we would both be unhappy. Is that better?" he asked. "No, it isn't." he answered his own question, staring into Hiccup's eyes with determination.

There was no way he was ever letting go of this love between them because of safety. He would choose happiness over a risk-free life any time and Hiccup needed to understand that.

"I know." Hiccup agreed. "I just…I need to keep you safe." he said and it seemed like he was mostly saying it to himself.

A small smile appeared on Jack's lips. "I know the feeling, Hic. We'll keep each other safe."

Hiccup nodded in acceptance, but his body language was still tense with worry. Jack knew his brain was probably overwhelming him with all kinds of worst case scenarios.

He wanted to make Hiccup's worries drift away, at least for now. To distract him and make him forget his troubles. And he knew exactly how to make Hiccup's brain shut up.

He slowly leaned in and pushed their lips together. His eyes closed. He kissed him slowly and tenderly, savoring the familiar feel of his warm mouth.

Hiccup put his arms around his waist and pulled him closer, so their chests were pressing against each other. Jack's hands found Hiccup's back and began stroking across his school robes, feeling the soft fabric against his palms.

The slow, shifting movements of their wet mouths against each other and their tight embrace, warm bodies close together, made Jack's heart pound rapidly behind his ribcage. The muscles in Hiccup's body seemed to relax, tension fading away, as they both gave in to the moment and temporarily forgot the troubles looming over them.

Jack's hands crept under Hiccup's white shirt and black cloak and his fingers trailed paths across the warm skin, brushing over the many bumpy scars on the Viking's back. He adored the feel of Hiccup's skin against his smooth fingertips. One day, he would have to actually see those scars. See his boyfriend's entire body.

That thought made the excitement stir inside him. Hiccup pressed their lips together harder in response to his touches and slid his hands under Jack's shirt, fingers digging into the pale skin on his chest. Jack hummed in satisfaction into their kiss, reveling in the passion he could feel from his boyfriend. He felt wanted. He parted his lips and Hiccup wasted no time in letting his tongue slip into his mouth. The slippery tongues glided around each other, the sensation creating wonderful sparks through Jack's body. His fingertips crawled from Hiccup's back around his waist and upwards across his stomach and chest. He relished the toned yet lean body of his boyfriend and craved to uncover more of it.

He had an idea. He gently pushed Hiccup back towards the large, wooden desk behind them, without breaking their wet, passionate play of tongues. Hiccup stepped backwards slowly, guided by him, until the back of his legs hit the table. Jack put a hand on each of his shoulders and pressed down. Hiccup followed the movement and sat down on the desk. Jack broke their kiss and pushed him backwards, leaning over him. When Hiccup was on his back on the table, Jack quickly placed himself on top, so he was lying on him. Hiccup watched him with an amused smile that Jack quickly removed, when he grabbed the sides of Hiccup's head and smashed their lips together hard, eager to get back to where they were a moment ago.

Hiccup seemed more than happy about that. The Viking sighed in contentment against Jack's parted lips, before he kissed him back with equal force.

Their open-mouthed kissing quickly grew more intense, moistened lips melting together, tongues swirling, flicking against each other, licking along lips. Jack was completely engulfed in demanding touches, Hiccup's body underneath him, the scent of pine and skin, slick, hot tongues playing with each other.

And lying on top of Hiccup only made the excitement and passion inside him build up faster. It seemed even more intimate than before.

The sounds in their passionate, intoxicating cloud were noisy against the silence of the large, old classroom. Their strained breathing, their mouths smacking together in heated wetness, the hums of delight and groans of desire.

Hiccup's fingertips brushed through his snowy locks, grazing the sensitive skin underneath and sending lovely trembles through him. Jack shifted his weight, so he rested most of it on one arm while using the other to snake his hand underneath Hiccup's shirt. His palm caressed his boyfriend's collarbone before moving further down, gliding across ribs towards the abdomen. When his fingers briefly slid across Hiccup's navel, he smiled mischievously into their kiss and jabbed a finger into it. Hiccup's body jerked. The Viking broke their kiss.

