Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter. Title is a quote from Dinotopia.
"What, no Nargles around to help you?" Zabini asks mockingly, Luna frowns.
"That isn't really how Nargles work," She tells them, confused.
"Not like they could have fixed you anyway. You know your voice is just annoying, right?"
"Engaging me in conversation seems counter-productive then, don't you think?" She asks, sounding genuinely curious.
"Your hair makes you look like a ghost!" Pansy adds. The group of Slytherins freeze awkwardly for a moment and turn to Draco who touches his hair lightly. Pansy's eyes widen, and that's when it occurs to him. What if that had been said to him? What if all of this had been? He hates it when Potter offends him, even if he doesn't care what the blasted golden boy thinks, and he never goes out of his way to personally offend Draco. Draco frowns.
"I like your hair," Luna offers to him. That's when he comes to his second realisation. No one can change that he's just been ridiculed, though accidentally, but he feels better now with someone on his side.
"I like your hair too. And your voice, it's soothing," He tells her, she smiles, "And while we're at it, I don't think you need fixing. I think you just need to get away from these losers," Draco announces, linking arms with Luna and leading her away.
"Where are we going?" Luna asks, happily going along with him, Draco shrugs.
"You could show me some Nargles?" Luna's smile is blinding, and that leads Draco to epiphany number three.
This girl, who Draco has spent years mocking, may very well have just become Draco's first real friend. He'll be damned if he ever let's anyone offend her again.
The next day, Draco and Luna are heading back into the castle after spending their free period with some Thestrals. Draco can't see them, but something had to be eating the apples. He wonders how many other things are out there that he can't see, that no one can. Are they lonely? Do they have anyone looking after them?
As they enter the walk to the entrance, they hear a commotion. Looking over, Draco sees his fellow snakes sneering at a second year Ravenclaw. Crabbe pushes her over into a muddy puddle.
"Right where you belong, Mudblood," Knott tells her. Draco chuckles slightly, then notices Luna's disapproving look. It took him less than a day to realise she's not as impassive as people think. He wonders how no one else has.
"What?"
"What if you were a muggle-born? Like how you have blond hair?"
"It's hardly the same thing Luna!" Luna turns his face towards the girl who seems quite upset.
"It certainly looks like it to me." Draco remembers how he felt yesterday, suddenly he's really rather angry, because it is the same thing, and how dare they mock a child for something they can't control?
Draco stalks over there.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" The entire yard freezes.
"Loony Lovegood wasn't enough? You're some mudblood lover now too?" Pansy asks, looking and sounding disgusted.
"You know Pans, one day, you're going to sit in a house with a husband you can't stand and a bunch of pug-faced children, and you'll wish you had a friend who actually cares for you beside you. But you won't, because you are shallow and self-obsessed, and this kid right here has every chance imaginable to be a better witch than you can hope to be. And a much better person too. So leave. Her. Alone." Pansy sneers at him and then storms off, the others following after her.
Draco turns around to see Luna kneeling beside the child. Draco holds a hand out and helps her up after she takes it hesitantly.
"Are you all right?" He asks, she sniffles slightly, wiping away tears with a muddy hand. This is how old Granger was when he first called her a mudblood. Is this how she felt? Did he make a little girl cry all because he wanted to seem powerful like his Father?
"W-Will the house elves b-be mad ab-about my ro-obes?" She asks, Draco smiles gently, pulling out his wand.
"Scourgify." The robes are cleaned, "They certainly won't be now." The girls smiles, "I'm Draco, this is Luna, what's your name?"
"Cecille. Everyone calls me cilly though." Draco frowns.
"Do you want them to call you that?" The girl shakes her head, bottom lip quivering.
"It's nice to meet you, Cecille." She throws herself at Draco, hugging him, he panics for a moment. He looks to Luna who mimes a hug, Draco hugs the girl back.
"I'm in Ravenclaw too, you know. Would you like to sit with me at Lunch?" Luna asks, Cecille seems nervous when she pulls away from Draco.
"I don't usually go to the Great Hall at lunch. I eat in the kitchen with the House Elves. They're nice to me," She explains, looking ashamed, Draco's frown deepens as he observes the girl. It's just like home, to Draco. Of course, he's never allowed to go to the kitchens. But the concept of the house elves being the only things to care, that Draco can relate to greatly.
Many people think Lucius is a cold man, and once upon a time Draco would have disagreed. Back when he bought Draco his first broom, and when he spent hours watching Draco complete a puzzle because he didn't want help but he didn't want to be alone either. He's changed though, they don't talk anymore, and all he ever seems to be is disappointed. Well now Draco is the one disappointed. Disappointed in the school, in the teachers, in his peers. Most importantly though, he's disappointed in himself. How many people had he hurt to this extent? Who else had no one to go to? Draco shakes his head. No more.
No more.
"Mr Malfoy, I under stand you wished to speak with me?" Dumbledore asks as Draco takes a seat in his office. It had taken over a week for Draco to get this appointment, further proving Draco's opinion of things.
