Author's Note: I had this idea when I was falling asleep one night. It had been a long time since I read the epilogue of the seventh book when I wrote this, so you may observe some discrepancies in some of the details such as the precise ages of a few characters. I think I remained fairly true to the story other than that. I know J.K. Rowling never mentioned Draco Malfoy having a second child, but hey, FanFiction is all about the "What-ifs" right?
All recognisable people, places, and concepts belong to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 1
"A galleon says he gives her the 'It's not you, it's me' excuse." Albus said, pulling his face away from the glass door of the compartment. His features left a foggy imprint upon the glass that grinned skull-like at me.
"Oh don't be so insensitive, Albus," Alex said from the corner, looking over the top of Herbology Today, "The poor girl is probably getting her heart broken. Come on Vera, back me up." He turned to me, expecting me to give Albus a feminine admonishment. Instead I shrugged and said,
"I'll take that bet, and raise you five if she gets over it by the time we reach Hogwarts."
"You're on. But what will we consider 'getting over it'?"
I scratched my chin, "Hmmm. If she's snogged someone else."
"Agreed. Oh look! I think he's about done now."
Indeed, James Potter had pecked the cheek of the teary-eyed girl, and begun walking down the corridor toward our compartment, looking for all the world as though he had just had an extremely boring conversation about the weather with the upset girl. Albus waved him over to our compartment and I groaned inwardly. James caught his eye and slid open the compartment door.
"Hey James." Chorused Albus and Alex.
"Hey Al, hey Alex," His eyes skipped over me and on to the two people to my left, "Hey…Al's friends."
"How'd it go with Marlene?" Albus asked without preamble.
"Sort of rough. She kept doing that thing girls do."
"Crying?" My friend, Janie, piped up from beside me. James looked at her, somehow managing again to not look at me at all, despite my proximity to his focal point.
"Yeah that." He replied easily.
"How'd you break it to her?" Albus asked, glancing mischievously at me.
"I just told her that we had been apart all summer and the feelings faded. I was gonna toss her a 'it's not you it's me…'' Rolling my eyes, I began reaching into my pocket for my money bag, 'But then I decided to go with a, 'our time is over but you'll always be special to me.'''
Albus' shoulders sagged with disappointment and he handed me a thick, gold galleon while James stared out at the passing countryside for a moment. I pocketed the money smugly.
James sighed, "Oh well. On to the next conquest."
"That's my man." Mark, our other friend, said, reaching out to bump his fist against James'.
James flashed his 'heart-breaking smile' as the girls called it, and was exiting the compartment when he seemed to remember something. He turned back to Alex and Albus,
"Oh by the way, Rose is probably starting the prefect meeting soon. You guys and Malfoy should probably get down there." Then he left without further ado.
Malfoy. That was my name, and James Potter was determined not to wear it out. James had always kept me at less of an arms length than a dragon wings length away for a majority of the time I'd know him, despite the fact that Albus Potter and I had been best friends since the second we met. I remembered back to that day. A day I was pretty sure had altered my entire future.
"You have everything? All your clothes and books?" My mother said, trying to hide the genuine concern in her voice and on her face. Malfoys didn't get worried.
"She's fine, Astoria." My father interjected. He too, was trying hard to remain stoic, "Aren't you Vera?"
I nodded, although fine was not a word I would use to describe my emotions right then. Terrified, or perhaps, so-nervous-I'm-going-to-vomit-all-over-your-dragon-hide-boots would have been more appropriate.
My father helped me load my things on to the train. Before climbing back down to join my mother he said,
"If you need anything, ask Scorpius. I'm sure he can help. Oh and make sure to check in with your mother and me every once and a while."
"Alright." I replied.
"Okay then." His arms twitched for a moment, as though he was thinking about hugging me, but the moment was short-lived. He dropped his arms to his side, muttered, "Bye then," and walked off.
Shrugging, I dragged my trunk and the cage of my owl, Ella, down the corridor, looking for a familiar face. When none was forthcoming, I settled for an empty compartment. I was sitting for several minutes, contemplating the year ahead, and trying to untie the knot of anxiety that had twisted in my chest when I heard a scuffle in the corridor. Bouncing up, I looked out the window. Five very tall, very brutish looking fifth years were surrounding a slight first year boy with messy black hair and vividly green, almond shaped eyes. As I watched, one of them picked the boy up by the scruff of his shirt and appeared to be saying something menacing to him.
