Chapter 14: Hugo

Saturday, 6 December 2025

Hugo woke up early on Saturday morning, feeling restless – like he had slept too much, even though he knew he hadn't. He had barely got five hours of sleep last night, after working late again at St Mungo's. He showered and got dressed, knowing that he needed something… perhaps half a dose of Calming Draught to ease up the feeling of being on the edge before he could go back to the hospital.

Last night, most of his family had been at the hospital to see Molly and her baby, but Hugo hadn't had the time to go see them. He also hadn't really wanted to go there, as he had been in the middle of a rather long shift and reckoned it wouldn't go unmentioned by his family. After all, it seemed to be a recurring subject during whenever Hugo met any of his family members. Hugo knew there would be plenty of opportunities to see Molly and the baby during the weekend, or perhaps after they had gone home.

He was so deep in thought as he stepped into the kitchen, that he didn't realise at first that it was already occupied. By his mother and Bruce, who were busy exchanging a passionate snog against one of the counters.

"Bloody hell." Hugo grunted, staring at the pair that was quickly dislodging from each other, taken by surprise.

"Hugo!" His mother squeaked, brushing her lips with the back of her hand while her face reddened. "I didn't realise you'd be up yet!"

Bruce cleared his throat and looked down to suppress a grin before he turned to look at Hugo. "Good morning, Hugo."

Hugo blinked and then moved past them, towards the coffee pot. "…Dunno if I agree with the good part…" he said lightly, and as he glanced at Bruce, the man gave him an apologising shrug.

Bruce retreated to the kitchen island and opened the morning paper, while Hugo's mother came to lean next to him as he made himself coffee.

"Did you go see Molly yesterday?" She asked curiously, her eyes moving over his frame.

Hugo shook his head. "Didn't have the time. Might go today," he said and glanced at her. "I thought you went, though?"

His mother pursed her lips. "I didn't want to intrude – I assume most of the clan was there the moment they got the message?"

Hugo shrugged. "Probably."

She gave him a smile and then her expression sobered somewhat. "Hugo? Are you all right?" She asked carefully, and then reached out to trail a hand through his hair, like she always did.

Hugo suppressed a flinch. His skin felt like needles. He really, really needed something to make it go away.

"Yeah, I am," he said, almost breathlessly. "Gotta go to, um –" He had planned to say 'work', but as he didn't remember what his mother had told Bruce about it, he wasn't sure how to continue. He gave her a pointed look, and his mother nodded quickly.

"Of course! You have your study group!" She said, rather too loudly.

Hugo arched a brow at her. Bruce lifted up his gaze from the paper at the sound but then returned back to read the article.

"I'm sorry," Hugo's mother mouthed. She then frowned at him. "Do you need to go?" She asked quietly. "You were, um, studying awfully late yesterday…"

Hugo reckoned they really ought to have had a chat about what to say in front of Bruce before he started to spend so much of his time at their place.

"Yeah. I do," He said simply. "I'll be home tomorrow, though," he added after seeing the disappointment in her expression. He turned his focus back to the coffee, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under her scrutinising stare. Hugo poured the drink into a large mug before taking a seat at the island next to Bruce.

"So," Bruce said and put the paper down before turning slightly towards Hugo. "Study group?" He asked, and then chuckled. "I remember having those, back in my day," he said and looked away, into the distance, before shaking his head slightly and looking at Hugo again. "However, we didn't wake up at seven on Saturday morning to study – and I would say the same about most of my students," he said and winked.

Hugo gave him a tight smile, hoping that Bruce wouldn't stick too closely on what Hugo was 'studying'. "What do you teach?" He asked, knowing that Bruce was a physics professor, but that was about it. They hadn't really discussed Bruce's work on a more detailed level.

"Quantum Physics," Bruce said and went on with an explanation about particles that make up matter and the forces with which they interact.

However tiring it was to keep up a façade in front of Bruce, Hugo was still grateful of it, since it definitely prevented his mother to ask more about Hugo's apprenticeship in front of the man, and worry about the hours he was doing in the hospital.

