A/N: Wow, thanks for the reviews, everyone! I didn't really expect anyone to like it very much, with there being so many other HP fanfics to choose from.

Anyways, here goes.

Chapter 2

The day after his sorting, Albus Potter was cast into a living 'this-is-not-real-oh-my-god-it-is'… hell. James didn't congratulate him. He couldn't. Was he really expected to? He was a Slytherin, and the words of Mr. Weasly rung in his mind…

'If you don't make Gryffindor, we'll disown you'.

Did his father think the same? He had insisted it didn't matter, but who knew? He could have very easily been fibbing just to make his youthful, insecure son feel better, as if he knew his son would be sorted into Slytherin, as if Albus had jinxed himself.

And what did James say to his friends? Everyone was badgering the eldest Potter boy for information. And what did Rose think? She was a Gryffindor. She joined him in the house with red and gold all over, the brave lion it's symbol. His house representative was a snake, a deceitful, lying snake…

All of this went through the thoughtful mind of Albus as he made his way up the steps to the owlry (which, for the record, took forever and a day to get to). Sooner or later he'd have to send his happy parents that untimely letter to inform them of his Slytherin-ness, and Albus figured that sooner was better. It'd be cruel to make them wait when the terrible news inside was bad enough…

I made Slytherin.

He hadn't even written his letter yet. How could he put it? 'Getting into Slytherin' sounded like it was an accomplishment, 'I was put into Slytherin' sounded as if he'd been cheated into something awful, and, as his father had claimed, the bravest man he'd known was a Slytherin. Severus Snape. Albus wondered what he was like, as he wondered what Albus Dumbledore was like. He hoped they were nice.

And then, as if fate alone had crafted it to be so, Albus arrived and walked straight into the situation he had wanted so badly but feared so much. Turning to look at him with angry, almost grey eyes was Scorpius Malfoy. One hand, clutching a quill, was placed on a letter he seemed to be unable to word out, unable to get down onto paper.

"Oh- you're- Malfoy…" Idiot! Albus and Scorpius watched each other for a few seconds in silence, the two boys mirroring the same green ties and badges.

"My name isn't 'Malfoy'." The viciousness in Scorpius's eyes had grown, as if being with the Slytherins for one day had taken its toll, as if he had been stricken by a venomous snake, the poison making its way through his veins. At this, Albus suddenly wanted to intervene, to stop the spreading poison, to do something to help. To be his friend. God, his parents had raised him to be too damn nice! Stiffly, Scorpius continued, "My name is Scorpius, so please address me as so."

The way he spoke made Albus shudder. He sounded hardly eleven, more like seventeen. Such a little blonde boy speaking like that seemed unnatural, and it didn't appear that Scorpius would talk that way to someone he knew better. Again, Albus felt the strongest yearning to be his friend, his only friend, no one else, the one who knew Scorpius Malfoy inside and out, the one who knew what Scorpius sounded like when he was being no one other than himself…

"Right. Sorry…" At last, Albus took his steps forward. There was plenty of room to write his letter on the window's ledge next to Mal- Scorpius. Would that have been too awkward? Which way should he go? What should he do? In a moment of misplaced steps in one direction, then another, then back, Albus took his place beside his fellow Slytherin.

Scorpius glanced up at him, though remained silent as he scribbled away with very blatant resentment in his quill strokes. No doubt he was writing to crypt-keeper family. How someone could live with a lot as unloving as the Malfoys was beyond Albus. He often wondered why Draco's wife, Dona, had even wed him in the first place- oh, right. The Malfoys were rich.

"I'm sorry about the train ride, and…my brother-" Albus had forgotten what he was seeking Scorpius for in the first place: to apologize. "He can be that way sometimes."

"It's fine. Apology accepted. Don't worry about it." Patronizing Albus, it was clear that Scorpius was just accepting his apology out of sheer politeness. After all, just because his brother was a right foul git didn't mean Albus was. Once more, the silence came.

