Yes! Chapter two is done! You have no idea how immensely proud I am of myself right now!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter. If I did, I wouldn't need a job. Ever. All the characters, settings, and places all belong to J.K. Rowling. Aside from my OC Lisette Moreaux and her family. And later on, Kitty and Ruby.

French Words in this chapter:

Père- Father/dad, you get the idea Pronounced: Pear

Anything in italics, is in French

Chapter 2

Distancing

On that Sunday of September first, Lisette was escorted by her father into King's Cross and walked to Platform 9¾. Lisette clung to her father's coat in a skittish manner, not used to being around so many people. The train station was a buzz with the chattering of muggles that didn't seem to notice the young witch or her father. With her mother home running another fever as her immune system was quite poor, when the pair spoke at the station, it was done so in fluent French. This was reserved for Father/Daughter chats for her mother didn't know the language fluently, therefore they refrained from speaking it in front of her with minor exceptions. As they reached the barrier, her dad had her watch as an older girl and her family passed through with ease.

"See? Quite simple." he reassured her. Lisette bit her lip nervously as she took hold of the trolley and took a running start. She flinched and closed her eyes as she expected to collide with the wall and let out a sigh of relief when she didn't. Opening her brown eyes, she looked in awe and panic at the sight of her new classmates and their families. She scanned the crowd for Draco, hoping he was already there. When she didn't see him, her heart dropped a little. Moments like these were more comforting when Draco was around. Her father patted his hand on her shoulder before taking the trolley from her once again, guiding it toward the train. Lisette readjusted her tan cardigan and smoothed out her plain brown dress that ruffled at her knees before following him, her long ebony hair looking like flowing ink as it shined in the light. Her short black heals clicked on the ground as she tried to keep up with her father's pace who stopped to greet a plump woman with orange hair and what could only be assumed as her five children. She tightened her grip on her blue tote bag.

"Hello Molly, Arthur at work today?" he asked her with a smile. The woman known as Molly turned to him and smiled back.

"I'm afraid so Xavier. He wanted so much to be here. It's my son Ron's first year, Fred and George's third year, and Percy's fifth year. Next year it's Ginny's first year." she informed looking to the ten year old girl to her right. Molly peered in the direction of Lisette who was observing her sons and daughter. "Is that your daughter? Your only one too right?" Molly asked. Her father beamed and moved Lisette into clear view of the family. Her face flushed with the sudden presentment.

"This is my life, light, and joy, Lisette." he said, successfully avoiding saying Lisette was an only child which wasn't exactly true. Her older brother Caleb was ten years older than her, but he was a Squib and therefore disowned leaving Lisette raised as an only child. "Lisette, this in Molly Weasley. She and her husband of a very good friends of mine." he introduced.

"Pleased to meet you Mrs. Weasley." she answered politely with a small bashful smile.

"Aren't you just the sweetest thing?" Mrs. Weasley doted.

"Adorable." the identical boys mocking cooed. Their mother shot them a dark look and they turned away snickering. The three older boys left heading to the train and their mother strayed just long enough to say goodbye to them before chasing after her sons. Her father chuckled.

"Now then, why don't we get going? You'll find Draco eventually." he reassured her. Lisette's heart skipped a nervous beat when she looked at the train. She had never been on a train before. She'd only ever traveled by the Floo Network once or twice visiting her grandparents in France. Then again, she hasn't traveled that often. She glanced toward the big clock in the middle of the platform, fifteen more minutes until the train would leave. Her father decided that it was a good time to present his monologue of what he and her mother expected from her at Hogwarts. In the beginning she decided to listen, but as the speech droned on Lisette tuned him out. She took the time to observe her father more carefully, but still look like she was listening. She looked at him all the time, but never realized how much he had changed from when she was a child. His sandy blond hair had dulled and his hairline had started to recede, giving him an older more distinguished look. He was more pale than she remembered him to be and the bags under his eyes seemed more prominent than usual, causing the girl to wonder how much sleep her father had been getting lately. Then she noticed his glasses were thicker too, he had switched to bifocals. She knew her father wasn't getting any younger and eyesight tends to diminish when people get older, but she never thought his was that bad. Both of them were interrupted when the Malfoy family approached. Lisette smiled at Draco who countered with his trademark smirk.

"Hello Draco, hello Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy." she said politely. Lucius gave the girl a curt nod and Narcissa smiled at her and reminded her to call her 'Narcissa'. Draco moved to Lisette's side with his trolley grumbling something about muggles and them knowing the speed of 'slow'.

