Disclaimer: I don't own HP. :(

"I can't explain right now, blah blah. Who does he even think he is?" Conway spat angrily, kicking a rock aside. Nash and O'Halloran didn't reply. "Are you buying his nonsense? For real? Aren't you tired of being ordered around by the joke shop idiot?"

"He's one of the Golden Trio, Jack. And he's also our boss." O'Halloran said sharply, frowning. Conway rolled his eyes.

"What did he ever do to be famous? Just be friends with Potter, that's it!"

"Shut up, Conway. He's still our superior, and we weren't even born back then. What would we know about it?" Nash said.

"Maybe you don't know shit about what happened during the War, Nash, but I was born back then! My parents were killed, remember?" he said, coldly. "Not all of us had the good luck of growing up surrounded by wealth and magic… or love." he added, looking over at O'Halloran for approval, but only received a glare from her. "Right, be on his side, Heidi."

"It's not about taking sides! We're on a mission!" she snarled back, tripping over a root in her distraction. "Oh, fuck."

"The mission, yeah." Conway said, making a face. "It can't be that bad. People die every day."

"People die every day, they don't get killed—" O'Halloran started again, but didn't continue as Conway stopped on his tracks as they emerged from the forest. They found themselves at the presence of a huge mansion that looked eerie in the dark night. Conway held his wand in front of him.

"Homenum Revelio." He said, and nothing happened. "There's no one alive in there. Let's go."

The other two followed suit, keeping their wands in front of them, just in case. Nash's blood was still boiling over Conway's comments, but he refused to let the older man find out. They entered the house, and were greeted by the body of a woman, her wide blue eyes staring emptily into the ceiling, no sign of a struggle or of injury. She had the exact same look that books described in regards of the Killing Curse, Nash noticed. His heart was hammering against his ribcage now that it was certain that what was happening was real, not just another Auror Academy drill.

"Someone tried to fight." Heidi commented, looking around at the spell marks on walls and a broken jar laying by the wide staircase. Conway merely nodded, walking into the first room to the right. Nash and Heidi walked fast to reach him.

She couldn't hold her gasp, and Nash felt the color draining from his face.

Harry Potter hadn't specified how many times the Killing Curse had been used, but even if the dead blonde man had been on the wrong end of such a thing, they all figured that the deep cuts all across his chest would've killed him anyway. He was still clutching his wand and his eyes were wide open, his face frozen into what looked like the combination of pain and fear. Conway managed to get the wand out of his hands with magic, sliding it into a bag that Nash had just conjured. O'Halloran couldn't bring herself to do anything, for her eyes were still locked into the dead man's gray eyes.

"Isn't that Draco Malfoy?" Heidi finally asked, the gruesome scene having taken any other phrase away.

He was the first to get to their dorm room that first night back to school, even if he wasn't tired at all. He just didn't want to deal with people anymore: feeling the stares on the back of his head wasn't making it any easier. He kicked off his shoes and sat on his bed, staring aimlessly at the wall. He didn't know whether it was easier or harder to be alone: he kept hearing every little sound, and he could've sworn there were blood stains on the walls when he glanced at them.

He didn't even dare close his eyes, for then the nightmare felt as if it was real once again.

"Scorp?" he was startled by the sudden voice, and he drew his wand immediately. He barely relaxed when Rose Weasley appeared on the doorway.

"It's you." He muttered, lowering his wand slowly. She nodded, walking in and closing the door behind her with her foot. Scorpius took a quick glance at her, noticing she was carrying a tray, making him feel uneasy, just as he had felt for the two weeks he had stayed at the Weasley's, where everyone seemed to want to help him in everything, but they were always secretly staring at him, making him feel more uncomfortable than he already was.

"You didn't have any dinner." She noted, looking down at the tray she was carrying. "I—uh, I got this from the kitchen." She explained, walking towards him tentatively.

