Just A Hufflepuff

By. SadieAnnabethMellark

Summary: When Hugo is sorted into Hufflepuff he is not pleased at all. Instead of being with the rest of his family in the bravest house at Hogwarts, including all of his cousins and his aunts/uncles, he is "just a Hufflepuff". He has no skills...he has not talent...he is just an extra. At least he thinks he is. Only his hero might be able to change Hugo's attitude towards his new house. One-shot, might turn into a two-shot.

Disclaimer: Oh, how I wish I could be blonde, British, and have the name J.K. Rowling. Then I would be the owner of Harry Potter. Unfortunately, I'm a brunette, I'm American, and my name doesn't even start with, or have a 'J' in it, for that matter. And sadly, I don't own the best ever written series, Harry Potter.

Dedicated to Emily...a Gryffindor in the head, but a Hufflepuff at heart. Stay strong, my sister!

Hugo Weasley hated the colors of yellow and black. He had not always hated them. In fact, yellow was one of his favorite colors when he was a kid; mostly because it reminded him of two things: his life long dream of being sorted into his parents' house when he went to Hogwarts (it was the closest thing to gold in his crayon box) and it was the color of his favorite socks. And black, though not really ever his favorite, he didn't mind.

But right now, as they sit here mocking him, he really truly hated those colors with a fiery passion.

He had just come home for Christmas from his 1st year to a surprise from his Mum and Dad. They had redecorated his room while he was away. Before he went to school, his room had been the colors of his parents house, his dream house, Gryffindor. Red Lions had been all over the gold walls, he had a red sheets, and red curtains.

It had all seemed like a far away dream now. His gold walls were now a bright sunny yellow, with midnight black accents. Everything was decked out in the colors of yellow and black. Even the carpet, which had been nothing special before was now midnight black with a giant yellow badger in the center of the floor; the flipped look of what was sitting above his bed.

His whole room was mocking him. It was rubbing it in. It was reminding him that he would never be a Gryffindor. That he would never be in his dream house or in his parents' house.

It was making sure he knew that he was the only Hufflepuff in the family...the whole family.

Hugo knew he should've been grateful. He knew he should have felt better that his mother was not upset that he wasn't in Gryffindor. He truly did, and he tried to be, but that's' not how he felt. Oh no, he was felt like an outcast.

And it was not a good feeling.

Currently, Hugo was sprawled on his bed on his back. His eyes shut, trying to block out the horrid yellow and black all while trying not to either break out in anger or in tears. Though he couldn't see those awful Hufflepuff colors, the words which the sorting hat told him just before he announced where he was being sorted kept ringing in his ears: You will thank me for this later. Those seven words had been ringing through his ears for almost four months now.

You will thank me for this later...

It hadn't made any sense. Hugo had wanted anything but being the odd ball of the family. He had wanted to be placed into Gryffindor. He had wanted to meet the family's expectations. Everyone he knew seemed to be in Gryffindor. James...Rose...Fred...Grandmum...Uncle Bill...his parents. All of them were, are, Gryffindors. And he simply was not. He was just a...Hufflepuff.

He was just a stinking Hufflepuff. A left over loser with no skills. Not bright enough for Ravenclaw, not tricky enough for Slytherin, and not brave or chivalrous enough to be a Gryffindor. He was just...nice.

But, he had most importantly wanted to make his Dad, his hero, proud. Ron Weasley had talked constantly about how he was waiting for the letter from his son telling him that Gryffindor had a new member. He was ecstatic when Rose had written two years ago, declaring that she was now part of the Lion house. Hugo knew that his letter home did not get the same results. He pictured his Dad reading his letter and frowning when he read over the words, Got sorted into Hufflepuff, in his scrawly handwriting.

He was dreading when he had to face his father head on when he got home from work. Hugo didn't want to see his Dad's disappointment in person.

Hugo opened his eyes when he heard the door creak open. He looked towards the door to find his Dad, a wide smile on his freckled face.

"Sorry I couldn't be at the station. I got tied up at work." Hugo's stomach fell.

