Chapter One – First Impressions

'Isn't this going to be so amazing Albus!' squealed Rose as she sat down beside her cousin after waving goodbye to her family. 'Uh huh' he replied uninterested. They all had heard enough of Rose going on and on about starting Hogwarts. They shuffled along the corridor to find their compartment. She was surrounded by her cousins in that compartment on the train. There was James, Albus, Dominique, Victoire, Louis, Roxanne, Fred II, Molly II and Lucy. It was a tight squeeze. Fred and James had taken the role of Hogwarts pranksters and there was never a dull moment during the holidays, whether it was the pranks they pulled, or the two getting giving out to by Ginny or Angelina then Uncle George getting given out to for giving the boys the new WWW items. Rose was going to miss home, but then mum said that Christmas would come around quickly if I just had fun. 'Rose! Hello? Rosie, are you in there?'

Rose looked up to see all of her cousins looking at her like she was Hagrid's dog Fluffy. 'Sorry what?' she asked as if she just didn't hear who ever had spoken. It was James. 'I said do you want to play Exploding Snap with us?' Just as he finished, a blonde headed boy walk past her compartment with molten silver eyes. 'Um, no thank you, I need to get some air. I'll be back in a minute' she brushed off the weird looks she was getting from her cousins and followed the boy. Scorpius turned around when he noticed someone behind him. It was the Weasley girl his father had told him to befriend her if she was nice or leave her alone if not, and the Potter boy his father had asked him to be friends with. 'Albus, what are you doing here!' he heard her whisper angrily to her cousin as he hid in an empty compartment. 'I came to see what was up with you, you were acting strange and then suddenly walked out of the compartment when the Malfoy boy walked past, I know Uncle Ron said not to get too close to him, but you don't need to hex him straight away. At least see if he's nice or not. Plus, it seems like he's on his own so why don't we just talk to him?' He heard her sigh and reply haughtily 'Al, I really was just getting some air. I don't care if he's nice or not, I doubt we'll be friends anyway'. Scorpius' eyes narrowed at this. This girl wasn't even going to give him a chance. 'Two can play at this game' he thought to himself. He saw Rose continue past the compartment and he left to talk to this Albus person.

'Hi, I'm Scorpius Malfoy.' He introduced politely. 'Albus Potter, put you can call me Al, everyone else does' he reply sticking out his hand for a handshake. Scorpius shook it with a smile hoping he had made a friend. 'Do you want to come into my compartment' Al asked him. He was a bit nervous what with all the Potter/Weasley clan in there. 'Um, sh- sure.' He tried to reply calmly but Al obviously saw through him and laughed. 'Don't worry Scorp, you don't mind Scorp do you?' he shook his head. 'Cool, they wont hurt you anyway, James and Fred might mess with you a bit but don't worry. Well I can't say the same for Rose, I guess you heard?' Al was obviously worried his ignorant cousin might have ruined their new friendship. 'Yeah but don't worry about it, you and I are friends, not me and Rose. You're close then?'

Scorpius wanted to be on Al's good side in case Rose pitted them against each other. 'Yes we are. Have been since we were babies. Here we are'. Scorpius' heart fell when he say the Weasley girl in the compartment as did her face when she saw who Al was with. 'Oi everyone! This is my friend Scorpius Malfoy!' Al introduced him as if he was Neville's son or daughter. There was a chorus of 'Hello's and a big 'God damn it Al!' from Roxanne, who had just finished a house of Exploding Snap cards which fell when Al shouted into the compartment. She huffed and announced that there was a prefects meeting in 2 minutes and that she, Lucy, Louis, Victoire and Molly had to go leaving Fred, Al, Rose, James, Dominique and Scorpius together in one compartment. Scorpius could feel the death glares Rose was sending him but he ignored them and stuck up a conversation with Al just as James and Fred were going to prank a couple of first years and Dominique left to be with her Ravenclaw friends.

This left Rose, Al and Scorpius alone together. 'So what Quidditch team do you support Al?' Scorpius asked trying to lighten the mood. He heard a sigh of annoyance from Rose but didn't acknowledge her. 'Holyhead Harpies, what about you Scorp?' He was beginning to like Albus Potter even more. 'Puddlemere United. Does your mum still play for the Harpies?' he admired Ginny Potter's ability in Quidditch. 'Not anymore, not since she had Lily. She still gives guest talks and stuff and she helps out Madam Hooch in school so it keeps her up-to-date.' Scorpius nodded and moved onto Rose, pretending that he didn't hear her earlier. 'How about you Rose? What team do you support?' Rose eyed him curiously wondering why he was talking to her. 'The Harpies too, and if you don't mind, I want to read' she replied to him shortly. 'Oh, sorry Rose.' He blushed, hoping Albus thought it was the heat on the train and nothing else.

