{take.my.hand}hugo&&lou{i.wanna.be.close}

[Hugo Weasley]

At four thirty on a Saturday evening, Hugo Weasley was roaming the hallways, unsure of where to go, exactly. He was just so bored; Hogwarts had always been still on weekends, and for some strange reason, Hugo had felt the need tocomplete all his assignments during the day so he could free up his night. What a dumb mistake.

Against the Headmistress's will, the Weasley was actually skating down the corridors, his board moving smoothly across the floor. He wasn't doing anything special; just skateboarding, though a few students he passed looked at him in bewilderment. Most people brought up in a wizarding family had never attempted to do a muggle thing like skateboarding. They were too wrapped up in their Quidditch nonsense. Now, don't get me wrong, Hugo likes Quidditch, but skateboarding would always be his past time.

Deciding to glide around in an 's' shaped path, Hugo came to an abrupt stop when he remembered something. Patting down all his pockets, starting from the pockets of his red zip-up sweatshirt (the word 'Hurley' adorning the chest on black) to the pockets of his dark-colored skinny jeans. After patting his rear, he smirked, pulling a slightly-crumpled envelope into view. It had the name and address and such of one of his Muggle friends, Tyler, on it. Tyler and hugo had been close friends growing up, though Hugo never could tell him about whyduring the school year his had to leave. Well...for Tyler's sake he just told him that he attended a private boarding school and to give all of his letters to his mum and dad to deliver. Things were less complicated that way.

Sure, Tyler had asked why Hugo sent al of his letters by owl...but Hugo then just chalked it up to the 'traditions' that were held at his school. Tyler, being the gulible moron he was, bought it.

Hugo stepped on the back of his board so it jumped in the air to his hand, and then began to sprint towards the owlery. Once he made it there, he pulled open the heavy door, climbing the stone steps that were outside. He ended up zipping up his hoodie even more to hide the white shirt underneath; it was so cold outside today! Once reaching the top of the steps and entering the circular room, hugo tossed his board to the side, whistling between his fingers for his owl named Speckles.

Sure, Speckles may seem like a bogus name, but Hugo was nine when he got the bloody thing; his thoughts rarely wondered outside of games of tag and mud wrestling. soon the block and white speckled (hah!) owl landed gracefully on Hugo's shoulder, holding it's foot out. Hugo quickly tied the letter to Speckles' foot, allowing him to take off and begin his travels back to Tyler's bedroom window.

[/center][/size]

[Lou McGooken]

<sub>Ink splattered itself on the large, nerdish glasses she doned; that's how furiously she was scribbling her quill across the parchment. It was a ratty old thing, and the ink was partially dried, clumping in places to make her writing seem deformed. But Lou was used to the strange ways of the quill and ink.

She wasn't much of a writer, though. Her thoughts had a habit of spilling out onto the page in a haphazard manner, leaving the reader to imagine punctuation and good spelling. She was the kind of person who left out words and didn't mind in the least if things weren't capitalized. After all, that's what the human brain was for: to decipher things. No, Lou McGooken was so much better at drawing. However, saying she was better at drawing than she was at writing isn't exactly an amazing feat. Her writing was terrible. And her drawing wasn't much better. But at least it was that. Better.

And at least she liked it. She adored drawing people. Especially her friends. She may not have gotten all the fancy-dancy artistic stuff right, but her fast, smooth strokes and eye for distant detail captured emotions just as well as a seasoned sketcher. It was the feelings of her drawings that really got people. But she hadn't drawn in a while. Which is why, as she finished her letter, she grabbed her sketch book and a pencil, and stumbled out of the Hufflepuff Common Room, planning to make the trek up to the owlery. Perhaps she'd find someone there to sketch.

And that's exactly what she found.

Hugo Weasley, perhaps one of her best friends in the entire school, was there, watching his owl fly off into the distant horizon. Lou gave him a giant smile, greeting him in her easy, airy tone of voice. "'Ello, dearest Huey." Her creamy brown eyes searched the racks for her tiny little Scops owl, Pudge. "Pleasure meeting you here."</sub>

[Hugo Weasley]

Attention focussed completely on Speckles taking flight and flying towards the mountains, Hugo hadn't even noticed Lou enter the tower. He literally jumped when he heard her voice, and again he felt what he liked to refer to as the Feeling. Whenever Lou came in contact with him, he sort of got that warm feeling inside when you chug a mug of warm hot chocolate...it was unexplainable and made his entire body feel good and relaxed.

"And hello to you, too, Lou-Lou," he smiled, turning to face his friend with one of those charming little smiles dancing across his lips. He felt his hand rest on the back of her neck, clearing his throat and approaching Lou curiously. "Whatcha sending out?" he asked, crossing his arms over her chest. Smirking and seeing the sketchbook under Lou's arm, he began to whistling idly before side-stepping in front of her and snatching it. Most girls got overly-sensitive when others tried to take a peek at their writing (or whatever might be in there) and he knew he had to grab it quickly. He flipped over the cover, continuing to whistle "Pop Goes the Weasel" while gradually making his way towards the rear of the pad. His whistling began to slow until it stopped completely, and he leaned against one of the stone walls to concentrate fully on the drawings. Wow...

