fic for magikcat112: Hugo's Christmas Gift (Hugo, Ron, Rose, James and Albus Potter, G)
Title: Hugo's Christmas Gift
Author: slam_girl
Recipient: magikcat112
Rating: G
Character(s): Hugo Weasley, Ron Weasley, Rose Weasley, James and Albus Potter
Warnings: None
Author's Notes: Much thanks to L for the very speedy beta and for your previous help gone though it may be now, and thanks to the mod for her patience. To my giftee, I hope you enjoy! Happy Holidays and happy reading everyone!
--
Hugo didn't quite get the fuss over Christmas. Or rather he was obviously just too mature for it now, he mused over his hot chocolate as he watched James and Albus compare their new brooms. He knew it was important for some people because they didn't get to see their families for months while at school, but Hugo decided that he saw plenty of his family at school-various cousins in all different years except the ones too young for school though the younger ones weren't particularly interesting yet. Well, maybe he did miss his parents a little. And his grandparents because grandmum was always making his favorite foods without him even asking, like she was a real Seer and granddad was always showing him neat Muggle things that were much more interesting than the Muggle things his mum showed him. But he was only twelve so he was allowed to miss them sometimes.
Then there were the gifts, which probably led to much of the excitement. Everyone was fond of gifts, it seemed. Hugo had been known to enjoy them too from time to time. When they were sensible gifts that is, like that miniature Romanian Long-Tail dragon Uncle Charlie sent him last year. It wasn't a real dragon mind, but a replica with prickly scales that flew and breathed fire (not real fire unfortunately). Or that potions set he saw in Diagon Alley when they'd gone shopping for school gear last August. He liked to think himself a future potions master. And it certainly would be preferable to the new broom sitting forlornly by his side on the sofa.
Hugo supposed that Quidditch was all right; it could be quite exciting sometimes and then sometimes it really was just flying around for hours looking for a small ball while trying to hit and not be hit by other balls like the rather tedious Cannons match his dad had taken him to the previous summer. He also knew there was life outside of Quidditch unlike his cousins, who were currently rowing over who had the better broom even though they had the same model. He didn't much care for flying either and it didn’t seem to care for him. Some years ago, he had decided not to subject himself to things he wasn't particularly skilled at doing. But his dad liked Quidditch, which made Hugo wish he enjoyed it more. He kept dropping hints about Hugo joining the Gryffindor team and carrying on the family tradition. When Hugo pointed out that Rose was already on the team, his dad replied that she played chaser, Aunt Ginny's old position, and it'd be nice if Hugo went on as keeper, his old position. Hugo's reflexes were worse than his flying skills, but he told his dad he'd think about it.
"Oh, will you two quit rowing already. Let's just hurry and give these a test fly before grandmum makes us eat lunch," Rose said though it was more of an order. She was quite bossy and Hugo wasn't the only one who thought so, but James and Albus readily agreed as they were probably too excited to tell her not to be so bossy.
"You coming, Hugo?" Albus asked, wrapping his scarf around his neck.
"No, I think I'm just going to kip out here for a bit longer and finish my hot chocolate," he said. "Maybe later."
Albus shrugged and led the way outside. They didn't attempt to persuade him to join them as he knew they had long since written him off.
"Don't be so boring, Hugo," Rose said. He pulled a face at her but she was already after the boys.
Was he boring? Hmm, he preferred the term thoughtful.
"Where have the others gone?" his dad asked as he entered the sitting room. I thought I heard you lot in here rowing."
"That was James and Albus, not me. They all went outside to try out their new brooms before lunch," he answered, and then realized he should have said something else or else his dad was going to be asking why he wasn't out there with them.
"Why aren't you out there?"
Hugo sighed inwardly. "Er, I wanted to finish my hot chocolate…wouldn't want it to get cold. It tastes best when it's freshly prepared, you know."
"Of course," his dad agreed, watching him a bemused expression.
