Albus jumped off the stool, gave the sorting hat back to Professor Flitwick and took off at a run to find his friend. Scorpius was beaming as he waited for him. Albus was always impulsive with his affection and this occasion was no different. He hugged Scorpius the moment he reached him and he treated everyone in the Great Hall to a sight that no one had ever expected to see...A Potter hugging a Malfoy.
Professor McGonagall had a lump in her throat as she watched the two boys. If ever there was a sign that we've put the war and our old prejudices behind us, it's this, she thought, as she silently commended both Harry and Draco for having managed to raise their sons to be free of prejudice. She glanced at the Gryffindor table to see how James and the rest of the Weasley kids were taking this and she was surprised to see nothing more than some fond head shaking. No one seemed particularly put out that Albus had ended up in Slytherin house. And they didn't seem to care that Scorpius Malfoy seemed to have become his new best friend.
Albus and Scorpius talked all through dinner. They got to know a few of the other first years as well, but they were mostly preoccupied with each other. They discovered as they talked that they had a lot of things in common. They both loved Quidditch and they both liked to play as Beaters, a fact that had been a disappointment to both their fathers.
They were both fond of books and music. Scorpius played the piano while Albus played the violin. It was exciting to find out all these things about each other. By the time they went to sleep that night, having chosen beds next to each other and having spent half the night whispering away, they were both very happy and looking forward to school with an eagerness that they could barely contain.