A/N First of all a big thank you to eternalhappiness for introducing me to fanfiction in the first place and also to Sweethearts together whose amazing fic 'The Sister who Lived' was partly my inspiration to finally write a story of my own. This is my first ever fanfiction and reviews will be greatly appreciated. Enjoy:)

Albus watched through the glass as his parents faces disappeared into the distance, when the train finally picked up enough speed that he couldn't see his family at all he began to take in his surroundings. He was standing in a train corridor with his cousin Rosie who was also only just pulling her gaze away from the window. Looked at each other and Albus felt as though they had a sort of an unofficial understanding of each others situations. Both were more excited then they had ever been but also just as anxious. Rosie was the first to speak up.

"Do you think we should find James or something" she asked. "Absolutely not" replied Albus. "Are you sur-" she began but was cut off by a blunt "yes". There was no way Albus was going to spend his first trip to Hogwarts in a small compartment with James and a whole lot of other second years who were just bound to tease and patronize him and Rosie. "Well okay then but lets get a move on or we wont have any choice" Rosie was right, it was ages until they found a compartment with enough spare seats and sitting inside the compartment was none other then Scorpius Malfoy. Rosie was hesitant and backed out a bit but Albus stepped past her and spoke. "Hey, do you mind if my cousin and I sit here?" Scorpius looked up and studied them for a moment with his blue-gray eyes considering Albus and Rosie. Albus was sure that Scorpius's father Draco Malfoy must have told Scorpius a great deal about Albus's family, what he wasn't sure of was the light that Mr Malfoy had explained it in. Was Scorpius going to abuse them or just tell them to leave? Albus hoped not because even James's compartment had to be full by now and he was pretty sure this was the last one.

After a moment Scorpius replied with a "um, yes I suppose so". Rosie let out a small sigh of relief which earned her a raised eyebrow from both Albus and Scorpius which caused all three of them to chuckle. Rosie and Albus put their luggage away and sat on the seats opposite Scorpius who looked back out the window with a small smile on his face. A moment later Scorpius spoke "you know" he started "I think our parents were aquatinted once". "Yes, your right" said Rosie "but um, I don't think they, err agreed on much". Rosie blushed. "Thats putting it lightly" said Albus. Rosie blushed even harder although Scorpius was still smiling.

Albus thought he couldn't see what all the fuss was about, Scorpius seemed okay to him. The three of them began to make conversation, they talked about their parents, siblings (although Scorpius had none he said he desperately wanted a little sister which made Rosie say "aww, thats so sweet" and then it was Scorpius's turn to blush), they talked about which subjects they were most eager to learn (Rosie spent a twenty minutes deliberating over this one because she couldn't make up her mind), what the feast would be like (Albus was told them everything James had ever told him about it not including the pies that stood up and whacked you on the nose if you took to long to eat them) and eventually they began to discuss the houses they wanted to be in.

The three of them discovered that all of their parents had put a considerable amount of pressure on their children to be in their old house. At least Albus and Rosie's parents were only half joking about their expectations but poor Scorpius was terrified of being put into anything but Slytherin. "Ill be in so much trouble if I'm not in Slytherin" he confessed, his voice getting a bit quieter "dad said he'd send me a howler if I don't get in". Albus and Rosie glanced at each other and Albus felt a knot of sympathy for the boy swell up in his stomach. "Well whatever house your in It wont matter to us will it Albus?" said Rosie "No" Albus replied. "Not at all". Scorpius was no longer smiling but his shoulders relaxed and he whispered a short "thank you". It suddenly occurred to Albus that Scorpius really had nothing to be afraid of. Wasn't the last thing his dad had told him before he left was that that the sorting hat let you choose your own house in the end? Albus opened his mouth to say so but then he quickly shut it again. Albus wasn't sure why but that information felt a little private to share with a boy he had only met a few hours ago. Sure he liked Scorpius well enough but Albus reasoned that Scorpius would end up in Slytherin anyway whether Albus told him about the choice or not. Maybe he would tell him after the sorting.

Rosie looked at her watch and squealed. "Oh, we must be nearly there!" she cried out. Scorpius pulled back the blinds and squinted out the window. "I cant see anything yet" he told them. They chatted for a while longer and when Albus's stomach had just begun to shamelessly growl at him with hunger he saw it. "Look there it is!" he shouted. The three of them got up and pressed their noses up against the window to get a better look. However all they got was a massive black silhouette with twinkling lights glowing on it. Eventually the train slowed, Albus and Scorpius pulled on their robes since Rosie was already changed and the three of them started walking down the corridors. When the train finally stopped the stepped out onto the platform. They stood there awkwardly for a few moments until they heard the cry of "firs yers, firs yers, FIRS YERS THIS WAY PLEASE" They followed the call until they were standing in front of an enormous man with a beard to match. He was looking down on them with welcoming beetle-black eyes that seemed to twinkle at you. "Ah Rosie, Albus!" said the man "Alright are yer?". "Fine thanks" said a grinning Albus. "And who's this ere, eh?" spoke Hagrid looking at Scorpius. "Er Scorpius Malfoy" Scorpius told him. "We met on the train" added Rosie. "Did ya now?" Said Hagrid with a slightly confused look. "FIRST YERS THIS WAY PLEASE, FIRST YERS!"

It wasn't long before all the first years were gathered around Hagrid. "You know him?" asked Scorpius to Albus. "Yep, he's a family friend" Albus told him. Then Rosie said "I know he looks frightening but he's really quite gentle". "Oh" was all Scorpius could say before Hagrid spoke again. "Right, now the lot o' ya can just follow me for now" and he trumped off into the distance. Hagrid's strides were so long that they were all out of breath by the time he stopped at the edge of a lake, and just across the lake was a towering, medieval looking castle. Hagrid instructed them to climb into row boats that pulled them the whole why to the castle on their own. Soon enough they were climbing up the steps where they met a tall severe looking teacher called Professor Sabri who seemed to be of Indian ethnicity. Sabri explained to them about what was expected of them at Hogwarts and the houses that they would be sorted into. It wasn't long before they were walking through the great hall and waiting for their turn to be sorted. Eventually Professor Sabri called out "Malfoy Scorpius". Albus whispered good luck and Rosie smiled at Scorpius encouragingly and gently pushed him forward. Albus watched as Scorpius stepped up, legs trembling and sat on the stool while Professor Sabri placed the old tired looking hat on his head. It was ages before the hat said anything but a long last it opened it mouth and roared out "GRYFFINDOR"