Disclaimer: I own only what you don't recognise from JKR's world.
Thanks to my awesome beta, for being her pedantic, grammar nazi self. Love you Mum!
A/N: so this is the next installment of Hugo and Lily's adventures, hope you all enjoy and please be sure to let me know what you think.
Chapter One:
Hugo dragged his trunk after Lily, Rose's barrage of instructions echoing after them. "I give them ten before they come check up on us." He muttered to Lily. She laughed, "Maybe less. Oh this one's almost empty." She stopped abruptly in front of a compartment and opened the door, "Is it alright if we sit here?" She asked the boy inside. He looked up, startled. "Err ah yeah," he stuttered, jumping to his feet. With a large smile, Lily stepped into the compartment and after a few moments struggle both she and Hugo had their trunks safely stowed and were introducing themselves. Lily and Hugo; cousins, best friends, first years. It was habit to leave off last names in their family, Hugo mused and the boy, Matthew, hadn't asked which made things easier. He was a rather small boy, shorter than even Lily, and quite ordinary looking. He had short brown hair, a slightly darker shade than mousy brown and timid green eyes. Not the sparkling emerald of Harry and Albus, but a pale green with flecks of brown.
Lily seemed to be enjoying the conversation, though she was the only one really participating. Whenever Matthew did speak it came out in a quiet mumble. Hugo wasn't really paying too much attention; as for any confident young boy, Matthew's shyness confused him. His mind was already going over the possibilities the year would bring. He'd have to check how the elves were doing first thing, and then he'd…
His plans were interrupted when the compartment door flew open. An older student stuck his head in and looked around. "There's just a couple of firsties," he called and two more boys stepped into the compartment with him.
"Scram," the first boy said carelessly.
"Excuse me?" Lily asked, politely confused.
"They want us to leave. Think they're better than us just 'cause they're bigger," Hugo said scornfully.
"We need this compartment. So scram." The boy hissed, starting to look annoyed.
"No I don't think we want to. Lily do you want to leave?" Hugo asked, fighting to keep his temper in check. She knew the signs and took over swiftly. "No not really. I like this compartment. Don't you Matt?" She smiled at him, and stumbling over his words in his haste to agree, Matt managed to splutter a yes.
The three boys were infuriated now; the middle one drew his wand. Lily quickly did the same. She knew Hugo's wand was in his trunk.
She said the only spell she knew and before they knew it the three boys were bright green. It was a spell she'd seen James do many times to Albus a previous summer when he thought no one was watching. There was a loud bang and the first years were all in a full body bind. Hugo struggled to fight when one of the boys gave him a casual push and he toppled over into Lily. They laughed cruelly, "Aw did that hurt?"
"What the hell is going on here?" James' outraged voice echoed through the compartment. From the angle he was lying Hugo could just make out several pairs of feet in doorway. He recognised James' faded red sneakers, Rose's shiny black school shoes and other pairs he knew must be more relatives. They couldn't even get picked on in peace he sighed, ignoring the fact minutes ago he'd been wishing some of them would turn up.
"We're just dealing with some mouthy firsties," one of the boys replied. There was a loud bang as several spells were said at once.
"Finate Incantatem," Rose said and Hugo scrambled to his feet, holding out a hand to Lily. James, Fred, Roxanne, Albus and Rose were standing in the doorway, wands drawn. A large crowd of students gathered behind them.
"Oh Hugo are you okay?" Rose asked flinging her arms around him. "Gerroff me!" he muttered pushing her away, "I'm fine." Unperturbed she went over to Lily and hugged her tightly. Lily didn't complain. She no longer seemed angry; in fact she had a thoughtful smile on her face. James on the other hand looked livid. "That firstie happens to be my little sister and if you, or anyone ever even think about hexing her again. You will be very, very sorry." He hissed.
"Or Hugo." Rose added jabbing her wand at the boys who were now slumped in a green pile of tangled arms and legs.
"Or Matt." Lily added serenely, "Don't leave him out." She smiled at him again and he turned a furious shade of red.
Hugo rolled his eyes. What was the kid's problem? He had no patience with that kind of thing.
"Can't you two keep out of trouble half an hour?" Albus asked with a laugh.
"We try." Lily said, "Honest, anyway those boys came in here. We didn't really do anything."
"Except manage to provoke them," Rose said. "Most first years just avoid people like Ricky Johnstone."
"So we were just supposed to let him…" Hugo began hotly; Lily laid her hand on his arm.
"Well I'm proud of you both," James grinned, "standing up to them on your first day." He gave Lily a quick squeeze. "You're a true Potter now, Lils." Matt made a strange strangled noise and stared at them wide-eyed. Lily could see his mind putting everything together.
"Well you guys have done your duty, checked up on us and all. You can leave now." She said it with a smile, and so they left, taking Ricky Johnstone and his disoriented friends with them. She turned to Matt, "Yes my daddy is Harry Potter, I hope we can still be friends."
