Scorpius stood uncomfortably at Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross. He always hated the end of school holidays, just as he always hated leaving school for the holidays. He always went home expecting it to be boring and uneventful, and instead always had a fantastic time. His dad had always told people when Scorpius was younger that he had “separation issues”. Scorpius didn’t show that he had them anymore, but he still hated leaving.

“Look who’s over there,” Scorpius’ dad nodded towards a couple. The woman had long, waist-length blonde hair and a serene look on her face, and the man was dark-haired and small. He looked just as dreamy as his wife.

“Who is it?” Scorpius asked, trying not to look blatantly over at the woman and her husband. Every year on the first day of school, his dad would come to drop him off at the train station and while there, point out people he used to go to school with and tell Scorpius about their pasts. Scorpius hated it. He felt like it was an invasion of the adults’ privacy. What they did in their childhoods had nothing to do with the people they were now, but every time Scorpius heard a story his father told him about the person, he always remembered it when he saw them later, no matter how stupid or embarrassing it was.

“Her name is Luna Lovegood,” Mr. Malfoy smirked. “She was the epitome of insanity in her years at Hogwarts. She was a year behind me. Her father was the creator and editor of that mad magazine The Quibbler, and she believed every word he said. Honestly, she’s as mad as they come.”

“Draco,” his wife reprimanded him from behind, “you know as well as I do what lovely people the Lovegoods are.” She pulled little Lyrica onto her hip and scowled at her husband.

“I didn’t say anything about her not being a nice person, Adeline. But it’s a right fact that the Lovegoods are barking mad. People just overlook it because, as you said, they’re lovely people.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes. As much as his father would go and slander other people or talk about them behind their backs, he would say anything to please his wife. Even Scorpius could see that his dad was head over heels for her still, even after their five years of marriage. He couldn’t blame his dad. Adeline was smart, pleasant, sweet, and a wonderful mother. And little five-year old Lyrica was becoming more like her every day.

“Do they have children who go to school with you?”

Scorpius awoke from his thoughts and followed his father’s stare back to Luna Lovegood. “I don’t know, what’s her married name?”

Mr. Malfoy shrugged slightly and made a face to say he didn’t remember, or care much for that matter. “I think those are their children, the two boys standing by them. Who are they? Do you know them?”

Scorpius glanced over again. He saw two identical boys with sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes standing by Luna. “Yeah, they’re a couple of years younger than me, maybe in fourth year. Their names are Lysander and Lorcan.”

“What house are they in? Gryffindor? I could have sworn Luna was in Gryffindor when she was at Hogwarts…” Mr. Malfoy looked at his wife for confirmation.

But Adeline shook her head. “She was in Ravenclaw, with me. Though she was a few years ahead of me.”

“Ah, that’s right. I thought she was in Gryffindor because she was friends with the Weasley girl and Potter and Granger and all of them. Are those two in Ravenclaw then?”

Scorpius shook his head. “One of them is a Gryffindor, I’m pretty sure. And I see one of them around the Slytherin common room, so one of them is in there.”

His dad raised his eyebrows. “Really? A child of Luna Lovegood is a Slytherin? Who would have thought?”

Scorpius rolled his eyes again. “Maybe the houses have changed a bit since you were at Hogwarts.”

Malfoy stopped staring at the woman to look at his son with an odd expression on his face. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Well then. I think I’ll go put Nor’s cage on the train for you.” He took the owl cage and walked off.

Scorpius looked after him for a moment before turning to his stepmother and smiling at her. “I should be going.”

She smiled back and enveloped him in a warm hug. “You take care of yourself, dear. And please write us once in a while, don’t forget.”

He shook his head. “I won’t. I never do. Thanks for the trip to Vienna this summer. It was really amazing.”

“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” she grinned, as if reminiscing. “My parents used to have a home there when I was a little girl. It brings back a lot of memories. I wanted to take you and Lyrica there.

“Well thanks.”

“And besides,” she continued, “While your dad had all that time traveling for work, we weren’t just going to sit home at the manor, were we?”

