Chapter 1
"I am going to call your names one at a time. You will sit on this stool while I place this hat upon your head. It will then sort you." Headmistress McGonagall said, placing a rather old looking hat on a small stool. She then unrolled a scroll. "Regina Abernathy," She called. A small blonde girl walked, trembling, to the stool. Headmistress McGonagall placed the hat on her head and Ravenclaw gained a new member.
Rose Weasley only really paid attention to the sorting of her best friend and favorite cousin, Albus Potter; the boy her father told her to stay away from, Scorpius Malfoy; and her distant cousin, Miranda Vernon. It was a shock to the entire Potter-Weasley clan when Miranda, the daughter of Harry's cousin, Dudley, received a Hogwarts Acceptance Letter.
Rose watched as Headmistress McGonagall called Scorpius. You could practically see the Slytherin table prepare itself for a new member, because, It's Scorpius Malfoy; Son of Draco Malfoy. They all expected the hat to barely brush his head before screaming, "SLYTHERIN" like it did with his Father. McGonagall sat the hat on Scorpius' head, covering his blonde locks and sliver eyes. It took the Hat a good five minutes to decide, and it finally bellowed out, "SLYTHERIN!"
Albus, like expected, was sorted into Gryffindor. All of the Potter-Weasley's were in Gryffindor. Miranda was sorted into Hufflepuff, shortly before Rose's name was called.
"Rose Weasley," McGonagall said. Rose smiled and walked up to the hat. She sat down proudly as McGonagall placed that hat on her head. She was so sure that it would barley be on her head for more than a second before screaming out "GRYFFINDOR!" and she would go to join her cousins.
"Hmmm, another Weasley,"The Hat said in her ear. "All of your cousins are in Gryffindor if I do recall correctly." It said. Rose remained silent. "Hmm, you sure are brave, but you just don't feel like Gryffindor material. Ah, you have the brain of your mother, Hermione. Very smart indeed, but Ravenclaw doesn't suit you either. I don't think you would fit in very well in Hufflepuff either." "Oh no…" Rose thought, "That only leaves one house left!" "Correct, Rosaline Weasley, I think you belong in, SLYHTERIN!" the last word was shouted out for the entire Great Hall to hear.
Everything went dead silent. Even the ghosts seemed shocked. No one expected Rose Weasley to be put in Slytherin; they all expected her to follow in her parents' and cousins' footsteps and become a Gryffindor. Headmistress McGonagall retrieved the hat from Rose's fiery curls. Rose, rose and walked stiffly to the Slytherin Table. She looked around, but didn't see anyone she knew except for Scorpius. She opted to sit next to him. After she sat, the Sorting continued as if nothing ever happened.
"So, Rose, you didn't expect you'd get into Slytherin, right?" Scorpius asked, swallowing half a glass of Pumpkin Juice. "I don't think anyone did, really." Rose replied, picking up her own glass. She had finished eating a mere five minutes after the feast began, much to the surprise of Scorpius. "What? At the family get-togethers at the Burrow, you have to fight for food. I've learned to take it and scarf it down before anyone can steal it off of your plate." Rose had shrugged at Scorpius' questioning look. "I'm actually kind of disappointed I got put in Slytherin. Everyone expects me to be just like my dad, and I really hate living in his shadow." Scorpius said. "I know exactly how you feel. I'm the daughter of two out of three of the Golden Trio; of Ron and Hermione Weasley. Everyone expects me to become some great hero, or to be some genius." Rose said glumly. After that moment, Rose and Scorpius were tied together by something bigger than grades or Houses; respect.
After the feast, a Slytherin Prefect led the first years to the dungeons. "To get in, you must tap this brick," he indicated a brick with his wand, "and the password is…" He told them the password and they watched as the bricks started forming the doorway. The kids all filed in and looked around at the common room. They stayed for only a minute before going down their respective staircases, heading for their dormitories.
Rose and Scorpius, who hadn't been separated since the sorting, stood at the top of the staircases. "G'night." Rose said. "Night." Scorpius replied. They nodded at each other in a silent agreement to meet up again tomorrow, and descended their respected staircases.
Just as they'd said, they met up the next day before breakfast in the common room. "Rose!" Scorpius called out. Rose turned around and looked at her friend. "Hey," she said. The two left the common room together. "Are you ready for classes?" Scorpius asked. Rose sighed. "Not really," she said, looking down. "Well, why not?" Scorpius asked. Rose sighed again and said, "It's just, people expect me to be as good as my mother. I know that I'm good, just not that good." Scorpius slid his arm around the smaller girl's shoulders and squeezed lightly. "You'll be okay."
Most of their classes that day were just informational, and they would begin working on actual lessons the next day.
Rose and Scorpius sat in front of the common room fire, long after everyone else went to bed. "I've been thinking…" Rose started, "Maybe, maybe we don't need to be how everyone expects us to be. We can be however we want to be." Scorpius looked at her for a moment, and nodded. "That sounds like a good idea to me."
Now they were bonded by something even more than respect: friendship.
