AN: So this is about the next generation and I am taking a few liberties. The Houses from what I've seen aren't mentioned so I had fun with this. The ending also feels a bit wonky for me, so I apologize for that. May end up turning this into a drabble collection
Scorpius glares at the door, hating the fact that he had been too slow to slip through the door with the older Slytherins. He doesn't care if it's the password, he refuses to say it. In all honesty he thought they had moved on from things like this. None of the other Slytherins enjoyed saying it, he could tell by the grimaces on their faces and yet they do it anyways. Well, he will not! With a final glare he sits down on the floor and uses his pack to cushion his back. As the night progresses more people join him, refusing to enter even when others say the word for them. Eventually there is a large crowd outside the dormitory, huddled together and sleeping fitfully. When morning comes and the group stumbles into the Great Hall they are surprised that they didn't get in trouble. They are tired and their backs hurt but they feel good. This goes on for a week, the number outside the dormitory growing with each passing day.
"Alright. That is it! Why on earth has got you so bloody tired?" Rose demands watching as her friend head dips down for the third time during their study session.
"Sleeping on the ground," Scorpius grumbles.
"What?!"
"Ssssh, do you want to get us kicked out?" Scorpius hisses glancing around the library.
"Why are you sleeping on the floor? Do I need to kick someone's arse?"
Scorpius chuckles as he takes in the fiery, righteous anger coming off of Rose. There are times that he is surprised that she was sorted into Hufflepuff instead Gryffindor.
"No... The password isn't a word I enjoy saying so me and a few others are sleeping outside in protest," he whispers. Rose nods but Scorpius can tell by the set of her jaw that this isn't over. He's right of course. She's waiting outside the door arms crossed with a few other Hufflepuffs.
"You are *not* sleeping on the floor, in the hallway. Follow me," she commands. A few of the older Slytherins look like they might protest, at the tone, but when they see the first years staring at them they deflate and follow the Hufflepuffs. It's an adventure in it's own right, going from the dungeons to near the kitchens. The Hufflepuffs are great at sneaking about and not getting caught by the patrolling teachers and Head Boys/Girls. Loyalty, Scorpius remembers as he stares at the pallets and snacks set up for them, is the defining trait for Hufflepuffs. Rose looks proud as she herds the first years to what has to be the comfies pallets and makes sure they are comfortable.
From there things escalate. Rose isn't happy with the fact that the Slytherins felt that there were only two options; say the word or stay outside in the hall that she goes to Lorcan and Lysander who despite being two years younger than herself and a lot like their mother are great listeners.
"There was a large group of them outside the door! How they haven't gotten caught I don't know but it's ridiculous!"
Lysander looks at his brother who nods his head.
"We could try to change the password," Lorcan says as if it is the most obvious thing to say.
"Have they told you what it is?"
"No! They refuse to! Scorpius gives me this insulted look everytime I try to weasel it out of him."
The boys hum and she knows she's lost them as they start rattling off possibilities and spells to change the password. With them on the job she is sure that everything will work out. Her obvious good mood puts some of the Slytherins on edge until she spills why she is.
"Do you think it will work?" one of the first years ask.
"It might," Rose answers truthfully, "But the magic on the doors is old so it might not. But! They will try their hardest."
It becomes like a game to the Ravenclaws, to see if they can come up with a spell to do the job. By now, a grand total of six weeks later, the Gryffindors have noticed something is going on but they don't know what exactly.
"This is strange," Scorpius mutters one night. He's snuggled into Rose and a few other students munching on s'mores and sipping on cocoa. It's not just Slytherins and Hufflepuffs hanging out together but a few Ravenclaws as well.
"What is?" Rose asks curiously.
"To hear my father talk, the rivalries between the Houses is so bad this, us hanging out together shouldn't be possible."
"Yeah well that was then. This is now," an older Hufflepuff says with a huff, "Sides even before the war we Pufffs took in you Snakes when you needed it… Or at least that's what my mum told me."
Scorpius grins into his cup.
"We just need the Gryffindors in here to have a full set," Rose states reaching out to snag another s'more.
"Why haven't we told them?" a Ravenclaw asks.
"I haven't told my brother or cousins yet because I know how they will respond. With brute force," Rose says with a shake of her head.
It comes to no surprise that when the Gryffindors, one who followed their Ravenclaw sweetheart, found out what was happening they were not happy. And they did in fact respond with brute force. The resulting explosion, courtesy of a Finnigan or so say the rumor mill, is heard all over the castle. The group, as there were more than one, were sent to detention for a month and one hundred points were taken from Gryffindor.
"The password for the door was mudblood! Did you know that Professor? Who chose that? And did you think no one would be upset? The Slytherins were sleeping in the hallways!"
"Do not shout at me James Sirius Potter. I am the headmistress of this school not one of your classmates. If you had come to me I could have fixed this. As it is, someone caused an explosion that could have injured someone," Headmistress McGonagall says slowly peering over her glasses at him, "I admire the fact you were sticking up for your friends, which is the reason you weren't expelled. Your parents will be hearing about this."
The entire group flinches at that.
"The other House will be talked to as well and when I find out who okayed that word as an acceptable password I will be having words with them as well," McGonagall's tone is icy and the Gryffindors in her office do not pity the person, ghost or painting that will be incurring her wraith.