Hello everyone!
As you have already noticed after reading the title this story is a birthday gift. And I do mean an actual birthday gift for one Dead Queen, who happens to be Drapple #1 fan.
So Happy Birthday, Tomato!
May your life be full of Drapple and void of any excessively tiring work or any work whatsoever and your grades from chemistry rocketing high into the sky while your piles of homework mysteriously disappearing. Also, I wish you everything I've forgotten to mention here but will probably remember some time later today (you need to forgive me, I'm writing this at 3:02 and it's too late to think).
Enjoy!
Scorpius Malfoy felt lost. He looked around the shop not knowing where to go or what to do with himself. He was just seven and, quite honestly, had no idea what has even gotten into him to come here. He was so concentrated on coming up with a plan that would allow him to sneak out of his house and come to the muggle shop that he didn't actually think about what he was going to do once he got there. And now he was standing right in the middle of it, all those tall adult muggles going in all possible directions, nearly running over him for he was too small to be noticed. But he knew his luck wouldn't last for long. He might have been just seven but he knew that both wizards and muggles would get suspicious upon seeing seven-year-old kid being somewhere all alone. He had to act quickly or else someone 'helpful' might show up and ask if he's gotten lost and then take him home right back to his mum, who was perfectly unaware of his absence. Not only he would be in more trouble than he could even imagine but, more importantly, he wouldn't be able to go through with his plan. And what a plan it was! He made it up four days ago, thanks to the sudden stroke of genius. The thing was, his dad's birthday was coming up and Scorpius had spent the last week wondering what amazing present he would get him. Usually he would just make a card or something like that and then help his mum make a cake (as far as Scorpius was concerned his dad was far too old to be getting a cake but he never complained - after all, his dad could only eat so much of his cake and then someone else – meaning him - would get the rest). But this year, this year he wanted to do something more. Much more. And then it dawned on him! He would get his dad an apple. But not just a regular apple, no. It would be the best apple ever, the most delicious, most shining, biggest and with the most beautiful green skin his dad's eyes had ever seen. Because for some reason his dad simply loved green apples. And when he said 'loved' he actually meant 'loved'. Scorpius thought it was quite creepy but sometimes his dad would just get so engrossed in eating his apple, savouring each bite and marvelling at the intoxicating applish fragrance. But then again if he got him the prettiest apple with the most appealing scent wouldn't it be the absolutely best birthday gift ever? Obviously it would.
Now the only thing Scorpius had to do was find that one apple in this huge shop. Somehow, he thought, it seemed much smaller and far more friendly at the times when he occasionally came here with his mum or even dad. He scrunched up his nose and strained his mind, trying to remember in which direction he should go to get to the fruits and vegetables section. Finally he decided he would just go whichever way. After all the shop wasn't big enough to actually get lost in here and standing in one place and risking catching someone's attention was a poor idea. So he moved forward and then took the first turn to the right.
Now that he thought about it, Scorpius decided that it was definitely possible to get lost in this horrid muggle shop. He had no idea how long he's been walking from lane to lane with no luck at finding apples whatsoever, but he was quite sure it was far too long. His mother surely had noticed him missing by now. He was so doomed. He would never see the daylight again, stuck in the house's library for the rest of his miserable life, reading impossibly boring books for the lack of anything better to do. No flying, no fun and books. If the hell muggles believed in existed he was sure that was what it looked like. So lost in his thoughts he had not noticed the obstacle before him until he bumped his forehead against it really hard, which resulted in sharp pain, soon to appear bruise and him falling to the floor and landing on his butt. Massaging his hurting head Scorpius picked himself up from the white tiles and looked around only to notice ha had by some miracle come to the apple section. Well, not only apple. There were all kinds of fruits and vegetables in there. Oranges, carrots, lemons and lots of other stuff, most of which he didn't even know the names of. He started walking though this maze looking for apples. It seemed like he was going to spend another eternity in here. Finally, when he thought all the hope was lost he saw them. Big, shiny, juicy apples. All of them yellow. Or red. Or yellow-red. Not a single green apple. Scorpius looked around miserably. That wasn't at all what he had expected, in his amazing plan there were mounds of beautiful green apples to pick from in there. He looked around once again but with no luck. There were no green apples in here. He felt down. Trying to decide what to do now he leaned against the huge box-thingy that stored all the yellow, red and yellow-red but no green apples and stared at the box-thingy right in front of him.
And then he saw it.
The Apple.
It was glorious. Big and perfectly round, with shiny skin. He could imagine how wonderful the taste of it must be. And how amazing the fragrance. Scorpius was elated. That was the ideal gift for his dad. The apple was red, not green, but it was so perfect otherwise he was sure his dad would love it.
He picked it up and started wandering around the shop yet again.
Draco Malfoy was looking at the box in his hands. His seven year old son was standing in front of him, bouncing on his feet, looking both extremely proud of himself and anxious at the same time. He felt himself smile at the kid. He had no idea what he had gotten him that made him so excited about him seeing it but he surely was curious. Not wanting to keep either of them waiting any longer he untied the intricate ribbon-knot and opened the box. He looked inside and then back at his son perplexed. Scorpius must have not noticed his lack of enthusiasm for he asked happily.
'How do you like it?'
Draco found himself unable to come up with an answer. He had no idea what the gift was about or why his son was so excited about it. He did know though that if he told the kid just that he would ruin this birthday for both of them. So instead he decided on a truly Slytherin way out of situation.
'Oh...um...Scorpius, it's...I just don't know what to say, really...' he said in what he hoped was a voice that said 'I'm so touched I can barely come up with an answer'. Thankfully his son seemed to have bought it for his happy grin got even wider.
'I knew you'd love it! Cause you love apples and I thought if I got you the best apple ever if would be the best gift! And I wanted it to be green but there were no green ones but then I saw this one and it was just so perfect and I knew you're going to love it!' his excited ramble stopped there and Draco tried not to look too much gobsmacked. So his son had gotten him an apple? He looked into the box once again. While the concept itself was truly amazing the way it was pulled off wasn't just as impressive. For there, in the perfect square box rested a truly beautiful tomato. Draco made his face into one of delight and thankfulness before looking back at his son.
'Thanks Scorpius' he said while pulling the child into a hug. 'It really is the best birthday gift ever.'
And it was. For it was the intent that mattered and besides, tomatoes weren't so bad after all.
