Chapter two

Albus and Rose were hanging out the window for some time, even after they lost sight of their parents. Sighing, Albus stepped back into the corridor.

'So,' he said, 'now what?'

'Now we need to find some friends,' said Rose. 'My mum and dad met your dad on their first Hogwarts Express, you know.'

'So we need to choose now who to be friends with for life? That's quite scary.'

'Not at all,' said Rose, 'it's exciting! I'm a Granger-Weasley, you're a Potter. Everyone will want to be friends with us, we've got the pick of anyone we want.'

'I'm not sure it works that way,' Albus sighed. 'How about we just decide on a compartment to go in? See who's in it?'

'We should check all of them,' Rose decided, 'and then rate them all.'

Albus opened the first compartment he encountered and opened it. There was a single boy in it, looking up at the unexpected visitors.

'Hi,' said Albus to the boy. 'Is this compartment—'

'It's free,' the boy answered, 'just me.'

'Great. Would it be okay if we just, come in, for a bit?'

'Sure.'

'I'm Albus.'

'Scorpius. And you must be…' he looked at Rose.

Rose's face had been growing cold during the short conversation. 'Rose,' she answered curtly.

'Hi Rose, would you like some Fizzing Whisbees? I've got plenty.'

'No, I've just had breakfast, thanks,' she said in a cold voice.

'I've also got some Shock-o-Choc, Pepper Imps and some Jelly Slugs. Mum's idea. She says: "Sweets, they always help you make friends." He looked at Rose's face. 'Stupid idea, probably.'

'I'll have some,' Albus said. 'Mum won't let me have sweets. She says it could make your teeth rot and such. Which one would you start with?'

Rose hit Albus while Scorpius was rummaging through the sweets.

'Easy. I've always regarded the Pepper Imp as the king of the confectionery bag. They're peppermint sweets that make you smoke at the ears.' Scorpius held up the sweet triumphantically.

'Brilliant,' said Albus, taking the sweet from Scorpius, 'then that's what I'll—'

Again, Rose hit him in the back.

'Rose, will you please stop hitting me?'

'I'm not hitting you,' she responded sweetly.

'You are hitting me, and it hurts!'

'She's hitting you because of me,' Scorpius said quietly.

Turning towards the blonde boy, Albus stared at him for a moment. 'What? Why?'

'Listen, I know who you are, so it's probably only fair you know who I am.'

'What do you mean, you know who I am?'

'You're Albus Potter, son of Harry Potter. She's Rose Granger-Weasley, her parents are Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley. My parents are Astoria and Draco Malfoy. Our parents… they didn't get along.'

'That's putting it mildly,' huffed Rose. 'Your mother and father are Death Eaters!'

'Dad was,' admitted Scorpius, 'but my mother wasn't.'

Rose turned up her nose at him and looked away.

'I know about the rumors too, you know,' Scorpius continued, his voice gaining volume. 'That my parents couldn't have children. That my father and grandfather were so desperate for a powerful heir, so intent to prevent the end of the Malfoy line that they… That they used a Time-Turner to send my mother back…' his voice trailed off.

'To send her back where?' Albus asked quietly.

'The rumor is that he's Voldemort's son,' said Rose.

An uncomfortable silence followed her statement. Scorpius looked down, his ears slightly read, hands clasped together. Albus looked at him, thinking hard.

'You can't be his son,' Albus said decidedly. 'Look at you! You've got a nose!'

Scorpius laughed at this, even though it sounded a bit forced.

'And it even looks like my father's! I got his nose, his hair and his name. Not that that's a great thing. I mean… father-son issues. Never mind. But on the whole, I'd rather be a Malfoy than, you know, the Dark Lords…'

Scorpius and Albus look each other in the eye, an understanding passing between them.

'Yeah, well, we'll just continue on,' said Rose. 'Come on Albus.'

She started to pull him away by the arm, but Albus shook her off.

'No, I'll stay here. You go on.'

Rose raised her eyebrows, looking slightly startled at this. 'Ablus, I won't wait.'

'I'm not expecting you to.'

'Fine!'

Rose stormed away, slamming the door of the compartment shut. Albus winced slightly at the sound. He turned to look at Scorpius, unsure of what to do or say.

'Thanks,' the blonde boy said.

'What. No! no need. I didn't stay for you, I stayed for the sweets,' Albus said, gesturing towards the small pile with a bit of a crooked smile.

'She's quite fierce,' Scorpius said while staring at the closed compartment door.

'Yeah, sorry.'

'No, I like it. Do you prefer Albus or Al?' said Scorpius suddenly, obviously changing the subject.

'Albus.'

Scorpius grinned as he popped two sweets into his mouth.

'Thank you for staying for my sweets, Albus,' he said, while steam started coming out of his ears. Albus couldn't help but laugh at the sight and grabbed a sweet himself.