Minutes passed.

Neither of them seemed to know what to write, for both would lower their quill to the paper, stop, and think. Again, they would be ready to write, but would cease. Paper was crumpled into wads and thrown aside, lines were crossed out. It was like puzzling together a Herbology essay. 'Plants are boring, The End'. 'I'm in Slytherin, The End.'

Albus loathed every moment that went by without human voices, the only noise being that of the owls or bells chiming from the school notifying the students the time being 4, then 4:30…

Just as he had gathered enough nerve to slay the lingering silence, Scorpius spoke, coolly, and without looking to him, "Writing to your mum and dad?"

"Yeah…" He mumbled in reply when, suddenly, he remembered conversation only held up if he actually said things. "About…you know. Sorting."

"Must be difficult." Nonchalantly, Scorpius added, "Your whole family expecting you to make Gryffindor and all."

"They didn't all…expect me to…" Was it really necessary Scorpius had added that second tidbit? "So why're you taking so long?"

Another pause. Scorpius said nothing for a moment, then replied, "I…dunno."

With a wonderful sigh, Malfoy turned around, leaning against the window's ledge with slight despair. He seemed like one of those kids that loved to angst a lot, but refused to admit it and started angsting when 'angst' was brought up. However, when Albus slowly looked, Malfoy was smiling. That light had returned to his gaze, and finally he had let down a bit of his guard, a block of cold ice melting under Albus's warm and kind presence.

"My dad will be proud." Said Scorpius, still not caring to look his classmate in the eyes when he confided in him. This was all good and well for Albus, who swore he would've fallen apart if he'd been locked in that death stare he'd shared with Scorpius at the sorting ceremony just short of twenty-four hours previously.

"You… don't want him to be proud, do you?" Same as Scorpius, Albus rendered his letter impossible to write and leaned against the same ledge, wanting nothing more than to talk. Talk to someone who understood, someone who was not disappointed or appalled at the house he had been sorted to. Slytherin…

Then Scorpius looked at him.

"I suppose I don't."

"W-why?" That kid's eyes- it was terrifying. He wasn't even trying and he had an intensity to his look that one would expect to be intimidating, though it wasn't. It was exhilarating.

"Because that means I'm like him. I don't want to be him. I don't want to be my dad." The emotion in Scorpius was almost too much to handle. One minute apathetic, then standoffish, then needing condolence more than anything because he was just so damn sad. He belonged in a play or something. Scorpius would be a great actor. It was that that separated him from the other Malfoys. That true, pure emotion always going on inside his stare. He was able to be read like a book, to any that wished to. Was Albus the only one that saw this?

Again, silence. Then, Albus had an idea.

"I have an idea." Lucky that. "Here, gimme your parchment."

Quizzically, Malfy quirked a brow, but handed the blank letter over. Slowly, but he did. And without question, too.

"You write my letter and I write yours. That way, it'll be easier, and we can both get it done and over with." Albus was quite proud of himself. It was a brilliant idea.

"What do I say?" Scorpius smiled, and Albus smiled back.

"We'll write the same thing." Albus replied, as if it were obvious.

"And that is?"

"Just write: I'm a Slytherin." The phrase was perfect. Not let down, not too proud, though proud enough to prove he would deal with his sorting without a fuss. He was a Slytherin. So was Scorpius. Him and Scorpius Malfoy: they were one of the same, now.

I am a Slytherin.

I'm a Slytherin.

"Here." Scorpius handed Albus his letter.

"Here." Albus handed Scorpius his letter.

Smirking, the two first years sent their owls off. Together, they walked back to Hogwarts, taking part in one conversation out of many that were to come.

-------

Weeks passed, and the Slytherin house gradually accepted a Potter into their midst. Everyone had reacted just as Albus Severus had expected it to:

James was furious and had a severe case of denial. 'Well, anyways, you're different from all those lunkhead Slytherins! I know it!'

