Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1:  At First Sight

**Chapter 1 – At First Sight**

"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

Rose studied the blond boy from a distance. Though his father was facing the other way, Scorpius still stood gazing at them, smiling as if remembering some distant memory. Their eyes met for a second and something like recognition passed between them. She had grown up listening to stories told by her parents, Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry about the Malfoys. Yet she couldn't see any scorn on this boy's face. Sure, his high cheek bones and pointed chin suggested arrogance, but there was something softer in his features that she couldn't quite place. "Strange," Rose thought, drowning out the sound out her mother chiding Ron for the umpteenth time; but then was soon brought to the surface by the mention of her name.

"Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

Her cousin took the perfect time to arrive with some new gossip he'd caught nosing around. Rosie wasn't too interested, lost in her own thoughts about this boy. "I won't get too close to him," she thought to herself, her stomach convulsing at the thought of getting on that scarlet engine that stood in front of her. Hogwarts. After eleven years of waiting, finally _Hogwarts. _She really hoped that she had done enough studying to pass the sorting test, whatever it was. Dad was always teasing her about what it was, and even stopped Mum from telling her!

"Coming, Al?" she asked her cousin, as Ron hoisted her trunk onto the Hogwarts Express. Al nodded, still clutching onto his Dad's hand. "You go first, Rose dear," Aunt Ginny beamed, "find a cabin for yourselves." Rose waved once to Hermione and Ron, then to Hugo and finally she let out a breath and climbed on towards a new future…

xxx

Scorpius sat in a cabin by himself, unsure of whether to sit with his 'Slytherin' friends. He didn't _want _to be in Slytherin. Sure, it sounded badass but Gryffindor sounded _way _better. He didn't know what his dad would say if he didn't get into Slytherin, though. Dad was always shielded, never letting his actual feelings show, but sometimes it would slip and he could see this softer side of Draco Malfoy. The side that didn't scorn the Potters and the Weasleys; the side maybe even Mum didn't know.

He liked to think he's taken after this side of his Dad. But his whole _family _was in Slytherin. Scorpius kicked his trunk as he thought of how to get out of this dismal house. Wasn't there someone called Sirius Black who ended up in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin? How did he _do _it?

"What if I get into Slytherin?"

Scorpius nearly turned his head towards the open window, but caught himself in the last second. They can't know that he was listening; this was clearly a private conversation. Out of his peripherals he saw Harry Potter and his son… Albus? The whole family had always intrigued him but he was far too arrogant on the outside to show any real interest. Especially in front of Draco.

"Albus Severus," Harry said quietly. Aha! So it was Albus. "You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts and One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

"But just say-"

"-then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it? It doesn't matter to us, Al. But if it matter to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Really?"

"It did for me," said Harry.

Scorpius smiled to himself. Well that was the secret then. "Gryffindor here I come" he muttered under his breath. He was going to prove that being a Malfoy didn't mean you have to be a Slytherin. Now _that_, he smiled to himself, was badass.

xxx

"So, what are they doing for the sorting?" Rose asked Albus as he entered the cabin. Albus smiled secretively. "Something you're going to have to find out for yourself," he said whilst he sat down and stared at the third member in the carriage, who seemed fast asleep, face slightly obscured by a dark, long coat sleeve.

"You know, you can be quite annoying when you're not shy!" Rose scowled playfully at her cousin and was about to persuade him further when –

"Who's he?" Albus said, immediately quieter in his tone when he realised it wasn't someone he recognised. Nor necessarily someone he was going to be very friendly with. "And where's James. And Teddy? And Victoire?" 

