CHAPTER 1
"As always: keep away from Malfoy's son and all other Slytherins with bad surnames." Harry had just finished his speech, which he always gave to his children before a new school year. Albus rolled his eyes inwardly. It was just ridiculous.
James was more of the opinion that Albus should hear that every time. He actually only wanted to protect his brother from Malfoy, James knew from Harry exactly what Draco Malfoy was like when his father was at school. So why should the son be any different?
Lily hopped around on her feet alternately. Her red hair kept falling wildly over her shoulders.
Ginny gently put a hand on Harry's shoulder to signal to him that he didn't have to worry and that he should stop talking about it.
Albus gripped his suitcase a little tighter with his right hand and wanted to storm onto the train that was just arriving.
He could see Scorpius standing with his father from afar and had to suppress the urge not to run over to him and hug him.
The summer holidays were unbearable for Albus without Scorpius.
James nudged him and shook his head slightly so that he didn't draw attention to himself and Albus. Albus looked at him blankly.
Lily just watched all of this quietly. She thought that James shouldn't interfere too much. But she could somehow understand both of them.
She had a group of friends - she didn't want to imagine how that must feel for Albus, who only had Scorpius.
Ginny hugged all of her children once more before she stood next to Harry again and smiled gently. "See you at Christmas holidays."
Lily waved to her parents, James smiled slightly and Albus was more than just happy that he could get on the train straight away and be himself again.
Lily immediately went to her friends and got on the train with them. James nudged Albus again and whispered, "Please remember Dad's speech." Then he disappeared to his friends, who were already waiting for him.
Albus waited as best he could until almost all the other students were on the train before he entered himself. He knew that Scorpius was already sitting in a compartment.
It had been like that since the first year, since then they had kept the same abbey.
Albus strolled down the long corridor before he opened the compartment door and immediately put down his suitcase. The door closed again by itself.
Scorpius immediately stood up and Albus began to smile. Albus quickly pulled Scorpius into a hug, which he of course returned without hesitation.
This hug lasted a little longer than their previous hugs.
They sat together on one side after they had broken away from the hug. Albus sighed. "My family still doesn't like you." Scorpius turned his face to Albus and had a slight sad glimmer in his eyes. "It's okay. They don't need to know anything. As long as your siblings and cousins don't say anything, everything's okay, right Al?" Albus closed his eyes for a moment.
He didn't want to hide his feelings.
That was so difficult.
Then he nodded. "Yes," he whispered and suppressed the urge to lay his head on Scorpius' shoulder.
"If you want to talk, I'm here." Scorpius' voice was soft. That was pleasant for Albus. Scorpius' presence was pleasant for Albus.
Albus smiled and laughed slightly. "I know, Scorp."
"How were your holidays?"
♡
"And most importantly: Students are not allowed to enter the Forbidden Forest." McGonagall finished her speech and signaled to the students that they could start talking.
James was sitting at the Gryffindor table laughing with his group of friends - the same was true for Lily. Only Rose was watching Albus from the Gryffindor table.
Albus met Rose's gaze and he frowned in confusion.
That normally couldn't mean anything good.
Scorpius - who was sitting very close to Albus, followed Albus' gaze just as confused.
Rose's eyes wandered briefly between Albus and Scorpius before she shook her head slightly. Then she looked away and looked at one of her friends.
"That was weird," Scorpius remarked and Albus could only agree.
"What do you think she wanted?" asked Albus and turned his gaze to his plate. Scorpius shrugged. "I don't want to sound mean, but maybe she wanted to give you the same speech as James. Because when she saw us both together, she shook her head."
Albus's look turned to frustration. "Why do they have to keep interfering in my life? I probably wouldn't even be so absent to them if they didn't interfere. It just really annoys me. I don't tell them what to do and what not to do in their lives." His voice sounded desperate.
Scorpius put a sympathetic hand on Albus' back.
"At least I have you," Albus whispered so quietly that Scorpius wasn't sure if he had heard correctly. So he didn't say anything and stayed quiet.