"Hey!" Hiccup protested, scowling at him.

Jack chuckled. He loved it when Hiccup looked like a pouting child. "I'm in charge here, Hic. You just have to put up with it." he teased him, breathless from their intense kissing.

"Oh really?" Hiccup said, just as out of breath, raising an eyebrow.

"Definitely." Jack stuck his tongue out. He leaned his head down and buried his face in Hiccup's shoulder.

When he pulled back, Hiccup narrowed his eyes a little and Jack could tell he was in fact not going to put up with it.

Hiccup wrapped his arms tightly around him and then rolled them both over gently, so he was on top. The hard wooden surface of the table dug into Jack's back but he couldn't care less, because the feeling of his boyfriend's body pressing down on him was wonderful.

"Maybe this is better then." Hiccup said, a crooked smile on his lips. Jack grinned teasingly in response. He didn't mind the switch.

Their chests rose and fell against each other, quick breaths leaving their mouths. Hiccup's pupils were dilated and the depths of those intense green eyes gleamed with want. Hiccup usually had so much self-control, so seeing him like this…with that look on his face…Jack couldn't help being delighted that he could make Hiccup give in like that.

Hiccup smiled at him and grabbed each side of his face, before he dipped his head to let their lips meet again. Jack's eyes slid shut, lashes fluttering, as Hiccup's mouth pressed against his.

When Hiccup shifted his body a little, Jack was taken back to their make out session in the storage room, when he could feel the bulges in their trousers against each other.

The sensible thing would be to pull back now. To stop themselves before their desire for each other became insufferable and needed to be sated somehow. Jack had no idea when they would be ready to actually take the next step in their relationship but this was definitely not the place for that. God, why did they have to make out in such stupid places like storage rooms and classrooms?

But he couldn't control himself. He couldn't say no. Not when that meant he and Hiccup would stop kissing and touching each other. How could he ever say no to this? His mind was clouded. The love and desire surging through him were so powerful, it was impossible to suppress them.

So instead, he did something stupid. Something that would only make it even more difficult to stop this, but his body was begging him to do.

He bucked his hips upwards against Hiccup's.

Hiccup sucked in a breath before he claimed his whole mouth again in a deep, forceful kiss. His boyfriend had taken the hint and began moving his body against Jack's, grinding their hips together through their black trousers.

Jack exhaled shakily into his boyfriend's mouth. He grabbed Hiccup's neck with both of his hands. His pale fingers burrowed hard into the skin, expressing the intense urges creating chaos in his body, making him lose every ounce of control over himself.

The friction between them was slow, sweet torture. Unbearable and addictive all at the same time. Jack couldn't hold back his shallow breathing and the groans and gasps pouring from his lips, because this was even more amazing than what had happened between them in the storage room. Hiccup was no better than him. The Viking's breathing was strained and he released hums and breathy moans into their demanding kisses.

Jack could listen to those sounds for days.

The heat between them was almost becoming intolerable. The hot breaths spilling from their mouths, their bodies rubbing together, giving off the warmth of their skin and deepening the passion raging inside them. Every inch of Jack's body felt blazing and his brain seemed scorched, completely unable to take in anything but the sensory overload that was his boyfriend. His hand glided down Hiccup's neck, fingers tracing through brown locks slightly moistened by sweat. A few wet beads rested on his own neck too.

Jack tore their mouths apart before he took Hiccup's bottom lip between his teeth and bit it gently. He flicked his tongue against Hiccup's mouth and pressed their warm lips together again. One of Hiccup's hands slithered underneath his clothes and warm, rough fingertips rubbed all along his side feverishly, while Hiccup kept grinding their hips together. The calloused hand on his soft skin, the delicious friction of their bodies and Hiccup's desperation to touch him as much as possible made wonderful tremors ripple through his entire body.