"Thanks, Weasley." He said, receiving the tray of sandwiches and a bottle of pumpkin juice. He felt that uneasiness again, not wanting to receive any more pity from anyone. Rose sat down by him without asking for permission and set her hands on her knees. Scorpius looked sideways at her. "Thanks." He repeated, but he wasn't talking about the food anymore. She nodded and opened her mouth, but no words came out. What was she supposed to say? That she was sorry? Of course she was sorry, but that was something that wouldn't change anything, and he was surely sick of hearing it by then.

"You should start calling me Rose." She finally said, shaking her head with a weak smile. "We've known each other for five years. We're… friends, you know? And there's too many Weasleys in this school anyway."

"Rose." The name sounded strange when he said it out loud. The truth was that he never even thought of her as Rose: it had always been Weasley ever since they had met at the train five years before. It was always just Weasley. For the rest of the family he had mental nicknames: there was Veela Weasley for the oldest blonde one, and Tomboy Weasley for her sister; the blonde brother was Quiet Weasley in his head, and there were also Twin Weasleys, brother and sister. Little Weasley was Weasley's—well, Rose's brother. He had barely ever talked to any of them: Rose was his only acquaintance in that family.

"I mean, I've always called you Scorp, and that's okay with you, isn't it?" she sounded nervous. Scorpius just nodded. "I'm glad—"

"Do you really think of me as a friend?" he interrupted, glancing over at her again. She frowned.

"We always work together in class and do our homework together. We talk, too. We hang out, we play Quidditch together… I'm sure that's what friends do." She didn't bother hiding her tone of sarcasm, because Scorpius was used to it already.

He nodded, knowing that was true. They were friends. They had been friends since the day they met, and after his parents, she was probably the one who knew the most about him…

His chest tightened. If he thought of it, she was the only alive person who knew him at all.

He sat alone in his compartment, almost curled in the corner. He didn't remember feeling so anxious ever: his parents had made sure he was always in a safe environment where nothing was to worry him. This was going to be the first time he was going to be away from them, and it didn't feel so good so far. Unlike other kids his age, he never fancied Hogwarts much. He liked being alone… well, more like he was used to it. His only companions were his parents, and he enjoyed it very much.

The compartment door slid open and two boys walked in, laughing loudly. Scorpius recognized them at once because his Father had talked about their family: they were a Weasley and a Potter. The black-haired one was the first one to caught sight of him, and smiled a little.

"Look, a baby first year!" he said in a mocking baby voice. "This is our compartment, boy."

"I got here first." Scorpius said matter-of-factly. "I don't see your name written anywhere here."

"Just make it easy for us and leave, will you?" the red-haired one said. Scorpius didn't move from his seat. "Don't make me curse you, kid."

"Don't make me curse you." Scorpius spat back. He knew a little bit of magic from being home-schooled by his Mother and Father, and he had learned a few tricks from his Grandfather as well.

"Who do you even think you are?" the black-haired boy said, raising an eyebrow.

"Scorpius Malfoy." He said, still not moving at all, his hand inside his pocket, clutching onto his wand.

"James! Freddy! Just leave him alone, will you?" a red-haired girl walked in, closely followed by the younger Potter boy.

"Ohhh, Rosie is in love with Malfoy!" Fred joked as James roared with laughter.

"Bugger off, James!" the younger Potter snapped, looking angry as well. James and Fred looked at each other, shrugged and left, not without chuckling slightly at the sight of Scorpius Malfoy sitting in a corner, clutching his wand tightly with an expression of defiance across his pale face.

"I'm sorry my cousins are total pricks, Malfoy. I'm Rose Weasley." She said, sitting across from him, not asking for permission. "This is my cousin Albus."

"Hello." He said warily, not letting his wand go. She smiled widely. "Why are you even talking to me? Don't you hate me, like everyone else?" he blurted out. Rose didn't look as taken aback as her cousin next to her.

"I won't judge you if you won't judge us from having met James and Fred before." Her answer was simple, but it was enough for Scorpius. Albus smiled next to her, his hands twitching nervously on his lap. "We're all going into the same adventure after all, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I suppose so." He finally let go of his wand and relaxed, spreading a little bit on his seat.

"I'm sorry for my brother's behavior… he's usually not that bad." Albus interjected. "He doesn't hate you or anything of the sort, he doesn't even know you! Why would we hate you, anyway?"

