As had been bred into her after so many years training with Lucius, Evanna was the first to wake of her dormmates. She quickly set about pulling out quill and parchment before claiming a desk to be her own to write her mother.

Dear Mother,

I am in Slytherin, not that that is much of a surprise. To be honest, I would have preferred to be Sorted with at least one of the girls I sat with on the train. I'm sure Draco will be informing Father of that soon-if you could stop him from sending me a Howler? As you know, I was rather out of sorts when I got on the train.

Speaking of which, I am still waiting on your owl to explain that. I've not removed that bracelet you gave, though the thing is heavy and looks like it's from the Stone Ages. Still, I'd rather not have a repeat of the train station. I would like an explanation, though.

Professor Snape was rather odd, but that's to be expected of a man who spends day and night making potions in a dungeon. There are very few students in my year-I've only two roommates, but in my mind that is two too many.

I suppose I will see you over Winter Hols-can you please convince Father to let me come to the Yule Banquet this year? Draco got to go last and he snuck down two years before that.

Your loving daughter,

Evanna

By the time Evanna was signing the letter with a flourish, her roommates were stirring.

"Merlin, what are you already doing awake?" Elin Gamp groaned, her hair in complete disarray.

"What are you wearing?" Eva demanded. "You look like you're in an Austen novel?"

"Austen novel?" Evanna replied, smoothing her nightgown self-conciously.

"Never mind," the other girl sighed. "It's just awfully old-fashioned."

"Excuse me for not looking like a vagrant while asleep," Evanna said haughtily, looking the ratty plaid sleep pajamas and Weird Sisters t-shirt the other girl was wearing. Eva and Elin were both silent for a moment before Eva burst out into raucous laughter.

"Oh, we're in for a fun seven years!"

Breakfast in the Great Hall was quite interesting, as evidently Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter had not been expelled, however much the former may have found it preferable to the awful Howler he had received. Evanna was still chuckling when the sixth Prefect passed her and her yearmates their timetables.

"Oh great, Potions with the Gryffindors," said Hughes with a bit of a snarl. Evanna rolled her eyes.

"Our first lesson hasn't even commence and you are already succumbing to the stereotype, Hughes?" she said.

"Why don't you quit with the airs, Malfoy, and get that broomstick out of-"

"Oi!" Draco had slid into the seat beside her. "That's my sister and she's worth ten of you, you little hobgoblin," he sneered before turning to Evanna. "I'm sending a letter home, do you need anything?"

"Yes, to fight my own battles," she said, but passed him the letter to their mother all the same.

"A slight against you is a slight against the name of Malfoy," her brother said pompously and Evanna understood the remark about the broomstick.

"And we all know that the name of Malfoy can't stand any insults," she replied sarcastically. "You know I know more Dark spells than anyone in this castle-let me handle myself."

Draco's face darkened at the reminder of the training she had received that he had been excluded from growing up.

No better than I am!

"Fine," he said angrily, leaving the table and stalking off toward his own class. "Mind you don't get caught associating with Weasley again."

Evanna watched her brother go somewhat thunderstruck before turning back to the table. Elin was leaning over towards her.

"Why were you so mean to him?" she demanded.

"I am not some damsel-in-distress," she said, nose in the air. "I could easily wipe the floor with Draco in a duel-there's no need for him to act like I'm helpless."

"But he's so-" Eva began, slumping onto her hand and watching Draco's retreating back, "-dreamy."

Evanna gave her a disgusted look. "Don't make me lose my breakfast, Blishwick," she said, lips curled. "Now come along-we don't want to be late for Potions. Something tells me that Professor Snape would not be appreciative."

The first years made their way back into the dungeons, Evanna leading the pack as was her prerogative as both a Malfoy and an already highly-trained witch. When they arrived, Evanna immediately sought out Ginny, but slumped when she noticed that a Gryffindor boy with sandy hair was already sitting next to the girl. Instead, Evanna took the seat directly in front of them, and was joined quickly by Eva. The Gamp twins sat across the way from them.

