#stay safe out there especially those of you whose desk is also near the window

[emcads]

i just found out that raynaud’s can lead to gangrene in severe cases so um. new fear unlocked.

[st-crylo]

Rebound

Part 12

A/N: Thanks so much for your patience in waiting on this! I really appreciate that a lot of you guys have stuck out through my hiatus, but hopefully from here on out, I’ll get parts out more consistently!!

Warnings: minor swearing

Word Count: 4.7K

Tagging: @haylaansmi @kingdomofwrath @maybe-your-left

Masterlist

Kylo was silent, the only sound coming from him was the tapping of his fingers on the steering wheel. You weren’t really sure what to say either. After seeing Pat with Shawn and Stella, the two of you didn’t stay any longer, sneaking away to the car, where you were now sitting in silence. 

You wanted to say something, but no matter what, you came up short, soaking in the silence as you tried to think of something, anything to say. However, after a while of thinking up nothing, you pulled out your phone and texted Sami, telling her about the whole situation. You felt she was the only person who could provide anything within reason to say. 

Excuse me, what the fuck? Was her response. You quickly typed away at your phone.

I know, it’s hard to believe, and I wouldn’t if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, you responded, letting out a sigh as you turned off your screen.

“Kylo?” you asked, finally breaking the silence. 

“Hold on, I’m thinking,” was all he said before pulling his own phone from his jacket, bringing up Milo’s name in his contacts. The phone rang for a few seconds before you could faintly here Milo’s voice through the receiver, deepened by the microphone in his own phone.

“Hey man, what’s up?”

“Is there any reason that you know of that Pat would be hanging with both mine and (y/n)’s exes?” Kylo said, trying to keep his cool. You held onto his hand and he gave you a grateful look before continuing to stare out the window. 

“Yo, what the fuck? I knew something was off about that kid, I told you,” was Milo’s response.

“Yeah, yeah, you told me, I know, but I didn’t think he’d be talking to my ex and my girlfriend’s ex, who conveniently hates me,” Kylo said with a huff.

“Yeah no fuck that- wait a minute, did you call her your girlfriend? You finally told her?”

“That’s neither here nor there, Milo, I’ll tell you later.”

“Yeah, no, I get it man. Yeah, fuck Pat, let me handle him.”

“You sure? I can handle him myself man, and honestly I’d like to fuck him up,” Kylo responded, his knuckles turning white from the way he was clenching his fist. 

“You don’t need to fuck him up, he’s friends with Hux, whose piggy daddy would love throwing you in jail for aggravated assault. No, let me handle Pat, that’ll be best for everyone,” Milo said with finality. Kylo was silent for a moment before letting out his own sigh, slackening his fist and closing his eyes. 

“You’re right. Just make sure he knows not to fuck with any of us anymore. I don’t want that poser anywhere near me,” Kylo said, his voice calming down. 

“Don’t worry about it man, when I’m done with him, he won’t even look your way,” Milo assured Kylo.

“Alright, well, I’m trusting you with this, man. I’ll talk to you later,” Kylo said with another sigh.

“Talk to you later, man,” Milo said before the line went dead. Kylo groaned, running a hand through his messy black hair before turning to look at you. Your eyes locked with his brown ones, and you tried to give him a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. Kylo let out a chuckle before shaking his head. 

“C’mon, let’s head to my grandparents place. Granpa won’t snitch on us for skipping,” he said before letting out a sigh. You simply nodded as he turned the key in the ignition, the car roaring to life on his command. 

Within the hour, the two of you were pulling up to the driveway at the Skywalker house. You quickly stole a glance over to your own driveway before letting out a sigh of relief. Your driveway was empty, so there was no way that your parents would catch you in the act of skipping.

You climbed out of Kylo’s car, opting to leave your backpack and stuff inside as you followed behind him into the house. You were surprised that no one seemed to be home, and honestly, you were relieved. As much as you liked Mr. Skywalker, you didn’t really want to deal with any questions right now. 

As Kylo opened the door to the empty house, you let a sigh escape from your chest. What a day it had been. You and Kylo confessed your feelings for each other, and now you both had to worry about your exes hanging around each other, and with Pat as well. You couldn’t help but feel some deep foreboding in the pit of your stomach. They were definitely planning something, and you wanted to know what. 

“C’mon, I’m gonna take a nap, I think,” Kylo said, pulling you out of your thoughts as you watched him head for the stairs. Without hesitation, you followed him up the stairs, examining the pictures hanging on the walls going up the stairs. You smiled as you looked at the different memories of the Skywalker family, forever captured on these photos. 

The upper floor of the Skywalker home was not very large, but you couldn’t say you were surprised. This was a quaint little neighborhood, not at all like the Solo house in the richer part of town. Though the grandeur of a house like that was always impressive, you preferred this more modest home. It felt more cozy, and easier to live in. 

Kylo led you to his bedroom, which was very similar to the one at his parents house, though considerably smaller. The walls were painted a dark blue, but were covered by various posters across the wall. Accompanying the posters, on the wall above the desk, was a corkboard. As you walked closer, you took a look at all the pictures and things pinned onto it. There were lots of pictures of the Knights of Ren. One was clearly from homecoming the year before, as Milo and Jordan were both in the picture as well, their smiling faces matching those of everyone else. As you looked at the photo longer, though, you tried not to frown as you noticed that there was a part of the picture that had been cut off on the end. At the edge of the picture, you could only see a portion of a shoulder, which you assumed belonged to Kylo, as he was the only person missing in the picture.

“Stella’s in that photo. That’s why it’s cut like that,” was all Kylo said as he plopped onto the bed, pulling out his phone and typing away on it as he lay on his back. You walked over to the bed, covered in a black duvet, and set yourself down beside Kylo, who moved closer to the wall so that you’d have room to lay down as well. You hesitated for a moment, your heart pumping a little faster as you considered laying down. Then, with a silent but shaky breath, you laid down next to Kylo. His body was warm, which you should have expected as much, but it still made your cheeks flush. You stared up at the ceiling, unsure of what to do with yourself as Kylo continued to scroll on his phone. After a few moments, he let out a sigh before laying the phone on the bed next to him, and turning to face you.

“We can’t really catch a break, can we?” Kylo mumbled as he looked into your eyes. Adjusting yourself to face him, you simply sighed.

“Seems that way, doesn’t it? But hey, they’re not gonna fuck with what we have, okay?” you said to him, taking his hand in yours. Kylo hummed his response and then closed his eyes, intertwining his fingers in yours. 

“I just need a nap. I’ll set an alarm,” he said as he opened his eyes again, letting go of your hand to grab his phone and set an alarm. After setting his phone back down, Kylo scooted closer to you, pulling you into him and wrapping his arms around you. It made you feel so safe, to be tucked away in his arms, and you couldn’t help yourself as you scooted even closer to him, resting your cheek against his chest. It didn’t take long for the two of you to fall into a blissful and peaceful slumber.

***

A few weeks had passed and you still couldn’t quite get over the euphoria of being in an official relationship with Kylo. Being with Kylo felt as simple as breathing, and every moment you spent together felt effortless. You didn’t have to try so hard for Kylo, because he already wanted you the way you truly were, and not some facade that you’d created in order to fit everyone’s ideas of who you should be.

Unfortunately, the joy and happiness of being with Kylo couldn’t erase everything else going on. Three weeks had passed, but you couldn’t help but feel the pit in your stomach that Pat was up to something, and that Shawn and Stella were involved. 

Milo’s conversation with Pat had not gone well, which was also evident in the fact that Pat had sent a long, rather crude voicemail to Kylo. From what Milo said, Pat had all but threatened everyone in the group, but especially you and Kylo. He’d said some choice words in his voicemail that almost made Kylo drive to Pat’s house and deal with him personally. Fortunately, you were there to keep Kylo in check. 

Apart from that, you were still receiving the deathly looks from Shawn in physics. Every day you could feel his glare burning into the back of your head, but you never looked back. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of bothering you, but you were also afraid to see the look in his eyes. You couldn’t rationalize the fear, all you knew was that it was there. 