A sudden determination hit me them. I had no idea who that boy was, but I knew I had to help him. I slid silently out of my compartment. I was an eleven-year-old girl, with no magical training and from a family who thought lifting one's own tea was too strenuous of an activity to do without assistance, but still, I pounced on the largest of the fifth years, the one holding the boy, and bit into his shoulder, forcing him to release the boy. He screamed wildly and tried to buck me off but I held on tight, the way my father had taught me to hold onto a broomstick. The commotion soon attracted curious onlookers. As the small boy and I struggled with the fifth years, three people made their way through the gathering crowd. We struggled for a few more minutes until I heard a,
"Petrificus Totalus!" The boy I was holding on to stiffened and crashed to the floor, pinning me to the ground beneath his back. There were a few more flashes of light and shouted incantations, and the fifth years lay unconscious in a huddle on the floor.
"Are you alright?" Piped up a high, pre-pubescent voice. The boy I had 'rescued' was pushing the heavy fifth year off of me with a herculean effort. When I had finally extricated myself, he held out his hand and pulled me to my feet.
"Thank you." He said, and it sounded as though he really meant it.
"No problem." I muttered, pulling at my newly tangled blonde locks.
His strange green eyes still intent on me, he held out his hand and said, "I'm Albus. Albus Potter."
I froze. Just my luck. I wasn't even at Hogwarts yet and I had already run into a member of the family that despised my very existence.
"Uh, Vera." I replied, shaking his proffered hand. He didn't seem to notice that I hadn't given my last name.
"Nice to meet you, Vera. That was really amazing of you. Really brave. I bet you'll be in Gryffindor." He said this with excitement, as though being in Gryffindor was the highest honour in the world, though admittedly to him it probably was. Honestly, I didn't really care what house I was in, but I knew that my parents sure as hell did. There had never been a Malfoy not sorted into Slytherin, and I wasn't looking to be the first.
I hadn't noticed that Albus had continued babbling until he suddenly broke off. A hand had gripped his shoulder. My heart stopped as I recognised the owner of the hand. He was the spitting image of his father, tall and gangly for his age, with messy black hair and large, round, amber-coloured eyes. It was James Potter. As our eyes met he gave me a look of such fury and loathing that I felt as though I was melting into the floor. It was he who had cast the jinxes that incapacitated the fifth years, he a redheaded girl and dark-skinned boy who stood behind him with their wands out. I presumed they were part of the Weasley family.
"Come on, Al. Come sit with us."
"But I'm talking to Vera." Albus protested.
"I don't care," James replied sharply,"We aren't even at school yet and you've already got yourself mixed up with the wrong crowd." He looked pointedly at me when he said this. Albus protested a bit more before giving up and following his brother dejectedly down the hall.
"See ya later, Vera."
I watched him and his brother tread down the hall and into a compartment several metres away. Sighing, I made my way back into my own compartment and settled in with a book.
It was half noon when the door to my lonely compartment slid open, and Albus slipped in. He was already dressed in his black robes. They were slightly too long and fluttered around his ankles as he plopped into the seat opposite me.
"Hey." He said brightly.
"Hey," I replied, setting down my book,"What's up?"
He shrugged,"Nothing. I just wanted to thank you again for helping me out back there."
"I can't really take credit. Your brother was the one who rescued you. I just engaged in a bit of muggle duelling."
"Yeah but you went out of your way to help me. That's more than most people would do."
"I guess." I said. It was silent for a moment as Al speculated my face.
"I also wanted to apologise."
"For what?" I asked, my brow furrowed. As far as I was concerned he had nothing to apologise for.
"For my brother. He's usually not that much of a prat. He is actually pretty decent to everyone. Well, everyone except Scorpius Malfoy. But that's a special case. I don't know why he'd treat you like that."
"I do." I sighed. I liked Albus, but he was bound to find out who I was eventually. He looked quizzically at me, "Scorpius Malfoy is my brother. I'm Vera Malfoy."
"Oh," He said shortly. I readied myself for the metaphorical wall that would slam between us any moment,"Well that would explain it."
