Sunday into Monday
A HariPo oneshot
by mew-tsubaki
Note: The Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. It's been a while since I last wrote this pairing, but I have such a soft-spot for them out of the whole next-gen… :') Read, review, and enjoy! *Written for Uni Shall Not Sink for the Gift-Giving Extravaganza 2014 forum with the request that it be anything next-gen.
- ^-^3
Louis groaned and gave his parents a stiff look. "…come again?"
Bill Weasley would not be shaken by his son's lack of an appropriate reaction, however. "Oh, brighten up, Louis. Think of it as a graduation present."
"How about no."
Bill exchanged a look with his wife, and Fleur pursed her lips. "Louis, your fozzer and I 'ave decided zis eez a necessary family vacation. Besides, aside from seeing my parents every now and zen, we 'ave realized zat you and your sistairs 'ave nevair really 'ad ze chance to embrace my 'eritage. Zerefore, we will spend—ah, what did we decide on, William?"
"Eight days or so, luv. Let us travel but still have a week off."
"Yes, eight days." Fleur pushed the honeypot towards her son, motioning to his tea. "Now drink up and 'ave breakfast. We will pack today and leave tomorrow."
Louis, on the other hand, continued to give his parents an incredulous look. Were they really this insane? Good Merlin, maybe they were. This was just the kind of thing they'd devise. Like that time they brought Louis and his siblings to Gringotts one day for a tour of Fleur's workplace when they'd been little. Thankfully, Fleur had gone back to work for only a few years, as Louis, Dominique, and Victoire were certainly not like their parents in that regard of getting along with goblins. And then the summers in Egypt, when Bill would bring his family along with him for his couple of days convening with his old coworkers Curse-Breaking in the pyramids… Though, truthfully, Louis would take the goblins any day over the pyramids.
"What's all the hubbub about?" Dominique asked, coming from upstairs. She yawned and pulled her robe tighter around her.
"Mum and Dad are bonkers and want us to go to France," Louis answered.
Bill and Fleur leaned against the sink, sipping their own cups of tea and giving Louis a rebuking look. "It's a trip," Bill corrected.
"Graduation present," Louis reminded them with a little too much feigned enthusiasm.
Dominique didn't seem to mind. "France?" she asked, grabbing some cold pancakes and drizzling syrup over them. She stuck a forkful in her mouth and talked around it, her hazel eyes shining. "I'd ruv to go to Fwance!"
"Dominique, pleez, mannairs," Fleur scolded her daughter.
Louis shook his head and stood up from his seat at the small kitchen table, offering it to his sister. "Honestly, I think you're all nuts. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go continue my summer break in my room, reading." He headed upstairs before they could stop him, and he closed his door behind him.
Good grief. France? What were they thinking? Of course they had family in France, but everyone had always come out to Britain to visit them, never the other way around. Louis had always preferred it to be that way, too. Besides, the only surviving family they had on Fleur's side was her parents and Aunt Gabrielle, who practically lived twenty-four–seven at Beauxbatons since she taught there. What was the point of going across the sea to that country?
Fairly certain that they wouldn't be going anywhere without all of them on board with the idea, Louis picked up the recent issue of Quidditch Monthly, kicked up his feet on his headboard, and lay back, determined to read the day away.
- ^-^3
Noon had passed by the time Louis awoke from his impromptu nap. He wasn't even very sure why he had woken at all, but that became clear when someone knocked at his door—likely again.
"Louis, I meant what I said," his mother spoke through the door.
He sat up with a groan and rolled the kinks out of his neck. "And I meant what I said—I don't want to go anywhere. It's my last summer break, Mum. Then I'll be off to seventh year and then…" He trailed off and stood with a sigh. He didn't want to think about the future just yet.
"Which eez exactly why you should get out and explore ze world a bit." She paused, obviously expecting him to open the door and look at her in the least. But she tutted when that didn't happen. "Your fozzer and I are going out, since we 'ave to arrange a Portkey. Eat something, Louis, and start packing."
He rolled his eyes at his door, though the point was missed without his mother seeing the action to take offense. Ah, well.