Scorpius smiled again. “No, I liked it much better this way.”

“Good, we’ll go again next summer.”

“Scorpius,” came a soft melodious voice from the little girl on Adeline’s hip, “must you really leave?”

 

Scorpius bent down slightly, so that he was closer to her eye-level. “I’m sorry, Rica. I have to go to school to learn things. I would take you with me if I could, you know I would. But I can’t. You have to wait a few years until you’re old enough to go too.”

Her face dropped slightly. “But I want to go now.”

Scorpius shook his head sympathetically. “No you don’t, Lyrica. You don’t want to leave your Mum, do you?” He waited for her to shake her head, and then continued. “Besides, in a few years you’ll be the one going off to Hogwarts without me.” He made a face as if he were sad.

“You can come with me!” said Lyrica, excitedly.

“But that wouldn’t be fun for you!” exclaimed Scorpius. “I would always be around, watching out for you. Would you like that?” He paused, but she just kept looking at him. “You wouldn’t like that, Lyrica. Because I would make sure that you were hanging around the right people, and not getting into any trouble, and eating all your vegetables, and not dating any boys…”

“Hm, maybe you should go to school with her,” smiled Adeline.

Scorpius smiled up at her before continuing to talk to Lyrica. “You wouldn’t like that, would you?”

“Do you mean like that time when I was at the park and you came up and told that boy Evan who was sitting next to me on the seesaw that you would hit him really hard if he tried anything with me?” Lyrica asked innocently.

“You what?” exclaimed Adeline, though when Scorpius looked up at her, she had a rather amused look on her face.

“Yes,” he said solemnly. “Just like that, Rica. And believe me, if I hadn’t said something that boy could have tried much more than seesawing with you.”

Adeline laughed. “They’re five.”

“Evan’s six!” Lyrica said defensively.

Scorpius made a sour face. “All the worse. Watch out for older men, Rica,” he advised, making Adeline laugh even more.

He grinned too and looked down at Lyrica. “See? Now would you like me following you around at Hogwarts the entire time you’re there, telling boys I’ll hit them if they seesaw with you?”

Lyrica hesitated, her eyes looking very solemn. That was one thing Scorpius absolutely loved about his half-sister—her eyes looked exactly like his. Though he had his father’s blonde hair and Lyrica had her mother’s soft light brown hair, their eyes matched perfectly in an indefinable blend of grey, green, and brown. Looking at his little sister’s eyes was like looking into a mirror reflecting his own.

“I suppose it wouldn’t be such a good thing,” Lyrica decided. “Evan and I are friends, and you told him you would hit him, which isn’t a good thing. So I suppose I wouldn’t want you around Hogwarts while I was there. And maybe it’s a good thing that you can’t take me, because I’d do the same for you.”

“Do what for me?” Scorpius asked, trying not to laugh.

“Hit girls who try and play with you and make sure you don’t get into trouble and eat all your vegetables and all that you said.”

Scorpius made sure to give her a grateful smile. “Thanks, Lyrica. But I promise I’ll send you lots of letters and Hogwarts stuff, okay?”

She nodded.

“And promise me you’ll send me stuff too?”

She nodded again and leaned over to hug him, though her mother was still holding her.

After Scorpius released Lyrica, he hugged his stepmother again. “Bye, Adeline. I promise to write and stuff. And I’ll see you at holiday.”

Mr. Malfoy walked up at that moment. “Are you about ready?” he asked.

Scorpius nodded and reached down for his trunk. “I’ll see you, Dad.”

His father nodded and gave him a brief smile. “See you at holidays, Scorpius.”

Scorpius nodded back and gave Adeline and Lyrica one last smile before turning away and walking toward the train.

“Don’t break too many hearts.”

Scorpius turned back around and saw Adeline still standing behind him, grinning. His father had already walked away.

He laughed back. “I can’t promise you that.”

She rolled her eyes, smiling. “Be good.” She turned to follow her husband.

