Disclaimer: I'm not J.K Rowling. I own nothing. See, a great Witch can lie through the affects of Veritaserum, I just did.
James eyed his younger brother knowingly.
"Ah, now I see what you're not ashamed of. Your taste in make up." He patted his brother on the head, earning him a punch.
"Oh leave poor Bus-Bus alone." Jeanette frowned at James, who was now in hysterics.
"Bus-Bus! It's gold I tell you, gold! If it makes you feel any better I'm sure Rosie will call Scor, 'Scorpykins.'" James howled, along with his relatives and Scorpius.
"I'll call her Rosie pie." Scorpius offered. Albus shot him a look of pure venom; he had obviously expected Scorpius to be on his side.
"Thanks for the support mate." He growled. Jeanette stood up and, pulling Albus with her, flounced out of the compartment.
"Well, we'd love to stay, but tarala." James turned and led his cousins and sister out of the compartment. Scorpius and Rose were left alone in a confined space.
"Well this isn't awkward." Rose remarked, sarcastically. Scorpius grinned; he could count on Rose not to turn soppy and lovey-dovey. Occasionally she could be blunt or even mean, though this was usually only in self defence. Scorpius put his arm around her, glad that she didn't tense or pull away. He played with her red hair, messing it up and styling it.
The train came to a halt at Hogsmeade station, the sights and sounds that he'd known for so long were welcoming. He'd enjoyed the Burrow but he felt freer here, Ron's acceptance was a little fragile, though it was understandable. He was sure he'd be almost the same with any other boy Rose was so close to. Almost. That stupid voice in the back of his mind spoke up again. Yeah well Ron's wife had been tortured by Scorpius' great aunt, she still had scars, you could understand why a man who'd been through as much as Ron would be hostile towards the son of his school-nemesis, especially if he'd shown such interest in his daughter.
"Have you ever wondered where Hogwarts is?" Rose's voice brought him out of his thoughts and back down to earth. Scorpius shrugged.
"We could ask next Hogsmeade weekend." Scorpius suggested. He already knew that Hogwarts was somewhere in Scotland, probably near Inverness. He only suggested it to confirm that they'd be going together. They usually did anyway, though sometimes Rose would go with her other friends.
"Genius." Rose smiled and kissed his cheek. He felt his stomach flip like it had in the kitchen. It wasn't like she'd actually kissed him, like they'd kissed that night in Al's room; it was just that she didn't need to. All the same he bent his head and she rolled her eyes, kissing him properly.
"Idiot." She smiled again.
"You called me a genius not one minute ago!" Scorpius protested.
"Yeah well, you're a bright bumble." Rose informed him. He laughed at her strange way of putting things. The year before, she'd pulled him into a broom cupboard, only to warn him that Fred and Roxanne, trouble maker twins, were planning a prank that would involve him, as he was the only person walking down the corridor towards them at that time. She'd accused him of looking at her like a 'disappointing sweet." He had been a little hopeful when she'd pulled him into the dark broom cupboard, often used by Hogwarts couples. Rose waved her hand in front of his vacant face, bringing him out of his memories.
"Earth to Scor? Are you in there?"
"Wha-? Oh yeah, um, remembering the broom cupboard thing last year." He told her truthfully, blushing slightly. Rose laughed and blushed a little as well. She changed the subject quickly and Scorpius was grateful. She could be blunt, but she could also be thoughtful.
"So, what lessons have you dropped?" She asked. Scorpius smiled showing his gratitude for her rapid distraction from that particularly complicated part of his life, the months where his best friend Al had been taken out of school indefinitely and he'd realised he'd fallen for his other best friend, Rose.
"Um, Divination, Arithmancy and History of Magic, you?" He replied. Rose answered immediately,
"Arithmancy, History of Magic and Ancient Runes." Scorpius was surprised she was dropping any at all and voiced this. She sighed and became melancholy.
"I wanted to have more of a life, you know? I was fed up of being perfect." She responded. Scorpius teased her.
"Who said you were perfect?" Rose pouted at his remark.
"You did. When I ended it with Scamander a few months back." Scorpius' eyes widened, when Rose cried he had little or no control over his speech. Rose was amused by his expression.
"Come on then, get your robes on, we're almost there." Rose chuckled.
The Gryffindor table was the noisiest and it appeared the messiest. The new first years looked terrified as food flew over their heads whilst they nibbled at the foods they'd chosen. The Weasley/Potters and their various friends led the noise, all except Albus that was. Albus stared across the room at the Hufflepuff table; Scorpius assumed he was gazing at 'Nettie'. James slapped his younger brother. Bringing him to his senses.
"Look Al, we know you like slobbering over your girlfriend, but would you live up to our mother's surname and eat like a Weasley?" Albus glowered at his brother.
"It's alright for you. You don't know about inter-house love." He sighed. His relatives and friends who heard this snorted with laughter.
"Yes he does! When he ran out of Gryffindor girls he moved on to other houses." Fred stuck up for James. Albus glared at anyone who laughed at this.
"Oh come on Bus-Bus, eat something. Look treacle tart. You love treacle tart." Rose reasoned with him.
"Ok then Rosie-pie." Albus sneered back at Rose who smacked him lightly on the side of the head.
Once they'd eaten their fill, the elderly Professor McGonagall stood and raised her wand to her throat, amplifying her voice so it boomed across the great hall. All the children fell silent.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts. I have a few notices to give, first is that our caretaker, and for all first years, he's a ghost, has asked that you do not duel in the corridors. As ever, the forbidden forest is, obviously, forbidden if you are unaccompanied. And that does not mean without fellow students, it means without a member of staff. No unapproved Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products, this includes any creatures you may have bought, they will be inspected tomorrow at lunchtime. Your timetables are on your beds. Goodnight."
James sighed. "I love Auntie Minnie's speeches; they're so short compared to Dad's." Scorpius remembered when he'd stayed at the Potter's for a week. It was true; Mr. Potter was full of speeches. Rose laughed and got up.
"Well, as much as I'd love to stay up talking about Uncle Harry's speeches. I'm off to bed. Night." She hugged her cousins and Scorpius, she held onto him a little longer, she could hardly kiss him in front of Hugo, who would tell her father before you could say "Quidditch."
"Night night. See you in the morning; meet me in the common room, yeah?" She murmured into his ear. He nodded to show that he would come. Rose beamed and skipped off down the hall to join her dorm-mates, Tasha and Betty.
"Scor, word of advice, try not to look at her like that, her brother will assume..." Fred whispered to him. Scorpius grinned sheepishly and headed up to the Gryffindor tower to his nice warm bed.