Rosie was worried and had a severe case of Albus-pity. 'It'll be alright, you can visit us any time. It'll be alright, it'll be fine.'

His parents were confused and had a severe case of God-I-Hope-Albus-Doesn't-Kill-Himself. 'Congrats, Albus! Your Dad and I are very proud. Keep up with your studies, and make lots of friends! Have fun at Hogwarts, these are some of the best years in your life. Love, mum and dad.

P.S. Don't listen to your brother

Xoxoxo'

Of course, though they had urged him to make friends, they later warned him to stay away from the bad lot.

Scorpius's lot.

But as time went by, Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter had become good friends, best friends. They shared the same room, along with two other housemates. They were in Potions, Herbology, and Charms together. They spent their lunch hour together, joining in with a few other friends Scorpius had picked up. They were alright, for Slytherins and all.

And the more everyone warned Albus to stay away from Scorpius, the more he appreciated his friend. Albus knew what Scorpius was really like. He was kind, though refused to let others know it. He was full of passion, passion to separate himself from the family name. He was cocky, full of hormones, and just a tad rude when he wasn't keeping up his plastic-faced Rich Malfoy stance he'd had on day one.

He was Scorpius, proud as hell of it, and would make everyone know. He'd be the best wizard he could be, Slytherin or no. Albus, who was much calmer and quieter, though extremely wise for his age, admired Scorpius to all ends. That burning wanting was always imminent in Scorpius, always there. He was a talented wizard, he'd go far (though, if you asked him, the acting business still had a slot open for the very emotional, very dramatic, very brave Scorpius).

By the late fall of their third year, they were famed for their unlikely relationship. A Potter and a Malfoy: best friends. Albus hated the attention, Scorpius ignored it, and James refused to admit it was real. Professor Longbottom, already a nervous pervous, warned Albus almost on a weekly- if not daily- basis to be careful around a Malfoy. Hagrid offered much the same information (it was a bit annoying, actually). The distance that had grown between him and his brother was astounding, though Albus found no way around it. He wouldn't stop being with his friend just because his stubborn class clown brother thought it besmirched the Potter name. His brother just needed to grow up a little.

Or maybe James was reacting normally for someone his age.

After all, Albus was matured beyond a third-year. Again, a bit annoying. He could never will himself to just let go and have fun. He always had to think things through. He wanted to be like Scorpius, who did what he wanted when he wanted. That would be the life…

"Oi, Albus." Scorpius had hunted his friend down in the common room, and the mischievous glint in his eyes brought only trouble.

"What's up?" Making sure to take mental note on the page he left off on, Albus slowly pulled his eyes away from his book. As soon as he saw Scorpius's face, he groaned, "What're you plotting?"

"Plotting? Plotting? Aw, Potter, you disappoint me, what kind of friend thinks his best mate's always scheming?" Beaming, he rounded Albus's chair, flashing him a fake pout. "It's 'cause I'm a Slytherin, isn't it?"

"Because you are always scheming." He shoved Scorpius lightly with a grin which faded quickly. "And don't say that..."

"Party. Tonight. Christian and Seamus's dorm."

"What?" Since when were thirteen-year-olds invited to parties?

"I was asked personally." Malfoy stood up, popping his collar confidently. "I can go after detention."

"Detention!" Scorpius laughed lightheartedly at the look on his face.

"I stole a tad of veritaserum to threaten Carly Allen with if she didn't admit she was only snogging Scott O'Brien to make me jealous."

"Well, was she?"

"Of course, who the hell would snog Scott O'Brien?" They both laughed, though Albus felt a twinge of jealousy. Everyone was trying to get Scorpius's attention. He was handsome, and cool, and Albus was the 'nice guy' girls said looked 'cute as a teddy bear' with his kind green eyes and frayed black hair. At least it was thinner than his father's, his scalp didn't quite look like it'd been hit by a tornado so much as his dad's. Either way, he was still the Corey Matthews of Hogwarts. Damn freckles!