Rose shrugged. "Being _older, _I supposed they're off doing something that's rather _inappropriate_. I, on the other hand, am completely determined to follow the rules." Rose settled back and looked to the side, letting her eyes rest for a while on the boy sleeping next to her, wondering if she should do something to wake him up. After all, shouldn't they all be changing into their Hogwarts robes? "I think I'm going to go ask the driver if he can tell us how long _exactly _this journey will be," Rose smiled and started to get up. Albus couldn't help thinking that she sounded too much like Aunt Hermione. "That still doesn't answer who-"

"And _this,_" Rose said, cocking her head towards the boy, "is Scorpius Malfoy. Not that I meant to come into this cabin, but this was the only one that was free. And I didn't really notice him." Rose coughed slightly, hoping Albus didn't pick up on her lying, which she wasn't exactly good at doing. Admittedly, the fact that Scorpius was in the only 'free' cabin and that he was asleep made sitting there the best choice ever. Rose shook herself, there's no need to get too close. "And he seems," she continued, poking him slightly and scrunching up her nose, "fast asleep."

xxx

Scorpius woke up, unsure of when he had managed to doze off. He moved his hand off his face, feeling slightly hot in the coat that he meant to take off the minute he was on the train if not for the interesting conversation he overheard. "Must have fallen asleep thinking of all the possibilities" he thought as he blinked and took in the figure in front of him, staring at him with a peculiar expression. If he didn't know better he would have thought it was fear. But Albus Severus Potter and fear? They didn't seem to mix.

Wait a second. Albus Severus Potter? Scorpius jolted upright. "Hello," Albus said quietly out of a way of being polite. Actually, he was unsure of what to do in this situation. This was Draco Malfoy's son… His father's ex-archenemy. "Potter," Scorpius acknowledged with a curt nod of his head. "What are you doing here?" he then proceeded to ask, not bothering to hide his annoyance at being found in this rather embarrassing situation.

Albus blanched and gulped. Taking a deep breath, he thought "if he's going to be mean, then you shouldn't back down! Remember was Dad told you."

"We came and sat here because no other carriage was free. I think that's not against the rules, right?" He smiled inwardly at having come up with a good reply to Malfoy. "Woah, calm down!" Scorpius offered his hand to Albus. "Formally introducing myself as Scorpius Malfoy," he grinned as he waited for his hand to be shaken. That was something that Albus hadn't expected, forcing him to feel even more intimidated by this person sitting in front of him. Weren't the Malfoys supposed to be arrogant and… mean? Shake or not, Albus debated silently in his head. He finally decided to put his hand forward. "You can call me Al," he said, since Scorpius already knew his name. What else was he supposed to say?

The door slip open and they both turned, hand still locked in the shake.

Rose took in the sight before her and, despite herself, started laughing. Gasping for air, she sat down next to Albus, still laughing at Scorpius in front of her. He scowled and she stopped immediately. "Sorry, it's just… I suppose this must have been the first time that your parents met and I don't think this was the way they met at all. In fact from what I've heard…" Scorpius listened to her talk very, very fast for the next several minutes about their parents' history. He gaped at her, wondering when she would stop.

Rose could feel the sudden utter and awkward silence in the cabin when she stopped speaking to take a breath. She didn't feel like she was doing a very good job of explaining herself. "Now that you've shut up," Scorpius said, "do you have any idea when this thing is going to arrive? I'm starving." Rose felt that he was being a bit rude, but decided to answer his question anyway. "Well _actually, _I was just up at the driver's and he said that we'll be getting there in an hour but _I _think that we should _probably-" _Scorpius could feel her getting into one more of her epic speeches when he cut her off.

"Is she always like this?" He asked Al, pretending as though Rose wasn't there. "Introducing Rose Weasley!" Albus grinned, convinced that he'd found a good friend and hoping that they'd end up in the same house. Not that he wanted to be in Slytherin… Rose on the other hand couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. Since when had her cousin – Al! The shy one of the lot! – made new friends that he ignored her over? She scowled at Scorpius and he winked back, making her scowl even harder.

She hoped dearly that his boy wasn't in _her _house.


	2. Chapter 2: The Sorting

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**Chapter 2 – The Sorting**

James Potter watched as the group of First Years huddled near the front of the Hall where the sorting hat was placed on the stool. He remembered last year when he'd been there. He was scared out of his mind – not that he'd let anyone know that. "That'll be your brother then?" a voice behind him asked. James turned around. "Gave me quite a fright there, Nick! No pun intended." Fred, sitting next to him, laughed while Nick looked rather offended. "Don't mind them, Nick. It's rather shameful that they belong to the family anyway," Molly Weasley said, but Nick pretended not to here. "There's another one going after her father's footsteps," he thought. James, meanwhile, searched the crowd for Rose and Albus, wondering if Rose ever found out what the sorting ceremony was about. He caught Albus's eye and winked, then proceeded grin cheekily and point to his ears. "Listen to the song!" he mouthed. "What are -?" Albus started to mouth back, but his question was answered before he asked it.

