A bit longer chapter this time, hopefully the pace is picking up a bit. Enjoy, next time the boats and maybe the sorting.
It didn't take them long to leave behind the last straggling children who ran alongside the train, though one redhead was particularly persistent. The blocky urban streets of London quickly gave way to patchy green farmland, and Scorpius found himself growing accustomed to the constant chugging of the engine.
Scorpius tore his eyes away from the window and stood to get a book from his trunk. Just because there's no one else here doesn't mean I have to be bored he thought, tugging his trunk out from it's perch above the compartment and grabbing Hogwarts: A History before shoving it back.
He was so caught up in his book, he hardly noticed when a knock sounded at the door. Scorpius gave a small jump startled at the noise, who would want to sit with me? There was another knock, Scorpius started a bit but managed to restrain himself. Despite his best instincts a warm sensation spread in his chest, what if this was a friend? But then his heart sank, what if they'd come to torment him, or god forbid, what if they thought he was someone else? Scorpius didn't think he could bare it.
There was another knock.
"Hello?" Scorpius gulped, the boy's voice sounded oddly familiar. There was a muffled scuffling from outside the compartment and another voice sounded, a girls this time.
"Bloody hell Albus just open the door!" She sounded rather bothered and a bit haughty.
"But what if there's someone in there!" The other boy Albus he realized whined sounding slightly miffed at the girl.
"Al if you don't do it I will," the girl stated loudly, sounding a little threatening but good natured. There was something in the way they talked, like they'd known each other for a long while. Maybe their siblings he thought smiling, the conversation really was quite funny.
"Come on Rosie we can't just barge in on them, I'm not James you know." James, why did that name sound familiar?
"I know you're not Al, but there are no other compartments and nobodys opening the bloody door." The girls tone softened a little when she said this, James James, were had he heard that name?
His eyes widened, the boy who helped me with my trunk! How could he be so stupid that was seconds ago! But that meant...
Suddenly, the compartment door flung open. "Er, sorry" Said the girl from before, blushing. She was small with bushy red hair and a freckled face. Weasley he thought, but he was too busy with the second boy.
Albus was a carbon copy of his brother, but with emerald green eyes, if it was possible he was also scrawner and his dark hair was even more of a mess. His face was red at having barged into the compartment. Scorpius turned back to the Weasley girl.
"It's alright." It came out as more of a mumble than he wanted it to. He hated it but he could hear every harsh word his father had ever said about the Weasley's bouncing around in his head. He shook it slightly and the redhead, Rosie he thought, tilted her head quizzically. She opened her mouth as though she was about to speak, revealing rather large front teeth, but Albus beat her to it.
"Is it alright if we sit here, everywhere else is full. Albus wasn't confident nor dramatic like his brother, more bashful and a little shy. Rose was still eyeing Scorpius like he was a particularly difficult rune she couldn't quite make out. He shifted under her gaze, and then turning back to Albus and nodded slowly.
They walked out of the doorway, where they'd been crowded together, and slipped into the compartment. Scorpius' book was still open in his lap. He continued to stare at his sneakers, it was awfully silent.
"So what are you reading," Rose's voice was loud and slightly pompous, cutting through the silence like a knife. Scorpius held up his book rather than answer, but it seemed like enough for Rose. She suddenly smiled very enthusiastically, "Oh I love that book, it's just so interesting isn't it about all the wards and enchantments in the castle," she said this all very quickly. "But their is that heartless emission of the house elves of hogwarts, mother's been owling them for a revision since her fourth year, and she thinks she's finally making a difference in the campaign for elf rights, people wouldn't listen to her for an awful while, but you know it's hard not to listen to the savior of the wizarding world, and well uncle Harry pulled a few strings and we might be getting somewhere!" She took a breath.
Scorpius nodded hesitantly and Rose beamed.
"Don't scare him before he even knows our names Rose," Albus was accusing but he laughed obviously used to his cousin's antics.
"Fine," said Rose reddening, and she held out her hand. "Rose Hermione Weasley," she said, her voice was a little prideful. He shakily took her hand.
