Hermione Weasley's brown eyes widened when she saw her only daughter pull out her wand and press it against Draco Malfoy's only son's white face. Srorose
Harry Potter read his youngest son's letter over his breakfast, it was a chilly morning with frost resting behind the windows. His wife Ginny sat across the table brushing more butter onto her young daughter Lily Luna's toast. Harry smiled over to his wife as he ripped open Albus's letter, he slipped out the parchment and adjusted his glasses on his face. Albus had been at Hogwarts for six months now and from his letters and his eldest son James's irregular letters it seemed by accounts to be going well.
As it turned out Albus was not sorted into to Slytherin but he was sorted into Gryffindor like his Father and his father before him. However it seemed Albus did not hold the prejudices that his Father Harry once had. Albus's best friend was a Slytherin after all and now Harry was just now learning, that that Slytherin was young Scorpius Malfoy. Albus had obviously put a lot of thought into his letter, apparently they had made friends the very first week and had infact met on the Hogwarts express. Albus had said that he was disappointed as he assumed their friendship was over before it even began when Scorpius was sorted into Slytherin and he into Gryffindor.
Harry thought back to his earliest days at Hogwarts: Meeting Ron and Hermione and Draco Malfoy, Scorpius's Father, if the young Malfoy was anything like his father was at that age then Harry was at lost of what Albus would see in him for friendship. But Harry knew that Albus took great care in writing the letter to him and he must have had sent the letter late at night for him to receive it so early in the morning.
"Albus has a best friend." He says to his wife, "Besides from Rose of course."
"Hmm who, dear?" She said wiping Lily's mouth with a wet napkin as Lily squirmed, resisting her Mother's mothering.
"Mm Muuum, gerrof!" Lily whined.
"Scorpius Malfoy."
Ginny gave a surprised look to her husband, dropping the napkin to the table. "Malfoy? Draco's son?" She covered little Lily's ears. "His Father is a prat and always has been!" she hissed over the table.
"I don't think Draco was as enthusiastic about the dark arts as he boasted." Harry reasoned, "Draco still has a superiority complex from what I can figure, although I do think his wife has been a good influence on him, they have been doing great damage control, donating to the Muggleborn school fund trust."
"Astoria Greengrass? She's the nicest Slytherin I know...mind you I don't know many, she's comes from money as well, not as much as the Malfoys mind you, a pureblood as well of course." She let go of Lily and reached out for Albus's letter. Harry watched his wife read it, her brown eyes flickering across the page. "Albus put a lot of thought into this letter didn't he?" Ginny put down the letter next to a plate of bacon and sighed. "He truly is a product of his time isn't he? He's such a sweet boy, but a Potter and Malfoy as friends? I just don't know." Harry picked up the letter, folded it and put it in his front robe pocket. "Well I trust Albus, even if he is naive of Malfoy's family's past, he probably knows nothing of his Grandparent's actions."
"No problem with giving this boy a chance." Ginny agreed.
Harry grinned at his wife, "what you say we invite Mr Malfoy around these holidays?"
Rose Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor, and she lived up to her house's values perfectly. She was very bold and walked down Hogwarts halls with as much fire as her red hair suggested she did. Her backpack heavy with books, making her haunch as she walked. She was fiercely intelligent and good with a quill and parchment, ranking the top in her academic for her year. She took her Father's words to heart. "beat him in every test." Rose was such a maniacal studier that 'him' for her wasn't just the Malfoy heir but anyone who could potentially best her in any text or quiz. After failing miserably at her first flying lesson she realized that she inherited her Mother's anxiety of flying brooms and decided to stick to what she was good at.
Oh but she did beat him in every test, she was very smug about it too. Sometimes she would send a smirk his way every once and awhile. His white face would flush with what Rose would assume was anger. She was young but she already knew a lot about the Malfoy family, she knew what his Father was, and she knew what his Father and his Mother were. Unlike her cousins, she did the research.
She loathed him, and hated what he was, she greeted his naive grey gaze with cold indifference.