As the last of September’s heat faded and welcomed in the chilly winds of October, you found yourself adorning your new leather jacket that Sami had embroidered. As you walked down the hall in the late October afternoon, you kept stealing glances of both the KOR stitched onto the front pocket, and Kylo’s hand in yours. They were both sights you knew you would never be tired of. As the two of you settled into the lunch table, you pulled out your lunch, letting go of Kylo’s hand and already missing its warmth.

“Alright guys, I’m gonna do it,” Sami stated with finality.

“Do what?” Alan asked from beside her, biting into the banana he was eating. 

“Apply to Hosnian State’s art program! I’ve talked a lot to Mr. Jones, and he thinks my portfolio should be good enough to earn me some scholarship,” Sami said, beaming up at everyone at the table.

“Sami, that’s amazing! I’m sure you’ll get in, and get a scholarship,” you said as you smiled back at her, her excitement infectious. 

“You can also probably cut costs by living with Milo. The two of you could find a nice little apartment, but make sure it has space for all of us to come visit,” Kylo added with a smirk. Sami simply shook her head at him. 

“You know what, Kylo, that’s a grand idea. What about all of you, you know that most of the colleges nearby have their applications due by the end of December,” Sami pointed out, causing a groan to come from you, Kylo, and Phasma.

“I don’t even know what I want to major in, let alone where I want to go,” you said, putting your face in your hands. 

“I think I’ve settled on a major, but I still don’t know about location either. Part of me wants to go to HSU just to get the fuck away from Mos Eisley,” Kylo commented, resting his elbows on the table.

“I think I’m gonna go to Coruscant Central. The only problem is I have no idea what to major in,” Phasma added, running a hand through her blonde hair. 

“Well, we’ve at least got time to figure that out. As long as we figure out where to go, we should be fine,” you added before taking a bite out of a muffin. 

Thinking about college was definitely a source of stress for you. While there were plenty of things you were good at, you weren’t sure if you had passion enough for a subject to actually pursue a degree in it. Admittedly, though, you couldn’t deny that you shared Kylo’s sentiment about going to HSU. It would be nice to get away from Mos Eisley for once, and actually experience life outside of the prying eyes of your mother. You had the grades to get into HSU, maybe you would just start undecided.

You shook college from your mind after lunch, though. As you walked down the hall, your hand in Kylo’s, you couldn’t help but get the feeling that you were being watched. You looked around the hallway, trying to pinpoint the feeling when you spotted him. 

Leaning against one of the lockers ahead of you was Pat. You had expected the look on his face to be angry, one of contempt, but instead, he was smiling at you with an almost evil grin. You felt a chill run up your spine as the two of you made eye contact. You quickly turned away from him, but it didn’t stop you from noticing him turning away as well, walking towards the end of the hall. Whatever he had planned, you didn’t like it. 

As the two of you stepped into the Physics lab, you tried to keep your eyes away from Shawn’s spot in the classroom. You had a sinking feeling that if Pat was planning something, Shawn would be involved. After all, they looked pretty chummy when you and Kylo caught them together. The thought of them conspiring together was terrifying, and it chilled you to the bone.

Throughout class, you couldn’t help but feel dread, even though you were constantly trying your hardest to ignore it. Everything should be perfect now, after all, you and Kylo were dating for real this time, and even though your relationship with Rey had yet to be repaired, you were still friends with Poe and Finn, and you had all your new friends. By any stretch of the imagination, your senior year was going great, especially considering how it had started. You really had nothing to worry about, and yet here you were, stewing in your anxiety. 

Occasionally, you’d steal glances over at Kylo, trying to read his expression, but you never caught on that he might be feeling the same as you, or that he even suspected that you were feeling a certain way. No, he was just looking up at the board, taking notes, and then occasionally would draw on your notes, which were currently just a blank page with Kylo’s doodles all over them. 

You were thankful when the bell rang, and you began to gather your stuff to get ready to go to English. As you were packing up, your eyes scanned the room, and for a brief second, they made contact with Shawn’s. Much to your surprise, though, they didn’t have that cold, plotting look that Pat’s had earlier. Instead, it was the same angry expression he always gave you when he looked at you. It felt weird to say it, but you were relieved that it was only his anger you were looking into. With a sigh, you stood from your chair, waiting for Kylo to finish packing up before the two of you headed off for your last class of the day. 

Walking into English was always a little comforting, especially seeing Phasma and Sami waiting for the two of you. As you looked across the room, you also made eye contact with Poe and Finn, who both smiled and waved at you. You waved back, and made a mental note that you would need to hang out with them sometime soon. 

As you sat down, you let out a sigh, and Sami and Phasma both turned around in their desks to face the two of you.

“So, how was physics?” Phasma asked.

“The usual. Mr. Windu is having us do a take home lab with our respective partners, and it’s due next week,” Kylo said with nonchalance as he pulled out his copy of Hard Times. You tried not to look shell-shocked when he said it, as you’d spent your entire time in physics hanging on the edges of panic.

“Can’t wait for this semester to be over. What’s the plan for Halloween this year?” Sami said, leaning her elbow against your desk as she looked between the three of you. 

“Haven’t really thought that far ahead. I know I don’t wanna do another party, and also we have no place to do a party,” Kylo said as he brought his hand to his chin in thought. 

“How about we just come to my place and watch some movies or something? My mom’s gonna be gone on a business trip, so I’ll have the whole house to myself,” Sami offered.

“That sounds great actually. Should we still dress up, or should we just be normal?” you asked, kind of excited about the idea of spending the night with your new friends. In the past, you had spent Halloween in a very similar manner with your old friends, but you had a feeling that your new friends would probably want to watch more macabre movies than your old friends would. While you loved the fun Halloween classics, a scary movie did you good every once in a while. 

“Obviously you’ll come dressed up. I’ll be really disappointed if the two of you don’t come in a couple’s costume. Be Frankenstein and his bride or something,” Sami suggested, causing you to laugh, and for Kylo to let out a dramatic sigh.

“Wow Sami, I can’t believe you understand me so well, a being who did not ask to be created and is thus suffering in this corporeal form,” Kylo said wistfully, causing you and Phasma to laugh.

“Don’t be such a drama queen, Kylo,” Sami said as Mr. Skywalker stood up, drawing the attention of the class.

Your inability to focus followed you into English. It probably didn’t help that you found Hard Times incredibly dull, it just made it all the easier to shift your focus from the lesson, and onto your worries. 

Chill, take a deep breath, you thought to yourself as you inhaled deeply, and then exhaled. You needed to stop letting your worry consume you, especially now that you had something to look forward to. Halloween with your friends would be fun.

Then, without warning, an idea hit you. You pulled out your phone and started typing away.

Hey, do you wanna hang out tonight?

It didn’t take long for Poe to answer back.

Yeah! My place or yours? He responded.

Mine is good! I think my mom will appreciate me having some of my other friends over. 

Lol ok. After school work alright with you?

Yeah. See ya then!!

Now you had something else to look forward to, hanging out with an older friend. 

At the end of the day, you packed away your copy of Hard Times and let out a sigh. Once you were done packing up your bag, you leaned back, being greeted by the warmth of Kylo’s arm, which was resting on the back of your chair. 

“You two are gross,” Sami said, sticking out her tongue at the two of you. You laughed as Kylo shook his head.

“I don’t wanna hear shit from you, Sami. You and Milo are all over each other whenever you have the opportunity,” Kylo quipped back, causing Sami to frown, and Phasma to laugh. 

“Whatever,” Sami responded with a pout just as the bell rang. The four of you stood from your seats and headed out the classroom, ready to be away from the school for the rest of the day. 

“Do you wanna have dinner with my grandparents tonight?” Kylo asked as the two of you followed behind Phasma and Sami, who were chatting away.

“I can’t. I asked Poe if he wanted to come over, and he said yeah,” you responded. Kylo frowned for a moment, his bottom lip sticking out slightly in the most adorable way, but his frown soon turned to a smile. 

“Good. I’m glad you’re hanging out with him, seeing as it’s been a while,” he responded. “Just because you have new friends doesn’t mean you should forget about your old ones.”

“I think some of my old ones would rather eat dirt than talk to me right now,” you said with a sigh. You hadn’t so much as made eye contact with Rey ever since you had dinner at the Solo house, and even if the two of you were open to talking, you weren’t sure what to say. You definitely felt you were owed an apology, but that didn’t mean you were completely innocent in the situation, or its outcomes. If you’d been smart, you would have just sat her down and explained firmly that she wasn’t losing your friendship simply because you were dating her cousin. 

