ROTBTD: Hogwarts

Chapter Nine: Snowflakes

This chapter is completely Jack and Elsa (;

Enjoy!

Jack couldn't help but watch Elsa: as she walked, as she sat with Anna, as she talked. He wasn't being creepy. There was just something... different about her. Something he loved. Something he connected to. Something he wanted to know. And something she wasn't about to let on.

The reason he had discovered Toothless was that he'd followed Hiccup. But he barely knew Elsa. Following her would probably do more harm than good.

"I just can't wait for Christmas," Anna said happily. It was a week after Merida announced that she would be going to the Yule Ball with Hans, and Jack was the only one without a date.

"It's because of the ball, isn't it?" asked Elsa.

"Of course it is," Jack chuckled. "That's all she can think about."

"That's not all I think about," said Anna indignantly.

"Really?" Jack questioned. "What else?"

"I think about classes. And --" Elsa gave her a sharp glare, and she changed tacks instantly (A/N: this is after the events of Frozen) "-- my family."

Jack bit his lip to keep from adding a rather inappropriate comment. (A/N: it's not actually that bad, if you want to know ask me in the comments.) Instead, he asked Elsa, "Are you going?"

"I don't think so," she replied.

"Well, why not?"

"I just... don't think... I should."

There was definitely something she was hiding. Jack couldn't imagine what.

The ball drew ever closer. Merida and Anna began searching for ways to tame Merida's hair. Hiccup was careful about what he said around Astrid, and she seemed a bit happier because of it. Rapunzel had a time chasing after Pascal, who had grown to love the Hogwarts corridors. And all the time, Jack tried to see what was wrong with Elsa, to no avail.

The ball was virtually the only subject in the halls. Harry was going with Parvati Patil; Ron with Padma Patil; Hermione with an unknown person; Cedric Diggory with Cho Chang; Fleur Delacour with Roger Davies; and even the news of Merida and Hans, Rapunzel and Eugene, and Hiccup and Astrid had spread around the school -- namely Merida and Hans. There were several lesser known pairs, including Neville and Ginny Weasley (Ron's younger sister) and Fred with Angelina Johnson. And all the time, Jack tried to find out what Elsa was hiding, with no luck.

Christmas arrived with too quickly for him.

Their presents were stacked at the foot of their beds. Jack received Chocolate Frogs from Hiccup, who had grown to love them; a jacket from Rapunzel, which he tossed over his shoulder, feeling guilty; a book from one of his roommates; and Cauldron Cakes from Merida. Hiccup got a new quill from Rapunzel; a book on dragons from Jack (which he laughed at when he opened it); dozens of things from his friends at home; and Cauldron Cakes from Merida. Rapunzel received books from both Jack and Hiccup; a new dress from her parents; and Cauldron Cakes from Merida. As a result of her lack of thoughtfulness for her friends, Merida got Cauldron Cakes from all of them; books on archery from Rapunzel; a brand-new bow from Hiccup; a book on horses from Jack (she had a horse back home); and clothes from her mother. Everyone also had presents from Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Jack told the others he wasn't going to the ball. Merida and Anna left several hours before it was time, accompanied with Hermione. Hiccup was too nervous about going with Astrid to be truly concerned with Jack's problems. Rapunzel was trying to think of ways to make her hair -- which was ragged and uneven at the ends -- look presentable for Eugene. Jack learned with surprise that Elsa was not going, either.