Her relationship with her cousin and best friend Albus had become severely strained. Not that Albus had even noticed her hostility towards the white blonde haired Slytherin, he was too busy being friends with him after all. She had kept her ill will bubbling under the surface, and when it all became too much she would streak away. Rose had kept the pretense of studying up for the entire school year, sometimes when she had read all of her books and finished her essays, she would find herself sitting alone at the study desk in the library, surrounded by papers, books, quills and the pale blue moonlight.
Scorpius Malfoy was spectacularly ignorant of Rose Weasley's feelings, whenever Rose looked his way with a wide smile on her face, his own would flush with colour from his cheeks to the tip of his ears. He was not used to such an intense gaze to be thrown his way, Scorpius stayed mostly inside his family Manor with his Mother and Father for company. They were shut ins mostly and he remembered that they agonized over the decision to allow him to study at Hogwarts. Scorpius rarely protested against his parents, but why should he not study in the same school they did? They sent the confirmation letter just in the nick of time.
"Keep your head low son, stay away from the Potters and the Weasleys, you understand?" His Father Draco had got low down on his knees and had met his grey eyes with his own grey eyes. "You must avoid them at all cost, there are some things you need to know, but you're not ready yet and I promise your Mother and I will tell you when you are older and ready." His mother said goodbye with a tearful kiss "enjoy your time at Hogwarts honey." and they waved him goodbye as the train faded away.
He sure did, he was a bit nervous at first being away from his parents for the first time in his life. He was surrounded by hooting owls, cats meowing, toads croaking and the excited teenagers and kids catching up with their friends that they hadn't seen since before the summer holidays. His parents farewell took so long that he couldn't find a carriage to sit in. He dragged his heavy trunk behind him, trying his hardest not to hit anyone with it. He also couldn't help but feel that a lot of eyes were on him although he could not imagine why, perhaps it was something to do what his Father had said? 'keep your head low son.' So he did just that.
The only carriage that had a seat left already had two people in it, two first years, a black haired boy and a girl with wild red hair. He opened the door and let himself in, he was struggling to get his trunk into the overhead carriage. He was surprised to find help on either side of him the black haired boy to his left and the red haired girl to his right. They helped him heave the trunk in and slam it shut, the both gave him a small smile.
The two boys talked the entire train ride while Rose mainly kept to her book, they talked about quidditch, houses and the teachers they knew. "Professor Longbottom is kind of like my uncle." He had admitted. Only when the outside grew dark and they changed into their Hogwarts robes did Scorpius realize he did not even ask what his name was. The black haired boy seem to hesitate before he answered. "Albus, Albus Potter."
Scorpius's stomached dropped, he had already disobeyed his Father's wishes, albeit unintentionally. "I'm Scorpius Malfoy." He said, his voice coming out a bit squeaky. Albus gave him a sad or maybe a sympathetic smile: " I know." and he left the carriage to unboard with the flood of students pouring out of the train. Scorpius turned to the red haired girl and she answered his unspoken question.
"I'm Rose Weasley, Albus's cousin."
Well, his Father would not be pleased.
Albus and Scorpius continued to talk to each other as they crossed the lake with Hagrid, he marveled at Hogwarts ancient halls and old magic. He was shivering when his name was called, Scorpius sat in front of the entire school, the grubby old hat was placed on his head.
'A Malfoy eh? You all go to Slytherin don't you?' The hat spoke to him, 'Hmm yes there is a lot of power in you, but a bit timid...hm but very cunning, oh yes Slytherin will do you well.'
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat screamed to the hall, Scorpius stood up and grinned over to Albus who was still waiting in line to be sorted. Albus met Scorpius's smile with the same smile he gave him as they left the train.
Albus was sorted into Gryffindor.
Later after the feast was over and the students poured out of the great hall Albus approached Scorpius and little did they both know that many years ago in that same spot that a Malfoy and a Potter almost shook hands, a handshake that could have changed everything.
And then now a Malfoy and a Potter did, and that changed everything.