He pushed Hiccup's white shirt up a little. He wished he could see that stomach but he was not willing to stop the assaults he and Hiccup were launching on each other's wet mouths. He let a hand sneak under the shirt and quickly found those two long scars on the Viking's stomach. He stroked his palms across them, feeling the protruding, damaged skin against his pale hands. He'd have to ask Hiccup soon how he got those.

Hiccup's hand moved from Jack's side to his upper torso. The rough fingers slid across his collarbone before gliding downwards and reaching his stomach. Hiccup's hand grabbed his skin and dug fingers into his flesh, keeping the same rhythm he was pushing their bodies together with, creating pleasurable waves that shoved away the last remnants of sane thought in Jack's head.

He let his hands wander everywhere he could reach on Hiccup, touching so many places he had never thought he would get to touch. His fingers slid around Hiccup's waist and down onto his ass, gripping it tightly whenever Hiccup rolled his hips. His boyfriend moaned into his mouth, the sound vibrating pleasantly and Jack loved that he could make Hiccup sound like that.

Beads of sweat clung to their necks. Tongues coated in hot saliva slipped around each other. Moans were consumed by heated mouths. The weight of Hiccup's warm body rested on top of him. Their bodies rubbed against each other eagerly.

Jack let the intensity of all his emotions fill him up. The craving to have Hiccup. The soft sensation of loving him so much, he could almost burst. The excitement of the two of them making out this heatedly in an abandoned classroom at their school.

Then the door to the classroom slammed shut.

They both froze in the middle of a kiss. They tore their lips apart and whirled their heads towards the sound.

Professor Mansnoozie was standing by the door. The small, mute professor with the spiky, golden hair tapped his foot against the floor in a stern gesture, but his lips were twitching, revealing that he was actually more amused than angry.

Shit.

Well, this effectively killed what Jack had going in his trousers.

Hiccup quickly pulled himself off him and got to his feet. "Oh gods…" the Viking said before he let his palms slide down his face.

Jack chuckled and sat up on the table. "Uhm…whoops?" he shrugged and grinned at the professor.

In this moment, he was grateful for his ability to laugh off almost anything. Unlike Hiccup, who seemed about ready to explode from an awkwardness overload.

Professor Mansnoozie motioned with his head towards the door to tell them that they should get out. Then he crossed his arms, a crooked smile appearing on his lips.

They didn't need to get that message twice. They both hurried out of the classroom, passing the small professor, who shook his head at them. Toothless trotted after them.

Hiccup closed the door behind them and sighed. Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him along down the corridor, before slinging his arm around his shoulder as usual.

"There's no bloody privacy in this castle." Jack said and chuckled again. "We keep getting interrupted."

"Yeah, but it's our own fault." Hiccup smiled and shook his head. "We should really start snogging in more private places. You know…not storage closets and classrooms."

"Good point." Jack agreed.

Then Hiccup's smile faded and he groaned. "Ugh. I can't believe Professor Mansnoozie saw us doing that. Thank the gods he's not my professor anymore. I'm not sure I could survive having to see him in classes now."

Jack's smile transformed into a huge grin. "Yeah, well I still have to see him in Charms. Good thing I'm not as awkward as you."

Hiccup nodded. "Well, I guess it could have been worse. At least Professor Mansnoozie is always so nice and laid back."

"Yeah, he's great. Think about this: it could have been Professor Keller."

Professor Keller was the strictest professor in the castle and he liked enforcing rules, never letting anything slide. It also didn't soften Jack's opinion of him that he taught his least favorite subject: Arithmancy.

"If that was the case, we would definitely have gotten like a month's detention." Hiccup said. "The most embarrassing detention in the history of Hogwarts." he chuckled.

"Yeah." Jack agreed with a smile.

"Let's just hope he doesn't tell anyone or our secret will be pretty short-lived." Hiccup said.