I stared at him, bewildered by his reaction. It was common knowledge that his dad and my father despised each other at Hogwarts. It was also common knowledge that my grandfather had been a death eater in You-Know-Who's inner circle, and that my father had attempted to follow in his footsteps. Albus' father hated the dark arts, and had in fact defeated the dark lord about nineteen years ago. So by extension, Albus should hate me, right? This didn't seem to have occurred to Albus, however. He simply settled back into his seat and said,
"Tell me more about yourself."
We spent the rest of the train ride to Hogsmeade Station talking. He told me about his brother, James, his sister, Lily, his dad, Harry, his mum, Ginny, and all his aunts, uncles, and cousins. He had a large family, and from what I understood, a loving one. He told stories of Christmases at home; of pranks he had pulled with his uncle, George, and afternoons he had spent playing Quidditch with his family. In turn, I told him about my family. I told him about Scorpius, dad, and mum, and of my favourite house elf, Peaseblossom. I described learning to ride a broom with my father, playing the grand piano with my mother, and of learning wizard chess with my brother. By the time the train slowed, I had talked more than I could ever remember talking in my life.
Albus and I crawled onto the platform with our trunks and made the journey up to Hogwarts in the boats. The castle stood out against the night, looking beautiful, terrifying, and majestic all at the same time. I remembered lining up to be sorted. My brother was crossing his fingers at the Slytherin table, and Albus was squeezing my hand nervously. I waited all the way from A to L, terror mounting in my chest. At last Professor McGonagall called,
"Malfoy, Vera." The hall fell into a tense silence. Everyone knew the name Malfoy, and not because it reminded them of tolerance and benevolence. My legs shook violently as I climbed onto the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on my head and it flopped down over my eyes. A voice began whispering in my ear,
"A Malfoy did she say? This is not the mind of a Malfoy." I already knew that. I had never seen things the same way as the rest of my family, and had frequently been reprimanded for it,"I see bravery, and no hint of greed or selfishness. A pure heart and a good mind. You belong in…GRYFFINDOR!"
The occupants of the hall clapped in a subdued manner, but the minimal applause soon gave way to muttering as I got off the stool and walked to the Gryffindor table, feeling as though I had just stepped off the edge of reality. Could I possibly try the sorting hat on again? I had no problem with Gryffindor house, but I was also not anxious to be in it. I took my seat as far from the Potter/Weasley clan as possible, with my back to the Slytherin table so as not to see my brother's reaction. Three people later, McGonagall said,
"Potter, Albus."
The entire hall hushed again. Albus made his way up to the stool, looking wary but determined. The sorting hat had barely touched his head when it exclaimed,
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table erupted into applause. I saw James Potter, Fred, Rose, Lucy, Victoire, Louis, and Molly Weasley (Albus had given me all of their names on the train) stand up and beckon to him. He grinned at them before passing them up completely and coming to sit next to me. Shocked and more than a little flattered, I smiled and him, and he beamed back. From that moment on, Albus Potter was my best friend, and I appreciated him more than anyone else in my life.
I broke away from the memory and copied Alex and Al as they pulled down their trunks and extracted their robes. I donned my uniform quickly and fished in my trunk for the small red and gold badge that had arrived at my house by owl post during the summer before last school year. Looking at the tiny thing, I remembered back to when I had first pulled it out of the envelope and how accomplished I'd felt. Then I remembered the feeling being quelled as I showed it to my parents. They had tried to be proud, they had tried to be excited, but the whole time I could see the question in their cold, grey eyes, Why couldn't you have been a Slytherin prefect? It was an eternal disappointment to them that I hadn't been placed in Slytherin. They still loved me and cared for me just as much as they did for Scorpius, but I could still see the sadness in their eyes sometimes when they thought I wasn't looking.
Sighing, I fixed the badge to the front of my robes and waited for Albus and Alex to finish up. Alex spent at least another ten minutes examining his canary yellow and black badge in the window, until Albus and I finally got annoyed and dragged him away.
The prefect's carriage was full by the time we shouldered our way in. Albus sat down next to James, and Alex sat down next to Albus. I was about to sit on Alex's other side when I caught James Potter's eye and he gave me a piercing stare. Twisting around quite ungracefully I managed to land in an empty seat next to the sixth year Ravenclaw prefect, Delilah. She smiled at me, and I smiled back, trying not to look at Albus, who I knew would be shooting me an irritated glare because of my cowardice. He had always encouraged me not to be cowed by his brother's antics, but that was much easier said than done.
