Not really REALLY, I don't know what it is... sometimes I just want to shout right in his earlug to stop being such a kid xD Other times, he's a pretty epic best friend.

Anyways. Thank ya! Here's the next post ^___^

Thankee very much. More info will eventually be reveeeeealed.

^^

Chapter Four :: The Platform

Hugo was terrified.

It was the first of September, and they were on their way to King’s Cross to see Rose Weasley off on the train to Hogwarts for the first time ever. Hugo still had two years before this day became his own, along with Lily. Rose was starting at the same time as Albus, and James was about to start his second year. So now Hugo had to spend the full nine months at home with his parents… but that had nothing to do with his fears.

No.

Hugo was terrified… because his dad was driving them to the station.

Sitting on the back seat, with his muggle gameboy in his lap, Hugo had pushed himself all the way back, his feet pushing against the back of his mother’s seat and fingers digging into his own seat cushion.

“Hugo,” came Hermione’s voice from the front of the car. It sounded clipped and though he couldn’t see the woman, Hugo was sure she was doing roughly the same thing as he was. “What have I told you about putting your shoes on the back of the seat?” she asked, as Hugo glanced sideways at Rose, who was occupied with looking out of the window.

As the nine year-old was about to answer, the car suddenly let out a series of shuddering thumps, and Hugo pressed his lips tightly back together, tensing up his body.

Ohhhhh, this was such a BAD idea.

Apparently, Hermione wasn’t interested in hearing the answer, because her shrill voice penetrated the now tense atmosphere in an admonishment this time directed at the driver of the little car.

“RON!”

“We’re heeeere!” the oblivious red-head in the driver’s seat replied, flinging open his door… which slammed into the car that Ron had parked closely next to. Hermione sighed, and pushed her door carefully open, trying to squeeze out. Even Rose had trouble. Hugo might have been able to exit the car with ease, but he’d always wanted to try something different, and right then he stood and pushed open the sunroof, scrambling out and reaching back for his gameboy.

By the time the small boy had used the car bonnet as a slide and landed in front, turning his gameboy back on, his mother had come approached, taking the gadget from her son’s hands and pushing it into her handbag.

“Hey!” Hugo exclaimed, indignant. He looked around for his father, trying to get some support on the matter, but the man was currently trying to get Rose’s trunk from the boot of the car.

“No. It won’t work in there. And in any case, you are NOT to climb all over the car like that,” Hermione said tersely, and her tone indicated there would be no argument.

Resentfully, Hugo tried to delve into the handbag to save his game, but Hermione grabbed his hand and held it fast. She wouldn’t let go, even when they all started to walk towards the station. So, furious, Hugo found himself being led by his hand, and he knew the only means of escape would be to just chill out.

Jeez, all he did was slide down the car bonnet.

Looking down at the pavestones as they all went, Hugo did his best to not step on the cracks, which sent him leaping all over the place. Hermione didn’t complain at all, and instead just watched her son carefully, frightened that he might trip. It was all she could do not to start worrying frantically about Rose, who, they had been informed, would be staying at the castle for at least the Christmas holiday.

The young girl herself was walking beside her father, who was carrying the large new trunk which had been brought especially for the girl. An owl was inside a cage which was perched precariously on top of the trunk, and kept sliding towards Ron, hitting him smack in the face.

The fourth time this happened, Rose let out a giggle, and tapped her father on the shoulder, saying words Hermione could not hear. When her daughter began to carry the owl’s cage, Hermione beamed with pride. Such kind children they had… so considerate. Well… a look at Hugo who was ignoring everything around him save the pavestones, causing other padestrians to move and avoid him changed the young woman’s mind.

Well… he was only nine.

…

Crossing the barrier to platform 9 ¾ was a highly unexcitable affair; Hugo had heard a lot about this wall, and expected there to be some kind of… signpost or… well… something that indicated the magic or importance of the place. His mind went back to the time his uncle had told him about the time the barrier was closed for the man and Ron… and Hugo even hoped that happened today.

But still… that would be better if it happened when Hugo started his second year, in the boy’s opinion anyway.

On the upside, Hugo felt his mother let go of his hand as soon as they were through, and immediately the boy scurried off to find his favourite uncle. He made it up the platform once, leaping over trunks and dodging older kids who watched him with amused expressions, before he figured, with a slightly sinking heart, that the other family wasn’t here yet.

With the tiniest pout on his face, Hugo headed back down towards his own family, looking into the train to his right hand side, catching glimpses of animated conversations through the windows. When Hugo reached his father, who was pulling the trunk towards the train, he happily helped, grabbing the other end and lifting it so his dad got into the train with more ease. It was more so he’d get his own chance to go in there more than anything. When they’d safely stored the luggage and Rose’s owl, Ron ruffled his son’s hair and ushered the small boy out, eager to speak to his daughter before the train left and before James turned up to frighten the girl and hint that she might be a Slytherin.