Fleur left, for he could hear her footsteps take her back downstairs. Shortly after, he could hear his parents leaving, and only then did he open his door and stick his head out.
Dominique sped by then, nearly taking his head off as she went through the narrow hallway. "Catch you later," she said without seeing him.
"What the—where are you going?"
"To see Lysander, of course," she stated. "I don't want to disappear to France without seeing him."
"You'll just see him once we get back," Louis noted.
Dominique paused at the bottom of the steps and glanced up at him. "Yes, but I don't like him worrying over me. And it sounds like you're coming to France now."
The wizard grimaced. "I didn't say that."
"Yeah, well, whatever," Dominique continued, sitting on the bottom stair to lace up her hiking boots. "I'll be back before Mum and Dad. Don't burn the house down while I'm gone."
"Yeah, yeah…"
The witch left then, and suddenly the quiet was very apparent. Louis returned to his room and grabbed his journal, cracking it open and grabbing a quill. He wrote on the last blank page: Floo?
A minute later, a reply magically appeared beneath Louis' handwriting: Be right over.
Louis didn't release his sigh of relief until he heard the familiar whoosh of flames downstairs. He tucked his journal under his pillow and went to greet his visitor.
Though they'd had years of practice, neither Louis nor Hugo could still get through the Floo Network without getting dusty or grimy even a smidge. Hugo coughed a few times, but at least the living room was still in pristine shape. That was a lucky break. Fleur would kill Louis if the room was a hair out of place.
Louis conjured up a hanky and passed it to his cousin, who took it gratefully. "Enjoying the break?"
"More or less," the redhead replied. He wiped his face and the back of his neck, and Louis tried to keep his eyes on Hugo's. "Haven't heard from you for a few days."
"Just reading."
Hugo quirked an eyebrow, which made Louis turn away. "Uh-huh. Quidditch magazines?"
"Of course."
"Raunchy Quidditch magazines?"
Louis scoffed. "Oh, shut up, you arse."
"I'm just teasing, just teasing," the taller teen insisted. He ran a hand through his curls and smiled. "Kiss and make up?"
Normally Louis would prefer to hide behind closed doors with Hugo, even if the house was empty aside from them. But the blond was annoyed, and Hugo was wearing that nice button-up shirt Louis had bought him for his last birthday, and well, damn, no one else was home. Louis grabbed Hugo by the collar and pecked his lips, but he glared at the other male the whole time.
Hugo, seemingly clairvoyant when it came to Louis, didn't let Louis flee, though. He clasped his hands at the small of Louis' back and locked him in place. "All right, tell me. What's wrong?"
"Mum and Dad want to go to France all of a sudden and take us with them."
"And?"
"Frankly, I don't want to go anywhere. I'd rather stay behind and practice Quidditch so that maybe Chudley will scout me before seventh year's even begun."
Hugo gave him a look. "Louis, Chudley won't scout you so soon. And a trip sounds nice. Like an early graduation present."
"You sound just like them," Louis growled.
The redhead released him and went into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. "Well, you haven't been by in two weeks. You don't seem intent to spend time with anyone, Louis. At least this will get you out of the house."
Louis crossed his arms in front of his chest. Sometimes he didn't even understand why they hung out at all, let alone were together. True, he and Hugo were the youngest of their absurdly large family, and they were both kind of lone wolves in their own ways. But they were also total opposites, and sometimes Hugo's gentle, easygoing attitude was too much of a reminder of what a lazy git Louis could be.
"Bring me back a souvenir," Hugo said, coming and sitting at the kitchen table. His blue eyes were sincere. "I'll miss you."
The blond scowled but turned his head so the other wizard wouldn't see his blush. "You're awful, you know that? You sound as though you want me to leave."
"I don't," Hugo answered, and he drew Louis to him, resting his cheek on Louis' stomach despite the summer humidity of mid-July. "But I'm thinking about when you return. If you want to hang out more during the break, then say the word. I'll try to come over as often as possible, when not working on my prep work for Slughorn's advanced Potions class."
Louis pursed his lips and finally frowned. He supposed that would have to do. He tried to push away from Hugo, but the latter locked him in place. "Just let go, Hugh."