"S'okay." He mumbled.

"No, it's not. I really truly did want to be there when you got home from your first semester." His dad slid into the room and closed the door behind him. He settled down on the bed next to Hugo, "So tell me everything. We didn't get very many letters from you. Sometimes, I swear, the only reason we knew you were still alive was from Rose's and Lily's letters."

Hugo bit his lip. What was he going to say?

His Dad apparently had sensed Hugo's dread, "What's wrong, son? Don't you like Hogwarts?"

"It's great." Hugo mumbled faintly, "It's just big and confusing. Foods good at least...not as good as Grandmum's cooking, but then again, nobody can top her cooking."

His dad laughed heartily, "That is true. Nobody, not even your mum, can top Grandmum's cooking. And don't you dare tell your mother I said that."

"Your secrets safe with me."

His dad then turned serious, "Now, back to my earlier question. What's wrong? You sounded upset in your letters."

"Nothing, Dad, really. Just trying to...settle in?" Hugo tried to sound nonchalant. It suddenly seemed to get harder to keep his emotions in check and he did not want to look weak in front of his Dad.

His father expected him to love Hogwarts, to have the best time there with his friends, just like he had with his Mum and Uncle Harry. So far no such thing had happened. Hugo had not made a single friend in his new house...or any other house for that matter. His cousins and Rose had all been very busy with their own friends and homework to hang out with him. He had not had the time of his life either. He had been absolutely miserable.

Ron had not accepted the answer from his son. He knew there was something very wrong with his youngest child. Hugo had always been very emotional, even from an early age, and he always could tell very easily, even with his emotional range of a table spoon (he had been promoted). The problem was knowing what would set his son off. Hugo sometimes was set off by the smallest and most unlikely things of a situation. What could've set him off this time.

"Well, I guess the good thing is that you at least don't have very many classes with the Slytherins. For some reason they seem to think that pairing the Slytherins with the Gryffindors is always a good idea."

Hugo and Ron both chuckled, albeit half heartedly on Hugo's part.

"Anyways, tell me everything...from the moment you got off the train all the way up until now."

Hugo sighed quietly and closed his eyes as he started in on his story. He knew there would be no way around his dad's desire to know what he had been up to for the last four months. So, he started telling him about the ride on the train and the ride up to the castle on the boats. Ron listened intently as he watched his sons face as he told his story.

When Hugo got to the part about the sorting, he suddenly stopped.

"You know dad, maybe I can tell you more later. I'm really beat from the long ride home." Hugo opened his eyes and looked up into his dad's caring blue eyes that were identical to his own; trying to hold in the tears of frustration and hurt and sadness.

"You sure?" His dad asked looking upset that he didn't get to hear more.

"Yeah." Hugo mumbled. Ron nodded slightly and ruffled his sons fiery orange hair as he smiled sadly.

"Okay then. I guess we can talk more later. I'll come get you when dinners' ready." And then Ron stood up and started walking towards the door.

Just as he was about to touch the door knob the answer as to what was wrong with his son came to him.

"Are you upset because you weren't sorted into Gryffindor?" He asked quietly as he peaked over his shoulder at his son who had not moved, but whose eyes were filled with unshod tears.

"Your mum and I aren't upset if your worried about it. Hufflepuff will bring forth a great wizard." And that seemed to be when the dam broke and the tears flowed.

"Oh, Hugh." Ron walked back over to the bed and pulled his son into a tight embrace; something he had wanted to do for four long and lonely months.

"I'm a freaking Hufflepuff, dad. Just a fricken Hufflepuff." Hugo was sobbing. Ron clutched to his son as he rubbed the boys back in comfort.

"There's nothing wrong with being a Hufflepuff." Ron told him trying to calm his upset child much like he had when Hugo was a baby.

"I'm a failure. I'm suppose to be a Gryffindor, not a stupid Hufflepuff. Why dad? Why couldn't that damn hat place me in Gryffindor?" Ron smiled slightly. Much like Hermione in that way, Hugo was not big into swearing...that was his Rosie. And then he frowned when Hugo's words finally registered in his mind.

