Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, it is a horrible thing that I have had to come to terms with, but it is true. I am not J.K. Rowling, I am merely Katherine, a girl who spends her time on fanfiction rather than facebook.

A/N: Constructive Criticism welcomed, I am always looking to improve my writing, thank you!

Liza Caldwell sprawled out on her bed and carefully surveyed her surroundings. It was a small room to be sure, but it was hers. The walls were a calming shade of blue and were paneled with wood halfway up. There were two spacious windows, one behind the head of her bed that overlooked the garden, and one to the left of her bed overlooking the side porch and close enough to the roof it was most likely possible to climb on to it. On either sides of her bed were small wood tables with lamps on them. On the left table was a pretty potted lamp with a papery shade that had leaf skeletons decoupage on. To the right was a light that looked like a candlestick and a small alarm clock. The bed was covered in crisp white sheets and a pretty blue and white flowered bedspread with pillows to match. There was a small brown throw pillow with white thread that embroidered a flowery design and a bird on a branch. About a foot from the end of the bed was a small dark brown wooden table that had a phone on it and beside it was a tiny one room heater. The walls were basically bare except for a submarine window mirror to the left of where the door fully opened to, and a coat rack above the small table. Facing the bed was the door with a single maple leaf hook on it, and above the bed on the slanted ceiling was a huge skylight. There wasn't any room for her clothes or any knick-knacks, but Liza didn't mind, there was another door to the right of hers that held her clothes and other belongings.

As for now though, all her things were packed in a trunk at the foot of her bed and a small leather school bag. Liza got up and studied herself in the mirror in her closet. Two hazel eyes peered back at her behind large black glasses from an all together, in her opinion, too freckled face which hid behind long curly red hair. She wore a warm soft grey hoodie scrunched up to the elbows, form fitting dark blue jeans cuffed at the ankles, and friendship bracelets up to her left elbow. She was slightly on the thicker side, but had been told by her mom that she'd lose all that baby fat by her fifth year. Besides, she was only a pound or two overweight...

'Four more years', was all she could think as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her jeans. Liza took a deep breath and calmed herself. It was currently 6 am, Liza had been up since 4, and in half an hour she would be flooing to her Aunt Daphne and Uncle Jerry's house with her father and mother. Liza felt bad for her mother, her father's brother Jerry was nice enough, but his wife Daphne was quite hoity-toity. They had a son Emil who was four years older than Liza and was amazing at drawing, and a daughter named Laura. Aunt Daphne's younger sister had married Draco Malfoy, so Liza knew their two sons Liam, who was her age, and Scorpius, who was a few years younger. Liza had never really talked much to either of the Malfoy kids, just enough to be friendly with them. Besides, they weren't exactly related, and only saw each other on holidays every other year.

"Liza!" A soft voice climbed the stairs and knocked gently on the door.

Liza came out of her closet and opened the door for her mother.

"All ready dear?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, we'll let your dad take your trunk, let's get some breakfast."

Shay Caldwell was a beautiful Irish fairy. Well, not exactly, but she was tiny and so soft-spoken that Liza had often pretended her mom was a fairy when she was younger. Shay had long eyelashes and large purpley-grey eyes. Her hair was long thick and dark, and she had a perfect peaches and cream complexion. She was a sweet gentle, young muggle woman who had married young to a dashing young wizard and had a child shortly after. She had dedicated her life to caring for the two of them and their homey little farmhouse in the middle of the Irish countryside.

Shay and Liza walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Liza sat down and Shay immediately began dishing out three large plates of corned beef hash, potatoes, eggs, and hot toast. She poured three mugs of freshly brewed coffee, and called out the backdoor for her husband to come in.

Wesley Caldwell was tall, blonde, and handsome. He had been in Ravenclaw in his day, and before had lived his life on the Irish countryside a few doors down from Shay. Shortly after he started Hogwarts, his parents had gotten a divorce, and he went with his father to live in London. He came back every once in a while to visit his mother, but he never saw Shay until just after his 23rd birthday and her 19th.

Wesley came in and cuffed Liza's head in a warm one armed hug.

"How's my Lizapop doing?" He asked as he plopped down into a chair. "My favorite daughter all growed up and heading to Hogwarts."

