A/N: Ok it's slightly short again, but necessary. Exams are now over so I should be able to update more regularly! Yey! Please give feedback x


The train jumped to life, smoke rising from the scarlet red barrel atop it. The students on board were jostled slightly, not quite expecting it; all except for three, two of which knew exactly what was going on. The third wasn't particularly surprised.

It was fifteen minutes to eleven.

Lysander Scamander watched his best friends as wide grins spread slowly across their faces. Frankly, he'd known it was coming. They'd had to do something, obviously, so why not prevent eighty per cent of the school's population from catching the train? He shook his head, already dreading sixth year.

They never told him what they were planning, and he was perfectly happy with it that way. It wasn't that they didn't trust him, just that it wasn't fair for him to undergo investigation for their deeds just because he hung around with them. If he didn't know, then he couldn't crack and give them away. It was safer. That, and it was far more exciting to see what they did as a surprise rather than to be in on it.

"Brilliant, Rose! I swear, that was incredible! Look at all the tossers on the platform." Scorpius exclaimed, pure joy lighting his dark features. Lysander had always thought it odd that he was so different to his parents. Even the different skin tone. He never let his suspicion on, and from what he saw, Scorpius never changed. But still there was the underlying uncertainty.

Rose and Scorpius gazed delightedly out of the window at the fast moving station. There were those running to keep up with the train, some desperately casting every spell known to man in a frantic attempt to stop it. They watched the panicked faces become more panicked as the train chugged out of the station, slowly accelerating, leaving them all behind.

They collapsed back into their seats, very proud of their achievement. They were met with Lysander's penetrating glare. "You won't get away with this one."

"You said that last time, Sand." Scorpius reminded him, in a drawl that portrayed boredom. It was true, every time they'd bent the rules Lysander had been entertained, but always always remained responsible, and reprimanded them incessantly for their actions.

"Scor, you got caught last time. But this time it's staring them right in the face! Only about a hundred students are on the train, including you two. What are they supposed to think?" Sure it was logical, Rose thought, but they'd considered that. She and Scorpius were improving – rarely making the same mistake twice.

"Sand we thought this through. Over the summer, Scor and I may have gotten grounded for… various things. And Mum used this spell on our wands to see what we'd last cast. We researched it, this "Priori Incantatem" and we found a counter active spell. It erases all the spells we recently used. Look." She drew her wand, and and Scorpius leaned across, pointing his own at hers.

"Priori Incantatem" he muttered, and the wispy smoke came out of Rose's wand, reveling only Scourgify and Lumos.

"See, it doesn't show the Confundus charm I used on the driver. They can suspect us, be they can never prove it without Veritaserum which is illegal to use on students. We covered our tracks well, Sand. It's cool." Rose explained to him.

Lysander thought about this; there seemed to be no loopholes. Maybe they'd actually be successful with this one. He was about to argue – albeit pointlessly; he couldn't find anything wrong with their plan; it seemed totally idiot proof – when the compartment door opened, revealing a pretty fourth year Gryffindor girl.

"Lysander Scamander?" She asked quietly, timidity coating her voice. Rose assessed the situation quickly, and turned to look out of the window at the passing fields, hiding her laughs.

Lysander raised his hand in greeting, completely oblivious to the slow blush creeping up the younger girl's neck. She had long blonde hair – not unlike Rose's aunt Fleur's – and startling green eyes; a deeper shade of Albus'. She twisted her hands together in front of her, looking down at her feet.

Scorpius had now cottoned on, slower than Rose, but obviously faster than Lysander who looked at the girl curiously, hoping he hadn't scared her or something, as far as he knew, he'd been only polite; he hadn't wanted to intimidate her.

"Um, I was, well… did you, would you like to come sit with me?" the words flew out of her mouth, and she looked up at him as she said it, apparently having gained a sudden streak of courage. Lysander blinked, shock covering his relatively pail complexion. Whatever he'd been expecting, it hadn't been this.

Scorpius hung his head in mock shame, "Oh for the love of God." He muttered to himself when it became clear that Lysander had failed to move. The girl's blush now covered her pale expression as she slowly backed out of the door.

"No, no." Rose said to her – having recovered her composure – she dragged the girl back in, just in time to see Scorpius standing over Lysander, soaking him with water from his wand.

"He's all yours." He smiled to the small blonde girl, gently pushing his sopping wet friend towards her, ignoring his menacing glare – although he noticed Rose's and cast a quick, reluctant drying charm as Lysander disappeared with the girl out of the door. Scorpius slid it shut behind them before collapsing onto the seat opposite Rose. "Oh God!" he said between fits of laughter, "his face was priceless! What was he expecting?!"

Rose grinned, half at the memory of Lysander's reaction, and half at the immaturity of her best friend. " Really, Scor, he's fifteen. It's not unusual! Just because you ignore every offer you get – and you can't deny there are plenty – doesn't mean Sand has to. You're different people."

