-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HUGO & MONICA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1
.:. HUGO EDWARD WEASLEY .:.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this particular morning, we find our main character lying in bed, wrapped in a peculiar way in the mattress, sleeping with a happy look on his face. He seemed so happy that I feel tempted to use my prerogatives as a storyteller and enter his dreams.
White. Everything was white around him, everything slightly clouded. Paying closer attention, I'm able to say that he was in the shower. A hand touched his shoulder tenderly and he turned fast to see who it was. It was a blond girl with golden skin. She smiled and carefully touched his lips with hers... And we were suddenly pulled away from his dream by a loud noise.
He rubbed his eyes tiredly and reached for the alarm clock, "Six-twenty four... Six-twenty four! Why do I need an alarm clock during vacations?" said as he placed back the clock on the bedside table without any care. He stayed lying on the bed and closed his eyes, trying to get back to his dream...
"Get out of bed, Hugo!" He opened his eyes and, in a bad mood, faced his sister who was opening the window. "Dad is going to rip out your hair if you don't get up at once!"
"Let me sleep, Rose! It's Saturday and I was having a dream..." He grabbed his pillow and put it on top of his face to escape from the light.
"And by your smile I assume Sarah was on it..." she said, taking off the pillow from his face.
"So you assumed right. And we were just about to shower..." and the smile started to get back to his face.
"You pervert!" she laughed and hit him with the pillow that she still had in her hands, "But you will have to keep this dream for later; you promised that you would help at the shop today. Dad is waiting for you downstairs. And he does not seem in a good mood..."
"Shit!" he said as he reached for the clock on the bedside table and then he saw that there were only three minutes left to get ready, "Shit, shit, shit!"
"Stop cursing and get ready. I'll go tell Dad that you are up already," said Rose as she left the bedroom, leaving a desperate brother behind.
He got out of bed in a jump. He couldn't figure how he had forgotten his promise to help his dad and uncle at the shop today. "Shit, shit, shit!" He crawled over the mess in his bedroom searching for clothes. Shirt, shoes, socks... Oops! Take of the shoes, put on the socks and then the shoes. He ran to the bathroom and gave a relieved sight. Let's be honest, there is no bigger relieve than to unload a full bladder... He washed his face and tamed the hair. "Guess I'm ready... Still have a minute to grab something to eat."
"Dear boy, I don't want to sound unpleasant, but I think you forgot to put on your trousers..." suggested his reflection from the mirror. He ran back to his room. "Where did my trousers hide? Why do my clothes always hide away from me?" he said as he searched desperately in his closet.
"Thirty seconds, Hugo!" came his fathers's voice from downstairs.
Trousers, trousers... Found! He ran, trying to put them on as he descended the stairs. Right leg in! Step, step, step. Left leg... in! Step, step, step. Zipped, buttoned. Final jump! "I'm ready!"
"Let's go then," said the red-haired man, standing up from the table and kissing the wavy-haired woman. Hugo knew that he shouldn't have believed in Rose, his father would never get annoyed just because he was a bit late...
"The boy didn't eat anything yet, Ronald!" said the woman as she dragged Hugo to the kitchen.
"I'll grab something to eat at the Leaky Cauldron, Mum."
"Have at least a toast now," she said as she handed him a toast with butter. He quickly ate the toast, kissed his mother and stole a sip from his sister's coffee. Ran to the yard where his father petted Plump, the family dog. I'll have to add a side-note here, something every storyteller can do when we need to say something of importance that doesn't necessarily fits the story. The real name of the dog is Roderick Plumpton, a tribute to the seeker who holds the record of the fastest to catch a Snitch in a match. Hugo gave the dog this name because in the same day that he found the dog, he also got Roderick's Chocolate Frog card. I might add that Plump is anything but a seeker; he is not fast and does not like to catch anything that is thrown to him. Some even say that he is the laziest dog on Earth... This may not be a very important information, but it is always nice for us to know every family member, and Plump is just as good as one.
"Ready, Dad?" Ronald stood up and left Plump on the floor, looking unpleased.
