chapter one, The Hogwarts Express.

Taken place after the deathly hallows epilogue. On the first day of Hogwarts Rose Weasley meets the next generation of witch and wizards.

Declaimer: It's all Jo Rowling's (minus like, four characters?)

After an emotional build up Rose Weasley finally stepped onto the Hogwarts express. She had specifically got up at five o'clock in the morning to read though "Hogwarts; A History" just one last time, as to fully prepare herself for what lay ahead and now the moment was finally within reach. Rose trudged across the train corridor in search for some seats as Albus trailed along behind, lugging along his baggage, looking a very pale green.

"Al, its fine. Dad was joking, he won't disinherit you if you're not sorted into Gryffindor".

Albus' eyes met Rose's and he nodded slightly, running his hand though his dark, untameable hair.

After searching the whole first year's carriage for a compartment the two finally decided to part ways and sit in separate compartments.

"Can I sit here?" Rose asked the group of kids in the only other carriage with a seat. The collective replied in a murmur of acceptance. Rose closed the glass door behind her, stowed her trunk and took her set closest to the window. She settled down, adjusting her carry on bag containing her train ticket, a photo of her incredibly large family, her 10 and a half-inch holy and unicorn hair wand and other items she deemed essential to have close by. As Rose finally got her bag to balance on her lap without tipping, she glanced up to find five sets of eyes staring in her direction. She smiled courteously, inviting the crowd to look away. "What is it?" she begged when the eyes remained settled on her.

"You're Ron and Hermione Weasley's daughter" the short brunette girl across from her stated. Rose sighed, and so it had begun. They hadn't even been courteous enough to say hello.

"Yes, but I would prefer if you called me Rose".

At this the blonde boy sitting closest to the door on the opposite side smirked, half of his mouth twisting up into an almost cruel grin.

It was the boy her dad had warned her about, the Malfoy boy.

"What's it like, living with two of the biggest hero's the wizarding world have ever seen?" the mousey looking girl beside her asked.

Rose's lips formed a neat puckered line and she closed her eyes tight contemplating her options, if she talked non stop to every first year about her parents glory days eventually she would be able to start to live her own life… however, if she left this compartment now she could sit in the hallway… thus no questions… for now. She considered this while staring blankly as the lush green paddocks blurred passed through the window.

"I suppose we're like any other family." She shrugged, finally deciding on a truthful yet topic-ending reply.

The majority of the booth looked disappointed at the lack of insight into Rose's private life, except for the Malfoy boy, who's face was that of the slightest intrigue and confusion.

"Anywayyyyyy, what are your names?"

"Eleanor Honey." The girl across from her stated extending her hand.

Rose politely shook it.

The boy next to Malfoy, who until now had been completely silent, also extended his hand "Edgar Zabini."

The blonde, whose eyes had not yet left Rose, finally spoke, "My name is Scorpius Malfoy, but I'm sure you have already been told about me, as I have you."

There was a hushed silence though out the group as each child's eyes darted from Rose and back. It was shocking for Rose to see how thick their family's uneasiness for one another seemed.

She nodded slightly and turned to the blonde, rat like girl beside her inviting her to rid the collective of the awkwardness.

"Harriett Potts" the girl said timidly.

The tense air evaporated suddenly and Scorpius burst out laughing. "Harriett Potts, Honestly! You're parents named you Harriett Potts?"

Harriett's shy composure shattered.

"My mum, Florence Potts, went to Beauxbatons during the time of the tri-wizard tournament, in which Potter was a contestant. Turns out the legend of Harry Potter was so inspirational to her that it seemed fitting to name her only daughter, her only child, after him. My dads a muggle so after hearing Potter's story, even he decided that he wanted to change his surname to something closer to Harry's, so he took mums… and there went my last hope." At this the rest of the compartment joined in on the laughter.

"Sorry, but that does suck." The boy furthest from Rose on her side sniggered. "Butcher, Max Butcher." The brown haired, immensely freckly boy said with a slight nod of his head.

"Nice to be acquainted with you all."

"Are the rest of you full bloods, half bloods or muggle borns?" Harriett asked.

"I am a full blood." Scorpius said with an almost boastful tone, his eyes landed on Rose and his smile faltered.

"My mother is a muggle born but my father is a full blood."

"Well, both of my parents are muggles." Max said

"Full blood." Edgar piped, his face as superior as ever.

"My father is a muggle, Mum is muggle born." Eleanor said rummaging in her carry on and extracting a coin purse. "Mum told me to buy a heap of lollies when the trolley comes past. I especially want to try droobles. Mum said the bubbles blow to be this big." Eleanor used her hands to show an over exaggerated sized nearly hitting Edgar in the process. Max's eyes and smile widened in anticipation, as if waiting for the trolley was the most tortuous act he had ever encountered.

"What houses do you all want to be sorted into?" He asked innocently.

The majority of the compartment chimed in with "Gryffindor". the remainder, Edgar, said "Slytherin" most proudly.

Scorpius however remained quiet, staring through the carpet. At his friends lack of enthusiasm Edgar nudged the boy next to him, "Scorp?"

The Malfoy boy looked up slowly and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, mate." He began running his hand through is pale hair. He seemed to begin to try to justify himself when he noticed the look on Edgar's face and just gave up. "Yeah, Slytherin."

Rose couldn't help but to snort quietly, however she didn't seem to do it just quite enough.

"Problem, Weasley?"

"Its just a little disappointing that your greatest aspiration seems to be to follow in the great line of Malfoys before you." She replied sarcastically, almost immediately regretting it.

