A/N: This is a story about the Next Generation of the Next Generation. Or Scorpius and Rose Malfoy's children – Aquilla, Juniper, and Leo. They're triplets and they were introduced in Redhead or Blond? I think you can understand this one without reading that one but read it just in case. Tell me if its good and there may be more like it later.
"Are they at it again?" Aquilla Malfoy swung under the balcony railing to reach the concealed landing beneath. The triplets had turned it into a secret clubhouse of sorts, even though their parents undoubtedly knew about it so it really wasn't a secret.
"Aren't they always?" Aquilla's sister, Juniper, replied, glancing up from her book.
"So what are they on about this time, Juni?" Leo chirped, using his nickname for Juniper. He had climbed up the tree near the landing, taking a much safer way than Aquilla had.
"Dunno. Wasn't listening." Juni said attention back on her book.
"We sent you up here to find out what they're talking about, Juni! You're supposed to pay attention." Aquilla complained.
"Well, sorry. I was just increasing my knowledge. If I want to go places in the world, Quill, I have to know things." Juniper looked up from her book, annoyed.
"What are you reading anyway?" Leo picked up the book. "'Fifty-two ways to go places in the wizarding world'. Interesting choice."
"Whatever. Just don't come running to me when you wind up broke from doing nothing all day." Juniper said.
"Juni, we're eleven. We don't need to worry about stuff like that yet." Aquilla rolled her eyes.
"Stop fighting you two." Leo stepped in between his sisters. "If they know we're up here, they'll stop talking. And we need to find out what they're betting on, so we can get some money."
"Alright." Aquilla and Juniper said at the same time, which caused them to glare at each other. Aquilla and Juniper both hated to be caught doing anything they dubbed 'triplety' like speaking at the same time.
"Just come on." Leo dragged them over to the edge, where they had an assortment of extendable ears (Great Uncle George made them) that went everywhere in the house.
The spying on the betting had been Juniper's idea. Juniper loved knowing secrets and she was a good judge of when to let on that she knew. She used her knowledge to get the things that she wanted, though she always stopped short of blackmail.
Aquilla had gone along with it because it was an adventure. She never knew if she was going to be caught and it was a thrill when she didn't.
Leo went along with it because he went along with the things his sisters did and he wanted to keep them out of trouble. Those two got into a lot of trouble. And he was curious as to what the adults were always betting on.
They had found out the answer: the triplets. They were the subjects of the betting. It had started out with the betting for their names and hair color. Their parents used to tall them that story at bedtimes when Leo wanted a laugh. Or when Juniper wanted to know why Aunt Lily was banned from the betting books. Apparently, she was too psychic.
Ever since the three had been born, many bets had been placed. Who would be the reader in the family? Who would be most like Rose? Who would be most like Scorpius? Who would grow tallest? Who would speak first? And more.
Juniper was the one most like their father, Scorpius. Despite how much she looked like her mother in looks, it was her father's calm, cool, knowledge seeking outlook in her. Plus a little something extra: Juniper wanted to rule the world. And no, not in a literal sense, she really just wanted to be important and admired.
The blond Aquilla was so much like her mother, Rose, it scared people. She was called the white Rose sometimes because the most noticeable difference was their difference in hair color, except for the obviousness of their size and age. The cool exterior hosed a fiery (if not foolhardy) passion for all things adventurous. Aquilla had broken almost every bone in her body at least three times and her leg at least nine times. And that didn't count the bruises, sprains, or pulled muscles.
Leo was the confusing one. His brown hair could only be traced to his Grandma Hermione. He was also a kind, friendly, patient, and loyal kid. Nothing at all like his sisters or parents. But that definitely wasn't a bad thing, because everyone loved Leo. You just had to.
"So what are they betting on today?" Aquilla whispered to the others as they listened into the ears.
"I think it's about what house we'll be in next month when we go to Hogwarts." Juniper whispered back.
"That explains why everyone's here then. No one's going to miss a huge bet like this." Leo commented. Everyone was here today, sans their children. Uncle Teddy and Aunt Victorie; Uncle Al and Aunt Serena; Uncle Hugo and Aunt Sara; and Uncle Lorcan and even Aunt Lily!