Liza groaned. "I'm your only daughter!"

Wesley smiled good-naturedly. "Well, let's hope you get into Ravenclaw. I'll disown you if you're in Gryffindor, they're all brawn, no brain, they're too headstrong."

Used to this sort of teasing, Liza just laughed. "And if I'm in Slytherin?"

"Just don't get involved with the wrong sort."

Shortly after they had finished breakfast, Wesley sent a quick cleaning spell over the kitchen and went upstairs to fetch Liza's trunk. Liza followed him up to get her schoolbag.

"Hey Da?"

"Yes doll?"

"Take care of Mam for me, ok?"

Wesley chuckled. "You worry too much sweetheart, don't worry so much, you're Mam and I'll be fine and I'll treat her like a princess just like I always do."

"You won't get a divorce, will you?"

"What makes you think that of all things?"

"Grandfather William and Grandma Alice."

Wesley took his daughter by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Now Liza, I want you to listen to me very carefully, ok? Your mother and I are nothing like my parents. We love each other very much, and the only way we'll leave each other is if one of us dies first. So don't you worry about a thing baby."

Liza smiled. "Ok Daddy."

"That's my girl. Now, let's go floo Uncle Jerry, ok?"

HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP

Meanwhile, at the Malfoy's, Astoria Malfoy neé Greengrass was gently waking up her oldest son so not as to disturb her younger one who had, at sometime in the night, crawled into his older brother's bed.

"Liam honey, time to get up, we have to get you all ready for your first day!"

The boy sleepily sat up and rubbed his grey eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly 7, and we need to leave at 8, come on, your father's downstairs trying to pack away Malice."

"What's he doing that for? I packed her up last night!"
"Well, you obviously didn't pack her up well enough since your father is now chasing her all around the house."

Liam frowned, although the idea of Draco Malfoy his prime and proper father, chasing a large fluff ball with wings all around their house was quite amusing, he didn't like the idea of being blamed for it.

"I did!" He said stubbornly. "Ori wanted to play with her, but I didn't want to watch him, so I padlocked the cage and put the key right here."

Liam felt for the key under his pillow, but it wasn't there.

The younger boy who now lay peacefully asleep let out a tiny snore and Liam whipped his head around.

"Scorpius!" He hissed, and narrowed his eyes.

And sure enough, the slumbering child was holding the key tight in his fist.

Astoria smiled. "It's no big deal Liam. Besides, I kind of like seeing your father this bothered, it's quite hilarious."

So Liam got out of bed and followed his mom down the corridor towards the main staircase. As they drew nearer, indignant hoots, loud cries, and unsettling crashes could be heard, and they grew steadily louder the closer Liam got. When he finally got to the staircase, he could see Draco in his usual suit and tie, his hair perfectly in place, as usual, chasing Malice, a large barn owl around the foyer. Liam chuckled to himself, and went his merry way to the kitchens to see what the house elf Dorice had made for their breakfast.

When he got there, the smell of sizzling bacon, frying eggs, and cooking sausages reached his nose, overpowering him with a hunger he hadn't had since he and Emil had decided to fun away that one time and had forgotten to bring food or money for food.

Liam sat down at the kitchen table and poured himself a cup of pumpkin juice, but Dorice saw him and shooed him out of her kitchen.

"Little Master mustn't eat in here, only at the dining table, Big Master told Dorice this himself, yes he did!"

"Aw Dor-i!" Complained Liam. "It's just a cup of juice."

But Dorice was adamant, so Liam sulkily left the room, too tired to sweet talk his way out as he usually did, and sat at the long dining room table by himself. He knew someone would come join him soon, and even sooner Dorice would come out with a large spread of food for him to eat, but until then Liam was left alone with his thoughts.

He knew he'd make friends, everybody did, Emil told him himself. The question was what type, who, and most importantly, how soon? Another question that kept popping into his mid was whether people would judge him or not as his father's son. Liam looked up to his father a lot. He had been nothing but kind to him all his life, and he didn't see how anyone could ever hate Draco Malfoy. But he had heard his mom and dad talking after dinner one night, and how he was worried, like really worried.

