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Chapter Text

The cold air bit at his lungs as he breathed in. Smoke drifted across the station, shrouding the platform.

As he strode along the side of the train. Their eyes tracked him as though he were a wild animal, waiting for him to pounce.

If he turned around they would cringe. They would look away in embarrassment, knowing they had been caught, and he would get all the satisfaction of it. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

The train hissed, another cloud of steam swallowing the platform.

Briefly he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, steadied himself…

This was going to be a long year–

“Scor,” a voice uttered from behind.

He turned to find Sam Zabini.

His face twisted into a smile. It was the type of smile on your face when you spot the first bit of snow. He had not seen her in ages. He did not embrace her, because he knew she hated that. Scorpius stood stiffly next to her.

She waited for him to say something. He searched for words instead. Her hair was longer than last term, lighter at the ends from the summer sun. She'd started wearing more makeup. Even her clothes looked new. None of it mattered enough to comment on.

Her eyes flicked to the prefect badge pinned to his chest.

“Seriously,” she gestured to the badge.

He put his hand on his chest, covering the pin.

“Yes…”

He didn’t have anything more eloquent to say.

His eyes wandered. Her shoes looked like they had never been worn. She wasn’t in her uniform yet, a fancy set of dress robes he recognized from their trip to Diagon Alley last summer.

“Are you checking me out or something, Malfoy?” she snorted. “Come, we should get on.”

She grabbed his stiff arm and dragged him onto the train.

He managed to pull his trunk behind him. The hallways were narrow and though they were tall enough for him to stand up straight, their width made it difficult for Scorpius to navigate with his luggage.

Sam did not slow down.

He peeked through the compartments on the way through the train. In the third compartment he caught a glimpse of a mop of dark hair. The smile on his face faded.

Orion noticed him, their eyes meeting.

Scorpius hurried along after Sam further down the train.

He could hear the next compartment before he saw them.

The Gryffindors.

The two girls lounged across the train benches, copies of Teen Witch spread across their laps. Weasley’s friends.

Scorpius scrunched his nose. He slowed as he passed the compartment. His eyes swept inside.

Empty.

No Weasley.

His shoulders relaxed. At least he wouldn't have to deal with her.

The trunk snagged against the doorway with a dull bang. The girls looked up from their magazines. He yanked it free, his satchel slipping from his shoulder.

Once he finally freed the trunk, he spared the girls one last glance.

He would rather drown than spend seven hours sharing a compartment with Gryffindors.

Near the back of the train they found an empty compartment. A stale smell lingered from the nearby loos.

With little effort he lifted his trunk above the seating, tucking it neatly into the woven rope shelf.

He made a grab for Sam’s trunk as well.

She slapped his hands away and glared.

Scorpius shrugged before slouching down in the window seat.

He watched as she hoisted her trunk onto the shelf. She plumped down into the seat across from him, stretching out her legs, letting them comfortably rest in his lap.

Scorpius’ eyes drifted out onto the platform. Sunlight streamed through the glass roof, scattering into a myriad of colours.

Scorpius stared, mesmerised.

He glanced at his watch.

It was five to eleven.

His gaze drifted over the crowd.

Scorpius noticed a young boy, presumably a first year considering he was already dressed in his robes. He watched as the boy refused to let go of his mother’s sleeve, tugging it, and her towards the train doors.

She swatted him away, hugging him.

Reassuring him.

They were not saying goodbye forever, only for a while.

Scorpius looked away.

At the edge of the platform he spotted his father. His face was laced in concern. One hand gripped his walking stick, the other tightly gripping Virginia’s shoulder. The glass swallowed every word. All Scorpius could make out were Virginia's flailing arms and the furrow between his father's brows.

He caught movement in the corner of his eye.

The Weasley Family.

Above the clouds of fog he saw them coming. Their mops of red hair made them impossible to miss. Each member of the family was carrying multiple bags and trunks, nearly buckling under the weight as they ran towards the train.

A whistle blew out loudly.

Lily Luna dropped a trunk and rushed to pick it up.

James and Fred darted between the families, tossing exploding snaps beneath unsuspecting feet. The nearby students jumped and scurried away.

Mrs. Potter caught a hold of James’ ear, pulling him back to the group.