"Lucius." her father greeted, shaking his black glove covered hand.

"Xavier." Lucius responded coolly. There was something about Draco's father that had always intimidated Lisette and she could quite honestly say he scared her, but Draco looked up to him so she said nothing. Narcissa was beaming at them, proud that they were starting school together, just like their parents before them. Lisette looked up at the clock again, five more minutes. Her stomach churned as she regretted eating breakfast that morning, but proceeded to the train following Draco. Lisette got last minute hugs from her father and Narcissa while Draco got two pats on the shoulder from the fathers of the group and a hug and kiss on the cheek from his mother.

The pair boarded the train, Lisette closely behind Draco as he searched for an empty train cabin. When they found one, he allowed Lisette to take the window seat while he took the one closest to the door. He put their trunks on the shelf space above their heads and sat down next to her. She set her tote bag on the floor next to her feet and against the wall of the train.

"Thank you." she said with a smile to her best friend.

"It's not like you could lift up yourself." he pointed out to her embarrassment. "Your trunk was twice as heavy as mine. You didn't pack your whole bookshelf did you?" She didn't meet his gaze and stared out the window at the people waving as students crammed onto the train and their families waving goodbye. It was true that she had stuffed as many books as she could in her trunk, but nowhere near her whole bookcase. She turned to him with a poker face.

"Don't be silly Draco. You know that my entire bookcase couldn't fit in there without the use of an Extension Charm. So I chose my favorite forty, then at Christmas, I will take them home and replace them with forty other books. Then repeat the same process at Easter." she explained nonchalantly. Draco looked at her incredulously and just shook his head as she pulled a book out of her tote bag. "Forty one actually. Père gave me this on the way here, though it won't be switched out with the rest of them." she added. He glanced at the title before she flipped the book to the inside cover, Introduction to Alchemy by Xavier B. Moreaux. On the inside cover was was an elegant script in French written by her father. The words meant little to Draco because he couldn't read, let alone understand French. Draco knew that he had been writing a book, but never bothered to know when it would released. He didn't read many books although Lisette had been on him to read more, so it never occurred to him to even ask about it.

"So your dad's book is out?" he asked. He only got a silent nod in reply. "When was it released?" Lisette didn't look up from her book, she was already done with the introduction.

"About a three weeks ago. That's why he was at that Alchemy Convention last week, it's one of the top ten selling books in the Wizarding World right now. I like when he writes things, research papers, theories, books, things like that." she said.

"Why?" he inquired.

"When he's working in his lab, it's far away because he's afraid that he'll blow up the house or that I'll accidentally break something or get hurt in his lab. So it's a few towns over. He often has to work late so I'd only see him if I'd wake up before eight in the morning, but when he's writing, he's home all the time. Père would sometimes have to go to his lab if he forgot something or needed to test something, but he was never gone for long. I loved those days, I spent a lot of time with him." she explained with a melancholic smile on her face. The train pulled forward suddenly startling the raven haired girl, causing her to grab the tiny windowsill. Draco laughed at the panic-stricken girl which earned him a glare and an elbow to the arm.

"You need to get out more." he jeered earning him another glare before she went back to reading. It was silent for a few minutes until the door opened and two weighty boys stood there. Lisette studied them quickly and turned to see Draco greet them with a brusque nod.

"Crabbe, Goyle." he said as the two entered as they put up their trunks and sat opposite them. The two looked at Lisette who stared back apprehensively. She was just going to ignore them and read, but it made her uncomfortable when people stared.

"Who's that Malfoy?" one of them asked after a minute of awkward silence.

"Lisette Moreaux." he answered them rolling his eyes. It was like they'd never seen a girl before. Crabbe and Goyle's eyebrows raised after hearing her last name. The Moreaux family was like the French equivalent to the Black family and equally as recognizable. "Lisette, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle." he introduced.

"How do you do?" she said in her polite reserved tone. When they didn't respond, Lisette didn't feel compelled to stay in the conversation and went back to reading. Senseless chatter about school and blood purity filled the cabin. It was mostly Draco talking as Lisette found out through the conversation she was only half listening to went on, Crabbe and Goyle didn't have much for brains, making her want to talk to them even less. Which made her even less inclined to associate with them.

