Disclaimer: I only own the original characters and the situations the characters find themselves in. All other characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

"Merlin, Al! Lily! What on earth is taking you two so long?" James called from downstairs. "Mum and Dad are already in the car. Get your asses down here!"

Lily appeared at the top of the stairs, dragging her trunk behind her, somehow managing to roll her eyes as she huffed and puffed her way down. "The train only leaves at eleven James. As it is we are going to be there a half hour early."

"No we aren't." Ginny appeared at the door, hands on her hips, "We need to pick up your cousins today."

"Which cousins?" Lily asked, because really, there were too many of them.

"Rose and Hugo." James supplied, "ALBUS! Stop fussing with your hair and GET DOWN HERE!" He roared.

"Alright, alright. Don't get your knickers in a twist!" Al muttered as he walked down the stairs. Lily scowled at his empty hands, "Where's your trunk?!"

Al glanced at her own voluminous trunk beside her and smirked; "I gave it to Dad when he came up to tell us he would be out by the car."

Lily's expression darkened, "Damn it! I didn't think of that!" She mumbled as they were ushered out of the house by their mother.

Al sniggered, sliding into the backseat of the car, "And that, little sister, is why you're in Gryffindor and I'm in Slytherin."

Harry snorted from the driver's seat, "And to think there was a time when you were afraid of being sorted into Slytherin."

Al narrowed his green eyes, meeting his father's gaze in the rear view mirror, "You swore to stop bringing that up."

Harry's eyes twinkled as he chuckled, "And I keep meaning to stop, but it's just so much fun."

James laughed as he threw his left arm around his brother's neck and mussed up his hair with his right hand, earning a growl of protest from Al before he was shoved back against the door.

Al glared at him, his hands trying to undo what damage James had done, "I can't wait to get on the bloody train."

"Aw, don't be like that, Albus Severus." James said with a mock pout.

Al rolled his eyes, his lips tugging in a small smile as he looked to his mum, "Aren't you going to use an Extendable Charm on the back seat?"

"I'm actually tempted to let you all suffer." Ginny admitted, buckling her seatbelt.

"Mum!" Came the chorus of indignant cries.

"Oh look, Gin." Harry said, chuckling as he pulled out of the drive of his home, "They finally agree on something."

The three siblings exchanged long-suffering looks before rolling their eyes.

The time spent on Platform 9 and ¾ was as usual, chaotic. As soon as they walked in they spotted the rest of their family, loud and distinguishable because of the majority of red heads.

Harry chuckled, swinging an arm around his wife's shoulder, "Well, we know how to stand out in a crowd. That's for sure."

"I think it's impossible for us not to stand out, Dad." Al said, nudging his father in the side, "What with us having 'The Chosen One'." He used air quotes as he said the last three words.

Harry blinked, the perfect picture of cluelessness, as he looked around the platform, "What? Really? Did he show up today? The rat bastard, always stealing my spotlight."

On cue, Al, Rose Lily and Hugo began laughing, long used to this joke now even as Ginny rolled her eyes and chided, "Language, Harry."

"Right. Sorry." Harry said, chuckling, "Where did James disappear to?"

"Here, Dad! Sorry for running off, I just went to say hello to Scor's dad." James said, walking up to them with his friend in tow.

"Hello, Mr Potter. Hello, Mrs Potter." Scorpius Malfoy greeted, stepping up to stop beside James, his lips curved in a charming smile. His long platinum blond hair that fell to his waist when loose, was tied back in a high ponytail, grey eyes glinting with the same mischievous light Harry often saw in Al's green ones. Funny, that his younger son was in the same year as the boy before him, and yet, it had been James who had befriended Malfoy. Although that may have something to do with the fact that against all odds, the Malfoy had been sorted into Gryffindor.

"Hello Scorpius. Did you enjoy your holidays? It's a shame you couldn't visit this year."

"Yes, I missed all of you." Scorpius said, his smile widening, "Please tell me you've packed some of your brilliant cookies in James's trunk, Mrs Potter."