"Scorpius," he said, hoping against hope they wouldn't ask for his surname. Rose looked a little quizzical.
"Albus Severus Potter," said Albus shaking Scorpius' still outstretched hand. He inwardly sighed with relief, maybe he could enjoy the train ride a bit before they learned who he was. His father had never spoken well exactly of the Potter and Weasley families, but he'd never expressly told Scorpius not to befriend them, at least thats what he told himself. He wasn't really going against his father's wishes. Plus, he thought with a smile, father was dozens of miles away.
Albus and Rose seemed to notice Scorpius was uncomfortable with personal questions, and he was grateful to Rose when she kicked a persistent Albus and gave him a warning glare. Albus it turned out was not shy at all, at least not once he'd warmed to Scorpius a bit. They talked about quidditch, but exhausted that topic pretty quickly, Scorpius followed the Harpys and Albus the Cannons. Rose droned on about the course books, quoting each one intermediately as Albus rolled his eyes.
When the trolley came by Scorpius insisted on paying for everything, he'd never had anyone to share with before and he was very eager to start. They traded chocolate frog cards, it turned out Albus had quite the collection, and sampled Bertie Botts every flavor beans which ended when Al took a nibble of a funny yellow one that turned out to be sawdust. Scorpius laughed and gasped as Al and Rose told him stories of their big family, and he dared to tell them a few of his own.
He felt a bit bad, not telling them who he really was. When he seemed uncomfortable about the war people assumed he had lost someone, that his parents were heros not the faces printed on the old wanted posters. If they noticed the french inflections in his speech, he hinted he'd gone to live with a relative there; it was sort of true his mum had grown up in france, but his dad had been there fleeing the british ministry, not mourning a lost relation. In fact, it was not until the conductor announced they were only a half an hour from hogwarts did he hear the dreaded words.
"Hey whats your surname?" Albus sounded half surprised half questioning, like he'd forgotten Scorpius had never given it until now. He glanced at Rose pleadingly but she seemed to be waiting for an answer as well. He stared at his toes.
"Scorpius?" He couldn't very well not tell them. They'll hear it at the sorting anyway suck it up Scorpius. He was fighting to keep his face impassive now, he could deal with taunts and empty threats but he'd never had anything to lose until now. Best get it over with. Scorpius took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, butterflies were fluttering in his stomach now and his stomach seemed to have forgotten it was not meant to be in his throat.
"Malfoy," he whispered, please don't make me say it again.
"Sorry didn't catch that." He felt like he was suffocating.
"Malfoy," he said louder, he couldn't make himself look at their faces. You could have heard a pin drop in the compartment at that moment. Scorpius couldn't bear the silence. "Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, I don't know what my parents were thinking." He forced his eyes up. Rose seemed to be trying to manage a smile at the small joke but it was more of a grimace than anything, Al was open mouthed staring at Scorpius' rapidly reddening face.
"Oh," was all he managed, his voice a little higher than usual, and he scooted away from Scorpius. Scorpius was struggling to keep his face impassive pretend you don't care, they can't hurt you if you don't care.
They were both staring at him now and he eyed his shoes again, it was kind of becoming a habit. It was eerily quiet in the compartment, the train engine chugged on in the background.
"You can go, if you want" He didn't want them to go, he really didn't, but he liked Al and Rose, he didn't want them to stay if they didn't want to he couldn't bare the hard looks or the pitying ones that were somehow worse.
But I wish you wouldn't." It was more of a thought he said allowed, so quiet he didn't think they would hear it. Scorpius' parents were always complaining he was too rambunctious. If they could see me now, he thought managing a tiny smile.
"Scorpius." He would have to look up eventually, might as well be done with it. So with resigned certainty he peered up into there eyes.
"Do you really think it matters," Rose cracked a grin as she said this and suddenly all the tension in the compartment disappeared, ironically Scorpius thought, like magic. And they were all grinning and then they were laughing, laughing so hard his stomach hurt. He'd just met these people, but for just a moment, everything was perfect.