As the ride to Hogwarts went two hours in, the crisp page turn of a new book to chapter twelve was obscured by the roar of laughter due to Draco telling a disparaging joke about muggle-borns that Lisette didn't care for. She glanced up from her book out the window and saw the countryside with the sun touching the clear green grass, giving it a radiant appearance. The sky was a brilliant shade of light blue with fluffy white clouds giving it a simple homelike feel. Though it wasn't as nice as her backyard at home, something about it put her at peace. After a morning full of nerves, she finally felt confident about her coming school year. She flipped back to her father's elegant cursive on the inside cover to read his words again. 'To my beautiful daughter, my life, light, and joy. Père.' She ran her fingers over the vibrant blue ink and smiled. He had written it in her favorite color. Lisette turned back to where she was in his book and kept reading. She saw Draco out of the corner of her eye watch her from after she peered out the window until she went back to her chapter then he went back to his "friends" as she flipped another page. It made her feel better that he didn't completely forget about her.

As the sun began to set, Lisette walked back into the train cabin after changing into her uniform and took back her seat next to Draco. Crabbe and Goyle were still gone putting on theirs. Lisette chuckled to herself as she wondered if they had enough intelligence to dress themselves. She put her book back in her tote and stared out the window.

"Not going to read anymore?" Draco asked.

"No, you can only reread the same book so many times in one sitting." she answered. Draco laughed at her answer. They were nearing Hogwarts and the same nervousness Lisette had felt earlier was coming back. "Draco?" she called.

"Yeah?" he responded. She looked at him, studying him with a perplexed expression on her face. Draco met her look of puzzlement with one of confusion.

"Why did you start slicking back your hair?" she wondered.

"I think it looks cool." he shrugged. "Why? Don't you like it?" he asked.

"It looks good Draco, it really does, but I liked it better the way it was. I don't know, maybe I'm just not used to it yet." she reasoned.

"Since we're asking questions, I have one." he said changing the subject.

"Yes?" she waited.

"What did your father write to you? In the inscription I mean." he clarified. She smiled and pulled out her book, opening it to the inside cover.

"To my...beautiful daughter...my life, light, and joy...Father." she recited slowly, pointing to the related words in French as she translated. Draco was much better at pulling off poker faces than Lisette, so it was hard for her to tell what he was thinking. Lisette put the book back as Crabbe and Goyle walked back in, killing the conversation between her and Draco as he went back to his pointless conversation and she went back to staring out the window. Draco had always been confident and social while Lisette was shy and preferred the company of book opposed to people, though she wasn't afraid to show when she was clearly not interested in a conversation and wanted no part of it.

When they arrived at Hogwarts, students began to flood off the train. Crabbe or Goyle opened the door and got their trunks down while Draco got his and Lisette's trunks down. She briefly thanked him and put her tote in her trunk quickly. They followed behind his goons off the train. She silently disapproved as they shoved others out of their way. Draco just smirked as he marched off the train with Lisette following, biting her lip. She paused and her eyes widened when she saw a man with wild hair and a scruffy mustache and beard towering over the other students in shabby clothing with a lantern. She suspected the colossal man was at least half giant. She had read about half-breeds before and how most weren't accepted by any half of their parent's species, but had never seen one in real life. She remembered asking her mother about them and then her going on a disparaging rant about them. The half-giant smiled and greeted a short boy with shaggy black hair and round glasses who she guessed was a first year himself. Hagrid, as he had been identified by several older students that had addressed him, lifted the oil lamp high and called the first years over to him. They followed as they led them along a path near a dark forest that gave Lisette the creeps and they wound up at the edge of a lake with wooden boats with an oil lamp per boat . Lisette's face fell and a wave of panic fell over her. She would admit she was quiet the chicken, but she absolutely hated boats. With her right hand, she inconspicuously gripped the sleeve of Draco's cloak at the back of the elbow. He rolled his eyes at the raven haired girl.

"Must you be such a wuss?" Draco complained with a small sigh as he lead her and the goon squad to the boats. The towering man gave instructions from the shore, four per boat, don't fool around, and don't fall in. Draco begrudgingly held her hands as he helped her steady into the wobbly boat, embarrassed to do so in front of people. She meekly thanked him as he gruffly turning away from her to sulk. Lisette frowned and turned to look at the school as the boat started to move as to distract her to the fact she was in a boat. Even at night it was breathtaking though she couldn't see much in the dark even with the help of the torches that illuminated the school. Crabbe or Goyle shifted in the boat, rocking it and almost hitting Lisette with the oil lamp for which Draco quickly scolded him for. She had decided on the train that she wasn't going to bother learning which boy was which due to her lack of fondness for either of the thugs. She turned to Draco whom after yelling at the goon that almost hit her had turned away from her again. Deciding on not letting it bother her, she turned to her left and studied the students in the boat closest to them. There was a girl that caught her eye, the one manning the oil lamp. Her hair was a dusty shade of light pink, it was peculiar and intriguing at the same time. The oddness made Lisette want to research what could do that to the girl's hair since it looked too good to be hair dye and it was beyond her what kind of parents would let their eleven year old daughter dye their hair pink.

