Scorpius was taking an exquisite joy at not being first.
No longer was he at the end of the table, no longer was he the brunt of jokes, no longer was he an outsider.
No longer was he a first year.
He was fairly certain that Albus felt the same way, judging by the fact that he was sitting tall in his seat, puffed up with the importance of himself.
"Glad we're not up there again, eh?" Albus asked, with a cheeky smile, driving his elbow into Scorpius' ribs as he looked at the line of assembled first years.
Scorpius had time for only a quick returning grin before Rose turned and hushed them both furiously, for Professor McGonagall had started to talk.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, for those returning students, and welcome to all our first years." As one, all eyes in the hall swiveled to stare at the gathered students, who had moved slightly out of their alphabetical line to clump together, obviously seeking protection from one another.
"A few reminders before the sorting begins," McGonagall went on, drawing the attention back to herself. "I hardly need remind you all that the Forbidden Forest is, as should be assumed, forbidden." Now it was she who swiveled to stare over the top of her spectacles at James Potter and Avery Collins, both of whom slumped a little in their seats and threw sheepish grins at each other. "Also, magic is absolutely prohibited in the corridors between classes, and Mr. Filch asked me to remind you that all students are expected to be in their Common Rooms before curfew." Now every eye in the room was focused on the ancient caretaker.
"How is he still here?" Albus whispered ferociously. "He was old when dad was here, and that was twenty years ago. Shouldn't he be dead by now?" Rose shot him another furious look, and apparently the Headmistress had finished her speech, for now Professor Longbottom was unrolling the massive sheet of parchment he held and calling the first name: "Adams, Camille."
She was quickly sorted into Slytherin, and then "Banner, Elizabeth" was approaching the chair to become the first new Gryffindor.
Scorpius cheered along with the rest of the Gryffindor table, and Elizabeth Banner approached the end of the table, blushing, to sit down.
She was quickly joined by "Barnes, Emmett," and Scorpius tried desperately to care as the rest of the first years were sorted, but he was simply too hungry.
Finally, "Zonner, Jane" became a Hufflepuff, the tables filled with food, and Scorpius nearly sighed with bliss.
"Nice, isn't it?" Albus asked as the three of them finished eating and trundled up the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower.
"Hmm?"
"Not having to follow a blasted prefect up to the common room, and not having everyone staring at us… just, being older. Being a second year."
"Yeah, it's nice. People are used to us now, they aren't so nosy," Scorpius agreed.
"Panthera," Rose said to the Fat Lady, who swung obligingly open for them. "And they're used to us being together, too," she added, as they headed towards their favorite group of armchairs. "They don't think it's so odd for us to be friends, like they did—"
She cut off abruptly as they came upon their usual chairs, only to find them not empty, as they expected, but occupied by a young girl penning a letter. Scorpius only vaguely recognized her, and he assumed her to be a new first year.
She was tiny, small even for her age, with perfectly straight brown hair and small, neat features.
"Oh, sorry," she gasped, as she looked up to find that she was being watched by three of the most famous students at Hogwarts. "Did I take your spot? I'll just move then, shall I?" She blinked up at them with a pair of eyes that were a peculiar shade of blue, almost violet, and rushed to roll her parchment.
"No," Albus said, staring at her, "It's alright. You can stay as long as you want."
Scorpius exchanged a skeptical look with Rose behind her cousin's back.
"You're new, aren't you?" Albus asked her, rather abruptly. She blinked at him again.
"Yes," She squeaked, but it sounded more like a question than an answer. She was visibly trembling as she fumbled for her quill.
"No, really, you can stay," Albus said earnestly, "You were here first, I mean. I'm Albus Potter."
She nodded rapidly. "I know," she whispered, dropping her letter on the floor. Albus rushed to fetch it.
"This is my cousin, Rose Weasley, and our friend, Scorpius Malfoy," he added, handing the letter back carefully."
"Right," she said. "Well, I'll just…" And she hurried away, without finishing her sentence.
"You sure have a way with the ladies, Al," Rose remarked dryly as she claimed her normal chair. "Chased that one right off."
"I… I did no such thing," he spluttered, sitting heavily, "She just… looked scared."
"So you figured you'd give her a terrible fright just for kicks then?" Scorpius added, "Or is that how you always welcome people to Hogwarts?"
"I didn't mean to frighten her," Albus groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "I was only trying to help."
"Well, the prospect of having the three of us thrust upon one is a little frightening, to be sure," Rose mused.
"I wish I knew her name," Albus said, withdrawing his face from his hands.
"Elizabeth Banner," Rose answered automatically. "She was the first Gryffindor this year. Why?"
Albus flushed a brilliant shade of red. "Oh, just… curious," he stammered, and then stood. "I'm off to bed then, see you both in the morning." And he wandered out of the common room a little dreamily.
As soon as he had started up the boy's staircase, Rose whirled around with a mischievous grin. "He's besotted," she said gleefully. "I never thought I'd see the day when I had something on Albus Severus Potter, but he fancies her. And he's barely spoken to her!"
Scorpius was laughing. "Did you see the look on his face? Poor girl, he's going to absolutely torment her."
"Why her?" Rose asked.
"Dunno," Scorpius answered, leaning back in his chair. "She had interesting eyes, did you see? Almost purple."
Rose's temperament changed in an instant. "I saw," she muttered, through what looked like clenched teeth. "Going to fight him for her, then?" Her eyes shot blue sparks at him.
"Me? Merlin, Rose, if Al wants her, he can have her. I have no interest in the girl."
"Of course not, I was only joking," she said, but she looked a good deal less inclined to bit his head off. "Well, I'm off to bed then, see you at breakfast," she said airily, as she flounced up the steps to her dormitory.
"Night, Rosie," he called up after her.
Women.
