10 Random Facts: Next Generation Characters.

Chapter 5 – Louis Weasley, at age 21.

Random Fact #1: Louis would never, ever admit it, but when his ex-girlfriend Layla Gray told him she might be pregnant with his baby, he'd cried on the privacy that the curtains of his four-poster bed offered, feeling lost and scared for the first time in his life.

When it turned out to be a fluke, Louis felt like whooping with relief. He didn't, though – for Layla's eyes were turning misty with tears and a twinge of sadness that it made him feel a little bit guilty for acting so joyful.

So he'd hugged her, the first time he'd hug a girl that wasn't related to him without any ulterior motive. It felt good, and they parted as friends, though Louis could never feel comfortable around Layla again.

Random Fact #2: He thinks his Maman is the best cook in the whole world, and he secretly loves it when she sends one of her care-packages to his flat, because neither Louis nor his teammates can cook to save their lives.

It makes him feel a little more at home and a little less estranged from his friends and family, and whenever he eats one of her famous Madeleines or roast beef sandwiches, Louis can almost pretend like he's still a kid whose biggest worries were Quidditich, getting into girls' knickers and passing his exams.

Random Fact #3: The first time he really saw Bettina as anything else but the annoying tutor he was stuck with, was when she'd found him drinking his sorrows away by the Black Lake, after Layla told him she might be pregnant.

Bettina just sat by his side without saying anything, staring straight ahead as they nearly froze to death until he felt like returning to the Common Room.

They never talked about that night.

Random Fact #4: The first time Louis realized that he'd come to consider Bettina as a friend was when he'd found himself telling her pointless stories after their tutor lessons about his childhood, and she would laugh at the pranks that him, James and Freddie pulled at the girls when they were little.

Louis also noticed how the sound of her laughter seemed to warm up the entire room and how cute she looked when her cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink, and she was gasped for breath and held her tummy after too many laughs.

Random Fact #5: Still, he could never pinpoint the exact moment he knew he was completely smitten with her – it was more of a slow realization than a crash-course into love. That didn't exactly stop him from panicking and going into denial though, and it took him a night filled with Firewhiskey and James (!) talking some sense into him for Louis to finally admit it that he cared about her like he'd never cared about any other girl before.

Random Fact #6: He knows he complains a lot about his family – how Dominique is an annoying brat, that Roxanne is pure evil, that Rose can be a self-righteous pain in the arse and that Al is the most meddlesome person alive...

But he truly loves and misses them when he's away – all of them, including even his snotty, little know-it-all cousin Molly - and he hopes they know that.

Random Fact #7: He and his Dad... Well, they didn't actually had the easiest relationship while he was growing-up.

They barely agreed on anything, and Louis felt like his Dad spent most of his teenager's years disappointed at him. He'd always felt like his sisters were always been favoured by their father, and that his Maman were the only one that actually noticed him.

After he joined the Wasps, he visited Shell Cottage less and less often, and then, only when his mother threatened him.

That changed on the night he receives his first serious Quidditch injure and it's knocked unconscious for hours. When he wakes up, the first person he sees is his father, with tears in his eyes, afraid, probably remembering James's injury a couple of years ago.

When he gets up, his Dad hugs him like he used to when he was little, and as silly as it sounds, Louis feels protected.

Random Fact #8: Louis knows how truly blessed he is. He had a healthy, happy childhood. His friends, family and work are one of the most important things in his life. His girlfriend is the only girl he imagines to spend the rest of his life with, and even though they've been doing the long-distance thing for three years, they've made it work so far. It feels too good to be true.

But some nights Louis wakes up in blind panic, fearing that it will all be taken away from him with a blink of an eye.

He swears not to let that happen.

Random Fact #9: He's awful with words. He says the wrong things at the wrong time, and he always seems to put his big foot into his big mouth, despite of his best intentions. He upsets Al, infuriates Roxanne, makes Bettina cry, makes his mother swear...

The list goes on and on, and Louis really tries, but he can't seem to get it right.

Random Fact #10: He knows he's not supposed to play favourites, but Lily is his pet. Yes, he's close friends with Rose, James, and even Roxanne, but Lily... She's a fighter, and Louis admires that in her.

She's cheeky, never gives up, nurtures an undying love of pranks, just like him, and most of all; she never, ever, she acts like she's entitled to something because of her last name. He sincerely hopes that Lily gets everything she wants out of life; because he knows how hard she works for it and how much she deserves it.

When she's accepted by the Aurors, he sends her the diamond package of the Wheezes collection, and knows she'll appreciate and use it wisely. She sends him a Dungbomb. Yes, she's smart. But Louis never said she was subtle.

BONUS Random Fact, #11: He doesn't think about the future much. He's not like Rose, whose head is always up in the clouds; or like Al, who plans like there's no tomorrow. Louis takes what he can get, and what's the point of living for the future when he can enjoy the present, where he can play Quidditch for a living, kiss his grandmother in the cheek and swoop her in for a hug while she squeals in delight, and Bettina looks at him in a way that makes his stomach flip?

As far as Louis is concerned, the present kicks the future's arse.

*~*

A.N: Sorry for the long update, guys, I sort of lost my inspiration for this story, but now, it's back. I added one bonus random fact, because after I wrote it, I realized I had written #4 twice, and it screwed up my count. I hope you like Louis. Please, review - it makes my Muse smile with gratitude.

Also, if you liked this story, check out my new Ron/Hermiones one-shot called "Ephemeral" and my Teddy/Lily drabble called "Six Freckles On Her Shoulder".