Chapter 5: The Hogwarts Express

The last two weeks of August had gone by pretty fast. All the Hogwarts students had made their trips to Diagon Alley to get their books and robes for the new school year. This was a very exciting time for Scorpius Malfoy.

Scorpius woke up at 7:30 on September 1st, ready to go back to school. Scorpius loved school. It distracted him. He liked to read about different things, and learn a lot. He never admitted it anyone, but one of the main reason why he always overworked himself with reading was because, it distracted him from thinking about his mum.

Scorpius lost her at the age of 12. Scorpius knew that she was very sick his whole life, but he never thought he'd lose her when he did. In fact, one morning when Draco left for work, (a three weeks before Scorpius had to go back to school), Scorpius got up and his mum wasn't up yet. That was unusual. She usually got up when Draco did. Draco thought she just needed a few more hours of sleep, she had been pretty sick at this time. So, Scorpius decided to go check on her. When he walked into his parents bedroom he found his mum dead on the floor by the desk. Scorpius ran over there, tears spilling down his face. When he got there, he picked his mum up, and realized she was gone. He looked over at the desk, and his mum had started a letter to him and Draco:

My Boys,

I love you both so much, but I have to go now. I really don't want to, but I suppose there a reason for everything. I want you both know I love you so much! Scorpius, my beautiful baby boy, I'm so sorry I have to go now. Just know I'm always there. I will see you grow up to be a great man. I will make sure of that! I hope you meet a nice girl someday that will do everything for you that I couldn't. Just know I will always be proud of you, no matter what you do, always. And Draco, don't you dare blame this on yourself! This is not your fault. You've been through so much, you can't let this bring you down. Not for me and our son. Draco, you are the love of my life. You always will be! But, you can't live the rest of your life in grief. You made me the happiest person alive. I never thought I'd be able to have children. With this, this is all you ever needed to do for me. You just need to promise me that you will continue to spread love to our son, give him love that I can't right now. I love you Draco. I can't wait to see you again one day. Please, just always be there for Scorpius, for you and me. I will always be there for you both. You both make me feel like I'm soaring in outer space. Just know that I'm up there. With you both, when you see the Draco and Scorpius constellations, just know I'm the line that connects them. I'm the astronomer that discovered the mystique in them. Space is a mysterious place, and this journey will be like that, for all of us. I'm so sorry I have to go so soon, but just know that I will NEVER stop loving you both, and I will miss you very much.

Love, Astoria

Scorpius read this letter over five times. Astoria's handwriting got sloppier toward the end. She had vey neat, pretty handwriting. Scorpius looked down at the sadness in his mother's dead face. She was really gone. The same face had always had a beautiful, white smile. Just living made her so happy. Just her and her two boys. She had the smile that would light up a room when it was all dark and dreary. She was the happy glue that held Scorpius and Draco together. That smile would never be plastered on her face again. Scorpius got up, shaking, and wrote a very fast, sloppy letter to his father, telling him to come home quick.

As soon as Draco got home, the scene had gone by fast. Scorpius couldn't speak. He spat out a few words, and then Draco sprinted up to the bedroom, his face feel when he found his wife dead on the floor. The whole scene fizzled, leading to an awful day.

***

Scorpius snapped back to reality when he had put the piece of parchment down. It had been the last time Astoria had ever wrote anything. Scorpius would never get rid of this letter. It's the last thing from his mum that he had left. He then put it quickly back in his desk drawer, as tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly began to pack his trunk, ready for his fifth year at Hogwarts.

***

"Rosie, wake up! You have to go back to school today!" Hermione had said to her daughter, trying to wake her up.

"Oh! Why didn't you say so!" Rose responded, jumping out of bed. Hermione let out a laugh at this.

Much like Scorpius, Rose enjoyed going to school. She especially looked forward to it this year. She would be a prefect. The little first years would look up to her. It felt like yesterday she went on the Hogwarts Express for the first time. The grand opening to this crazy adventure. The first time she met her best friends. The first time she saw the boy with Platinum- Blond hair, and the mysterious silver eyes.

Rose quickly tried to drive memory out of her head. This didn't work though. Her mind went back to just two weeks ago, when the same boy, just more taller and muscular, had made an effort to just say hi to her. Then, the scene changed. It now showed the same boy shirtless, his abs showing against the sunlight, as he jumped off the cliff. He hit the water, his Platinum-Blond hair erupting out of the watery surface, flicking up, then he ran his hand through it.

"STOP THAT NOW!" Rose thought to herself. She continued to pack her trunk, trying to drive the silver-eyed boy out of her head, but her mind came to the conclusion that she would see him in just a few hours.

"Frick."

***

It was now 10:30 am, and Scorpius and Draco left for Kings Cross Station in London. It took a while to get there, you couldn't just apparate, to many muggles. The car ride was pretty silent. Neither of them knew what to talk about. Well, Scorpius did. But he could NEVER talk to his dad about Rose. Maybe, if her parents weren't who they were. But it was most likely Scorpius wouldn't tell his dad anyway.

Soon enough, they arrived, Scorpius unloaded his stuff and put it on a rolling trolley. Then, the two Platinum-Blond heads could be seen traveling through the wall between platforms 9 and 10.

***

The morning that the kids have to leave for school went as usual, chaotic, in the Granger-Weasley house hold. For the third year in a row, Hugo had waited until the last possible second to pack his stuff. While Hermione was yelling at him, Rose was having a war in her head, while eating a bowl of cereal.

"Maybe after your Prefect rounds you should go sit with Albus and Scorpius."

"No, absolutely not!"