"You may think I am ugly,

An old and dirty hat!

But I mean much, much more,

I assure you that.

Now I am sure some of you

Can guess what I am for,

But before that let me tell

About the founders four.

Loyal and the closet friends,

Together found this school,

And they left me behind,

Sitting on this stool.

Gryffindor, the bravest one,

Chivalry set him apart,

Chose to teach all of those

Who dared to speak their heart.

And who was next but Slytherin?

Cunning, ambitious and sly

Would go any means to have his way

And teach those who'll touch the sky.

The cleverest went to Ravenclaw,

To whom, brains were the most

And Hufflepuff, the fairest one

To the hard-working became a host.

But bear in mind, together we stood

Once and again and again

And no matter to what house you'll go

All of us are friends!

But here I am still today,

To run things how they ran,

To sort you into your own house,

For sort you Yes I Can!"

The mouth of the hat closed and it sat once more on the stool, looking nothing more than, as he said, ugly and rather dusty. "Oh so we just have to put that hat on!" Rose whispered to Albus from behind, wondering if the hat was going to ask her questions. Albus shrugged. The sorting had never been a mystery to him, but he didn't know the hat would _sing! _"What, you mean your parents didn't tell you that there's a sorting hat?" Scorpius asked Rose, trying not to laugh. What a shock she must have got when she saw a hat on a stool! "You don't ever stop being rude, do you?" Rose asked him, and then turned back towards the hat, trying to decipher any questions it might have from the dust patterns on it.

Scorpius was taken aback. He hadn't meant to be rude; he was just having a laugh! "What is _with _her?" he asked Albus. Albus shrugged, not replying, getting more and more nervous as Professor (Headmistress, really) McGonagall unrolled the list of names for this year's students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Scorpius followed Albus's gaze to the roll of parchment in the headmistress's hands as well. Could he really pull it off? He took a deep breath and grinned. There's no point worrying now. He'll find out soon enough.

"Adams, Grace" she called in a clear voice that showed no signs of her age. On the Gryffindor table, Fred poked James muttering "she's muggle-born, that one. I say Hufflepuff. 3 sickles." James laughed, "I'll take you on. I say she's coming this way." Louis Weasley grinned from the other side of the table as the hat was put on her head. "3 sickles to Ravenclaw," he said when his sisters looked at him. "What?" he asked them, "it's _my _pocket money." Victoire and Dominique shrugged, the latter replying "it's also the year you get to go to Hogsmeade, so I wouldn't be wasting all my money now."

"I can always borrow from Molly."

"Don't count on that! Dad told me that I should be really trying to find friends higher up in the circle and I don't think lending around my money really suits my image," Molly said. "Sometimes I doubt you're our cousin" Fred replied and grinned at her scowl. "Shh!" Victoire said. A hush fell on the table as the Hat opened its mouth.

"Slytherin!" it shouted. And while the Slytherin table applauded and wooted there were amused grins everywhere else. "Guess I didn't see that one coming," James said. "At least no one lost their money," Fred replied and they turned their attention back towards the sorting, more guessing and betting following until –

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

"No guesses there," Victoire said. "Oh, come on Vic. You're Head Girl, you're not supposed to be prejudiced" her brother said. "Just stating a fact, Louis… Want to bet?" she replied, knowing that Louis wouldn't risk it, before shrugging and turning back to the front of the great hall. The hat was just being placed on Scorpius's head.

Scorpius sat calmly under the hat and repeated, "Gryffindor" in his head over and over again. "Gryffindor?" the hat asked him, in a sly and nasal voice. But Scorpius didn't give up on his little chant. "Hmm, I can see where you're coming from. Yes, yes. Gryffindor is certainly an interesting choice. But why not Slytherin? It's far more suited to a Malfoy…" The hat pondered for what seemed like an eternity, but Scorpius wasn't one for giving up. Albus stood in the line and wondered the fate of this boy who could be a really good friend. Will be really be in Slytherin? "Don't get your hopes up, Al. There's no way that he's going to be in-"

but Rose was cut off by the Sorting Hat.