"These are really great," he murmured, touching the cheek of one of the portraits gingerly, as if he might break it. "I never knew you drew..." he said, looking up at his friend while beaming.

[/center][/size]

[Lou McGooken]

<sub>Something about Hugo made the Hufflepuff girl relax. Whether it was his constantly humorous demeanor or something completely and utterly different, Lou had no idea. But it didn't really matter. He always made her smile, and that was saying something.

As she sent her obese little owl out of the window, letter strapped to it's tiny, fragile leg, she heard him ask her where she was sending it to. Turning around, she flashed him a huge smile and answered. "Just to some friends back home." None of her friends really knew that she lived in an orphanage. Hugo was about the only one who'd figured it out. Probably because she never really talked about her parents, and she never had friends over to stay in the summer. It just wasn't something she did.

He'd taken her sketchbook a while ago, but she hadn't really cared. Sure, she wasn't proud of her work, but she wasn't self-conscious either. She just...was. It was something for her that didn't really have an emotion. Well, it did, but it was between her and the sketches. It didn't involve other people. Besides, it didn't really matter what other people thought of her work, even if it was nice to get a compliment every now and again. "Thanks, deary," she answered him, her eyes glimmering. "I've done sketches of you when you weren't looking. In fact-" She paused, laughing. "-none of those people knew I was even sketching them. You get better ones when people aren't posing."</sub>

[Hugo Weasley]

Hugo smiled lightly when he saw Pudge take flight. He always wondered how on earth such a chubby creature was able to take flight...but amazingly enough it always managed to stay in the air, and made it back to school in record time. Animals were truly amazing. It was one of the reasons why Hugo loved Care of Magical Creatures so much. Hugo had always had a soft spot for all creatures, magical or not. He even considered to work as a dragon trainer like his uncle Charlie did in Romania.

He shrugged of Lou's comment. "You know you don't need to thank me," he smiled, still enjoying himself while looking at the sketches. They really were something special...
"Oh really?" Hugo asked, arching his eyebrows while flipping through the pages at an ever quicker pace, looking for his pictures...

He paused when he happened upon one that was definately him. He'd recognize that disaster hair of his anywhere; his normally smooth skate-hair was sticking up every which-way, Quidditch goggles covering his eyes. His Quidditch robes were ripped in all sorts of different places, and his arm was in a splint. Ah, he remembered that day vividly. He had been playing in a thunder storm, and the winds had been blowing at ridiculously high speeds that Saturday morning. He was having difficulty staying on his broomstick in front of the three goalposts, and when a "runaway" bludger hit by one of the Slytherin players came hurtling towards him, well...it knocked him clean off his flying device, and if it weren't for Zane's quick-thinking, he would have died. His Captain had managed to use some sort of spell to slow him down, and though he landed on the ground with a thud his arm had broken. Stupid Quidditch.

He snickered lightly, flipping through the pages and taking note of his other portraits; he looked so candid...it was actually nice. A new perspective. Glancing at Lou, he felt a flash of admiration for the Hufflepuff girl. "I love these. They're great, truly." he said quietly, closing the booklet and offering it back to Lou. After a few moments of silence, he heaved a sigh. "I was meaning to ask you something...you're not dating that Tucker prat, are you?" he asked hopefully, biting his lip.

[/center][/size]

[Lou McGooken]

<sub>Lou had to admit, sometimes she felt like a stalker, carrying around a sketchbook filled with drawings of people drawn without the subject's consent. But the feelings didn't tend to outweigh the stress sketching got out of her. Just the feeling of the pencil in her hand making such wide, long strokes across the page really helped her to relax.

The moment Hugo found the picture she'd drawn of him, she felt a twinge of something fill her. It was one of her favorite drawings, and it probably showcased her talents the best. Although that wasn't as though she really thought of things like that. She didn't care what 'showcased her talents the best'. In fact, she didn't really have a clue as to what 'showcased' even meant. Perhaps she should have paid more attention in Muggle school when she was small.

The girl's heart fell when he asked her that fatal question. She didn't want to tell him she was. After all, she knew the boy wouldn't approve of it. In fact, the Gryffindor probably wouldn't approve of ANY boy that Lou dated. For one specific reason. Something that Lou refused to accept and preferred to keep in the back of her mind, out of the way. She didn't want them to be anything more than friends. She didn't want to ruin the great friendship they had.

"Well." She paused. "I suppose so. We're not really dating. Just sorta trying the whole thing out. He asked me to the Ball." She paused again, her eyes on the ground, hands playing absent-mindedly with a lock of her hair. "And I told him I'd go with him."</sub>

[Hugo Weasley]

Tucker. Even the sound of his name made Hugo want to drive his fist into the nearest tree. He hated that guy; he was arrogant and no-good. He knew from Zane that he was a member of the DE, and on Lottie's good side to boot. He didn't want Lou to be subjected to any anger he might feel about his sister's death, either. Though Hugo tried to see the best in everyone, he just got this bad feeling about Mr. Tucker Rye Pierce.

