The Silver Trio

Rose Weasley and Albus Potter are just as famous as their parents – for doing absolutely nothing. Scorpius Malfoy is just as famous – but for all the wrong reasons. So when the three are finally eleven and beginning Hogwarts, they're bound to be enemies, right?

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters. I wish I did, because then there would be a book on the Next Generation too. Sadly, JK didn't agree with me

Chapter Four: Letters From Home

(Albus POV)

"Look you guys, more letters from home!" Rose cheered as we ate our breakfast, dropping her spoon into her porridge and pointing at the large windows behind the teachers' table. I groaned as she did so, and porridge splattered all over my school tie and white shirt, but I looked up at the windows nonetheless. Sure enough, as usual, my favourite redhead cousin she was right. The golden owl of Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, the white owl (Hedwig The Second) of my parents and the jet black Malfoy owl were flying into the Great Hall. Soon enough, the letters had been dropped onto our laps.

It was Saturday morning, the three of us had come down late to breakfast. It was the weekend and most people were at Hogsmeade, so the place was mainly deserted, apart from a few other first and second years who'd also struggled to get out of bed that morning. Hogwarts' rules had changed since Dad's time here, and once you were in third year, you can go to Hogsmeade every weekend. Fred, James, Roxy and Louis were only second years but as Uncle George had given all the Weasley cousins part-time jobs at the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Hogsmeade, which he ran during the school year, so McGonagall had given them written permission to go too. I couldn't wait until next year when Rose and I could go, and I was sure once Uncle George met Scorpius, he'd be given a job too!

Rose opened her letters eagerly, one by one, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. Rose loves Hogwarts and all, but she loves her parents too (and Hugo, though she'd never admit that to anyone), and I know for a fact she couldn't wait until we went home in about a month, for the Christmas holidays. It was funny: Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione were both cool people, but they were so protective of Rose as their eldest child, and it was clear how much they loved her. Aunt Hermione always wrote Rose long letters, but it had been surprising to see Uncle Ron's letters were just as long; Dad had always told me how much he hated school, but every Weasley, particularly the men, had a soft spot for Rosie.

As she started opening hers, I smiled down at the messily scrawled envelope with my own name on it. As much as I loved Hogwarts, I was excited to go home to see my family too.

(Rose POV)

I opened Mum's letter first, as I always do. Mum's letters are generally the longest and she's the parent I can tell everything. Though I was a Daddy's girl, I love my Mum; she's everything a mum should be. She's kind-hearted, welcoming, beautiful, understanding, generous… the list goes on and on.

I pulled the green ribbon off the piece of parchment and began to scan over Mum's neat handwriting:

Dearest Rosie,

We miss you here at home!

I miss you the most, especially when Hugo and your dad are out playing Quidditch in the garden and I'm stuck inside doing nothing. I've bought so many new books because of it! Actually, you'd probably be out playing with them, then come inside and coax me to watch you, but you know I love watching you fly, Rosie, you're a lot more graceful than the Weasley men (Merlin, I hope you get onto the Slytherin team next year and put your cousins in their place).

I read two Muggle books I thought you might like: Pride and Prejudice and The Fault In Our Stars. I would've sent them over, but seeing as you're coming here for Christmas in under a month, I thought I'd just give it to you then. Don't worry though, sweetie, they're not your actual Christmas present!

Speaking of Christmas, Nana Molly asked what you want, other than the usual jumper and fudge of course. And Teddy and Victoire want you to help them plan their wedding in the summer, and want you to be the maid of honour if that's alright with you. I'm surprised Victoire didn't ask you herself, but she's probably so busy with all the preparation for her NEWTs and Prefect duties (you've got a while still before that's you, so enjoy it).

But anyway, how are you, Rosie? I haven't heard from you for a while now, you're probably busy studying and hanging around with your friends. In that picture of you and your friends at the Halloween ball your Uncle Neville sent me, you look so beautiful, sweetie. I don't believe you look like me! Though well done on those charms you did to make you look even more like us than you already do!

