When Lissette Serpens received her letter to attend Hogwarts at age eleven, no one in her family was surprised. The Serpens Family had attended Hogwarts since its founding, and in that span of time, their bloodline remained pure as many other families had for centuries. Lissette was a natural witch and showed much promise in the art of magic, even at a very young age.
She also had a thirst for knowledge, which imbued her parents with a bit of fear that the Serpens family tradition of being sorted into Slytherin would come to an end, and their darling daughter may be sorted into Ravenclaw. But alas, their fears were allayed when the sorting hat did not even hesitate for a moment before declaring Lissette a Slytherin. And how right it had been.
Lissette's lust for knowledge came to her only as a side effect of being so driven to be named top student of her year, a feat she had managed to accomplish six years in a row. Now, entering her seventh year, her goal remained unchanged. She would be declared top student of her graduating class, or she would damn well die trying.
Boarding the train at platform 9¾, Lissette's uniform was pressed perfectly, and she'd even added a charm her mother had taught her to make it appear as if it sparkled. All eyes went to her as she passed. First years gaped at her like she were some sort of goddess while jealous seventh year Ravenclaws glowered as she passed them while wearing her self satisfied smirk at knowing that she was putting their whole house to shame.
This year was going to be her crowning achievement at Hogwarts, setting her seventh consecutive year as top student and graduating with honors. She would be renowned in Hogwarts history. Lissette found her place for the train ride next to Draco Malfoy, one of the few of her fellow students she held in any sort of regard. They could have been family if you looked at both of them side by side. Most notably, the platinum blonde hair and light blue eyes they shared. In their younger days, when they spent more time together, they often were mistaken for siblings, twins even, considering they were born in the same year.
Now, the childhood friendship they once shared had morphed into something resembling a lukewarm reception of one another at worst, and a contentious friendship at best. They didn't share secrets, or talk about dating. They simply exchanged pleasantries, banter and made occasional small talk with a silent acknowledgment of the people they used to be.
In an ideal situation, or at least to the ideals of the Malfoys and Lissette's father, Lorenzo, the two would one day marry and continue the pure blood line of Malfoys with another high standing pure blood family such as the Serpens. It would be the perfect arrangement, and had times not changed so, it would be an arrangement indeed, but Lissette's mother, Seraphina, wanted more for her daughter than to be tied to a man chosen for her, as she had been. So any such arrangement with the Malfoys was a nonstarter. Yet the families remained friendly over the years, and Lissette felt just as at home with Lucius and Narcissa as she did with her own parents.
As other students talked excitedly about new classes and professors, Lissette already had gone off into her own little world. She pulled out the book that she'd be using for her independent study in potions, an extremely rare and nearly unheard of opportunity her father had arranged for her when she expressed an interest. "Nose in a book already, Serpens," Draco lightheartedly teased.
"Wouldn't kill you to try it yourself," Lissette quipped with a smirk, not taking her eyes off the page. Draco chuckled and went back to looking out the window. It wasn't long before he looked back at her, watching as she turned page after page. If Lissette had an inkling that his eyes were on her, she showed no sign of it.
"You going to come to the first quidditch match this year," he asked after several quiet minutes had passed between them.
"You sound like you're actually interested if I'm attending or not," Lissette retorted as she lowered her book, purposely not answering the question he'd asked.
"Maybe I am. So what's your answer?"
"If I find the time," she replied noncommittally.
"Oh, yes. Wouldn't want to interrupt your studies with a bit of fun now, would we," Draco cracked.
"You just want someone who isn't Crabbe or Goyle to inflate your ego for once. Don't lie to me. I know you, Malfoy." With that, Draco huffed and turned his attention back out the window, pettily refusing to speak to Lissette again until they'd arrived at Hogwarts.
Draco followed Lissette off of the train, and walked beside her as they headed up the road. They mostly walked in silence, with Lissette mentioning something here and there that Draco would acknowledge with not much more than a nod or grunt. When they reached the entrance to Hogwarts, he finally decided to speak to her again. "I do sincerely hope you'll come to the match," he said.
"Yeah, alright. Talk me into it, why don't you. I'll be there. Just the first one though. I'm not promising the rest."
"Thanks. Oh and I saw what you were reading on the train. Have fun being Snape's bitch. Ought to be a real laugh."
Lissette made a face at him and Draco went off cackling. She'd never thought Snape was that bad, as long as you didn't act a fool in his class, which she never had. He was stoic, stern and hard to read, but she'd never had issue with him. And she liked potions. It offered her a creative outlet in her rather rigorous academic life. She wasn't about to let Draco make her regret her choice in taking an independent study in the subject.
Lissette had let Draco get far enough ahead of her to avoid any more taunts from him. She did like him, really, but he had a habit of making himself a nuisance to her when he wanted to. She would turn up to the match though. He wouldn't have asked if he didn't really want her to be there. But that was some time off yet, and not her primary thought. This was her last year. She had a legacy to leave. Steeling herself for the year ahead, Lissette walked through the door of Hogwarts.
