A/N: Hello fellow Scorbus fans! What you see here is technically the prequel to my already existing story: Advantage of Alone Time.

Now, this fanfic is going to go through all of Scorpius and Albus' years together in Hogwarts, and so this is technically the prologue. After this story I will have much more Scorpius and Albus stories to come, mostly because I have already written them way before 'The Cursed Child', and because of that script, it's made me love these two even more.

IMPORTANT: This entire fanfic doesn't strictly go by the "The Cursed Child" canon. I accept Draco Malfoy's redemption arc, his friendship with Harry, a black Hermione and Rose, and every single Scorpius and Albus scene as well as their personalities (just without the shark-jumping use of Time-Turners), and nothing else. Yet at the same time, I still of course want people who actually enjoyed the play to read this fanfic with hints of continuity scattered around. So, you can interpret anything you want. ((END OF IMPORTANT REMINDER))

P.S: This one specific chapter is going to go back and forth between Scorpius and Albus a lot, you'll know by the XXX. It won't be like this in any other chapter however.

Enjoy! And please leave feedback!

Rugged, white, scattered with forty-five luminous stars in all; that was the bedroom ceiling of Albus Severus Potter. Those details were well-known to the eleven-year-old because of that being the only thing his eyes were locked upon all night until now early morning. Apperceptive of his adoration of astronomy ever since he was very young, his parents were the ones who thought up the idea of bewitching his ceiling so a magnificent starry night sky would face down on him from above every night. He was sure going to miss that invigorating and beautiful marvel.

The enchanted ceiling is what he saw, but what he heard was nothing, at least until about half an hour ago. He rubbed his ill-lighted and heavy-weighted eyes before stretching as he heard various accustomed footsteps pacing about the house, as well as voices.

The loudest yet smallest footsteps of them all drew closer to his door, and without warning, the door flew open. In emerged Albus' immature auburn-haired sister with a wide and bushy-tailed grin upon her face.

"Albus!" Lily exclaimed. She scampered over to her brother and jumped on his bed, proximately squashing his feet from where she landed. "Albus! Wake u— Oh, you're already up," she giggled.

"Yeah," the boy groaned, struggling to sit himself up with his eyelids partially shut. He felt so drained and slow in the head, and the high intensity of Lily's voice did not help the circumstances.

"You're so lucky," Lily pouted. "I wish I was going to Hogwarts too."

"Wanna switch then?" Albus grouched.

Lily giggled again in a sweet manner. "I wish."

Oh, how he wished that as well.

Albus firmly kneaded the crick of his sore muscles and arched his back upward.

"Well, I wish you luck today," she said, heartily.

Al tardily focused his gaze on his sister directly and slightly grinned. "Thanks."

Her boisterous voice was not always pleasant to listen to, but her everyday optimistic, caring, and chummy personality was a welcoming change from their older brother's negative and arrogant one; they were both loud-mouths, but in different ways — James' was in the worst way.

Smiling, the little girl hopped off the bed and shouted — presumably to their mother and father, "He's up now!"

This was it ... his first day of Hogwarts: School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. The school of which was practically like home to his famous father, where he had many friends and many accomplishments. The school of which his mother had learned all of her greatest spells, and the school of which his brother James always goes on and on about from friends, to Quidditch, and to magic.

The school was the reason for his lack of sleep for the night that had just passed. Not because he was excited, but because he was fretful. What if he doesn't make any friends unlike James and his father? What if he couldn't master any spells like his mother? What if he doesn't hold up to the Potter name? But most importantly ... what if he was put in Slytherin? The house that most evil wizards and witches have come from?

He could stay in his cozy and warm bed in the dark the whole day if he could, but he couldn't. So he ultimately decided to get himself out of his bed - which was an awfully effortful task.

His unclad feet touched the nippy-feeling floor, and he lifted himself up so he could walk over to his door. Once he appeared at the door, he was amidst a candle-lit hallway and his dark bedroom with only a crack of light peaking its way through his curtains from the rising sun. If it was his decision, he would know in a heartbeat where he would choose to go, but it wasn't. So he gazed up into the ceiling with the illuminated stars one last time and with a disgruntled exhale through the nose, he exited his bedchamber.

