James and I were sitting at the kitchen counter eating breakfast. Al was with Scorpius and Lily was with Hugo at Rose's house.

"So, Attie," James smiled at me.

"James," I sighed.

"Wait, hear me out." He threw his hands up. I paused and then waited for him to speak. "Why not go out with me?" He questioned.

"Because it would be weird. I think deep down you know that." I insisted and he pouted. "You're not actually interested in me. You just like the idea of having someone accessible and safe. If we actually got together do think it would last more than a month?" He opened his mouth and then closed it.

"Why do you want to go out with me, anyways?" I asked.

"Because you're smart, funny, caring -"

"But not pretty?" I asked.

"Of course you pretty."

"Then why didn't you say that? Usually when you talk about a girl that's the first thing you mention." I said. Once again, he looked stumped. "See, you don't actually fancy me in that way. It's weird for you to be attracted to me because you think of me more like a best friend than a snogging prospect."

"So you're saying if I wanted to shag you that would be better?"

"No! Now you're just arguing to argue." I rolled my eyes. "I'm saying that you want to be around me and the only way you think to do that is by dating me. We can be just friends." I grabbed his hand. "You won't lose me." I promised him. He looked slightly relieved by this.

"How about a trip to Diagon Alley?"

I smiled. "Sure. I still haven't picked up my school books yet."

"I can't believe my best friend is top of her class. That almost cancels out the fact that you're an ultimate prankster." James nudged my shoulder. We put our dishes in the sink.

"Have you gotten your letters yet?" I asked.

"Nah. Wonder who's our year's prefects." He said, staring off into space.

"Rose and Scorpius will probably be prefects. Maybe Amanda." I shrugged. I didn't really have a clue.

"Not you and Al? You're both as good of students as Rosie and Scor." His eyebrows drew together.

"Nope, our files are the size of hippogriffs." I laughed. "I may have the grades but trying to constantly maim another student might count against me."

"Just maybe." James grinned.

"Are you excited for Apparition lessons this year?" I changed the subject.

"Yea, it's going to be amazing to just go wherever I want to."

"In the mean time…" I motioned to the fireplace.

"Diagon Alley."

I repeated after James and then disappeared.

"So, you and Sasha?" Scorpius grinned at Al.

"Calm down, skippy. It was just a summer fling. She lives in France." Al scoffed.

They were back at Scor's house now after two weeks on the beaches of Morocco.

"I still think she's stalking you. What are the chances she's there the same time we are?" Scorpius nudged Al's shoulder. Sasha had been following him around at Hogwarts towards the end of fourth year.

"Her entire family was there." Al remarked.

"Either way, you excited to be back? School starts in less than a week."

"Feels like we just bloody got off, now we have to go back."

"It'll be fun to see everyone again." Scorpius got some pumpkin pasties from kitchen.

Al made a face.

"Al you live with her."

"I know," Al said indignantly, "but at home I can escape from her. Go to the beach or come here but at Hogwarts I can't just up and leave." He wiped his hands down his face. "And James is always hovering. At Hogwarts we're all forced together." He groaned.

"I still don't know why you don't like her."

"I don't get why you all do."

"Because she's awesome." Scorpius grinned when Al glared at her. "She's really nice, although a bit snappy, and she's an excellent witch."

"That pissed Rose off a bit." Al grinned. It was funny to watch Rose struggle with not being the best in the class anymore.

"Well, Atria doesn't even study. I think that's what pissed off Rosie." Scorpius said sitting down on the lounge by the pool. "She's spends all her time doing nothing but homework, and Atria just does it."

Al rolled his eyes.

"And that's what gets me. She's hadn't had any proper schooling and she's amazing at everything. Doesn't that seem weird to you?" He pressed.

"Well, she's already told me she's a pureblood. She might have had private lessons."

Al huffed. "She's a pureblood?" Scorpius nodded. "How could I not know that?"

"She doesn't really like to spread it around. Besides she probably knew it would make you hate her more." Scorpius looked at Al.

"I wouldn't think that! She's a horrible person for a lot of reasons but that isn't one. My mum's a pureblood." Al folded his arms. "And so are you."

They stayed silent for a moment.

"I can't believe I haven't seen Rose all summer." Scorpius finally said.

"None of us have seen any of them. They went to visit her grandparents in Florida."

"I thought they were going to America."

"Florida is in America."

"Oh."

Mr. Malfoy walked outside in a neatly tailored suit.

"Hey dad."

"What are you two doing back so soon?" Draco Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "I thought you weren't coming back for another three days." Al gave him a weird look.

"Al couldn't take anymore of his summer fling." Scorpius teased.

"We mutually agreed it would be better to stop seeing each other." Al said. Draco laughed.

"Does she go to Hogwarts?"

"Yea." Al sighed.

"Then you know that's not the end of it." Draco said. Al looked down dejectedly.

"Yea."

"Scorpius there's a letter for you on the counter. Albus you might want to go home and see if you've received your letter as well." Draco told the boys. They looked at each other and then ran inside.

Scorpius tore open his letter and pulled out several pieces of parchment and a badge. "I'm a prefect." He looked awed. Al rolled his eyes.

"Of course you are. Who else?"

"Do you think you'll be the Gryffindor prefect?"

