Disclaimer I do not own Harry Potter.
AN: Sorry! Real life means having a job, and a job means working, which keeps me too busy to actually write! Thank you for your Patience! Enjoy!
Tom and Minerva settle down in their compartment, swapping stories about their respective younger siblings and how much of headache those lovable tyrants are. The stories soon fade into magical theories and a debate into the differences between the magical and the non-magical.
They are deep into their conversation, not noticing the time passing, before being interrupted by a knock on their compartment door. Bewildered into reality, it takes them a moment to understand what is going on. Meanwhile, the visitor knocks again, enabling Tom to answer with a polite "Come in". Minerva settles back into her seat, having been phasing back and forth when debating with Tom.
The compartment door slides open, revealing two boys (a blond and a dark-haired one), already wearing their robes along with a hint of superiority. Minerva curiously wonders if the boys had practiced that look in front of the mirror, while Tom asks (again politely, he wouldn't put it past Aunt Liv to find out if he were not polite) "Hello. May we help you?"
The boys glance at each other, and then look at the two inside the compartment. Tom and Minerva are still in their Muggle clothing, having decided to wait before changing. It is clear from the boys' expressions that they don't want to do this, but a resigned look passes between them, and the silvery blond steps up, "Good Morning. I am Abraxas Malfoy and my companion is Alphard Black. We were wondering if you would mind our company for the rest of the journey. The compartment we were in is no longer feasible to us."
While Minerva lost herself in the thoughts of why an eleven year old would use words like "feasible" and would talk so politely in a conversation, Tom took it upon himself to answer. He did not mind the company, and by the curious light in her eyes, neither did Minerva, as such, "No, we do not mind. Allow me to introduce myself and my friend. I am Thomas Hagrid, and my friend is Minerva McGonagall. Please be welcome." He bowed.
Tom ignored the slightly amused smile Minerva sent his way. Just because he didn't talk formally all the time, didn't mean he couldn't. Aunt Liv had made sure that he knew all the ins and outs of a formal conversation. Whether he used it or not was left up to him, as Aunt Liv and his Papa said, 'Better to know and not use the knowledge, than to be ignorant and need it'.
The boys acknowledged his greeting with a bow of their own, while giving a polite nod towards the only girl in the compartment. The nod was a bit frosty, but Minerva didn't mind, more interested in trying to find out how the boys had managed to make a nod icy, and wanting to know if she could learn to do it.
Before she could voice that question though, Malfoy spoke up while taking a seat, "Correct me if I am wrong, but when you say Hagrid, do you mean you are related to one Rubeus Hagrid, the proprietor of Quixotic? The shop that boasts of procuring any magical ingredients as long as they are legal?"
Black looked interested in the answer as well, as he leaned forward to hear Tom. Tom smiled, and answered, "He is my father, so you would be correct in saying that I am related to the owner of Quixotic. Both of them, actually, considering that the co-owner is my godmother, Livia Sprout."
(Tom really didn't like the fact that people kept forgetting that Aunt Liv was also the owner of Quixotic. His papa didn't like it either, always managing to mention that Aunt Liv was the only reason he had a shop to begin with, whenever his clients tried to complain about having to do business with a witch. The fact that they complained in a polite manner, made Rubeus angrier. Aunt Liv merely sighed at Rubeus' behavior, but she also looked happy and never told him to stop. Tom wasn't going to either.)
It seemed that these boys understood the hidden message, as they looked contemplative at the answer.
Minerva was getting tired of the overly formal speech floating around her. It made her want to shock these boys with the language she usually overheard when the villagers fought, not noticing her presence. Tom gave her a look, but didn't stop her as she opened her mouth to say, "Naw, what chay you boys tell us why ya skeddadaled over her' for? Was yer compartment nae comfortable enaw fur ye? I mus' say, Ah am a wee curioos."
Dear Lord, those looks are hilarious. They tried, truly, Minerva and Tom tried not laughing, but the scandalous and down-right shocked expressions on Malfoy and Black's faces were too much for them to handle.
They burst out laughing, unable to stop, even as the other two started to look insulted, though on their eleven year old faces, they merely looked as though they were pouting. Tom hurried to explain before they could leave the compartment in a huff, for all their formality, he did like them, and didn't want to hurt them.
"Min didn't mean any insult, I assure you. She's just doesn't hold the same regard for formal conversation the most of the society does. She wanted the air to be friendlier. After all, we are eleven, and if we can't be informal now, when can we be?"
"Aye," Minerva continued, as the boys looked at her for confirmation, "Tom's right. That is what I wanted to do. We are going to be spending the next seven years together, whether we be in the same house or no. It'll get tiring to be formal for seven years, don't you think? So, let's do this over. I am Minerva, call me Min. He's Tom. And we'll call you," she pointed at Malfoy, who startled, "Abe or Rax, you choose. And you," she pointed at Black, who was starting to look amused, "you can be Al or Phar, up to you!" She smiled at the boys as Tom looked on, amused and resigned.
Since Abe was speechless for the moment, Al answered for both of them, "I like it! Though I prefer either Al or Alp. Phar sounds a lot like fur, and I don't like it. Thank you, Min!"
Tom patted Abe on his back, as he sputtered out something that sounded like a negative. He gently whispered to the sputtering boy, advising him to let it go, as Min was a force of nature, and it seemed she had found a fellow force in Alp.
As Abe slowly started to calm down, Min and Alp started discussing about the houses (Gyrffindor or Ravenclaw for Min, Ravenclaw or Slytherin for Alp), and then moved on the virtues of fire magic, and if explosions were good for learning magic (Yes! Claimed both.)
After listening to them talk for a while, Tom wisely distracted Abe with a discussion on potions and ingredients. Solely so he could claim plausible deniability for any explosions that may occur in the future. Abe seemed to have caught on to Tom's plan, as he seemed to latch on to the conversation with an enthusiasm Tom had not expected him to have.
It was the start of a glorious friendship between Min and Alp, founded purely on their ability to destroy and their shared love for fire. Similarly, the friendship born between Tom and Abe was one that was based on their need to escape from the insanity they called their best friends.
(In the future, the teachers of Hogwarts would often contemplate the use of illegal time travel just so they could prevent this meeting. If they stopped the meeting they would save their sanity. And the furniture. And the traumatized ex-bullies. And that poor, poor armor, whose only fault was that it was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sadly, they couldn't find a time travel spell strong enough to do so.)
AN2: No insult to Scottish people meant. If I have insulted you, then I am sorry! :)