Hugo gave him such an innocent look that only Louis knew to be covertly sly. "But you invited me over, and we have the house to ourselves…"
The younger boy rolled his eyes. Once upon a time, Louis had been the one to give orders, but somewhere along the way, their roles had been reversed… But when Hugo snogged so well like that, who was Louis to object?
- ^-^3
Hugo didn't stay long. After making out for a short bit, Louis sent him on his way, and just in time, too. Dominique returned before their parents did, as promised, and she even had the chance to point out to Louis that he looked utterly disheveled.
"And your face is flushed," she added, standing in his doorway. "You—oh, Merlin, Louis, did you really need a wank today?"
He turned scarlet at his sister's crassness. "Dom! Shut up and go away!"
She laughed, though. "If you borrowed my copy of Witch Weekly, keep it."
He threw his pillow at her but missed as she went to her own room. Holy Helga Hufflepuff…witches!
The subject aggravated him a little more as the night wore on and he packed, much to his parents' delight. Honestly, he couldn't stand witches. Sure, he loved his mother, his grandmothers, and his aunts. He could even stand his female cousins and his sisters on occasion. But date one or wank to the thought of one? Ha! Not Louis Jordan Weasley.
It was actually one reason why he and Hugo oddly worked. They'd always been unusually close as children, until Hugo confessed that he liked Louis in that way in their third year. They'd had an oddly defined relationship since then which often looked to everyone else around them like Louis being Hugo's boss. But the past year had softened them, and Louis was growing more comfortable with the prat. They were still careful around family, because Merlin knew that "keeping it in the family" would not be an acceptable excuse if they were ever found out. But by extension, Louis had kept his homosexuality quiet, and Hugo his Louis-sexuality (because, no, Ickle Hugo wasn't gay or straight, he only had feelings for Louis…which Louis, honestly, was fine with, if it kept Hugo from eying anyone else). So witches? Hell no.
This was just another reason why Louis didn't like travelling very much. His parents and sisters always went on about how they could unwind when on vacation, but Louis actually had to be more alert than ever. He'd see a good-looking bloke and have to pretend to be gazing at the bikini-clad beach-goers instead. It was insufferable.
Louis had packed most of what he thought he'd need by the time Fleur called everyone down for supper. Though normally he left it at home, Louis decided to shove his enchanted journal—a twin with one Hugo had, so they'd always have a two-way connection—into his rucksack. He didn't think he could get through a week away without a word to his cousin.
"So Victoire can't come," Bill was saying to Dominique when Louis joined them for supper. Huh. Supper was pizza, Louis' favorite and Fleur's least favorite. His parents were bribing him now.
"Can't take time off from Malkin's, huh?" Dominique asked. "That's a shame. We've never had a trip like this before."
"Yes, well, we will plan bettair next time," Fleur remarked, nibbling on a slice and trying not to show her discomfort on her face.
"You plan on us repeating this in the near future?" Louis inquired, looking between his father and mother.
"It's never too late to start a new tradition," Bill answered, ruffling his son's short hair.
Louis shrugged and didn't comment, but his mind was churning. New traditions, huh? Well, what about new ideas? What about introducing his family to the other side of himself…? No, he thought, shaking his head into his pillow that night. That'd be too much for even him to handle right now. Best to put something like that off until after Hogwarts.
Still, his father's words were spawning a new idea in Louis' head. He slept some, but he was the first one up the morning of their travel day. His parents appeared suspicious of him, but he said nothing until everyone had shouldered their bags and left the house.
"Hey, hold on," the boy blurted.
The other three stared at him. "We've got to go, Louis. This Portkey is time-sensitive," Bill said.
"I know, I know, just—can I take a friend?"
Dominique pulled a face. "What, I'm not good enough company for you?" She laughed. "I joke. I don't really care."
Bill and Fleur exchanged a look. "You can each bring one person," the father said at last, "if you can get them to come right now."
Dominique stared at her nails. "I'm good. Sander just left on a trip with his parents, anyway."
But the words were music to Louis' ears. "I'll be right back!" he promised. He dropped his suitcase and pulled his broom from the Expanded pocket on the side of his rucksack. He liked flying, but he really could've used Apparition right about now. It was a shame that his and Hugo's seventeenth birthdays were still just a few weeks off.