"I think they have Lily keeping the books." Aquilla said.
"Yeah, she's probably laughing at all of them, seeing as she already knows." Juniper snickered.
"Shh! I hear something!" Aquilla demanded as their mother's voice came on the ears.
"I think Aquilla, Leo, and Juniper will be in Ravenclaw." Rose Malfoy was saying.
"Me too. They're all rather smart kids and Juniper always has her head in that book." Scorpius added.
"No way that'll happen. Aquilla is so bound for Gryffindor. And they'll stay together. Put me down for all of them in Gryffindor, Lil." Uncle Hugo said.
"Aquilla will definitely be in Gryffindor. But Juniper? She's Ravenclaw." Aunt Sara, Hugo's wife disagreed.
"You may be right about Aquilla. But Juniper is an obvious choice for Slytherin." Grandfather Draco pointed out.
"Yes, it's time we had another Slytherin Malfoy." Great- Grandmother Narcissa commented.
"Grandmother, I'm sorry I wasn't in Slytherin. Let it go already!" Scorpius demanded.
"What about Leo? I haven't heard much about him yet!" Aunt Lily called out, sounding like she was laughing at them all inside her head.
"Slytherin!" Said Grandmother Astoria.
"Gryffindor!" Called out Hugo.
"Ravenclaw!" insisted Rose.
"No clue." Uncle Al said, because it apparently was his turn to say something. "I always loose these bets. What about you, dear?" He asked someone, who the triplets presumed was Aunt Serena.
"I don't know anything, Al. I wasn't raised in this world." Serena reminded them all that she was a muggle. It was a thing you often forgot with Serena. A lover of the muggle version of the biography about Great Uncle Harry, she also had a muggleborn sister so she knew a lot about the wizarding world.
"Come on, Rena. You know plenty." Al scoffed.
"Fine. I think Aquilla's in Gryffindor, duh. Juniper would be Ravenclaw except for that ambitious streak so I'm going to have to say Slytherin."
"And Leo?" Uncle Lorcan prompted.
"Hufflepuff."
This simple word brought everyone laughter. It lasted for several minutes before Serena finally stopped it shouting, "What? What did I say?"
"It's just the concept of a Malfoy in Hufflepuff, dear." Al answered her.
"There's never been one." Draco added.
"Never been a Weasley in Hufflepuff either." Hugo said.
Just then, the children heard a crash and the adults did too. Rushing outside, they quickly saw they source.
Aquilla had fallen again. Turned out she had broken her leg. Again. For the tenth time.
"Gryffindor, that one. For sure." Hugo muttered under his breath.
Behind him, Aunt Lily stood, her eyes twinkling, taunting them with her silent reminder of I know something you don't know. I know something you don't know.
"Malfoy, Aquilla!" Professor Longbottom called out in Hogwarts' Dining Hall. A blanket of silence fell across the room. Everyone wanted to see how this turned out. Dora Lupin, Uncle Teddy and Aunt Victorie's daughter had her quill and some parchment out ready to take down the results and send them home.
As the hat was placed on her head, Aquilla smiled when it immediately shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table erupted with applause, and underneath it all, you could hear the furious scribbling of Dora's quill.
"Malfoy, Juniper!"
Juniper walked up to the hat with slow measured steps, unlike her sister's mad dash. How different she truly was from Aquilla was cemented when the hat cried out "Slytherin!"
Applause sounded again, and the scratching of Dora's quill was even louder, if possible.
"Malfoy, Leo!"
Leo did not run up the steps, did not walk calmly. He skipped. And smiled. He was still grinning as he debated with the hat.
You're a bit harder than your sisters to place.
'Really? I'm usually much easier to handle.'
You're not Slytherin or Gryffindor, that's for sure. And not Ravenclaw either…
'So that's Hufflepuff then.' Leo thought happily.
Wait, you want to be in Hufflepuff?
'Yes.'
Even though there's never been a Malfoy or Weasley there?
'Yes. I'm different in every other way, why not this way also?'
True. Have fun where no Malfoy has been before, in –
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The noise was deafening this time, but somehow, you could still hear Dora's quill practically explode with excitement.
