A/N Hello everyone! Welcome to the magical world of Hogwarts! I have tried my best to imitate the great JKR while describing places and mannerisms of the characters. This is my first attempt at a fanfic and I may fail horribly. I am scared. Can you help me? I'll be really grateful if you people go through the story and leave your honest opinions about it. Any kind of support is appreciated.
Disclaimer: The original HP characters are the express property of JKR. I only own the story.
So...without further ado, I present to you...
And Then You Were There
This story does not begin with the typical 'once upon a time'. It starts more like 'she slapped him in front of the entire crowd'. For you see, they are not some ordinary 'in-love' couple. They are Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley, two people expected to behave like angry tom cats defending their territories.
Rose Weasley is the miniature of her mother, with busy hair and caramel eyes, a bossy disposition and a thirst for knowledge (which is not entirely related to books). But she gets her hair colour and wit from her father. And she gets a healthy dose of interest towards Quidditch from her cousins and uncles.
Scorpius is also the spitting image of his father, with platinum blonde hair and steel gray eyes, a typical Malfoyesque smirk and a swagger to boot. Besides looks, he also boasts of a brilliant brain inherited from his mother who is a remarkable witch herself.
And these two different individuals are doomed to be constantly pitted against each other from the very beginning due to the infamous history between their parents. But who knows…
'So that's little Scorpius. Make sure you beat him in every test Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains.'
That was the first time Rose noticed the pale boy. Dad was asking her to not get too friendly with him. But she didn't pay much attention. Dad always said things he didn't mean anyway. Rose was much more excited about the Sorting. Most of her cousins were in Gryffindor, though Victoire had been a Ravenclaw. Albus was hyperventilating about which house he would be sorted into because James had frightened him that he might be selected in Slytherin. The prat. Rose shook her head in amusement while hugging her mum and dad one last time. Then she skipped onto the scarlet Hogwarts Express and proceeded to wave to her family from the window. That's when she noticed the pale boy (with some kind of arachnid for a name) once again. He was hugging his mother and turned to his father to shake hands formally. Weird! Whoever acted formal in front of family?! Hugo has always been a hugger, even James liked being given a one-handed hug by Uncle Harry (though he pretended otherwise).
Intrigued, she watched him give his mum a last hug and board the train, hauling a huge ornate owl cage behind him. He was pretty tall for an eleven year old. The boy stopped in front of her.
'Erm…excuse me, but you are kind of blocking the path.'
Rose grinned at him. He blushed. Giggling, she held her hand out. 'Hi! I'm Rose.'
' Sc-scorpius. Pleased to meet you.'
Wow. Pretty well-mannered too, thought Rose. 'I've got an empty compartment. Want to join us?' she offered.
'Sure.'
'C'mon then,' beamed Rose.
They wound their way around more students hanging out of the windows to wave to their family until she stopped near a compartment. It was empty except for a scrawny black-haired boy. He had his nose stuck in a magazine.
'Hey Al ! Isn't it a bit early to start studying?' teased Rose.
The boy looked up and was going to say something when he spotted Scorpius. He ogled. Rose gestured Scorpius to step inside. 'Scorpius, meet my cousin Albus. And Al, this is…'
'You are a Malfoy!'
Scorpius stiffened. He had been warned by his dad to expect such censor from fellow-students. But he hadn't expected it so early into the journey. Even a hissed 'Albus Potter!' from Rose couldn't allay his wounded Malfoy pride. So he drew himself up, put on a mask of indifference and stalked out of the compartment.
He could hear Rose chastising her cousin, 'Al! You stupid git!'
'What?! He is a Malfoy!'
'And what does it matter?'
'Are you insane Rosie?! He is practically The Enemy!'
That's when the compartment door slid shut.
Rose had been fuming throughout the journey. Just like Albus to ruin everything. She was sure the Malfoy kid would be looked upon with prejudice and shunned. That's why she wanted to make friends with him. To show him her support. But trust her cousin to spoil her plans. She had hexed and cursed him into a pulp about a hundred times in her mind. Her object of discontent was currently huddled in a corner, giving her guilty furtive looks (oh yes, she could feel them), after being treated to one of her famous Weasley tempers.
The train screeched to a halt. Students scurried past in their haste to get a glimpse of the castle. First years were being rounded up by the prefects to be led towards the boats that would carry them across the Great Lake to the castle. Rose and Albus followed the throng till they reached the edge of the lake. There was a collective gasp. The castle loomed over the lake. Light was pouring out of the numerous windows creating an ethereal image.
Students were climbing into the tiny boats. 'Yeh kids alrigh'?' asked a grey-haired and slightly bent Hagrid. Rose and Albus grinned and waved at the gamekeeper before climbing into one. Hagrid , checking for straggling first years, found a lone boy standing.
