Hiccup's POV

The renovation work took nearly 3 months to complete, from choosing wall colors to furniture. Mom actually took dad and I on shopping trips to pick out matching drapes......DRAPES!!! It was frankly more horrific than shoe shopping with Tuffnut, something that even his twin Ruffnut refused to do.

Dad mumbled to me on one such shopping trip that he would rather eat mom's cooking for a year than go drape shopping ever again.

When it was time for me to move out dad actually helped with packing up my stuff faster than I had ever seen him work. I gave mom a 'what-did-you-bribe-him-with' look only to receive a chuckle in return.

When the moving van was loaded I bid goodbye to my parents.

"I'm gonna miss you honey!!" Mom said hugging me close.

"Mom, can't breathe!!" I rasped and she finally let go of me. "Besides I'm a two hour drive away."

"Don't forget son. We'll be coming to visit you once you've settled." Dad tells me. "Who knows maybe you'll find that special girl."

I give a weak laugh. "I don't know about that yet dad." I say still feeling a bit down since the breakup with Melanie.

"I'll call you when I get there." I tell them and wave as I get in my car.

The drive up to Berkishire wasn't as long as I'd thought, mainly because it was still morning. Once we reached the house I'd instructed the men on where to put most items. My inventions were all put in the large garage/workshop. The rest were mostly clothes, household items and books. Lots and lots of books. The furniture for the house was already in place.

The exterior of the house was painted the soft baby blue color with white lining the windows and doorframes. The wraparound porch had some outdoor chairs on it.

Toothless meowed from the pet carrier I had put him in wanting to stretch his legs. "Yea yea. I'm coming you lazy furball." I mutter as I open the carrier's door. Toothless languidly walked out of the carrier and surveyed his new home.

I take a good look around the manor now. Mom said she would pick the furniture as a surprise. I must admit that she did a wonderful job. The parlour and dining room looked amazing.

Beautiful sofas were placed around the various (original) marble fireplaces and glass cabinets lined the walls. In one corner stood a Rosewood cased Grand piano. I smiled as I trailed my fingers over the keys. Mom remembered how much I liked to play the classics.

I peek into the kitchen area to see an updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances. They had also managed to preserve the original cabinetry which was made from Redwood.

Well all this certainly explained why dad was weeping last month when he got the credit card bill and mom told him to suck it up because they could afford it.

I head up the stairs towards the master bedroom. When I open the door I see a queen size bed. The boxes containing my clothes and the linens were placed next to the door so I quickly managed to put them away and make the bed.

Suddenly a cold shiver runs down my neck, like someone brushed past me. I look around and see nothing. 'Must be my imagination.' I thought and I went back to unpacking.

Once I was satisfied that at least my bedroom was done I heard my stomach growling and I realized I still had some shopping to do.

I still had to go shopping for some food so I set up Toothless's scratching post and litter box before I grabbed my car keys.

I quickly drove to the local supermarket. As I entered I felt many eyes on me. It was a small town, one where everybody knew everybody, and new neighbors meant new gossip.

Having grown up in the spotlight I quickly tune out their stares and finish my shopping. When I reached the register I was greeted by a young brunet.

"Hiya there. You must be the new addition to the town." She laughed as she said this. "Name's Sadie."

"I'm Hiccup, and is it really that obvious?" I ask.

"Of course it is. Everyone in town is talking about the guy brave enough to buy the Hofferson house. They're taking bets how long you'll last." Sadie tells me. "And Hiccup is a peculiar name to go with a peculiar guy."

"That's reassuring." I mumble.

"I still don't see what the big deal is with that house." I tell her.

"Well, it's more like a local legend. The family who lived there slowly went crazy. Now mind you. They weren't very much liked, but it was still strange that everyone of them ended up insane. They say it started when one of the men remarried a few days after his first wife died. Didn't even mourn her. He was only after her inheritance, but apparently he couldn't find it all. Legend has it that she hid it in that manor, but no one could ever find it and that family slowly went insane because of it." Sadie tells me as she continues to ring up my items.

"That's actually pretty fascinating." I tell her while paying. I bid her farewell and proceed to fill my car.

Once home again I unload the groceries and see my neighbor Mildew sitting on his porch. I give him a quick wave but he simply huffs and returns inside.

The rest of the day I was busy unpacking my books and placing them in the library, and putting my workshop in order.

Near the end of the day I was exhausted. I trudged up to my room, took a quick bath and put on some pajama bottoms. I'd decided to forgo the pajama top because it was still hot at night.

I flopped down onto the bed and buried myself under the covers. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep.

Sometime during the night I suddenly felt a cold shiver run through me. I quickly open my eyes and see floating near the foot of my bed the ghostly image of a woman.

I let out a scream and tumble out of my bed taking the blankets with me. I managed to untangle myself and I look back in the direction of my bed. The ghostly woman was still there, watching me.

