To say Draco was in a bad mood would be an understatement.
Nowadays, he had learned to carefully keep his emotions in check, leaving his face apathetic at all times. It was better that way, he had decided. Since the war had ended, his family had been shunned by both good and bad wizards alike. He was regularly in the newspaper, though most of the articles were false. He never commented on them and tried to live as though he didn't see them and he didn't care what they said. But despite his indifferent pretenses, he did care. And today, the words had struck a nerve when a particularly nasty article about him and his mother was published. His colleagues behaved like immature twelve year olds about it, taunting and sneering the entire day. On his way down Diagon Alley, someone had even taken a small fruit and thrown it at him. That had been where he lost his cool.
After screaming at the gleeful stranger for a good ten minutes, he sat down on the steps outside an empty shop, grasping the odd little orange fruit in his hand. His generally vacant expression had been replaced with one of frustration and exhaustion. He glanced down at the little fruit. He felt slightly embarrassed that he had absolutely no idea what sort of fruit the make-shift weapon was.
"It's a kumquat, you know," said a familiar, airy voice from behind him.
Draco spun around and found he was glaring at Luna Lovegood, who merely looked back at him owlishly, blinking her big blue eyes slowly. He turned again and returned to staring moodily at the fruit – the kumquat – and tapping his foot restlessly. Luna didn't seem to take his hint about not being wanted there, and sat down beside him.
"I know what it is," Draco snapped at her before she had time to say something condescending, as he was sure she would. She was the perfect friend of the idolized savior of the wizarding world. No one who associated with the so-called "saint" ever said something decent to him, and this wouldn't be an exception.
"Alright," Luna said. "They're quite good, you know. My mother used to buy them for me when I was young."
"Of course she did," Draco replied scathingly.
"I haven't seen you around," Luna commented. "I've been working at the school to rebuild, and now I'm working at the Ministry, in the Department of Newly Discovered Magical Creatures." Draco looked at her in confusion, but quickly pulled the expression off his face once he realized what he was doing. No emotion, he reminded himself. "It's a new office," Luna continued. "I'm the only one in the department."
"Well isn't that nice?" Draco said bitterly, wishing that he had his own department rather than her.
"You know, just because the wizarding world is being horrible to you doesn't mean that each individual will be," Luna informed him. "I don't understand why you have to be so rude to everyone all the time."
"You'd act the same way if you were in my situation," Draco retorted.
"No," Luna replied, "I wouldn't. You should know that I didn't have any friends for years. Everyone thought I was too unusual to be friends with. I still don't have many friends. It just took finding the right people that accepted me for who I am and what I was."
Draco could feel his resolve breaking as she spoke, and a slightly sympathetic, yet sad, angry, and confused look swept across his face before he wiped if off once more.
"You're like this kumquat," Luna said, taking the little fruit from him. Draco cast her look that clearly suggested she was insane, but she ignored it and kept speaking. "You're a bit unusual, not really well liked or accepted, but for those that do know you, you're perfect." She smiled. "It's not perfect, but it is what it is. Kumquats don't hide and pretend to be something else, they just shout out that they're different – they aren't apples, pears, oranges, strawberries, or anything else of the sort. They're kumquats, and they're proud of it. You have to ignore the bad publicity and find the people that accept and love you. And you have to be yourself rather than hiding behind masks, because I know that this dead Draco and the unkind Draco from school are both not the real Draco. You need to be yourself, and pretty soon I know things will get better." She pressed the kumquat back into his hand and then apparated away, leaving a rather confused Draco sitting by himself, clutching the kumquat. He looked at it, pondering for several minutes. At lost last, he stood, stretching. And then, for the first time in years, he allowed a smile – a real smile, not a sinister or forced one – to creep up onto his face.
The real Draco walked home that night.
Disclaimer: I don't own Draco or Luna.
A/N: Hello... well, I entered a challenge where they gave me a fruit and a character and I had to write a piece with Draco and kumquat(s). I have never, ever, ever written Draco (besides, maybe, a short run-in at school or in a shop or something of the sort) so I'm sorry if you hate it. Critiques are definitely welcome! Reviews are lovely, no matter what is included, though...
Thanks!
Naomi