After finishing his coffee, Hugo slipped away from the kitchen with his excuses and went upstairs in order to grab a vial of much needed calming draught from the locked wardrobe in his mother's room.

It wasn't solely forbidden, for him to go there – the only reason their potions were in a locked wardrobe, was because of Bruce. Before Bruce came into the picture, they had had them in one of their bathroom cabinets. Still, going into his mother's bedroom, made Hugo feel a bit squeamish, especially while she was unaware and sitting downstairs.

He flicked his wand to open one of the wardrobes and took a small vial of the turquoise blue potion before spelling the wardrobe locked once more, hoping she wouldn't be too bothered that he had been there without informing her.

Several hours later, Hugo was picking his cuticles and fingernails, nearly drawing blood. His skin felt like it was crawling with ants, and he hadn't had a break in Merlin knew how long. He was in a desperate need of a breather, but it seemed that every time he was about to retreat to the break room, he was interrupted by someone – a patient or a family member who needed help, or someone from the staff.

This time it had been Healer Sanders, who had stopped Hugo on the staircase to compliment him on bringing books to one of his patients, Olivia Parker.

"…apparently, she is now quite obsessed by muggle physics, can you imagine?" Sanders asked with a light chuckle.

Hugo cleared his throat and gave him a tight smile. "Brilliant," he said and glanced at the stairs, knowing he had only twenty or so minutes before he was expected to be back in the Emergency ward on the ground floor.

Sanders then started to explain how she had spoken about nothing else but physics and 'that Trainee Healer' two days straight after Hugo had seen her, and how she was now excited to read more about the Condensed Matter – or at least, that was what Sanders thought she had said.

As he spoke, Hugo thoughts went into the last time he had substituted Sanders, and he wondered, when had been the last time he had taken anything stronger than a mild Calming Draught his mother stored in her wardrobe.

Sanders then inquired if Hugo had more of those books that could interest her, and told him that Ms Parker's mood had really brightened, and that Sanders would like to keep it that way.

"Um. Yeah. I'll – I'll see what I can do," Hugo said absently, knowing that he needed to focus, that he couldn't go on like that and finish his shift while his thoughts kept shooting into different directions.

"…are you okay?" Sanders asked from Hugo, a small frown between his brows.

Hugo blinked at him. "Yeah. Yeah. Just. Didn't sleep well last night, and I'm out of Pepper-Up," he said quickly, a plan already forming in the back of his head. "Long shift," he said wearily.

Sanders gave him a thoughtful look. "You know what? Tell Mrs Baker downstairs that I sent you to retrieve a couple of bottles from the potions cellar, will you?" He said and winked.

Hugo gave him a grateful smile, while his tongue tasted like ash, and his throat was dry. "Okay. Cheers, Healer –"

" – Just Sanders." Sanders muttered with a nod and moved to the side to allow Hugo a route downstairs.

Hugo nodded. "Of course."

He started to walk briskly downstairs, while Sanders spoke behind him, his voice somewhat humorous. "And don't forget the books. My poor patient is counting on you!"

Hugo glanced at him as he turned to take another flight of steps downstairs. "Will do."

He was going to be in such a fucking trouble if anyone realised what he was doing.

After telling Mrs Baker – one of the secretaries on Hugo's floor – that he was sent by Healer Sanders to retrieve potions from the cellar, the witch merely gave him a charmed key and told him to return it when his break was over.

When Hugo reached the potions cabinet in the cellar, he let out a long, relieved breath. Finally – something he could take to remove the urge to scratch his eyeballs off. Something, that would make him focused on his job, like he was supposed to be.

He took two vials – Draught of Peace and Wideye Potion – which he downed quickly. He vanished the vials and took deep breaths as his pulse slowed down and the room spun slightly around him. He felt his blood rushing in his veins, he felt everything black and murky in his mind clear away and be replaced with blankness and focus. Hugo blinked and the room sharpened around him. Everything was more vibrant, the colours, the sounds, but in the midst of that, he felt calm, and his mind was more concentrated than it had been during the whole day.

