It was halfway through lunch when Astrid realised she hadn't seen Hiccup since History...not that she really cared, she reminded herself, but because his friends were all suspended, like hers, and it was due to him that she hadn't shared their fate. She poked her salad aimlessly and wondered what had happened to the boy. She had seen him after the fight and the bruises he had were nowhere near as bad as the ones he had on Sunday when she had spied him as she went jogging before coming back for breakfast and then doing her homework.

She paused. It had been pretty early on a Sunday and to see the boy walking slowly through the misty park with a lot of bruises had made her feel awkward. He had been pretty hostile and she had given up but she had felt the need to thank him because he had saved her neck...and by the look of it, at the cost of his own. And while he was an irritating smart-ass and definitely a trouble-maker, he had looked pretty down as he trudged through the mists. She wished that she had made a greater effort to talk to him but she just found herself getting so exasperated by his attitude. She sighed and then heard someone behind her. She glanced up-to see Mr Grimborn.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked politely. The man gave a thin smile, his cold, calculating dark glare sending a shiver down her spine. She had never liked him but he was undoubtedly a fine teacher, every lesson meticulously planned and executed.

"Two things, Miss Hofferon," he said. "Firstly, may I confirm that Mr Haddock took no part in your class assignment? I note his name was not on the paper." Her eyes widened and she thought furiously. She had done the whole thing while Hiccup had just buried his head in his arms. She had flounced to the front with what was certainly a very good paper and had put her own name on it deliberately. And he really hadn't contributed.

"I should have put him name on-it was an error on my part," she murmured. "I apologise..."

"So you are saying he did make a meaningful contribution to the paper?" the teacher asked her pointedly. She sighed.

"He didn't distract me," she admitted. "And his style of work is very different to my own. I completed the work. But he was my partner."

"So you are willing to allow him to get the grade your paper earned, even though he had no part in the work generated?" Mr Grimborn asked her pointedly. She nodded.

"Those are the terms of working in pairs, sir," she admitted calmly, wondering where this was going. "I abide by what I am told to do." He stared at her for a second more, then nodded.

"The second thing is that the Principal wishes to see you," he said. She blinked and rapidly tidied her lunch away, rising swiftly. "No need for haste, Miss Hofferson. He will be happy to speak with you as soon as you are ready." She blushed and followed him as he led her to the Office. A thought flashed across her mind: had Hiccup landed her in it after all...even when she had just gifted him an A for that paper?

Marsha had smiled and reassured her that Mr Treacher was in a good mood so that she was a mite more relaxed when she walked in and sat as directed. Mr Treacher finished the sentence he was writing and then looked up with his vaguely unsettling smile.

"I wanted ter speak to yer about the fracas that happened last Saturday," he said pleasantly. She nodded, not wanting to say anything incriminating. "I believe yer were there!"

She paled and swallowed, thinking furiously. Had someone turned her in? No-because she would have been pulled in first thing and suspended. But Hiccup had been in...had be betrayed her in exchange for not being suspended?

"Not quite, sir," she said clearly. "We were all at the cafe when the others-Hiccup and his friends-came to join us and started a lot of silly posturing. I was chatting with Heather and Hiccup was being really annoying...and next thing I know, Snotlout and Dagur are shouting at each other and they're heading out to the Mall for a fight. I tried to get the girls not to go but they got carried away."

"And you weren't there?" Treacher demanded.

"No, sir," she replied primly. "When they decided to fight, I left them and headed home. I only heard what happened the morning..."

"Your friends didn't call you?" Treacher enquired.

"They often don't on Sunday because its homework day," she explained. "And I would guess, if they were in trouble, their parents would have taken their phones. Do you want me to call them, sir?"

"No-I just wanted to clarify one point, Astrid," Treacher said thoughtfully. "You said Hiccup was annoying you and your friend Heather?" Astrid nodded. "So the decision for the fight...was not made by Hiccup?" Astrid shook her head.

"No, sir," she reported calmly. "I believe Dagur and Snotlout were the ones who made the challenge and accepted it."

"He lied to me," Treacher growled, his face momentarily falling into a menacing scowl. Then he shook himself and Astrid wondered if she had imagined it. "Thank you, Miss Hofferson. Your input has been invaluable. I may have done Hiccup Haddock a disservice...one that I shall be sure to correct." He nodded. "You may go."

"Yes, sir," she said and walked out, a feeling on unease in her stomach, mentally rerunning the conversation. Had Hiccup taken the blame for inciting the fight? Certainly, he hadn't caused the argument-that had been Dagur and Snotlout, both of whom loathed each other. Maybe he was trying for time off on suspension? But whatever...she had undone whatever scheme he had planned and helped out the Principal. After all, that was was a Class President was supposed to do.

oOo

At home, Astrid turned to her homework and soon found her mind wandering. Why would anyone take blame for something they hadn't done?

To protect someone else.

And then she groaned. By her words, she may have lengthened Snotlout and Dagur's suspensions and compromised the Football team. Hiccup being suspended wasn't much of a loss-but the star players from the team...would be. She dug her fingers through her hair and stared at the page: she couldn't concentrate at the moment, so she went downstairs to get a glass of water. Her mother, Ingrid, looked up as she sat down thoughtfully and drank quietly.

"Problems?" Ingrid asked and Astrid looked up with a wan smile.

"Mom-I think I may have been unfair to someone," she murmured. Ingrid frowned. She knew her daughter was working hard as Class President and took all her duties seriously.

"How?"

"Well, it's a really annoying boy-he's always causing trouble..." she began.

"So you think you may have misjudged him?" her mother asked.

"No-he is annoying and a trouble-maker," she confirmed, "but he helped me with in art and I found out he took the blame for something he didn't do. But when asked, I told the Principal what really happened...and I may have landed him and someone else in trouble..."

"Are you sure what his motives were?" her mother asked. "You can hardly be expected to understand someone else's motivations. If you told the truth, then that is all you could have done, Astrid." Blue eyes stared up at her Mom and she smiled. "But maybe you should give this boy the benefit of the doubt. No one is all bad...and sometimes, people behave badly because there is something affecting them that we know nothing about." Astrid paused, recalling the bruises. Then she smiled.

"I understand," she said without really. "But he's very disruptive, he hangs with a bad crowd and he doesn't care at all about his grades or school at all." Ingrid shrugged.

"Of course, you know him better than I do, darling" she smiled. "But you are President of the whole class aren't you-not just the bits that have an unblemished record."

"You know, I'm pretty sure he doesn't want my help," Astrid told her Mom, refilling her glass and heading upstairs. And he may not be happy with what I've said anyway. I think I may have gotten him into more trouble.