Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it belongs to J K Rowling.

A/N - So this is set six years after Nineteen Years Later. My first Harry Potter fanfiction, because I wondered how the fame of Harry and the infamy and fall of Malfoy would have affected their children, as I'm sure did a lot of people. This is my version of what happened after J K Rowling left us in The Deathly Hallows... Hope you like it!

It was five minutes to eleven on September the first and as usual platform nine and three quarters was bustling with activity. Mothers waved up to their children who were leaning out of compartments up and down the train, shouting at them to stay safe and not to get into trouble.

As usual, Scorpius Malfoy couldn't wait to get on the train, and barely heard his mother's babble.
"Have you got your cauldron?"

"No, mother." He replied absently, "I'm not doing Potions this year, remember?"

"Of course you aren't, how silly of me." She replied, smoothing his collar.

Scorpius rolled his eyes, what was the point in his mother's constant effort to make him perfect when his father would never accept him? Scorpius had been seen onto the train by his mother alone since second year, after his irate father had refused to accompany them to Kings Cross for shame that his only son had been sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Sixth year already, I can't believe it." His mother gushed, as the scarlet steam engine let out a piercing whistle and Scorpius turned away.

"Will you be coming home for Christmas this year, darling?" His mother asked, planting a kiss on his proffered cheek as he made to board the train.
"No." He replied simply, stepping up onto the train.

"I'm sure your father will want to see you!" She called to him as steam filled the platform.

Scorpius didn't reply, only watched her disappear into the distance as the train sped up. He felt bad immediately; it wasn't her fault after all. He would send her a letter as soon as he arrived, but wouldn't go anywhere near Malfoy Manor until summer, when he was forced to return home. He just managed to push his way through the throng of people to find an empty compartment. He heaved his bag into the storage space and sat down, watching the familiar city roll past. Maybe Connor would find him later, but about now he was probably busy with Annie and Scorpius wasn't keen on being the third person in that party.

Muggle born Connor Berkley had been Scorpius's best friend since they met on the train in first year. Connor was in Ravenclaw too, and had met Annie Finnegan in the final against Gryffindor last year. As far as Scorpius could remember, Connor had hit a Bludger at her, causing her to drop the Quaffle and he caught her as she'd plummeted to earth. The rest of the team had not been best pleased, since Annie was one of Gryffindor's best Chasers and her continuing play had probably secured the win for Gryffindor. Scorpius had not been surprised when he received the owl from Connor in the holidays telling him they were together, although he did wonder what other people would make of it. After all, Connor was a sixth year, and Annie was only in fourth.

The grey city rolling by had turned to green fields and Scorpius was wondering when the witch with the food trolley would make her rounds when he heard the compartment door open and a voice say,
"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you in here."

Scorpius looked up and saw three girls standing in the doorway. The one in the front who had spoken was the smallest but the most confident looking, with long red hair and chocolate brown eyes. Scorpius vaguely recognised her as a Gryffindor fourth year, one of Annie's friends.

"Don't worry about it." Scorpius said, gesturing to the free seats in the compartment. The girls looked at each other and shrugged before filing into the compartment. There were a few seconds of awkward silence before the red haired girl said,
"Well, I'm glad to be out of there."

"I know!" Replied one of her companions, leaping into sudden animation, her brown curls bouncing as she leaned forwards. "It's just indecent frankly; they shouldn't be allowed to do that in public!"

"Well I think it's sweet." Said the third girl, whose brown hair was as straight as her friend's was curly. Other than that one difference, the two were identical – Scorpius thought they must have been sisters.

"To a degree," Replied the red head, "but after a while it's just plain awkward."
"And he's so much older than us!" Piped up the curly haired girl again.

"Oh come on Ella!" Her companion said, sitting up in her seat. "He's only a sixth year, that's only two years. In the scheme of things it's really not that much."
"In school years, though." Ella insisted.
"Whatever." Her companion replied, resting her head against the window, the red hair rippling oddly down the pane.

Another strained silence descended, during which Scorpius noticed the two brunettes slipping him side glances. He suddenly felt uncomfortable; he wasn't used to being noticed.