Louis flew at top speed, and he was at Ron and Hermione's house after five or so minutes. He landed before he'd fully slowed down, and so he tumbled knocking into the front door.
Hugo, thankfully, answered it. "Ready to go?" he prompted.
Louis' eyes lit up. "You can come along!" His enthusiasm turned to confusion, however, when Hugo merely nodded and shouldered his own bag without prefacing. "…wait, what…?"
The redheaded wizard pulled the door shut behind him and nudged Louis' broom up so it hovered and awaited them. "I figured you'd end up asking me along, so I packed last night and asked Mum if I could join you. She said yes, you asked me—it all works out in the end so long as we get to that Portkey in time." He got on the broom. "Well?"
Louis shook himself and sat in front of the other teen on the broom, glaring at the sky the whole time. "You dick…"
"You're pleasantly predictable, luv."
"No Occlumency lessons for you. Ever."
"I don't need them," Hugo laughed into Louis' shoulder as the Quidditch enthusiast kicked off and sped back to his family home.
His family didn't appear at all surprised that he'd chosen to bring Hugo along. They were used to the oddball duo by now and had stopped questioning it a long time ago. "Right then," Bill said, "let's be on our way."
They took a Portkey from the beach nearby Shell Cottage to the beachside in Normandy. Louis had never been in any part of France at all, and a part of him wondered about the new region, but they had to march on to the second Portkey set up, the intra-national one which would take them to the other side of the country. The ride with the second Portkey was smoother since they didn't have to cross borders this time, but the summer weather hit them full blast when they arrived in Nice.
Nice was… Well, more than nice, Louis thought. It was actually pretty fantastic, aesthetically. The Weasleys landed in some foliage in the hills that overlooked one of the ports, and the beaches there stretched out for miles until one saw the Mediterranean Sea, which stretched out much further than the beaches could ever hope to do. The air was clear and smelled of seawater, which Louis immediately determined he liked.
Hugo slid a glance his way. "You love it here," he read from his cousin's expression.
Louis frowned and gave him the Eye. "Seriously. Enough with the mindreading."
Hugo laughed again.
The quintet walked down the hills and into one of the nicest residential areas any of the kids had ever seen. The closer to the water they got, the more clustered the houses and buildings grew, but Nice had a rich quality which many British cities lacked. There was also an easy atmosphere that breathed life into this place, and Louis couldn't picture English summer rain coming and graying out the liveliness here. In fact, he couldn't picture rain here at all.
"Eet does not rain nearly evair," Fleur told her children and nephew. "Gabrielle and I loved visiting 'ere every othair summer when we were little. Growing up een Lyon—so very different from attending Beauxbatons and staying 'ere. I am glad my parents retired to Nice." She spoke fondly, and Louis envied that, just a tad.
Their grandparents' new home was beautiful and looked nothing like Shell Cottage. It looked like a proper home on the outside, though it was painted a lovely aqua color that still didn't stand out amidst the bright colors of the other houses on the streets they passed.
Their grandmother answered the door when Bill and Fleur knocked, and the two women embraced. "Fleur! Jean-Claude, Fleur and William are here!"
Hugo gave Louis a funny look, which Louis didn't understand until they filed in and his grandmother kept saying "bonjour." Whoops. "She's just calling for Grandpapa Delacour," Louis translated.
The other boy nodded. "Oh, makes sense. Sometimes I forget you grew up around French."
Louis shrugged it off, though really he often forgot it, too, since Fleur had taught the language to him and his siblings but they'd never really used it much.
Jean-Claude and Apolline Delacour—"Grandpapa Delacour" and "Grandma Apple," to Louis and his sisters—didn't look much older than the last time they'd seen them, over a year ago when Dominique had graduated from Hogwarts. Grandpapa Delacour's hair was still all there and was just a shade lighter than the gray Louis last recalled, and Grandma Apple simply had a few more laugh lines around her mouth. Grandpapa shook his, Hugo's, and Bill's hands and hugged Fleur and Dominique, but Grandma Apple hugged everyone. "Oh, little 'Ugo!" Grandma Apple exclaimed, switching to slightly-broken English. "We 'ave not seen you since ze party for Louis getting his 'Ogwarts letter! So big, now!" And she patted his cheek as though he, too, were her grandchild, and not a grandnephew by marriage.