Heart immeadiately dropping from his chest to his stomach, Hugo gulped, looking down. "O-oh..." he said, surprised by the falter in his tone. "To the Ball?" he asked, looking up at Lou. His brown eyes widened and then sadened dramatically. Clenching his jaw, he looked down suddenly, feeling his hands clutch into fists and then relax again. "That's... he paused. "Great." he lied, giving Lou and false smile before rummaging through the pocket in his zip-up, pulling out a tennis ball. Chucking it at one of the walls and catching it he attempted to release his frustration. Oh, this wasn't fair! He hadn't even gotten the chance to ask her...

"I mean...I was gonna offer to take you...y'know. If you hadn't found a date." he said casually, continuing to throw the ball. "But that's cool. I was gonna take Rosie, anyway." he finished weakly.

[/center][/size]

[Lou McGooken]

<sub>Lou could see the disappointment in the boy's eyes, but she didn't want to let onto the fact. The Huffle girl new that he'd be embarrassed if she asked him what was wrong, even if she knew he'd be happier with a pity date than none at all. But she HAD promised Tucker she'd go with him, and she couldn't really back out now, no matter how much she wanted to wipe that little frown off of Hugo's face.

Besides, she really did like Tucker. He might be rough and tough to the rest of the world, but to her, he was a right bit of a sweetheart and she genuinely enjoyed spending time with him and holding conversations with the boy, no matter how many strange looks to two of them got in the hallways.

"That's very sweet of you, love," she told him, flashing him one of her cutesy smiles. "But Rosie needs you more than I do." She paused before putting on a sympathetic face. "I heard what the Lupin kid did to her. Poor dear." Even if Rosie didn't really like her that much, Lou still thought for the girl's wellbeing. And for Hugo's as well. It must have been awful to have his sister cheated on by such a person as Teddy Lupin. Lou would never have thought badly of the boy. But his actions seemed to think differently.</sub>

[Hugo Weasley]

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Hugo thought bitterly, continuing to throw the ball and catch it in his ready hands. I'm such an idiot. I should have known that she'd never go with a guy like me. I'm like a little kid compared to Tucker...he's everything I'm not. His frown became even more and more appearant as his thoughts grew darker and darker. I don't even deserve a girl like her.

As usual, Lou's smile made him feel warm on the inside, and he couldn't help but blush and smile in embarassment. "Thanks," he replied. "Yeah...I guess you're right. Ted's such a royal git. I can't stand him; I can't wait to give him a piece of my mind when I see him dancing with some slut at the Ball." he finished harshly, not realizing the hatred or vulgarity of his tone. Oh, Ted...he's another one he wouldn't mind whiping off the face of the Earth. Ted and Tucker. The two biggest gits in the world.

Once a git, always a git. He thought with a smirk after he considered appoligizing about his words against Teddy and Tucker. He'd never trust either of them; especially Tucker. At least he actually knew Ted. He didn't know Tucker enough to see what makes him tick...or what he really wants from a girl besides someone to hold hands with. Something told him that he was into all the wrong things...and associated with all the wrong people.

"You know he's in the DE, right?" he asked, looking away from Lou.

[/center][/size]

[Lou McGooken]

<sub>The boy standing in front of her still looked like he was about to blow a gasket. Either he was angry with himself, or he was angry at her. And she hated it when people were angry at all, even if it didn't involve her. But this time, she was involved. At least, she thought she was. So, her mind began to try and formulate a plan to get him happy again. But she just didn't know. Her brain hadn't reached any conclusion. Perhaps it was too slow.

She frowned as he began to talk about Ted. "I met him once in the library. He didn't seem too bad then, but perhaps he's changed since then," she mused, wondering what the boy would think of her ramblings. Usually, Hugo didn't mind when she talked about random things. He seemed to take everything she said to heart. At least, that's what it seemed as though he did. It wa as though he worshipped her in some strange way.

The Huffle laughed her airy little laugh. "Of course, Huey dear," she answered him. "How could I not? All the Death Eaters seem to have it stamped on their foreheads. They rule the school." She paused for a moment. "I've accepted the fact. He doesn't actually act much like he's in the DE."</sub>

[Hugo Weasley]

Hugo finally was able to cool down slightly, as he listened to Lou talk. Even if it wasn't intended, she always managed to keep him at peace. Biting his tounge as she went on about Tucker, he tried to keep a straight face. 'Oh yeah, he's not like the others,' he laughed inwardly. 'Then why did he take sides in the first place, Lou dear?'

His expression was the epitamy of calm, but it was probably the anthitisis of what was going on inside of him. He would never befriend anyone in the DE...except Corliss...but she was a different story. She had a baby and needed someone to be there for her. If anything, Hugo had befriended the Slytherin out of pity. His cmopassionate nature had gotten the best of him and would probably hurt him in the long run. swallowing hard, he nodded lightly. "Whatever you say," he responded skeptically, still not convinced. "But if he does anything to hurt you, Lou, I swear to Merlin that he'll regret the day he was born." he said darkly.

Well he couldn't be all sunshines and rainbows all the time; could he?