Albus stood among them, awkward as always. His hands clutched his weathered satchel tightly as it hung from his shoulder.

At the edge of the group he spotted Molly Weasley and Sal Montgomery, the head boy and girl.

Scorpius even glanced to Rose Weasley for a second.

She was catching her breath, securing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Dominique had said something to her. She threw her hair back in laughter.

Though he couldn’t hear her, he knew that awful laugh as well as he knew his own voice.

She looked happy.

Scorpius pursed his lips.

He despised her happy glee. In his eyes she deserved to be utterly miserable at all times.

Just as his eyes were about to leave her form, he noticed it.

The small pin, shining in the sunlight.

He stared down at his own prefect pin.

Fuck.

There would be no avoiding Rose Weasley this year.

The compartment door burst open just as the train rolled out of the station.

"...I even heard she slept with him."

Lisa Müller strode inside without so much as looking at them, continuing the conversation she'd apparently been having with herself.

Bella came in behind her, wrestling a trunk through the doorway.

The moment she spotted Scorpius, she abandoned it.

"Scorpy!"

She flung herself at Scorpius.

He caught her like a ton of bricks.

"You never owl. I've been so worried."

"I'm fine," he muttered.

She pulled back just enough to look at him.

Her brow furrowed.

He held her gaze.

Neither of them spoke.

"...Honestly, though," Lisa continued, oblivious, "I heard it from Inez, and you can't believe a word she says."

Bella finally let him go and lowered herself into the seat beside Lisa, leaning back.

Scorpius exhaled.

Lisa was still talking.

He rolled his eyes.

He'd heard it all before.

Sam caught his eye.

She looked from Lisa to Bella before resting her elbow against the window.

"So," she said loudly enough to cut across the gossip, "how was your summer, Scor?"

His mouth opened.

Nothing came.

Bella was still watching him.

"Well..."

He swallowed.

"We stayed home this year."

Bella looked away.

"Skipped the Riviera."

He looked to Bella, but her eyes stayed fixed on the cracks between the floorboards.

"Practiced—umm—practiced some Quidditch, Orion wanted to—"

"—So... did you spend all summer writing that girl?" Lisa butted in.

"What girl?" Scorpius said firmly.

"Well, Bella mentioned you still send your pen-pal letters."

Lisa gestured to the girl. On Lisa’s face was a nasty grin. Scorpius found her to look quite ugly when she did that, which was most of the time.

"...And I trust everything she says. Why would she lie about her own family?"

"She's only a friend," Scorpius said through gritted teeth.

Sam adjusted her position, leaning into the conversation.

"From what you've said, she sounds pretty pathetic if you ask me. You never know, she might even be a Gryffindork."

Scorpius’ eyes fell on his satchel.

The handle of his wand was peeking out.

If he could reach it he would hex Sam off the train.

Bella, who had folded her arms, lightly touched Scorpius’ shoulder.

Every head turned at the sound of the compartment door gliding open.

Albus stood in the doorway. His eyes scanned the room, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Mind if I—"

He pushed through the door with his trunk and satchel.

Sam raised her eyebrows at Scorpius, who rolled his eyes in return.

Albus pulled out a tray of Chocolate Cauldrons, popping one in his mouth.

"Anyone want one?"

He shoved the tray up in Sam’s face.

"No..."

She slowly pushed it away in disgust.

Albus shrugged before picking up another one.

"Aren’t you supposed to be at that prefect meeting, Scorp?"

He said it as he took a bite, the first one not yet chewed.

Scorpius glanced down at his watch.

Five past eleven.

Shit.

Scorpius hurried out of his seat, his satchel spilling out as he bent down to pick it up.

He left it.

On his way out he let the compartment door slam shut.

He stopped outside of the carriage. Muffled voices bled through the glass door. He spotted the other prefects. Sal and Molly were stood at the back of the carriage, a blank blackboard behind them. He caught his reflection in the nearby window. Bella's embrace had left a stubborn strand of platinum hair sticking up. He smoothed it back into place.

He slid the door open as quietly as he could. The gentle sound of the rolling wheels seemed unnaturally loud as it carried through the compartment.