Hugo knew it would last only so long, and knew that by next morning – when he would be at home – the effects would be gone, and be replaced by dizziness and anxiety. He knew it would come, and he would be ready for it. The next day – his day off – would be hell. But he would take it. He was in control. However, he wouldn't be ready for the next shift he would have, from Monday morning to Tuesday morning, including his apprenticeship hours, and thus he took two more vials from the shelf and pocketed them, before exiting the room.

Later that night, after making a quick stop on Molly's room to greet her and the baby, Hugo made his way on the fourth floor.

"So, I heard I have a new admirer?" Hugo said as he stepped into Ms Parker's ward and saw her in her usual chair in the otherwise empty sitting room.

Ms Parker snorted. "Doubtful."

Hugo walked further into the room and stopped next to the coffee table, where the books he had brought her earlier lay neatly next to each other. "Finished all, already?"

Ms Parker gave him a smirk. "Five days could be a rather short time to read a children's book with less than two hundred pages for some people, I'll give you that," she said and shrugged.

"Cut the crap. I know you've read all three, and that you're practically obsessed by muggle literature by now." Hugo said and pressed his lips together to suppress a grin.

"Oh?" Ms Parker said and sat straighter in her armchair. "So…not you I was admiring, after all?"

Hugo smiled at her. "Well, I never said that…"

"Whatever," Ms Parker said with an amused huff. "You've got more for me?"

Hugo's smile turned into a grin. "I might. My mum's a professor and dating a muggle physics professor, if that's the sort of thing you're into," he said and at her arched brow and the mischievous glint in her eyes, he quickly continued, "I meant – that one of them is bound to have more literature you're interested in."

Ms Parker sniggered. "Well, now that you've mentioned it, I am rather curious how that is working out with her – I assume she's a witch?"

Hugo shrugged and perched down on the arm of the sofa, opposite to her armchair. "Yeah. She's a muggleborn though." When he saw her fighting back a grin, he huffed. "Which I assume you knew already, since you probably know exactly who she is and who I am…"

"Right you are," She said lightly and looked at the books, her eyes moving over them with a contemplative look.

"He doesn't know, though." Hugo said, not really knowing why he was telling her details about his personal life. Perhaps because she had asked. "It's been… interesting, at least," he said and shook his head in mild amusement as he thought about the morning and what he had witnessed when barging into the kitchen. "I live with her. And he's there, all the time."

Ms Parker grimaced. "So… you just – don't use magic around him? How do you manage to come here every day then? What does he think you do?"

"He thinks I'm a med student," Hugo said simply. "We don't apparate in and out of the house – didn't even do it before my mum started dating him…"

Ms Parker looked curious. "Oh? Why?"

Hugo shrugged. "Mum wants to live a muggle life, I suppose."

"Wow. That's… intriguing."

Hugo gave her a bewildered look. "Why?"

Ms Parker hummed thoughtfully and looked away. "I dunno. It just is… I think I've never heard of anyone who wouldn't want to use magic after discovering they can. You know?" She asked and gave him a small smile.

"Yeah…" Hugo said quietly and stared at his favourite childhood book, remembering how his mother had always held tight on his and Rose's muggle heritage, by making sure to teach them as much as possible about muggle history and culture. It was a bit odd, sometimes, that Hugo and Rose were far more aware of the muggle side of things than James, Albus and Lily were – even though they also had a parent who had been raised by muggles.

"I suppose she missed it, the simplicity of a muggle life," Hugo said thoughtfully, even though knowing that his mother's life was anything but simple.

He knew it was always going to be difficult to her, if she wanted to live a muggle life and have muggles around her. Because it wasn't like she could completely disregard the wizarding life and the people in it. They would always be a part of her.