Eggs, bacon, and toast was all Albus could smell while walking out of his room and strolling down the stairs towards the kitchen. In the kitchen, his father was cooking over the stove (as usual) with two frying pans going on at once with a lift of his wand, while his mother placed the dishes on the table - where both of his siblings were sitting.

"Whoa, Al. Love your new look," the teen complimented amusingly.

"Shut up," Albus muttered, sitting himself down along the side of two empty chairs.

"James, take it easy on your brother. It's his first day," Harry lectured over the sound of the sizzling bacon and eggs.

Ginny kissed her youngest son on the head and examined his face for a bit; noticing the slight dark circles below his eyes. "Albus, did you get any sleep last night?" she asked, collectedly.

"Not really," Albus mumbled honestly.

The rims of Ginny's lips remained at a slant as she settled his plate right in the forefront of him. "Well, at least you will be on a moving train for quite a few hours. You will get to rest there," she said.

Harry scooped two pieces of over-easy eggs onto the child who shared his exact features' plate and some bacon with a slice of buttered toast. He patted his back and whispered, "It will be great. You'll see."

When Harry moved on over to his daughter, Albus only sighed and carelessly tapped his fork along the side his plate; not at all marking his father's words.

XXX

"Son, it's time to wake up."

Scorpius Malfoy groaned from his wakeup call, and when he opened his weary eyes, he saw his father gazing down at him, well-pleased. "Good morning, Scorpius," Draco greeted. "Your mother just made some breakfast for you before we get to King's Cross. Come."

Scorpius obeyed his father and let himself do a much needed yawn and stretch before following him to his closet to pick out a presentable suit. He picked himself out a dimmed-green turtleneck and a simple black suit, and then marched over to the washroom as Draco walked on ahead to their scullery.

While in the washroom to change, Scorpius replaced his pajama bottoms with his black pants. Afterwards, he slipped on his incomplex turtle-neck and his dark overcoat and buttoned from bottom to top. To conclude, he combed his unkempt morning hair so it could be slicked to the side and in the back. Doing all of this, he checked himself in the mirror while his drowsy eyes just began to adjust to the light of the candles in the vicinity of him.

Today was officially going to be the first day of his training to be a wizard. He was beyond eager to learn plenty of magic and to be in the castle of Hogwarts itself after all of the stories he had been told and what he read about it, but deep down he was truly spooked. Being the son of a past Death Eater was one thing to destroy a first impression, but having rumours about him being a potential threat to the Wizarding World for who he was (or who he wasn't) was another. Who would want to be friends with him with those rumours tying him down?

Draco was sitting at their excessive-long table — reading the Daily Prophet — and then he heard, "Father." He then turned his head. "Does this mean that I will be seeing one of Harry Potter's kids?" Scorpius questioned, curious with a child-like innocence.

"Yes. You will," Draco confirmed, not really presenting a definite emotion while saying that. Scorpius' anxiety was then overcome with joy from that statement.

Scorpius moseyed on over to the table that his parent was sitting at and opened up a book containing the History of Hogwarts; he had already read through each page over the past few months, but he still didn't get enough of it.

"My, don't you look handsome," Astoria flattered, presenting the young blond with a bowl of oatmeal and softly kissing him on the temple.

"Thank you, mum," Scorpius appreciated, looking up at his mother briefly but then gluing his eyes back on one of the pages in the book.

"Scorpius, you can read that when you finish eating," Astoria lectured.

"Alright," Scorpius drawled, taking an everlasting time to actually close it. He scooped up a portion of his breakfast with his spoon and started to eat.

Astoria watched her son devotedly as she sat across from him to eat her own breakfast. "Incredible. As of tomorrow, you will officially be a wizard."

"Yeah," Scorpius agreed, smiling widely but feeling his anxiety creep back up on him. It's almost as if the positive and negative side of his mind were going at it in a duel.

XXX

Succeeding passing through the barrier to reach platform nine and three-quarters, everything seemed to be a blur for Albus — everything from the sight of the Hogwarts Express, the sound of the engine starting up, the hundreds and hundreds of people crowded around him, and his family merrily speaking with his cousins, aunt, and uncle.

His stomach was compressing from a great deal of stress. Why did he have to be a Potter? Why couldn't he just be a normal student? That way people wouldn't expect anything from him.