Hugo turned Gryffindor maroon, and Louis guffawed. Served Hugo right for being such a know-it-all earlier.
"Rooms are upstairs," Grandpapa Delacour told them. "William, why don't you 'elp me and zen we will all 'ave an early lunch?"
"Of course," Bill said.
Once everyone was settled, the family ate a light lunch of… Well, Louis wasn't sure what it was, and neither was Hugo. Grandma Apple and Fleur kept switching back and forth between English and rapid-fire French, and so Louis never caught wind of what they were having. Maybe it was for the best, though, considering French cuisine could be funky, and Louis was better trying foods the ingredients for which he didn't know.
Considering all of the pomp and circumstance when it came to announcing the trip and getting there, Louis was surprised when Fleur told him, Hugo, and Dominique to go out and explore Nice on their own. "Eet eez fine," she insisted, "since you boys will be adults soon, and Dominique eez almost nineteen." And just like that, she waved them off so the actual adults could have time to themselves.
Louis scoffed as the trio left the house and meandered onto the main road. "What the bloody hell?! All that, and then they just want to be rid of us?!"
Dominique rolled her eyes. "Live a little, Louis. We have hours to ourselves, so why not take advantage of it?"
Hugo's eyes found his for a split second, and Louis looked away. They didn't exactly have hours to themselves; that was the problem.
The wizards followed the witch into the heart of the city and took in the sights. Dominique led them from one street to the next until they came across one on which there were no motorists. Again, very different from Britain.
They took some promenade to the start of the beach but hooked around and went through the shops, as they figured they'd be spending a lot of time down in the sand anyway. Dominique dragged them into the little clothing stores and tried on every freaking bathing suit made since she'd forgotten that one item of clothing, but Hugo eased Louis' nerves by buying an Italian pastry for himself and a Vietnamese snack for Louis from two of the many diverse cafés that peppered the neighborhood.
The threesome was exhausted by the time they made it back to Grandpapa Delacour and Grandma Apple's. "Ugh, someone carry me to the beach tomorrow," Dominique whined as they sat in the doorway, kicking off their shoes.
"Carry yourself," Louis said. He rubbed his aching feet.
Hugo gave him a reproachful look. "I would, Dom, but I think I need to look up that Sunscreen Charm again." He poked the skin on his forearms. "…I'm a little red, and still warm to the touch."
"Hugo the lobster," the other boy quipped.
"You're lucky you two tan," Hugo simply said. Honestly! He could rarely be riled.
At least their first day was uneventful. Dinner was one by candlelight outside in the backyard, and the adults offered the three youngest a sip of wine since they were at home. Louis turned it down, as did Hugo, but Dominique took one sip and nearly vomited. Their parents laughed while Dominique cursed at them, saying the smell of alcohol was overpowering and she'd never have wine again.
"So she says," Hugo joked to Louis when they turned in for the night.
Louis changed into a sleep shirt and shorts while Hugo donned proper pajamas. "Yeah. Little do Mum and Dad know that she'd sneak firewhiskey every once in a while when she was still at school."
Hugo sat on one of the two beds in the guestroom they shared and watched Louis kick his suitcase into the tiny closet before it busted open and spilled the rest of his wrinkled clothes on the floor. "You didn't want any wine, though."
"Didn't feel like it."
"You've never had firewhiskey, either."
Louis shoved his clothes back into the suitcase and chanced a glimpse at the redhead. "…no. Same with you."
Hugo smiled and nodded. "No."
Louis left his things in a heap and gave up, climbing into bed and pulling the covers up after casting a Cooling Charm on the room. "You know, I'm surprised with the both of us," he said after Hugo turned off the light.
The other teen turned in his bed, signaled by the creak of the bedframe. "Why's that?" he asked into the darkness.
"Considering everything else we get up to, I'd almost expect us to be bad children," Louis mumbled.