“Rey will come around eventually. I mean, I doubt she’ll ever be happy with the fact that we’re dating, but I think if she values your friendship enough, she’ll be able to overlook it for you,” Kylo said, helping to reassure that anxious part of you that feared your friendship would never recover. 

You grabbed Kylo’s hand and laced your fingers between his, smiling up at him. He gave you a half-smile back before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on your cheek. 

When Kylo pulled into the driveway of his grandparents home, you already saw Poe’s car parked on the curb between your driveway and the Skywalker driveway. With a final quick kiss from Kylo, you grabbed your stuff and walked over to Poe’s car, where he was sitting in the driver’s seat, staring at his phone.

As you approached, you tapped on the window, causing him to jump before looking over at you, his brows furrowed in feigned anger. You couldn’t help but laugh as you stepped back so that Poe could climb out of his car. Poe gave you a hug before the two of you walked towards your house. You looked back at Kylo one last time, who gave a wave to the two of you. To your surprise, Poe waved back to him.

Once inside your house, you passed by your parents talking in the living room, who gave you a shocked look when they saw Poe.

“Hey, Mr. and Mrs. (y/l/n)! How you guys been?” Poe said as your parents approached. 

“Really well, thank you! It’s been a while since we’ve seen you, Poe,” your mom said, giving you a look that made you wanna groan. 

“I’ve been kinda busy recently, but I had a free afternoon today! Just came to hang out with (y/n) for a bit,” he responded, as quick as ever with coming up for a reason for his absence that didn’t give your parents any hints to the argument you’d had, or your own neglect of your old friends. 

After your parents were satisfied, the two of you retreated to your room. With a sigh, you threw your stuff on the ground and threw yourself on your bed. Poe plopped himself onto your desk chair and let out his own sigh.

“So, what has been going on with you?” Poe asked, leaning back in the chair as he turned to face you.

“Don’t even get me started. Life has been so crazy recently, I feel like I’m getting whiplash from it all,” you said from your bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“I mean, they all seem like they live crazy lives,” Poe commented as he watched you.

“I guess. I mean, it’s mostly been crazy because of the drama. I never thought Kylo would have so much drama surrounding him, but I guess I was wrong,” you said. Poe perked up with curiosity, a grin forming on his face. This was a part of the reason you loved Poe. He was easy to tell anything to, especially since you knew he’d take your secrets to the grave. 

However, there were a lot of things involved in the drama that revolved around your former plan with Kylo, and you weren’t sure what Poe’s reaction to that would be. For a moment, you thought on it, trying not to look into Poe’s eyes as you weighed the pros and cons of telling him everything.

“Okay, so a lot of what’s happened might not make sense if you don’t know something very important, I just need you to promise me you won’t get mad when I tell you,” you said, twiddling your fingers and looking down at your lap as you waited for a response. 

“Sure, what is it?” Poe asked, leaning forward.

“I uh….mayhavebeenpretendingtodateKyloupuntilrecentlytogetbackatShawn,” you said very quickly. For a moment, Poe’s face was confused, but after he was able to discern what you said, his face shifted into one of realization.

“Oh my god, (y/n)! Wait, what do you mean up until recently?”

“Well, a few weeks ago, Kylo and I decided to become ‘official’ official, so now we’re actually dating. We just weren’t in the beginning.” You were still avoiding eye contact with Poe, but you could tell that the look on his face was incredulous.

“You should have just told me in the beginning! I get why you didn’t tell Rey, she would have shot the idea down immediately, but me? I would have supported you,” Poe said, causing you to look up at him.

“You would have?”

“Yeah. What better way to get back at Shawn than to date the person he hates the most.”

“But you’re not upset that me and Kylo are actually dating now?”

You waited as Poe thought for a moment, his fingers rubbing at his chin, and nose slightly scrunched as he thought about what to say. 

“No. When we talked that one day, I could tell that you really liked him, and I trust that you know how to pick a good partner, especially after Shawn. I was worried that you were maybe dating Kylo because he was the opposite of Shawn, and that you didn’t really feel anything for him. Also, I wasn’t really sure about Kylo’s intentions either. When I realized you genuinely liked him, that was enough for me,” he explained. Without warning, you pulled him in for a hug, squeezing tight as Poe laughed.

“Now, tell me all the drama,” he said once you let go.

And so you did, ready to share the craziness of the past couple of months with someone who hadn’t experienced it for themselves. It felt so good to explain to someone everything that had happened, and to get so many of your opinions off your chest. Poe was an amazing listener as well, engaging in the conversation and asking questions along the way each of which you provided answers. 

It felt good to tell one of your old friends about all the things that had happened with your new friends.

When you finished talking, you watched as Poe absorbed all the information you’d given him.

“So you’re worried Pat is gonna plan something?” he asked after a moment of silence. 

“Exactly. I don’t know why, but the way he looked at me today was so unnerving. He’s definitely got something up his sleeve,” you responded back.

“Well, I have a couple of classes with Pat. I can try to see if I can get him to talk?” Poe offered.

“No, I doubt he’d tell you anything. It looks like I’m just gonna have to wait and see what it is,” you said with a sigh. 

Though you were worried about Pat, and whatever it was he had planned, you still felt tremendously lighter than you had before telling Poe everything. Now, if you could only get Rey to be so compliant, maybe you could work your way with everyone else as well. 

[newstfionline]

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Getting creative to help the homeless (AP) After three years on the streets, Tiecha Vannoy and her boyfriend Chris Foss plan to weather the pandemic this winter in a small white “pod” with electricity, heat and enough room for two. Portland this month assembled neat rows of the shelters, which resemble garden sheds, in three ad-hoc “villages”—part of an unprecedented effort unfolding in cold-weather cities nationwide to keep people without permanent homes safe as temperatures drop and coronavirus cases surge. “We just get to stay in our little place. We don’t have to leave here unless we want to,” said Vannoy, wiping away tears as they moved into the shelter near a downtown train station. “It’s been a long time coming. He always tells me to have faith, but I was just over it.” ... “Those (are) folks who would under normal circumstances maybe come into a drop-in center to warm up, or go into the subway to warm up, or go into a McDonald’s to warm up—and just not having those options available to them. What then?” asked Giselle Routhier of the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City.

Raise your mittens: Outdoor learning continues into winter (AP) Cindy Soule’s fourth graders in Maine’s largest city have studied pollination in a community garden. They solved an erosion problem that was damaging trees. They learned about bear scat. Then came a fresh layer of snow and temperatures that hovered around freezing—but her students were unfazed. Bundled up and masked, they scooted outside with their belongings in buckets. They collected their pencils and clipboards, plopped the buckets upside down in the snow, took a seat and went to work. The lesson? Snow, of course, and how snowflakes are formed. Schools nationwide scrambled to get students outdoors during the pandemic to keep them safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. Now, with temperatures plummeting, a smaller number of schools—even in some of the nation’s most frigid climes—plan to keep it going all winter long, with students trading desks in warm classrooms for tree stumps or buckets.

Explosion in Nashville that damaged 20 buildings, injured 3 people an ‘intentional act’ (USA Today) Authorities believe an explosion that occurred in downtown Nashville early Christmas morning and was felt for miles was an “intentional act” sparked by a vehicle. Police responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle parked outside the AT&T building just before 6 a.m. Upon arrival, police said an officer “had reason” to alert the department’s hazardous devices unit, which was en route, when a “significant explosion” happened. Three people were hospitalized with injuries, police said. At least 20 buildings were damaged, Nashville Mayor John Cooper said. The sound of the explosion could be heard from miles away, and people reported windows shaking from South and East Nashville. “It looks like a bomb went off,” Cooper said. The downtown area will be “sealed off” for further investigation and to make sure everything is “completely safe.”