"You know nothing of my family, or my aspirations" He spat.

Rose could feel heat rising to her face; the entire compartment's eyes darted from Malfoy to Weasley.

For the rest of the train ride Rose and Scorpius only spoke once more to each other.

Rose remained silently reading her mothers copy of "The Tales Of Beedle The Bard". Her mother had been given the book by her headmaster, helping solve the mystery of the deathly hallows, thus defeating the dark lord once and for all. Rose knew the stories by heart; they seemed to hold such a great importance to her family's lives.

When the trolley came past, Rose, putting the book in her lap, withdrew her galleons from her purse and got up to purchase a chocolate frog, forgetting all about the book which in the process fell to the ground causing a large thump.

Upon noticing the thump Rose hastened to collect the book, she found Scorpius had already retrieved it

"Here." He said extending his hand toward her.

"Thank you".

The sun went down and the anxious children ate and changed into their robes before the train slowed, finally coming to a stop.

Rose excitedly collected all of her belongings and hastily made her way across to Albus' compartment.

Her cousin was just leaving the stall, whilst deep in a conversation with a small thin girl with short brown hair and an Irish accent, when he saw Rose he smiled and made an apology to the girl before running to join Rose.

"Rosie, how was your ride?"

She shrugged, it certainly wasn't as she had imagined.

"Yours?"

"It was pretty good, I think I made a friend, she was the only one to talk to me the whole ride in, the others just stared and whispered to one another the whole time!"

Rose giggled.

The two stepped off the train, into the crisp night air, joined by a sea of children dressed in school robes. The older students, however, were dressed in clothes of there choosing, reminding Rose of the rainbow colours on a mermaids tail.

Hogwarts was visible in the distance; the lights of the castle illuminated the lake, throwing patterns across the whole area.

"Firs' years, this way!" a familiar, booming voice called.

Rose looked up to find Hagrid towering over them.

Once spotting the pair Hagrid winked in their direction before continuing. "Firs' years, if you wou'd be so kind as teh follow me teh the boats. No, leave your bags here, it'll all be carted up, that's the way." He swung his lamp in the direction of the path leading towards the lake.

Dodging through trees the excited first years made their way noisily to the lakes edge.

"Now you'll be needin' to ge' inteh groups of four, so's you'll all be gettin' a seat." Hagrid said pulling himself up straight at waiting patently.

Many of the children around the two were stealing glances, particularly in Albus' direction.

Rose took her cousins hand and led him through the chaotic group of first years, whom were all in search for their friends and an empty boat.

Rose and Albus sat in the closest empty boat, discussing who would be holding the lamp. They had just decided on Albus when the petite, Irish girl he had been talking to on the train approached the two.

"Albus?" she tapped the boy on his shoulder as to get his attention. "Can I join you?"

"Absolutely" he said scurrying over. "Rose this is Derry, Derry, Rose."

"Hi,"

"Hello"

"So your parents are…" The girl looked to Albus, uncertainly "Hermione and Ruben?"

"Ronald." Rose corrected. She liked this girl already, Derry seemed completely oblivious to her parent's stories, a muggle born most likely, Rose decided.

Rose smiled and looked around, a few metres to her left she saw Scorpius standing next to a boat which already contained four people, a boy with light red hair seemed to be offering his seat to him, but he appeared to be politely refusing.

Hagrid cleared his throat.

"If you cou'd find a seat, you can make yeh way across the lake."

"There aren't any seats left." The blonde haired boy stated.

Rose raised her eyebrows at Albus who rolled his eyes back.

"I can bet there'll be." Hagrid continued, raising his voice for the whole group to hear. "Are there any spare seats?"

Derry raised her hand, catching Scorpius' eye. He slowly made his way toward the trio and silently took his seat next to Rose.

"A'right, Away with ya." Hagrid bellowed, and the boats started gliding, slowly across the water.

"I honestly didn't see that you had a spare place at this boat." Scorpius explained to Rose, barley audible above the gasps and excited whispers from the boats around them.

Rose turned to the boy his face seemed sincere. she nodded.

Rose noticed a slight steam rise from the water felt oddly tempted to plunge her hand into the opaque black beside her just to determine its temperature.

"So… this is Hogwarts?" Derry said breaking Rose's train of thought.

The four children stared ahead as the beautiful castle grew closer. Rose decided instantly that the books had not done the old building justice. The lights inside really seemed to give off a sense of comfort; Rose imagined the older students already inside, sitting and talking cheerfully in the warmth, surrounded by the professors smiling down at them, like one huge family.

Scorpius cleared his throat "You know I'm not evil, right".

Rose didn't know what to say to this, she had literally only met this boy and could only really judge him on what her parents had said about his family. Uncle Harry was the only one that seemed to feel something less than hate toward the Malfoys, he often backed them up, speaking of the time where Narsissa Malfoy once saved his life, at this Rose's dad would always point out that it was only a selfish act, as her intention was to save her family. The subject would then be changed by auntie Ginny who would notice the strange, pale, far off look on Rose's mums face.

Rose looked at the reflection of the castle in the lake beside her, she shrugged, "listen, Malfoy, I don't know, my mother is the smartest person I know and she seems to think you're bad news". Rose's fingers found the edge of the boat and slipped absentmindedly into the ice cold water.

The blonde boy beside her sighed.

Roses eyes peered behind her at her cousin who, upon seeing her looking in his direction gave an approving nod as if to say "you're right not to trust him".

Rose pulled her wand out of her breast pocket and turned it over in her hands.

The rest of the boat ride was quiet while the others stared at the castle, daydreaming of the possibilities that lay ahead.