Put on a Brave Face
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy never even took this possibility into consideration.
Albus was through with this. Gryffindor had hardly even clapped for the poor kid! If he was allowed to be in a different house, then so was the Malfoy kid!
He was focusing so hard on that thought that he almost missed his name being called. He wasn't worried now—just distracted and hyperfocused on the injustice of the way Gryffindor house had… He jammed the hat onto his head.
"Oh, well this is clear," the ancient leather whispered, "You'll stand up for what is right, even if the rest of the house doesn't agree? For they obviously do not."
Albus nodded his head, confused. He thought he was supposed to be sorted. He hadn't considered that the Hat might want to talk first.
It chuckled. "Well, you remind me of another boy. So much potential, and you only need remember: It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more so to stand up to your friends. So long as you remember those words."
Albus nodded again, nervously. Did that mean he would be going to Slytherin after all?
"You've got the makings of a fine GRYFFINDOR!"
The Hat shouted the last word, and Gryffindor table exploded. (Not literally, of course, though it had been in the plans of James Potter and his mischevious cousin Fred Weasley at one point.) Albus was struck by the difference between this greeting for him and the sub-par "welcome" given to Scorpius Malfoy.
He made it a point, then, to sit next to the pale boy, despite the fact that he saw a seat had been saved for him at the Potter-Weasley end of the table. He wanted to stand up to his friends, his family, just like the Sorting Hat said.
"Erm… hi. I'm Albus Potter," he whispered awkwardly, trying not to interrupt the remaining sortings. He jutted his hand out (as much as he could with most of it jammed between his body and the table's edge) for a handshake.
"S-s-scorpius Malfoy," Scorpius mumbled back, as though he were afraid of being slapped for having a name. Though, considering who he was speaking to, it likely was what he expected.
"Well then, Scorpius Malfoy, it's nice to meet you. I guess we'll be roommates, then?" Albus' grin was blinding. "I'm glad I'll be rooming with someone who's sane—I was starting to think all Gryffindors were crazy like my family!"
This got a slight smile from Scorpius, but then his face fell.
"I-I expect I'll be r-r-resorted. I don't b-belong here. Everyb-b-body knows it. M-m-my father is going to string me up for not being in S-Slytherin."
Albus got the feeling that Scorpius' stutter wasn't just because he was nervous, though that probably didn't help. He thought quickly. What would he have wanted to reassure him if he had been sorted into Slytherin like he had been afraid of.
Well, that was easy—his father had already told him at the train station. He'd just change the words a bit.
"I think your father would be proud of you no matter what, and Gryffindor's gained a great student."
The blonde tensed a bit, seeming to think.
"I d-don't know…"
"Come on, can't you just feel it? You're supposed to be here! Plus, do you really want to be down in those dungeons where it's all cold and stuff?" He pulled a face. "Really, Gryffindor's the place to be!"
Just then, his cousin Rose's name was called, one of the last ones up. The whispered conversation halted momentarily while the hat pondered (or spoke with her, Albus suspected).
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Little surprise there. She skipped (at a sprinter's pace) to the Potter-Weasley section of the table and plopped down between Victiore and Molly. Albus turned back to the conversation.
"Anyways, let's just enjoy being here! It's no fun to worry about whether or not we should be."
This seemed to cheer Scorpius up. Perhaps it was his inner trouble-maker coming to life, but he relaxed and noticeably tried to look less terrified and uncomfortable.
It seemed they had talked through Headmistress McGonnagall's opening remarks, because the food suddenly appeared. Neither boy ever having seen food simply appear before, both murmured an appreciative "Wicked!" and stopped, looking at each other.
Albus grinned.
Scorpius smiled back.
Both boys dug in, never noticing the Herbology professor watching them from the head table with a smile. Perhaps they didn't realize it, but he did. This was the start of a wonderful friendship.
I know, I know. I'm a horrible person for putting this up and adding to the "in-progress" pile on my page. I should be updating the other in-progress fics on there. Well, too bad, so sad, this scene just wouldn't stay un-written. And in my defense (*cough*excuses*cough*) I've got most of the next chapter to "Only a Memory" written. I'm just a massive procrastinator who's easily distracted. So there.
Anyways, tell me what you think of this one. I don't really know where it's going, at the moment, but I'm sure I could figure something out. ~Lacey