“Be nice,” he replied. “You too, Lyrica.”

Lyrica smiled sadly back at him, over her mother’s shoulder, as she walked away.

Scorpius sighed and glanced around the platform, doing a quick once-over for any of his best mates, most of whom were in Slytherin. He almost immediately caught sight of Melinda Carter, standing only a few meters away from him, talking with her best friend Anna Margosian.

He cringed slightly. Scorpius and Melinda had gone together for a month the previous year, but he had broken up with her on the last day of school and they had parted on bad terms. The last he had heard from her was in mid-August when he had received an owl bearing a letter from Melinda accusing him of “breaking her heart and damaging it past repair”. Scorpius decided to avoid her sight and quickly hurried to the next person he was acquaintances with: Albus Potter, who was standing near the Hogwarts Express with his older brother James.

Scorpius dragged his trunk to the two of them. “Hey,” he greeted with a smile.

James immediately grinned back, the friendlier of the two, while Albus gave a more apprehensive greeting.

“Hey, Malfoy,” James ran a hand through his messy black hair. “How was your holiday?”

“Wasn’t too bad,” Scorpius shrugged. “My stepmum took me and my sister to Vienna. It was pretty cool.”

James nodded, looking interested. “Yeah, my Aunt Hermione and her family went on a holiday there a couple years ago; said it was fantastic.” Behind him, Albus let out a kind of snort. James ignored him and kept talking with his boundlessly energetic voice. “We’ve never been there though. Or family really doesn’t travel much anymore. Mum’s not too fond of it.”

“Probably because whenever one Weasley goes on vacation, every other Weasley on the planet seems to feel the need to come along,” commented Albus, deciding to join the conversation, though looking a bit suspicious.

“Oh yeah, you guys are related to the Weasleys,” Scorpius remembered. “Because your last name is different, I always seem to forget.”

“We’re not lucky enough to be able to forget,” beamed James, joking. “There are always Weasleys around to remind us that we are one of them.”

Scorpius grinned back. He liked James Potter; he was a laugh. “So how was your holiday, then?”

“Good,” nodded James. “Our cousin Rose came with us when we drove up to the cottage for a few days.”

Scorpius nodded. Rose Weasley was in his year, with Albus. She had fantastic red hair and pretty blue eyes. She was bright and friendly and he rather liked her. “Where is Rose?” Scorpius asked, looking around.

“Dunno,” said James, looking around as well. “But she’ll be here. We’re just so early, hardly anyone else is here yet.”

“Yeah, I hate being so early,” Scorpius agreed. “My dad always drops me off before hardly anyone gets here.”

“Our Mum and Dad did the same,” Albus commented. “They practically shoved us inside so the could wait in the parking lot for the, er, other Weasleys.”

“Exaggeration,” snorted James.

“Whatever,” Albus retorted.

“But our grandparents are getting Rose here so she should be here soon. Because I can bet you they’ll be here early today,” James said.

“Oh yeah, Rose lives with your grandparents, doesn’t she?” Scorpius asked. “Aren’t her parents in…wasn’t it France?”

“Yeah, France,” said James, nodding. “With her younger brother Hugo.”

“Right,” Scorpius nodded. It was all coming back to him now, “and Hugo goes to Beauxbatons, and they live in Marseilles, right?”

Albus paused a moment. “Right.”

James cast a suspicious smile. “Yeah, right. How did you know?”

Scorpius brushed off the remark. “I dunno, my dad must have mentioned it or something.”

Albus shot a look to James.

James grinned and said, “Or maybe you’ve been a little cozier with our cousin than you let on.”

“Who, Rose?”

“I would make a sarcastic remark about how many cousins we have, but I want to know more about you and Rose’s relationship, so I’ll spare you,” James said. “So what’s going n with you and Rose?”

“Nothing,” Scorpius insisted, worried that if he said anything, the Potters would do to him what he had said he would do to Lyrica’s friend Evan. “We’re just friends.”

