Nightmares and Daydreams (a Scorbus fanfiction)

Chapter One: It all starts somewhere

I've been waiting for weeks for this day and finally it is here. I can finally go back to Hogwarts. I never thought that I would think something like this. Then again Hogwarts itself isn't the part I'm so excited about.

I'm walking down the busy train station, my father close behind me. As I suspected, Albus or his family isn't here yet. "So Scorpius, what are you going to do this year?" my father asks me. I turn to look at him a faint smile on my face.

"Concentrate on my O.W.Ls?" I respond, not completely sure what he wants to hear.

"And?" he replies, raising his eyebrow.

"Listen to my teachers?" I continue, again unsure what to say.

"I mean regarding your...friend," my father then says, his face stern as always.

"I will not jump off the Hogwarts Express and stay out of trouble?" I ask. It is painfully obvious that I have no idea what my father wants to hear from me.

"Yes, good," he answers and a small smile forms on his face. Although I am relieved that I said what he wanted to hear and didn't have to continue guessing I also feel a little hurt that my father doesn't seem to fully trust me. "Have a nice time and maybe try to make a few more friends...some that don't try to ruin life as we know it," my father says, the smile replaced with his stern look.

"Okay, father," I respond before giving him a brief hug and walking towards the Hogwarts Express. I'm a bit mad at how disapproving my father is of Albus and in a way also of me. Albus is my best friend, the only person I truly trust and the best thing to ever happen to me. A frown covers my face as I walk down the corridor of the train, trying to find an empty compartment.

I enter the first empty compartment I find and sit down by the window, looking out at families saying goodbye to other students and friends seeing each other again. I smile when I think of seeing Albus again.

Although it took quite a while to convince him, my father finally allowed me to read muggle books and bought me some during the summer holidays. I've been reading muggle books for years without him knowing. My father is very open towards muggles compared to my grandfather but he is still very reserved and very much prefers the wizarding world.

I take one of the books my father bought me out of my bag, which holds my school robes, some money, a two-way mirror (my father's way of making sure I stay out of trouble), and more books. The book that now lays open in my lap is apparently a muggle favourite.

My mind and head are buried in the book when I hear the compartment door open and somebody enters. I look up and see Albus. He is smiling at me, a wide and happy smile, one of his honest smiles. I jump up, dropping the book and he hugs me.

"I forgot we hug now," I say before hugging Albus back. "Merlin, I missed you so much," I almost whisper. We both move back and smile at each other. For a brief moment we are content.

"I missed you too, Scorpius," Albus responds and sits down opposite from where I was sitting. I sit down too and pick up the book I had dropped. "Muggle fiction?" Albus asks and raises an eyebrow at the book.

"Yeah, I finally got me father to let me read muggle books," I answer with a smile. Out of the corner of my eye I see Albus' brother, sister, and parents stand on the platform. "Did you not say goodbye to them?" I ask, since they seem as though they had only just arrived.

"I came on to the platform with my mum and the others came after later, I didn't want to be stared at more than necessary so my dad agreed to wait a while with James and Lily," Albus explains, which makes sense to me. He told me that his father tried to get their father son relationship to a better level but was still kind of struggling to do so. "I said goodbye to my mother though," Albus adds and smiles. He always has been closer to his mother.

The train started to move and I saw the people outside waving goodbye to their children, siblings or other family members.

"So back to Hogwarts," I say and look back at Albus. "What do you think this year will be like?" I wonder, hoping that it will be a lot better than previous years. After last year nothing will be like the years before.

"I don't even know," Albus starts to respond. "I have a feeling that a lot more people will stare at us, the two boys who almost ruined the world," he continues before pulling his legs up under him.

"Well they stared at us before all of this happened anyways so it won't be anything new, the reason is just different," I reply with a small laugh. Albus shrugs lightly, a small frown on his face. He has had more than enough of people staring at us, judging us, hating us for no valid or real reason.

"I just hope I won't lose you again this year," Albus says, a slight tone of fear or sadness in his voice. Hearing this makes me feel warm inside. He really is my best friend, even though he is my only one, and without him I most like wouldn't have made it through those first four years of Hogwarts.

"And I hope that we don't create a reality in which you've never been born," I add with a smile. The sides of Albus' mouth start to move upwards, forming his soft and gentle smile. I've missed that smile so much through the summer holidays.