ICN: Yes, I am a huge Scorose shipper and whilst I don't ship Dramione, I think that Scorpius and Rose would be the Dramione we never got in canon, and I think it would be a glorious simmering love/hate rollercoaster and I need it.

HAIR: red.

EYES: blue.

WAND: hawthorn, dragon heartstring, eleven and a half inches.

Rose Weasley frowned as she stared at Scorpius Malfoy. Delighted as she had been to finally arrive at Hogwarts, to see its dazzling reflection on the lake and to step into the magnificent Great Hall, once the first few students had been Sorted her attention had wandered back to the silent blond boy, casting his narrowed silver eyes around the Hall as though expecting someone to attack him any second.

She couldn't quite work out why her Dad had specified that she must beat this boy in particular. He was a Malfoy, yes, stuck-up and definitely a little odd, but to Rose he seemed lonely more than anything. When she had run into him at Hogsmeade Station she had noticed that he was conspicuously alone in a crowd of chattering children. She certainly disliked him, with his pointy face and his pointy attitude, but she'd been a little sorry for him too. His hand in hers had felt cold and thin. Still, Rose wasn't prepared to take risks. She'd make sure that she was better than him in every class. Her Dad would be proud of her.

So lost was she in her ruminations that Rose didn't immediately realise she was staring directly into Scorpius' cold grey eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her and she looked down quickly, feeling embarrassed and cursing her complexion. Hugo had inherited warm brown skin and eyes from their Mum but Rose barely showed her mixed background at all; she knew that she was visibly blushing. Deciding that she was wasting time thinking about an unpleasant boy like Malfoy, Rose turned her attention to the rest of the Great Hall.

Her gaze wandered over to the Hufflepuff table, settling on the shimmering blonde head at the front, and received a little wave from the object of her scrutiny. She waved back immediately, grinning. It had come as no surprise to anyone when Victoire had received her Head Girl badge in the post during the holidays. It shouldn't have surprised James, either, when he caught Vic and Teddy snogging at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, as Vic had been unusually mopey during Teddy's seven-month Europe trip and they had both been conspicuously absent from a large portion of the Burrow gathering. James, however, could be pretty dense at times.

Over at the Gryffindor table was the Dursley girl, Abby, whom Rose had met at the most recent Burrow gathering. Albus had mentioned her a few times and had dropped the fact that she suffered from 'mental health issues'. Rose didn't think she'd met anyone with these before and she'd been surprised, upon meeting Abby, that the girl seemed quite normal and polite. Rose had been half-expecting a ghostly wraith constantly on the verge of tears, but Abby Dursley was plump and rosy-cheeked, with pretty red bows in her wavy brown hair. She'd spent most of the party chatting and giggling with Aunt Ginny, who'd gotten very tipsy and ended up perched on Uncle Harry's lap singing the Hogwarts school song.

Scorpius Malfoy's name was called and Rose jumped a little, immediately turning back to the front with interest. He marched up to the stool and sat on it as though it were a throne, storm-coloured eyes fixed on some point in the distance. Rose wasn't surprised when the Hat instantly placed him in Slytherin. She watched him give a small, satisfied smile and make his way to his table, sitting near the front and remarking something to a dull-looking boy with light brown hair and prominent teeth.

She shrugged and turned back to the front. Al was only three spaces from being Sorted now and was looking increasingly apprehensive. Rose frowned. So what if he would probably be in Slytherin? Not all Slytherins are evil; Rose knew that without a pep talk from her Uncle Harry. But Al had always been insecure, growing up in his brother's ego's shadow and not particularly close to his sister. He turned to look at her and she quickly offered a big, bright smile.

The students in front of Al were all very quick to be Sorted, scattering in less than a minute so that all of a sudden it was his turn. The Hat was lowered onto his messy black hair and Rose counted nineteen seconds of Al frowning and muttering once or twice, before he shrugged resignedly. He opened his eyes just as the rip just above the Hat's brim opened, and he was looking at his dumbfounded brother when he was proclaimed a Slytherin.

Albus hurried to the green and silver table, sitting in the first seat he got to which happened to be opposite Scorpius Malfoy. Rose craned her neck in avid interest as she saw Scorpius extend his hand towards Al, actually giving a cool but authentic smile as he did so. Al shook it politely.

Rose spent the next few minutes lost in thoughts of how her favourite cousin would cope with being the only Slytherin in the family, so it came as a surprise when she looked up to find no one in line in front of her. The Sorting Hat had shouted something and a girl was vacating the stool. Realising that she was up next, the wild-haired little girl squared her shoulders and began to move towards Professor Vector. Reaching the stool and receiving the ancient artefact, she smoothed down her skirt as the Hat began to speak.

"Oh, you're Miss Granger's girl. She was a difficult one… like mother, like daughter, I see. You certainly have her brains, and her courage. And like her, you're treading an even line between the raven and the lion. You're rather complex, actually. This could be tricky…"

Rose waited.

"You have the intellect and dedication, not to mention the competitive spirit, to go far as a Ravenclaw. However, you are a Weasley, with all that entails. You have guts and a sharp wit. Hmmm…"

Rose waited some more.

"I think perhaps your similarity to your mother is strong enough to sway my decision. I believe you have what it takes to make it in her house."

Rose smiled. She had known all along, but it was still fun to listen to the Hat dally.

"GRYFFINDOR!"