Have you broken any rules yet? I hope not! Though, maybe you have, and I won't mind a bit so long as you don't get yourself expelled. You're more like your Uncle Harry – you always end up getting in some trouble! Or maybe your Uncle Fred, with all those pranks you secretly pull!

Please write back, honey. I love you.

Mum xx

I smiled as I read Mum's letter. I really and truly was her daughter, I loved reading and learning just as much as she did, though I loved Quidditch and pulling pranks too. But she'd always understood that, in fact she encouraged me to be a bit bolder than her. Before Scorpius and I became friends, Mum and Albus were the only two I could confide in properly. Sure, there was also Dad and Victoire and Teddy, but I couldn't tell them everything.

I made a mental note to write back to her after breakfast, and in it apologise for not writing sooner. It must be quite sad for Mum, being the only girl at home. And Dad and Hugo aren't exactly the best of company, especially when they're put together – making sexist jokes and sniggering when she tells them off. Despite me telling her just to Bat Bogey Hex them (as Aunt Ginny had shown me), she just put up with them.

I opened Dad's letter next, and began to read it:

Rosiepie!

How are you, my baby girl?

Anyway, let's get to the point fast, yes? Are there any boys at Hogwarts you're interested in at the moment? Well, I think the answer should be no. You're only in your first year. Plus, none of the boys in your year are good enough for my Rosie. And if you get a boyfriend one day (your mother says I'll have to accept the fact that you will get a boyfriend a lot before she did – though I bloody hope not) I want a letter from: all his old teachers, his siblings, his parents and his grandparents. Just so I can check he's suitable for you obviously. (I think I'm kidding)

Yes, I have finally accepted that you're friends with Malfoy's son. I'd rather you weren't, but I do love you Rosie, and if you say he's a good kid, I'm sure he is. It'll be hard for me to accept him easily though, I hope you know that, but I hope I change my mind when I meet him at some point over next summer. And that's why I hope you don't get mad when I say – why did he have to be me?

Your mother laughed at that enclosed picture, she really did. She did say how much you looked like more attractive versions of us, but she laughed at how different the Malfoy boy looks as a redhead, and how Al is a ringer for your Uncle Harry. But then she began crying as she saw how much you look so much more beautiful than when you left us. (Which you do by the way. That photo has now been replicated and is hanging in our house, and in the Burrow)

Tell me about the upcoming Quidditch matches. When are they? And why is it that Slytherin vs Gryffindor isn't until January? That's the biggest match of the year, and everyone knows it! Plus, I want to support your house! I don't care if your house is playing against James, Fred, Louis and Roxy; my daughter means more to me than my nephews and niece. (Though I love them all)

Anyway, I'd better go, I'm doing a shift at WWW in Diagon Alley. I wish I was working at the Hogsmeade one instead – the customers here aren't half as exciting when you lot at at Hogwarts.

And yes, I'll send you some things – but for heaven's sake, don't tell your mum!

Love you,

Dad.

I was really surprised to find that not only was Dad's letter longer than usual, it also had more than the usual 'no boys' lecture. I'd always been worried about how Dad felt about my friendship with Scorpius and being sorted into Slytherin on top of that. Tears almost sprung to my eyes when I read that he was accepting our friendship and my house. As a Daddy's girl, Dad's opinion had been extremely important to me, which is why as soon as I went to bed in the dormitory I had to myself, I'd regretted making the impulsive decision to ask the Sorting Hat to put me in Slytherin. But really, I'd wanted to be different to the other Weasleys, and I'd wanted to be with Albus and Scorpius. And now I was sorted, I was happy in Slytherin

Scorpius had become one of the most important people in my life, and initially it had really torn me up that Dad hadn't accepted him as Mum, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny had. But as I read on, I laughed. You could tell Dad was trying to be nice and see the significant change in his attitude towards Scor, but he's oh so predictable. I knew he was going to react like that at Scorpius going as him to the Halloween ball, but I was happy he was going to try to give him a chance when they met.

