I was on the Hogwarts' Express, Albus and I were waving back at Uncle Harry who was walking with the moving train. I heard people all around talking with their friends and shutting compartment doors. In that moment Dad's words came back to me. "Make sure you beat him in every test ... Don't get too friendly."
Mum and Dad were great parents and very famous. Despite their unwillingness to tell Hugo and me about the past, I was keen to find out, and of course I did. They, along with Uncle Harry, were war heroes. They had helped Uncle defeat Voldemort, the most evil wizard of all time. When I found out I felt so proud of them, but at the same time I understood why they didn't want to tell us. In that moment I felt insignificant and unable to live up to their reputation. But at the same time I understood that I shouldn't try to live up to their reputation but to live up to my own standards, to live my own life.
Remembering that, I stopped waving at Uncle Harry and looked side to side at people closing compartment doors. And then I saw him, the small boy Dad had pointed out, just a little taller than me, with pure blonde hair. He was entering a compartment, dragging his trunk. I was glad to see that even he was already wearing his school robes. He looked back at me just as he finished putting his trunk on the rails above the seat and gave me a small smile. I gapped at him!
"How did he know I was watching him?" I whispered under my breath. He then smirked at my astonishment and sat down leaving the compartment door open.
I looked back at Albus, as he finally stopped waving and was now just staring out the window and watched as we left King's Cross. He must still have been realizing that he was going to be away from his family for the longest time he ever had in 11 years. As we passed through a tunnel I put my hand on his shoulder and motioned for him to follow me. We both dragged our trunks and walked over to the open compartment. There was only one boy sitting there, the same boy, with his legs sprawled across the opposite seat. He was just looking out the window.
I knocked on the door to catch his attention, as Al was behind me and paying much attention to anything. After 11 years, he learned not to argue with me and just to go with it.
"Hello," I said politely, "can my cousin and I sit here?"
"Sure," the boy replied putting his feet down and looking up. He was smirked at me again, as if knowing we were going to come.
I walked in and Al followed. I looked over my shoulder at him and saw he was a little shocked of who were sharing a compartment with. Back when I found out about the history of our parents and the Malfoy's relationship with them, I immediately showed Albus. He's my best friend and we have no secrets ... from each other at least. We flipped page after page of a book by Rita Skeeter, keeping in mind not to believe everything. We learned that they were archenemies and that during the Second War the Malfoy's were huge supporters of Voldemort and that they even resorted to torturing and nearly killing Uncle Harry and my parents.
We were both initially angered at what the Malfoy's did to our families, but together we rationalized (well mostly Albus rationalized and I listened and empathized) that there must have been a reason our parents didn't want us to find out about the people embedded in their past. Obviously they didn't want us to hold on to old prejudices. Albus, the kind soul he is, certainly wasn't one to hate someone he never met, and followed his lead. None the less, I suppose, our immediate proximity to a Malfoy must have shocked him.
We were putting our trunks on the rails above the seats. Al was struggling with, as was I, but he almost had his up. I kept pulling, lifting, and attempting to get it up; but I couldn't. Then I felt the weight of the trunk become lighter and saw that the Malfoy boy was also pushing the trunk up. With his help, I finally got my trunk secured safely just as Al had secured his as well.
"Thanks," I said, sitting down on the seat across from him with Albus next to me.
"No problem," he said. Then he smirked a little and added, "How many books do you have in there?"
"Just a dozen or so to read on the side along with all the required Hogwarts' books," I replied, smiling. "I'm Rose Weasley, by the way."
"Yea and I'm Albus Potter. The cousin and best friend," Al said, with a small friendly smile.
"I know who you two are already," the boy replied in a drawl, "and I know you both know who I am. But for courtesy's sake I may as well say 'I'm Scorpius Malfoy'."
"Yea I did know that. My Dad," I said with a mischievous grin, "told me to beat you in every test." I held out my hand for him to shake, "And you know what? I'm going to take him up on that offer."
Malfoy returned my grin and shook my hand. "I'd like to see you try," he insisted.
We stopped shaking hands and Al added, "Well your dad also told you, Rose, not to get too friendly with Scorpius over here. But my Dad never said anything about you, so I guess we can be friends." Al held out his hand and now Scorpius was shaking my cousin's hand.
"Father never said anything about the friends I make either," They stopped shaking hands and Scorpius looked at me, "But I doubt I would have listened to him anyway."
"I feel the same way," Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "We're not our parents! So why hold onto their grudges, when clearly they don't even want us too." I was nodding my head and moving my hands about with passion.
"So let me get this straight," Al said, always the friendly voice of confirmation, "we're all friends then?"
"Yup," both Scorpius and I simply stated.
"Great. And on that friendly note," Albus said getting up, "I'm going to find someone." I shook my head, knowing exactly who he was going to look for. Albus just gave me a giddy smile in response and left, closing the compartment door behind him and turning left.
Scorpius stretched his feet on the seat, where Al was previously sitting, as I pulled a muggle book out of my trunk. I sat back down and stretched my feet next to Scorpius, but they wouldn't short so I just let them fall. Scorpius smirked, but I just tried to ignore him and concentrate on my book. I suddenly felt my feet being pulled on top of his. It was as if we'd been friends forever. I was utterly shocked, but I managed to quickly compose myself as Scorpius asked casually, "So who exactly is my new friend looking for?"
"Alice Longbottom," I simply said while continuing to stay calm and read my book.
"You mean the Herbology teacher's daughter?" I raised my head from my book, questioningly. "Oh, I know because Father told me a bit about the teacher's we're going to have. Apparently he's always been a bit of a Herbology nerd."
"Yea I guess he was, but overall he's a very kind and nice man. And, yes, Alice Longbottom is his daughter. She and Al are the kindest people I know. Al kept worrying if he'd end up as a Slytherin until Uncle Harry talked to him," at Scorpius's dark glare I quickly added, "But there's nothing wrong with that house! It's just kind of against Potter, and well Weasley, tradition. But I don't think he cares much where he ends up after Uncle Harry talked to him. Besides, Al is a very brave person but I think I see him better as a Hufflepuff."
Scorpius intently listened to my speech, something few people bothered to do. It greatly pleased me. He also nodded his head in agreement and asked, "What about you? What house would you prefer? Ravenclaw, I presume?"
"Why would you say that? Most people assume I'd not only prefer Gryffindor but that I'll also end up there," I stated surprised at his guess.
"Well," Scorpius answered, contemplatively, "I don't doubt that your brave and probably a hardcore Weasley, but at the same time you seen to want your own future, without stereotypes!" And then he mumbled, "Which I completely understand," but I heard him anyway.
"You seem to judge people pretty well, Scorp," he let my nickname for him pass without a question. That encouraged me, "I would prefer Ravenclaw over Gryffindor, and I certainly want to get away from the stereotypes that must follow your last name as well," Scorpius just looked solemn. "You can trust that I hold you to no such standards. Well, actually I hold you to NO standards at all," I teased and watched Scorpius smile. I real smile, that seemed to bring light to his dull eyes. "However, I still think you'll end up as a Slytherin. It's not that you're evil or anything, but rather you're very self-assured of yourself. And what's wrong with being a Slytherin? You'll be ambitious and work for everything you want, which I find to be a very admirable trait," I said matter-of-factly as he just continued to stare at me and smile.