He investigated his ferret Gerald inside of his cage at the front of the trolley to make sure he was safe, and he grinned. He loved his pet so much that he decided to keep him by his side during the entire ride. The one and only thing he was actually looking forward to for going to this school was to meet Rubeus Hagrid and allow him to show him all sorts of diverse creatures, whether magical or not. His father and him were apparently very close, and he told Albus everything there was to know about him, especially his size. Although that still didn't disguise the fears that was awaiting once he got there.

"Look who it is."

Albus lifted his head from staring at the ground in deep thought and looked ahead to see who was being referred to. Who he saw was another family, a husband, a wife, and their son. The man was tall, colorless, and his lengthened plantinum-blond hair was interwoven in a high ponytail, and his son's appearance was fundamentally identical to his, right down to dressing in black — only unmistakable difference being the hair length.

The young Malfoy seemed to be just Albus' age, no doubt going to get the House of the Snake like his father. When the Malfoys recognized his family from across the platform however, he mentally withdrew that assumption when he saw the way the other boy looked at him; he wore a tremendous genuine smile and his greyish-blue eyes were dilated in inquisitive wonder. Albus shyly smiled back at the boy.

XXX

"Dad, I see Albus Potter! It's his first day too!" Scorpius piped, tugging at his father's tuxedo jacket.

"It is," Draco acknowledged.

The Malfoys eventually stopped walking so they could get their son on board as soon as possible, and Draco dusted off the sleeves of Scorpius' suit and made sure all of his buttons were properly buttoned.

"Make sure to send us a letter once you are sorted into your house," Astoria said, gently.

"I will," Scorpius said. Suddenly, a voice was nagging at the rearward of his mind, and he felt that it was necessary to address it. "Mum, dad." His smile disappeared and he looked around at the students and some parents that have been staring at him since the moment he emerged from the barrier. "What if ... what if I don't make any friends?"

Draco and Astoria peered over at the people with a watchful eye making their boy feel distressed, and Draco revealed his trademark sneer while his wife attempted to retain her manners. "Our son is not some fancy object on display. Now, please stop with your staring. You're making him uncomfortable." She triumphantly maintained her manners, but her voice was laced with just the right amount of bitterness to show that she meant business.

Slouching down to Scorpius' level, Astoria's features softened. She was agitated by the rumors and stares, but she refused to show it in front of her child. "Do not be ridiculous. Of course you will make friends. You know why?"

Scorpius shook his head.

"Because you're Scorpius Malfoy, and people would be absolutely mad if they didn't want to be friends with someone like you," Astoria pointed out. "Here's something important I want you to keep in mind: if someone comes along and judges you from rumors and chooses not to be your friend because of it, they are not worth your time. A true friend would look past what they heard about you and still want to be with you no matter what, whether the rumors be true to them or not."

The corners of Scorpius' eyes creased and his lips dimpled in anticipation.

"And don't forget..."

The dazzling charcoal-haired woman's milk-white hand delved into her dress-pocket and pulled out a bag of sweets.

"Sweets, they always help you make friends," the mother and son sang in unison. Scorpius laughed buoyantly and gripped the small but crammed bag out of her hand. "Can I have one now? Pleeassse?" he begged.

"Just one," Astoria answered. "You'll have to save some for your friends."

Ecstatic, Scorpius reached inside the bag and popped a Pepper Imp inside his mouth - which mustered a humongous gust of smoke to ring through his ears, as well as his mouth.

"Better get boarding," Draco stated.

Scorpius stuffed the sweets inside of his coat-pocket and stiffly sheathed his arms around his mother for a hug; he wasn't much of a hugger thanks to his father.

Draco watched his offspring with a prideful grin.

Astoria held the eleven-year-old close with a loving grin and kissed his cheek when they parted. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too", Scorpius returned.

He altered himself to face his father, and he firmly placed his hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "I love you too son. You will make an excellent wizard, and remember to have fun."

"Thanks, dad," Scorpius said, hurriedly springing up to the carriage with his pet snow owl and luggage. He waved good-bye to his parents and watched his father's grin of pride and his mother's bitter-sweet with tears welling up in her eyes.