US to require negative COVID-19 test from UK travelers (AP) The United States will require airline passengers from Britain to get a negative COVID-19 test before their flight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced late Thursday. The U.S. is the latest country to announce new travel restrictions because of a new variant of the coronavirus that is spreading in Britain and elsewhere. Airline passengers from the United Kingdom will need to get negative COVID-19 tests within three days of their trip and provide the results to the airline, the CDC said in a statement. The agency said the order will be signed Friday and go into effect on Monday. “If a passenger chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger,” the CDC said in its statement. The agency said because of travel restrictions in place since March, air travel to the U.S. from the U.K. is already down by 90%.

Many just want a hug for Christmas this year, Queen Elizabeth says (Reuters) All many people want for Christmas this year is a simple hug, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth said in her annual festive message, saying it would be hard for those who lost loved ones to COVID-19 pandemic or were separated by curbs on social mixing. In her traditional pre-recorded Christmas Day address to the nation, the 94-year-old monarch repeatedly spoke of hope for the future whilst acknowledging millions of Britons would be unable to have their usual family celebrations this year. “Of course for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness; some mourning the loss of those dear to them, and others missing friends and family members distanced for safety when all they really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand,” Elizabeth said. “If you are among them, you are not alone. And let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers.” “Remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has in many ways brought us closer,” said the queen, adding the royals had been inspired by stories of those who volunteered to help others in need. “In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year and I’m so proud and moved by this quiet indomitable spirit.”

For the European Union, It’s a Pretty Good Deal (NYT) The European Union emerges from fraught negotiations with Britain over its exit from the bloc with a sense of satisfaction—that it has maintained its unity and its core principles, especially the integrity of the single market of now 450 million consumers that is the foundation of its influence. And it is now looking ahead to its life without Britain. The final deal is a free-trade agreement that recognizes Britain’s desire to leave the single market and the customs union while preserving tariff-free, quota-free trade in goods with the European Union. To that end, Britain agreed to a mechanism, with arbitration and possible tariffs for violations, that would keep its regulations and subsidies roughly in line with those of Brussels, to prevent unfair competition. But the deal will require inspections of goods to prevent smuggling. The deal also covers many mundane but crucial matters of visas, health insurance, and air, rail and road travel. It treats Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, as within the E.U. customs area to prevent the need for a hard border on the island, but requires some checks on goods going from Britain to Northern Ireland. And the deal reallocates fishing areas and quotas, given that Britain is now an independent coastal state.

Pope Francis celebrates low-key Christmas Eve Mass amid coronavirus restrictions (Fox News) Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass on Thursday night amid coronavirus restrictions that reduced a normal crowd of as many as 10,000 congregants to a group of fewer than 100 people, according to reports. During his homily, the Roman Catholic leader urged followers to reach out to the needy, noting that Jesus Christ was considered an outsider. “The Son of God was born an outcast, in order to tell us that every outcast is a child of God,” the pope said. May the Child of Bethlehem help us, then, to be generous, supportive and helpful, especially towards those who are vulnerable, the sick, those unemployed or experiencing hardship due to the economic effects of the pandemic, and women who have suffered domestic violence during these months of lockdown,” he said.

Turkey debates law that would increase oversight of NGOs (Reuters) Turkey’s parliament began debating a draft law on Friday that would increase oversight of non-governmental organisations and which, according to rights campaigners, risks limiting the freedoms of civil-society groups. The government says the measure, covering “foundations and associations”, aims to prevent non-profit organisations from financing terrorism and to punish those who violate the law. Civil-society groups, including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Association, said terrorism charges in Turkey were arbitrary, and that the draft law would violate the presumption of innocence and punish those whose trials were not finalised.Investigations based on terrorism charges have been launched against hundreds of thousands of people under a crackdown following a failed coup in 2016. Hundreds of foundations were also shut down with decrees following the coup attempt.

Half of Russians sceptical Kremlin critic Navalny was poisoned (Reuters) Half of Russians believe that Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was either not poisoned, as he and Western governments contend, or that his poisoning was stage-managed by Western intelligence services, a poll showed on Thursday. The poll, released by the Levada-Center, shows how hard it remains for Navalny to shape public opinion in Russia even as his case attracts wide media attention in the West and his own slickly-produced videos of what happened to him this summer rack up millions of views online. Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken critics, was airlifted to Germany for medical treatment in August after collapsing on a plane in Russia. Germany has said he was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent in an attempt to murder him, an assertion many Western nations accept. The poll by Levada, which is regarded as more independent than state counterparts, showed only 15% of Russians believed what happened to Navalny was an attempt by the authorities to rid themselves of a political opponent. By contrast, 30% thought that the incident was stage-managed and that there was no poisoning, and 19% said they believed it was a provocation orchestrated by Western intelligence services.

Hong Kong street refrigerator keeps giving (AP) Most people who head to Woosung Street in Hong Kong’s old-school neighborhood of Jordan are visiting its popular restaurants serving everything from curries to seafood. Others may be headed for a lone refrigerator, painted blue, with a sign that reads: “Give what you can give, take what you need to take.” The door of the fridge sitting outside a hockey academy opens to reveal it is stuffed with packets of instant noodles, biscuits, tins of food and even socks and towels for anyone who may need them. Ahmen Khan, founder of a sports foundation on the same street, said he was inspired to create a community refrigerator after seeing a film about others doing the same thing. He found the refrigerator at a nearby refuse collection point and painted it blue. “It’s like a dignity, that when you go home, you open your fridge to get food,” Khan said. “So I want the people to just feel like that. Even if it’s a street, it’s their community, it’s their home, so they can simply just open it and then just put food there, and collect the food.” Khan’s blue refrigerator project went viral on social media and people have been dropping by to leave food inside.

Israeli jets fly over Beirut, explosions reported in Syria (AP) Israeli jets flew very low over parts of Lebanon early Friday, terrifying residents on Christmas Eve, some of whom reported seeing missiles in the skies over Beirut. Minutes later, Syria’s official news agency reported explosions in the central Syrian town of Masyaf. Other Syrian media said Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli attack near the town in the Hama province. The Syrian Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying Israel “launched an aggression by directing a barrage of rockets” from the north of the Lebanese city of Tripoli towards the Masyaf area. Israeli jets regularly violate Lebanese airspace and have often struck inside Syria from Lebanese territory. But the Christmas Eve flights were louder than usual, frightening residents of Beirut who have endured multiple crises in the past year, including the catastrophic Aug. 4 explosion at the city’s port that killed over 200 people and destroyed parts of the capital.

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Grey Stains, a new story

Hey everyone! Those of you who follow me on Ao3 or FFN might have noticed this already, but last week I posted the first chapter of a new story of mine, called Grey Stains. It’s a HTTYD Hogwarts AU, taking place several years after the end of Harry Potter. 

Summary: Post-Deathly Hallows Hogwarts AU. When Harry Potter escaped Gringotts on the back of a dragon and flew off towards the battle of Hogwarts, most of the wizarding world saw a hero. For a young Hiccup whose mother died in the Gringotts escape, it is much more complicated to grow up in a post-war world that still bears scars no one wants to talk about, especially when you're bad at magic, your father is overprotective and paranoid of dragons, and there is a rising fear of neo-Death Eaters threatening the fragile peace. An original story (i.e. not Harry Potter retold) about trauma of all kinds, but also about overcoming your fears with the help of others. Eventual Hiccstrid.

I have been planning this story literally for years, so I’m very excited to finally share it with you all! I hope you like it! If you have any comments, thoughts, reviews, or questions, please let me know! 

Enough talk, here’s the first chapter. I’ll be updating weekly, on Sundays. If you’d rather read on FFN or AO3 you can find it there as well, under the usernames wolfie-dragon and wolfie_dragon respectively. 

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Hiccup broke out into coughs the moment he hit the ground. The world span around him, unfocused and blurred, as he tried not to suffocate.

"Oh, come on, son. Apparating is not that bad," Stoick said, roughly pulling him up by his armpits from the dusty courtyard tiles.

"You-" Hiccup couldn't finish his retort at first, too busy getting air back into his lungs. The dust, the tight suffocating space he had just been in, it brought back flashes. Screams. Crumbling masonry.

"Easy for you to say. You're not... allergic to dust and tight spaces," he eventually managed to spit out. Stoick scoffed for a second, but didn't start a rant at least. Hiccup was grateful for that. Whenever he'd panic at a small room or dust cloud Stoick would normally complain that he should 'man up' already since he was not "actually allergic to dust".