"What's his name anyway?" The straight haired girl asked eventually.
"Who?" The redhead asked absently, still staring out of the window.

"Annie's boyfriend, did she say it was Callum? No, it was Colin..."
"It's Connor." Said Scorpius quietly.

"What?" Ella asked, looking accusingly at him.

"His name, it's Connor." Scorpius repeated.

"Oh." She said, taken aback. "Thanks."

"No problem." Replied Scorpius, and silence descended in the compartment, until Ella asked,
"You a friend of his then?"

"What?"

"You a friend of his... Connor's I mean."

"Oh." Said Scorpius, surprised at his sudden inclusion. "Well, yeah I suppose."

"Why aren't you in there with him then?" She asked.

"Same reason you lot just left I imagine." He said.

"Right." She said, giggling. "So you're in sixth year then?" She asked, leaning forward with a flick of her hair. Out of the corner of his eye, Scorpius saw the red haired girl roll her eyes and had to hold back a laugh.

"Err, yeah." He replied eventually.

"Haven't seen you around much."

"Well I keep to myself." He muttered; keen not to be the centre of attention.

"Give it a rest Ella." Said the red head.

"I'm only being friendly Lily!" Ella said, indignant. Suddenly Scorpius recognised the girl still staring out of the window.

"You're Lily Potter!" He said suddenly. "I know your brother, he's a good bloke."
"You don't have to live with him." Lily smiled.

"Fair play." Scorpius shrugged. He noticed that Ella had sat back in her seat, a slightly sulky look on her face. He glanced from her to Lily, who met his gaze with another eye roll; but Ella still wasn't finished, it only took only a moment of brooding silence before she asked,
"What was your name, sorry?"

"Scorpius." He replied quietly, "Scorpius Malfoy."

"Oh." Was all the verbal reply expressed, but the reaction from the two brunettes was evident. Ella sat back in her chair and didn't meet his eyes again, and the girl sitting next to him inched noticeably away from him. Lily shot them both withering looks and Ella looked back at her with warning in her eyes. Scorpius suppressed a sigh, and reminded himself that this was utterly normal behaviour and much though he loved Hogwarts, he would once more have to get used to the nervous and sometimes openly hostile behaviour of his fellow students towards him.

After a few awkward seconds Ella stood up and gestured to the other brunette,
"Come on, Bella, Francis said he'd show me the pictures from his trip to the Dragon Reservation in Romania! You coming, Lily?"

"Nah," Lily replied, "You know I can't be civil around McLaggen."

"Oh yeah." Said Ella, looking a little agitated she and Bella left the compartment, and Scorpius thought the compartment door closed with a little slam. Lily looked at the closed door for a second before glancing over at Scorpius again,
"Sorry about that, I don't know why..."

"I'm used to it." Scorpius interrupted, "Don't worry, really."

"What a great start to the year – getting on the wrong side of the Creevey twins." She said, slumping in her seat.

"I thought they were sisters." Scorpius said absently. Lily looked incredulously at him for a second before exclaiming,
"You mean to say you've managed not to notice the Creevey sisters, or at least Ella, for four years?"

"I try to keep to myself, you know. Ella didn't seem to know who I was either."

"Well she doesn't really notice anyone who doesn't walk directly into her path, or isn't likely to make her look good."

"She can't stay angry with you for too long then can she?" Pointed out Scorpius, "They didn't seem too angry anyway, and who could blame you for wanting to avoid McLaggen."

"You know him?"

"No, but his brother's in my year – utter git." Lily laughed at that, and nodded.

"I know! I hated James being Quiddich captain but now I'd do anything to get him back - McLaggen's a nightmare. I thought Francis was bid headed until I met Cormac, thinks he's Merlin's gift to the world. He works us all too hard and then shouts at us when we play badly because we're so tired. Plus he irritates Hugo and Al with the way he leers at Rose, and me too if I'm honest."

