OK, i just wanted to say i'm changing one major thing: Hogwarts now starts at 13.

As much as i would love to own Harry Potter and these characters, i don't, even though the characters are just my interpretation.

Ch. 1: Not Just a Weasley

I glanced around at all of the first years about to be sorted. Everyone else looked terrified and nervous, I almost giggled but then I remembered the train ride here. Glancing down at my chewed fingernails I thought about how nervous I had been, although now that it was finally going to happen I actually felt a little excited. My cousins had all told me how amazing a place Hogwarts was, and now I would finally be here too, they were all excited about Albus and I finally getting in, except for maybe James. My parents were so excited they had bought me a black owl, Star.

James usually annoyed me to death, but even though that had been bad it was nothing like this. For the last few months he had been extremely overprotective. If a boy even glanced at me he would freak, two weeks ago his best friend Jacob asked me out on a dare. We both laughed it off but James hasn't spoken to him yet, during the ride here he would only pause glaring at Jacob to tell Albus to shut up about his fear of being put in Slytherin.

I sighed. It seemed like it took hours, I heard Professor McGonagall call out name after name and watched as my cousin was put into Gryffindor, then heard her call out another name that caught my attention.

"Malfoy, Scorpius," I watched as a tall blond boy walked up to the stool and the sorting hat was placed on his head. It barely touched his head before calling out Slytherin! I had heard all about the Malfoys, I rolled my eyes as his expression of fear was replaced with a smug smile. Then, it was my turn. As I heard my name called I walked up to the stool and the sorting hat was placed on my head.

Ah! A voice exclaimed the moment the hat touched my fiery hair. Another Weasley! I sighed, was that all I ever was, just another Weasley, just the same as every other before me. I'm not just another Weasley I thought with determination. Hm... wanting to prove yourself?Alright then, better be SLYTHERIN! The hat responded.

I felt all the blood drain from my face as I headed towards the Slytherin table taking the last seat directly across from Malfoy. Directly across the table from me, Scorpius Malfoy was staring at me, a long hard look that was neither a glare nor a smile. I forced myself to look away, but not before giving him a mocking sneer. I was in Slytherin! What would my parents think! I remembered what my father had said

If you're not in Gryffindor we'll disinherit you .What would he think if I was in Slytherin? I thought about it for a while then decided to have some fun with James to distract myself. I glanced around the Slytherin table, careful to avoid Malfoy's eyes, and then noticed a cute boy sitting a few seats away from me.

"Hey," I glanced at him from under my lashes.

"Hi," he quickly replied. I could tell from his expression my flirting was working. "You're Rosalie, right?" he asked.

"Rose," I corrected him. I peeked out of the corner of my eye at James. He was staring at me with a shocked expression. "What's your name?"

"Nathan, Nathan Brume," I spent the rest of dinner talking to Nathan and watching James reaction. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud when he fell of his chair leaning over to get a better look at us. I felt a little bad about it later, but it kept my mind off my house. Near the end of dinner, I moved to stand up when suddenly a pale hand thrust itself into my personal space. I followed the length of the arm up to where it met the body of Scorpius Malfoy, who was smirking lazily at me.

"Congratulations," he drawled.

"On?" I inquired tentatively.

"Showing that at least one person in your family is worthy to be in this House," Scorpius replied, smirking. Outraged at the insult against my family, I whirled around and stalked away in the direction of the Slytherin prefects, leaving the boy's hand unshaken.

I watched as James and Albus walked up to me, both glaring,

"How could you be in Slytherin with a Malfoy?" James spat the words out.

"Like it was my fault, and anyway how does Malfoy fit into this?" I replied angrily.

"Like you don't know," he retorted. I hardly recognized him, with is face twisted with anger.

"Ditching your family for people like the Malfoys," Albus added. "I don't even know who you are."

"Why does everything go back down to Scorpius?!" I asked. "This has got nothing to do with him!"

"And I have got nothing to do with you," Albus replied scathingly, glaring at me with an expression I couldn't have ever imagined on his face distorting it.

For the second time that day, I spun around, this time fighting the tears. None of my family backed me up, I thought bitterly. I broke into a run, and was far too upset to notice the blond boy sitting in a tree nearby, completely alone, as usual.