Maybe he was right, but that didn't mean Hiccup didn't get physically sick every time he had to face it.

"Look, you're okay, so let's get your stuff. You have your list, right?" Stoick asked, grabbing his wand and tapping several stones on the wall next to him. Hiccup reached into his pocket to grab the parchment he received last week.

His acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

"Great! Now, first of all we should go to Gringotts. All these books aren't cheap, and it's time you get your own account as well. That way you can collect interest on your allowance, and use it for Hogsmeade trips and things like that," his father said, as the wall opened up to reveal Diagon Alley. It was filled with people.

The last time Hiccup had been there it had been nearly deserted.

"I don't want to go to Gringotts. That's where-" he started, unable to finish the sentence when his throat closed up. Just like with the apparition he couldn't breathe at the memory.

Stoick sighed loudly, the disappointment clear, but then he knelt so he was closer to Hiccup's eye level.

"That was seven years ago. Nothing will happen now. It's all safe. You're growing up! You're going to Hogwarts, and take your place in our world. And for that, you need a Gringotts account. Plus, it'll look bad if the son of the Head of the Department of Magical Creatures didn't get an account at the bank run by our biggest allies!" he said.

At that moment Hiccup couldn't care less about relations with goblins, but he still nodded slowly.

"Okay. I'll try," he whispered.

"Attaboy! Now let's go, we don't have all day!" Stoick shouted, getting up and turning to Diagon Alley, his long cloak flapping with the motion. Hiccup almost had to run to keep up with his huge steps. People parted at the sight of the 7-feet tall man wearing gilded ministry robes, so they got through the crowd easily.

The goblin guards at the enormous bank doors recognized Stoick, so they greeted him warmly, and he returned the greeting before briskly walking inside. Hiccup followed, unsure if the goblins had even noticed him at half his father's height.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light inside, with the white marble and shining gold all over the place.

"Wait here for a second," Stoick told him before walking right past the queue of wizards and witches and talking to the goblin teller. The people waiting in line shot him dirty looks, but the ministry robes stopped them from protesting.

"But…" Hiccup whispered, not wanting to be alone. Not here. The tiles were too clean and white. They had been stained red with blood. A mother and her young son pushed past him to join the queue. The boy was licking ice cream. Hiccup got a whiff of the scent of vanilla cream, and all of a sudden he was outside in Diagon Alley again, but it was much emptier.

Abandoned shops and boarded-up windows lined the street, but 4-year old Hiccup didn't care, because Mama just bought him ice cream from the new parlour. As they waited in line Hiccup heard adults talking about the old ice cream vendor having vanished, but he hadn't understood it, and it hadn't mattered. He got his vanilla ice cream, and then they all walked to the bank together, him between his parents. They had explained that they just had to check on something there real quick, and then they'd go back home.

The building had been chaotic when they entered. Dozens of goblin guards ran around, and a barricade was being set up at the gate to the tunnels. Stoick was pulled away by an anxious-looking goblin with grey hair, leaving Hiccup alone with his mom.

"Mama, what's happening?" he asked between licks of his ice cream.

"Nothing, it's fine. There's just something your father and I have to… make sure doesn't get out of hand," she said, before ruffling his hair. The sudden move made him smear some ice cream on the collar of his shirt. "Oh, you're so clumsy. Let's clean that up."

She had just taken her wand out of her pocket when the world turned upside down.

A massive shockwave knocked them off their feet. Hiccup saw the wand fly out of her hand as they fell. A roar echoed through the room, answered by screams and shouts.

His head pounded where it hit the marble floor, and when he turned to look at the source of the noise it felt like he was dreaming.

Large parts of the floor were missing, and more tiles crumbled into the dark hole that had been white marble moments ago. A desk covered with documents and coins slid over the edge, despite a goblin trying to hold onto it. Hiccup couldn't look away from the screaming creature falling in and disappearing from sight. But then his mama grabbed him and pulled him back, and he looked up.

There was an enormous dragon towering over them. It was thin and white, and its huge eyes were milky. On its back were three people, but they were too far away for him to make out.

"Hiccup, get back," Mama shouted, pulling him behind an overturned desk. His hands were shaking, and he realized there was ice cream all over them. The dragon roared, the sound making Hiccup's ears hurt. It was followed with a cacophony of shouts and screams, and he covered his ears with his sticky hands.

A burst of flame shot over their heads, hitting a group of people near the door who screamed in agony.

"Stay here," his mom said, making him look away from the man whose robes were on fire. She stood up and slowly walked towards the dragon, hands in the air.

"Mama!" he shouted, the word lost in the noise as the dragon's tail smashed through a pillar. It shattered into a hundred pieces that rained down on the people around it.

"It's okay. Just calm down. You're a good dragon. It's alright. No one will hurt you." Somehow Hiccup could hear his mother's soft words among the chaos. The dragon turned to her, growling aggressively despite the people on its back pulling at its horns. A puff of smoke escaped its nostrils.

"Mama! Mama no!" Hiccup screamed, climbing on top of the desk as the dragon put its nose right next to his mother, who looked so tiny compared to the enormous creature. It sniffed and growled more. Mama's arm trembled as she slowly raised it.

One of the people on the dragon's back, a man with red hair, cast some kind of spell at the creature, making it groan. Its jaws opened, revealing rows of enormous fangs. Despite the black soot covering them they looked razor-sharp, and Hiccup had never felt so scared in his life.

BANG!

A flash of light and a loud bang shook the hall. The goblins cowered as the dragon roared in pain and fury.

"No, no, it's okay, just calm down, NOOOO!"

Hiccup was frozen as the dragon charged forward blindly. It felt like time slowed down as Mama put her hands in front of her face in a futile attempt to block.

Her scream ended with a horrific crushing sound as the dragon's front paw came down on her.

Suddenly there were more flashes of all colors, more shouts, more magic, but none of it existed. The dragon screamed, thrashing around wildly as spells hit it. More pillars crumbled and collapsed, and parts of the ceiling fell around him. None of it was real. None of this could be real.

"Mama! Mama! MAMA!" Hiccup screamed, frozen in place on top of the overturned desk.

"Hiccup, get away from there!" someone shouted, but he couldn't understand it. Why wasn't Mama getting up?

The dragon charged forward, straight into the wall of the building, opening it up to bright beams of sunlight that reflected on blue gems and white debris and pools of blood. With a final roar, it opened its wings and took flight with a single flap that drove a cloud of dust through the hall. It made Hiccup cough, and he didn't see the ceiling above him crack.

"Hiccup!" his father's voice shouted. It seemed so far away. The ceiling came down, on his Mama, on the goblins, on him. Brutal pain raced through his arm and back.

"Hiccup! Hiccup!" He blinked, and suddenly he was back in a clean and calm room. There was a ceiling and four walls and no screaming. His father was kneeling in front of him.

"Are you there? Come on, stop daydreaming. It's time to visit the vaults. I'm sure you'll like the cart ride!" he said, and Hiccup shook his head. His arm ached, despite the fracture having healed seven years ago. He didn't remember much of it. Being trapped under the stone, unable to breathe, for a minute until his father and other wizards could dig him out. A hospital bed. Left alone as his dad suddenly had to do a million things.

The next day the war was over. Ended by the three people he had seen riding the dragon.

"I… I'm fine," he whispered, trying to look strong in front of the old goblin standing next to Stoick.

"That's my boy! You see, Gringotts ain't so bad. You know what, if you're good during the cart ride, I'll get you an owl!"

Hiccup managed not to throw up during the cart ride. In fact it was quite exhilarating, like flying his broomstick back at the mansion. He rarely got the opportunity to do that, since his father was always nervous about dragons hiding in the clouds, waiting to strike.

The ride was over far too quickly, and then it was just a matter of moving coins around. Hiccup received a key to an empty vault, with promises it would fill up while he was at Hogwarts.

The ride back to the surface was even faster than the first cart, though Hiccup found it harder to enjoy, his stomach sinking when he caught a glimpse of the large doors leading back to the main hall. His dad seemed to sense his mood, and simply ushered them through the room quickly without stopping to speak to passersby like he normally did.

It wasn't until they stood outside in the bright midday sun that Hiccup felt like he could breathe again.