"Everyone hates traitors and cowards, and that's what my family is usually called." He was honest, because he had never known any other way of being. Albus didn't know what to say, so instead he looked over at Rose.

"So, do you know any magic yet? I tried reading a few books, but I was just so anxious to get there that I couldn't focus at all!" she changed the subject quickly. "My mum is an amazing witch, but she refused to teach me any, because she said I'd enjoy it more if I learned in school. I can just do this…" she took her wand out quickly. "Lumos." The tip of her wand ignited, and her eyes seemed to sparkle in wonder at that simple bit of magic. The look in her eyes was so naïve, so innocent… Scorpius smiled.

"I know a few jinxes that I read in a book." He admitted sheepishly, making Albus look very interested.

"You should teach me some! Then if my brother decides to jinx me again I'll be able to defend myself!"

"Your brother has jinxed you?" Scorpius asked disbelievingly. Albus nodded. "How so? I thought we weren't allowed to practice magic outside of school."

"He does anyway, and since dad is important in the Ministry, they don't do much about James."

"Wow, one time I was playing with my dad's wand and…" Scorpius started, but then decided against sharing that with the two cousins. He didn't want to scare them. It was just too soon for that story. Rose and Albus looked expectantly at him. "On second thoughts, never you mind that."

He used a tone that both Albus and Rose recognized as one that didn't admit replies, one that adults used very often. It intrigued them, but they knew not to push the matter further.

"So… are you hoping to go to Gryffindor?" Scorpius asked. He expected both children to nod, but just Rose did. Albus, on the other hand, just shrugged, making his red-headed cousin stare at him, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know if I want to be in the same house as James." Albus admitted, shrugging again. "I mean, all the other Houses are good—"

"Even Slytherin?" Scorpius interrupted abruptly. Albus stared into his gray eyes, and then nodded.

"Where do you want to go to? Slytherin?" Rose asked, seeming interested.

"I don't know. I want to be anywhere I'll be accepted, to be honest."

"Me too." Albus said with a shy smile.

…

"Malfoy, Scorpius." Professor Longbottom called. There was some isolated whispering around the room, but he chose to ignore it as he strode with his head held high to the stool. He sat down and let the hat cover his eyes. It was nice and cool under it, and he was startled when a voice talked into his ear.

'Hmm… I can't say I'm not surprised, young Malfoy… this mind is nothing like I've seen in your family before." The hat commented. "I see the ambition to prove yourself, but that bravery seems to overshadow any desire to succeed beyond limits, and that's a lot to say… good luck in GRYFFINDOR!'

How could so many things happen in one day! That first moment had changed his life forever, and he'd never forget it: being sorted into Gryffindor, that strange feeling that overwhelmed him, the silence across the Great Hall. He was under the impression his sorting was just as anticipated as Albus', and he was glad when the Potter boy joined him in the house of scarlet and gold. When Rose Weasley joined them as well, it was as perfect as it could be. Rose and Albus were his only two companions in school, his first friends. His parents had never let him play with other children his age, so he had never had friends before. It was just so… magical.

"You are my friend. I'm sorry I even doubted that." He apologized. "You and Albus…"

"How come you can call him by his name and I've always only been Weasley?"

"How come you always ask that?" he asked back, elbowing her playfully on her right arm. She laughed a little. "Where is he, anyway?"

"He's stuffing himself, as always. He loves eating way too much."

"No wonder, I'd love eating if my grandmother was that good of a cook, too." Scorpius said, smiling a little.

Those little things helped keep his mind off the awful things that were going on. They helped keep his mind off the fact that he might be in danger, that someone might be out there in the Castle's boundaries, looking to kill him like his parents had been killed just twenty-one days before.

Hogwarts was the only safe place for him at the moment. Everything had been shaken up in his world.

Hey! Second chapter's up~ Thanks for the reviews and the interest! This is still introductory, and I'm very excited to continue with this! It'll only get better!

I'll be going on vacation for a week tomorrow, but I'll have my notebook with me and I'll be writing, so expect an update sooner than later!

-Phankam.