"He does that. When he isn't too busy shouting his opinions all over the castle." Said Scorpius with a wry smile. He was remembering an incident last year when McLaggen had bewitched an Edible Dark Mark from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to follow him around for a day until Professor Longbottom asked him why. Not wanting to attract more trouble, Scorpius had claimed not to know who bewitched the sweet, but ever since then he had gained a friend in the quiet Herbology Professor. When Scorpius looked up again, Lily was looking at him with concern in her warm brown eyes.

"Sorry." He said, "McLaggen's just one of those people who's been brought up being told that Malfoys were Death Eaters and deserve to be punished for it. I know all about what my father and grandfather did, I don't think I'll ever be allowed to forget it; but in the end it doesn't mean I have to be like them – matter how much I look the part." Scorpius flicked his blonde hair from his face and rolled his piercing blue eyes at Lily, who was still looking at him with interest, and something he thought might be pity.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this." He said, with a shake of his head.

"Lysander would probably say there's a Divulgibbon in here – it makes you more willing to tell your secrets." She explained, noting the confused look on Scorpius's face, "But then again, he still has yet to prove the existence of Crumple Horned Snorkacks to me so I wouldn't count on it. My grandmother says I have 'one of those faces'."

"Maybe that's it." Scorpius laughed.

They had lapsed into a friendly silence when the compartment door slid open again. Scorpius saw Lily glance over, expecting the twins had re-entered and was shocked to see her already pale face whiten. He turned around to see four Slytherins from his year standing in the doorway. He recognised then immediately, for the group had acquired more than a little notoriety during their six years at Hogwarts.

"Look what we have here." Said the boy in the front, leaning nonchalantly the compartment door, "Potter and Malfoy."

"What do you want, Zabini?" Lily said coldly.

"I was just wondering why Little Miss Potter isn't surrounded by her devoted followers." Said Zabini, "So we thought we'd drop by to see you."

"How kind of you." She replied, "But as you can see I am perfectly fine here, and am not in desperate need of your company." Despite her cool exterior, Scorpius could tell she was nervous and was sure the others could tell as well. Zabini raised his eyebrows and glanced around his friends.

"Well that isn't very nice is it? You really need to mind your manners Potter – haven't your Mummy and Daddy taught you that?" The four had managed to slip into the compartment, and they were a distinctly menacing presence. Lily had sat up in her seat and there was a distinct fear in her eyes, the gang appeared to be closing in on her – she looked terribly small and Scorpius found himself on his feet with all eyes on him.

"I think you'd better leave." He said, trying to sound braver than he felt. The Slytherins were all big, with the exception of Zabini, and though tall Scorpius was about half the size of each hefty bully.

"The great Mr Malfoy has spoken, boys." Said Zabini, looking scathingly at Scorpius, "I'm glad you've got someone to protect you now big brother has left, because I wouldn't count on Albus to be any help. Are you sure he's even your real brother? With the great Harry Potter for a father you'd think he'd have a little more backbone, but it seems he doesn't care about his little sister. Shame..."

The four were definitely advancing towards Lily, and Scorpius acted on impulse apparently at the same time Lily did. Jets of purple and white light hit the Slytherins, who shouted and clutched their faces. When they looked up, Zabini and Flint had huge black bats flapping around their noses and Goyle and Nott clutched at the enormous boils that had sprung up all over their faces. They ran from the compartment just as Connor, Annie and the Creevey twins came in.

"What did you do to them?" Annie asked, watching them sprint down the corridor.

"Bat Bogey Hex." Lily laughed.
"Furnunculus." Said Scorpius. "Looks like you've got quite a knack for that curse." He added as he watched Zabini attempt to curse away the green bats with little effect.
"It's an inherited trait." She said with a smile.

"You two'd better get your robes on you know." Piped up Bella, "We'll be there in a few minutes." Judging by the wild Scottish countryside flying past the window, she was right.
By the time Lily and Scorpius were changed, the train was pulling into Hogsmeade Station, and without having even entered the castle, Scorpius knew this was going to be a year with a difference.

A/N - So what do you think so far? Please review and tell me - any hints and tips welcome!