'Firs' year, boy?' asked Hagrid. The boy nodded.
'Yer the Malfoy kid, aren't yeh?'
Another stiff nod.
'Well, I think that boat is not full. Climb aboar',' said Hagrid, pointing to the boat occupied by Rose and Albus. Albus groaned. Rose gave his leg a sharp kick. Once Scorpius was seated Rose smiled at him tentatively. Albus was pointedly ignoring him. Scorpius ignored her and turned his neck to look at anything but his fellow occupants. He had been insulted, made fun of, threatened throughout the journey to Hogwarts. He had had enough. He had resolved to keep to himself and do well in his studies. 'Don't make any unnecessary enemies, keep your head down and you will be alright' his father had said. That's what he would do.
'You'll get a crick in the neck if you continue to bend it in such an unnatural manner.'
Scorpius flushed scarlet. He blurted out, 'I'll be extremely obliged if you would kindly remove your nose out of other people's business.'
Many things happened at once. Rose gasped. Scorpius clapped a hand over his mouth in horror and Albus went overboard in his attempts to land a well deserved punch on his mouth. Even before Rose could recover from the shock and scream for help, Scorpius was out of his cloak and into the cold, chilly water, weaving his hands to capture any bit of the other boy's anatomy. He was almost out of breath and numb from the cold when he was pushed by a large tentacle into the swirl of clothes that was Albus. Thanking his stars Scorpius grasped as much cloth as he could find and beat his limbs till he broke the surface.
Large hands pulled them up and dumped them at the bottom of the boat. Albus was coughing and spluttering and Scorpius was gasping and clutching at a stitch at his side.
'What were yah thinkin'?!' roared Hagrid from somewhere to his right. 'Yeh wait till I tell 'fessor McGonagall.' He grumbled all the way to the castle, turning and glaring at the two from time to time from his own boat.
By the time they reached the castle, Rose was grinding her teeth at a shivering and subdued Albus and an equally shivering and stony-faced Scorpius. Serves them right, she thought. All around her, the other kids were goggling and muttering. Some were even rude enough to openly point at them.
'…how dare he…'
'…a Malfoy and all…'
'…which one?'
' the blonde over there...'
Rose was preparing to give them all a piece of her mind when the huge front door swung open. Hagrid pushed past them towards a severe looking aged witch. They talked together quietly for some time before he nodded his head and retreated inside the castle. The severe looking witch turned to them and said, 'Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year. I am Professor McGonagall. Please follow me inside.' She turned and led them to a small room.
Once everyone was assembled, she resumed, 'As you must be aware the Sorting ceremony is a very important tradition which signifies your inclusion in the school. Hogwarts has four houses—Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You all must be sorted into one of these Houses (Rose could swear she heard Albus gulp). Once sorted, your House will be like a family to you. Doing well will earn you points for your House. Any mischief and you will lose points. The House with the most points at the end of the year will win the prestigious House Cup. And may I ask,' she added sharply, 'why you two are drenched to the skin?'
Every head swiveled to focus on Albus and Scorpius.
'We fell into the lake,' mumbled Albus.
'That someone has not cast a meteolojinx curse on you two is quite obvious to me. What I want to know is why.'
Fixed under the severe scrutiny of Professor McGonagall, Albus quelled and muttered something that resembled 'mimblewimble'. That's when Rose came forward. She took a deep breath and said, 'Please Professor, he was trying to defend me.'
Professor McGonagall's eyebrows appeared to merge with her hairline. She glared at the three for a few moments before remarking, 'Dear dear. You two would land in detention even before the Sorting!'
Then she proceeded to arrange them into a single file and left them with strict instructions to smarten themselves up before being led into the legendary Great Hall.
Scorpius was scared. Moreover, he felt alienated. The other kids were so judgmental. They attacked him with threatening looks and snide remarks. And at the moment he resented everything. He hated his name. He hated his surname. He resented his family. He resented his fellow students and even the friendly girl, Rose. He hated the war for making him an outcaste.
He was lost in thoughts when he felt a cold hand poke his arm. He turned around to look at the face of Albus Potter. He scowled.
'Erm, I'm sorry I guess,' said Albus. He looked ashamed and was gazing at his feet. Scorpius hadn't realized he was holding his breath until he let it out with a whoosh.
'It's ok. And I'm sorry too for saying such abominable things to your cousin.'
'Yeah, you shouldn't have. Then I wouldn't have fallen into that damn lake. Brrr. It's cold.' Albus rubbed his arms. 'But you saved me from drowning. So that cancels it out.'
