A/N: Written for:

Are you crazy enough to do it Challenge - 178. (dialogue) "Why do you always think that grades are the most important thing to you?" / "Because it shows who I am." / "No, it shows how smart you are. What shows who you are is how you act and how you treat others. Remember that in the future."

Nautical Pairings Forum – So not Canon
Luna Lovegood and Draco Malfoy - S.S. Frozen Moonlight

Hogwarts Forum – Gym - Madam Pomfrey's Fun Fitness - Treadmill
"Why are you like this?"

IWSC - Grammar School Round 10 – Introducing a story
Beauxbatons, Year 7
Word Count: 716
Techniques: Start your story with a question, Revisit the beginning once you reach the end

Set in the 5th year of Draco.

"Why are you like this?"

Luna looked at Draco, who had his face buried in his arms. Next to him lay a crumpled piece of parchment. It was late - nearly midnight - and Luna had spotted him sitting next to the Quidditch field as she had been on her way back to the school. She had noticed he was crying. Although Luna knew how Ginny talked about Draco, she had never disliked the boy very much. She wasn't prejudiced about anyone, not even the Malfoys. Draco had never been unkind to her – not more than the others, at least.

"What do you mean?" Draco mumbled, still not looking at her.

Luna picked up the parchment and looked at it. It was an essay Draco had written for Transfiguration and it had a red "D" on it.

"Why do you always think that grades are the most important thing?"

Draco looked up. Luna saw the pain in his eyes and it broke her heart.

"Because it shows who I am," he whispered.

Luna stared at him. Was this what he got told by his father? She had met Lucius Malfoy once with his son, and she had not liked him. Apparently he was strict, and if she compared him to her own father, he seemed downright harsh.

"No," she said. "No, it shows how smart you are. What shows who you are is how you act and how you treat others. Remember that in the future. Please."

Draco didn't seem convinced. He just shrugged. "Only Muggleborns get a Dreadful."

Luna was a bit shocked. She immediately thought of Hermione, who was in Draco's year as well. Ginny liked her a lot, and Luna thought she was quite nice.

"I don't think grades have anything to do with blood," she said calmly.

Draco looked at her and shrugged. "Why would you care about me, anyway?"

Luna blinked. "You're hurt," she said. "Doesn't your father care about you?"

Draco shrugged. "Yeah, he does," he mumbled. "He just..." He broke off.

"Yes?"

"Just forget it," he mumbled.

"Maybe you'd feel better if you told me," she said with a smile.

He hesitated a moment and then said, "It's just... grades are important to him. He wants me to be a good student, just like everyone in the family. I don't think any other Malfoy ever got something worse than 'Acceptable'. And he also wants me to be a good wizard, and being outstripped by Mud - by people whose blood isn't pure, that's dishonour."

Luna didn't know what to respond. "I'm sorry," she said.

He looked at her and shook his head. "No, you're not," he said, "you think that my father is simply wrong and that I am just like him."

"I guess it's hard to disagree with your parents," Luna said diplomatically.

"I don't disagree with him." Draco stared at his hands. "He's right."

But there was doubt in his voice, Luna noticed.

"You love him very much, don't you?" she asked.

Draco hesitated, then nodded. "Of course," he mumbled, "he's my father."

He sighed. "But my family – you know – they are hard to please, and he doesn't show his love openly, but he and Mother are the only people I've got and..."

There was another tear in his eye, and he looked away.

He must be very lonely, Luna thought suddenly.

"They love you," Luna said simply, "I am sure of that."

Draco just shrugged. "Too bad they are the only ones. And they'll be mad when they see how I'm failing at school."

"You're not failing," Luna said, "it was just one essay. And they wouldn't stop loving you just because of that." But she had to admit, she wasn't very sure of that.

But suddenly, she started to understand. You couldn't just be different from everyone else if you were part of the Malfoy family. You had to fit in, or else...

She shook her head sadly. It was clear to her that if Draco had been brought up by someone other than his parents, he would be a different person. But she also knew he wasn't a bad person. He just was the way he was, and if there were bad habits, they were no one's fault but his parents'.