"You ought to have some too," Hugo added.
He nodded. "So what do you think of your new broom?" his dad asked, patting him on the head as he sat next to Hugo. "Would I have loved a broom like this when I was your age," he added, holding the broom almost reverently.
"It's great," Hugo said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. "Really." He tried on a smile, knowing it was important to his dad that he like it. He wanted to make him happy and Quidditch seemed to be a part of that equation and he didn't want him to think that Hugo was weird and too different from everyone else in the family.
His dad set down the broom and looked at him, smiling slightly. "Did you get all your gifts?" he asked.
"Yes, including grandmum's jumper even though last year's still fits just fine," he said, looking down at his blue jumper, which was almost identical to the blue jumper from last year except that it had a train on it instead of a dragon.
His dad laughed at that. "Well, that's just her way. But I dunno son, I think you may have missed something. You lot got quite the haul this year and something may have gone unnoticed in all the chaos."
"You think so?' Hugo said, intrigued now.
"Let's find out. Accio Hugo's last gift." With a swish of his wand, a shiny wrapped gift did indeed coming soaring into Hugo's lap. Hugo looked at his dad who nodded eagerly so he quickly unwrapped the present.
It was the potions set. "I-Thanks dad," he said, thoroughly surprised.
"That's it right?" Hugo nodded happily. "Good, I never was one for potions, but if that's what you really like, then I'm glad. And you know Hugo, if you don't want to play Quidditch, that's fine too."
"Really? You're not disappointed? You even got me a broom," Hugo added.
"Hmm, well, I may have got a little overexcited on that; I think I had a different young Weasley boy in mind though he's not quite so young anymore. But of course I'm not disappointed. I never quite understood the preferring books to Quidditch business, but Merlin knows I'd be lost without you and your mum."
Hugo smiled, pleased that he would not be embarrassing himself in front of his peers come next Quidditch try outs and that his dad wasn't terribly disappointed in him. "If that other Weasley boy wants to give that broom a test fly, I'm sure an Engorgement Charm would work," he said.
"Good thinking, Hugo."
Author: slam_girl
Recipient: magikcat112
Rating: G
Character(s): Hugo Weasley, Ron Weasley, Rose Weasley, James and Albus Potter
Warnings: None
Author's Notes: Much thanks to L for the very speedy beta and for your previous help gone though it may be now, and thanks to the mod for her patience. To my giftee, I hope you enjoy! Happy Holidays and happy reading everyone!
--
Hugo didn't quite get the fuss over Christmas. Or rather he was obviously just too mature for it now, he mused over his hot chocolate as he watched James and Albus compare their new brooms. He knew it was important for some people because they didn't get to see their families for months while at school, but Hugo decided that he saw plenty of his family at school-various cousins in all different years except the ones too young for school though the younger ones weren't particularly interesting yet. Well, maybe he did miss his parents a little. And his grandparents because grandmum was always making his favorite foods without him even asking, like she was a real Seer and granddad was always showing him neat Muggle things that were much more interesting than the Muggle things his mum showed him. But he was only twelve so he was allowed to miss them sometimes.
Then there were the gifts, which probably led to much of the excitement. Everyone was fond of gifts, it seemed. Hugo had been known to enjoy them too from time to time. When they were sensible gifts that is, like that miniature Romanian Long-Tail dragon Uncle Charlie sent him last year. It wasn't a real dragon mind, but a replica with prickly scales that flew and breathed fire (not real fire unfortunately). Or that potions set he saw in Diagon Alley when they'd gone shopping for school gear last August. He liked to think himself a future potions master. And it certainly would be preferable to the new broom sitting forlornly by his side on the sofa.