It was my second week, and I was walking to my next class, charms, alone. In the past week I had made no friends as I had been very bitter and wouldn't talk to anyone. I had even refused all of Nathan's attempts to ask me if I would like him to walk me to class. It had to be bad if I could even tell how rude I had been. I clutched my books to my chest and rushed ahead, wondering what the students were all gathered around for. I had to push my way through the crowd as I was far too short to see anything from the back. In the center of the crowd I saw Malfoy and a burly boy who had to be in year three or four.

"… Cant believe you'd show your face here after what your family has done," the boy sneered. Scorpius stood across from him, his stance defiant; the boy pushed him over, then kicked him. "I can't believe Hogwarts is degraded to housing this scum," the boy added before striding away.

I was about to reach down and help him up, but then I turned my eyes away and continued walking forward, remembering the other reason for my anger.

"That's for what your grandfather did to my uncle!" An unknown voice yelled. There was the sound of bone on bone, an eruption of cheers, and then the crowd dissipated, leaving a few mocking onlookers and a crumpled boy on the floor. Rose gasped at the sight of Scorpius Malfoy struggling to get up, one hand covering his heavily bleeding nose.

I rushed forward as one of the remaining students went to kick him back down, and pushed hard. The boy stumbled and caught himself. He scoffed, and the rest of them left.

It isn't fair, I thought sadly. They're not even giving him a chance to prove that he's different.

Neither did you, my conscience reminded me. You heard about his family and you judged him too.

I hated to agree, but it was true. Just like the way people assumed I would be brilliant because of my mother, they assumed Scorpius would be evil like his family. Guilt twisted my insides.

"Are you alright?" I asked him, digging in my pockets and offering one half of my Uncle George's Nosebleed Nougats. "That'll stop the bleeding," I explained.

Scorpius didn't take the nougat. He stared at me, using that same level look that he'd used back in the Great Hall on their first day.

"I don't need a girl to stick up for me. And especially not you." He walked away, leaving my offered sweet ignored.

I didn't make the same mistakes twice, but as I walked down the hall to class it was hard to ignore those piercing, helpless eyes boring into my back. There was also something more, something that made my heart hurt when I turned away from him.

As I walked into class I groaned, today we were supposed to practice Rictusempra, a tickling spell.

"Let's see, who shall demonstrate first? How about you, Miss Finnegan?" he asked, gesturing towards Siobhan, a giggly but clever Gryffindor. Siobhan turned to her partner, and muttered "Rictusempra," flicking her wand as she did. Her partner burst into a fit of laughter, which quickly subsided.

"Well done!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed. "And now let's have somebody from the other side. Hmm, how about you, Miss Weasley?"

I sighed. I hadn't practiced at all.

I turned to a girl I had talked to on the first day. Taking a deep breath,I flicked my wand and said the incantation, hoping for the best. She laughed, and then stopped, an apologetic look on her face. i cringed back.

It had barely been a chuckle.

"It seems someone hasn't been practicing," Flitwick scolded. "A real shame. Your mother was particularly gifted at charms, as I recall. She got this particular spell down on her first try."

"She's not her mother though, is she?" Rose heard, and the room went silent.

"What was that, Mr. Malfoy?" Flitwick asked.

"I said she's not her mother," Scorpius replied. I turned to face him, a frown on my face. "None of us are," he said, not looking at Rose. "Our parents, I mean. We don't necessarily look like them, nor have the same talents they do."

Rose smiled. He was sticking up for her, as she had done for him, she realized.

"We don't always get sorted into the same houses that they did," he continued. Everyone was staring, but he didn't seem to care.

"And we don't have to hold the same grudges that they had, or act the same" I finished for him. Scorpius looked at me, startled. He clearly hadn't been expecting me to say anything.

"I- Of course, you're right, Mr. Malfoy," Flitwick conceded. "I apologize Miss Weasley. Though in future, I would prefer it if you did practice."

I nodded, and Professor Flitwick continued with the class. I, however, turned to face Scorpius, and mouthed 'Thank you' to him. He grinned back. It was a full smile, not the mocking smirk that was usually sent my way. 'Thank you too,' he mouthed back. I had just made a friend in Scorpius, and for some reason my heart actually felt ready to burst out of my chest with happiness.