Disclaimer: Yes, yes I own nothing.
The Uncovered House
Albus Potter sat on the train slithering its way onto Hogwarts. He managed to grab a compartment alone, and he suppoed he perferred it this way. James had gone off in a compartment with his older, cooler friends. Victorie was off in a compartment with Teddy, and he did not bother contemplate as to why. Albus frowned. The train was not even 5 minutes into its journey and a big part of him felt he wanted the train to go back to the station so he could get off it and go home with his mum and dad. There he knew he would always be accepted, well at least by his parents and Lily. And James. Sometimes.
The only thing that might have truly comforted him right now is the idea of being sorted into Gryffindor house, not the nastily spoken of Slytherin. He shuddered at the thought. Despite what his father had told him, he knew Slytherin would mean only bad things. First off he'd be more alone than he ever feared he would, as everyone he knew was indeed in Gryiffindor and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, not in Slytherin. And he was not sure wether or not they would be as understanding as his father.
But the Sorting Hat will let you choose...Albus kept reminding himself.
He reached in his pocket and squeezed his lucky dragon tooth that Bill had given him last Christmas. He never went anywhere without it. It was just then that the compartment door opened.
"May I sit with you? Everywhere else is full.", Said a rather pale, skinny boy with a rather pointed face.
Albus took a moment to remember that this was the boy everyone had been staring at the train station along with his father. Despite the fact of his family's clear dislike of this boy, Albus decided that he would have perferred to not be beaten up before he even got to Hogwarts. And so, he nodded silently, and the boy took the seat across him.
"I'm Scorpious Malfoy, its my first year here. Is it yours too?"
"Well --- yeah.", Albus akwardly shifted in his seat. Malfoy, he had heard that name somewhere. He couldn't quite place it but it only gave him a stronger hunch that he should not get too friendly with the boy. And yet, he could not shake the relief that someone was actually attempting a strike at conversation with him.
"I'm Albus Potter." , he told Scorpious. Albus wondered if Scorpious would recognize his name too, he knew if Scorpious did, it would proably be the end of the akward but friendly conversation. But Scorpious did not give out a single hint of recognization.
"Oh," He had simply said, nodded, and then began speaking excitedly of Quidditch and how he could not wait till he was in second year so he could be on his house's team.
"What House do you want to be in?" Albus, who had been silent for sometime, suddenly blurted out. Scorpious looked rather taken aback by this interuption, and his excited grin somwhat fell.
"Well --- Slytherin," Scorpoius awnsered with what sounded like slight hestitation. "My dad reckons Slytherin has the nobelest history. And it was the house most of my family had been in anyway."
"But --- do you actually want to be in it?" Albus looked at his skeptically.
"Well, its mostly likely where I'm heading." Scorpious shrugged.
"But the Sorting Hat will let you choose!" cried Albus, "Maybe you can be in Gryffindor with me!"
Scorpious made a face; clearly the idea of him being in Gryffindor house was as plausble as a three headed house elf.
"---Or," Started Scorpious, "You could be in Slytherin with me!"
Albus said nothing. Deciding he would perhaps be able to persuade Scorpious later into the ride, Albus settled to discuss how he already knew the Headmistress and the Herbology teacher, and talked of the subject he was looking most forward to, which was Potions, while Scorpious listened patiently and stated that he could not wait to attend Defence Against the Dark Arts; Scorpious had taken interest in the subject ever since he knew it had such a facsinating history, with a reputation of being cursed. Clearly, Scorpious was one who favored things with interesting pasts, Albus noted.
And the conversation went on, weaving in and out of different subjects almost as quickly as the train wove in and out through different feilds of scenery. They spoke of things from Qudditch and their upcoming years at Hogwarts, to their parents and their professions. They played around with the candy, sweets, and treats they had retrived from the trolley when it strolled by, traded the chocloate frog cards (Albus stopping to observe Albus Dumbledore's, and boasting to Scorious that he had been named after someone famous enough to be on a card). Even as the night began to settle in, and excited little eleven year old hearts began to pump with excitement all over the train, Albus and Scorpious had forgotten their housley differences, and felt as though instant friends. They had been still laughing as door at a joke that Scorpious had made about the Minister of Magic (who he personally did not approve of) when the compartment door flew open.
James and a couple of his older friends peered in, and James looked from Albus to Scorpious for a moment grinning, but for the next moment looking as though he had just walked in on some scanadalous affair.
"Albus, what are you doing talking to this scum?", James sneered. Scorpious looked confused.
"Well we were only talking, Scorpious here is pretty alright." Albus said defensively.
"No Malfoy is alright, Al, thought dad would have told you that.", said James. Scorpious stood up and took his wand out of his pocket but before James could do the same, Albus stood between them.
"Dad wouldnt have cared," Albus spat at James, "And Scorpious is my friend."
Scorpious's eyebrows half raised at this sentiment. James scoffed.
"C'mon Albus, its about time to change into robes, you can come sit with us."
"Im fine here thanks.", Albus crossed his arms as he looked into his brothers eyes, trying his best to look stern the way his father sometimes did.
"I said come with us," James said in what nearly was a deadly whisper of sorts.
"And I said I'm fine."
"We'll see what dad has to say about this, we will!" James waved a threating finger at Albus, Albus really did despise when James acted like he was his father. Albus swallowed.
"He would say that the name dosen't make the person."
James didnt say anything else at this but gave a scowling look at Scorpious and then left, beckoning his friends to follow him.
"You'd really call us friends?", Scorpious uttered at once.
"Why, sure!" Albus nodded with a broad grin. Scorpious returned the smile weakly, and they began to change into their own robes in silence. Surely and slowly the train began halting to a stop and people began filing out. A booming call of "First years, this way!" carried over the crowd and as Albus and Scorpious stepped out of the train together, both their eyes went wide as a very large, almost giant old man was beckoning the first years to gather round him. Albus had a small glimpse of James and his friends bustling past amongst the heads of older students.
As Scorpious and Albus went behind the old giant, Albus could have sworn that he flashed a smile in his direction. And Scorpious and Albus stood among even bewildered looking first years and Albus jumped as Scorpious suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Well it won't matter what house we land in, we can be friends no matter what!" Scorpious smiled.
Albus smiled back, and he felt his spirits lift. Despite what anyone else said,, he had found a friend, and it was all that mattered.
A/N: Wow, that might have been a bit too cheesy for even my taste, but oh well. Thinking of maybe making an actual story out of this but this was pretty much just a small ficlet symbolizing that times had changed and no matter what you could find friends in the most unlikely places blah, blah, blah...yeah.