'Anything off the trolley Scorp?' Al asked him, breaking through his thoughts. He looked up to see the trolley lady standing outside in the corridor. 'Oh, um, a liquorish wand and 3 chocolate frogs please.' Scorpius sat down and handed a frog to Al and Rose. 'Why is he giving one to me?' Rose thought to herself. 'Thank you Scorpius. I'm sorry I don't have anything in return.' She blushed, hoping he wouldn't think she was poor like her father was. 'Don't worry; I was giving it to you because I wanted to, not to get anything in return. Oh, and call me Scorp, Al does'. 'Maybe he is a nice person' she thought. Rose smiled as she thought about Scorpius as a friend. No, she pushed the thought out of her head. Her father would kill her. Having inherited her mother's brains, Rose quickly performed a non- verbal Stinging Jinx at Scorpius. Although her wand was barely in her hand, the effect was just as strong...

'ARGH! What the hell?' Scorpius leaped up out of his seat and started rubbing his leg vigorously. 'Are you alright Scorp?' Al asked while Rose tried to hind her smirk at the pain she inflicted. She saw Scorpius' eyes narrow as he saw the smirk in the corner of his eye. He rounded on her immediately. 'It was YOU, wasn't it?' he shouted at her. 'What ever gave you the idea that I did it Scorpius?' she countered with a fake innocent pout she used to get out of trouble at home. 'Rosie? Did you hex Scorp?' Al demanded. He always had a way of getting the truth out of her when she was lying. 'No I didn't.' She answered sharply. 'Rose! Why would you hex him? All he did was give you a chocolate frog!' Rose huffed and stood up to leave when Scorpius grabbed her wrist. 'Well? Why would you do that Rosie?' He sneered at her using her family nick-name. 'I'm sorry Scorpius. I was just practicing a non verbal spell I found in one of my mum's old school books, you just happened to get in the way. Al – 'she turned to face her cousin, - 'I was just practising my wrist movement. I didn't hurt him on purpose' she said with a inward smirk. 'Now, I'm going to find Dominique. I want to talk to her before we get sorted. See you later Al. Bye Scorpius'.

She left to find Dom with her Ravenclaw friends. 'Hey kiddo! What's up?' Rose loved Dom like an older sister. Dom had always looked out for Rose when she was little. 'Oh, nothing much, I just came from Al and Scorpius. I used that non-verbal stinging jinx Uncle George taught us over the summer on Scorpius, so I thought it was time to go before I got caught.' She shrugged, hoping Dom would brush it off. 'You got caught by Al didn't you?' 'Is it that obvious?' Rose, Dom and her friends laughed and joked until they got to Hogsmead station. 'Ok Rosie, this is it! Don't worry if you don't get into Gryffindor, you'll be fine. Just go on now and find Hagrid. I'll see you later' Dominique reassured her. 'Thanks Dom, see you later.'

Rose spotted her uncle's big friend towering over all the students. 'First years ov'r ere please! C'mon now! 'Ello Rosie, how are ya?' he beamed down at her. 'Hi Hagrid. I'm great thanks, can't wait to get inside and be sorted!' He chuckled as he led all the other first years to the boats. Rose got into a boat with 2 other girls; Karen Finnegan and Lucy Corner. As she got into her boat with the girls, Rose saw Al and Scorpius getting into a boat with Laurie Jordan. The three were talking animatedly and Laurie almost knocked the three out of the boat. Rose caught Scorpius' eye and smirked at him. Scorpius, being the gentleman he was raised to be, gave her a polite wave and sat down in the boat. 'Who were you waving at Scorp?' Al inquired, looking for someone familiar. 'Oh, just Rose.' Scorpius couldn't help notice how his heart fluttered when he said her name. Rose Weasley. It sounded so good on his tongue. 'Scorpius duck!' Al and Laurie shouted at him, just in time as they went under a extremely low bridge. He heard wheels clap off cobble stones and he assumed that it was the older students in the carriages.

They reached the dock in no time and headed for the oak doors. As Scorpius looked around him, he noticed all the other first years were getting giddy and excited, even Rose and Al, whom both seems very calm about the sorting and beginning Hogwarts. 'Hey Al, what house do you want to be in?' he asked his friend who was staring at the girl beside Rose with long brown hair. 'Hm?' He replied, caught out. '-oh, um Gryffindor or Slytherin. I'm not smart enough to be in Ravenclaw and not just enough to be in Hufflepuff. But I'm brave, and cunning so either and I'll be happy. What about you?' 'Oh great!' Scorpius thought, 'I'll have weird looks off him now if I say where I want to be'. 'Either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. My mum always said I would be smart enough for there.' Al looked slightly bemused by this, but Scorpius just brushed it off. It was then Hagrid knocked on the huge doors and they opened to reveal a laid-back looking man, in blue robes. Al told him that this was Professor Longbottom, Herbology teacher, deputy headmaster and Gryffindor Head of House. He brought us through and into a small chamber off the Great Hall. Professor Longbottom was explaining what will happen, but Scorpius, Al and Laurie weren't listening. 'This is it' Scorpius whispered to Al and Laurie. They both smiled and nodded. And with that, they were led into the Great Hall to be sorted.

~Niffs~