"I…don't think so." Albus paused. "I don't party. And besides, we could get in serious trouble being out after curfew."

"Come on, Albus! Older girls! Late night party! Live a little."

No wonder my parents hate me hanging around him. Albus frowned, hugging his book closer to his chest, "No, I think I'll pass. Thanks, though."

In the Scorpius-knows-all voice, the blonde rounded his chair again, leaning over the back and persuasively adding, "You're gonna' regret missing itttt..."

"I'm not going."

-------

So Albus went, trailing closely behind his best friend as they snaked through the Slytherin halls.

"I can't see a thing…" Scorpius muttered, "Lumos."

"If we get caught, I swear, Malfoy…" A shuffling sound echoed down the vast walkway, and he grabbed Scorpius's robes. "Let's just get out of here!"

"First." Scorpius pointed his wand in Albus's face. "My name is Scorpius."

With a playful smirk, he added with faux piousness, "And please address me as so."

"Look, how do you know they even invited you? A third year? Come on, Scorp…"

"I'm just that popular." Scorpius suddenly stopped before a dorm room, the lights still on and shining under the cracks. As if he'd won, he raised his brows to Albus, who still wasn't convinced.

"Pop- are you joking me? Popular? Alright, this is no time to be an egomaniac. Do you even know how many people you've set off in the past week? You have just as many enemies as friends, Scorpius Malfoy-"

"Shhh!" His friend hissed, and the door before them opened.

Albus finished his sentence in a whisper, "-if not: more."

However, there was no music inside, only a much larger group of much older wizards waiting for them, arms crossed or wielding wands- and no girls, either! Oh, yes, they walked right into the trap laid down before them by just one of Scorpius's not-so-friendly 'aquaintences'.

"Oh. Hi there, Scott." Scorpius gulped, forcing a smile to the group of boys before them. Already Albus was backing up. "How's Carly?"

"Stupefy!"

"Expelliar-!"

-------

He was looking at gray. Then his feet. Then the Slytherin common room. For a fleeting moment of thankfulness, Albus wondered if he was back in the daytime, just after he had sternly notified Scorpius he was not going to that party.

Alas, the poor teen was looking around and saw the stars of night just barely beginning to fade into the morning daylight. It must've been four, or five, in the morning, and he couldn't move his arms. Groaning, he shifted around a bit, soon to realize he was tied up. Up to what? He looked up, eyes sore and tired and…well… stupefied. He was apparently tied to a statue of Salazar Slytherin, and tied good. They'd used a hell of a lot of rope to keep the two of them in place, though they had kindly graced him with the privilege of letting him sit rather than stand.

"You awake?" A moaning Scorpius asked from, what it sounded like, the other side of the statue.

"Yeah." Albus looked down, and sighed. "You in your boxers, like I am?"

"Yeah."

"How much do you wager our clothes are tossed out some window?"

"Well, I'd say none. Mine're in front of me. Look up."

"Oh." Looking up, he saw his robes floating teasingly above him, completely out of his reach. "Gits."

"Knew I would regret it when I bragged to Scott about me snogging Carly…" From behind, Albus heard Scorpius wriggling in his bondages, trying to break free. It was useless.

"Gee, you think so?" Angry, Albus let a silence follow. Always, he was the voice of reason. And always, Scorpius was the voice of spontaneity and instinct. They were two different breeds of brilliant, Albus and Scorpius.

Before too long, Scorpius was the first to talk, as tradition followed. "You know, I am sorry. About this. And…you know…not listening."

"You never listen." Albus muttered.

"What was that?"

"You never listen!" He repeated, louder. "And now we're all tied up, half bloody naked, and right in the middle of our entire house."

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?!" Scorpius's scowl was so strong he could hear it on the other side of that statue, Salazar Slytherin towering above them, as if in triumph. "I said I'm sorry, alright?"

Again, neither of them spoke.