I glanced around at the other prefects as I attempted to avoid Al's eyes. The majority of them had already assembled. I saw my brother, this year's Slytherin seventh year prefect, sitting next to a simpering girl who I was fairly certain was also a Slytherin seventh year, though I had only the foggiest memories as to her identity. As I watched, my brother's steely, grey eyes met mine. He nodded once, and I nodded back. Scorpius and I didn't really talk at school, or at home for that matter, but we had an agreement to generally stay out of each other's lives and got along just fine that way.
As Scorpius and I acknowledged each other, the girl beside him turned her attention to me as well and cast me an irritated look, probably upset that I was detracting from her flirting time. I averted my eyes once more, not particularly keen on watching the development of my brother's romantic life.
I was saved the trouble of finding something else to look at by Rose Weasley, who chose to begin the meeting at that moment.
"Hello all, I'm Rose, and I've had the honour of being appointed Head Girl this year. This is my partner in crime, Eric." She motioned to a tall boy with blonde hair sitting next to James. He waved lazily at us all, looking incredibly bored.
"So I'd like to begin with a group building exercise," At this point, I couldn't help but look over at Albus. He was biting on his fist, trying hard to subdue his laughter. Rose ignored him, "So I'll go first. I'm Rose Weasley. I'm a seventh year Gryffindor, and my favourite subject is charms. You next, Eric."
Eric looked as though he was trying very hard not to roll his eyes at his overly bubbly co-conspirator, "Hi, I'm Eric Collins. I'm a seventh year Hufflepuff, and favourite class is free period." A faint chuckle went around the compartment. Looking slightly sour, Rose motioned for James to continue. Some of the girls clammed up immediately when he opened his mouth.
"I'm James Potter. I'm a seventh year Gryffindor, and my favourite subject is Defence Against the Dark Arts."
Damn it, he stole mine, I thought bitterly. Now he would think I was copying him when I said the same thing.
"I'm Albus Potter," Continued Al, "I'm a sixth year Gryffindor, and my favourite subject is Care of Magical Creatures."
"I'm Alex Longbottom," Said Alex, "I'm a sixth year Hufflepuff, and my favourite subject is Herbology."
"I'm Claudius Windsor. I'm a fifth year Slytherin, and my favourite class is Potions."
"I'm Delilah Wood. I'm a sixth year Ravenclaw, and my favourite subject is Transfiguration."
I fidgeted nervously as the focus of the group came on to me. I determinedly avoided James Potter's gaze.
"Er…I'm Vera Malfoy. I'm a sixth year Gryffindor, and my favourite subject is Defence Against the Dark Arts."
I heard a disbelieving scoff come from James, but decided to ignore it. The prefects continued around the circle until all twenty-four people had introduced themselves.
"Excellent!" Rose exclaimed, "Now we have made patrol schedules. Actually…" She said, bubbling with enthusiasm, "We didn't make them at all! I used this charm on them so they've made themselves." She beamed at her thoroughly unimpressed counterpart, Eric. Frowning, she began passing out the schedules, "The passwords to the Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms are next to your respective names."
I groaned quietly when I got mine. I had patrol with Albus every Monday, but I also had patrol with James Potter every Wednesday. In addition, I had every other Tuesday with Reginald Perplenty (that prat), every other Thursday with Rose Weasley, and every other Friday with the fifth year Bella Masterson.
"Sixth years, you have train patrol first. So go to. Seventh years, you are dismissed. Fifth years, stay behind for some extra briefing."
Albus met me at the door and we set off down the hall. Someone bumped into my shoulder and James Potter sauntered past me, his arm around a giggling Viola Toledo.
Albus and I walked up and down the train in relative silence until Albus said,
"So what do you think about Delilah?"
"Wood?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know. She's nice. Why?"
He was silent for a moment. My jaw dropped as I realised what he was getting at,
"You fancy her!" I accused.
"What? No I don't." He denied.
"Yes you do!" I continued to badger him as we walked until finally he said,
"Okay fine, maybe a little bit."
"Ha!"
"Alright, alright. Well could you chat me up to her?"
"Of course. I would've even if you'd asked me not to." He beamed at me and burst into excited chatter as we walked up and down the corridor. James and Rose relieved us around two o' clock, and we settled back into our compartment where Janie and Mark were playing a game of Gobbstones. Albus and I sat down to watch. Alex came in a couple minutes later and I lay down to rest my head on his lap. Mark glared at the two of us, but I disregarded him and stared up at the ceiling.
