Changes

A/N: This is my first ever attempt at a fic. Please review. I realise that it's pretty cliché :) but I thought it was cute. Constructive criticism welcome but no flames please. It's meant to be a oneshot but I may write a sequel if anyone wants one.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THIS! It is owned by the wonderful J K Rowling.

Panting slightly, I dragged my heavy trunk through the familiar hustle and bustle of Platform 9 and ¾, trying to navigate a path to the train through the crowds. As it always was on September 1st, the platform was crammed with students, showing off holiday purchases and talking to each other at the tops of their voices. I followed my brother, Hugo, through a gap between two groups of shrieking second years, cursing under my breath as one of them jumped backwards onto my foot. The girl was so engrossed in her conversation with her friends, she didn't even bother to apologise.

''Annoying little idiots' I thought angrily to myself. 'How hard is it to stop and apologise?' I took a deep breath. 'Calm down, Rose. In just a few minutes you'll be in a quiet carriage on the train.'

I sighed, shaking my head to clear it. My bad mood was my fault: last night, after spending the last day of the holidays reading and writing last-minute essays, I'd been forced to spend most of the night packing for Hogwarts. I hadn't been able to go to bed until almost 4, and it had resulted in a pounding headache and eyes that were on the verge of closing. My mother had refused to make me any kind of potion that could help. I grimaced, remembering her lecture:

'You can't afford to be this irresponsible, Rose. You're starting your fifth year, you've got OWLs, and it's about time you started being more organised.'

I pushed the thoughts out of my head. If I kept dwelling on them, I would have to admit to myself that she was right. Pushing a strand of my bright red hair behind my ear, I came to halt beside my brother.

'You OK there, Rosie? Not too tired?' he grinned, reaching out to ruffle my hair. I slapped his hand out of way. I wasn't in the mood for his teasing at the moment. Luckily, just then, our parents made it through the crowds, ready to hug us goodbye before we got on the train. I felt my anger at my mother evaporate as she pulled me close. I hugged her tightly, feeling my eyes well up. I wasn't good at goodbyes.

***

About ten minutes later, I slumped, exhausted, against the window of the train. I was sitting with Lily, but she had gone out into the corridor to buy some food from the trolley, and it gave me a chance to rest. However, I had only been sitting like that for a few seconds when I heard the door of the carriage open.

'Lily?' I said, without looking up. 'That was quick. What did you buy?'

'Rose? Are you OK?' asked a familiar male voice, uncertainly. I started, quickly sitting upright, away from the window. In front of me stood a familiar blond boy, with pale grey eyes that were currently searching my face worriedly. As I stared at him, astounded that he had actually asked me a civil question, his face changed, going from worried to slightly more arrogant.

'I mean, not that it matters to me, I just...well, if you fell asleep and forgot to get off the train, then I wouldn't be able to tease you this year, that's all.' He added, looking towards the door as if he wanted to make a speedy exit.

I was still so surprised by the question that my brain was unable to form coherent thought. Scorpius Malfoy had done nothing but make my life hell since the moment when I'd first entered Hogwarts four years ago. He stole my books, made snide remarks in the corridors, hit me with jinxes from behind, you name it. Not that I let him get away with it. I smiled, remembering the time I had hit with a Bat Bogey Hex, learned from my Aunt Ginny for just these sorts of uses. She had used it on his father when they were all in school, she had told me. Scorpius, unable to get undo the hex, had been forced to spend an hour walking around with it in full effect before he finally admitted defeat and went to the hospital wing.

Pulling my mind back to the present – I had a tendency to daydream – I stared at him. Come to think of it, at the end of last year, he had been much better. Almost civil, at times, and he'd wished me a good holiday at the end of term. I had thought nothing of it at the time, as I had been busy trying to make sure I hadn't lost my wand, but now I remembered.

He was still standing there, still looking slightly arrogant, but much less than usual. He also looked worried, and somehow more human than he normally did. I had never noticed before, but he wasn't bad looking with his pale blond hair and the way it fell untidily into his eyes. A moment passed, and then I realised he was waiting for me to answer his question.

'Oh, um, yes, I'm fine, just tired.' I mumbled. 'Brilliant, Rose.' I thought. 'Really great comeback there. He's really going to back off you now.'

He didn't appear to have noticed my brilliantly witty response, but was still staring at me. I looked back, wondering if he was going to say anything else, when, suddenly, he took a step closer, hesitantly. When I didn't do anything, he continued until he was standing right in front of my seat.

'Rose.' he said quietly, looking into my eyes. 'I just wanted to apologise for how I've treated you for the past few years. I was really hoping we could be friends this year.'

I still said nothing, just sat there and stared at him. 'Come on Rose, say something! What's wrong with you?' I silently berated myself. What was wrong with me? Usually I had the problem of never being able to stop talking.

'Rose.' he said again, interrupting my argument with myself. 'There's something else I need to say.' He took yet another step closer, and, to my utter astonishment, he rested his hand gently on my cheek 'I..'

At that exact moment, there was a loud crash in the corridor, followed by Lily's voice, apologising profusely over and over. It seemed she had knocked over the food trolley, and the chocolate frogs were now hopping all over the corridor.

'Rose! Would you mind coming out and helping us for a second?' Lily's called, sounding like she was fighting laughter.

Scorpius backed away from m quickly. 'I guess I'll see you later, Rose,' he muttered, and then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the carriage, disappearing down the corridor.

I followed him out, then stopped and surveyed the wreckage, still in a slight daze. The entire floor was covered in multi-coloured Bertie Bott's beans, and the chocolate frogs were indeed all over the place. Some were making an attempt for freedom and hopping down the corridor.

'Rose, what on earth was Scorpius Malfoy doing in our carriage? Rose? Rose! Earth to Rose!'

Lily's voice, now sounding slightly annoyed, interrupted my reverie. I turned and looked in the direction Scorupius had gone, feeling a smile slowly spread across my face. I had no idea what had just happened, but I had a feeling that this year was going to be very different.

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