shy ↳ Scorpius Malfoy

Chapter One

Scorpius Malfoy sits aboard the Hogwarts Express, staring dreamily at the brunette girl a few feet away ordering candy off the trolley.

"Isn't she beautiful, Albus?" He sighs.

Albus Potter is sitting across from his blonde haired friend, rolling his eyes at his friend's lovesick attitude.

"Whatever," he mumbles, disinterested. Given that the two boys are nearly halfway into their third year and Scorpius has not taken his eyes off of the brunette girl since September, Albus is far used to his blonde-haired friend's dreamy state when around the girl. In fact, it annoys him to no end.

The brunette smiles sweetly as she purchases two Chocolate Frogs. Scorpius watches as she returns to her seat and kindly hands one of the frogs to her red-haired friend, Rose Granger-Weasley, who she has been friends with since first year, Scorpius has noticed.

"Funny, the way you stare at her everyday yet you don't even know her name," Albus says a bit harshly. But Scorpius can't notice it from up on cloud nine.

"I'm sure it's absolutely lovely," he sighs, watching the two girls talking to each other in hushed voices. The brunette meets Scorpius's eyes, just for a moment, but long enough for him to notice that they are a stunning shade of blue.

Then, she turns her attention back to Rose. The Granger-Weasley turns her head and glares at Scorpius before getting up and moving out of the compartment.

He sulks in his seat and stumbles for the newspaper resting at his side, eager to look occupied at Rose's presence.

"Hi, Rose," Albus mutters, taking his eyes away from the window for a moment to glance at the red-head. She smiles sweetly at her cousin before turning to the blonde, features hardening.

"Scorpius Malfoy, I've come over to ask you if you'd so kindly stop staring at my friend," her tone is rude, like it always is when she is speaking to the Malfoy. "It's extremely unsettling," she adds, but he only raises his brows as he keeps his gaze on the words of the Daily Prophet.

"I'm not staring at anybody," he responds innocently. Rose's glare hardens tenfold.

"Yes, you are. You've been staring at her everyday for as long as I can remember. It's impolite and...and..."

"Disgusting?" Albus adds, raising an eyebrow. Scorpius sends a glare at the boy who is supposedly his friend.

"Yes, thank you, Albus," Rose says.. "Scorpius, you're making Alice very uncomfortable."

The blonde sets down his newspaper. "Alice? That's her name? That's a lovely name. See, Albus, what did I tell you---"

Rose flicks him on the forehead, interrupting his sentence. "Bloody hell, woman!" He exclaims, wincing in pain.

"You deserve that," Rose hisses. "Now, I'm going back to my friend. Should I catch you staring at her again, I will flick you on the forehead until you stop." With that, she struts away with her head held high, shutting the screen door and blocking Alice from his view.

He frowns, rubbing his head.

"That's what you get for staring at people," Albus says, hitting his friend on the shoulder. "Especially a girl, with a Granger-Weasley as a best friend. Good luck with that, mate."

***

"The nerve of that boy!" Rose Granger-Weasley says, sliding the compartment door shut. "You should tell him off, because when I do it, it doesn't seem to have an effect."

"I don't mind, Rose," Alice Longbottom says, brushing her brunette hair out of her eyes. "Actually, it's a bit flattering." She leans forward to try and get a view of the Malfoy, but Rose sets a hand on her shoulder and pushes her backwards, eyes wide with shock.

"Are you mad?" She asks in a harsh whisper, disbelieving. "He's a Malfoy! His father was a Death Eater!" Alice frowns at the red-head. "Plus, he's a Slytherin, and we're Gryffindors. We are rivals, Alice."

"But, Albus is a Slytherin, and he's your cousin," Alice tries to make a point. Rose's face falls and she moves her eyes forward, no longer looking at her brunette friend.

"Look, Rose," Alice says slowly, trying to grab the red-head's attention once more. "I don't mind who you like and dislike. But... you know I am terrible at making friends. I'm clumsy and my voice shakes and I embarrass myself to no end. People tend not to like me. They say I'm a poor example of a Gryffindor."

"Well, I like you," Rose replies.

"I know, and I don't understand how you put up with me," she smiles jokingly, poking her friend in the shoulder. "Anyways, I just want to make more friends, you know? I mean, you're a Granger-Weasley, and James is a Potter, you two have no trouble making friends. Your names alone are enough to attract attention."

"Alice---"

"And I am not prejudice against the Malfoys, just because they have done bad things in their past."

"Bad is a bit of an understatement---"

"Also, I don't think it's fair of you to judge him based on his family name."

Rose sighs in defeat before slumping back in the seat. "You know, you were right, you're a poor excuse for a Gryffindor. You're far too kind, you should have been in Hufflepuff."

Alice grins and bounces her fist off of her friend's shoulder, just fine with the house she was placed in.

Suddenly, a red-headed first year appears behind the compartment door and pulls it open uninvited.

"Lily, what are you doing back here?" Rose asks, however, there is a slight smile on her lips at seeing her youngest cousin. Lily Potter hops into the seat opposite of the two third years and closes the compartment door again.

"Hi, Alice," she says sweetly, acknowledging her cousin's friend's presence before looking at Rose and diving into explanation.

Her words are nothing but a jumble to Alice, but Rose appears to have understood the first year's babbling.

"Just kindly tell him to bugger off, then," Rose advises. "He can't follow you around forever, or I'll have to knock him in the nose."

"I'm sorry," Alice interrupts. "But what's going on?"

Rose sighs. "There's an annoying boy in Lily's Potions class that won't leave her alone. Keeps following her around and asking absurd questions."

"So, knock him in the nose," Alice repeats Rose's earlier words and Rose smiles proudly. "Or have Rose do it, I'm sure she'd be honored." Lily giggles before looking across the corridor and her eyebrows pinch together.

"Alice," she whispers, leaning over to get closer to Alice. "That Malfoy boy is looking at you."

Alice smiles, much to Lily's surprise. "Yes, he does that a lot."