The boat gently hit the shore startling her. She automatically gripped one hand on the side of the boat and the other on Draco's arm. When she heard the other occupants snigger, she started to withdraw her hand. But to her surprise, Draco unleashed a frosty glare that instantly shut them up before he aided her in getting out of the boat.

The first years were led into the historic castle looking school. Senseless chatter buzzed around them and bounced off the acoustic walls. The talking was interrupted when an older woman in a dark green dress and and black hat decorated with feathers on it waited for them. Lisette had recognized her as the Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. Her father had pointed her out to Lisette before and had said she was one of his favorite teachers when he went to Hogwarts and how even after her graduated, he had made a point to stay in touch with her. He even mentioned her in the dedication page of his book.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall." she greeted in a kind, but wise voice. "Before you can join the rest of your classmates, you must be sorted into houses. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here, your houses will be like your family where you will work not only in your classes, but to gain House Points in attempts to win the House Cup. The Sorting Ceremony will start shortly in front of the school and staff. I will return when we are ready." she informed turning into the Great Hall, the doors shutting behind her.

Lisette turned to her right to notice Draco had left and she searched the group for him and had finally spotted him talking to a girl with short black hair styled in a bob. An unknown emotion to Lisette mad her stomach churn and her heart lurch at the sight. She looked too friendly toward Draco for Lisette's comfort. She tried to make it look casual as she silently walked over to Draco's side. Her presence was felt and distracted Draco from talking to the mystery girl because he had stopped talking and smiled at Lisette. The girl glowered at her when his back was turned, but when he faced her again, the pleasant slipped back on her face. Lisette met her eyes, a mutual unspoken bond of hatred sparked between the two young females.

"Lisette Moreaux." she introduced with a friendly smile, but didn't initiate a handshake or any sort of touching like she normally would have and kept her arms crossed.

"Pansy Parkinson." she said following suit in a sickeningly sweet tone. There was a long silence between the three before Pansy broke it. "So how long have you known Malfoy?" she asked. Only the females in this conversation were aware of the psychological warfare this seemingly innocent game of questions held.

"Draco and I have been best friends since before I can even remember." she responded tactfully. She lost ground saying Draco and her were just friends, but made up for it by using his first name though she was pretty sure Parkinson thought she had an edge on her. Draco seemed to be blissfully unaware of the situation which was then interrupted by McGonagall's return. The professor was holding a piece of rolled up parchment and ordered then to get into two rows. Lisette swiftly stole the spot next to Draco earning her another glare from Parkinson. Lisette detested the kind of person Parkinson was, ambitious and always after a prize. And unfortunately for Lisette, the prize she was aiming for was Draco.

The lines started to move into the Great Hall in which students with their black uniforms wearing pointy black hats waited for them. She looked around at the tables and noticed her cousin Gabriel Evrand smiled at her from the Slytherin table which she returned. When he visited over the summer he told her had had been made the Prefect of his house which was a commendable feat. They stopped in front of a table that sat the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore and the staff which she had learned from her cousin was called the High Table. Professor McGonagall stood to the side of a stool with a ragged brown hat that seemed to have a face and unrolled the parchment.

"When I call your name you will sit on the stool and place the Sorting Hat upon your head. When the Sorting Hat has sorted you, please sit with your corresponding house." she explained.

"Abbott, Hannah." she called. A girl with pigtails stepped forward nervously and placed the Sorting hat on her head. She was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff and she scurried off. A girl named Susan Bones was also sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Clements-Porter, Katherine." she called and the pink haired girl stepped forward and placed the Sorting Hat on her head. It screamed, "Gryffindor!" and the girl beamed and skipped off to the Gryffindor table, pink hair bouncing in its side ponytail all the way. The names ran down the list and Lisette stopped paying attention until Draco was called forward. He sauntered forward confidently. Lisette could help but to chuckle when the hat had barely touched his head when it cried, "Slytherin!" He waltzed over to the Slytherin table and shook hands with Gabriel before sitting down with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Moreaux, Lisette." Professor McGonagall called and Lisette's face dropped., the moment of truth. She walked forward and sat down pulling on the hat. It slid slightly past her eyes and all was silent in the Great Hall.

