All right goes to J.K Rowling. Only the storyline is mine, and one or two other characters. This is my first story, so feel free to point out mistakes and such. As always, please comment and/or favorite. :)

CHAPTER 1

"Rose! Hugo! Get in the car. Do you WANT to be late for your first day?"

"HUGO! Give me back my bag or I'll turn you into a cockroach!"

"You only just got your wand! You don't know any magic...do you? Dad, Rose wants to turn me into a cockroach!"

"Hugo, she can't. You should know that. Now give back her bag. She needs to finish packing. And Rose, say sorry..."

"I was just teasing, I didn't mean it! Merlin, Hugo, learn to take a joke."

"But Dad, she -"

"Hermione? HERMIONE! Where are you and why am I the one playing damage control?!"

"Ron, dear, let me explain a few things..."

"Mom! Dad! It's getting late, let's GO!"

"Finally! Rose, your owl can go between you and Hugo, and remember to put your seatbelts on..."

"We know, Mom!"

"My driving isn't THAT bad!"

"It's just a safety precaution, Ron!"

The sound of a car revving way too loudly drowned out any further arguments. Ron tried to reverse and forgot to pull the clutch up. Luckily, the rest of the drive to King's Cross station went without further trouble.

Ron carefully pulled into a parking spot near the station and Rose nervously fidgeted with the clasp on her owl's cage. Today was the day she was going to Hogwarts. Hogwarts! A place of amazing adventures (Just look at her parents and Uncle Harry!), those interesting classes, new people...

And the Sorting Ceremony.

Oh, Merlin.

What if she was in Slytherin?

What if she was in Slytherin?!

"Rose? Get out of the car."

"Huh? Uh. Okay..."

Rose pushed open her door and looked at the station. It looked so plain and ordinary, like a normal Muggle station. Who would guess what it held?

She took hold of the trolley and walked after her parents. She pushed past the milling crowd. Here and there someone was dressed in a motorbike helmet or brightly coloured clown pants. One or two had just given up and were walking towards a certain busy brick wall wearing their cloaks. Rose chuckled under her breath as a young boy scolded his father for wearing a Hawaiian shirt with a tie and formal shoes. Muggles just shook their head at the wanna-be hippies and continued with their work. Everywhere, young witches and wizards were pushing trolleys piled high with trunks, books and cages containing various animals...

Rose looked at the brick wall in front of her. "Is this it?" she asked her father.

"Oh yes. Platform nine and three-quarters, this way!" Ron took hold of his daughter's trolley. He looked at her nervous, fearful face and whispered, "Don't worry, Rosie, I'll run with you."

Gripping her trolley tight, she contemplated the magic used for turning the wall into a wizard-only barrier. Then they burst forward with Rose's eyes screwed tightly shut. Moments later, Rose Weasley and her father emerged on the other side of the wall.

"Where are they?" she asked, anxiously looking around. She couldn't see her mother or Hugo. There was a hazy fog everywhere, obscuring people's faces until they were right up against her.

"Here." Hermione chuckled softly behind them, making them jump. "Rose, you should go get changed. Your robes are in the side bag next to your trunk. "

Rose pulled a tan-coloured satchel form under her trunk and hastened off to find a bathroom. A voice stopped her just as cought sight of the sign.

"Going somewhere, blood-traitor?"

A tall, slender boy stood in front of her. His misty grey eyes focused on her, taking in the bushy red hair, tanned skin and too-many freckles that stood in sharp contrast to his pale skin and straight, platinum blond hair.

"I've heard of you lot. You're another of that Weasley clan." he sneered. "Don't you ever stop breeding?"

Rose raised her chin defiantly. "At least we have a family worth talking of." Realizing that wasn't the best of comebacks, she added, "And also, Malfoy," she started, correctly guessing the haughty boy's identity, "Weasleys have never been know for, ahem, in-breeding to achieve your sickly pureblood status." Feeling satisfied, Rose pivoted on her heel and headed for the bathroom, leaving the young Malfoy to wonder how he had let a blood-traitor get the better of him with such a terrible comeback. Because, he had spent enough time with his grandfather to understand the importance of blood purity, even when other dim-witted wizards dismissed it. Malfoy turned to search for his parents.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Mom? Have you seen Albus yet?" Rose asked a few minutes later when she returned wearing her brand new Hogwarts robes.

"No, not yet, but I expect they'll be here soon." Hermione smiled as she pulled Rose's cloak right. "You look like you can't wait to get to school!"

Rose laughed. "I suppose I can't," she confessed. "Oh, Mom..." Rose whispered as that recurring fear hit her again. "What if I'm in Slytherin?"

Hermione smiled softly and thought of her own fear at her first day. She pulled Rose into a tight, motherly hug. "I don't mind, Rosie. I really don't. Not everyone who comes from Slytherin is bad," she murmured into the bush of hair that, except for the colour, was so like her own. "Slytherin is more than just a house of evil and cunning. And Gryffendor is more than just a house of good and bravery, for that matter. In fact," Hermione added, "Gryffendor and Slytherin praised students for the same type of achievements. Don't worry. I know you will be in a house that suits you, be it Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffendor, or Slytherin."

Feeling slightly reassured, Rose pulled away, even though she was still incredibly nervous. She peered through the mist.

A familiar voice drifted through the fog, "I think that's them, Al."