A silent moment passed. And then Hugo spoke, equally softly: "People in love aren't bad people, Lou."
Louis frowned, hating the pleasant warmth that started in his belly and spread to his toes at having heard that. He turned away from Hugo and towards the window that faced the city and, beyond that, the sea. He didn't really have a smart response. "Goodnight, Hugo."
"Goodnight, Louis."
- ^-^3
Their vacation week began in earnest the next day. The family made an outing to the beach early, before the sun was at its highest point and therefore at its hottest temperature. Louis loved it, and several times he laughed at Hugo when the latter kept forgetting to recast the Sunscreen Charm. The charm only lasted a certain amount of time depending on how high the temperature was, and considering they'd only learned the charm through reading on their own in the previous school year, neither of them were adept at it. Whereas everyone else tanned, no one could help Hugo anyway.
Grandpapa Delacour, Grandma Apple, and Fleur took turns telling the others about Nice and pointing out unique buildings and places. For instance, there was a large Muggle hotel, the Hotel Negresco, which had what Louis thought was an awfully gaudy sign that he was sure would be even worse when lit up at night.
"Place Masséna is a wonderful sight at night, though," Grandpapa Delacour insisted in French as they crossed the large square during the day. "We should come back tomorrow night, when it is all lit up like Christmas."
They made that the plan for the next night, so once again the young people were allowed to be out and about. Dominique left her brother and cousin to their own devices, as she'd befriended an Algerian witch a year younger than her, the daughter of the Wizarding family up the street, as suggested by Grandma Apple.
Hugo and Louis went to hit the shops again, but Hugo insisted on visiting the bookstore. "Only you could make vacation boring," the blond remarked, sticking his hands into his jeans pockets.
"That's not it," Hugo protested, frowning. He scanned the shelves, flipped through a few titles, and purchased one tiny but thick book. He dropped it into his Expanded shirt pocket when the Muggles weren't looking.
"So what'd you end up buying?"
"You'll see. I hope." Hugo looked unsure of himself, which only worried Louis a bit. It amused him more to see Hugo squirm. So…
Outside, as the city turned dark, Louis took Hugo's hand. The redhead struggled to take his hand back, but Louis held it tightly. "It's fine, I'm sure," the cocky male fibbed. "France is the country of love."
"But, in public—"
"Didn't you see the other people on the beach? There were gay men out and about. At least one pair of lesbians, too."
"You were really searching for them?"
"They happened to enter my field of vision," Louis elaborated.
"I dunno…" Hugo's hand went limp, and he finally slipped out of Louis' grasp. "What if we come across Dom and her new friend, or something? It's just not wise."
The part-Veela wizard bristled and shoved his hands back into his pockets. He stalked back toward his grandparents' house. "Fine then."
"Louis, wait—"
"Why? It's not wise to be seen out with me," Louis spat.
Hugo trailed him the entire way back, but he said nothing more. Dinner was awkward, as was breakfast the following morning. Hugo holed up in their room with his new book that night and that morning, and Louis tossed the worn Quaffle he'd brought along outside with his father and grandfather, sans brooms.
The days persisted much in this manner, and the fun and festive atmosphere dampened whenever the two were in the same room together. Except for meals, Dominique spent most of her time over at her new friend's house, and their parents and grandparents enjoyed each other's company. It didn't give the two teenaged boys much of an option to spend time with someone who wasn't himself or the other.
Three days managed to pass without interruption from the others, but Louis found his annoyance (and maybe anger) ebbing. He hated that. In the past, he could've held a grudge against Hugo for months, and the same could be said of Hugo against Louis. But Louis chocked it up to his softening as a result of being with Hugo for so long, and he finally caved.
On the sixth day of their vacation, Louis had excused himself from his and Hugo's room early that morning. But he popped his head back in half an hour later when Hugo remained inside, yet again, reading his new book. "Hey," he muttered, his voice raspy from lack of use. "Want to walk along the Promenade des Anglais?"
At least Hugo looked up from his book. His eyes were bluer than his grandparents' home, Louis decided. "…not particularly."