Ginny laughed, charmed as usual by the boy, she had long ago decided not to hold her prejudices of the boy's grandfather against him. "Of course I did. I didn't want a letter tomorrow morning pleading for me to send some now, did I?"

"You're a gem!" Scorpius declared, leaning forward to kiss the woman on her cheek before turning to the rest of the family, straightening slightly as he did. His grey eyes met inscrutable green ones. Scorpius tried to open his mouth to greet the younger Potter male, but nothing came out. Green eyes narrowed then rolled before looking away to the train and lightening.

"Dad, I see Damien and Fran. I'll come back in a bit to say bye." Al said, sparing Malfoy a final glance before walking away in that signature way of his. It was a lazy stroll that Albus always used, which made onlookers think he was in no hurry to get where he was going. After all, it was clear from the look on the boy's face that he believed nothing to be so important that it couldn't wait for him.

Scorpius blinked, pulling out of his thoughts and focusing on James's cousin who was in his year, "Hi Rose."

"It's so good to see you, Scor!" Rose greeted, giving him a big smile, "How was France?"

Scorpius shrugged, "Oh, you know, French."

Hugo and Lily snorted, "You really have a way with words, don't you?" Lily asked, giggling.

"What exactly am I supposed to say?" Scorpius asked, arching a single brow.

"You could tell us about the French boys you met." Hugo suggested, a wicked smile on his face.

"And the French kissing you probably did with them." Rose added.

Scorpius looked between the two of them, mildly disturbed, "I'd really rather not."

"I'd really rather he not, as well." James chimed in, looking just as disturbed as Scorpius, "At the very least not in front of my parents."

The cousins, who had forgotten about their aunt and uncle, turned a bright red before stuttering out excuses and darting away from their family and toward the train.

"Think they will come back to say goodbye?" Ginny wondered, watching their backs disappear onto the train.

"Nope. They're gone. Speaking of which, I'm going too. So long parents! See you at Christmas!" Lily gave her father a tight hug and her mum a kiss on her cheek before going to board the train, her trunk pulled along behind her.

"We should be going too." James admitted, "Otherwise all the good compartments will be taken."

"Can't have that." Harry agreed, patting his son on the back before doing the same to Scorpius, "You boys have a good term. Don't get into too much trouble."

James scoffed, "Trouble? Us? Dad, you're talking to the wrong son."

"He's wrong because everything that's right came to me." Al quipped, strolling up to the group with a boy and a girl flanking him.

"We wanted to come say hi, Mr and Mrs Potter." The girl explained, smiling.

"Merlin, every time I see you Fran, you get more beautiful." Harry remarked, pulling his son's best friend into a hug, flashing a smile at the girl's boyfriend, Al's other best friend, "Nice to see you again, Damien."

"You too, sir."

"Scor! I didn't know you'd be here!" Fran cried, grinning at her childhood friend, wrapping an arm around his waist to give him a half-hug.

Scorpius grinned back at his friend, inquiring about her holiday as his grey eyes shifted once more to Al's face. He stood at the same height as Scorpius, but was looking resolutely away from him.

Scorpius wondered, not for the first time, what he had done exactly to earn the James's younger brother's ire. It had been like this from halfway through their first year. Up until then, from what Scorpius could remember, Al had been perfectly friendly. In fact, he had even seemed to enjoy Scorpius's company more than most. Something had gone horribly wrong between November and January though, because when the time came to board Hogwarts Express after their Christmas holidays, Al was no longer talking to him.

The train let out a shrill whistle of warning, signaling that it would depart in ten minutes.

"Bollocks, we're late." James whined, "There's going to be no room left. I hope Fred caught us a decent compartment."

"Actually, I saw Weasley sitting with his girlfriend and her friends." Damien said helpfully.

Scorpius sighed, "I guess we're sitting right by the engine then. Come on, James."

"You could just sit with us."

The suggestion was met with silence from both sides. Scorpius couldn't help but sneak a glance at Al…and he was right. Al looked livid as he glared at Francesca Zabini.

"That okay with you, Al?" James asked, well-aware of his brother's aversion to his friend.

