Chapter 2-
three years later
Albus, James, and I boarded the Hogwarts Express and joined our cousin Roxanne, and a friend of ours, Katie MacDougal. We were five of the seven on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I had taken James' spot on the team last year, and became Seeker, he was now one of the Beaters, whilst Katie and Roxanne were two of the Chasers. Albus became the team's Keeper, which surprised us all, since he had always insisted on playing Chaser during family games.
"Alright there, mates?" Lorcan, the team's second Beater, asked us, as he slipped through the compartment door and stole the last spot beside Roxanne. "The Slytherin lot's in the halls, I reckon they'll come to stop by soon enough and brag about Malfoy's new broom."
"New broom?" Katie asked him.
"The Aura 4000 of course,"
"Those haven't even been released here yet!"
"Malfoy's got his connections, so I've heard."
"Wouldn't help you to know some people, would it? Maybe then you'd get some decent things too." Scorpius said, as he slammed the door open and leant against its frame. He looked straight past me to my brothers, as though he hadn't noticed I was there.
"Honestly, Scorpius, must you come visit us every year? This is getting a bit old, don't you think?" Albus asked.
"Can't stay away from you lot, the odour seaming through the compartment doors fascinates me, though it does make sense that a family as large as yours would emit such a foul stench."
"Scorp- er, I mean, Malfoy," I coughed, raising my eyebrows as his eyes focused on me.
"Oh, didn't see you there... Potter. Well, um," His eyes looked to either side, and he began to fidget. "I'll be off... Have better things to than be in your lot's presence." He said, thinking carefully about each word said, and walked out of the compartment.
"It's not as though we invited you!" James shouted to him, and closed the door rather hard.
"What was that about?" Katie asked me, which made everyone else turn to look intensely in my direction.
"What?"
"Oh, come off it, why did Malfoy back down when you said his name?" Lorcan asked, looking knowingly into my eyes.
"Um, no idea. None at all,"
"Maybe he fancies you!" Roxanne shouted.
"Ergh, gross. Could we please just talk about Quidditch now? We're going to need a lot of planning to beat Slytherin, what with Scorpius, er, I mean Malfoy's new broom."
The group looked confusedly at me, but James began getting into plans for new positioning techniques, and the conversation stayed on Quidditch until we arrived at Hogwarts.
I sat beside Katie and Roxanne at the dinner table, and stuffed my second helping of cheesecake into my mouth. The great hall was warm and bright, though the sky showed gray looking clouds and raindrops beamed against the roof, but only emitted a very faint pitter-patter. I looked to my left, past Roxanne and Albus to see Scorpius and his best mate Draven walking down the row.
"Walking a little funny, aren't we, Malfoy?" James called. "Did Daddy give you a good spanking last night for your shite Quidditch playing? That must be why he bought you the Aura 4000, something needs to improve your playing, lord knows you can't do it yourself."
Scorpius was behind me now, looking intensely at James.
"The Aura was a gift actually, from retired Quidditch player Victor Krum. You've probably heard of him, one of the best Quidditch players in the world, won that historical game at the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago?"
"We've obviously heard of him, our parents used to know him," Said Albus.
"Well, he's a family friend, and couldn't let me go back to school with just any old broomstick. I'll be off now," He said, before carefully placing a folded piece of parchment in the back of my collar without anyone else seeing.
I looked back to him discreetly, to see him smile at me quickly and look away. Raising my arm behind my back and pretending to stretch, I grabbed the note and placed it in my lap to unfold it.
"Sorry about what I said in the train. Can we talk?
Meet me at nine in the potions room, don't get caught.
-Scorpius"
I stuck the letter into my pocket quickly, and nodded at whatever it was Roxanne had just said, hoping that I could get around the castle tonight without being caught by Peeves.