“Scorpius,” James said, still grinning, “I know what I mean when I say ‘just friends’ about a girl. And I think we’re kind of similar when it comes to girls. So you can tell us, what’s up with Rose?”

Scorpius looked between the Potters and insisted, “Really, nothing. We just started talking more last year because we were both prefects and everything. And I remember her telling me about her family being in France and stuff.”

James laughed and called over to Albus, “I love how Rose just goes around telling everyone about her people in France.”

Albus shrugged. “We don’t have to just because she does.”

“What,” Scorpius asked, “do you have family there too?”

Before James could reply, Albus just shrugged again and replied, “There are Weasleys everywhere.”

“Only too true; everywhere I look, I see a Weasley lately.” A petite blonde girl dragged her trunk up to the three boys and smiled brightly. “Although I can’t quite say that’s a good thing.”

James laughed and pulled the girl into a hug. “Hey, how was your summer?”

“Good!” she laughed as he embraced her. “But I’m so glad to be back at Hogwarts!”

“Same,” James agreed.

The girl ran to hug Albus next. “I missed you guys so much! Remember when we used to live next door to each other and play all the time?”

“I remember,” Albus assured her, smiling for the first time that Scorpius had seen today.”

James grinned at the two of them and then turned to Scorpius. “Do you know Briony Talisman?”

“No I don’t, but I have a feeling I will in a moment,” Scorpius said charmingly, giving Briony his most heart-melting smile.

“This is Scorpius Malfoy, Briony,” introduced James. “Briony’s a fifth-year Gryffindor. We used to live next to her when we were kids. Until she abandoned us to move to Surrey.”

“Not true!” cried Briony. “I just decided to movie into my dad’s house with my brother! But I still see you every day at Hogwarts!”

James smiled. “Like I could forget, Bri.” He turned to Scorpius again. “Briony’s mum played Quidditch with our parents while they were at Hogwarts. Name’s Alicia Spinnett—brilliant chaser.”

Briony laughed and swatted at James. “I don’t know how you can say that—she stopped playing before you were even born.”

“Well if she’s half as good as her daughter, I’d say she’s pretty superb,” said Albus, with a smile.

Scorpius was taken aback. He had never seen or heard Albus flirt with a girl, and was especially intrigued that he was flirting with one as pretty as Briony. It wasn’t that Albus wasn’t good-looking—as a matter of fact, he was one of the best looking in their year—it was just that Albus wasn’t like that. That was more of something that James would do.

James noticed Scorpius’ surprised look and grinned his notorious smile, acknowledging his brother’s flirting. “She is a good Quidditch player, though.”

Briony flushed a bit, but smiled. “Thanks, you two. Do you play, Scorpius?”

He shook his head. “I used to play around at home, but I never tried-out for the team or anything.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think I had ever seen you in a match before,” said Briony, thoughtfully.

“Oh, so you noticed me before?” asked Scorpius with a smirk across his face.

Briony laughed. “Yes. But the only times I’ve really seen you is with your nose in a book, or with another girl.”

“Sounds a bit apt,” grinned Scorpius.

Albus cleared his throat and looked at Briony. “James is captain this year.”

Briony brook her gaze from Scorpius’ eyes. “Are you really?” she asked excitedly.

He nodded, his eyes shining. “McGonagall sent me an owl saying so this summer. Since Charlie Wood graduated last year, we were kind of left in a lurch. He was the best captain Gryffindor’s had in years.”

“Probably since Harry Potter himself!” agreed Briony, her face shining with admiration. “You’ll be brilliant, James! Wow, Head Boy and Quidditch captain in the same year!”

“Mum and Dad definitely thought Fred Weasley would get it,” Albus mumbled, but James just laughed.

“Tue, they thought I’d gotten in way too many predicaments to ever pull off Head Boy. And to be honest, I thought I had too.” James shrugged. “But I hear that you’ve made prefect, Briony, so maybe the world’s being made right again.”

She laughed. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“Who’s Head Girl?” asked Scorpius.

