Chapter One
"Now, you have everything don't you? I have to rush off to a department meeting, and I really cannot rely on your father to check that you have everything. We do not need a repeat of your first year Hugo." Hermione gently chastised her son, smiling all the while though. As much as she knew her children loved Hogwarts, she still hated sending them off. The house seemed too quiet without them, even with Ron's laughter and jokes. There always seemed to be something missing.
Hugo rolled his eyes, pulling at his jacket and briefly checking his reflection in the polished glass of the Hogwarts Express. "Muuum, please stop fussing. I have everything. I'm not going to forget anything this year."
Ron smiled and ruffled his son's hair, "Let her fuss, she needs to. It's in her DNA." He didn't see the way Hermione smiled at him, but it was a fleeting glance of adoration for her husband - the rock she never really knew she needed.
"Dad! There's Albus! I'm going to go say hi .." Rose quickly said before walking towards Albus and … Scorpius, she quickly turned around and headed back to her parents. "Or maybe not." She muttered sullenly.
"Give Scorpius a proper chance. There's nothing wrong with him, he stayed at Harry and Ginny's over the summer a few times and they said that he was delightful, very well mannered." Hermione said, glancing at her watch. "Don't be so stubborn Rose, it doesn't suit you."
Ron slipped an arm around Hermione's waist and kissed her cheek gently, "Go to your meeting." He whispered, "I've got the kids covered."
She smiled at him and kissed his lips gently, before squeezing both of her children and running off down the platform and through the stonework. Hugo gave his Dad a tight hug and then walked away, having already loaded his trunk onto the train, he went to go find his friends in their compartment. Ron kissed Rose on her forehead, and then hugged her tight before she went over to Albus and Scorpius to clear the air before the start of term. As they headed onto the train Ron weaved through the crowds of parents to find Harry, Ginny and Ted Lupin.
"Lupin, what are you doing 'ere?" Ron raised an eyebrow quizzically, a little confused as Ted had left Hogwarts two years ago now. Ginny linked her arm through her husbands, with a small smirk on her face.
Ted blushed a little, but stayed strong in his resolve. "Came to wish Tori off."
"Victoire? Why?"
Ginny stomped down on Ron's foot, with Harry trying not to laugh at how naive Ron was being in the situation.
"OW! Wait .. I don't get it, what are you laughing at..?" Then it dawned on Ron. "You and Victoire? You're uh an item?"
"Oh for Merlin's sake Ron, you don't live in the 1940's. Yes, Teddy and Victorie are in a relationship." Ginny spoke matter of factly, bored of Ron's stuttering.
Albus had been excitedly ranting on about the last three weeks of his summer to Scorpius, when the train pulled to a holt. Scorpius felt panic flood through him, his muscles tensed and he blanked completely on what his best friend was saying. All he could see were the events of last year, the memories he was trying so hard to push down. He closed his eyes tight and tried to focus on anything else, his breathing, his heart rate, his involuntary shakes every second or two.
"Scorp.. Scorpius! Scorpius!" Albus reached across the gap in the compartment and gently touched Scorpius' knee, trying to bring him out of his panic. At that slight touch Scorpius felt electricity coursing through his veins, his eyes opened wide. The heavy breathing and clammy forehead only worried Albus more, prompting him to get up and sit next to Scorpius.
"There must have been something on the line, we're moving again now though, Scorpius.. Where did you go? You gave me a fright.."
"Uh, uh okay. Um," Scorpius fidgeted nervously, suddenly very aware of Albus' hand on his leg. He looked out of the window, anything but looking at Albus right now would be perfect. "I just um, I don't like it when the train stops."
"Scorp I've known you nearly five years now.. Come on, if you can't tell me then who can you tell?"
"No one. Just leave it Al." Scorpius moved closer to the window, causing Albus' hand to fall to the seat. He couldn't cope with the slight affection, the closeness, none of it.
"Fine.. We won't talk about it. I'm going to go check that Lily is okay, because Merlin knows James will be too busy being head boy." Albus got up and pushed the compartment door open, giving Scorpius one last worried look before heading down the train.
"James! Oh for God's sake, just because he's Head Boy does not mean he can-" Mae was cut short ranting to her friends when James showed up in front of her.
"What is it now Wood?"
"I need to know if you'll still be playing as keeper for the team this year. I want to be as organised as possible to give us the best chance of winning." Mae Wood was the daughter of Oliver and Alice Wood, and had for the last 2 years been Gryffindor's quidditch captain. She had not yet taken her team to victory as captain, so this being her last year, she was determined to win.
"Organised as possible," James mocked Mae's tone, smirking slightly at the petite girl.
"Fucking hell Potter, are you playing or not?" She may be small but she wasn't one to be funny with, her eyes flashed red as James took a step back, knowing not to poke an angry dragon.