Finally entering the train, he observed around in utter wonder. Each compartment he discreetly searched until he found one with a duo of fine and dandy looking girls; they were practicing their magic and rejoicing. Both of them were dressed in robes bought from Madam Malkin's with a tie that did not match any of the houses, so they must have been new like he was. He gathered the bag of candy and chocolates from his pocket and entered. Just the sight of him made the two girl's laughter and smiles abruptly die down.

"Hello," Scorpius greeted, civil but faintly. "Is it alright if I sit here? I've got some wicked-good sweets to share."

"Oh, um. We're not actually sitting here, we were just browsing each compartment to find the right one," one of the girls said apprehensively, lifting herself from her seat and motioning for her friend to get up as well. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, no problem. I understand," Scorpius said, making an effort not to expose his hurt. The girls didn't say anything more. They simply walked away like they were escaping from a monster.

XXX

Harry was at present reminding Albus imperative advice as he securely embraced him with one hand on his head and the spare on his back, but Albus was hardly concentrating.

"What if I'm in Slytherin?" Albus uprightly whispered whilst in the hug so nobody else but his father could hear.

Dismissing his hands from their current spots, Harry grinned in a heartened approach as he slouched slightly down to his offspring's level.

"Albus Severus, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew," Harry assured.

"But just say—"

"—then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student, won't it?" Harry pitched in. "It doesn't matter to us, Al, but if it matters to you, you'll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account."

"Really?" Albus asked, his distraught expression suddenly inspirited.

"It did for me," Harry said.

Albus beamed in combination of relief and bliss, but he was beginning to regard the doors of the scarlet train slamming shut and the last-minute reminder being announced for all students. He raced over to an unfastened door, and Rose was there, excitedly but impaitently waiting for him. The second he hopped on, Ginny scooched the hatch closed behind them while blowing her son and niece a kiss.

Albus felt ready, he felt confident, that is, until he noticed the near-at-hand student's solitary attention being directed at Harry. It wasn't just on the train, but everywhere.

"Why are they all staring?" Albus demanded, his sense of relief dissolving.

"Don't let it worry you," Ron said. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

Albus laughed, and so did Rose.

The two Hogwarts newcomers rushed over to the nearest free-seated compartment they could find, and it happened to have James and two friends of his inside. Albus sat by the window on the side James was on, and Rose on the opposite side.

Through the swarms of people waving, crying, or blowing kisses, Albus saw Lily and Hugo with their eyes roaming the train — possibly searching for them. Rose knocked against the glass of the window for their attention. Lily was the first to hear, and within a blink of an eye, her hand reached in the air and waved. Hugo also waved, but less frantically.

Before long, the Hogwarts Express jolted and with the sound of a train whistle blowing, the carrier commenced clicking along the rails and advanced forward. Lily and Hugo raced down the platform in the direction of the train and continued waving, with Hugo's then growing more frantic and tears swarming his vision from watching his beloved arrogant and pushy sister leaving for an extended period of time.

With the platform no longer in view, Albus settled back in his seat with an exhale of breath, unsure of the journey he had ahead of him.

XXX

The rejected blond stared through the window of the desolate compartment, watching the world rush pass him. Every inch and ounce of his body tried to summon some much needed positivity, and he reminded himself of his mother's advice. He longed to see his family through the window right now, but it was too late. Probably for the best; he didn't want them to see him in this hopeless state.

A modest number of students of all ages appeared by his compartment before the train started to move, but then trampled right past it from seeing him sit there. The more school mates neglected, the less faithful he became.

Since the train departed from King's Cross, the individual speck of hope he had vanished. Taking out a Jelly Slug from his pouch, a pitiful tear glided down his cheek. With a wipe of his sleeve however, the tear disappeared.

While observing the fresh landscapes outside of the window, he swore he heard footsteps pattering outside the now fastened door of the compartment. He knew he was unmistaken when he heard the door slide open.

His eyes speedily saught out the source of the now open door, and what he perceived was a recgonizable boy with jet-black hair much like Harry Potter (only his hair was highlighted with his mother's red, and looked less like a nest of sparrows) and bright green eyes. Like before (but in reversed order), the boy smiled at him, and Scorpius smiled back, his heart by then pounding quicker in anticipation.

"Hi," the boy said. "Is this compartment—"

"It's free," Scorpius instantaneously interrupted, his enthusiasm restored. "It's just me."