“A girl from Ravenclaw, Emmeline something, forget her name,” James said dismissively, as if it wasn’t important.

“Well, you’ll do great,” Briony said reassuringly. “And I’m sure the cup is ours if you’re captain, even if the team is dominated by Weasleys and Potters.”

“Well if it weren’t we would have a drastically worse and uglier team.”

James turned around and grinned at the sound of the voice. “Rose!” He pulled her into a hug.

“Oh, stop it, James Potter.” She smacked him on the arm. “I heard you’ve beaten my brother out to become the first boy in our generation of Weasleys to become Head Boy.”

“Honestly, I don’t think poor Hugo had much of a chance to get it first, considering he’s been spending all his time in France,” James said logically.

"True," Rose nodded. "Alright, I forgive you." She hugged him. "Hello, Albus, Briony, Scorpius."

All replied with greetings.

"Did Nana and Grandad drop you off?" asked James.

Rose nodded and rolled her eyes. "Yes, and then dashed outside to wait with your parents. Honestly, it's as if the Minister of Magic was arriving!"

Albus agreed, and then changed the subject, as he always seemed to be doing. "Have you seen Roldine, Rose?"

"Roldine?" asked Scorpius, his forehead wrinkling with confusion.

"Roldine Hathway--tall, reddish hair, prefect..." James described.

"I know who she is," said Scorpius, "but what about her? Do you fancy her?"

"No," Albus said quickly, rolling his eyes. "I just thought she might be here already. And Rose is friends with her..." All four turned towards Rose, who just shrugged. "Kind of. But I haven't seen her. Or anyone, really," she replied.

"That's because you love us so much," James grinned, putting an arm around Rose, "that you just can't stay away."

Rose laughed and Scorpius noticed it wasn't in a "that's ridiculous" kind of way, but in an amused sort of way.

"One more year and I'll be rid of you, James Potter," she said with a smile.

"Face it, Weasley," James grinned, "you'll never be rid of me."

"Only too true," she groaned. "I suppose in thirty years you'll still be apparating to my flat when you need me to tie your tie."

James grimaced. "My only weakness," he said, taking his arm from around her.

"What are you even going to do after you graduate, James?" Rose asked.

James groaned and turned somewhat away. "You sound like my mum!"

"No, if I was your mum I would have said that in a way more contradictory tone," corrected Rose. "But really, James..."

"Really?" James started to swivel his body from side to side, like a little kid. He looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "Dunno yet. Still deciding. But I was thinking I might become an Auror. You know, 'cause of my dad. And my name."

"You'd become an Auror because the man you were named after was one?" asked Briony.

James ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, 'sppose so. Fits doesn't it? And I think it'd be pretty cool too..."

"And pretty dangerous," commented Rose.

"Come on, Rosie," James jeered. "You're worried about me?"

"Just worried that you'll do something stupid," smirked Rose. "And then I'd have to name my kid after you, because you were noble or whatever.

James smirked. "You would so name your kid after me anyway."

"Would not," argued Rose, wearing the same smirk, "but I would be obligated to if you died doing some Auror shit."

"Whoa," James mocked. "Profanity. And stop talking like that, Rose. I won't die. How could I, James Potter, die?"

"Aurors do dangerous stuff all the time," Rose said. "Deadly stuff."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean they die while doing it," Albus spoke up for his brother. "Our dad didn't. And your parents didn't. And neither did hundreds, maybe thousands of others."

For the first time in a while, Scorpius glanced over at Albus. His eyes widened when he saw that during the conversation Briony had become nestled under Albus' arm, in a way that she looked like she hope looked completely casual.

"Yeah," James said, breaking the silence that had accumulated over the shock of this new development. "See, not all die."

"But a lot do," contradicted Rose, sounding very much like how Ginny Potter had sounded when Scorpius had met her two years ago in Diagon Alley. "Your dad's parents, my dad and your mum's brother Fred, Dumbledore, both of Teddy Lupin's parents--"

"Teddy Lupin's getting married, by the way!" James suddenly shouted. "Just thought all would like to know!"

