Prologue
September 2023
The fog on Platform 9 ¾ was suffocating as a blonde haired boy stumbled away from his parents who were eagerly waving goodbye to him. His mouth was covered by his sleeve as he hurried towards the train. A few paces to his left, a small family were exchanging last minute hugs. The red headed boy was demanding the attention of his parents while the red headed girl was gazing out across the Platform at the Scarlet steam engine.
As the blonde boy reached the train, something made him turn to look back, over his shoulder. It was then that he spotted her, the red headed girl. She did not see him looking but something about her captured his attention and he found himself unable to look away. He had seen her before of course, for the last seven years they had been in the same classes, but something about her had changed, she was not the girl he remembered… He supposed it was that she was not really a girl anymore.
The train tooted twice and was answered with a bustle of movement as mothers wailed goodbyes and gave last minute reminders and children scampered onto the scarlet train, searching for friends and dragging their trunks. There were many tears, for both those departing and those being reunited. The boy forced his gaze away from the girl and clambered up onto the train, his emerald robes flowing out behind him.
Giving her mother one last hug, the red headed girl moved towards the train. People moved out of her way as she approached, desperate not to offend her. There was something cold about her countenance, something unapproachable. Once she had boarded the train and disposed of her trunk, the red head immediately changed into her crimson trimmed school robes before beginning to patrol the train, making sure that all students were aboard and assisting any that were struggling with their trunks. This assistance however, was offered with no warmth and often caused the recipient to feel uncomfortable and occasionally even fearful.
"Sorry," muttered the blonde haired boy as he stepped out into the corridor to find the red head directly in his path. She turned, surprise evident in her sky blue eyes, and raised an eyebrow at the offending boy. "I'm Scorpius Malfoy," the words escaped his mouth before he could check them, surprising both the red head and himself.
"I know," she replied curtly. They had after all, spent six years in the same classrooms as each other. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked as he continued to stare at her.
"It's Weasley right? Rose Weasley?" a frown creased his forehead as he spoke, his eyes looking anywhere but at hers as she stared fixedly at him.
"Just Weasley to you," was her cold reply.
"Okay, uh, Weasley… It's just that you are Head Girl and I'm, well, Head Boy," he stumbled awkwardly around his words, something exceedingly uncommon for him.
"I was aware of that," she frowned, unable to see the point of the conversation she had just unwillingly entered.
"Well I thought it might be a good idea for us to go over some things or something…?"
"What things?"
"Just… things?"
"Well when you think of something, I will be somewhere on this train," she replied in her expressionless voice before turning and continuing her way down the train. The blonde haired boy was left, staring after her as she wandered away from him. She was mesmerizing. Beautiful. He could not understand how he had never seen it before. But she was also unreachable.
As the red head moved from compartment to compartment, checking on the students, she found her mind drifting back to the irritating blonde boy and she could not help but remember the way his grey eyes at shone as he spoke. There was something about him that intrigued her but she refused to acknowledge it. Nothing could penetrate the walls she had surrounded herself with… not even those transfixing grey eyes.
