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Hugo had finally gotten acccustomed to the school, which admittedly was not that hard to do when a large percentile we're relatives, or close family friends. But after six strenuous months, something not many eleven year olds can say, he had adapted into a comfortable routine. Or so he thought.

Having a lot of cousins meant that Hugo hadn't ever really had to make friends, and he was well sociable, always talking about quidditch or schoolwork. But he'd never had a real, non blood related friend. Until today, that is.

Coming down to the common room late at night was one of his ways to take a break and just relax, and most frequently he was alone during these visits. Except for today. Her name was Sam Nichols, she was a first year same as him, and more often than not seen with a large grin on her face, showing off that crooked, but sweet smile. Now was not one of those times.

She was sitting in the windowsill, and turned her head to face him when she heard the light tread of his feet. Tears were streaking around her heartshaped face, which right now was marked with red blotches along her cheeks, forehead and nose. Her bloodshot eyes calculated him for a second, than got watery again before she closed them and put her head to the cool window, making slight sniffling noises and she tried not to openly sob.

" Ugh.." Hugo's voice faltered in the night, and he cleared his throat. " Alright, we'll come sit on the couch." The assertive but caring tone his voice had could only have been taken by his mother. " C'mon Sam, it's okay." Sam got up and hesitantly padded over to where Hugo was sitting on the huge scarlet couch placed in the middle of the room. When she finally sat down, Hugo didn't say much. Except.. " So.. you want to talk about it?"

Evidently, that was the straw that broke the camels back. Sam gulped, took a deep breath, and buried her head in his shoulder, fists balled against his chest. Tears poured out of her eyes, and she had to keep gasping to take breaths. Hugo's face was steadily growing warmer, and redder even though his ears were already burning beet red. He cautiously put his arms around her, and tightened slightly when she responded positively to the comfort.

She never answered his question, but he didn't need to bring attention onto it.

The next day at breakfast, after taking a lungful of air and sifting up that Gryffindor bravery, Sam, red faced, apologized to him for her "inappropriate behavior". Hugo laughed, told her not to be daft, it was his duty as a proper knight to help a damsel in distress. This evoked the flame, and she retorted teasingly that HE was more likely to be the damsel, not her. Hugo asked her to sit and eat breakfast with him and his cousins over at their end of the table.

That summer, Sam met the famous Ron and Hermione Weasley when she spent the last week of school break at their house. When her and Hugo had been seen off at the train, all that was heard while her parents bustled back to their car was " How long do you think before they're snogging?"

Ron was so shocked his wife would say something like that he almost crashed the car. " Hermione, they're only eleven! Bloody hell..."