"Yes. It's come to my attention that this school has a serious problem with bullying." Dumbledore looks shell-shocked, "Do you know that a second-year Ravenclaw eats in the kitchens because her house bullies her so much she is afraid to eat in the Great Hall? Just yesterday a boy a year below me in Hufflepuff was running through the school with his pants around his ankles because some Gryffindors thought it would be a laugh. He'd been running for ten minutes before I saw him and helped. Last week, I found a boy unconscious in the corridor and took him to Madam Pomfrey. Turns out he passed out from hunger. He hasn't been eating because a couple of Ravenclaws called him fat. And a girl from Hufflepuff is failing classes because she doesn't want to go to the library. People keep telling her she's stupid so why bother and harass her whenever she's trying to study." Dumbledore frowns at him, seeming bothered by this news as well.
"I see."
"No, Headmaster. I don't think you do. If you did see, you wouldn't be surprised by all of this now. I don't know how the teachers aren't seeing this, but someone has to do something and as far as I can see, I'm the only one trying to help. Even my friends, apart from Luna, are afraid to stand up for people. Only Luna doesn't, because she knows having her on their side is only going to give bullies more reason to laugh at them. So not only is the victim powerless, so is Luna." Dumbledore nods.
"You are quite right, Mr Malfoy. Something does need to be done. But not by teachers." Draco's eyes narrow, "You know as well as I that students will not listen when a member of faculty tells them to stop upsetting their fellow students."
"Then what do we do?"
"People look up to you Draco, if you change, others are sure to follow."
"With all due respect, sir, no one really listens to me anymore." Dumbledore smiles in that Grand-Fatherly way.
"Perhaps, then, you should stop giving them that option."
Draco sits by the lake, pondering Dumbledore's words morosely. How is he supposed to make people listen to him? The whole school hates him, he's made damn sure of that over the years. Who the hell would take him seriously when he starts talking about anti-bullying. Just the other day he got into an altercation with some Hufflepuffs because who is he to talk about such things?
Clearly he needs to make a point. Prove to people that he really has changed. Only then will they start hearing his words instead of just his voice.
"Hey Potter!" Draco calls, jogging down a corridor to catch up with him.
"What do you want Malfoy?" He asks shortly, turning around, Granger and Weasley looking at him with suspicion.
"To apologise." Once more, everyone in the area stops and watches.
"You what now?" Ron asks, Draco sighs, biting back the nasty comment. He doesn't do that anymore, he doesn't.
"I'm sorry for being an arse to you, all three of you, for literally years. Potter, I insulted your friend and then spent six years throwing a hissy fit over the fact that you didn't want to talk to me. It was pathetic, and juvenile, and I'm sorry. Also, Weasley, I'm sorry about all the snide remarks I've made about your family. I was raised to think those with less are worth less, but no amount of money would make up for the fact that you all care about each other. That's worth a lot more than fancy clothes and a bigger house than is needed." Everyone is openly gaping at him now, "And Granger, I'm sorry I've been a right prat about you being muggle-born." It's this that shocks everyone the most. Not only that he is apologising, but that he used the term muggle-born, "You're a better witch than any pure-blood I know, and even if you weren't, you did nothing to deserve me treating you like that. You can't help your blood status anymore than I can my hair colour, and it's stupid to mock you for it. I'm sorry." Hermione blinks at him in shock.
"Um, thank you, Draco," She tells him, awkwardly, he nods.
"Right, I'll leave you all alone." With that he turns to leave.
"Hey Malfoy!" Potter calls out, Malfoy turns to look at him. Harry grins at him mischievously, "You know you're still my nemesis, right? Even if you aren't being an arrogant toerag anymore." Draco smirks.
"Likewise, Potter."
At dinner the next night, the Weaslette comes over to the Slytherin table and sits besides Draco.
"What are you doing here?" Pansy sneers at her.
"Shut up Pansy, she can sit wherever she likes, it's just a damned table." Pansy glares at Draco but backs down.
"I came to thank you." Draco raises an eyebrow at her, "Luna told me you stood up for her. No one but Harry, Neville, and I ever have before. She might not care all that much what people say about her, but even she gets lonely. I appreciate the way you've been looking out for her."
"All things considered, I'm pretty sure she's done more to help me than I have her." Ginny shrugs.
"One raindrop raises the see." Draco blinks at her for a moment, "Look around you Malfoy, look around and what you've done in a week and a half." Draco looks around the hall and sees Luna chatting with others at her table. Further down said table, Cecille is sitting and talking with people as well. A Slytherin is sitting at the Gryffindor table, talking with them, and no one is giving it a second glance, "You may only be one man, but your actions ripple outwards." Draco smiles faintly, nodding to Ginny.
"Thank you, Weasley." Ginny smirks.
"Don't get used to it, I'm still watching you." Draco chuckles, nodding.
"Believe me, I'm still watching myself."
"Potter!" Harry looks at a tapestry in confusion, he could have sworn he heard Malfoy's voice coming from it. Then hands reach out and pull him behind it.
"What is this place?"
"A secret passage my Mother once told me about. Apparently, her cousin found it when he was at school and accidentally let slip its location." Harry sniggers, realising who that cousin is.
"What's up?" Draco briefly reflects on how far everyone has come, that this is Harry's response to Draco pulling him behind a tapestry instead of immediately hexing him.
"I need your help." Harry frowns.
"What with?"
"Voldemort ordered me to kill Dumbledore, and I don't want to do it."