"Alright, let's get your school supplies first, it'll be much easier if we don't have to carry an owl around all day. What do you wanna get first? How about the books, you're always buried in those," Stoick asked. Hiccup resisted the urge to snark about how there was nothing else to do at the mansion but read, and instead focused on happier things.

"Can we get my wand?" he asked, already walking towards the shops and away from the bank.

A minute later they entered a tiny shop called Ollivander's, and the oldest man Hiccup had ever seen greeted them. He was almost completely bald, the few strands of hair that remained were wispy and white. His face and neck bore many scars, and his eyes felt like they looked straight into Hiccup's soul.

"Oh, Mr. Haddock! It feels like yesterday that I sold you your wand. 11 and a quarter inches, holly wood, with a dragon heartstring core, is that correct? I hope it's still working well for you," the man said with a croaky voice.

"Yes, it is," Stoick said, frowning at the mention of the dragon heartstring core. "But we're not here for me. My son is going to Hogwarts and he needs a wand."

Hiccup tried to smile, despite feeling very uncomfortable around the old man he assumed was Ollivander. The wand would be worth it. He'd be able to do magic!

"Ah, of course. Let's see… How about 9 and three quarter inches, yew, unicorn hair? Nice and straightforward," Ollivander said, opening a narrow box on the counter and handing it to Hiccup. "Go on, give it a swing!"

His hand trembled slightly when he took the wand. This would allow him to do magic! He'd only have to swing it! So he took a deep breath and gently swung the wand.

Nothing happened.

Ollivander ignored his surprise at the lack of sparks, snatching the wand from his hand and giving him another. "Pear, 10 and a half inches, dragon heartstring!"

"Wait a minute, you still use dragon heartstring? I banned all dragon products years ago," Stoick said as Hiccup swung a few times, still with no result.

"Eh, that just banned me from buying more. I have a huge stock of heartstring, Mr. Haddock. And there's absolutely nothing evil about it, no matter what you might believe. Now, try this one: Blackthorn, 12 inches, unicorn hair," the old man said, giving Hiccup another wand and grabbing more boxes from a shelf.

Stoick scoffed at that, but didn't push further. Instead he sat down in the small chair in the corner. The wood creaked under his weight. Hiccup tried to cast a hovering spell with the long wand, copying the movement he saw Mrs. Beakley, their housekeeper, use whenever she used Wingardium Leviosa.

Absolutely nothing happened. Of course he hadn't said the words, but still, it felt like he was failing at this.

"There's nothing to worry about. This happens to a lot of people. Your mother tried 23 wands before one chose her. Your father needed a dozen tries too," Ollivander said, piling up boxes on the counter and handing another one over. "Rosewood, 11 inches, phoenix feather, great for charms."

"Shouldn't something be coming out anyway? I remember producing fire and smoke with all the wands I tried," Stoick said, shifting in the chair.

"Indeed, wizards can produce intuitive magic even with wands that haven't chosen them, but it's much harder. There's degrees in this, some wands make it harder, some easier. In fact, let's try… Larch, 10 and a quarter inch, unicorn hair," Ollivander said as another wand was pushed into Hiccup's hands.

Another swing, and still nothing.

"Oh, that's a little strange. Still, I'm sure there's a wand for you. I do love a difficult customer!" Ollivander exclaimed, flicking his own wand to make entire stacks of boxes float towards the counter.

Hiccup had tried 51 wands with no result when his father stood up, the chair squeaking loudly in relief.

"Well, this looks like it's going to… take a while. How about I buy the rest of your supplies while you keep trying," he said, wrapping his cloak tighter around himself. Hiccup sighed, giving him the list.

Ollivander wasn't deterred by the ever growing pile of tried wands, marking their boxes with a small H and putting them back on the shelves while grabbing new ones. Meanwhile Hiccup swung and swung and swung some more.

A while later, long after Hiccup lost count, the door opened again. A blonde girl ran in, followed by a blond man with a long beard and auror robes.

"Astrid, no need to run. We have plenty of time," the man said as the girl ran right next to Hiccup, stopping him mid-swing. She was pretty, despite her scowl and narrowed eyes.

"Ah, Mr. Finn Hofferson! Is that blackthorn wand still working for you? And who is this? I didn't know you had children," Ollivander said, dumping another armful of wands on Hiccup's end of the counter. Hiccup took one, swung it, and slid it to the other end when it didn't work. As he pushed it, he noticed the girl looking at him and the pile of wands strangely.

"This is Astrid, my niece on my brother's side. I took her in after…" the auror said, putting his hand on Astrid's shoulder when her head dropped.

"Ah, of course. It's very nice to meet you, young witch. I sold your brother and sister their wands, you know. Though that was over a decade ago. They must have left Hogwarts around the… oh, right," Ollivander said, Astrid immediately snapping her head up to look at him with piercing eyes.

"Can we just get her wand? She's feisty, maybe a blackthorn one like mine?" Finn said, obviously eager to change the subject that Hiccup didn't really understand.

"Of course, of course. How about you try this one. Just swing it, like Hiccup over here does," Ollivander said. Hiccup, startled by her bright blue eyes, dropped the wand he was swinging, making it clatter loudly.

"Try not to drop it, though. Blackthorn, 11 inches, dragon heartstring," Ollivander said, grabbing a wand from the used pile and handing it to the girl. Frowning, she swung it once, and immediately sparks exploded from the tip. Her frown turned into a smile instantly.

"Not quite right. How about holly, 12 and a quarter inch, phoenix feather," Ollivander said as Hiccup swung another wand, trying not to look too disappointed when nothing happened.

Astrid swung the wand, and a moment later a vase exploded.

"Ooh, a little too temperamental. Ah, I know. Red oak, dragon heartstring, 9 and a half inches. A perfect wand for dueling and combat!" The wandmaker dug in the pile, finding a thin reddish wand and handing it over.

The moment Astrid touched it, her jaw dropped. With a firm hand, she swung it, and a soft glow emitted from the wand. She smiled brightly, and Hiccup couldn't help but smile as well.

"Perfect, perfect! It has chosen you! Congratulations, Ms. Hofferson. I'm sure you'll overcome great foes with this wand. Perhaps your biggest challenge will be deciding who those foes shall be," Ollivander told a brightly smiling Astrid. But then she glanced at Hiccup swinging another unresponsive wand and her smile dropped a bit. He couldn't help but wonder if she considered him a potential foe.

After another round of congratulations from Finn, payment was exchanged and the Hoffersons left the store, leaving behind an empty silence with no crackling sparks or exploding chinaware.

"Is that what's supposed to happen? What happens to everybody else?" he eventually asked, tossing another wand on the counter a little harder than he needed to.

Ollivander sighed deeply.

"Usually, yes. Untrained witches and wizards tend to send uncontrolled magic through every object they touch, and wands react to that magic, even if they didn't choose the wizard. It's almost like you're already trained. Did your father get you private tutoring?" the old man asked, sorting out the wands Astrid had tried and marking more boxes with an H.

"Yes, but not for this. I haven't learned any magic or spells. They just teach me history or Latin," Hiccup said, swinging again. He could feel something whenever he swung, a brief spark of burning heat in his fingertips like he grasped a candle flame. But it wasn't a good feeling like he always imagined magic would feel.

"Strange. But that just makes it more interesting! Come on, keep trying!" Ollivander said, and Hiccup did. His arm ached from the motion by the time his father returned with a bag full of books and potion supplies.

"You're still going?! Come on, Hiccup! I have more things to do today, you know," Stoick said, putting the bag down and gesturing at the piles of wands.

"I can't help it. They won't work!" Hiccup said, grabbing another one, swinging it with no effect, and tossing it on the used pile.

"You just have to do some magic! I know you can do it, you're not a damn squib!" his father shouted, sitting down heavily in the chair. Hiccup saw a crack run down one of its legs.

"I'm trying! Do you think I don't want this to work?" he said, grabbing a random wand from the pile.

"Well, try harder! You've been in here for hours! People are gonna notice," Stoick said, glancing out the window, and all the frustration Hiccup had been building up exploded.

"Is that all you care about? That random people will notice I'm having trouble finding a wand!" he screamed, raising the wand to point at his father.