At least he was taking the train in, maybe he could make friends with someone before everyone knew he was a Malfoy. Liam turned around and studied himself in the mirrored walls. Perfectly tailored pajamas, feathery blonde hair (he refused to gel it in place), grey eyes, a nearly pale complexion, a pointed chin, and the arrogant look of good looks, charm, and money that came with his face.

Liam sighed. He looked exactly like a Malfoy. Just like his father and Scorpius. He used to want to be exactly like his dad in looks everything. He never wanted to look like Scorpius though. Happily he'd gotten his mom's easy smile instead of his dad's caustic sneer, unlike Scorpius had. The fault of that, he had decided in his young age, was that his mother had named him, and his father had named Scorpius. However, he wasn't so sure looking like a Malfoy was so good after all. Not after he'd heard all the stories his dad had told his mom that night.

Perhaps is he made friends with Harry Potter's son? He'd heard he was in his grade. Then Liam snorted. Why would the great Harry Potter's son want to be friends with him, Liam Malfoy?

Then Liam remembered, the Caldwell girl! Emil's little cousin! She was a first year too, and her mom was a muggle, not to mention they already were familiar and she knew he was a good guy. Perhaps he did have a chance after all!

"Liam? You ok?"

Liam looked up to see his father looming over him, voice booming.

"Yes, I was just thinking..." He trailed off.

"About what? You looked worried."

"Oh, just school, I mean, I hardly know anyone going in, just Emil, and maybe that Caldwell girl."

Draco Malfoy smiled at his son. "You'll be fine, I promise."

"Yes Father."

Just then, Scorpius walked in with a stern looking Astoria.

"What do you say Ori?" She asked him pointedly.

"Liam, I'm sorry for playing with Malice after you said no."

"And?"

"And I apologize for not putting him" - here Liam broke in with an indignant "Her!"- "away properly so Daddy had to chase 'em all over the house."

And with that, the Malfoy family sat down for breakfast.

HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP~HP

"Emil!"

"Liza!"

The two cousins hugged each other like no tomorrow.

"I can't believe you're going to Hogwarts!"
"I know! Me neither!"

"With any luck, you'll be in Ravenclaw, all Caldwells are- we're like the Weasleys of it!"

Liza giggled. "I'm so excited! I could hardly sleep, but now I'm mostly nervous."

"Don't be, you'll be fine! I didn't know anyone going in, and I was fine. You'll have me and Liam."

"Liam."

"What's wrong with Liam?"

Liza sighed. "It's not so much there's something wrong with him, it's that there's nothing wrong with him- and he knows it too!"

Emil suppressed a chuckle. "So you don't like him 'cause there's nothing wrong with him?"

"Exactly!" Liza frowned. "Hold on a minute. That came out wrong."

"You mean that he's an arrogant git because he's perfect?"

"Yes! Well...no, not exactly... It's just..." Liza didn't know how to explain the feeling she got when she saw him. 'I'm eleven years old for Merlin's sake! I shouldn't have to know how to explain any feeling deeper than happiness, sadness, and anger!'

"Well Cousin, you look perplexed, shall we move on from this topic?"

Liza nodded.

"Ok, we will, though I don't believe you'll be happy to discover that Liam plans on sitting with me on the train."

Liza shrugged. "I don't mid really, so long as he doesn't talk to me."

Emil smiled. "He just comes off arrogant cause he's shy."

"Well why can't he just come off shy like any other decent human being?" Liza demanded.

It was Emil's turn to shrug. "Cause he's a Malfoy."

"And we aren't decent?" A haughty voice rang out.

Liza sighed. It was Liam

The boy in question walked over to the two cousins and slung an arm around Emil.

"Say, Cousin," Liam said with a grin. "You wanna say that to my face?"

Emil stood up to his full height which was a few inches above his tall younger cousin. "Sure, you think you can take me?"

"Oh, I know I can take you!"

"Oh ho, cock sure of ourselves, are we?"

Liza just groaned and threw up her hands. "That's it! I'm done with you boys! I wash my hands of you!" And she stomped off to find the women.

A/N: What do you think? Review please and tell me, once again, I am always looking to improve my writing, thank you!