"Yeah, but it's Sand, isn't it?" he stated, as if this solved everything, "I dunno, I guess he just didn't strike me as a ladies' man."

"How would sitting with one girl make him a ladies' man? I think they'll be happy together. That was Amelia Rumi; she's the year above Hugo. Al said that James asked her out once and she turned him down. I guess we know why now – apparently James was shocked; not many turn him down. If anyone's a ladies' man it's him. But she's obviously shy – so is Sand to an extent. That's probably why she waited until now to talk to him; her friends might not be on the train. They make a good, modest match. They probably wouldn't have a flamboyant relationship that they could flaunt across the castle, but there's nothing wrong with that."

Scorpius just watched her come to this conclusion. Then he nodded briefly, "let's go find Al" and that was it. he considered what Rose had said about them making a good match, and realized that she was right. If Amelia was all the things Rose had said she was, then she was perfect for Lysander. She'd obviously liked him for a while but never said anything; as far as he knew they'd only ever spoken in passing.

Scorpius wondered, as the scoured the corridor for Al, whether he'd be the same. Would he fall for someone totally random and not know why until he knew them? He didn't think so, that just didn't seem like him. It was more likely to be someone already close to him, someone he knew well.

"He's not in prefects," Rose announced, emerging from the previously locked compartment. Of course, neither of them had become prefects because they 'caused too much trouble'. It was fair enough, they thought, but they weren't about to give up their livelihood for a badge.

"I guess there aren't enough prefects here. They've probably been owling Hogwarts from the station on the off chance that the birds will get to Hogsmeade before us. Is his trunk in there?"

"Yes… why?" Rose asked, very suspicious. They never pulled anything without forward planning – that could be disastrous.

"No reason." Scorpius shifted past her into the compartment and crouched by Al's brown trunk. She knew he wouldn't do anything that Rose couldn't prevent or reverse, she followed him back in blocking out the windows with her wand as she went.

They heaved open Al's trunk for with no particular purpose in mind and saw the usual array of robes, socks, shoes, stray owl treats and random sickles. A crumpled piece of parchment lay on top; Rose picked it off and unfolded it gently – careful not to tear it. "It's blank." She frowned, "revealio" she said, poking it with her wand repeatedly. Words appeared on it, and she and Scorpius bent their heads together to read.

Mr. Padfoot wonders how a Malfoy came to be in possession of this.

"Hey! I'm hardly a Malfoy!" Scorpius yell/whispered indignantly.

Mr. Padfoot corrects himself. Mr. Padfoot wonders how a fake Malfoy came to be in possession of this.

Scorpius snorted, but was unable to reply due to the silencing charm Rose had cast. "I know what this is; Uncle Harry said it was called the Marauder's Map. I know how to get in, just read first." She hissed, hoping to pacify him long enough to read the letters which continued to appear.

Mr. Prongs wonders how Mr. Fake-Malfoy came to be so whipped.

Mr. Moony wonders how Mr. Ron Weasley would react to this relationship.

Mr. Prongs hopes the conversation in which Mr. Ron Weasley is informed will be relayed to the Messers.

Mr. Padfoot wonders why Mr. Fake-Malfoy and Miss Weasley were rooting through Mr. Potter's belongings, thus taking the joy of doing so away from Mr. Wormtail.

Mr. Prongs would like to inform Mr. Fake-Malfoy and Miss Weasley that Mr. Wormtail is otherwise engaged in the infirmary nursing his lack of a brain.

Scorpius burst out in laughter at that. He was strong enough to override the silencing charm after just a few minutes, unfortunately. Rose was very rarely impressed by this. It reminded her of how her uncle Harry was stronger than the Imperius curse.

"Come on, Scor. Let's take the map and go." She tugged on his sleeve.

"What?! No, it's Al's, we can't just take it!"

"Oh, please. The year before I came to Hogwarts, Al and I saw Uncle Harry use it to see what James was up to. How else would I know how to use it? anyway, he told my dad that he'd never give it to his kids because they'd get in too much trouble. Al stole it already, Scor. Let's go!"

With no sight of Albus returning, they slipped out and back into their own compartment. "Well, how does it work, then? What does it do?" Scorpius asked, a familiar glint in his deep brown eyes. He knew that they wouldn't have taken the map if it wasn't worth it.

Technically it wasn't Al's property so they were well within their rights-ish to take it.

Rose didn't look at him. She drew her wand and tapped the blank parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." She whispered. As Scorpius watched, the map slowly revealed green markings, which appeared on the page as if someone was writing on it. He leaned closer to read the front, but Rose opened it out before he could.

"See? It's a map of Hogwarts." She pointed to a moving dot labeled Professor McGonagall, "There's the Headmistress in her study."

"Wow. This is awesome. Look, there's Filch!" he pointed to another dot skulking around the dungeons. "This is going to be so useful this year." Scorpius grinned, already looking forward to it.


A/N: So what did you think? Please review x