Heat raced down his arms, burning his veins. The wand trembled in his shaking hand, and then the heat focused in his fingertips. It became too much, the fire scorching him from within.

But then suddenly the heat disappeared, replaced with a red flame bursting from the wand's tip. Hiccup yelped, dropping it from his tingling fingers. As quick as it had appeared, the fire vanished.

The only sound in the room was the wand clattering on the floorboards.

"See, you can do magic! That wand worked, right? Mr. Ollivander! What do you think?" Stoick said, smiling brightly despite soot darkening his beard.

"Accidental magic, yes, but still magic. No doubt. So there must be a wand for you. That one wasn't it, though. Let's keep going. There's still plenty of wands left," the old man slowly said.

No one seemed to care about Hiccup's pained sigh as he picked up another wand and gave it a swing. It did nothing. Just the same flash of painful heat in his fingertips as before. Nothing like the burst of actual magic he had just felt.

An hour later, after a boy by the name of Hiro came in and got his wand on the first try, Stoick stood up and grabbed the bag of supplies.

"That's enough. This is going nowhere. Clearly there's something very wrong with these wands. We'll go see better wandmakers tomorrow. I hear there's a good one in New York. One who doesn't use dragon products either," he said, putting his hand on Hiccup's shoulder and pulling him away from the counter.

"Very well. Every wandmaker will tell you there's nothing wrong with dragon heartstring cores, but clearly you've made up your mind based on a completely unrelated event, Department Head Haddock," Ollivander said in an icy tone. Stoick huffed, but didn't respond. He just stomped out the shop dragging Hiccup along with him.

He gave Mr. Ollivander an apologetic smile as his father slammed the door shut.

"That impudent- No matter. There's plenty of other wandmakers," Stoick said, moving towards the Leaky Cauldron.

"But Dad… You said I was gonna get an owl," Hiccup asked, not as excited as he had been before they went into the wand shop.

"Ugh… Fine. We'll get that owl, then we go home," Stoick said, turning around with heavy footsteps. The street was much emptier now that the sun was setting.

The cacophony of roars and meows and squawks in the pet store was the complete opposite of the silence of Ollivander's. And yet Hiccup felt much more at ease around the animals. There were no other customers inside.

"Hey, you! I'm looking for an owl for my son," Stoick shouted at a young woman standing behind the counter. Hiccup walked to a wall filled with bird cages. The owls were fairly quiet compared to the other creatures. He reached out his finger to a yellow-blueish owl with bright blue eyes.

Hiccup gently scratched the bird, and it opened its beak wide. A puff of smoke came out.

"Of course! What kind of personality would you like? We have several: playful, obedient, intel-"

The clerk's words were cut off by Hiccup's scream when the bird breathed fire. It was just a tiny flame, hardly bigger than a torch, but it conjured images of crumbling masonry and blood. The scream emptied his lungs, and he couldn't breathe to fill them again. He stumbled and fell, coughing at the musky air.

"What in Merlin's name is that! I demand answers!" Stoick shouted as he drew his wand, pointing it at the bird.

"It's a magical fusion! An owl with the magical abilities of a Blast-ended Skrewt! We got it from a wizard who experiments with transferring abilities between creatures!" she said quickly, running over and petting the fire-breathing bird.

"How do I know it's not some dragon monstrosity? Do you know who I am? I am Stoick Haddock, head of the Department of Magical Creatures. I introduced the laws against draconic experimentation, and if I suspect any violation of that law I could shut this place down right now!"

Hiccup finally managed to catch his breath, raising his head to see all the blood drain from the clerk's face.

"No, I swear it's nothing draconic! Please, sir! Have a free owl, any one you want!" she said, hands trembling.

"I don't trust anything you sell!" Stoick said, tone icy as he kept his wand raised. The woman's eyes flickered between the wand and the ministry badge on his robes.

"Then let me compensate you. For the… emotional damages!," she shouted, before running to the till. "Here, this is more than enough to buy an owl at any other pet store!" she said, holding up several gold coins. Stoick was silent for a few seconds, until he slowly lowered his wand.

"Fine, I'll take that. And you better hope I never hear of any kind of creature experimentation again."

It wasn't until they were standing outside again that Hiccup had calmed down enough to speak.

"I wanted an owl. Not that one, but a normal one," he said, glaring at his fuming father.

"Maybe we'll get one in New York tomorrow. At least in America they protect well against these… abominations. I'm trying to get those laws here as well, but no one wants to cooperate!" Stoick said as they made it back to the courtyard of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Now grab on. We're going home," he said, gesturing at his arm. Hiccup shook his head violently.

"No, I can't do apparition again! Please, Dad!" he begged, breath speeding up at the very thought of that narrow tube. The anger he had felt over the owl vanished, frozen by the memory.

"Come on, Hiccup! It's better than floo powder. You can't handle that at all! Just swallow your fears already so we can go home," Stoick said, shaking his head in disappointment. Hiccup just jumped back.

"I can't!" he shouted, tears pricking at his eyes.

Stoick was quiet for a long time, staring at him with furrowed brow, until his face softened.

"Fine. We'll take the Knight's Bus, even if it is dreadfully uncomfortable. And we can take a portkey to New York tomorrow, you're okay with those, right?" he said, leading them through the Leaky Cauldron to the muggle street outside. An old witch tried to talk to Stoick, but he waved her away. The other people in the bar just looked at him darkly.

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks, Dad," Hiccup whispered, thinking back to the girl at Ollivander's and wondering if she was scared of anything.

[itsalliepg]

The first Valentine’s Day – Part 1 – Zig X Scarlett (MC)

SUMMARY: Zig and Scarlett (MC) are celebrating their first Valentine’s day together! But as it’s Wednesday, he has plans to extend this celebration to the next weekend.

PAIRING: Zig X Scarlett (MC)

RATING: Everyone

WORDS: 2.071

NOTE: Hey! Finally I’m posting the first of eight parts of this series about Zig and Scarlett’s (MC) first Valentine’s Day. I started to write it in February, right after I realized PB wouldn’t do a Valentine’s Day spin off this year :((( so I thought my OTP’s first Valentine’s Day should be written by me LOL I delayed a bit to post because I had an idea that made me write again some parts: this could be the perfect moment for them to say those three little words...

English isn’t my native language. I write to practice and learn, so please sorry any mistakes. I hope you like it, and if you do, I’d appreciate if you like/comment/reblog!

Tagging @flynnomalleys @maxwells-nut @seawhite-seafair @molly7998 @ziggy-o @purpledinosaur4ever @writtenbycandy

Scarlett woke up early on that cold winter morning. It was snowed all night and she glanced to her window to see Hartfeld covered by white. Suddenly, her phone buzzed and she grinned when she saw Zig’s name on the screen.

She opened her wardrobe and quickly dressed up, and then she grabbed her backpack and headed to the coffee shop, where Zig was already waiting for her outside. She ran into him, and when he saw her, his face broke into a wide smile. Scarlett threw her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the floor.

               _Oh, my god, Zig! Can you believe this is our first Valentine’s day together? – she pulled back with a grin and he lowered her before cup her face between his hands to a passionate kiss.

               _The first of many to come – he smiled – so, I have something to you – he turned to a bench where was his backpack, and behind it, he took a cup of latte, with cinnamon and caramel, and a chocolate cupcake – I know these are your favorites – Scarlett smiled sweetly.

               _Thanks, Zig – she grabbed them from his hands with a quick kiss in his lips – I have a gift for you too, but I didn’t even think to bring it now.

               _Hey, this is not my gift, babe – he pointed to her hands – did you really think I’d give you a latte and a cupcake for our first Valentine’s Day? – they giggled – I’ll give you tonight.

               _Oh, yeah? – her eyes were wide – and did you plan something for us tonight?

               _How about a nice dinner at a nice restaurant? I’ll pick you at your home at eight, okay?

               _Great! What should I wear?

               _It’s not a fancy restaurant, if that’s your doubt. You know your boyfriend’s a broke college student – Zig pouted and Scarlett stroked his cheek.

               _And you know that your girlfriend too! She doesn’t need anything expensive, just be with you – they closed the distance to another lingering kiss – and I think I have the perfect outfit in mind.

