A/N Unbeta'd so please go easy and it is also quite short because I fell that the story is done with just these small snippets. Feel free to leave me a comment if you want.
September 1st 1971
The Hogwarts Express had barely pulled out the station when the door of Sirius Black's compartment opened and in came a short boy with wild black hair and smudged spectacles. Sirius was about to tell him to bugger off when the boy grinned, held out his hand and said,
"Hello, I'm James Potter" before plonking himself down across from Sirius and settling himself in for the journey.
"I'm Sirius Black and I don't recall inviting you to sit," He said in his most superior tone. He may not want to be in Slytherin or be anything like his family but, really some habits are hard to break.
"I know who you are," said James "Everyone knows the Black's! You're really famous and stuff and I think your Grandad married my Gran or something a few generations back but who's didn't? It's amazing how we haven't ended up with webbed feet or a third arm really."
"What are you on about?" Sirius asked. James just changed the subject without answering him.
"I can't wait 'til we get there. I am going to be in Gryffindor, you'll be in Slytherin naturally, family traditions and all that. 'Can't upset the apple cart, Jamie, traditions are very important just you remember that' that's what Mum says but Dad says he doesn't care if I end up in Hufflepuff so long as I behave and don't get up to too much mischief…" James rambled.
"Do you stop for breath at any point or do Potter's not need oxygen?" Sirius asked slightly amused by the hyper boy opposite him.
"Oh yeah, right, sorry just excited I guess. So do you suppose you will then?"
"Will what? " Sirius frowned in confusion.
"That you will follow tradition and end up in Slytherin of course." James replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I bloody well hope not! My family are all mental and I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were more than one set of webbed feet amongst them."
They grinned widely at each other and a lifelong friendship was born.
September 1st 2017
Eleven year old Scorpius Malfoy sits in an empty compartment on the ancient scarlet steam train biting his fingernails to the quick. He has never been so nervous in his whole, all be it short, life. He was absolutely terrified about the sorting ceremony. His Dad had told him in secret that there were worse fates then ending up somewhere other than Slytherin, but he wasn't so sure his Grandfather Malfoy would agree. He was about to go and find somewhere to throw up when the door was flung open and he was bowled over by a blur of wild black hair and too long arms and legs.
"I found one Rosie, oopf," the boy shouted over his shoulder before he lost his balanced and landed them both sprawled on the compartment floor "Hello" he said as if this kind of thing happened to him all the time.
"Do you mind?" Scorpius asked pushing the boy off himself and sitting up.
"Not at all, hey I know you you're Scorpius Malfoy! I'm Albus Potter but you can call me Al" Albus exclaimed loudly.
"Yes I know," Scorpius replied simply.
"You don't mind if I sit in here do you? I was actually hoping I would run into you, I'm going into Slytherin you see, my Dad says its fine and Jamie can just go jump in the lake and I wanted some tips. I figured you'd be the one to ask seeing as though your whole family's been Slytherin since Hogwart's started." Albus rambled mostly to himself it would seem and not caring that he was still sitting half on top of Scorpius.
Scorpius was rendered speechless for a whole minute before he could respond.
"You, the son of the Boy who lived twice wants to be in Slytherin, Why?" he asked quietly,
"Why not? Lots of great wizards have been Slytherin's, they're not all evil psychopath's you know"
"Of course I know that but wouldn't you rather be in Gryffindor?" Scorpius really didn't get why anyone would want to be in Slytherin.
"I want to be different from everyone else in my family, be my own person ya know?"
"More than you could ever know," Scorpius replied.
"Well how about we get off the floor and you can tell me all about it." Albus said smiling as he sprang to his feet and extended his hand to Scorpius.
Scorpius took the proffered hand gratefully and they settled in for the journey, both boys forgetting their nerves completely.