First Year: The First Meeting

Rose Weasley gave a final wave to her parents and set off down the rattling corridor of the Hogwarts Express. Her trunk, filled with all her new school books, was heavy, and coupled with her yowling cat, christened Spider by her younger brother Hugo, having a hissing fit in his cage, she was having a bit of trouble. Pushing her flaming red curls out of her eyes she spoke to the boy in front of her. "Hey James, could you-"

"Sorry Rose, gotta go! C'mon Albus!" and James Potter raced away down the train, his little brother Albus huffing and puffing in tow, as he too dragged a new trunk. Rose scowled after them. "Boys." She growled. She struggled with her trunk down the train corridor, but everywhere was already full. Finally, just when Spider was reaching a crescendo, she spotted a remarkably empty compartment. Rose whooped under her breathe and struggled towards it. Once inside she shut the door and heaved her trunk in after her, and, after a struggle, hauled her trunk into the hangar above her seat. Rose collapsed on a seat and started fiddling with the clasps on Spider's cage, and sat up straight again, because sitting opposite her, was a boy already changed into his billowing black school robes, like her. He was tall, for an eleven year old, and had a pale face and straight, white-blond hair. His eyes were very light grey-blue and he was smirking slightly as he lounged across the seat in front of her. She blushed, stood up abruptly and said "I-I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were here, I was just- I-… um… I'll be going now."

His eyes were glittering with amusement as she turned and started trying to lift her trunk down from the hangar overhead.

"You're a Weasley right?" a voice said. It was slightly drawling, with a hint of amusement colouring the tones. Rose found that it was pleasant to listen to. She turned again and sat down. She glared at him. "You're Scorpius Malfoy, correct? My dad told me to stay away from you. And yes, I'm a Weasley." There were neat fields outside the window now, with sheep and cows.

Scorpius inclined his head. "Rose." She was startled that he knew her name. "My dad told me to stay away from you too."

"Oh, then, in that case-" Rose started to get up again, but he just laughed.

"I'm always disobeying my father, I don't mind if you stay here." He lay down on the seat, and pillowed his head on his arm. "And let your cat out, it's going to have an epileptic fit soon."

He was right; Spider was bashing the cage and hissing in competition to the train. Rose sighed and undid the clasp. Finally, the peppery/dusty black, fluffy cat bounded out of its cage and landed lightly on the floor in front of Scorpius's trailing cloak. He sniffed the cloak, sneezed and leaped onto Rose's lap. He turned in a circle and closed his green-gold eyes.

"I though he would've scratched you or something." Scorpius sounded disappointed. Rose scowled at him again, and stroked Spider.

"He's actually a real sweetie once he calms down, he just doesn't like cages. The only person he doesn't like is dad, so dad was happy I took him to Hogwarts with me this year." She stroked him again, and he purred.

"Mmm." He didn't seem interested in the subject anymore. Rose felt a little embarrassed. Was she really that boring?

"Where are those two boys you were with? At the platform?" he asked suddenly. Her eyebrows went up again. How much does he notice?

"James went to find his friends, because he's in his second year, and took Albus with him. They abandoned me." She huffed a bit at the thought of her cousins. Scorpius's eyes slid towards her.
"How mean of them. What house is James in?" he asked, sounding genuinely interested "And are they the Potter boys?"

"He's in Gryffindor. And yeah, they're the Potters. Why do you ask?" Rose said.

"My dad said to definitely stay away from the Potters." He sat up and grinned. "But maybe I'll defy him again. You never know. Hey," his eyes drifted to her bag "What kind of wand do you have? And what house do you want to be sorted into?"

Rose got out her wand. It was a dark brown, long and straight. "Mahogany, dragon-heartstring, ten inches. Nice and swishy and good for transfiguration. What's yours?" She said

"Birch, dragon-heartstring, twelve inches. Supple, good for... um, I can't remember the rest." He grinned. "Ollivanders?"

"Yeah,"

"Me too."

"I figured. And for before, I don't really know what house I want to be sorted into. I suppose Gryffindor, because my dad said he'd disinherit me if I didn't get sorted in there." Scorpius laughed and Rose blushed. She hated people laughing at anything to do with her if it wasn't a joke. "What about you?"

"Um, I dunno, Slytherin I guess... Y'know uphold the family tradition and ra ra ra." He sighed.

"Oh yeah." Rose said, and put her head down. She was pretty sure it was unheard of for a person who wants to be a Gryffindor and a person who wants to be a Slytherin to share a compartment. Well, without bloodshed.

All of a sudden the lunch trolley rattled past. "Anything from the trolley, guys?" The young man pushing the trolley was smiling broadly at them. Scorpius got to his feet and bought about half the trolley. 'Boys,' she thought for the second time, and rolled her eyes as he came back with an arms full. She got up to buy her food but Scorpius nudged her back down with his foot.

"I bought some for you." he said. He flourished his arms at the pile of food he had tipped on the seat beside him. She smiled shyly and thanked him. He offered her a Pumpkin Pasty and she accepted.

"A toast," he said, about five minutes later, and broke a chocolate frog in half "for a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, if we get into our houses, to not hate each other." And he smiled warmly and offered her one of the halves. She smiled and bit into the chocolate.

Maybe this year at Hogwarts would be all right.