Conversation died the moment he stepped inside. For a brief moment he just stared. Virginia rolled her eyes. Carefully, he made his way across the compartment. Every prefect watched him until he slipped into the last empty seat beside Penny Davis.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Weasley shooting him an annoyed look—

“–Nice of you to join us, Scorpius,” Molly said, her voice laced with clipped politeness.

“As I was saying... after reviewing everyone's schedules, we've decided to mix up the patrols.”

Molly snapped her finger at Sal, and the head boy tapped the blackboard with his wand. Names appeared in an orderly fashion.

“Davis and Smith, you have dungeon duty every Tuesday.”

Penny's face tensed, her wide eyes making her look uncannily like a mouse. Phillip Smith. Scorpius knew him, and wished he didn't. The boy carried an obnoxious grin wherever he went. Never had Scorpius met anyone quite so cocky. Why split up the house pairs in the first place—

“–Rose and Malfoy you’ll do the same route on Thursdays.”

His head snapped towards Molly.

One look at Weasley's face told him he hadn't misheard. She looked bloody furious. Judging by his clenched jaw, he probably looked the same.

The meeting carried on around him. Scorpius couldn't have repeated a single word. He couldn’t care less. It was as boring as looking after a flobberworm anyway.

"Molly, you can't possibly set me up with him," he heard Weasley mutter as the other prefects filtered out of the carriage.

Scorpius almost snorted.

He wasn't about to start his first argument with Weasley so early, and besides, for once she had a point. He lingered by the doorway, shuffling his feet, finding the window ledge particularly interesting.

“…That just proves that this is a good idea…”

The other prefects pushed past him.

“…you need to learn to work together Rosie.”

Scorpius could almost hear her roll her eyes at the mention of her nickname, it was the easiest way to agitate her.

Before long, apart from Molly and Weasley, he was the only one left at the front of the train.

“…One month okay,” Molly pleaded with her younger cousin.

There didn’t seem to be more discussion, or at least no answer that Scorpius was able to hear.

The rustle of bags made Scorpius straighten.

They were coming.

Ahead of him he noticed Penny. Quickly his feet pulled him towards her.

“H-how was your summer, Scorpius?” Penny asked, her voice trembling as though speaking to him required enormous courage.

Their conversations never seemed to progress beyond pleasantries. He tended to avoid them, but being stuck with Penny was better than getting stuck with Weasley.

“Same old,” he replied. “Bit of Quidditch and all that. How was yours?”

Penny tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Uhm... it was nice. Dad took me on this boat down the Amazon this summer. We were looking for—”

Scorpius' attention drifted over her shoulder.

Weasley was still behind them with Molly. She was smiling now, their argument apparently forgotten. Her hands moved animatedly as she spoke, tracing shapes through the air as though describing something racing past.

Penny kept talking.

“...and then we ended up in this little village where–”

Weasley had actually brushed her hair that morning. It wasn't its usual bird's nest.

The train lurched around a bend, and Scorpius caught himself against the compartment wall without taking his eyes off her.

“…then dad nearly steered the boat into a tree, only it wasn’t a tree–”

The corridor behind him was empty.

Weasley was gone. She'd probably disappeared into one of the compartments by now.

“…and then I finally got to see a real dragon–”

“That's great, Penny. My compartment's here. I'll see you at Hogwarts.”

Before she could answer, Scorpius slithered his way into the compartment. Penny's footsteps lingered outside for a moment before retreating back down the corridor.

He was shocked to find it filled to the brim. When he had left only Bella, Lisa, Sam and Albus had been there. Now his seat was occupied by the Gryffindors. Weasley’s friends.

The tall blonde one sat in his seat, filing her hot pink nails, her copy of Teen Witch abandoned across her lap. Bella was eyeing the discarded magazine like it was water in a desert.

Shaun, the Gryffindor keeper, sat opposite her talking to Albus and the small Indian girl about Quidditch. He couldn’t remember her name, but she was on the Gryffindor team, that much he knew.

“Scorpius, did you hear? Saira is the new Quidditch captain.”

Saira.

He took note of the name. Apparently, he would need to remember it now.

“Why are they all here,” he said.

“I thought maybe they could join us for once,” Albus said. “I never really get to sit with them.”