"I already knew it." Rose rolled her eyes. "I was at your house when he told you all."

"And I'm kind of your brother," Albus noted sarcastically.

"But thanks for interrupting me and changing the subject," Rose muttered.

"Ooh, who's Teddy marrying?" asked Briony. "That pretty blonde girl he's been dating since--"

"Forever?" James finished, laughing. "Yeah, Victoire, another one of our cousins."

"And he'll finally be a Weasley!" cheered Rose, forgetting to be mad at James.

"Like he wasn't already," commented Albus.

"So true, Albus," sighed James. "For so many years he's been wandering around our house stealing our food, sleeping over, flirting with our cousins..."

Briony laughed. "I don't blame him! There are so many--it's like a red-haired dating service!"

James grinned. "Well some of us aren't so lucky. Ever since you moved away, we have to go all the way to Hogwarts to find a girl who isn't related to us! Right, Albie?"

"Hm?" asked Albus, absentmindedly.

"Exactly my point," James finished, sarcastically. "Though I somehow think that the Hogwarts Weasley clan of girls is going to be growing this year, don't you, Al?" He looked pointedly at his brother, who got the message and stopped nuzzling with Briony.

"Yeah, er, I should go get a compartment before anyone I'm...not too fond of comes along."

James rolled his eyes. "Come on, Al, it's not like she's going to throw a fit or something here at the train station."

"I know she's not," said Albus, a bit defensively. "But I'd just rather not see her right now. Don't really want to ruin my first day back just yet."

"Albus," reprimanded James.

"James, I haven't seen her in nearly two years. A few more hours aren’t going to hurt."

"Come on, Albus," James repeated. "It's not like she isn't going to be a huge part of your everyday life."

"She won't," argued Albus. "Everything is going to go on normally."

"Albus, she's going to be living with us--"

"Only if she gets into Gryffindor."

"Oh yeah, like she won't," scoffed James. "Practically everyone in our family is a Gryffindor, Albus."

"But she's not like everyone else in our family!" Albus exclaimed. "She's different! When are you going to see that?" He shook his head at James. "I'm going to go get a compartment. Briony, do you want to come?"

"Erm, sure," she said, giving James a sympathetic look before hurrying off after Albus.

James ran a hand through his already-untidy hair. "He's been acting like this all summer. And honestly, he calls me the arse!"

"Don't be too hard on him, James," Rose said, logically. "He's only sixteen. He's bound to be going through some changes."

James looked at her, grinning maniacally. "Changes?" he repeated.

Rose rolled her eyes and shoved him. "You know what I mean. A lot’s to be changing for him this year, which he probably won't like because things were so good for him last year."

James looked at her, rather blankly.

"He's just sixteen," she repeated for emphasis.

"You're just sixteen," countered James, "and I don't see you acting like this."

"Girls are different," Rose said simply.

"And thank God for that," James grinned.

"Alright, fine," said Rose, folding her arms across her chest. "Who will you be going after this year?"

"Dunno." James sighed, shrugging. "I mean I've really gone after all the girls at Hogwarts that I've ever potentially fancied..."

"James!"

"That's not a bad thing, Rose," James insisted. "I was never terrible to any of them. Scorpius knows what I mean, don't you?"

Scorpius was startled when both heads turned sharply towards him. James looked at him expectantly while Rose was rather scowling at him. As to please both, Scorpius just shrugged.

"He does," supplemented James. "See Rose, while I've been occupying myself with the Gryffindor girls, Scorpius has been doing the same with the Slytherin girls. We share the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs...well, they're pretty much occupied with their own House's boys."

"Can you blame them?" asked Rose. "The Hufflepuffs obviously have the majority of the best-looking boys."

"Thanks, Rose," James said morosely. "But yes, Hufflepuffs do tend to stick together these days. It's like a pretty-boy convention," he muttered under his breath.

"So what will you do now that you've womanized your way through the towers of girls at Hogwarts?" asked Rose, one eyebrow raised.

