This is the first of the Second Year chapters. I'm not sure yet how many there will be per year, since I'm still writing as the inspiration strikes and posting immediately, but I would give a tenative guess at eight or nine, which is how many First Year chapters there are.

This is also the longest chapter yet, and it is a little slower than the others, but as I'm planning things now, it sets up some later chapters, so hopefully it won't be too boring.

I also want to thank you all for your extremely positive feedback so far. It's really rewarding to know there are people out there reading (and liking) your work, and I appreciate you all taking the time to review. I smile every time I open my inbox and see an email concerning this story: the more, the better!

And now, please enjoy second year!

It had been three months since he'd seen them.

There had been the letters, of course, even an invitation to stay, but it had been three months since he had actually seen either one of them.

He was absolutely convinced that, no matter how well he had managed over the summer, he couldn't wait one second longer.

He was practically, actually, literally, bouncing in his seat.

"Scorpius," his father said, eyeing him in the review mirror of the muggle car they were taking to the station, "no matter how much you bounce, I won't drive any faster."

"Honestly," his mother agreed, in a slightly teasing voice, "I'd think he'd at least pretend to be a little sad about leaving us for another full year."

"I am sad," Scorpius protested, trying desperately to still his jittering knees, "but I was with you all summer in Italy. I'm just…"

"Happy to see your friends again?" His mother finished for him. "We understand."

The drive had never seemed longer.

Finally, finally, they pulled up to the station. Scorpius rather thought that his father was driving extra slowly, just to torment him. Before Draco had even put the car in park, Scorpius had undone his seatbelt, thrown open his door, and ran around to the back of the car.

"Shall I open the trunk for you?" Came the dry voice from the driver's seat. "No matter how badly you want your trunk, you can't have it until I open the car."

His mother was laughing, opening her door and stepping gracefully into the street. "Don't torment the boy, Draco," she said, but she threw Scorpius a cautionary look anyway.

The trunk popped, Scorpius seized his bags, and was halfway in the station when he heard his father call, "Forgetting something?" Scorpius half expected him to mean that he should wait for his mother and father, but when he turned to do so, he saw his father holding up Orion's cage with a small smirk.

"Oh," he said, a little breathlessly as he dashed back to take it from him, "right. Sorry."

"Slow down, Scorpius," his mother said to him, "You'll get there soon enough."

As they made their way into the station, though, soon enough didn't feel nearly soon enough.

But there was platform Nine and Three Quarters, the blessed thing, and then they had all pushed through the barrier, and though Scorpius couldn't see either one of them yet, the sight of school colors and the billowing steam from the Hogwarts Express calmed him slightly anyway.

"Perhaps we should say our goodbyes here," Draco said, a little stiffly. Obviously, the thought of meeting the whole Weasley-Potter clan head on did not appeal to him in the least.

"Nonsense," Astoria told him, "we should meet his friends and their parents."

"I already know their parents," he hissed, quietly enough that Scorpius could barely make out his words, "I highly doubt that any of them would welcome me with open arms."

"You don't know that," Astoria said, taking his arm and smiling encouragingly at him. "Perhaps all that's needed is a hand extended in friendship." She spoke in a tone that would tolerate no argument, and she took hold of his arm and steered him deeper into the throng of gathered witches and wizards.

Then, suddenly, Scorpius saw them all through a break in the crowd, and never was a sight more welcome.

He walked towards them ahead of his mother, who still had his father by the arm. Abruptly, he felt rather awkward. He had never actually met Rose's parents, or Albus's, but the thought of doing so, of introducing them to his parents, was a rather frightening one.

Albus spotted him first, gave a little wave, and nudged Rose, leaning down to say something in her ear. She whipped her head around so fast that Scorpius fairly heard her neck crack, gave a shriek of excitement, seized Albus by the hand, and dragged him towards Scorpius, her long red hair flying behind her.

"Scorpius!" She cried, dropping her cousin's hand and flinging herself at Scorpius. Fortunately, he had been expecting such a reaction, and he dropped Orion (who protested with an almighty screech) just in time to catch her.

"Hello, Rosie," he said into her ear, "how was your summer?"

"Oh, fine," she said, "not as exciting as yours, I'm sure. You've grown!" And he had, he had a full head on her now.

"Hey, Scorp," Albus said, pushing past Rose. "Nice summer?"

"Yeah," Scorpius said, grinning, and he couldn't seem to wipe the smile off of his face.