Of course… Ron’s own methods were similar to James’ teasing.

As his father began to tell his sister about all the great things about Gryffindor, about how she’d miss out if she was a Slytherin, Hugo moved away to stand against the back wall, facing the train and staring at it with starry eyes. Two more years. That was all.

It wasn’t that much later that a babble of familiar voices were heard by Hugo, and Harry, Ginny and their three children were within the boy’s range of vision. At once, Hugo was delighted that he was on the platform right then, able to see his family… the best family in the world if you asked him.

It was Lily who saw Hugo first, and headed straight over as her dad and uncle sorted Albus’ trunk.

“Hey,” the red-head said softly. Hugo was her favourite cousin, and he was always the one she wanted to speak to at family get-togethers. Of course, she knew that Hugo loved Harry as a father, and she always chose to steer clear of that topic. Even then, Hugo’s eyes lingered on Lily’s family instead of snapping straight to her.

When Hugo finally did look into Lily’s light brown eyes, he gave the girl a little smile and pushed away from the wall.

“Hey,” he replied, glancing at the girl’s brothers. “What’s occurring?”

“Oh, just James teasing Al about the Sorting again,” Lily smirked, rolling her eyes. “It makes me want to know what house I’ll be in. What house will you want?”

It was still two years to go, but Hugo had decided a while back, during one of Harry’s tales about when he was at school. “Gryffindor,” he said abruptly. “For sure… What about you?”

Lily appeared to think about it for the moment, glancing back at James again. Her immediate thought was of her brothers. If Albus was a Gryffindor, and that was pretty much a dot on the cards, then if she was she’d never get away from them, and they were so protective at times. And in any case… she liked the sound of another house’s common room. “Ravenclaw sounds g-”

At that moment, Ron called over to the pair, something about Gryffindor and being disinherited. Both Hugo and Lily laughed at that, and Hugo found himself annoyed to see his sister’s face fall a little. Seriously, he would WANT that. No contact with his own family.

Moving closer to the group for the steam on the platform was getting real thick, Hugo shoved his hands into his pockets and continued staring up at the train. Some ten metres away there was a small blond girl about his age, watching him intently. Hugo didn’t see her; he was too busy lost in his own thoughts.

A little later, Hugo was shaken out of his reverie only to hear talk about Teddy maybe moving in with Harry and his family. The boy’s face darkened; that was exactly what he didn’t want. Staring down at his feet, Hugo didn’t notice his father cast a knowing look at him. And again, as if that wasn’t bad enough, Hugo looked up to see Harry speaking in private to his son. The boy rejoined the group and stared morosely as Albus hopped onto the train. Ron made a joke or something, and so Hugo laughed along with everyone else.

It was too much to watch Harry walk alongside the train. Hugo was being selfish, that much he knew; but you can stop yourself from feeling jealous or from wanting or, as Hugo thought he felt, needing something you haven’t got.

When Harry was off watching the train go away, with a hand on his scar, Hugo allowed his own hand to be taken by his mother so they could go back to the car.

“She’ll be back before you know it,” the woman said kindly, though Hugo caught a definite hint of fear in her voice. Whether that was because she was scared for Rose or because of the thought of going back in the car was too much, Hugo didn’t know. Either way, he didn’t bother telling his mother that Rose wasn’t the reason he was sad.

“Can you hold on a minute,” Ron murmured to his wife, and briskly jogged back to Harry, who was talking to Ginny and Lily. Hermione seemed to be glad for a reason to delay getting in the car, and happily waited patiently. All Hugo wanted was to get hold of his gameboy again.

However, the boy perked up when Ron turned back to the family with Harry, Ginny and Lily following on. The man crouched down to his son’s level and spoke in a low voice.

“How’d’you feel about going to stay with Ginny and Harry for a few days?” the man asked, tipping Hugo a wink. When the boy’s face lit up with a huge smile, Ron looked up at the other adults. “I think that means yes.”

And sure enough, when he looked back at his son, the boy was nodding frantically, practically bouncing up and down in excitement. Reluctantly, Hermione had let go of his hand and held out the gameboy for him, whilst glaring at her husband.

“Awesome!” Hugo exclaimed, running back to Harry and Ginny with a wide beam on his face. Meanwhile, Ron was trying to explain to his wife, without much success.

“It’ll cheer him up… a few days won’t hurt…”

Hermione kept on glaring.

…

When the large extended family finally left the platform, Hugo was trailing behind with Lily, trying to switch his game back on. His mother was right; it wasn’t working. In his distraction, Hugo accidentally bumped into the blond girl who’d been staring earlier. He muttered an apology without looking at her and hurried ahead.

He was going to the best place in the world. The place he really saw to be home.

But Ron’s decision, though nobody would realise for years, would turn out to be the worst decision for Hugo’s wellbeing.