"Uh yeah…of course."
"Great! So what house do you think you'll be in?"
"err…I'm not sure. My mum was in Ravenclaw."
"Well you never know. Most of our family is in Gryffindor but some are in Ravenclaw, Hugo's sister Rosie is. She's very smart. My brothers, James and Al, they're in Gryffindor because they're brave. I wouldn't mind being in either because I'd be with them. Of course I don't think I'd mind being in any house. We know nice people from all the houses, I just hope I'm with a first year I know, like you or Hugo."
Matt nodded shyly, "Uh yeah. Me too." She beamed at him, causing red to flush his face again. Hugo sighed, if this guy wanted to be friends with Lily he'd have to get used to her smiling at him. She smiled more than anyone he'd ever met before.
"Hugo wants to be in Gryffindor because his…"
"I don't care." Hugo snapped, "Houses are a bureaucratic procedure designed to oppress freedom and to condemn individuality through stereotypes."
"Of course," Lily said, taking it in her stride, "I'd forgotten." She turned to Matt, "We don't care."
"Uh of course." The boy seemed a bit overwhelmed. Lily patted his hand, "Don't worry. It really doesn't matter which house you're in," she said, though it wasn't clear which boy she was speaking to.
The trolley came round and they all shared some sweets and pumpkin pasties. As the train ride went on, Matt turned red less and managed to open up a bit more. They learned that his mother was a witch and his father a muggle. He had gone to a muggle primary school, at his father's request and had hated it. He was sceptical as to how different Hogwarts would be. "School is still school, no matter what you're learning," he muttered darkly.
"Maybe you'll like what we learn here," Lily suggested optimistically.
"It wasn't the learning I didn't like." Matt didn't elaborate more than that, and the subject soon changed to one that greatly interested Hugo.
"Wonder what happens to the animals people transfigure in class?"
"We'll have to find out. Make they're being treated ethically." Hugo latched on to the idea like a small pit-bull, "They're transfigured in more than one class, kept specifically for that reason."
"The poor things." Lily murmured, "I remember James mentioned kittens." Her eyes flicked to the basket where her pet kitten was curled up asleep.
"It wouldn't be much fun." Matt said, "and very confusing. One moment you're a kitten the next who knows what. Half the time students wouldn't get it right either." Hugo beamed at him, he was grateful Matt didn't go red, just as he was starting to see him in a new light.
"You need to get changed, we'll be at the station soon," Rose reminded them as she left for what seemed the millionth time. Throughout the ride they had been inundated with concerned relatives and family friends checking to see how they were doing.
"We're the youngest," Lily explained to Matt, and slipped out to change.
"It's pretty full-on," Matt commented as they pulled their robes on.
"Drives me crazy." Hugo replied, "Always been that way though. Worst is at Christmas time. Everyone comes home then. It's pure torture."
"How big is your family?" Matt asked in wonder.
"I honestly don't know. Now Vic and Ted are getting married there is bound to be more." He brightened, "Everyone can fuss over the baby instead of me and Lils."
"What baby?" Lily asked, her face lighting up as she re-entered the compartment.
"I was just saying Vic and Ted are bound to have kids now they're getting married."
"Oh, yeah," she sighed blissfully, "I can't wait for the wedding."
Hugo shook his head, "I can."
They were still arguing playfully about weddings when the train pulled into the Hogsmeade station and James appeared to show them where to go. "Like we couldn't find it on our own." Hugo grumbled.
"Lil' Lily 'n Hugo." Hagrid's voice boomed above them. "Thought it'd be a long time 'til I saw you here."
"Hello Hagrid," Hugo muttered.
"Don't mind Hugo, he gets irritable after a long day of being patronised," Lily said as she turned to give Hagrid a hug.
By the time their boats neared the bank Hugo had worked himself into a frenzy. The combination of irritation, fatigue and worry was close to inducing a full on panic attack. He'd paused, like all first years, at the sight of a magnificent castle silhouetted in the distance, but was soon back to his anxious thoughts. Lily sighed "He gets like this sometimes," she explained as Hugo began ranting about unintelligible what-ifs and with a determined look on her face pushed him into the lake. He came up splashing and spluttering, "What the hell, Lily?" She was unrepentant, "Hugo you need to calm down. Nothing is going to go wrong, we are going to have a fantastic time at Hogwarts and you are going to revolutionise the school. Worrying yourself into hysteria is not going to help, it is going to hinder." Matt helped hauled Hugo back into the boat, "I could've drowned," Hugo told Lily. She shrugged, "We're in shallow water. It's time to get out."
The two boys looked around. Indeed, most of the other first years had already clambered out of their boats and were waiting apprehensively for Hagrid to lead them forward. "Alright there Hugo?"
"Yeah, just fine," Hugo said honestly. "Thanks," he whispered to Lily as they followed Hagrid towards the castle.
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