"Ready! Oh, just a second!" he said and then called, "I'll meet you for lunch, Hermione?"
"Yes, dear! We'll meet at the Leaky Cauldron later," said the wavy-haired woman from the door.
"Now I'm ready." Ronald and Hugo got closer and Side-Apparated to the back of the shop.
Even from the distance, they could see that Diagon Alley was starting to get crowded. And it wouldn't be any different since the Hogwarts letters just came yesterday, so many parents would come to buy the school supplies today. That is exactly the reason why Hugo volunteered to help at the shop. It was already considered essential, almost as an invisible item at the school supplies list, to bring some Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to Hogwarts.
"Glad you arrived," said Uncle George, throwing an apron to Hugo, "You'll be responsible to re-stock the shelves, you already know where the boxes are." Then he turned to Ronald, "Ron, Angelina won't be able to come today, she is not feeling very well. Could you try to get someone else to help us? I'm finishing some contracts up there..."
"Leave it to me. Hugo, go up front and see if Lucy needs anything, I'll go there and try to find someone to help us," said Ron as he went upstairs to his office.
"Sure," said Hugo as he went to the shop. Lucy was there, dancing with the broom. I think I should say that this is Lucy Sanders, who had been working at the shop for five years, and not Lucy Weasley, who you still haven't meet, who is Hugo's cousin. This Lucy is always in a good mood, no matter the time of the day or night. In the five years that they had known her, the Weasleys had never seen her sad or bothered by something. Hugo always envied her... He wished he had the same disposition in the morning.
"Hugo boy! How are things going? Enjoying your vacation?"
"Yes... Everything is slow... Got up late and didn't even have a real breakfast yet."
"Well, you better start warming up because I believe today will be very busy!" And she seemed to be celebrating this... Hugo took a look over the shelves and, seeing that Lucy had already taken care of fixing the shop, went back to his father's office and saw him getting up from the fireplace.
"Did you find someone, Dad?"
"Yes, yes... Victoire said she will come. May I know why you are smiling?" said Ron as he saw that his son couldn't hold back a smile.
"Well, the shop is already crowded without her here, imagine what it would be like with her around. Some boys are still affected by her... Being part-Veela and all..."
Ron laughed and said, "True... Well, if they come in and buy, then there will be no problem. Is everything ready at the shop?"
"All set. The shelves are full and Lucy is finishing the cleaning. May I go to Leaky to grab something to eat?"
"Sure, son. Could you take the time to book us a table for lunch?" said Ron, already scribbling at a parchment. "Oh!" he said, raising his head to look at his son, "If there is still a slice of that apple pie..."
"I'll bring it," Hugo smiled and took off the apron, hanging it at the door. Got out of the shop and walked straight to the Leaky Caldron, but always taking care to not hit those that walked from the opposite direction.
"Hello, Miss Abbott!" he said as he entered the Leaky Cauldron and met the owner, Hannah Abbott, wife of Neville Longbottom, one of Hugo's parents best friends, "Do you have a mug of coffee for a starving boy?"
"And did I ever not have coffee to serve you?" she smiled and handed him the menu while she continued to clean the table, "How is everybody?"
"They are fine. Dad asked me to book a table, we are coming for lunch," Hugo said as he read the menu.
"Consider the table booked. What are you having now?"
"Hum... A good mug of coffee and one of these sandwiches and... a piece of that pie."
Hannah smiled, "Is that all?"
"And a slice of apple pie for dad." Hugo smiled back and waited for his order, which didn't take long, and decided to sit at a table. But as he turned around, he saw himself colliding with an unexpected barrier and then he could attest how hot his coffee was...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.N.: Hi there! Chapter one for you! Did you like it? Thank you for taking you time to read it, but I hope you also take the time to press that beutiful green buttom to send me your thoughts! If you see any mistakes, please tell me... I try my best to write in English, but you know how it goes, sometimes it just slips... Love!
A.N.2: Now with a lovely beta-reader: Potterholic!