"Oh. Okay." Hugo returned to his book, so Louis went outside and practiced with his Quaffle for the rest of the day. Evening set, and Louis tried again. "How about now?"
Hugo jolted when Louis stuck his head in, and he covered his beating heart with his hand. "Cripes, Louis! You surprised me."
"Why?" Louis narrowed his eyes at him. "You weren't…were you?"
Hugo turned redder than his head. "No, you obnoxious git, I wouldn't do that in someone else's home!"
"So come with me."
The other groaned. "You won't leave me alone until I do, will you?"
"Nope."
Hugo sighed and ushered Louis out of their room. "Fine, fine… But…just a walk. And a brief one. I'm sure dinner will be soon."
Even though Hugo had insisted on a quick walk, they found themselves walking all the way past the Hotel Negresco. "Huh. It really is hideous lit up," Louis commented.
"I think it looks nice."
"That's because you see the best in everything," Louis said.
Hugo frowned and bumped his shoulder with Louis'. "And you're lucky for that."
The blond said nothing, and their walk became a silent affair.
At one point, Louis thought he felt eyes on the back of his head, but it was just Hugo behind him. He had a prissy quip on the tip of his tongue, but it never left his mouth when Hugo reached for his hand.
"I thought you—"
Hugo squeezed his eyes shut. "J-Jet time!"
"Huh?" Louis gave him a "What the fuck?" face.
Hugo, even in the city lights, was blushing furiously. "Jet time," he repeated, his voice cracking.
"Hugo, I don't even—" "Jet time," "jet time…" It almost sounded like… Louis doubled over with laughter. "OH MY MERLIN! Do you mean 'je t'aime'?!"
"Argh…! Is that how you pronounce it?!"
Louis had to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Where the hell did you learn that?"
"My book!" Hugo pulled it from his shirt pocket. It turned out the book was a French–English dictionary with a pamphlet-thin conversation section with bonus common phrases. But the pronunciation guide was poorly written. "I just—I was trying to impress you… And show you that I didn't mean to make it a big deal the other night… But once you pointed out that everyone's themselves out here, I started noticing that, too, so… I wanted to show you that I feel the same," he bumbled. He cursed. "But French is harder than it looks!"
The blond wizard sighed and managed to catch his breath. "Oh, Hugo… You didn't have to do that to fix things or impress me. Though I will say, I like the idea that someone as smart as you struggles with learning at least one thing in this world."
Hugo pouted and took Louis' hand once again, now that the shorter male was done laughing. They resumed their walk. "…I didn't even want to come, you know. And not just 'cause I burn."
His better half raised his eyebrows.
"I… I came along for you, Louis. You seemed to be in a funk, knowing we're heading into our last year. And you keep talking about Chudley and practicing, but I get the feeling that you don't feel confident that Quidditch is in your future. It doesn't take McGonagall to make the leap that you're doubting not only your future, but ours. I just want you to be happy and know that I'll stick around so long as you'll have me."
…crap. When in the hell had Hugo become such a cool bloke? His words hit the nail on the head, but it was Hugo's declaration that made Louis' eyes wet. He stopped them from walking and leaned his forehead on Hugo's shoulder, hiding his face. "…I really hate you sometimes, you know that?" the blond groused.
Hugo laughed wetly. "I love you, too, Louis."
"Can I kiss you?"
It was a big step from holding hands in sight of others, but Hugo nodded. In the light of, in Louis' opinion, the gaudiest hotel on the planet, they shared their first public kiss, yet it felt as though they were the only ones in the world.
Louis sighed, content. "Well, at least my family will be happy we're getting along again."
"Yeah."
They strolled back, as if nothing had ever happened. The others did indeed notice the happy difference, and Dominique beamed at them. "I'm glad vacation didn't turn to hell because of you," she told her brother.
He made a face at her. "Vacation's not over yet." But he accepted a one-armed hug from her anyway.
That night, the two boys fell asleep talking to each other in the dark again. "Hey, Louis?" Hugo whispered.
"Hmm?"
"You do love it here, don't you?"
Louis couldn't help the upward curve of his lips. "…yeah."
"We should come here again, just the two of us."
"…yeah."
"Make some more memories. Some other firsts."