"Y...Y..You're a..a..g..ghost!!" I stutter out.

The specter simply nods in my direction and then I hear her softly say. "Could you put on some clothes?" The ghostly woman quickly looks away and I see the aura surrounding her glow a little brighter.

"Are you blushing?" I couldn't help but ask, fear forgotten as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

I take a quick peek at my alarm clock which reads 2AM. The translucent floating woman was still at the foot of my bed not looking in my direction. The wisps of light surrounding her gave off an eerie image. The panic was slowly returning.

'Okay Hiccup' I tell myself. 'It's 2 in the morning and you got a ghost floating in your room.' Before I could do anything else I'm hit in the face with a pillow that the ghostly woman had sent flying in my direction.

"Hey!! Why did you do that!!" I yell.

"You were hyperventilating." Was all she said and then she floated my pajama top to me. "Now can you please put something on? I'm not used to half naked men in my old home."

"Y..Your o..old home?" I ask as I slip on the top.

"Yes I used to live here. I guess I still kind of do." The woman said as she seated herself on the bed, causing it to dip slightly.

"H..How a...are you d..doing that?" I asked curiously gesturing to the bed. "You're a ghost right?"

She looks at me with a little confusion before she gets what I mean. "Oh, it takes a little concentration, but I can interact with this world's inanimate objects just fine." She tells me and then chuckles. "I must say. For a human you are taking this rather well. The last person I showed myself to jumped out of the parlour windows."

"Believe me, internally I'm still panicking." I mumble, slowly edging around the bed to get a better look at the woman.

'Yes definitely a ghost.' I tell myself. She was wearing a blue faille evening gown with a trained skirt which looked like something you would see in those old movies about the 19th century. She wore the gown off the shoulder and it had short sleeves with puffs. The gown itself was decorated with a white and blue ribbon.

"Okay..." I said slowly. I thought to myself that it might just be best to accept that I'm having a conversation with a ghost. "How can I see you?" Then I added. "And why did you suddenly show yourself?"

She laughs. "I was bored, and you seemed nice. You did restore my old home." She said and gestured around herself. "The others all wanted to demolish it."

I nod, and she continues. "As for how you can see me.... Hmmm.. how should I explain." She mumbled. "Basically I can effect what you see. So I can show you anything, but this is how I looked when I was still alive."

I nodded once more and then asked. "Anything?"

She just smirks and disappears from my bed.

I hear a sound and then I see my bedroom door open. Instead of the hallway you'd expect to see, there were instead two penguins seated at a table drinking tea. One penguin was wearing a monocle while the other had a top hat on.

They turned to me and waved. I waved back awkwardly. The one with the monocle said "Cheerio. Good luck old chap." And then the door slowly closed again.

I hear laughter and turn to find the ghostly woman back on my bed. The wispy aura that surrounded her reflected her mood.

"Okay...... That really does cover 'anything'." I tell her astounded.

"So you're the woman from the local legend?" I ask carefully.

"So you already heard about that?" She asks and I nod. "You aren't here for my treasure are you?" Was asked in an uncertain manner.

"No no no..." I quickly state. "I don't want your treasure." I tell her and she slowly relaxes. "I didn't even know about it until I went to the store today."

She quietly nods. "That's reassuring. All the others living here went searching for it. Even some of the townspeople came looking when this place was abandoned."

"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have come." She says and floats upwards. "I'll leave you alone. I promise."

"Wait!" I quickly say stopping her. "You're gonna just leave? I won't see you again?"

"Y..Yes..I was just going to disappear. You wouldn't see me again." She said. "Wait, you want to see me again?" was asked uncertainly.

"I don't mind." I tell her. "I mean you live here too right." I scratch the back of my head nervously. "I know you're a ghost and all, and probably have some more business to carry out, but... eh.... How should I put this....... Wanna be roommates?"

"Roommates??" She asked coming back down. "Well, I didn't expect to be asked that. You really are a weird guy."

"Hey!" I comment looking a little offended. "Why does everyone call me weird." I mumble.

"You just asked me, a ghost, to be your roommate." She states.

"Okay...... " I said giving in. "Can't argue with that. Well if we are going to be seeing more of each other I think we should know the other's name. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third at your service milady."

"WHAHAHAAAAA" The ghostly woman lets out a loud laugh the wisps around her getting brighter and bigger. "That's really your name?" She asked and I nod affirmative.

"Haddock, like the fish?" I nod.

"Horrendous...... really??" Another nod.

"And your first name is after a bodily function?" Nod once more.

"And there were two others with the same name." She asked through the guffaws. "Yes." I tell her quirking an eyebrow.

"And you wonder why people call you weird." She laughs.

"So who will I be rooming with?" I ask her when she's calmed down.

"Oh right, where are my manners. I'm Astrid Hofferson, formerly known as Lady Hofferson Countess of Berkishire." She tells me and does a curtsy while floating. "It's a pleasure to meet you."