"Your mother lose her voice often?" Evanna said to Ginny with a friendly smirk. Ginny shrugged noncommittally, seemingly to shrink away from the other girl. Evanna frowned in confusion, opening her mouth to say more, but at that moment, the classroom door banged shut and Professor Snape strode through in a whirl of black robes and a foreboding look.

"There will be no silly wand-waving in my class," he intoned, making half the class jump and stash away their wand. And that was just the beginning of a speech that Evanna-having been trained in combat magic since she was five-found rather melodramatic for a discipline that was closer to cooking than true magic.

When Professor Snape called roll, he again paused at Evanna's name and gave her a long, studying look. She fought the urge to shift under his gaze, trying her best to employ every bit of good breeding her mother had impressed into her.

So much like her mother.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" she said.

"Guilty concious, Ms. Malfoy?" he said, a faint sneer to his lips. Evanna blinked.

"Of course not, sir," she said. He snorted softly and moved on.

"What have you done to get under our Head of House's skin already?" Eva whispered. Evanna shrugged. "Is your brother that terrible of a student?"

"He's always claiming that he's the teacher's pet in here," Evanna whispered back. "So I've no idea. Shh, he's looking over this way!"

The two first years sat up straighter, quills poised over parchment, ready to begin taking notes as Snape finished his role call. And take notes they did, Evanna's hand cramping by the time that they were released to begin on making a simple Boil-Cure Potion that Narcissa had taught her and Draco years before (Lucius had often been rather disdainful towards the subject in general, though Narcissa seemed to enjoy it as often as she went to the Apothecary). There was no time left for chitchatting, but Evanna did not mind when she and Eva received a nod of approval from her Professor. Several of the Gryffindors were not so lucky.

"I see you bring the same level of incompetence to this subject as most of your Housemates, Mr. MacDougal," Professor Snape said nastily. "Evanesco."

The Gryffindors fairly ran out of the classroom when the bell rang, though Evanna lingered behind, even after her Housemates had left.

"What is it, Ms. Malfoy?" Professor Snape fairly snapped as she stepped up to his desk. "It would not do for you to be late to a class on your first day."

"I was just concerned, sir," she said. "I hope my brother has not done something to give you a poor opinion of me-"

"He has not," the professor replied. "How old are you, Ms. Malfoy?"

Evanna blinked at the sudden inquiry. "I-I am almost eleven, sir. My father pushed for me to attend Hogwarts a little early. My birthday is on Halloween."

The frown reappeared on Professor Snape's face. It was a moment before he spoke again. "Why would your father want you out of the manor a year early?"

Evanna hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I assume he thought I was ready. I'm rather grateful that he did-thus far Hogwarts seems far easier than the training I'm used to."

The professor's eyes snapped up, seeming to search for something.

If he has hurt her…

"No offense, sir," Evanna added hurriedly. The professor waved her off.

"Go on to class, Ms. Malfoy," he said. "And let me know if the other professors give you any trouble."

Evanna nodded, hoisting her bag over her shoulder. "Thank you, sir."

Professor Snape nodded absently, seeming to be lost in thought. Evanna left the classroom rather lost in thought herself, weaving her way through students starting to filter through the dungeons. She should have been expecting it, really, when she crashed into someone, sending both students to the stone floors.

A/N: And so it begins! Sorry if things feel a little filler-y-I'm trying to set up some characters and other things that will be dealt with further down the line. Obviously, you all know that Evanna is not who she believes herself to be, and I know one of my reviewers has a theory (shout-out to Serenity10116!), but there is more to her than her family and I'm curious if anyone has guessed it. That facet of her will be coming out sooner than her family secrets, any ways, even if characters form their own theories about who she is.

And don't worry, this won't be a happy-go-lucky, all the Houses are immediately besties because of one nice Slytherin kind of fic. Evanna did grow up in Malfoy Manor, after all, and has her own warped ideas of the world that will be coming to the forefront in the next chapter as she meets some more canon characters.

Hope you enjoyed-please review!