"Why not?"

"Because, Albus will know somethings up, I never volunteer to sit with them!"

"Who cares what he thinks, this isn't his life!"

"I do!"

"Just do it! You'll be fine!"

"Okay!....Maybe?"

Rose was interrupted with her thinking war, when Hugo was finally packed and ready to go.

"You know. If you would of just packed when she told you to, would wouldn't have got the wrath this morning." Rose said casually to her brother, with a smirk on her face.

"Whatever." Hugo huffed.

With this, they were finally ready to go. The four-person family hopped in the car, and drove towards London. The long car ride consisted to Rose's thinking war. When suddenly, before she knew it they were there. Oh no. That meant Scorpius was there too. She hadn't made up her mind yet. What was she supposed to do! 

***

Platform 9 3/4 was the same as usual on September 1st. Scorpius had already put on his robes because he had to do Prefect rounds. He had awkwardly half hugged his father, (this is how they always hugged), and said goodbye. He then made his way to find Albus. Oh, wait, he couldn't just yet. So, Scorpius decided to set his stuff in the compartment that him and Albus usually shared, and headed to the Prefect's carriage.

***

When Rose arrived at Kings Cross station, it was the same as usual. But this time, she had already put on her robes, and shined her new Prefect badge. She had hugged her mum and dad goodbye, waved to her many aunts and uncles, and made her way onto the train with Hugo.

"Hey, can you put my stuff in the compartment. I have to go to the Prefect's carriage." Rose had asked her brother. The Weasley-Potter kids all shared the large compartment  in the back of the train. The only family member who didn't ride in it was Albus.

"Fine, whatever." Hugo said as he took both his and Rose's stuff with him in the opposite direction.

Rose was suddenly feeling all warm inside. She had never been to this end of the train. Again, she just usually stayed in the back with her family. She suddenly approached the carriage, it had a large P on the door. She had pulled it open, and then her mind went blank. She was very surprised at what she saw.

The thing that she saw was the tall, muscly, Platinum- Blond haired, sliver-eyed, boy that she had been thinking about this past summer, with a green P badge pinned onto his robes.

She had not expected him to be there. I mean yes, he was a very good student, and he was very polite, and who am I kidding of course he's a Prefect!

Little did she know, but when Scorpius saw the curly red-headed, blue-eyed, girl open the carriage, his mind went blank too. Yes she was a very good student, and of course she would be a prefect! Why hadn't he thought of that! And without thinking, Scorpius greeted her like he had never before, confidentiality.

"Oh hey Rose!" Scorpius said.

"Wait. What!? He just greeted me like that!" Rose thought to herself.

"Well don't just stand there like an idiot, say something back!"

"Oh, hey!" Rose responded a little awkwardly.

Since when was she the one who was awkward?

To Rose's relief, the Heads from the four houses had stepped in and explained all about being a prefect, and how they were a role model for the younger students. Rose was thankful that this took a while, so she didn't have to replay these scene she had just experienced. Then, all the Prefects had to do their rounds, to make sure that the students were behaving. Rose was paired up with the other 5th year Gryffindor Prefect, Colton Mcglaggen.

"Hey there Weasley." Colton said when he approached Rose.

Rose did not like Colton. Not one bit. He was obnoxious! How could he be a Prefect? Well, the Gryffindor boys in Rose's year had all been like that, annoying. She also didn't like him because he took Hugo's spot as Keeper last year. She hexed James for this many times. (He was the captain). It wasn't James's fault though. he had been told by the head of Gryffindor house to pick the one who could block the most goals. This year, he wouldn't make the same mistake. Oh, and another reason why she didn't like him was because his father was obnoxious to her parents.

Colton had asked Rose out for YEARS, but she never said yes, not one time.

Rose suddenly wished she was paired up with Scorpius, but of course that couldn't happen. He was from another house.

***

As Scorpius made his rounds with his partner, he couldn't stop thinking about Rose. He would get to see her way more often now, in Prefect meetings and such. And, if Quidditch worked out! Oh, and in classes! Rose was always the best in classes! Maybe this year would be different. Maybe this year would be the best, (despite O.W.L.'s). Scorpius had finished up his rounds, and made his way to his and Albus's compartment.

"Oi! Mate where were you! Do you know how weird it is to sit in here by yourself!" Albus said as Scorpius walked in.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I had to do my rounds." Scorpius responded.

Then, Albus went on to ramble something else, but Scorpius wasn't listening. He was thinking about his encounter with Rose. She had said hi back to him! Wait.. hold your Hippogriffs... Scorpius said hi first! That was the first time that ever happened. The, his imagination went into overdrive again, combining every time he had an encounter with Rose. Starting from the first time he saw the curly red-head, right here in this compartment.

Before Scorpius knew it, the train had come to a stop.

"Oh, I've got to go." Scorpius told Albus as he left to meet up with the other Prefects.

"Okay, see you in there." Albus responded as he headed to the Threstral-drawn carriages. Scorpius liked Threstrals. They were unique creatures, being he was one of the few that could see them.

Then, he saw her. Her red, curly hair waving down her back as she helped a first year to the boats. But, what he didn't see was her thinking about him.

"I should of went and sat with them!" She lectured to herself inside her head.

(Back to Scorpius), He just looked at her and smiled. He could tell that this year was going to be different. And that was a good thing.

Author's Notes:

Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading this! I know the beginning was sad, it took me three hours just to write the letter part! Again, I don't know how often I'll be able to update the story, how long it will be, etc. Just stay with me. Again, thanks so much for reading, and stay safe!

-christinahpfan12