This time, Albus was the one to break silence. "So you snogged Carly?"

"Yeah."

I hate that girl, I always did. Albus's eyes swam with discontent, and he was glad Scorpius couldn't see. He was just so jealous, and he couldn't even explain why. He just had the sudden urge to punch the girl's face in, and imagining it made him smile.

Sheesh, maybe being in Slytherin had made him a tad violent.

"It was gross. Like eating bogey. She couldn't have brushed her teeth in a week." They both laughed, though mostly in attempt to clear the sudden awkward air around them. Both had the most peculiar feeling that Scorpius had betrayed Albus, like he was cheating on something.

It was annoying.

"Well, she's a fourth year. Nice job."

That playing little Slytherin brat! Making out with that fathead Scott O'brien, and then using the same lips to kiss Scorpius- to actually kiss Scorpius Malfoy. He was way too good for her, he had gone beneath himself to…

"Thanks."

…to actually kiss her back!

"I hope we laugh about this in a few years." Albus attempted, again, to laugh, but failed miserably.

She wasn't even that good looking. Jeez, if he was going to snog a girl and get the both of them stupefied by six separate wands at the same time, why not snog an actually attractive female?

"Yeah. Yeah, I hope we do." Scorpius did the same, and failed just as badly.

Again, a gaping silence spanned the room. Albus didn't talk because his brain was too busy exploding with questions, and Scorpius didn't talk mostly for the same reason.

Why had he done that? Why couldn't he control his hormones? Why did he go through so much trouble to win a girl he didn't even like? Why did girls never work out for him? He was with a new one every month!

"So you seriously snogged Carly Allen?" Albus blurted out. He couldn't help it! The subject was eating away at him, he had to know more. When? Why? Where? What as Albus doing when this was going on? Why doesn't he stop thinking about this? Why couldn't he stop asking questions about Scorpius and that damn girl, Carly Allen?!

This time, Scorpius laughed for real, "I did. So what?"

So I'm jealous! So what about that! Albus shifted uncomfortably.

"So do you… like her or- er… something?"

There's nothing wrong with that, nothing at all. It's natural for best friends to be jealous of their 'oh, I'm suddenly cool enough to start snogging fourth-year' friends. I'm only jealous because I need a girl. That's all. It's a very manly type of jealousy. Yeah.

"Not really." Scorpius chirped whistfully, and Albus felt like he could breathe again. "So who're you going after? Rose Weasly?"

"Ew! Rosie? No! No way!"

"Ooh, touched a nerve there, did I?" He could picture Scorpius's face just perfectly, glowing as he teased Albus. For just a few minutes, it felt like they weren't even bound and sitting on the cold ground while waiting to be humiliated. Just like they were hanging out by the black lake, or at lunch, or-

"So there really isn't anyone?" Somehow, Albus fancied he was looking for a specific answer, waiting for the name on the tip of his tongue, the one he just couldn't recall and couldn't find the daring to say.

Albus blushed. "I…"

"I hear someone coming." Scorpius cut him off hastily (and a bit rudely), again wiggling in place.

"You… ready to be embarrassed unlike we ever will be again in our years at Hogwarts?" Albus grinned.

"You bet." The footsteps got closer. Albus could feel his friend grinning along with him, and Scorpius added, "Though, knowing us, I'm sure something worse will come along between now and graduation."

Someone was right in the entranceway…

"Yeah, your're right. It's bound to."

-------

A/N: Again, thanks for reading! I updated Chapter 2 relatively fast because I'm going on vacation starting today (Aug 1., '07), sooo I may or may not be able to update until the 14th D: We are bringing a cheap laptop from my dad's school with us, and it has MS word, so I'll be writing. My parents want to find internet connection in at least one of the hotels we stay at so they can Email their family with photos and stuffs about our trip, so if we do get hooked up I'll definitely update once or twice during my vacation.

This fanfic is really fun to write, so I want to update more! Chapter 3 on the way!