A/N: Greetings fellow human. Six years ago, I abandoned this story that was supposed to be my first. Unfortunately, I have lost the hand-written notes about the plot and the ark of suspense that I drew out back then. Thus, I will first update the already submitted three chapters to a less horrible English. As it still is not my mother tongue, I humbly request your lenience. Reviews, especially constructive ones, are appreciated dearly.
I
Rose Weasley and Albus Potter arrived together at King's Cross, platform 9¾. Rose's Dad, the famous Ron Weasley, head of the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic, had brought them to the station along with their brothers and sisters. Since it was just the end of the autumn holiday, their parents hadn't made a big deal about them leaving for Hogwarts. When they noticed Albus' best friend, Scorpius Malfoy who was in the same year as they were, Rose gasped and Albus grinned. He knew his favourite cousin had a severe crush on his best friend. Although Rose had already had enough occasions to talk to Scorpius – for example when they had to wait for Albus who suddenly somehow had forgotten something – she had never quite managed to flirt with him. It just wasn't her way, she was rather the book type of girl, like her mother. However, even the latter had managed to get along with boys at some point.
When they were approaching him, Scorpius smirked. "Hi, Al", he said, giving Rose's cousin a rather stiff, old-fashioned yet friendly embrace, and then turned towards her. "Rose", he whispered elegantly and bowed to place a gentle kiss on her hand. Standing in front of his parents, he followed the ancient pureblood wizard etiquette even closer than in school. "How's been your holiday?" Albus asked.
"Oh, great, thank you. We spent a short time in Scandinavia and I had the opportunity to watch a European Quidditch Trophy match. It was exciting. And how were yours?"
"I was busy painting my cousin's bedroom…" He glanced to Rose whose face was slightly reddening. "He offered", she mumbled feebly.
"Why, what a gentleman Albus can be." Amused, Scorpius chuckled lightly.
After their goodbyes to their relatives, the three of them took a compartment together. Since the train wasn't very full at all – quite a lot of people had stayed at Hogwarts – this was no trouble. When the guys started talking in Parsel tongue – nobody knew how Albus could do this, since his Dad had lost the ability after Voldemort died – Rose fled into a book. She was always uncomfortable when they did this. Those bloody Slytherins.
After the arrival, Albus and Scorpius enjoyed a great meal. Having replaced the family manor and its strict manners for the warmer atmosphere at Hogwarts, Scorpius started to relax. He sit less stiffly and started to take a part in Albus' jests. Rose glanced over from where she sat at the Gryffindor table with the rest of her family and envied her cousin for his plain unfair luck. Not that she would have wanted to be a Slytherin, too. She loved Gryffindor, and her Dad wasn't as tolerant as Albus'. Yet being able to sit with Scorpius was tempting.
In the Gryffindor girls' dormitory, high in the air, she dreamed about being Scorpius' girlfriend. It would be like heaven, she thought, and fell asleep.
Her cousin Albus was sharing a bedroom with the exact Scorpius deep down in the dungeons. They still talked a bit about their holidays, but then went to bed.
"You know something, Al?"
"Huh?"
"I love you, man."
It took Albus a few seconds to understand his best friend. Of course Scorpius referred to their friendship – for him, Albus was the brother he had never had. What he was feeling for Scorpius was similar, after all. He loved him, too, like a brother. Probably even more than James.
So Albus replied, "Love you, too, Scorp. Good night."
A/N: Don't ask me why I chose to write a story that sticks with the epilogue back in 2010. I'm rather opposed to the matches that came out in it.