First Year

He watched his parents, noticing how uneasy they were, noticing the anxiety that accompanied their every public venture in the wizarding world. He had learned to ignore the withering stares, snide remarks and side-long gazes. His parents had obviously not.

"All right, Scorpius, just as we told you."

He nodded at his mother, trying to look confident for her sake. Steeling himself, he gripped his cart and walked head long into the brick wall.

Letting out the breath he'd been holding, Scorpius looked around in awe at the giant steam engine before him. He couldn't stop staring at it even after Draco and Astoria had joined him. They made their way together along the platform.

"Draco, the Potters."

Both he and his father reacted immediately to her words, looking around anxiously. Draco nodded stiffly at the black haired, middle aged man that Scorpius had never known but that had been a familiar face since he could remember. So this was Harry Potter. The man was surrounded by gingers with only a few exceptions. He noted the bushy haired Granger woman and her Weasley husband, someone that had to be their son and –

Scorpius stopped. The girl with them was already staring at him. Their eyes met – silver on sky – piercing each other through the crowd. He couldn't look away, couldn't turn his head for the life of him.

"Scorpius."

Forcefully shaking his head, he glanced up.

"Yes, mother?"

"Your bags. I need them."

He nodded, handing them over. When he looked again, the Weasley girl had disappeared.

Scorpius made his way down the aisle of the train, blushing as people looked up at the sound of his jingling coin bag. He held onto it in an attempt to keep it quiet, looking from side to side for a slightly unoccupied compartment.

As he passed one fairly empty one, he was surprised when the two boys inside glared. One stood and moved over to pull the shutter down.

Smarting from the blow to his pride, Scorpius continued. He stopped, suddenly, seeing the Weasley girl and a black haired cousin of hers the only occupants of one compartment. They were staring at each other again, and when her hand twitched he thought that she might actually let him sit by them. Then her cousins pushed passed him, and he reluctantly moved on.

Two Ravenclaws finally took pity on him. By the end of the train ride, he could almost say that he had made some friends. Later that night, when he joined their house and the whole room fell silent, they were the only two who cheered. However, he was distracted, waiting for the name, "Weasley," and felt a small surge of regret as the hat cried, "Gryffindor!"