He pulled back slightly and pushed Hugo's chin gently so that he could look into his sons beautiful blue eyes.

"Hugo Victor Weasley, you are not a failure. I don't know where you got that idea, but you are not a failure. You never have been." Ron spoke firmly. He wanted his son to get the message. He didn't want his son to have the same mindset as he did when he was his age. And then he softened his tone, "and as for the hat, Hugh, it always knows best. You weren't meant to be a Gryffindor...you were meant to be a Hufflepuff."

"But I don't want to be a Hufflepuff. There the leftover losers with no skill no talent. Dad, I'm one of those people with no potential."

Ron could see that Hugo truly believed this too. Ron sighed as he pulled his son closer. He happened to notice that Hugo rested his head right against Ron's chest above his heart just like he had when he was a baby. This made him flash a smile.

"Hugo, Hufflepuffs do have skill and potential. Their great people and they, just like other people from different houses go on to do great things. They may not be as wise as the Ravenclaws, or as cunning as the Slytherins, and they may not have as much nerve and pride as the Gryffindors, but Hugh we wouldn't be anywhere without the Hufflepuffs. Did you know, that every single Hufflepuff, all the way down to the fifth years that hid from McGonagall and Filch stayed and fought along side your mum and Uncle Harry and me in the Battle of Hogwarts? Every single one Hugh. Even some of the seventh year Gryffindors left when the opportunity arose. Without the Hufflepuffs, chances are we wouldn't have one the war. And even after the battle was over, every single Hufflepuff who wasn't dead or unconcious was either tending to the wounded or out find the bodies of those who were lost, even though they were tired and pretty battle worn. Their loyalty to the light and to us is bravery in a true form. It takes a lot of courage to always what's right son, even when it's hard; but it takes twice as much courage to never leave somebody you care about, even when your scared.

"I don't think I ever told you this, but did you know that the sorting hat almost placed me in Hufflepuff?"

"It did?" Hugo asked as he glanced up at his father. Ron smiled gently and wiped away a stream of tears running down his sons' cheek.

"Yep. I think the only reason why it stuck me in Gryiffindor is because I sure as bloody hell wasn't patient in the slightest, especially when I was 11." Hugo chuckled weakly.

"Yeah, dad, your still not even slightly patient."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ron asked in a faux stern tone with a faux scowl on his face. Hugo chuckled even louder.

"Kidding, Dad, kidding."

"You better be." Ron chuckled along with his son, "Anyways, Hugh, you belong in a house with true courage and love. It's not a house full of "leftovers" or "rejects", son, and don't you dare go thinking that for another minute. You understand me?"

Hugo nodded as he listened to his Dad, "Now, don't you keep on getting upset because your a Hufflepuff. Go out and be the strong little warrior that your mum and I raised."

Hugo was quiet for a few seconds before he mumbled out, "But, you were so excited for me to become a Gryffindor. You kept saying that I was bound to be one."

"Hugo, I'll tell you now, that as a parent you always want your kids to be like you."

"But I'm still a failu-"

"Don't you dare even finish that sentence. Just because you aren't a Gryffindor, I'm still just as proud to say that my son is a Hufflepuff, and that he'll be in the same house as some of the most bravest and courageous people I know."

"But Dad, there's millions of Hufflepuffs out there. What makes me so different from...uhh, I don't know, say Gilderoy Lockheart?"

Ron rolled his eyes though Hugo couldn't see, "Don't get me started on all of issues from that bloke, and I can't say that he's my Hufflepuff or my son."

THE END

A/N:(Okay, so I've had this idea for like three weeks now and this is like my fourth time writing this piece. I know Ron is a OCCish, but I thought it would be a cute idea to write a cute and sort of emotional one(possible two)-shot between Ron and Hugo. So, if you don't like...well, you don't like it I guess. Anyways, read...review...favorite...follow...check out my other stories...do whatever you please. Over and out, S.A.M.)