Aunt Ginny! And Uncle Harry, Albus, James, and Lily. They were only hazy, indistinctive figures in the mist, but it was definitely them.

"Mom, Dad, they're here!"

Albus pulled up next to Rose and looked immensely relieved. Rose beamed at him.

"Parked alright then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I would have to Confund the examiner."

"No, I didn't." said Hermione. "I had complete faith in you."

Ron muttered something to Harry as they lifted Albus's truck and owl cage onto the train and Harry grinned. Rose and Albus sneaked glances at each other. They could guess what Ron was telling Harry...

"In what House do you want be, then?" Rose asked. Albus shook his head and grinned, "Gryffendor's the only one for me." But his shaking hands and and the way his grin stayed pasted on his face betrayed his very real fear.

"I'm scared, too." Rose said softly.

Albus crumbled. "I'm terrified, actually. I'm really so, so scared. What if I'm in Slytherin? I'll... maybe I'll be evil, Rose." he whispered.

"You won't be evil, Al. We... we might be there. I'm worried. I'm scared. But.. the Sorting Hat puts you where you belong."

"Oh, great, now that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No! Well, yes but not like that, and -"

Albus sighed. "It's okay. I get what you mean."

They looked over at Lily and Hugo having an animated conversation about which house they want to be in.

"Ravenclaw sounds good, actually." Hugo was saying.

"Merlin, no." Lily retorted. "All those swots? Gryffendor or Hufflepuff, rather."

"Slytherin?" Hugo added innocently.

"Hugo Weasley, are you out of your MIND?! Slytherin is EVIL."

Albus looked at Rose. "See, even they know."

James entered the conversation. "Albus might be in Slytherin, though. Or Rose."

"If you're not in Gryffendor, we'll disinherit you." Ron said, eyeing the two new first years, "But no pressure."

"Ron!"

Rose and Albus looked at each other, worry and fear in both blue and green pairs of eyes.

"He doesn't mean it," Ginny and Hermione said, but Ron was looking elsewhere.

He nudged Harry. "Look who it is."

Naturally, everyone else looked too. Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife and son. His dark coat was buttoned up to his chin and he still had the air of a refined pureblood wizard. Rose looked at his son. Their eyes locked. Rose could read the glare and sneer: You have made a enemy of me, Weasel. A very, very bad one.

The boy looked a lot like Draco, same as Albus looked a lot like his father. Harry frowned. He was sure they would know within a week or two whether or not their sons had the same enmity Draco and Harry had. He hoped that was not the case, though he wouldn't enjoy taking Albus over to Malfoy Manor to stay...

"So that's little Scorpius." Her father said. Catching Rose looking at him, he added, "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank goodness you inherited your mother's brains."

Rose felt her cheeks glow slightly red at the praise. Maybe Ravenclaw would work, too...

"Ron, for heaven's sake." Hermione said, trying and failing to hide the fact that she was quite amused. "Don't try to turn them away from each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry."said Ron, but he couldn't resist adding, "But don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

"Now that is one thing that will never happen.. " Rose muttered as James burst out of the train and delivered some evidently exiting news.

Rose ignored him mostly, zoning out and choosing to to daydream instead, only catching bits and pieces.

"And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!

"Teddy! Our Teddy Lupin! Snogging Victoire! Our cousin!

" And I asked them what they were doing -"

"You interrupted them? You are so like Ron -" Ginny shook her head.

Rose looked up out of her daydream. This could get interesting, she thought.

"Oh, it would be wonderful if they got married! Teddy would really be part of the family then," Lily exclaimed ecstatically.

"He already comes round to dinner four times a week. Why not just invite him to stay with us and be done with it?"

"Yeah!" said James enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Al - He could have my room!"

That won't go down well with Albus, Rose thought.

"No." Harry said firmly. "You and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished." He checked his watch and looked at the Hogwarts students. "Its nearly eleven, you better get on board."

Rose looked over at her parents and hugged them. "Remember what I told you." Hermione whispered as she kissed her eldest daughter. Ron added, "Remember to write to us. And remember what I said about that Malfoy boy. You and Al need to get together - I believe James has something in his possession that might benefit you. Two things, maybe. When you're sneaking around at night, go past Filtch's office. He's never there. And also, the trophy room is a bad dueling place -"

"Ron, are you trying to turn them into juvenile criminals already?"

"Just trying to help her avoid being a friendless swot -"

"Ouch, Ron." Hermione recognized the reference to herself at the beginning of her first year. "And Rose, Hagrid invited you to tea next Friday,"

Rose laughed and gave Hermione and Ron one last hug. "I'll remember, Mom, Dad. Don't worry!" Before they could call anymore reminders or last-minute kisses, Rose jumped on the train. A few seconds later, Albus joined her. He looked as if a huge weight had been lifted off him.

Ginny closed the door behind them and Rose and Albus waved out of the window. A lot of faces, both on and off the train were turned towards their party.

"Why are they all staring?" Albus demanded.

"Don't let it worry you. It's me." Ron declared. "I'm extremely famous."

Albus, his sister and his two cousins laughed. Al and Rose exchanged glances lit with excitement, the subject of Houses forgotten for a moment. Then the scarlet train pulled away, leaving a trail of steam that quickly evaporated in the Autumn sun.

Rose Weasley and Albus Potter were on their way to Hogwarts.