Word Count: 1144.

Long, long ago, when kings and queens ruled the world, there lived a kindly countess whose husband perished of a horrible disease. Upon his death, and with no little sorrow, the countess remarried for it wasn't proper to remain unwed, and it was her misfortune to wed the proudest and meanest duke in the land.

Her new husband had two dreadfully spoiled daughters from his previous marriage, and they were just as arrogant as their sire.

The countess also had a daughter named Luna who was as sweet and good as any you shall ever chance to meet.

Quite quickly indeed, Luna's stepsisters grew jealous of her beauty and said things such as "Why must that ugly cow sit in our fine parlor, during our afternoon tea? If she wants bread, then surely she should earn it!"

No sooner than they had uttered those words did the duke dress her in old grey rags and send her to labor in the kitchens. There, she labored day and night, cooking, cleaning, and every other menial job that ever could be.

Now, as such things happened, the Malfoys, a powerful and prestigious family, decided to throw a ball, and invited all of the eligible young purebred ladies in the land.

Luna's stepsisters were delighted, and the duke was overjoyed on their behalf. Laughter and lighthearted conversation rang throughout the parlors, as the ball was the talk of the townsfolk.

As the duke would accept nothing less than the very best for his daughters, and sent for Lady Malfoy's own seamstress to ensure that his daughters looked stunning.

As she had excellent taste and a selfless heart, Luna offered to help her stepsisters get ready for the ball.

As she helped then choose fabrics and styles for their ballgowns, the eldest sister asked, "Luna, are you not going to the ball?"

Luna lowered her head in shame and despair. "No, you're just reading me because I would stick out like a sore thumb and have nothing to wear. Might I borrow a gown?"

"Lend our good clothes to the Lunatic?! We aren't fool!" They laughed mockingly. "You would probably make everyone stop and stare at the sight of you, you Lunatic!"

When the day of the ball arrived, Luna accompanied her stepsisters and the duke to the doorstep of the Malfoys' manor, but couldn't help but to dissolve into tears as they entered the ornate entrance hall.

As she wept, her fairy godfather appeared, wearing magnificent royal purple robes.

"Have a lemon drop, my dear," he said with great cheer. "They cheer me up when I'm feeling sad. Now, do you wish to go to the ball?"

"Yes, of course I do!" Luna exclaimed, through her tears, as she took a proffered lemon drop.

"Well, run into the garden and bring me a pumpkin," Luna's fairy godfather said with a kindly smile.

Luna rushed into the garden, and quickly found the finest pumpkin she could find.

When she brought to her fairy godfather, he was sitting on the garden wall, braiding his long and flowing silver beard. He pulled what looked like a fairy godfather's wand from her ear and struck the pumpkin, turning it into a beauteous carriage, all plated with precious metals and bits of mirror.

Next, Luna was sent to find seven dwarves, which became six fine horses and a coachman.

"Well, you can go to the ball now, my dear, don't you think," her fairy godfather said.

"Oh, yes!" Luna said joyfully. "But, I can not show up in these rags.

Her godfather tapped her ragged clothing and her dress turned into an expanse of white silk and pearls, sparkling with diamonds. Clear glass slippers appeared o her feet, custom made and the best of any in the world.

"My spell will only last until the clock strikes twelve," her fairy godfather warned.

Luna promised to return before midnight and drove off to the ball. When she entered the ballroom, the people below froze in awe as she swept down the stairs. Luna transfixed the crowd with her wondrous beauty and captivated the Malfoy heir, a pleasant, if a tad arrogant, boy named Draco.

He swept her off in dance after dance until her feet ached and her mouth hurt from smiling so much. During a short break between dances, she approached her stepsisters warily and said hello. She had nothing to fear from them, as her beauty shone until she was unrecognizable from the girl they called "Lunatic."

Other than that, the Malfoy heir stuck to her side like glue and before Luna knew it, the clock struck midnight. Luna fled in horror, and left one glass slipper behind in her haste.

Draco ran to follow, but only managed to find the lone glass slipper.

Luna managed to arrive home before her stepsisters and the duke, though she was quite out of breath from the long run. She lay down in her bed as if sleeping until her step family came home.

"You stayed there until quite late!" Luna exclaimed, rubbing her eyes as if to clear the sleep from them.

"If you had been there, you would have sen the most beautiful lady," exclaimed the eldest. "She was kind to everyone and had the devoted attention of the Malfoy heir.

"No one knows who she is or where she;'s from," added the youngest.

A few days later, the lovesick heir decided that he would marry the lady whose foot fit the slipper. He sent his soldiers to every noble house, so that all who attended his ball could try the glass slipper on.

On the third day after this declaration, it was brought to Luna's stepsisters. When Luna say this, she asked if she might try the slipper on for herself.

Her sisters nearly split their sides laughing, but the Malfoy heir wished for everyone to try it, so she did. The entrance hall fell silent as her foot slid into the slipper. It was a perfect fit.

Luna's fairy godfather appeared, pulled his wand from behind the duke's left ear, and used it to turn her into the mystery woman from the ball. He then politely offered lemon drops to the stunned crowd, which only Luna accepted, and disappeared.

Luna's stepsisters dropped to their knees and pleaded her forgiveness for their awful treatment. Luna, lifted them up and embraced them, telling them that she forgave them with all her heart.

Luna was then escorted to the Malfoy's manor, in her ball gown.

A few days later, they were married. And Luna, being as kind as she was fair gave her stepsisters rooms in the palace.

Nine months later, Luna had a small son named Scorpius, but that is a story for another day.

This was written for The Pairing War Competition, my pairing being Druna.