And Louis' imagination didn't let him sleep for the rest of the night.
- ^-^3
Grandma Apple was extremely sad to see them go, but the week had flown by. They'd meant to leave on the morning of the eighth day; however, Grandma Apple managed to delay them until the onset of early evening.
Their Portkey journeys back only felt twice as long as the journeys to France, but Louis felt emotionally as well as physically exhausted. If this was what going on a trip with Hugo was like, he wasn't sure he wanted to make a habit of it.
Hugo, at least, suffered the same. The lot of them got into Shell Cottage, and Dominique dashed upstairs while Louis and Hugo plodded in after Louis' parents. "Mind if I crash here tonight?" Hugo asked.
"Of course, 'Ugo," Fleur said. "Dinner will be ze leftovers which Maman packed for us." She yawned. "On second zought, maybe dinner should be every man for 'imself… William, I am going to go rest…"
Bill groaned and stretched. "Ugh, I'll join you."
"No…! You should wake me up een a few 'ours…" Either way, the couple headed for their room.
Louis chuckled at all of them. "I've heard of Muggles getting jetlag, but what do wizards get from too much Portkey travelling?"
"Dunno, and don't care," Hugo mumbled. "I'll be upstairs."
"Fine. Just don't take over my bed—you're the guest, you get the floor." Louis watched over him as he clambered up the steps, and then Louis went and made himself a snack. After, he, too, went up to his room.
Dominique poked her head out into the hallway before her brother closed his door. "Psst! Louis."
He groaned. "Dom, no theatrics right now. What?"
Suddenly, she hugged him without introduction. "Just…y'know. Sibling love." She stared at him for a while, hazel eyes on brown for a brief moment before roving over him. Then she passed him a note and kissed his cheek. "I doubt anyone's getting up anytime soon for supper, so 'night." She then retreated into her room and closed the door in his face before he even had time to react.
Back in his room, Hugo had, as expected, sprawled across Louis' bed. Louis had barely enough room to sit on the edge, even, as he read Dominique's note. Her words were more startling than her hug:
While I'm not sure going for our cousin was the best idea…you two seem happy with each other, and I just want you to know that I have no problem with who you are, Louis. You're my baby brother, after all. Love you! And goodnight. –D
Hell's bells. His instincts had been off. It hadn't been only Hugo's eyes on the back of his head the other night—Dominique must've seen them.
However, though he initially blanched upon seeing her words, the more times he reread them, the more heartening the missive was. Dominique knew. Someone knew…and it was all right. Granted, Dominique had somewhat of a devil-may-care attitude and their generation was vastly different from generations past, but it gave him hope. She gave him hope.
Hugo turned in his sleep, and Louis glanced over his shoulder at his cousin. He didn't want to wake him up.
Louis grabbed his journal from his rucksack and tucked Dominique's note in the back. Then he flipped to the freshest blank page and wrote. Dominique knows, and it's okay. He hesitated and then continued: Je t'aime, H. Hugo would see this tomorrow, but Louis wanted to write it now.
The blond boy closed the book and returned it to his rucksack since putting it in its usual spot under his pillow would disturb his love. Then he kicked off his shoes and lay down beside Hugo. He drifted off as Hugo turned once more, and Louis fell asleep with Hugo's arms wrapped around him.
France had been worth it, Louis concluded, and so was this future with Hugo.
- ^-^3
I've been in a fluffy mood lately, so yeah. LouHugh. Normally they're a little raunchier than this, and/or angstier (I took some ideas from past oneshots for them, "boundaries & promises" and "crashing & burning: we'd be so lucky"), but this was a pleasant change. I also adored writing this alternate version of Dominique. She was a little sassy but sweet… MAN, I just love Bill and Fleur's kids. And so surprising for me not to include Victoire in this, as she's my favorite… I guess you got me to do something unusual, Uni! XD Hope you liked it, though, hon! And an interesting question…do older witches and wizards retire? :O Btw, my description of Nice—well, I tried, despite never having been outside the U.S. XD
Thanks for reading, and please review! And check out my other fics (or at least the two mentioned above) if you liked this.
-mew-tsubaki :]