Legally Auburn (HTTYD)

Part 6

But once the lesson was over, Hiccup sat back in his seat, his shoulders cramped and head spinning. He had been doing AP level course for over a year and the lesson they had sat through was far above that level. Professor Queen hadn't been in any mood to compromise and every student had felt the sharp edge of her tongue as she precisely exposed their complete lack of knowledge and failure to complete the recommended reading prior to the start of the semester. He knew what he would have to spend the evening doing.

But he had got up, stretched a little, causing his neck to crack, and had turned to the door when he almost collided with a very solid shape. He blinked and mumbled an apology-until he realised that he was facing the husky guy who had been sitting by Heather. Close up, the young man had a very amiable face and was dressed in super expensive casuals with a light brown angora sweater tied loosely around his neck.

"Sorry," Hiccup mumbled as Heather walked forward-and scowled at the shape of her former boyfriend.

"Can't you ever leave me alone?" she sighed and husky man frowned slightly.

"Heather?" he asked. "Is there a problem?"

"I doubt it," Hiccup mumbled.

"He won't leave me alone," she huffed, her green eyes gleaming. The husky guy missed the sideways glance she cast at Hiccup-but the intended recipient saw it plainly.

"Well, I am on this course, Heather, so you're gonna have to deal with seeing me in lectures and tutorial groups, since I'm not going anywhere," Hiccup replied with surprising firmness. The husky guy scowled.

"And just what reason do you have to..." he began.

"What? Attend Harvard Law? Let me think? Got a 174 in my LSATS, killing the admissions essay and having three extremely supportive letters from my tutors in High School. How's that?" HIccup snarked. "You remember my tutors, Heather?" The husky guy frowned now.

"Sorry-you know each other?" he asked, confused.

"We were at the same High School in Berk," Heather leapt in swiftly, her eyes shooting Hiccup a warning. Hiccup took a deep breath.

"Aww, Heather-have you forgotten already? We went out-until you dumped me two days before Graduation!" he replied. Giving a false laugh, Heather slid her arm through the husky guy's.

"You are a joker," she told him lightly, moving her hand to show a huge diamond ring gleaming on her finger. Hiccup's eyes widened.

"Wow. You upgraded. And so soon, Heather. I'm disappointed," he managed. The husky guy glanced between the two and then stuck out his hand to the auburn-haired young man, a cheerful and determined expression on his face.

"Finlay Neville Ingerman III," he introduced himself.

"Son of Senator Ingerman," Heather murmured smugly as Hiccup felt his heart drop about a foot below his stomach. Yet he wasn't going to be impolite to the man. He gave Finlay a firm handshake and then turned back to Heather.

"Well, you definitely upgraded from an auburn engineering nerd," he shot back. "I mean, I was never going to be the son of a Senator-Dad's only the Mayor, after all. And I can see the engagement ring is definitely large enough to feature on a geological survey in its own right. I could never compete with that..." Heather smiled at Hiccup's scowl.

"You're finally getting the message," she murmured as Finlay Ingerman frowned.

"Heather?" Finlay asked. "He said..." She snuggled against him then.

"Ignore him, Fish," she advised him silkily. "He's just jealous. He always imagined there was something between us but we were only ever friends-nothing more..." Hiccup stared at her.

"Wow-did not see that coming," he managed, almost rocking back on his heels.

"So there's no reason for you to hang around like a bad smell, Hiccy," Heather told him smoothly. "So maybe you want to transfer to nerd school now and..." His fist clenched.

"No, Heather," he said with more dignity than he had realised he could manage. "I am here on merit. I earned this place. I want to be a lawyer and I think I can be a good one. The question seems to be-can you be dispassionate and even-handed? Can you deal with the fact I am here-and here on merit? I know my GPA was higher than yours and I know that you had to ask seven tutors before you could persuade three to support your application because Mr Svenson told me." She scowled. "So how did you get in here, Heather?"

"Her father called the Dean," Finlay offered calmly. "I mean, all her family are lawyers and she wanted to join them so they just called in and offered a generous donation to ensure her application was supported..."

"Shut up..." Heather growled under her breath.

"But Dagur isn't a lawyer," Hiccup commented.

"Oh, the brother?" Finlay asked. "Black sheep. I think her father was very glad she was keeping up the family tradition...at least that's what her parents said when they introduced us in April..."

Hiccup stared.

"April?" he mouthed. "As in when we were still going out?"

"It's very sad," Heather cut in, steering Finlay past the suddenly heartbroken Hiccup. "He's been obsessed with me for years-ever since we were forced to work together on some stupid High School project. And since then...well, I'm afraid he's just been obsessed with me. He's photoshopped a whole host of pictures of us 'together'." She made air quotes as she sneered the word. "And he even tried to propose to me...as if I would ever go out with such a sorry specimen..."

Hiccup stared at her, his face bloodless and eyes filled with hurt.

"I'm never going to be good enough for you, am I?" he asked quietly. "I was never mean, never rude and always generous and considerate. I came to Harvard as you suggested. I got here on merit. And you still treat me like dirt, as if I am beneath you." He took a deep breath and gathered his bags.

"I hope you are happy together," he said bitterly and dashed for the door, almost mowing down a familiar blonde shape who was walking into the room. Astrid started in shock as he paused, looking down and clearly extremely upset.

"Hiccup?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

He looked up, the broken expression in his emerald eyes causing her to glance at the raven-haired girl and the husky blond man.

"M'fine," he lied thickly. "I gotta go..."

And with that he dashed from the classroom, leaving Astrid to catch Heather's parting shot.

"Some people just aren't fit for Harvard Law."