Hugo supposed that Quidditch was all right; it could be quite exciting sometimes and then sometimes it really was just flying around for hours looking for a small ball while trying to hit and not be hit by other balls like the rather tedious Cannons match his dad had taken him to the previous summer. He also knew there was life outside of Quidditch unlike his cousins, who were currently rowing over who had the better broom even though they had the same model. He didn't much care for flying either and it didn’t seem to care for him. Some years ago, he had decided not to subject himself to things he wasn't particularly skilled at doing. But his dad liked Quidditch, which made Hugo wish he enjoyed it more. He kept dropping hints about Hugo joining the Gryffindor team and carrying on the family tradition. When Hugo pointed out that Rose was already on the team, his dad replied that she played chaser, Aunt Ginny's old position, and it'd be nice if Hugo went on as keeper, his old position. Hugo's reflexes were worse than his flying skills, but he told his dad he'd think about it.
"Oh, will you two quit rowing already. Let's just hurry and give these a test fly before grandmum makes us eat lunch," Rose said though it was more of an order. She was quite bossy and Hugo wasn't the only one who thought so, but James and Albus readily agreed as they were probably too excited to tell her not to be so bossy.
"You coming, Hugo?" Albus asked, wrapping his scarf around his neck.
"No, I think I'm just going to kip out here for a bit longer and finish my hot chocolate," he said. "Maybe later."
Albus shrugged and led the way outside. They didn't attempt to persuade him to join them as he knew they had long since written him off.
"Don't be so boring, Hugo," Rose said. He pulled a face at her but she was already after the boys.
Was he boring? Hmm, he preferred the term thoughtful.
"Where have the others gone?" his dad asked as he entered the sitting room. I thought I heard you lot in here rowing."
"That was James and Albus, not me. They all went outside to try out their new brooms before lunch," he answered, and then realized he should have said something else or else his dad was going to be asking why he wasn't out there with them.
"Why aren't you out there?"
Hugo sighed inwardly. "Er, I wanted to finish my hot chocolate…wouldn't want it to get cold. It tastes best when it's freshly prepared, you know."
"Of course," his dad agreed, watching him a bemused expression.
"You ought to have some too," Hugo added.
He nodded. "So what do you think of your new broom?" his dad asked, patting him on the head as he sat next to Hugo. "Would I have loved a broom like this when I was your age," he added, holding the broom almost reverently.
"It's great," Hugo said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. "Really." He tried on a smile, knowing it was important to his dad that he like it. He wanted to make him happy and Quidditch seemed to be a part of that equation and he didn't want him to think that Hugo was weird and too different from everyone else in the family.
His dad set down the broom and looked at him, smiling slightly. "Did you get all your gifts?" he asked.
"Yes, including grandmum's jumper even though last year's still fits just fine," he said, looking down at his blue jumper, which was almost identical to the blue jumper from last year except that it had a train on it instead of a dragon.
His dad laughed at that. "Well, that's just her way. But I dunno son, I think you may have missed something. You lot got quite the haul this year and something may have gone unnoticed in all the chaos."
"You think so?' Hugo said, intrigued now.
"Let's find out. Accio Hugo's last gift." With a swish of his wand, a shiny wrapped gift did indeed coming soaring into Hugo's lap. Hugo looked at his dad who nodded eagerly so he quickly unwrapped the present.
It was the potions set. "I-Thanks dad," he said, thoroughly surprised.
"That's it right?" Hugo nodded happily. "Good, I never was one for potions, but if that's what you really like, then I'm glad. And you know Hugo, if you don't want to play Quidditch, that's fine too."
"Really? You're not disappointed? You even got me a broom," Hugo added.
"Hmm, well, I may have got a little overexcited on that; I think I had a different young Weasley boy in mind though he's not quite so young anymore. But of course I'm not disappointed. I never quite understood the preferring books to Quidditch business, but Merlin knows I'd be lost without you and your mum."
Hugo smiled, pleased that he would not be embarrassing himself in front of his peers come next Quidditch try outs and that his dad wasn't terribly disappointed in him. "If that other Weasley boy wants to give that broom a test fly, I'm sure an Engorgement Charm would work," he said.
"Good thinking, Hugo."