Rose waved to her parents, her aunt, her uncle, Hugo, and Lily. She turned to smile at her cousins in the compartment with her. James and Fred grinned back at her, but Albus wore an expression of grave contemplation. The older girls, except Molly and Victoire, were excitedly whispering amongst themselves.
"Now, my dear friends," Fred said with a magnificent bow, "this is where we part. I bid you adieu with the sincerest wishes for your welfare."
"What he really means is that we can't be seen with you. It would damage our spotless reputation that we've made," James added as he and Fred left the compartment likely to find their third year classmates. Roxanne, Dominique, and Lucy followed close behind them, bidding farewells and good wishes to their nervous first year cousins.
Rose waved at them, watching them go as a pit of nervousness grew in her stomach. She slouched further down on the bench and watched as Albus's brow furrowed in seeming confusion before she turned her head to gaze out the window, somewhat frustrated. Albus always seemed to have something else to concentrate on, leaving her to be the one worrying about present situations. Right now, her biggest fear was being placed into Slytherin by the sorting hat. It pressed down hard on her mind, but her thoughts were interrupted by the door sliding open.
"You mind if I join you? All the others are pretty much full or have older students." A young boy stood in the opened doorway with a confident air. Without waiting for consent he sat down on the bench beside Albus. Unbelievably, Albus still wasn't at all distracted from his thoughts, leaving Rose to talk to the boy.
She surveyed the boy who sat on the opposite bench before speaking. He had light brown hair and dusty blue eyes that sparked mischievously at her.
"Sure, I guess, you may, seeing as you asked so politely." Her sarcastic comment earned her a saucy grin.
"I figured you'd let me stay. You don't seem like the type to kick out a poor boy on his heels. Too bad I wasn't here earlier, than I could have snagged you before this here bloke did."
Rose blushed in embarrassment and annoyance. He seemed the self-righteous kind she had always avoided.
"That's Albus, my cousin."
The boy brightened considerably at this comment and stuck out his hand to Rose.
"I'm Larcorn Sevelly."
"Rose—"The newcomer interrupted her again, "What room do you want to be in? I reckon they all have their faults and virtues, but I think I'll probably end up in Ravenclaw. Mom says I'm right clever enough. Course, if I had to pick I would go with Gryffindor, mostly because that's where I suppose Prissy will go."
"Prissy?" Rose asked, surprised that she got an opportunity to speak. Apparently he had to stop for breath sometime.
"Yeah, she's a family friend. So, I'm guessing you are related to those famous heroes on the chocolate frog cards 'cuz you sure look like them." He pulled one of Ron and Harry out.
"He looks like Potter," Larcorn gestured at Albus, "and you like Weasley."
"You're right; he's my dad," Rose took the one of her father from Larcorn's hand and smiled at her father's face. A strike of homesickness hit her when he smiled and waved back up at her.
The door slammed open once again to reveal a light blond-haired boy with a very dark brown-haired large companion standing slightly behind him.
Larcorn smiled evilly at the blond boy. "Still haven't found a compartment, Malfoy? Is it because you don't know how to ask or no one wants you?"
The boy whom Larcorn had called Malfoy sneered at him, while the one behind him cracked his knuckles menacingly.
"At least I don't lower myself to your standards. A Potter and Weasley by the looks of it. Look at your girlfriend, already showing off her amazing heroic father. He's so powerful, they put his face on a box of candy!"
Malfoy gestured to the chocolate frog card in her hand, and Rose's face burned. Her older cousins had warned her that she would face both hatred and adoration for her parents' celebrity status. Rose had sworn to them that she would not tolerate it, so, staying true to this promise, she stood up to face him full of anger.
"Well I don't see your father's face anywhere! My father saved people; he didn't kill them! I've heard stories of you Malfoys! And believe me, not one of them is good! Now out!"
Malfoy's eyes widened in pain before they narrowed into a glare directed at her, pouring out all his newly established loathing into that one look. His large friend was cowering in the hall, his body angled toward the door out of the compartment. Albus, finally shaken out of his reverie, stared at Rose, never having seen her display her temper so extravagantly. Malfoy turned and walked out, slamming the slide door shut.
Larcorn hooted with laughter and clapped his hands gleefully when it was closed. "I – I swear Rose, I've never – ever – seen him so – so completely taken off guard!"
Rose recalled the look of astonishment on his face and started to chuckle lightly. It turned to full blown laughter when she saw the still astonished look on Albus's face.