"He's not exactly the talkative type." Jack shrugged, one side of his lips curving upwards.

Hiccup furrowed his forehead, before a grin appeared on his lips.

"Did you just…make a mute-joke?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good, right?" he grinned.

"Not really."

"Pssh. Like you could do better."

"I totally could."

Jack took his arm off Hiccup's shoulder and shoved his boyfriend's head to the side with a hand.

"Hey!" Hiccup protested, a grin parting his lips.

"You deserved it, Haddock. No one mocks my mute-jokes."

"Well, maybe you should work on your material, if you don't want to be mocked."

"Maybe you should shut your cakehole, Clumsy Foot."

"Making fun of a one-legged person? That's so low, Snowflake. I'm disappointed in you." Hiccup shook his head, his face in grave folds.

"Pssh. Don't make yourself sound all handicapped. You might never be able to catch up to me, but you're just as fast as the average person."

"I'm just as fast as you are, even with one leg." Hiccup said, raising an eyebrow in a challenge.

"Is that so?" Jack asked, a mischievous smile on his lips.

Then he pushed Hiccup into the wall and took off running down the corridor as fast as he could, unable to keep his loud, happy laughter from spilling out of his mouth. Behind him, he heard Hiccup start to run after him, shoes slapping down on the stone floor.

"I'll get you for this, Snowcone! You've unleashed the wrath of a Viking!" Hiccup yelled.

"You'll have to catch me first then, Slowpoke!" he taunted him, knowing that he had a great head start.

"Toothless, get him!" he heard his boyfriend tell the black cat. A loud meow of agreement echoed through the passageway.

Oh shit.

Jack sped up, his legs carrying him as fast as possible across the stone floor, walls flying past his eyes in a blur. Now he wasn't just running from Hiccup but from a bloody dragon in cat shape. His heart drummed quickly in his chest and his breathing was erratic from running, laughing and the adrenaline of being chased.

Even as a cat, Toothless proved a lot faster than Jack and when he dared to glance over his shoulder, the black cat was right behind him.

"Ahhhh!" he yelled and laughed, trying his best to run even faster but failing.

Suddenly the sting of cat claws was in his back and he tumbled down on the floor on purpose, yelling "Oh the pain! The horror!"

Toothless released him and he rolled onto his back. The black cat jumped onto his chest and stood there, very close to his face, staring him down menacingly.

"Hiccup! Tell your beast to spare me!" he yelled dramatically and held his hands up to cover his face. "I'm too young and amazing to die!"

He heard Hiccup laugh and a few seconds after, his boyfriend was by his side, looking down at him with a grin on his face.

"Hmm…" Hiccup said. "I'm not sure if you deserve to be spared, Snær Flekkr."

"What?!" Jack exclaimed in a high-pitched voice of indignation. "How dare you, you stupid Viking!?"

"Toothless." Hiccup merely said.

Toothless lifted a furry paw and extended his claws. They were like cute little daggers. Jack had never thought cats could smile, except in Alice in Wonderland, but in this moment Toothless looked positively smug, as he held up the paw right in front of his face.

"Okay, fine fine!" Jack said, not in the mood for destructive cat claws sinking into his skin. "You're not a stupid Viking. Just call off the furry monster."

"Okay, let him go, bud." Hiccup said and chuckled.

Toothless retracted his claws again and jumped off him.

Hiccup reached out a hand to help him up. Jack grabbed the hand and pulled Hiccup down with him. His boyfriend landed clumsily on him, knocking the air out of him, before he rolled to the side, onto the floor.

"What was that for?" Hiccup asked him, pretending to scowl but unable to completely hide the beginnings of a smile.

"You set a dragon on me, you deserve some payback." he grinned. The two of them didn't move to get up but just stayed on the floor, lying next to each other. It was a good thing no one was close by, because this must look just a tad weird to anyone else.