The train ride passed quickly, and soon we were pulling in to Hogsmeade station. Mark helped me move my trunk out onto the platform, and the five of us made our way to the carriages. As we passed one, we saw a tangle of arms and legs that we identified as a snogging couple composed of Marlene and Calloway Wethersfield. Albus rolled his eyes and passed me five galleons.
The carriages trundled up to the castle and soon we were taking our seats at the Gryffindor table. The sorting of the new first years dragged on, but eventually food appeared on the golden plates before us. After dinner we chivied some of the first years up to the portrait of the fat lady. After saying the password (inkwell), we explained the sleeping accommodations to the first years, and sent them on their way. Then we collapsed into the comfortable couch nearest the fire. I swung my feet up onto Albus' lap and rested my head against the armrest.
"So I'm supposed to talk to you about something." He said after a moment.
"Shoot." I replied.
"So…how do I put this…Mark fancies you."
I sat up and stared at him, "What?"
"Mark fancies you, and I'm supposed to find out if you fancy him too."
I simply stared, trying to word my response. Mark was a good-looking bloke, tall with blonde hair and brown eyes, but I didn't like him like that and he knew it.
"No." I finally said.
"No?"
"Yes, no."
"Damn. What am I supposed to tell him then?"
"I don't know. What did he think I was gonna say? He knows I don't feel that way about him."
Albus sighed, "Maybe he hopes that you've changed your mind since…you know, last time he asked you out."
"Well I haven't. When did he even get a chance to talk to you about this?"
"When you went to the bathroom on the train. Alex told him not to get his hopes up, but there you go."
I growled, "Why can't he and I just be friends?"
"Dunno." He replied. We were silent for a moment.
"And why does Alex have to be queer?" I burst out, "I would date him in a second if he were straight."
"Oh come on, Vera. If you start lusting after a gay boy we are gonna have bigger problems on our hands." Said Albus, exasperated.
"I know, I know." I said. "I don't fancy Alex but I'd rather date him than the other gits that roam around this place."
"I get what you mean." He said, though I highly doubted he did. We were silent again. The fire crackled merrily in the grate, the complete opposite of my mood right now, "So what do I say to him when I go up to the dormitory?"
"I don't know. Tell him he's a good friend but I just don't feel the same way."
"Alright, I just hate to disappoint the old chap."
"Better than leading him on." I replied.
He nodded and stood, "Well good night, Vera."
"Night."
He trudged up the stairs to the dormitories. I sat in front of the fire, examining the dying embers for a moment before I too made my way up to the bed. Janie was already in there, as well as our dorm mates Alicia Finnegan, Elena Bones, and Ava King. They were all sitting around Elena's bed, giggling and chatting when I entered. They looked around at me.
"Ooh. Look who it is." Said Ava, giggling madly. The others joined her. I stared at the four of them with raised eyebrows, "The future Mrs. Potter."
"What in the blazes are you on about?" I demanded.
"You and Albus! We saw you snuggling away in the common room just now." Said Alicia.
I rolled my eyes. This wasn't the first time someone had made this assumption. There was this strange idea that a boy and a girl couldn't be best friends without there being romantic feelings. However my relationship with Albus was so thoroughly platonic that it seemed odd to me that a boy and a girl could be best friends and have there be romantic feelings. It was a bizarre concept, in my opinion.
"It's not like that at all. He is just my best friend." Janie cleared her throat, "Other than Janie, of course." I clarified.
"Sure." Alicia said. I rolled my eyes and began changing into my pyjamas.
"Oh Vera, I'm supposed to talk to you about something." Janie addressed me.
"What?" I asked as I climbed into bed.
"Do you fancy Mark?"
I groaned. Seriously? "No. As I explained to Albus just now, I don't like Mark that way."
"You don't?" Asked Elena from the corner, shaking her mousy brown hair out of her eyes, "Would you mind if I have a go then?"
"Be my guest." I said, pulling the hangings closed around my bed and settling in. The other girls stayed up talking a little longer, but eventually we all fell asleep.
Author's Note: Please let me know what you think. I know I put Rose and Scorpius in the wrong school year, but its important to the development of the story and the characters, so please pardon my trespasses.