Draco groaned audibly as Luna Lovegood flounced toward him after "Potions" class. Not only was the girl certifiably insane, and a friend of Potter to boot, but she was simply irritating. The way her positivity was omnipresent in any classes the two shared, the way she was sickeningly sweet, the way her hair smelled of faint lilacs… Merlin, even how she smelled grated on him.
"Hi, Draco," Luna smiled. She delicately held a rose in her hand that Draco assumed Potteyhead had given her. Lately, the two seemed closer than usual, holding hands in the corridors, sending secret, serene smiles to each other… of course Draco didn't give a rat's shit, but anything that made despicable, mudblood-loving Potter happy was written off in Draco's book as something that needed to be hexed, and fast.
"Looney, I really couldn't give a rat's arse what you have to say to me right now. Leave."
"Even simple conversation sickens you?" she asked. It was a genuine question, and her face scrunched up a bit from thinking.
"If it's with a stupid wanker-bimbo bitch like you, then yes, it does make me sick!" Draco attempted to push past her, but she firmly and gently put her hands on his shoulders. It barricaded him from moving forward.
"Wanker-bimbo? That's not very nice…" Luna frowned in contemplation after she finished speaking.
"It-It isn't supposed to be nice!" he sputtered while ripping her hands off his shoulders. "When have I ever been nice to Potteyhead or Weasel or that mudblood they hang around? Or anyone associated with them? You just don't understand anything because you're too busy staring up at the sky to comprehend anything on the ground! You're stupid, and even with his taste in friends, I can't see why Potter would like you."
"And it's also not a very good insult, Draco. Just like me, you've got your head up in the clouds, I suppose… You want to be distracted by something, anything… " her voice calmly whispered in its bell-like tone. "I can tell something's troubling you. I think you don't want to be a deatheater."
"Just because my insults aren't as sharp as they normally are because it's been a long day means that I'm having regrets about becoming a servant to the Dark Lord? Now I know why you're so alone all the time… you're too goddamn crazy to keep any friends," he spat.
She reached up to his face and caressed it as his mother had done when he was a child. "You're bitter and unhappy with your life. That's why you're so rude to everyone all the time—it makes you feel like you have control, and gives you even the slightest bit of joy. And you don't want to serve Voldemort-" Draco's mouth fell open at the girl's bravery; even he didn't dare to speak his leader's name- "You just want to make your father proud, and that's commendable for your dedication to him. But you have to do what you want to or you'll spend your entire life miserable. Draco, it's never too late to turn to the light side. You could be happy, actually happy…" The words were simple, but they struck her opponent (or friend, as she would call him) in his heart.
He soon realized that her hand was still on his face. He jerkily slapped it away, her words overwhelming him so much he felt woozy. "You could have friends that would like you not because of who your father is or how much you hate others. They'd like you because you have a sweet heart…" She smiled serenely at Draco. "I can see it's hidden under thick layers that you've put up to masquerade your feelings. Tear them down. Of course, the decision is yours, but I felt that someone should remind you that you do have a choice." Her speech finished, she assessed him. "Hmm… we'd need to drop the childlike name-calling and blatant racism, let the hair down, paint a smile on your face, but I think you'd be a great catch with the Gryffindor girls," she concluded. "Then again, according to what Hermione and Ginny tell me, you probably already are…"
"Are you insane, woman?" he weakly demanded. It was the only statement he could make while in such a shock. Nobody had ever cared bout him enough to give him a choice… He didn't even know if he wanted to hate most of Hogwarts' students anymore for their side on the war. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.
"Woman," she muttered. "I like it better than stupid wanker-bimbo bitch." She grinned, stood on her tippytoes, and gently kissed his cheek. "Please consider it," she said while joyously skipping away to Potter's arms in the dining hall.
Draco watched her prance away in that always-upbeat way of hers and sighed. He scraped red lipstick off his cheek. "Shit. I really gotta think of better insults for that one." Draco walked away from the encounter with a frown on his face as he considered her offer.