Until he saw the gathered crowd, that is. Seeing all four parents, not to mention various cousins, aunts, and uncles staring at them made him acutely aware of his own parents standing a few feet back from the three of them.

Scorpius swallowed.

"Rose, Albus, I'd like you to meet my parents."

"Hello," Astoria said gently, stepping forward and extending her hand to Rose. "It's lovely to meet you. We've heard so much about you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Malfoy," Rose fairly squeaked, shaking her hand.

"Please, call me Astoria," she said, now extending a hand to Albus, who shook it rather warily.

"Draco," Scorpius' father said, extending his hand as well. "It's lovely to meet you at last."

Then Rose's parents were stepping forward too, a little protectively, with the Potters right behind them. There was one awkward beat when they all stood, not knowing exactly what to do, and then Draco had stepped past the children and extended his hand in the Weasley's direction.

"It's been a long time," he remarked.

Rose's mother took his hand first. "A very long time," she said, shaking it firmly. "Good to see you again, Draco. We've heard that your son is a lovely boy."

"We hope so," Draco said. "It's lovely to see you, too, Mrs. Weasley. Mr. Weasley," he said, turning to her father.

"We've known you a while," Rose's father said, shaking the proffered hand, "you can call us by our names."

"Very well," Draco murmured, smiling slightly, "Pleasure to see you again, Ron, Hermione."

They both smiled back, still a little warily, and Draco moved onto the Potters.

Scorpius' mother stepped forward. "Astoria Malfoy," she said. "I've heard so much about you all."

And then they were all shaking hands, making acquaintances and re-acquaintances, and the awkwardness had passed.

"Mum," Rose said, pulling on her sleeve a little, "have you met Scorpius?"

"No," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at him, "But I've heard so much about you, Scorpius."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Weasley," he said, trying desperately not to be nervous.

"There's too many Mrs. Weasleys to make that address entirely practical, Scorpius, please call me Hermione."

"There's even more Mr. Weasleys than Mrs. Weasleys," Rose's father said, bypassing the introduction altogether, "so call me Ron."

"This is my brother, Hugo," Rose said of a red haired boy who had just materialized by his mother's side.

"Hi," Hugo said, a little glumly.

"He's down because he doesn't get to come 'til next year," Rose whispered to him, pulling him towards the Potters. "Come meet Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry."

So Scorpius did, realizing with an odd sort of pride that he was on a first name basis with the Golden Trio.

And then the introductions were over, and everyone was chatting amicably enough with each other, and Scorpius seemed to really look at his friends for the first time.

Albus was taller, though still not as tall as Scorpius himself, and his hair was longer, too, still sticking out in random directions all across his head. The resemblance to his father was slightly disconcerting.

Rose's hair was longer, slightly better tamed, and it seemed to be darker, too, matching more her Aunt Ginny's hair than her father's, but she still had his crooked smile and his bright blue eyes, all set against her mother's features.

Scorpius supposed that he looked just as much like his father as the two of them, and wondered, not for the first time, how exactly the three of them had ended up friends. It was almost as strange as watching the Weasley's and the Malfoy's friendly interaction, as he was doing now.

He did not have long to ponder it, though, for the train whistle was sounding and the students were all saying goodbyes, climbing aboard and claiming compartments.

"Well that was disappointing," Albus said once they had all sat down in their usual compartment, "no one even got hexed."

"How was Venice?" Rose asked breathlessly, ignoring him, "I wish I could have been there all summer like you, instead of at home."

"Not bad," Scorpius replied, "but not terribly exciting. Dad was there on ministry business, so we didn't have rollicking adventures or anything like that. I wish I could have come to the Burrow with you, but Father wouldn't send me alone, and they both had to stay."

"You didn't really miss anything," Albus reassured him. "The Quidditch game only lasted a couple of hours, Uncle Charlie didn't bring any presents for us, Uncle George only played a couple dozen jokes, and even Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione only had three rows."

This didn't sound boring to Scorpius at all, but before he could reply, Rose, who was still ignoring her cousin, asked, "Did you learn Italian?"

"Si, signorina," he said turning to her.

"Ooh," she breathed, "I've always wanted to know another language. Say something!"

"Sei bella, mia rosa," he said smirking at her. She blushed.

"I don't know what you said," she informed him, "but it probably sounds nicer in Italian, anyway."

"This has to be the best feeling in the world," Scorpius said softly an hour later, after they had all eaten their fill and as the train was pulling around the last bend to Hogsmeade station.

"What is?" Albus asked, stuffing a chocolate frog in his mouth.

"Coming home."