               _I’m pretty sure you’ll be stunning tonight – he smiled and looked at his phone – although I’d love to stay here with you all the day, my biology class starts in five minutes.

               _My psychology class too. So I think we should be going – hand in hand, they headed to their classes, and parted ways after one more kiss. Thoughts about their date later popped into their heads during all the day.

Later that day, Scarlett was in her room getting ready for dinner with Zig. She wore a dark blue dress, with long sleeves, round skirt, whose hem was just above the knees, black pantyhose and high heels. She picked her purse and the gift over her desk and went into the living room, where Zack, Kaitlyn, Chris and Becca were watching TV and sharing a pizza.

               _Wow, Scarlett! You look incredible! – Zack whistled and Scarlett whirled, with one hand on her waist.

               _Yeah, Zig will be speechless! – Kaitlyn giggled.

               _It looks like he’ll take you to a special place tonight.

               _Well, he didn’t give me too many details, Chris, he just said it isn’t fancy.

               _But with this outfit, you could go to anywhere five-star – Becca smiled.

               _Thanks, Becca. And how about you, Singles Club?

               _I suggested we could go to a bar to flirt, but nobody got excited – Chris sighed.

               _Sorry, Chris, but this moment in my life is about finding out myself, and becoming a better person, so then I’ll be ready to love again – Becca threw her hair back, smirking, and they all cheered, laughing.

               _That’s awesome, Becca! And you, Kaitlyn? Why you don’t call Annisa and invite her to hang out?

               _I don’t want to rush things. We’re getting to know each other slowly and I like it that way.

               _Just like me and Grant…but I’m very glad for you and Zig, and Tyler and Abbie! I talked to him today and things are great between them.

               _Oh, thank God they finally made amends – suddenly, a honk outside warned that Zig had arrived. Scarlett said goodbye to her friends and left the house. Zig was waiting for her, leaning his car, arms folded against his chest to protect himself from the cold. When he saw Scarlett, he smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

               _Didn’t I say you’d be stunning? – she smiled and they kissed – ready for your gift?

               _Sure! But let’s do it in the car? It’s so cold out here! – they got into Zig’s car and Scarlett gazed at him, with his gift in her hands – happy Valentine’s day, Zig – she gave him the gift and Zig opened the package, and found a little box. Inside it, a picture frame with the photo they took in Little Italy. Scarlett smiling at the photo and Zig kissing her cheek. There was also a card, with a message in Scarlett’s handwriting: “Thanks for this date. I’ll never forget this night, so funny and romantic, but mainly special because I was with you”. Zig grinned as he read and turned to hug and kiss Scarlett.

               _I’ll never forget either. And yeah, being together makes anything pretty special. I’ll put this beside my bed, to look at your smile every night before going to sleep and every morning after waking up – he put the photo back in the box, and Scarlett put it in the glove compartment in the car as he turned to get a larger box behind his seat – now it’s your turn, missy – Scarlett opened the gift and found a stuffed owl. On the card, Zig wrote: “The owl is a symbol of wisdom, intelligence and is often linked to writers. I always found it a beautiful meaning. And it has everything to do with you, especially this one that is cute and adorable just like you” – Scarlett chuckled, looking fondly at Zig.

               _That’s so sweet! Horton got a friend! I’ll call him Zig Junior and cuddle with him when you can’t spend the night with me.

               _That’s the idea. But I hope he doesn’t become your favorite cuddle buddy – Zig smirked, taking her face by her chin.

               _Impossible. This title will always be yours – Scarlett closed the distance for a searing kiss. When they pulled back, she noticed a strange look in his eyes – Zig? Are you okay? Is there a problem?

               _Scarlett, I… - he sighed deeply – I…I love you – he looked at her eyes, smiling shyly.

               _Zig… - she grinned widely.

               _Maybe you think I took too long to say it, but this kind of feeling is new for me. What I feel for you…it’s much stronger than I’ve ever felt for anyone before. You saw me beyond my appearance and my rough manners, you made me want to be different, you made me feel special and able to do anything I wanted. All that things I said to you, I was trying to express it. And today, I thought could be a perfect moment to say it: I love you, Scarlett.

               _Oh, my angel… - she stroked his cheek – you didn’t take too long, you said just in time. And you also changed my life. With you I feel really extraordinary, strong and beautiful. You always remind me of the good things about me, and I feel safe and confident with you. I’ve never felt like this before either. I love you too, Zig, I love you so much – he also grinned before another lingering kiss – it couldn’t be a perfect Valentine’s Day without these three little words, right? – they smiled again.

               _Yeah, you’re right – he rested his forehead on hers – I’m the luckiest guy in the world.

               _And I’m the luckiest girl in the world – they kissed again – so, let’s have dinner? I’m hungry!

               _Sure, let’s go – Zig started the car and they headed for the downtown. He parked the car beside an Asian-themed restaurant, and got out of the car to open the door for Scarlett – please, lady – he reached out to her, and she caught it, beaming.

               _Thanks, sir – holding hands, they headed to the restaurant’s door, but Scarlett saw another restaurant across the street that made her chortle.

               _What’s so funny? – Zig asked, confused.

               _Nothing, just…I’ll tell you inside, let’s go in – at the door, the maître nodded at them and led them to a table near a big, gorgeous picture of a lotus flower. The maître moved away to call a waiter, and Zig pulled the chair to Scarlett. She giggled.

               _I'll get used to it this way.

               _Hey, tonight’s a special night, you deserve, my princess – he winked while sat on his chair, and a waiter arrived with the menus and left after taking orders. Scarlett took one of Zig’s hands on the table.

               _So, who indicated this place to you?

               _One of the guys of football. He’s a Thai food fan and I’ve been waiting for a perfect opportunity to come here with you – he squeezed her hand.

               _I’m happy to try new things with you – she smiled – but now I’ll tell you why I was laughing when we arrived. There’s a restaurant across the street where I went last year with James when I met his parents. Do you remember that fiancée fiasco we mentioned during our summer road trip?

               _Yeah, and you guys never told me the rest of the story! – Zig leaned back, crossing his arms, laughing.

               _Now you’ll know. His parents were really hard at that time, they expected to see James as a business major and…engaged. So, he asked me to pretend to be his fiancée during a dinner with his parents. We created a story about our first meet, and we had to take all the possible care to keep our roles – Scarlett looked at Zig, an indecipherable expression in his face, before he burst out laughing.

               _Oh boy, and how they discovered it all was a big lie?

               _Well, after using all our theatrical skills, James decided to face them and told he wanted to be a writer and I was just a friend…at first they argued with him about his decision, but they accepted when they saw how talented and passionate he is.

               _Wow, this was such a story – he laughed, shaking his head negatively – but you won their sympathy forever, as I saw when we went to their summer house.

               _Yeah, they know I was just trying to help James.

               _So…that day in Little Italy wasn’t the first time you had a role-play dinner? – Zig smirked and Scarlett giggled.

               _Apparently not. That’s why I was great that day – she rested her chin on the back of her hand, winking to him. Zig took her other hand and kissed it.

               _We should do this again, it was fun.

               _Yeah, not today, because we’ve already talked to the waiter, but soon.

               _Yeah, very soon – he looked into her eyes, grinning. She arched an eyebrow.

               _Zig? What do you mean?

               _I have another surprise for you, Scar. But it’s a gift for both of us – he took both of her hands – I know you’re working hard to save the house, and I’m working hard on the dance team and on improving my social skills, so I think we deserve a break. I made a reservation for us at a guesthouse at a small city in the hills. It’s one of those with cottages, you know? I researched a lot about the place, it's pretty and we won’t spend much. We go on Saturday morning very early and we’ll be back on Sunday night. What do you think? – Scarlett’s face lit up.

               _Zig, it’s perfect! A break is all we need…

               _Exactly. And since this Valentine’s Day is our first and we couldn’t stay together all day, we’ll have the whole weekend for just of us.

               _Sounds amazing – it was Scarlett’s turn to kiss Zig’s hands – you’re the best boyfriend in the world, Zig.

               _I just wanted our first Valentine’s Day to be special – he smiled.

               _And you did it, my angel – Scarlett winked and the waiter arrived with their orders. During the dinner they continued to talk about the trip over the weekend.

Thanks for reading!

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