Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, not even a small part! :D
Albus Potter picked a terrible time to go to the washroom. Really. Right now, all because he had to use the loo just before we got on the train, we're trying to find a single compartment that has space and it was a close to impossible task, I swear! The worst part was that we couldn't simply ask because majority of them would kick their friends out just for Albus Potter, the son of Harry Potter, and Rose Weasley, first child of two-third of the Golden Trio, to sit in their compartment (James told us it was one of the reason being Harry Potter's child was awesome) and we both agreed that making someone get out would be beyond evil (they might never find a compartment, like us actually).
So when we saw a compartment that was completely empty, we rushed in without thinking the person might have been saving seats for his friends (I should have done that!) and might just kick them out. Of course that would have been the simpler case compared to what actually happened. The moment we stumbled in, his eyes which were previously gazing out of the window, snapped to them and within barely a second, a look of pain flashed through his grey eyes and he looked down at his knees, his eyes beginning to water.
I turned to Albus, intending to catch his eyes and silently ask what we should do or perhaps leave but Al, being as tactful as ever, did not notice this change of expression in the boy's face. "Mind if we sit?" he asked rather loudly. I resisted the temptation to smack him over his head.
The boy with grey eyes hastily wiped his eyes and looked up at Al, "Sit?". His voice was full of hesitancy in the fear of rejection, loneliness and disbelieve, like he didn't expect Al to ask if they could sit.
Al nodded. "Yep. None of the other compartment have seats and..."
"Yeah... sure," the boy said hastily, as though he was afraid of what Albus was going to say next. I frowned. What was wrong with this boy? Why was he so frightened of every single reaction that came out from us because if anything, we Weasley are extremely nice people and would never randomly hurt anyone! What was wrong with this boy? What could possibly make him so afraid...
My mouth fell into a 'o' shaped and I quickly shut it before either of them caught sight of it, which was unlikely since Al was feeding himself with the candies Uncle Harry have given him and Scorpius was staring at the floor. Yeah, that was it. This was the blond little Scorpius Malfoy that dad had warned me about. But surely... surely his dad have not warned him about being scared of us? Because from all the stories she have heard, she would at least expect him to be mean and arrogant, not a insecure little boy.
I didn't speak to him because that would means introduction which equals to Al finding out this was the guy we, or at least I, was told to stay away from. I wasn't sure how Al would react but I know he had heard all the prejudice talks, he is very easily influenced and he is completely insensitive to the fact that Scorpius was in fact afraid of everything Albus was doing and I didn't want Al messing up and ended up hurting Scorpius even more (I'm confident he is hurt).
So after about half an hour of silence, Al was snoring loudly and Scorpius was studying them as though he was amazed and rather intrigue by them doing... nothing. "What's up?" I asked softly. He started and looked up, meeting my eyes for only a millisecond before returning to staring at his knees, looking a little ashamed and embarrassed. Oh Merlin, did he just think that I asked him that to mock him for studying us? Bloody hell, who in the world was that meek?
I grabbed his hand (he flinched), determined to make him looked at him. He was surprised, no doubt, but he did look up which was an achievement. "Why are you staring at us like we're going to murder you?" Oops, that might have been a little too... direct and fierce.
He flinched at my words. Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet and shy. "I... I thought... James..." he stuttered. He looked at me hopelessly, as though asking can we talk about something else? But if this was about Al's even more dumb and insensitive older brother, I wanted to hear. I nodded for him to continue and with a sigh, he did (thankfully). "James and Fred... they were here earlier... they..." He didn't even finished his sentence when I withdrew my hand, standing up angrily. He flinched again, at the sight of me angry, though this time I knew that he expected me to do something.
"Those two idiots... they..." I exclaimed furiously and he flinched yet again. Albus stirred and with a sigh, I sat down. On sudden impulse, I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly and I could feel him tense under my firm hold. "There," I said calmly. "Everything's just fine. We're not going to bully you like those buffoons and don't even say, I suppose the rest of the train have been like that, which was why there was nobody in this compartment?" I gazed at him kindly. He nodded slightly, his lips curving into a genuine smile, as tiny as it was. I liked him better this way, smiling. "They're stupid," she assured him and his grin went ever so slightly wider.
I shook Albus awake and when he was finally sleepily awake, I yelled into his ears. "Introducing: Scorpius... uh... Scorpius Something Malfoy."
"Something?" Albus muttered absently. "What kind of person... AHHHH! Did you say Scorpius Malfoy? The one that your dad nagged at me for the whole of yesterday to stay away from and made sure to inform you firmly to stay away from?" Well, at least he was fully awake now, I suppose.
"Yes," I said firmly. "He's also our friend by the way," I announced with a tone of finality and Scorpius eyes trailed up to meet mine once again, his hopefully expression asking really? while Al just sighs as though he knew he couldn't change my mind. I know what could make him like Scorpius though. "James and Fred bullied him earlier," I informed Al.
"Whoa, should have mentioned that, buddy!" Al exclaimed in delight as he stretched out an arm to Scorpius. "Definitely friends." As Scorpius took it, he beamed at us, almost as though he was happy he managed to make friends, something normal children would definitely not worry about. This was the beginning of a wonderful friendship and if I might say so myself, being friends because you were pranked/bullied by James and Fred is way cooler than becoming friend because you defeated a troll for her and saved her life and she lied to get you out of trouble. Way too dramatic.