Disclaimer: we do not own Harry Potter, though any original characters are our own.

(A.N: This is a co-write by Different Child and Silver Sailor Ganymede. We hope you enjoy)

New Horizons
By A Different Shade of Silver

Chapter One

"Come on, Albus," Rose whined at her cousin, grabbing hold of his sleeve and pulling him away from the window. "We haven't been able to see the station for about ten minutes now, and you know that all the compartments will be gone if we don't hurry up and find somewhere to sit. And I know that you'd rather not sit with James, which might be our only option if we don't get a move on!"

His eyes widened at the thought of being left to sit with his brother. "Alright let's get moving!" He tugged her along with him as they ran onto the train, running full speed to get a good seat. Anything but James. He'd never leave him be if they sat together. Never.

Rose smirked to herself as James dragged her down the corridor. She knew that so much as mentioning his brother's name would be enough to make Albus get a move on. Now there was just the problem of finding somewhere to sit, which was proving far more difficult than she had expected. She mentally thanked Merlin that her mother had thought to shrink their trunks before they got on the train; it wouldn't have been very good to have had to drag those along behind them while they looked for somewhere to sit.

Albus was frustrated at seeing the lack of seats available. Please please please let there be somewhere that wasn't with his older brother. Please please. He searched everywhere and found a spot that seemed to have a few seats and no James. He grabbed Rose and pulled her into that area.

What Rose realised before Albus did was that even though there was only one person sitting in that compartment, said person in question was the one whom they'd been specifically warned not to socialise with. Scorpius Malfoy, whose long blond hair was nearly touching the pages of the book he seemed to be absorbed in, didn't even look up when Rose and Albus entered.

"We can't sit here," Rose hissed in Albus' ear, hoping that Malfoy wouldn't hear her.

He glared at her, not wanting to risk it. "I do not want to sit with James! Come on, one person in the compartment. How lucky can we get? Come off it Rose!"

Rose sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Evidently they had no choice but to sit with Malfoy. Her father was going to kill them if he ever found out about this!

Albus didn't realize that it was Scorpius Malfoy they were sitting with. He just knew that it was some kid that had Rose all upset. He thought that it was a little ridiculous but hey. It wasn't so bad. The kid was quiet and reading a book. If worst came to worst they'd just chat. Big woop.

"So," Rose said, sitting herself down next to her cousin. "It looks like we've managed to escape your brother then."

He threw his fist up in the air triumphantly. "YES!" He was excited. Getting away from James was his current goal in life. Getting into Hogwarts was before that but hey; here he was on the train. Awesome, now all he had to do was keep it this way. He sat there grinning like an idiot.

Scorpius looked up from his book and glared at the loud boy. He hadn't even noticed that anyone had come in until that idiot had started being so... loud.

"Will you kindly shut up," Scorpius snapped. "Can't you see I'm trying to read?"

"Don't tell my cousin to shut up," Rose snapped back. "I'm sorry if Al was being loud, but that's really no reason for you to be so rude."

He glared at him. "Who are you to tell me what to do? From the looks of it you're a first year just like us! Get over yourself. I'll be as loud as I damn well please. Honestly. What is your problem?" Albus frowned at him but he didn't pout. He couldn't. He wasn't a girl. That's what James kept pointing out.

Scorpius glared at Albus. "I'm Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, that's who I am. And if you hadn't noticed this is supposed to be a quiet compartment. It says so on the door. So kindly shut up or go away - I have work to be getting on with."

He glared right back, still not taking his eyes off of him. "I did not see as I was simply trying to find a bloody place to sit. Get over yourself why don't you. I'm Albus Severus Potter and damn proud of it since we're throwing around full names here." He realized what Rose said before. "Oi! You're the git I was told to avoid. I get it now cuz."

Scorpius shook his head in exasperation. "And there my father was telling me that the Potters weren't so insufferable as they used to be. Pity he was wrong. Gryffindors, the lot of you."

This time it was Rose's turn to grow incensed. "Don't you dare insult our family, Malfoy. At least our ancestors weren't a load of Voldemort-loving Death Eaters!"

Scorpius raised his wand. "Silencio," he snapped and Rose found herself unable to speak. "Now go away before I really do curse you."

He stood up with his wand in hand. "Silencio." Turnabout was fair play he felt with Malfoy getting silenced himself. "She is right you know. Our Ancestors are proud people. We may not be fucking pureblood but that doesn't matter. You really need to learn don't you? You act and you get a reaction. You can't act without a response. You, I'm guessing, are an only child." He replied, sitting down.

"And you, I'm guessing, are a bloody idiot seeing as that spell completely failed to work," Scorpius replied. "Yes I am an only child. No, I'm not answering any more questions. I already said I'm working."

He blushed furiously, embarrassed that he failed. "You said you were reading, not working. And come on, are you not the least bid fucking excited about going to Hogwarts? What a stiff."

"You swear to much," Scorpius said. "Makes you sound just as uncultivated as you are. Reading, working, same difference. Now stop talking at me before I hex you."

He glared at him. "What do you expect with an older brother and Uncles like I've got?" Albus looked at Rose. "No offence." But then turned his attention back to Malfoy. "I will swear as much as I like. No it is not the same difference and I will learn hexes as fast as I can to hex you."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Silencio." The spell hit Albus right in the throat. "Now go and get some fifth years to reverse it for you if you must, and kindly leave me alone for the duration of the journey."

He did know fifth years. He knew his bloody cousins and he did storm off to get it reversed but intended to come back, leaving Rose and his things there. Years of having older siblings and cousins along with strange relatives taught him how to gesture wildly like an idiot without words.

The first older student he ran into unfortunately happened to be Dominique. However, he had no choice but to ask for her help considering the situation.

The red-haired fifth year glared at her younger cousin as he walked in. "What do you want, Asp?" she asked, using his much hated nickname. When Albus didn't reply, only gestured frantically, one of Dominique's friends realised what had happened.

"I think your cousin's been cursed," he sniggered.

Dominique groaned. "It was James, wasn't it? The little sod. I'll curse him into the middle of next week!"

He wasn't about to correct her because that way she'd reverse it...and his brother deserved it for all of what he'd do to his brother. He just looked up at her with begging eyes, hoping she'd reverse it.

Dominique looked set to storm off and hex James when Rose appeared.

"He's done this to you, too? The git!" Dominique muttered. "Gryffindor bastard. It was him, wasn't it?"

Rose shook her head frantically, much to Albus' annoyance.

"Why neither of you saying anything?" Dominique asked, starting to get very annoyed indeed.

"Because someone's put a silencing charm on them, Dom you idiot," a young, dark boy who looked about James' age laughed. Dominique glared at him.

"Ok then, Zabini, you try and reverse it," she snapped.

A tall, thin boy who was sitting opposite Zabini stepped in and said the counter curse before the dark boy could so much as open his mouth.

"You should know better than to trust him with that kind of spell, Dom."

"Oh shut up, Nott, you prat," Dominique hissed. "What are you two little firsties doing in here anyway?"

"Actually we're in second year now," Nott replied, but Dominique wasn't listening.

"So if it wasn't James, who was it that hexed you?"

Albus took pleasure in being able to speak. "If I had seen James he definitely would have!" He wasn't sure if telling her would make her want to curse him back or not.

…

Meanwhile in another compartment…

____

Thanks for reading!!!! We had to split things up so nothing was too long. Hope you enjoy!