A/N: Disclaimer I do not own harry potter or any of the characters.
Draco's seven.
It's Draco's first time visiting Diagon Alley when he realizes there's something wrong with him. Something that makes him different from the other people shopping. He doesn't like it. He doesn't like the stares and the looks of hatred. Draco knows something's wrong. Draco doesn't know what.
Draco's Eight.
Draco's parents have finally let him explore Diagon alley on his own. It's his first time going without an adult. He doesn't get the looks of contempt anymore. Just ones of curiosity. It's then when he realizes what makes him different from all those people. What makes them hate him. It's his family.
Draco's Nine.
Draco's been to Diagon alley plenty of times on his own when he says the word. He didn't know Mudblood was such a bad word. His parents use it all the time, but when the shop owner kicks him out for saying that word he knows something's wrong. He asks his godfather what it means. Draco knows something's wrong when he hears the explanation. Draco goes out the next day and buys hair ties for his dad. They look so cool; he takes one and puts it on his wrist. He pulls it. It snaps painfully onto his wrist and Draco swears. Now he looks at it again.
Draco's ten.
Draco is still wearing the rubber band. Every time he says or things a bad word he pulls it. Draco doesn't use the words mudblood and blood traitor anymore. He doesn't think them anymore either. He stopped trying to understand what it means. It's summer and Draco is out and about again. He's wearing short sleeves and so is most of Diagon alley. His Father's sleeves are long. Short, long, short, long. All of his father's friends have long sleeves. He's out after bedtime when he finds out why. They all have the ugly scars. They all seem proud of them. Only his godfather looks at the scar with contempt. His godfather looks at a lot of things with contempt. Draco knows something's wrong. Draco knows that those scars are what's wrong. Why are they kept hidden?
Draco's eleven.
Draco is going off to Hogwarts soon. He's allowed to be off on his own now, even away from Diagon alley. Draco's exploring a nearby village when he meets a boy his age. Draco's been warned about these folk. 'They're different' his father warns. Draco talks to the boy anyway. The boy's name is Justin. He knows lots of things Draco doesn't. Draco and Justin are friends. Justin is different. Draco thinks that it's a good different. A fun different. Draco doesn't tell his family about Justin. His family is different too. Except, Draco realizes, his family isn't a good type of different. Draco's learned about the television and the microwave. Draco has also learned about The Beatles. Justin and Draco are friends. Draco realizes nothing's wrong. Being friends with different people is good. Draco doesn't like Crabbe and Goyle anyway. Draco knows something. Sometimes different is good.