He glanced between Scorpius and the empty space beside him.

“And since you and Rose were both at the prefect meeting–”

“Scor is back now.”

Sam interrupted. Her glare could have frozen the whole compartment.

“…I just meant that I didn’t wanna force you guys, and then the meeting.”

Albus rambled on, his fingers adjusting his glasses.

“–We’ll have to now…”

Scorpius’ eyes flickered to his occupied seat.

The blonde girl had stopped filing her nails. Her attention had shifted entirely to him.

Not him, exactly.

The conversation.

Scorpius dropped down in an empty seat.

“…That stupid cousin of yours sat us up on patrols–”

“–What, is she insane,” the annoying seat-grabbing blonde girl spoke up.

“Yeah it’s absolutely ridiculous Gene,” Rose Weasley stood at the entrance of the compartment. Her hands seemed to gravitate towards her hips.

“Are you two actually agreeing on something,” said Albus.

“It’s quite easy to agree that we both despise each other,” Weasley stuck her tongue out in an act of immaturity.

“Hate is a better word,” Scorpius corrected.

“Girls, can we leave… this creature is giving me a headache.”

She didn’t even acknowledge him, she simply pointed to the seat he was sat in as if he was a blast-ended skrewt.

“Nobody’s stopping you,” added Sam.

“Actually. We were having a conversation…,” Albus drifted off.

The Gryffindors were already on the move.

The blonde girl, Gene, wiggled her way out of Scorpius’ seat, carefully avoiding his spilled out satchel.

The moment the door closed behind them Scorpius got out of his seat.

He scooped his possessions back into the satchel.

His hands lingered on the letter.

It was the last one Matilda had sent him before the summer break. He had read it so many times the corners were beginning to weather.

Once he had tidied it all up he got back into his usual place by the window.

It was quiet.

No one dared talk badly about the Gryffindors with Albus still there.

Scorpius looked out the window, he could see nothing but his own reflection.

The night fell quickly in the north during autumn, six pm, and still the sky had darkened profusely.

It meant they were closing in on Hogwarts.

Soon Scorpius would be home.

His mouth felt dry.

His eyes locked onto the... things in front of him.

Scorpius couldn’t stop staring at them.

Their knobbly knees and small skulls almost made his stomach turn. Leathery wings flapped around him as he made his way to the nearest carriage.

He clambered up and through the carriage door. His own breath sounded deafening as he sat down.

He looked towards the others filing into the carriage.

Could no one else see them?

Had he gone mad?

He attempted to focus on Albus in the seat opposite him.

His square glasses.

His unruly black hair.

Just above Albus’ head, he could see the carriage window.

The black back of the horrifying creature.

Why had he never seen them before?

The others were occupied with conversation. The muffled words and phrases dissolved into the ringing in his ears.

Had they always been there?

Matilda would help. She knew everything.

“Scorpius, are you okay?” Bella asked.

Her voice pulled him back.

“Yes,” he said, rather unconvincingly.

Bella’s brow furrowed.

“Are you sure?”

The carriage came to a halt.

“We are here. Ready for the feast?”

He said it while climbing over the others and forcing the carriage door open.

Scorpius straightened his back.

He heard the others’ footsteps as they strolled towards the castle, wanting nothing more than to get inside and eat.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

His hand reached into the carriage, desperately trying to grab his forgotten satchel.

He took a deep breath, knowing that he would soon see the full form of that horrid beast once again.

He stepped away from the carriage and turned to the creature, taking in its details.

It seemed to be made up of bones.

He couldn’t quite describe it.

There was no fur, only leathery skin stretched tightly against bones.

It looked almost slimy from afar.

Its head was a mix of a horse and a dragon.

The features were so horrible it was difficult to look away.

Before he knew it, it had left.

Bella yelled for Scorpius to follow and he turned towards the castle.

As he passed through the courtyard, he caught the curious look of Rose Weasley.

His jaw clenched.

He didn't need Weasley asking questions.

He didn't need her trying to solve his problems.

He strolled towards the castle as if nothing had happened, resisting the urge to look back at the carriages.

Every year the feast felt longer and longer.

Scorpius tried to pay attention to the sorting. He watched as the Sorting Hat appeared at the front of the hall, performing its yearly ritual.