"Hmm..." the Sorting Hat pondered. "I see a great deal of loyalty in you, talented and resourceful too." the hat complimented causing her to blush slightly. "You would do well in Slytherin, but you also possess quite the keen mind. I guess there's only one place to put you..." it trailed off leaving Lisette nervous. "Ravenclaw!" it announced. The Ravenclaw table cheered as she walked shakily over to the table closest to the Slytherin table. Lisette caught the disappointed look on Draco's face as she shook the Ravenclaw Prefect's hand. Lisette looked for an open space and settle on sitting next to the newest Ravenclaw before her, Ruby Kingsford. They exchanged polite smiles before the light brown haired girl turned back to the sorting. Lisette tuned out the majority of the rest of the sorting. When Pansy Parkinson was sorted into Slytherin, it didn't phase her. Though she didn't like her being in the same house as Draco. Parkinson found her and gave her a triumphant sneer before sitting next to Draco. Lisette turned her back to Parkinson as she focused on the possibly the most famous wizard their age, Harry Potter. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, she was just as curious as everyone else which house he was going to be sorted into. There was a long pause until the Gryffindor table cheer more loudly than they had for any new first year Gryffindor as he walked stunned to his house's table.

The sorting ended when a Zabini, Blaise was sorted into Slytherin. Lisette's stomach growled in an unladylike manner as she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Professor Dumbledore stood and made important start of term announcements such as warnings about the third floor corridor and the Forbidden Forest and with a wave of his hands, the feast began to everyone's enjoyment. Draco and Parkinson being in the same house bothered her thoroughly, but she tried her best to focus on the roasted chicken and candied yams on her plate. She ate with the perfect etiquette she was brought up using which earned her glances and whispers from her housemates which Lisette had deduced they weren't used to seeing an eleven year old eat with such manners. She finished her plate and eyed the lemon tart and decided against eating it and sat there awkwardly without her books to keep her company. The feast finished in due time and the Prefects lead their houses to their dorms. The Ravenclaws didn't have a password unlike the other houses, they had to solve a riddle to get in. They, to Lisette anyway, were easy and the girl Prefect, Penelope Clearwater lead the girls to the girl's dorms. She was put in a spacious dorm room with Ruby Kingsford and three other girls she didn't catch the names of. She settled her trunk at the edge of her bed and tried to make her part of her room as homey as possible by setting out a picture of her and her father's family from last Christmas in Lille, France. In the picture, her uncle Constantine, his wife Floretta, their two children Thierry and Evelyn, her grandparents, her other uncle Maxime, and Lisette was hugging her father. The only one missing from the picture was her mother since she spent most of the vacation in bed with a fever and other various minor illnesses. She turned and inspected the empty room. After everyone settled which bed everyone was sleeping in, the majority of the Ravenclaws went to the common room. Lisette chose to stay behind and make sure everything was in order. Her clothing was all unpacked into the dresser across from her bed farthest from the door. Her books stayed safely in her trunk that she had then put a locking charm on. She braided her hair in a full length wall mirror in the middle of the room and put on her simple white long sleeved nightgown that fell to her ankles. She looked to the clock that hung on the wall that said it was nine as she walked over to her bed and slid into it. It was quite comfortable. Ruby walked in and paused, giving her a strange look.

"You do know it's only nine o'clock right?" she informed.

"I've always gone to bed at nine." Lisette told her.

"Are you sure you're eleven? The only person I know that goes to bed at nine is my grandfather." she said. Lisette decided not to respond and there was a silence. "Well, whatever you want to do. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just came up to get a hair tie." she said walking over to her nightstand to the bed that was next to Lisette's and opened the drawer, retrieving what the young girl was looking for. "Goodnight." she said walking out. Lisette mumbled something she was pretty sure that Ruby didn't hear. She shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep, wondering what her mother was going to say about her not being in Slytherin like she wanted her to be.

-End-

Sorry it took me so long to update! I'll try to update sooner! Thanks for reading! Her cousin Thierry's name is pronounce Tie-rEE if you were wondering. Review, comment, you know the drill. Hope you all had a happy new year and please tell me about grammar and what not if I missed it. Thanks again for reading!