"Look for someone new, fresh." James grinned. "And I'm guessing you'll do the same, Scorpius?"

Scorpius shrugged again, smiling. "Will most likely have to."

"Well good luck with that, you two," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Rosie," said James. "So who've you got your eye on first, Malfoy?"

Scorpius grinned and looked around the platform. Throngs of students were now congregating. Old friends reuniting, and new friends meeting. Little first years huddled by their parents, while older students hurried to find classmates. Scorpius' eyes grazed the students, until a flash of red caught his eye.

"There," he said, leaning towards James to show him.

"Where?" James asked.

Scorpius deliberately set his stare on the girl, who stood at the very far end of the platform. He didn't mind if a girl caught him looking at her--usually she would find it flattering.

"See over there?" he pointed past James. "Way down. Red-haired, little, dressed in blue, standing next to that boy with the brownish hair..."

James followed Scorpius' gaze.

"She's cute, isn't she?"

James paused a moment, then shook his head. "No."

"Yes she is."

"No," James repeated, with a half-smile.

"Why not?" Scorpius asked, scowling.

James burst out laughing. "Because that's my sister!"

Scorpius frowned. "What?"

James continued guffawing with laughter. "That girl is my sister!"

"But..." Scorpius stammered. "But you don't even have a sister!"

James gasped for a breath. "Yes, yes I do. And that's her. That's who we've been talking of this entire time!"

Scorpius turned to Rose with a look of utter shock on his face. "I didn't even know about her!"

Rose nodded. "It's true. That's Lily. And she's standing over there next to my brother Hugo."

"She's never gone to Hogwarts, has she?"

James shook his head. "No. She ran off to France with Rose's family when she was eleven. She's insane, that one, but brilliant. She could speak fluent French when she was five."

Scorpius glanced back at Lily Potter. "So she's in what, fifth or sixth year?"

Rose shook her head. "Fourth."

"What?" Scorpius exclaimed.

"Yeah," said James. "She looks older."

"It's not that," Scorpius said thoughtfully, "it's just that she...carries herself as if she is."

Rose smirked a bit. "Beauxbatons taught her well."

James agreed. "Yeah, that bit was all Beauxbatons. They taught her to be all prim and proper and stuff. But believe me, she isn't the bitch Albus maker her out to be."

"But she's in for quite an awakening," said Rose. "Hogwarts is like an uncivilized barn compared to an academy like Beauxbatons." She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Lily! Over here!"

Lily Potter caught glance of Rose and a smile came over her pretty little face. She made her way over to them, through the crowd. Rose caught hold of her and threw her into a hug.

"Lily!" she said excitedly. "I'm so glad you're finally here!"

"I know!" grinned Lily, who Scorpius noticed wasn't hugging back quite as tight as Rose was hugging her. But still, her brown eyes sparkled as she greeted her cousin.

"You look beautiful!" Rose smiled, stepping back to view her cousin.

"Thank you! So do you!" Lily replied pleasantly. "And Rose, thank you for all your letters you sent while I was away. I loved them."

"Of course!" exclaimed Rose. "We're cousins, aren't we?"

Lily smiled. "Oh Rose, you're truly one of the people I missed most while I was in France."

"Of course you didn't miss me, because I already had a place in your heart, didn't I, Lil?"

Lily let go of Rose and threw herself into James' arms. "James!" she squealed. "I missed you so much!"

"Missed you too, Lil," James said, grinning. "Where's Hugo?"

"Oh, he went to get a compartment with Louis already," she said dismissively, mentioning yet another Weasley cousin. "So Mum and Dad said you made Head Boy! I'm so proud!"

"And Quidditch captain," added Rose.

"So that means that you'll just have to try out for the team this year," said James,” it can be almost completely dominated by Weasleys and Potters, except for Briony and Christian Prewitt who I admit is a great Beater."

"Merlin, I haven't even played Quidditch in three years!" Lily exclaimed. "I'll bet I forgot how!"

