Second Year
Second year is a lot like the first.
Albus finds Scorpius on the train, and contributes a bundle of sugar quills and several jumbo sized Pepper Imps to his friend's pile of birthday sweets. Scorpius turns a little pink around the ears remembering his awkward "Hi Scorpius! I mean, I’m Scorpius. You’re Albus. I’m Scorpius" from the year before, but Albus doesn't comment and it doesn't stop Scorpius from holding one of the Pepper Imps back out and saying "stay for my sweets?" His secret deepest fear is that Albus will follow Rose away this time, but Albus grins and says "always!"
Albus winces when Scorpius' trunk is painted with "Son of Voldemort" again, and Scorpius wilts for a moment before squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin bravely. If there are tears in his eyes he blinks them back into a blinding smile, even if that smile dims when he sees the "Slytherin Squib" painted on Albus' trunk. Albus just hunches his shoulders and sighs.
The teasing is if anything worse. Where last year's Seventh Years weren't interested in bullying a pair of 11 year olds, this year's First Years seem intent on scoring points over a couple of Second Years. And while a teacher might possibly notice a fully grown witch or wizard of 17 or 18 picking on an 11 year old child, they mostly don't seem to see an 11 year old picking on a 12 year old. Professor Longbottom might; he invites the boys to spend time in the greenhouses and they add another spot to their roster of safe places.
Scorpius keeps Aero busy with letters to and from his mother, looking increasingly worried as term progresses. He bites his nails to the quick and repeats "she gets worse, but then she gets better again" so often it's like a mantra, but the train back after Christmas is one of the first times Albus sees him really break down. He and Astoria were reading The Secret Garden and the story of the beautiful dead mother and the sad, broken father and son strike a deep chord for him. Albus is glad he's been reading along and can lighten Scorpius' mood with a nudge - "Hey now Scorp, you don't have a hunch back, you know?"
Second term stumbles by with many afternoons by the Slytherin common room fire instead of at the Quidditch pitch with their peers, chatting with House Elves, and generally trying to disappear. James somehow manages a Howler for Albus' birthday, shouting about Valentines and lovebirds, and Albus spends weeks living it down.
When it's time to select their courses for Third Year, they decide to pick one each and one they both enjoy, so they don't have to face a class alone. Albus picks Care of Magical Creatures, even if it IS like his father. He likes animals and has found a solace in spending time with Areo and Brian that he didn't really expect. Scorpius wants Ancient Runes ("of course, MORE history," Albus can't help sighing), and they both zero in on Muggle Studies. Albus has always rather liked his distant, distracted grandfather and his collections of plugs and sockets, and wouldn't mind spending more time with him. Scorpius almost dances in delight when he gets a formal, stilted little note from Draco saying how proud he is that Scorpius has selected this course, and is "forging his own path through life."
So they end another year in the castle, and leave for another summer apart.