Ms Parker nodded. "I understand that, though. I can't even imagine what it was like for her to step into a completely new world and end up straight away in the middle of a fight…and after all that, to become a celebrity in said world…" She said and her smile became tight around the edges. "I can imagine the want to have some normalcy in one's life…"

Hugo watched her silently. "You never went to Hogwarts?" He asked, although he already knew she hadn't. He knew Ms Parker had been home schooled by her relatives, after being diagnosed at the age of nine.

She gave him a strained look. "I think you already know I didn't."

When Hugo merely nodded, she continued, "I was home schooled by my grandmother. My parents died when I was young, and she raised me."

"I'm sorry," Hugo said quietly, watching her closely.

Ms Parker smiled softly, and looked away, out of the windows, into the darkness. "It was a long time ago. I don't really remember my parents."

"And your grandmother? Is she…?" Hugo started, not really knowing how to politely ask if she was still alive. He thought she wasn't, since Ms Parker didn't have any visitors.

She gave Hugo a mirthless smile. "She's in a wizarding nursing home. Doesn't remember me."

Bloody hell, Hugo thought and frowned at her as he felt a pang of pity. "I'm – "

"Don't," Ms Parker said sharply, interrupting him. She gave him a hard look. "I don't want to talk about it. About her."

"Of course," Hugo said quickly. He wondered how long she had been alone, knowing that she had been at the hospital for a little over a year. How long had she lived by herself before ending up in the hospital?

There was a long and tense silence, and Hugo knew their discussion revolving around Ms Parker's parents and grandmother had somewhat dampened her mood. He tried to disregard the pity he felt for her, for having such a life – perhaps not all of it had been terrible, but her last years certainly seemed to have been – and tried to remember what Sanders had spoken to him about the branch of physics Ms Parker had been raving about.

"So, um, condensed matter?" Hugo asked and drew her out of her deep thoughts.

Ms Parker blinked at him, and then let out a laugh, evidently relieved by the change of topic. "You should've seen Sanders's face when I told him about it. Didn't have a clue what I was saying. For a moment, I thought he would call in the psych consultant," she said brightly and sniggered. "However, I can't believe I haven't read about that before! I mean, how have I been able to disregard something so interesting! Like, the solid and liquid phases and the macroscopic and microscopic properties and…"

Hugo didn't really register the rest, as he was more focused on the sudden brightness in her gaze and the curve on her mouth as she spoke nearly non-stop. He wondered if she had been waiting for someone to talk to about physics and her obvious interest in the subject. So, he let her speak and nodded as he listened her going on and on about solids and liquids, deciding that he would go to the library next day to retrieve more books for her to read.

After a long discussion – where Ms Parker had done most of the talking – Hugo told her he ought to be going, as it was getting late.

"Oh! Of course." Ms Parker said, and grimaced. "I hope you're not going to be in trouble, for staying so long in here during your shift. I mean, I know Sanders mentioned that there's a bit of an understaffing situation going on…"

Hugo smiled at her. "Yeah, there is. Um. I actually ended my shift before I came to see you, so…no. Not going to be in trouble for that."

Ms Parker gave him a long look. "That's… kind of you." She said slowly.

"So, Ms Parker," Hugo said and stood up. "I'll probably come by on Monday again," he said and picked up the books from the coffee table.

"Olivia."

Hugo blinked at her, clutching the books in his hands. "Huh?"

Ms Parker looked at the table before slowly looking up at him, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "It's Olivia. If you don't mind…" She said, unsurely.

"Oh. Of course." Hugo said quickly, and then cleared his throat. "Olivia."

She nodded slowly, and gave him an expectant look. Hugo frowned at the books and then looked back at her, feeling a mix of lightness and confusion mingling in the bottom of his stomach. "And, uh. You can call me Hugo," he said and gave her a tight-lipped smile. "At least… at least whenever I'm not treating you," he added quickly.

Olivia inclined her head. "Of course." She said softly.

Hugo was somewhat taken aback by the change in her demeanour. What had been aloofness and sharpness and irony, had now transformed into enthusiasm, uncertainness and delicacy. It seemed that she wasn't on guard anymore, but more… curious and open than before.

He rather liked the change.