"A Weasley-Potter never forgets how to play Quidditch. It's in our blood," said James.

"Speaking of blood, where's that other boy who we call our brother?" asked Lily, glancing around.

"If you must know," said James with a snide smile on his face, "he is currently in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, snogging the face off a girl I like to call Briony Talisman."

"What?" Lily cried. "Briony Talisman? That little girl who used to live next door to us?"

"Well, she's not that little anymore, Lil. It seems she's aged like the rest of us."

"What?" Lily repeated. "Albus is snogging her?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Lil. We Potter boys get around," James grinned. Rose snorted with disapproval.

"But Albus? Our brother Albus?" clarified Lily. "The boy who has the romantic capabilities of toad spawn?"

"Well apparently, he's evolved," laughed James.

Rose looked at him with slight contempt. "You don't know that's what they're doing up there."

"If you were a bloke trapped in a little train compartment with a pretty girl, what would you be doing? Comparing cauldrons?" James looked at Rose.

"Oh really?" asked Lily, "Briony is pretty now?"

James looked at her incredulously. "Briony's always been pretty."

"Yes, but is she pretty in a little girl way, like cute? Or is she more drop-dead gorgeous?" Lily asked.

James looked rather blank. "I dunno. Albus is the one snogging her, not me."

Lily sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, but James, is she really pretty? She grasped for words. "Is she prettier than me?"

James grinned and ruffled Lily's long red hair. "Of course not, Lil. Who could be prettier than a Potter?"

Scorpius was surprised to see a look of relief pass over Lily's face.

“Don’t be worried about that stuff, Lil,” said James. “By the way, this is Scorpius Malfoy,” he gestured to Scorpius, “he’s in the same year as Albus and Rose.”

Scorpius smiled at Lily, who seemed to be studying him critically.

“A Malfoy, hm?” she said. “I think our parents hated each other while they were at school.”

Scorpius’ face dropped a little. “Erm yes, I suppose they did.”

“And our grandparents before them.”

“Er…yeah.”

“So I suppose I shall have to hate you as well,” concluded Lily.

Scorpius looked at her in surprise. Was this girl for real? This little sweet thing standing in front of him was publicly rejecting him? Maybe Albus was right. Maybe she was the bitch he made her out to be…

“I’m just kidding.” A smile broke out over Lily’s lovely face. “I would never do something like that, though my brothers might make you think I would, by the way they talk about me…”

“You know that’s not me, Lily,” James said quickly. “That’s Al.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Whatever. But it’s nice to meet you.” For a moment Scorpius thought that she was going to hug him, and his mind ran away with the thought. How he would love to wrap his arms around that tiny waist of hers, her hair brushing against his shoulder…

But then Lily stuck out her hand towards him. A handshake.

Scorpius looked at her small hand a little confusedly. And then took it and shook. “Nice to meet you too, Lily Potter.”

“Well we should be getting to the prefect compartment,” said Rose, brightly. “Lily, I’ll show you to the one that Hugo and Louis and no doubt a few other Weasleys will be. You can sit with them while we have our little meeting, and I’ll come back for you later.”

“Alright,” Lily agreed, still holding an eye contact with Scorpius. “So I guess I’ll see you later, Scorpius Malfoy.”

Scorpius smiled at her usage of his full name. “Yeah. I’ll be seeing you, Lily Potter.”

She smiled and followed Rose into the train.

“Come on,” said James, leading Scorpius towards the prefect’s area. “So now you’ve met my sister,” he said conversationally.

“Yeah,” said Scorpius. And though he wanted to think of nothing but his schoolwork and Hogwarts and being a sixth-year prefect, his mind kept wandering back to the girl called Lily Potter. However distant and impersonal as she came off, he somehow felt an attraction to her. He wanted to get to know her more, and learn how her mind worked. He wanted to be her friend, and show her Hogwarts and his world.

‘To answer your question, James,’ Scorpius thought, ‘I know exactly who I’m going for this year.’

He couldn’t wait.