"Yes. I spoke to McGonnogall at the end of last year, I will be able to continue on as keeper and Head Boy."
"Excellent, that's all." Mae slipped back into her compartment, where her friends were congratulating her on keeping James Potter in order. James was notorious for being a player at Hogwarts, most of his subjects came easily to him, and girls now loved him more than ever due to his newly stated Head Boy role. Thankfully, the Head Girl was a strong Slytherin who had no interest in him and his ego.
As James worked his way back down the train he bumped into Neville, or Professor Longbottom, whom was looking slightly dazed. "Sorry Neville! Didn't see you there." Neville blinked slowly and looked at James. "Are you okay..?"
"Uh, yes. Yes. Of course. And James, it's Professor once we're at Hogwarts, remember."
"Would you count the train as Hogwarts though?" James smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah, you've got me there James. How was your summer?"
"Not bad, did the usual, visiting all the family."
"Which takes up your entire summer." Neville laughed, a different person to who he seemed to be two minutes ago.
"Well yeah, we popped in to see Luna and Rolf as well. And the twins of course."
"Oh wow. How old must they be now?"
"I think they're about two … or three? Rolf was completely knackered, poor man."
"Ah yeah.. Not for me. I'm happy with my plants, Hannah's happy with her pub."
"Are you living down there then this term, Professor?" James emphasised the professor, smiling with a little twinkle in his eye.
"Oh for sure, when I'm not doing the weekend shifts. Then I'll be staying in my quarters. Some of the saplings this year are going to need special attention, Luna sent me a strange weather prediction of a colder than usual Autumn."
"I'd take Luna's predictions with a pinch of salt though.." James reminded.
"Oh no, I have complete faith in Luna's predictions. So should you Jamie." Neville grinned, pulling James into a hug. "Now, have a good term, you know I'm here if things should get too much."
Neville was of course hinting to James' busier than usual year: he would be Head Boy, Gryffindor quidditch keeper, studying and sitting for his NEWT's and under McGonnogall's careful guidance, training to be an animagus. James dipped his head in a grateful nod before finishing his patrol of the train and slipping into his friends compartment.
It was a chilly evening when the students finally arrived at Hogwarts, the first years took their mandatory trip across the lake in the boats, whilst the other years were taken up to the castle by kestrel drawn carriage. All of the students were glad to be well fed and cosied up in their common rooms or dormitories by the time that the darkening fog had enveloped the castle.
Matt and Higgs, two fifth year Slytherin boys, were putting away their things in the dorm. They were the only other boys in Slytherin besides Scorpius and Albus.
"So do you think they'll have got their act together over the summer, or not?" Matt smirked, joking around.
"Are you sure they're both gay? I don't know."
"Come on Higgs, it's obvious. I think they're the only ones who don't know." Just as Matt spoke, the door was pushed open and Scorpius walked in, closely followed by Albus. "Merlin, close the door quick! It's fucking freezing."
"Alright alright, calm down." Albus pulled the heavy wooden door closed and walked over to the fire that was roaring in the only wall that didn't have windows. The Slytherin dormitories had been reconfigured after the war, to allow for more light in the dungeons. Albus opened up his trunk that lay at the foot of his four poster bed and rummaged around for his pyjamas, whilst Scorpius stood chatting with Matt and Higgs. Things had been unusually tense between Scorpius and Albus ever since the train journey, and Matt had picked up on it.
"What's wrong with you two?" He muttered quietly, kicking Higgs to disguise their conversation with noise. Higgs quickly got the message and started to chuck textbooks out of his trunk and onto the stone flooring.
"Nothing. We're fine. I mean, I'm fine and he's fine - separately." Scorpius stressed the word separately, intent on making it clear to Matt that they were not together, as Matt and Higgs always presumed.
"Alright alright. I got it. So what's he in such a mood about then?"
"I don't know ok? I'm not meant to know every little thing that goes on inside his head!" Scorpius snapped, but then quickly tried to cover his bad mood up by asking about Matt's summer. This seemed to be a good enough distraction technique for the time being, as Matt had gone to Australia over the summer, and had a lot of stories to tell. Soon all four boys were sat together, chatting about their summers and listening to Higgs' lie about the amount of girls he'd made out with. Every time Higgs spoke about one of his 'conquests', Scorpius or Albus couldn't resist a fleeting glance towards each other, setting firmly in motion of Matt's ideas all along. It was sure to be an interesting year at Hogwarts.
AN: So to any of you that have read my previous 'Drarry' story I'd just like to let you know that they are not related in any way, some characters may be brought across, but other than that they are not linked. I'd also like to request as much feedback as you want to give, I'm always looking to get better so whether or not thats that you want more detail, less dialogue.. anything. Thank you.