"He's a cat right now." Hiccup deadpanned.

"That's not a normal cat." Jack said and pointed to Toothless, who rolled his eyes. "That's a killing machine in the clever disguise of furry cuteness!"

Hiccup laughed at that. "Well…he only attacks pale, annoying Gryffindors, if I ask him to. So if you stay on my good side, you don't have to worry."

"Pssh. Like you would ever want to get rid of all of this." Jack said and gestured to himself. "How would you even get through the day without looking at this beautiful face?"

"You're an idiot." Hiccup told him, a hint of a smile on his lips and fondness in his eyes.

"Oh please. You adore me." Jack told him with a cheeky smile.

"I totally do." Hiccup said, all teasing gone from his voice. Jack's stomach fluttered from the serious, affectionate words.

The Viking leaned over and pressed his lips on Jack's and in an instant, both of them forgot all about winning their little banter-battle.

~~~~ Peter McGowan ~~~~

His black shoe tapped against the dark stone floor repeatedly, the sound filling the silence of the small, gloomy cell. He sat on his new bed, the softness making it possible for him to actually sleep comfortably at night. The impatience was growing inside him spreading its restlessness through his body. Irritation crawled under his skin like an itch it wasn't possible to scratch.

They kept him waiting. He did not like to be kept waiting.

His eyes flickered across the same stone walls he had been staring at since he was arrested and brought here in the first place. A new patch of mold was beginning to grow in one of the corners of the ceiling, a small pillow of grey-green fuzz, like faded, withering moss.

He took a few deep breaths to try to calm himself a little. He needed to keep his cool right now. His foot kept tapping the floor beneath it, releasing some of the annoyed energy within him.

The distant sound of sobbing reached his ears. He rolled his eyes and clenched one of his hands. Thomas had recently stopped smashing his fists against the walls and screaming in anger only to begin crying every day instead. Pathetic.

Well…at least he didn't have to listen to Andrew's moaning and vomiting anymore. He had been taken to the prison hospital wing, because he was losing too much weight, since he couldn't keep any food down at all. It was good timing because he was close to losing his temper completely, when he had to listen to those disgusting, annoying sounds every single day.

The sounds of shoes against stone floors made him turn his head towards the door. The entrance to the cells was constructed of metal bars and it was the only place you could see out of the tiny space.

Two guards appeared in front of the cell door. It was two men he had gotten used to seeing in here: a tall, young man with short, black hair and a middle-aged one with bushy, dark eyebrows and a big nose.

He didn't know their names. He didn't care.

The lock clicked and the door swung open, the hinges whining.

"McGowan. It's time." the young guard said.

Finally.

He pushed himself off the bed and took a few steps towards them. They had their hands on their wands in case he decided to try anything. Not that he was that stupid. He would only attempt escape if there was actually a real chance of success.

He extended his arms and they cuffed him, as usual. The sting of hurt pride whenever he was put in hand cuffs still bothered him, but to get what he wanted, he had to put up with it.

As they led him through those dark, stone passageways that had become so familiar to him now, he couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his lips. Not even the smell of dusty, mold-infested, old cells or the sight of those sickening, dull light bulbs could dim his satisfaction.

He had been looking forward to this.

The guards kept their grips tight on his arms and one hand on their wands at all times, as they walked towards their destination.

After a few minutes, they stopped in front of a large, wooden door. The young guard unlocked it, while the middle-aged one pointed his wand directly at him, in case he would be stupid enough to make a move.

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

The young guard pushed open the wooden door. It creaked and gradually revealed a large room, the size of most of the classrooms at Hogwarts. Its stone walls were just as dark as any other place in Azkaban but they appeared cleaner, lacking mold and dirt. There were a few barred windows placed high on the walls, letting sunlight stream in. The room was sparsely decorated: it had a few wooden tables and chairs as well as a bench but besides that, there was nothing in there.

The guards uncuffed him and he took his place on one of the chairs by the large, square table in the middle of the room. He lifted his head and watched the beams of sunlight shining through the windows, illuminating part of the stone floor and one of the walls.