"No, my record counts against me, Mr. I've-Never-Had-A-Detention." He teased Scorpius. Predictably, Scor flushed slightly in the cheeks.

"So who will the fifth year prefect be?"

"Probably Eddie Raymen and Rose." Al shrugged. "And probably Amanda or Esell for Slytherin fifth year girl prefect."

"Merlin, I hope Amanda." Scorpius said. "Esell is…" He struggled for the right word.

"Scary?"

"No, just really intimidating."

"Most people would say the same thing about Atria." Al muttered.

"Atria talks to people though. She doesn't just glare at them hatefully." Al raised his eyebrows. "Except for you, then she'll glare hatefully." Scorpius teased.

"Well, let's take a look at our book list." Al scanned the parchment, changing the subject. "We should go to Diagon Alley. I need to get some stuff from the joke shop as well."

"I'm not sure it would be responsible of me to let you get things to torture my best friend." Scorpius said.

"I have no idea what you mean." Al grinned and then frowned. "I thought I was your best friend."

"Atria is my best Slytherin friend."

"And I'm your best Gryffindor friend." Al said and Scorpius said humorously quiet. "Rose can't be your best friend!" Al exploded.

"Why not?"

"Because she's a girl." Scorpius looked at Al. "Not like that. But you can't talk about shagging and guy stuff with a girl and she's not going to tell you about girl stuff."

"I know. I just like seeing your wand in a knot."

Al glared at him. Scorpius's mother walked in.

"Mum we're going to Diagon Alley." Scorpius said.

"Are you sure you should go alone? Maybe your father should go with you." She asked rubbing her hands together.

"Mum, if I'm old enough to be a prefect I think I can go into Diagon Alley with my friend." Mr. Malfoy's face lit up.

"You're a prefect?" She said. He nodded. "Oh I'm so proud of you. Does your father know yet? We should hold a big dinner." She said all in one breath. "And you, Albus?" She said before either of them could get a word in.

"Nah, too much fighting."

"You and Attie should be nicer to each other. She could end up being your sister-in-law." Mrs. Malfoy said. That made Al scoff. "Scorpius said that James was chasing after her." She looked at her son to back her up.

"He is." Scorpius insisted, "But I never said that she felt the same way." His mother shook her head. "It's complicated."

"I don't understand why."

"Because they're teenagers." Draco came in from the living from off of the kitchen. They had about three living rooms unless you counted the one upstairs, then their were four. He stood behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her midsection.

"Draco, the children are going into Diagon Alley." Mrs. Malfoy informed her husband.

"Okay, see you in few hours. Make sure you take your school list." Draco gave them a stern look. "Just because you don't buy school, books doesn't mean you don't have to go to school." He gave Scorpius an admonishing look. Al glanced at Scorpius.

"And you got prefect?" Al scoffed. "Mate, Hogwarts is going down hill."

"Come on, you wanker."

Once in Diagon Alley, Albus and Scorpius first visited the Quidditch store, and then the Weasley Joke shop, and were now headed towards the book store. Al sighed when they passed Ollivander's.

He missed being a first year. No O.W.L.'s, no Atria, and no pressure. But then he wouldn't have met Scorpius and he probably wouldn't be as good of a Quidditch player as he was. He was vaguely aware that Scorpius had started talking to him, but was too caught in his own musings to hear him properly.

As annoyingly perfect as Atria was, it only made him try harder. If only to beat her.

And there she was. As Albus and Scorpius entered Flourish and Blotts, Al saw James and Atria standing very close together.

You could be her brother-in-law, Mrs. Malfoy had said. Albus had scoffed, but now he realized that's exactly what was happening. Even if she and James never married, she was a part of the family now. For the first month he had thought she would be gone next holiday.

But here they were, the next summer, and she was still living with him and hanging with her family.

"Hey, Scorpius." The little demon said. She was always bright and cheerful.

"How've you been?" He asked her as they hugged.

"Excellent. Mostly been with James or Freddy all summer." Atria shrugged. "We were bored, so we decided to so some before school shopping." She explained.

"We got our letters." Scorpius grinned. "I made prefect."

"Really? That's excellent. I hope Amanda is the other Slytherin prefect."

"Agreed. Your letters are probably at home now."

"So I was thinking about getting a Pygmy Puff." Atria said, playing with a strand of her blue hair. Other people in the shop were looking at her, but Albus barely noticed the vivacious colors anymore.

"It would be dead within the month." He remarked dryly. She glared at him and didn't bother to respond. They knew each other well enough to know when they were actually fighting or when they were just needling each other.

"I'm thinking-"

"Blue." Scorpius interrupted her. She sighed, shaking her head at how predictable she was. Then her hair changed to purple. "Still in the same area." Scorpius smiled. Then her hair turned orange.

"Why does everyone have such a problem with my hair?" Atria huffed.

"Who has a problem with your hair?" James came up to them, carrying a stack of books.

"Everyone, apparently."

"That's not what we said." Scorpius argued. "Just that you're a bit—"

"Predictable." Albus smirked.

Atria turned to Scorpius. "Why are you hanging out with this wanker?" She hissed.

"Atria, why don't you and I hang out for a little while?" Scorpius said, trying to defuse the tension.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Al snapped.

"Brother bonding."

PLEASE REVIEW! I have the next couple chapters written so stay tuned and please review. Feedback is always appreciated.