Chapter 2
So now you've heard about my first day at school and how I first met Scorpius Malfoy. He will come to have a great part in this story, if only I had known then. After that first little conversation, which was rather strange for two people who had just met each other, especially two eleven-year olds. It took weeks before we said a word to each other after that first talk. But then slowly, slowly a friendship started to grow.
I maintained my role as the outsider at Hogwarts. I kept to myself, didn't make too much noise and pretty much just blended in with the crowd. I guess you could say that Scorpius was my only friend. At least the only one I bothered to hang out with. I still hated the fact that I was in Slytherin. Mum and dad wrote a long letter, telling me over and over again that there was nothing wrong with being a Slytherin. But even that didn't make me feel better. I tried to deny it by totally ignoring my classmates If I don't get to know them, they're not there, that was my theory. Scorpius and I didn't talk much the first couple of years, we were more kind of just there for each other. Where I was, Scorpius was and the other way around. It was like somehow we just knew each other. Small talk was never really a thing for me.
During my third year Lily came to Hogwarts and was immediately sorted into Gryffindor, big surprise there. So I was officially the only non-Gryffindor in my family. Great.
Lily turned out to be an exceptional chaser, just like our mother, and joined the Gryffindor team in her second year. James on the other hand was more of a keeper. But to my great amusement he didn't get to join the team until sixth year. In your face brother, how does it feel to be second best?
Fourth year
Both me and Scorpius had grown taller over the summer and he had grown wider across the shoulders. Also his hair was longer and messier. The scrawny little boy he had been was almost gone. I wished that I could have looked as good. All the changes made him look older and - although I'm not sure this had anything to do with his looks - he radiated such confidence without actually doing anything.
Me, I was still my quiet, awkward loser self.
I don't remember why, but one day at the beginning of fourth year I just blurted out:
"I wish I was as confident as you." I regretted it as soon as it left my mouth. It sounded so incredibly stupid. I felt like such a loser.
Scorpius looked at me and I stared at the floor, waiting for a condescending comment. But Scorpius said in a serious voice:
"Just straighten up and act like you're cool and everyone else will think that you are."
Simple as that.
I looked up and glanced at his perfectly defined jawline. I thought of my own chubby chin.
"I don't think that'll work for me", I said. I ran my fingers through my black hair, that would never look as attractive as Scorpius'. "I'm not..." I began, but Scorpius stopped me.
"There's nothing wrong with your looks", he said. Mindreader.
"Sure", I didn't care to argue. "But I'm like a nobody, you know."
"Maybe you should try joining the quidditch team, that'll make you popular."
Scorpius was one of the beater in the Slytherin team.
I snorted.
"I'm a terrible flyer."
"How long has it been since you sat on a broom?" Scorpius smiled a crooked smile, determined not to give up. I shrugged.
"Like eight years or something? Ages."
"Then how do you know that you're still a terrible flyer? What if you're great?"
I wasn't great. As it turned out I'm terrified of heights. I didn't know until Scorpius handed me a broom and I soared 150 feet from the ground. I had some sort of panic attack and Scorpius had to help me down again.
"OK", he said when we were both safely on the ground again. "So maybe quidditch isn't your thing."
"Yeah", I panted.
"We'll just have to find your thing then", said Scorpius.
"And what would that be?" I asked. At that point I thought that maybe I should just settle with being a nobody. It wasn't that bad, really, I told myself.
Scorpius shrugged. We started walking back to the castle.
"I don't know. I mean, you don't have to find something. I'll always like you for who you are, you know."
He put his arm around my shoulders without even thinking about it, but he took it away again as my whole body tensed up. We didn't say anything about it afterwards, we just went quietly to bed. That night my mind raced faster than a Firebolt. I spent hours trying to figure out who I was. The meaning of life and all that shit. I had way too much spare time, I think.
A/N: Tell me what you think! Please^^
