~The Big Five at Hogwarts: The Triwizard Tournament~ *Sequel*

Chapter 14

Elsa

Christmas finally arrives, along with the most snow we've had all year. Merida, Astrid, Rapunzel, and Hiccup have left to spend Christmas vacation with their family, which means all I have to do is avoid Jack.

I've always declined my parents' invitation to come home for the holidays, but it feels a lot worse to imagine Anna all alone in a big house with nobody but the cook and the housekeeper to keep her company. However, I also can't escape the image of her face when she discovered I was a sorcerer; she was terrified.

And now my parents, the ones who had tried so hard to keep these powers controlled, are gone. She doesn't need me to add on to that grief.

I slump into the Ravenclaw common room in my blue pajamas, expecting to have the place to myself to read like I do every Christmas morning.

Instead, I pry my eyes open to find Rapunzel, Jack, and Hiccup sitting on the straight-backed blue chairs, grinning like idiots.

"Huh?" I grunt groggily, scratching my messed up hair.

"Merry Christmas!" Rapunzel cries and spreads her arms out to the table stacked with brightly wrapped packages and a plate of steaming mugs.

"This furniture is super uncomfortable; no wonder you're so grumpy." Jack stretches his back and repositions himself on the couch. I'm wary of him because of what I said at the ball, but he's acting like it never happened.

"Rapunzel woke us up early this morning so that we could give you a proper holiday!" Hiccup smiles.

"It's a crime to spend a day like this alone!" Rapunzel hands me a mug of hot cocoa. "Sorry Merida and Astrid couldn't be here, but they left you gifts anyway."

I'm still standing there when I finally regain my words.

"Aren't you...going home to your family?"

"Oh, I told my dad that I'd be home a little late to celebrate Snoggletog, because I was helping a friend," Hiccup replies. I am so baffled that they would do this that I don't even think to wonder what Snoggletog is.

"And I'm not talking to my mother." Punzie harumphs onto the couch. I raise an eyebrow and look to the boys for an explanation.

"Apparently, Ms. Gothel wrote Punzie, demanding that she not hang out with Eugene. She wouldn't even say why. Suffice to say, the two got into an argument and are not on speaking terms--or writing," Jack points out. I nod and bring the cup of warm liquid to my chapped lips.

"Time for presents!" Rapunzel announces.

The others rip into their seperate piles, chatting casually. But I carefully open mine, savoring each unraveling of ribbon and rustle of tissue paper. All I've ever done on this day is open the yearly package my family sends, alone. I never even gave presents, but my friends don't even care.

From Astrid, I receive a small blue-handled knife ("just in case," the note reads).

Merida gives me a special leather hilt to carry the knife in, Hiccup has wrapped a small calligraphy set in snowflake patterned paper, and Rapunzel has given me the book Spells to Try in Leisure Time.

But Jack's gift is by far the most...um...unique. I should have left the box closed when I saw the punched-in air holes and heard mewing.

The tiny snow-white kitten sits in my hands, silently studying me with bright blue eyes.

"What is this?"

"Well, I thought you'd know a kitten when you saw one," Jack jokes.

"Is that..." Hiccup squints.

"Yup! That's the ice monster I fought at the Ice Cliffs. He's not so scary after all: just a big squishy-wishy marshmallow," he coos, rubbing the feline's nose.

"Are you sure you're allowed to take one home?" Rapunzel asks.

"I never saw a sign that says you're not." He shrugs, though Hiccup looks like he might disagree.

I glare at him, but delicately set the cat down on my lap.

"Hmmm...Mashmallow, huh?"

Finally it's time to open the gift Anna sent me. Hiccup and Rapunzel are obviously trying not to pry, but I can read curiosity and sympathy on their faces. Jack simply stares at his bunny slippers.

I pull a huge yarn garment out of the box, holding it up to my torso.
Sorry if it's too big, the card reads. My sister was never very talented at knitting, so the big blue sweater with pink zig tags across it is sloppy and has one sleeve that's longer than the other. Still, seeing the white snowman stitched on the front brings tears to my eyes.

I stand up and run into the hall just in time. The sweater is still in my hands, so I use it to wipe up the hot little drops falling down my cheeks until I feel a hand rest on my shoulder.

"Elsa, stop." Jack's voice is right next to my ear.

"Stop what?" I hastily wipe my face on my sleeve.

"You're acting like you're completely fine, but you're falling apart. Pretending like your parents' death didn't effect you is useless." His voice isn't sensitive and empathetic like I'm used to. Instead, it's stern, as if he were scolding me.

"You get mad at me when I'm looking out for your safety, and yet now you expect me to put up with this...this reprimanding? I don't need your help!" I throw my sister's sweater at his chest and stalk back up to my dorm, not pausing to look at anyone's faces. Marshmallow follows me and rubs against my ankles.