Disclaimer, it all belongs to JK Rowling

Hogwarts was polished back to its old look, with added features of course, but still the Hogwarts everyone had known before the war. I stared at the other children around me as we shuffled into the great hall, I had heard of this before; we learn today what house we will belong to for seven years. I dreaded it and have been ever since I was old enough to learn my history; I knew when my name was announced every student would hate me. After all, my father had murdered most of these students' parents.

"Maxine Rose!" An elder lady called out holding a long scroll ripping me away from my thoughts. All eyes had fallen on me as I had slowly begun my timid walk up the stone steps. I heard the gasps and whispers and wanted to run to Meredith, my guardian, to sob and beg her to let me just be homeschooled. I sat on the wooden stool and before the hat was even placed on my head it yelled out Gryffindor. None of the students cheered. I stepped down and sat next to a boy with blonde hair and kind grey eyes.

"Hello, my name is Scorpius." He said to me softly.

"Maxie." I told him scared of any judgment he might hold against me.

"You have pretty hair." He told me his cheeks turning a scarlet red. I looked up at him shocked, feeling my face heat I smiled at him.

"Thank you, Scorpius. I think I like you, we should be friends." I told him and he smiled as big as his face would seem to allow.

After the magical feast, headmistress McGonagall sent us to our dormitories, I clung to Scorpius' side afraid that if I lost him the others would gang up on me. Gryffindor dormitories were hidden behind a painting of a lady dressed a white gown with long brown hair, she allowed us to enter when one said the words ortus incentor. Everyone hurried along trying to find their room and see what waits for them; I grabbed Scorpius' hand and pulled him back.

"Wait…" I told him.

"What's wrong?" he asked confused and looking back and forth between the split stair cases and me.

"I can't go up there…" I whispered looking down at the red carpet beneath my feet.

"Why not?"

"Don't you know who my father is? He's killed probably more than half of the others parents. They all hate me, what if…what if they hurt me?" I asked tears building in my eyes, gripping his black robes as tightly as I could. His eyes scanned the rooms and then he spoke.

"Why not stay down here, these couches don't look too bad, you could take that one and I'll take this one." I hugged him tightly; no one had been so kind to me before.

"I cannot thank you enough Scorpius." I whispered and pulled away from him to see his blushing face again. I smiled at him and laid down against the soft plush couch and he the other one right across from me. Within minutes we had fallen asleep.

"Max…Max wake up!" the soft familiar voice yelled out shaking me till my eyes flickered open.

"What is it Scorpius?"

"Max we missed breakfast and the first class is about to begin!" he yelled and I jumped up

"Oh no no no!" I yelled grabbing my book bag I'd left on the floor before I had passed out.

We ran frantically down the long never ending hall and into a room filled of cauldrons sitting on white stone tables, only a few students were already there; we weren't late.

"That was a close one." Scorpius sighed sitting down on the closest stool he could find.

"You're telling me, imagine if we had missed our first day of classes." I agreed sitting next to him as the others pooled in and took their seats. In walked a man about the age of 20, pale skin and blonde hair the color of Scorpius' but his eyes an olive green.

"My name is Professor Angelo, your potions teacher." He said his voice cool as ice; his eyes locked with mine and his lips formed a smirk. His gaze was broken from mine as a girl with rainbow hair ran in to the classroom panting.

"Sorry…sorry…I'm so sorry." She gasped sitting next to me.

"Miss Lulu Bell I presume?" Professor sneered taking in the bright messy hair and sloppily put on Hufflepuff robes.

She nodded eagerly and pulled out her books opening the one labeled "Potions year one"

"Hi, Lulu, nice to meet you." She whispered introducing herself to me.

"Max." I replied.

"If you two ladies are done now I'd like to continue on with my lesson please." The professor snapped glaring at me, I hated to admit it but the man was handsome and I didn't mind his stares. Ah, my first teacher-crush. I laughed at myself and felt Scorpius' grey eyes on me questioning my outburst; I shrugged and went back to focusing on the lesson.

I had sat and suffered through three classes already and now sat at the lunch table next to Lulu and Scorpius.

"Lulu your hair is just amazing." I told her admiring the many colors that her hair held.

"Thank you Maxine, yours is also quite striking. So curly, it is perfection." She said waving her hands about. "Mixed children are perfection." she told me with a face so serious it was scary.

"Um…thanks?" I laughed.

"It's the truth Maxine, and you Scorpius are quite a handsome man. You two would make the perfect couple." She pointed out and bit into an apple. I looked over at Scorpius and he looked at me wide eyed. I shrugged and looked back at Lulu.

"You know you can call me Max."

"Maxine just seems so much more…I don't know regal?" She explained as a grey owl flew into the great hall. "Mail its Monday?" My eyes followed the owl as it swooped down headed straight for the three of us. The letter dropped in front of me and the owl flew off. Since when do I get mail? The only person who had ever talked to me was Meredith but she doesn't write letters. I opened it and pulled out the paper covered in neatly written cursive letters.

My Beautiful Maxine,

I realize I am possibly the last person you ever expected to hear from, after all we have been through I doubt you really even wish to be in contact with me. Please hear me out my Maxie, I wish to apologize for the pain I have caused you what I did to you was the most horrible thing a parent could have ever done. I loved your mother very much and I still do. I killed her out of anger I could not control and in the end you were left parentless and alone. I want a chance to undo my mistakes and try again. I know that I'm asking a lot, I know I'm asking for you to forgive me for the heartless murder of your mother, but I'm trying to change my ways I want to make things right. I'm planning to turn myself in and go to Azkaban; I just wanted to see to meet you to see how much you've grown. Please give a soon to be dead man his last wish. Meet me in the black forest at midnight.

Rose