Scorpius nodded.
Albus extended his hand.'Albus Potter.'
'Scorpius Malfoy.'
'Friends?'
'Friends.'
They shook hands before turning to face the door. And for the first time since boarding the train, Scorpius allowed a tiny smile to light up his pale face.
The Sorting was a surprise. Some even considered it a total disaster. All because two students had been 'misplaced'. Rose Weasley had been sorted into Gryffindor as was expected. Many eyebrows were raised though when Albus Potter became a Ravenclaw. But the major shock came when Scorpius Malfoy got sorted into Gryffindor. Angry mutterings filled the air as soon as the Sorting Hat shouted out the result. Poor Scorpius turned paler at the intensity of the hostility aimed at him. He stumbled towards the Gryffindor table and tried to make himself as unobtrusive as possible.
Rose was secretly pleased with the judgment of the Sorting Hat. It not only showed that not all who came from dark wizarding families were necessarily dark at heart but also gave her the chance to befriend him and show that world that she did not hold grudges. She quietly got up and climbed in beside Scorpius. The Hall went deathly silent. She ignored them and turned to the boy. 'Don't let them bother you,' she said in a lowered voice, and added, 'Congratulations!'
Scorpius was trying hard not to panic and silently cursing his family for putting him in this position. He was paler if possible and kept twisting his robes with his sweaty fingers. When the Weasley girl had volunteered to sit beside him, he could only feel anger instead of gratitude. He didn't need anybody's sympathy. He was a Malfoy for Merlin's sake. Having made a resolve, he sat up straighter and clenched his jaws in defiance.
The Feast was a subdued affair for the Gryffindors. The tension was so solid you could cut it with a knife. The rest of the Houses were back to normal by the time food appeared. Once they were sufficiently fed, Professor McGonagall stood and welcomed the new students once again. Then she rattled off all the school rules and the places forbidden to students. When that was over she sent them off to bed.
'Filthy pureblood.'
'Spawn of the devil.'
'Scorpius!'
'Bloody snake.'
The name calling got worse as he climbed the stairs. I'm not going to react, I'm not going to react, he kept chanting under his breath.
'Why are you here?'
'Yeah. Go back to Slytherin…'
'Scorpius Malfoy!'
'…where you belong.'
'OI MALFOY!'
Scorpius finally turned around. Rose Weasley was hurrying to catch up. She huffed and puffed and finally stood before him clutching at her chest.
'I've been calling after you for so long. Are you deaf?'
'What do you want Weasley?'
'Oh! I'm just Weasley, am I?'
Scorpius glared at her. Rose glared back.
'What do you want?'
'Look. I don't know what I did to get such a cold treatment. But I want you to know that what happened in the Great Hall, it shouldn't have happened.'
'Yeah right,' he snorted.
'I mean it.'
'Sod off Weasley.'
'What's wrong with you?!' Rose yelled.
'I said SOD OFF! I don't want anyone's pity, least of all yours.' He turned and climbed through the portrait hole.
Rose looked stunned. But she quickly recovered, 'I'm not pitying you!' she said.
'Really?!' scoffed Scorpius, sarcasm dripping from each syllable. 'Could have fooled me.'
Rose nearly stamped her foot in frustration.
'Why is it easier to convince pigs than you?'
'Are you calling me pigheaded?!'
'Maybe I am.'
Scorpius's jaws dropped, before it settled into a dangerous sneer. 'Well, at least I have a thick skull instead of a large nose.'
'You didn't just call me nosey again!'
'Totally did.'
SLAP.
The common room went quiet. Many wands were trailed on Scorpius. But it was quite unnecessary. Because he would never hurt a girl (unless it was someone like her great aunt Bellatrix). Perhaps this inborn gallantry had landed him in Gryffindor in the first place, he thought ruefully.
Rose was watching him warily. Scorpius quirked an eyebrow, 'Are we done?'
'No!' she hissed. 'I'm never going to try and be your friend again, Scorpius Malfoy!'
'Should I be worried?'
'Actually you should be,' quipped someone from the back. 'My sweet little cousin can be really nasty when she puts her mind to it.'
'Shut up James!' Rose's eyes flashed in anger. 'As for you, Malfoy, you're going to curse the day you refused my friendship. I'm going to beat you in every subject and then some. You better watch out,' she uttered vehemently amidst wolf whistles and sounds of approval.
Scorpius smirked, 'Not a chance, Weasley. I never let others beat me at a competition, even if it is a girl.'
'Scared, Malfoy?' she sneered.
'You wish.'
They glared at each other before stomping back to their respective dorms.
And needless to say that was the beginning of a unique relationship between those two.
ooooooo
To be continued...
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