The hat spent its one day out of storage gracing the students with its highly anticipated song, which this year was just as bad as the last. The hat sang while the students gawped at the newcomers.

Scorpius watched some of the third years; they were most likely choosing their new victims, while the second years looked relieved at the change.

Scorpius found the whole affair rather boring and monotonous.

They had, after all, been watching it since first year.

Following the sorting, Gryffindor seemed to have taken most of the first years, which only made him glad.

He would despise having to look after those young brats.

Professor McGonagall rose from the podium. Her demeanour alone was enough to silence the entire hall. Her stern glare made even the older students straighten.

Scorpius exchanged wary glances with his friends.

“Before we continue the feast, there are a few rules and restrictions that need to be addressed. The prefect bathrooms are not to be used by anyone who is not a prefect.”

McGonagall deliberately turned her head towards the Gryffindor table, where Fred and James were seated.

“Furthermore, due to recent circumstances, the west wing corridor on the fifth floor is out of bounds for all students. No student is to enter the Forbidden Forest without proper precautions and a professor present.”

Hogwarts was a school that prided itself on tradition.

McGonagall's expression softened slightly.

“The war left the wizarding world in a state of ruin... but also with the opportunity for change.”

Her eyes scanned the four tables.

Scorpius did the same.

Bella and Lisa were whispering at the Ravenclaw table, discreetly pointing out people around the room. Weasley was muttering to James and Fred through gritted teeth. Albus was absent. Scorpius wasn’t sure where he could have gone.

“…Hogwarts has made a promise to combat the ever-growing division between our houses. I welcome all first years to participate in our pen-letter program. Your head of house will explain further.”

She gave them all a tired smile.

“Very well.”

She flicked her wand.

Before Scorpius could so much as blink, the empty plates filled with mountains of food.

The few new Slytherin first years looked in awe at the display. Scorpius and his friends dug in without hesitation, already knowing exactly what to eat and what to avoid.

“That broccoli looks pretty good this year,” Derek mentioned, eyeing the green vegetable.

“You said so last year Santiago, and then you got sick all over the common room carpet,” Sam said with the look of disgust plastered on her face, “let’s not repeat last year.”

“It wasn’t that bad, the house-elves cleaned it up nicely,” Scorpius said.

“I can still picture it in my head,” Sam said with a shudder.

“Vale, vale. I’ll leave it.”

Derek abandoned the broccoli altogether and helped himself to the carrots.

The Great Hall buzzed with conversation.

Above them, the enchanted ceiling was dark, low clouds drifting across the enchanted sky. The air felt strangely heavy.

Perhaps it would rain before morning.

Bea was loudly explaining her summer break while Louis nodded along, absently running a hand through his long blond hair. Sam kept rolling her eyes while adding snarky interruptions, never letting Bea finish.

Derek and Charles were talking about the new Quidditch tactics and planning out the season. Scorpius tuned into their conversation.

“I heard Saira Patil is their new Quidditch captain,” Scorpius butted in.

“That mudblood,” Charles Zabini spat out.

“I think her mum’s a witch,” Derek added.

“Same thing,” Scorpius said, barely paying attention.

He took another bite of his roasted potatoes, missing the uncomfortable look Derek shot Charles.

“Either way, she's probably a dreadful captain. We've got this year in the bag.”

Charles smiled with a wicked grin. Sam seemed to agree, nodding her head.

Scorpius hoped Charles was right.

If anything went wrong, Charles was the captain.

None of the blame would fall on him.

He felt a light tap on his shoulder.

He turned around to find Penny there.

“Hi Penny,” he said in a cheery tone.

"Professor Purcey said we're supposed to escort the first years."

Penny looked at him expectantly.

"McGonagall hasn't dismissed us yet..."

The headmistress stood up to once again address the room.

In a matter of seconds the food all disappeared.

Scorpius spotted a few disappointed faces, and one of the Hufflepuffs bit into air with his food suddenly gone.

The rest of the students impatiently let the first years leave.

Scorpius and Penny had to push the kids around to get them to follow. When they first made it down to the dungeons, they all looked around in horror.

Once inside the common room, Scorpius felt at ease.

It was easily his favourite room in the entirety of Hogwarts.

