Hi, thanks in advance for reading my latest Harry Potter story. It's based primarily around Lily Luna Potter as she attends Hogwarts and makes friends with an unlikely person and has to cope with the reactions of other people. I'm not entirely sure what the age difference is meant to be between Albus and Lily but for the purpose of this story, they are one school year apart.

Please review!

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"Albus, why is that boy in your year always sat on his own?" asked Lily as she sat in the Gryffindor Common Room half way through her first year. Albus looked up to where she was indicating and frowned.

"That's Scorpius," he replied. When Lily didn't say anything he continued. "You know, Scorpius Malfoy, his dad went to school with our dad?"

"I know that. But why is he always on his own?"

"Because he has no friends," shrugged Albus. "He was meant to be in Slytherin."

"Not if the Sorting Hat thought he should be a Gryffindor," reasoned Lily.

"His whole family were in Slytherin, Lils, his dad was horrible to our dad and was even a death eater – you know that."

"He's not his father," Lily said simply. "I'm off to get dinner, you coming?"

"No, I have to finish this potions essay. It's due tomorrow."

"Suit yourself, I'll see if Hugo wants to come."

At the beginning of her second year Lily found herself reading in the Common Room whilst most of the House were visiting Hogsmeade. Everyone in her family except her and Hugo had left the Castle talking about what sweets and joke shop items they were going to buy. Hugo had said something about being behind with an essay and spending the day in the library. Lily however was all done with her work and had managed to claim the comfy chair in the Common Room in front of the fire and was reading a book she had received for Christmas. As nearly everyone in third year or above was in Hogsmeade and the rest were either enjoying the last of the nice weather or in the library, the room was almost empty – except for a few first years huddled in the corner.

Lily looked up when the Portrait Hole opened and Scorpius Malfoy walked in, glanced around, and took the seat furthest away from anyone. He proceeded to take out a school book from his bag and start reading. Putting a bookmark in her own book and placing it on her chair so no one would take her prime position, Lily slowly walked over to the blonde boy.

"Hi," she said shyly. He looked up and couldn't hide his surprise when he saw who had spoken to him. When he made no attempt to talk, she continued. "I'm Lily."

"I know who you are," the boy grimaced.

"My brother Albus is in your year. You're Scorpius," she added.

"5 points to Gryffindor," he replied sarcastically. "Why are you here?" he asked, a slight annoyance in his voice.

"I'm not old enough to go to Hogsmeade," she explained. "I'm only a second year."

"I meant here, talking to me."

"Because you're always on your own. You never seem to talk to people. I thought you might be lonely."

"So I'm your little charity case?" he asked. "Your good deed for the day? Well I have news for you, after two and a bit years of being here I'm used to being on my own. In fact, I quite like it. So why don't you go and find someone else to help."

"I was only trying to be friendly."

"Well I don't need your friendliness."

Lily walked back to her chair and picked up her book. She tried to go back to reading but after realising she had read the same page three times and not taken any of it in she gave up. Putting it back in her bag she stood up and walked out of the Portrait Hole and headed towards the library where she found Hugo and her other friends all trying to finish off their essays.

"Need any help?" she asked.

"Lils, you're a lifesaver," smiled her best friend Katie. "I've been trying to write this thing all morning and still have a foot left to write.

Lily didn't speak to Scorpius again until two years later, when she was in her fourth year. It was early on a Sunday morning a few weeks into the new school year and Lily hadn't been able to get back to sleep so she had walked down to the Quidditch Pitch, planning on having a fly on her broom before breakfast. She entered the changing room and was surprised to see that someone else was already in there. Not only that but they had their back to her and had just pulled off his shirt – displaying a large amount of scars etched into the skin. She gasped, causing the person to realise she was there.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone would be here this early," she said quietly.

"Right," he acknowledged her, quickly pulling on a quidditch shirt.

"I didn't realise you played?"

"I'm sure there's a lot you don't know. And I don't need your permission to ride my broom."

"I wasn't saying that. Just that I've never seen you down here before … not even on game days."

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"You know, if you were a bit nicer then maybe you'd have friends," Lily couldn't help herself saying before she turned to leave.

"Wait," he called after her. "I'm sorry."

"I shouldn't have said that. I'm not usually mean," apologised Lily, feeling bad about pointing out he didn't have any friends.

"I know you're not but I probably deserved it."

"How do you know what I'm like?" she asked.