Hugo's letter was the hardest to read, after all, there were ink splotches everywhere, bits of fluff stuck all over the parchment and smudges from food here and there (he never was the neatest of eaters) but I was still touched he'd taken the time to write (unlike Lily, who hadn't wrote to Al since September):

Rosie,

I miss you at home. Mum and Dad keep telling me I'm going to Hogwarts in 2 years but I don't wanna wait 2 years.

I don't no what to do at home its so boring without you you know. Dad doesnt play Quiditch with me as much as he used to befour. I think he misses you a lot.

And Mum is 2 busy working or reeding 2 take me 2 the park.

Mum says your coming back for Chrismas. See you soon Rosie!

Hugo

PS – Can you get Fred, James and Looey to get me some choclate from Hunnyjuks pls?

I smiled. Hugo's letters always made me smile and I tended to ignore the grammatical and spelling mistakes. He wrote a lot, sometimes more than Mum and Dad) and I always replied to his immediately. Hugo could be a pain in the behind, but out of the whole Weasleys (minus Fred and Roxy, but that's expected, as they're twins), we were the closest siblings. And to be honest, I missed him so much now I was at Hogwarts.

I just laughed when I saw his parting words. Because I couldn't wait to see him at Christmas either. In fact, I'd already ordered his present from a Quidditch catalogue. I'd got him his first broom (he uses Dad's old Cleansweep when we play). And getting our cousins to get him some chocolates… I'd pay for a bag of sweets from Honeyjukes too.

(Albus POV)

I only had one letter, a joint one from Mum and Dad, but I didn't mind. Both of them didn't like writing long letters like Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione (I think it's 'cause they got used to James being gone, so they have with me too, but Rose is the oldest out of her and Hugo), but at least they wrote, unlike Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey who always claimed they were too busy to write to Lucy and Molly (though I don't think our older cousins particularly cared). Lily had given up, but that was expected, as any nine year old (bar Hugo) would lose effort in writing to their older sibling when they were jealous of them already being at Hogwarts.

Al,

We miss you here at home! We can't wait to have you come home in a few weeks! Lily's been complaining that you haven't got her letters. Actually, that was after we scolded her for not writing to you, so maybe the little one's lying? Silly Lily.

Your Nana Molly asked what you want, other than the usual Weasley jumper and fudge. Ted and Vic want you to help them plan with their wedding alongside Rosie and the other cousins and by the way – you're one of the groomsmen, along with Fred and Louis! Congrats, buddy!

See you in a few weeks and say hi to James (who has stopped replying all together, I assume because he's too busy with Quidditch!)

Mum and Dad.

PS from Mum – You'd better be listening my game on the radio in a few weeks! I know you've (sadly) taken after your Uncle Ron and become a Cannons fan, but they suck. Go Harpies!

PS from Dad – Hope you're doing well son. I told you Slytherin wouldn't be bad, three months into the school year! And look, Rosie got in too, it can't be a bad house! Plus, you and your friends looked hilarious as me, Ron and Hermione. But a lot like us!

PS from Lily – Is Slytherin scary? How is Rosie? You look silly as Daddy.

I smiled as I finished reading it. They didn't write me a novel, but my parents had always managed to make me laugh.

(Scorpius POV)

Next to me, Rose clutched the three letters she'd received to her chest, tears of laughter shining in her golden-brown eyes, and opposite us, Al laughed silently to himself as he re-read his letter from his parents. I looked down at my letter again.

Scorpius,

You're okay? Good.

You're coming home from Christmas, yes?

We'll see you soon.

Your Grandfather, Grandmother, Father and Mother.

Tears shone in my eyes as I read it over and over and over again; it was so short, I'd already read it a good six times before Rose finished reading her three. But unlike Rose, my tears weren't of happiness, they were of self-pity at the lack of the affection from my family members. Mum and Dad weren't usually so blunt, and even Grandma Narcissa was generally a lot more loving; I knew then, with a sinking feeling in my heart that Grandfather had been the one to write the letter, and suddenly the thought of going back to the Manor for Christmas made me ill. Even though I'd dressed up as one on Halloween, I'd never be a Weasley, I'd always truly be a Malfoy. And I'd never be part of a real family like Rose and Al were.