Al turned to meet his brother's gaze, noting the warning in them, before letting out a long-suffering sigh, "It's fine. Come on." He muttered, heading for the train.

Already, Scorpius mused as he followed Albus and his friends to their compartment, this was turning out to be an interesting year.

"You were abominably rude on the train." Fran hissed, sinking her nails into Al's arms.

Al yelped, pushing her away, "Fuck! Fran! Cut your bloody nails!"

Fran gave him a sickly sweet smile, "Why would I? They make such brilliant weapons."

Damien chuckled, "Also, I quite like them."

Fran's smile turned genuine as she leaned to the side to peck her boyfriend on the lips, "Well yes, there's that too."

Al shook his head, watching the two of them in bemusement, "Get a room."

"We already have one. We thought we'd wait to go there until after dinner though, for your sake." Fran said, grinning at him.

"Your consideration warms my very soul." Al said, placing a hand over his heart.

Fran rolled her eyes, recognising the sarcasm, "Really though, Al. Don't you think you ought to get over whatever beef it is you have with Scor? He went out of his way to be nice to you on the train and you were an absolute troll."

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you this before you'll believe me." Al muttered, his dark mood from earlier returning, "I don't have any beef with Malfoy."

"And you're insulting my intelligent by thinking I'd actually believe you. You don't like him."

Al nodded, taking a bite of his dessert, "You're right, I don't. You'll notice I said I didn't have beef with him, not that I liked him."

Fran scowled speaking in harsh whisper, "But why don't you like him? He's charming and funny and sweet and fucking gorgeous. Not to mention he bats for the same team as you. If I were you, I'd love him."

"Francesca." Damien's reproach was soft but firm, noting the glint of anger in Al's green eyes, "This isn't the place."

"Why?" Fran asked, keeping her voice low, looking at Damien, "He's been hiding this for the past four years. Don't you think it's about time he told people?"

"He is sitting right here, and would appreciate it if you didn't talk about him like he wasn't." Al said through gritted teeth, setting his dessert down, "I'll see you in the dorms, Damien."

With that, Al got up from their house table and walked away. Fran's righteous anger faded into concern, "Did I push too hard?"

Damien sighed, "You just might have."

She groaned, pushing away her food as well as she folded her arms on the table and laid her head on them, "I just want him to be happy."

"He is happy, love. What makes you think he isn't? Al loves his life." Damien said, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and squeezing.

"Maybe he isn't unhappy, but Dai he isn't happy. Something is eating away at him. It's been like that for as long as we've known him. Don't tell me you haven't noticed."

Dai frowned, "Well, yes, alright, I've noticed he isn't quite rainbows and sunshine. But not everyone needs to be, love. Al has it in his head that he needs to live up to his father's name, and so he puts a lot of pressure on himself, and he beats himself up once in a while for not being good enough. But that's why we're there. To get him out of that funk. And I think we've been doing our part quite well."

Fran mulled over this. "I think he needs someone." She said earnestly, leaning into her boyfriend's side.

"You want him to need Scorpius." Damien guessed, combing his fingers through her hair.

Fran chuckled, glancing over the other house tables to the Gryffindor table. She could easily make out Scorpius at James's side with a few of his other friends, laughing and talking to one another. Every so often, his pale blond head would swivel in the direction of the Great Hall entrance. Fran followed his line of vision and found the entrance empty. She frowned, then sighed, shaking her head and looking back to Damien, "Well, that would be nice. Scor is an amazing guy and I know he'd take care of Albus."

"Fran, you need to let Al figure his life out. I know you mean well with your meddling, but he's too strong-willed to let someone tell him how to live his life. You know that."

Fran pouted, then sighed, "Yeah okay, you're right. Are you done?"

Dai looked at his empty plate and nodded, "Yeah, I'm done."

"Then come on. I need to go apologise to Al."

I've read SO much Al and Scorpius fiction, and I absolutely love the pairing. That being said, this is my first time writing slash, and my first time writing fanfiction so please be kind. :) I've tried to stick to the facts of the original seven books as much as possible.

Do read and review!

~Living to Laugh and Love