"It's a small Common Room, I see and hear things."

"So when you're reading you're actually spying on everyone?" asked Lily.

"Not everyone," Scorpius said quietly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she got defensive.

"Why did you come up and talk to me in your second year?" he asked suddenly.

"Because … because I didn't like seeing you on your own all the time and never talking with anyone."

"You mean you felt sorry for me," he grimaced.

"It wasn't like that."

"Why would a second year come up and talk to a third year that she doesn't know?" asked Scorpius.

"Because I care about people. I was brought up to know that everyone deserves a chance and that everyone should have someone to confide in."

"I'm sure you had the perfect childhood didn't you. Surrounded by Potter's and Weasley's in your perfect bubble."

"My life isn't perfect and neither is my family."

"Oh I'm sorry, didn't daddy buy you the broom that you wanted as soon as you asked?" he smirked.

"Don't talk about what you don't know," Lily replied.

"Go on then, what's dampened your childhood?"

"As for my family, you try growing up with about a kazillion cousins and being the youngest of all of them. Try having something that's yours or doing something that's unique to you. I'm telling you, it can't be done. Brothers ruin everything from Chocolate Frog cards to teddy bears to brooms. I've never been able to do something that no one else in my family has. Everything I do or am good at, someone else has done it first. And then there are the adults. You talk my 'perfect childhood but how about the fact that my dad still wakes up in the middle of the night screaming from a nightmare or a flashback? Or the fact that every year my uncle goes into a complete shutdown and falls to pieces because his twin was killed? I'm meant to mourn people I've never met and stand on egg shells because all my aunts and uncles get touchy if anyone mentions certain things."

"The war was over 20 years ago," replied Scorpius.

"And I'm still living with the effects. Don't tell me you aren't because I know about your family."

"I'm sure you've been told all about how horrible my father was to yours. How he supported Voldemort. In fact I bet you were told to stay clear of me … wouldn't want to get too close to a Malfoy."

"Actually I was told how if it wasn't for your grandmother than my dad would be dead and I wouldn't be here. And how your father had the chance to kill Dumbledore but didn't do it and was never going to. And how you shouldn't judge a book by its cover … or a person by their name. The sorting hat put you in Gryffindor, not Slytherin, so you must be different from your dad."

"I don't need reminding of what house I'm in."

"It shows that you're a good person."

"It's ruined my life!" he shouted suddenly, shocking Lily.

"Because it told you that you were brave, courageous and different from your family?" asked Lily calmly.

"How do you know what it said?"

"Because those are the qualities of Gryffindor and the rest of your family have been in Slytherin … lucky guess," she shrugged.

"My father hates me because of it," admitted Slytherin. "And my mother. The only person who doesn't hate me is my gran." He slumped down on one of the benches.

"The one that saved my dad?" asked Lily.

"Yes. She said she doesn't care. I spend most of my holidays at her house. My grandfather is still in Azkerban and will be for the rest of his life. My parents were alright when I was growing up but then everything changed when I was sorted."

"You don't have to tell me this. If you want me to leave I will," offered Lily, aware that he hadn't spoken this many words to anyone as far as she could remember.

"You're different from them," Scorpius said, looking up at her, she was still stood across the room from him.

"Different from who?"

"The rest of your family. Albus has been in my class for over four years and hasn't said anything and we even share a dorm. You spoke to me in your second year even though no one else would. The rest of your family pretend I'm not there."

"You could have spoken to Albus," pointed out Lily.

"He doesn't want me to."

"He places too much emphasis on history and what's already happened. He's heard the stories of what your dad was like at school and he thinks you're the same. He doesn't realise that everyone is different and that you're not your father."

"But you don't."

"I trust that the sorting hat saw something different and you haven't done anything to make me think you're like your family. And you were wrong, not all of your family were in Slytherin."

"What do you mean?"

"Your gran's cousin – Sirius Black – he was in Gryffindor with my dad's dad. He was my dads godfather even. And Sirius' brother Regulus, even though he was a Slytherin helped to defeat Voldemort according to my dad."

"Really? I've never heard of them."

"I don't suppose your family talk much about them," shrugged Lily. "I'm starving, do you want to go and get some breakfast?" she asked.

"I'm going to fly for a bit. I really am sorry for getting angry earlier. You're ok, you know?"

"Thanks," smiled Lily. "Maybe we can talk again? I'm always here."

"I think I'd like that."