The door creaked once more and he turned his head.

A mild surprise swept over him as his eyes took in the two prisoners accompanied by four guards.

They were quite big and muscular. One of them seemed to be in his 30's with long dark hair and a large, red scar across one eye, while the other was closer to his own age; somewhere in his 20's, with blond hair down to his ears and plenty of freckles.

The guards uncuffed the two prisoners and took their place by the door.

He raised an eyebrow, when the two prisoners didn't even seem to notice he was there, but merely sat down together by one of the other tables. The blonde one pulled out a deck of cards and began shuffling them, before dealing out cards to both of them.

Well…he wasn't going to just sit here and be ignored. A part of his deal with the government was to be able to socialize with other prisoners and that was exactly what he was going to do. Being in a cell without any human contact left him craving someone to figure out, control and manipulate. He missed the games and the power plays that every social interaction brought.

He pushed out his chair and approached the other two prisoners. When he sat down by their table, they both acknowledged his existence with a quick, uninterested glance, before they went back to focusing on their card game.

The irritation was bubbling in his gut. These losers had no right to treat him like this.

He reached a hand across the table. "Deal me some cards."

A card game would be a good way to learn something about his two fellow prisoners. Something he might be able to use later.

They ignored him.

"Hey!" he raised his voice, nose wrinkling in annoyance. "I said, deal me some cards."

Nothing happened. They continued playing their game.

He slammed his fist onto the wooden surface. A loud thud. The table shook a little.

The two prisoners turned their heads and glared at him, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Well, they weren't the only ones annoyed. He was almost fuming with anger now. No one ignored him like that.

"Deal. me. some. cards" he said again, making sure his voice was threatening enough. He was going to show them who was in control here.

The dark-haired prisoner with the scar began to make gestures with his hands to the blonde one, who snickered in reply.

And that was the moment he realized that these people were deaf.

The rage infected every part of his body. His heart raced, his hands balled up tightly, his breathing had quickened.

He whirled around, facing the guards.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" he shouted at them, gesturing to the two other prisoners. "They're fucking deaf!"

"So?" one of the guards shrugged.

"So!?" he said. "I can't even talk to them properly! I don't know bloody sign language."

"I missed the part where that's our problem?" another guard said with a small smile.

"This wasn't what I was promised!" he protested, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Yeah, we were told you would say that." another guard said. "And we were asked to inform you that your deal with the ministry of magic didn't specify what sort of prisoners you would be socializing with."

"I didn't want fucking deaf people!" he shouted, taking a few steps closer to the guards. They all placed their hands on their wands.

"Well, you should have specified that in your deal then." The young guard with the black hair said.

"UGH!" he exclaimed, as he began pacing. "What the hell am I supposed to do with these two pathetic idiots!?" he roared, as he reached the table and pointed at the two prisoners.

A flash of movement. A force colliding with his face. A sharp stinging sensation in his cheek.

His vision blurred. He shook his head a little.

When his vision cleared, he snapped his head to the side. The dark-haired prisoner with the scar was staring him down, while the blonde one grinned.

That fucking twat just slapped him!

His entire body tensed in unrestrained fury. He felt the blood rush to his face. He was going to put this guy in his place.

"I wouldn't do that, McGowan." one of the guards said, apparently having predicted what he was about to do.

"Who asked your fucking opinion?" he sneered and narrowed his eyes at him.

"Suit yourself." the guard shrugged. "But you should know…" he said and pointed towards the dark-haired prisoner. "He's in here for murdering and eating eight people and he-" he said and pointed towards the blonde. "is here for repeated arson and rape. I wouldn't piss them off if I was you."

The rage was flowing through his veins like a disease. Like a mad beast that growled and roared. He wanted to destroy the prison down brick by brick. He wanted to rip every hair from the guards' head, tear through their skin, break every bone in their body. He wanted to bash the two prisoner's faces in until their own mothers wouldn't even be able to identify them.