The armchairs by the huge windows that viewed straight into the abyss of the Black Lake. It somehow made him calm. Above them, a silver chandelier twinkled like a million stars, covering the dark green walls.

Even the first years seemed less terrified now.

Scorpius and Penny handed them over to Professor Purcey, their flying instructor.

No one really knew how he had earned the title of Professor when he was only the flying instructor, but nobody seemed interested in questioning it. Scorpius had gathered it had to do with his position as Head of House Slytherin.

Scorpius took a seat in one of the armchairs.

He looked at his watch.

It was nearly ten.

He could hear Professor Purcey drone on and on about the common room as he toured the place for the newcomers.

Then Scorpius heard, for the fiftieth time, the story behind the pen-letter program.

His mind drifted to Matilda.

He had been standing in the same place as the new first years when Professor Purcey had given them their pen-pals. He had ripped open the paper only to read the name:

Matilda.

It sounded so simple.

Scorpius wondered how easily the name had come to her.

“...If a letter is sent before ten pm it will be sent directly to your pal’s bedside table...”

Scorpius glanced at his watch.

It was only a few more minutes until ten.

She had said she would write.

He reached for his satchel at the foot of the chair.

The worn letter, the one from fourth year.

It stated clearly that he would get a letter on the first evening.

“...If you can all scribble down a secret name on a piece of parchment and hand it to me within the next twenty minutes, I will be out of your way. You will get your pen-pal in the morning—”

Alexander plopped down in the chair across from Scorpius.

He didn’t say anything at first.

Despite being family, the two had never really gotten on, and Scorpius had no real intention or want to talk to his cousin this evening.

“Good break, Alex,” he said, only to break the silence.

“Didn’t Bella tell you all about it?”

Alex raised his eyebrows slightly.

“Yeah, she did.”

Scorpius got up from his seat, tucking the letter back into the satchel.

He glanced at his watch.

Two minutes till 10 pm.

“Scorpius...” Alex interrupted.

“I’m gonna go to my room.”

Scorpius hurried up the staircase, climbing two steps at a time.

The room looked deserted.

All of their previous decorations had to be taken down at the end of last term so that the house-elves could clean the dorm properly.

They hadn’t delivered his trunk yet, so Scorpius sat down in silence at his desk.

The clock was ticking down.

Soon it would be past ten, and yet there still was no letter.

As if the universe heard his thoughts, he could hear the swish of a letter airplane.

Neatly, it sailed through the air and stopped abruptly on his bedside table.

Unfolding itself.

Scorpius scrambled to his feet and made a grab for the letter.

The paper was smooth as he broke the seal.

Dear Hyperion,

Hope you are doing well and that you had a marvellous summer.

Like I said in my last letter, I was going to France this summer. One of my cousins lives there and I have never been.

It was so lovely. My dad drove the entire way, honestly I would rather he not. He just got his license at the start of the summer. You should have seen some of the towns we drove through, they were all so picturesque. I might send you a postcard if I can find one in the mess of my trunk.

I met so many nice people as well. I don’t know who said that the French are all bad, I think I might have even made some friends for life.

First I met Cristine and Audrey near Saint Maxime. They go to Beauxbatons and told me all about it. It’s actually quite insane. They aren’t allowed to play Quidditch there, but their uniforms are so cute.

Henry showed me around Cannes la Boca. He is a friend of my cousin, but he was so nice and helpful and we ended up walking in circles most of the time because he forgot what way we were supposed to go.

I tried to get my mum to take me to Beauxbatons, not that I would ever transfer, but it just looks so nice — well, a girl can dream.

Other than my trip, there isn’t too much more to report.

How was your summer break? You said you were going to the Far East? Did you get to see the secret magic trading route? It is so fascinating. They used to export goods from the magical communities in China for hundreds of years.

I guess now most deliveries can be done through Portkeys and owls, but I did read that some exotic and valuable goods still need to be transported on that route.

Isn’t that just fascinating? Did you say your sister wanted to work there? It sounds absolutely wonderful. I would love to hear if you saw any of that.

Okay, my question of the week: What bullshit Gilderoy Lockhart book is your favourite? Ironically, of course.

See you soon, Love, Matilda.