"Gryffindor!" it shouted loud and clear.

It was the first time that there was no applause immediately after someone was sorted. Everyone was slightly shocked. A Malfoy in Gryffindor. It was Albus who started clapping first, grinning in spite of his fear and nervousness. The rest of the room joined in, but you could see the doubtful faces dotted across the room, both in the teachers and the students. Still, the sorting hat had never gone wrong. "What were you saying, Rose?" Albus asked his cousin over the claps. Rose shook her head, embarrassed for the third time because of this boy. "Don't worry dad," she thought. "I'm not going _anywhere _near him."

Scorpius went and sat down on the Gryffindor table in the midst of the Weasleys. They all looked at him as if he was some kind of intruder, but paying no attention, he turned towards the front of the hall, surveying the rest left to be sorted. "I say the hat won't last even a minute on the next one's head," he said. James admired the guts of this boy. No one starts a bet immediately after they're sorted. "You're on!" he grinned. "How much?" And soon, they're getting on well enough, to the horror of Fred Weasley. He couldn't forgive this Malfoy so quickly. Not after what his dad and granddad were. He'd have to do more than just a betting game to win over this lot of Weasleys.

Grace Longbottom, Andrus Nott and Violet Parkinson were each sorted into their respective houses before it was Albus's turn. The hat didn't even have to sit on his head for a second before announcing, "Gryffindor!" Albus happily joined his family and his new friend. "Guess we were just meant to be?" Scorpius asked Albus as he joined the table. "Guess so," Albus replied, grinning from ear to ear as he sat between his brother and Scorpius. The crowd of students in the front thinned gradually. Lorcan and Lysander Scamander both went to Ravenclaw, Andy Willow to Hufflepuff and soon enough, Rose was sitting amongst the Weasleys at the Gryffindor table; Professor McGonagall called Pygmalion Menkel, the school caretaker, to take the hat and stool away. "There's not much to say," she said and sweeping her hands once, turned around to sit on the high table.

The food was here! Everyone attacked the food at once, taking whatever they could. "Good job, Rose!" Victoire said, as she chewed on her lamb skewer. Rose smiled and thanked the many people that congratulated her after that. Conversation flowed steadily from topic to topic between the Weasleys, but while the Potters joined in, they carefully left Scorpius out of it. Scorpius smiled, thinking of this as just another obstacle he'll have to pass. Shrugging he turned to see who else there was. "Hello Sir Nicholas!" he said to the ghost who was studying him carefully. "Hello young Malfoy! Scorpius is it? Well there is going to be a lot of talk in the ghosts tonight about this little incident. The Bloody Baron doesn't look too happy, does he?" Nick asked, looking at the Slytherin ghost. Scorpius followed his gaze and laughed. "He needs to start getting over things," he said to Nick. Nick widened his eyes and looked around, hoping no one else had heard. Delicately, he said "moving on then," before passing straight through Scorpius to talk to a girl sitting on the far end.

After the desserts were gone, and the plates were clear and golden once more, Professor McGonagall stood up. "Only two important announcements before you can head up to bed!" she said, studying the room: everyone was listening in rapt attention, knowing the strictness of the Headmistress all too well. "Professor Ahal Partula will no longer be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. Instead we have Professor Teddy Lupin! And Professor Malcolm Baddock will be the new Head of Slytherin."

The Gryffindors were the loudest to applaud. Albus grinned, not at all surprised by this. He had seen Teddy get on the train and his parents had let him on the secret. Grinning he answered the Weasleys' interrogations. "He couldn't bear to be away from Hogwarts for more than a year!" Then James started teasing Victoire. "Nice Vic. Getting it on with a _teacher." _The rest of the Weasleys laughed as Professor McGonagall called their attention once more.

"Follow your prefects up to your common rooms!" she said and everyone was dismissed. In the usual clatter, everything lay forgotten, half in excitement, half in tiredness. And so it was absolutely plausible why no one noticed Rose Weasley not being able to take her eyes off Scorpius as he and Al walked towards the Gryffindor dormitories.


End file.

Harry Potter, Friendship, Romance