The ministry had betrayed him! They had screwed him over! This was not what he was promised!

He paced around the room.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two prisoners communicating through sign language. He stopped pacing and merely glared at them.

"They're saying your pacing is annoying." the middle-aged guard told him and the underlying amusement in his tone only pissed him off even more.

"Well, too fucking bad!" he said. He didn't give a shit about those idiots' problems.

The blonde prisoner slowly pushed his chair out and got to his feet. He stalked towards him, blue eyes menacingly narrowed. His muscles flexed beneath the freckled skin and tight, black T-shirt.

When he was standing in front of him, he truly noticed the height difference. This guy was huge.

Those blue eyes stared at him, a silent threat evident in them. If he didn't keep quiet and stop his pacing, this guy was going to get violent.

He knew when he was beaten. It would be stupid to try something with this guy. He had a physical advantage that was too big to ignore.

He sat down on the bench behind him and scowled. The blonde guy went back to his deaf friend and continued the card game.

He shook his head to himself. His chest hurt from the rapid, furious drumming of his heart. He slammed his fist against the stone wall. He winced in pain but pushed it down.

He had been betrayed.

He wouldn't forget that. When he got out of here, he would get revenge on the ministry of magic. Even if that was many years from now.

No one treated him like this.

---

Author's note:

- I wasn't really planning on writing more McGowan POV's but I couldn't resist this last one, because I suddenly had a thought the other day about how it would be great if the psychopath was outsmarted in the end. Then the image of a deaf person (immune to McGowan's manipulation) slapping him and McGowan not being able to do squat about it popped into my mind and I found it too amusing to not follow through on that. So in the end, McGowan may have gotten some good stuff out of his deal with the government (a nice bed, a TV and such) but he didn't get the thing a psychopath always wants the most: someone to control. Someone to make them feel powerful. Anyway...no more POV's from McGowan, Levin or Zamora from now on.

- (edit). Someone asked me why Professor Cooke couldn't just go live in the muggle society. Well...living there is no guarantee a witch or wizard won't find you and the hostile tribes have witches and wizards at their disposal, who in turn have their own contacts in the muggle society, so they do have resources available to try to track someone down (which they would do, since it would be a bad idea for a violent tribe to signal to their enemies that it doesn't have consequences when someone betrays them). In the actual Harry Potter books and movies Professor Slughorn moved from random muggle house to random muggle house on a regular basis because he was afraid the death eaters would find him and yet Dumbledore still managed to track him down (and yes, I know that's Dumbledore and he knows all kinds of weird things that are never explained at all but still), so the fact that Slughorn feared the death eaters would find him even though he moved from location to location and the fact that Dumbledore did find him means it's not impossible to track a wizard or witch down in the muggle society. So the tribes might or might not have been able to actually find him but just the possibility is enough to give him a life of fear, constantly moving, never being able to have any stable relationships or jobs and so on. He can't accept that. He also couldn't just stay at Hogwarts, because he knows the castle isn't impenetrable, since he had been a source himself, so it's not impossible that the tribes could have more than one source inside that Cooke simply doesn't know about or that they could get a new source at some time in the future. What Cooke wants is his freedom, since he's been in the clutches of the tribes since he was 13, having their demands and his debt hanging over his head, and (in his mind at least) he can never truly be free from them and the fear and paranoia unless he does what they say and pays off his debt.

- Guest reviews: Pooka: Thank you for the kind words as usual! :) I do appreciate it :) Me aka Guest: Well, McGowan could have said it was Jack but that wouldn't be very clever of him, since his deal with the government relies on him giving them accurate information and Jack had a solid alibi, since he had just been in class and was on his way to his next class when Flynn got him and they helped Hiccup.