Chapter Text
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired the prince was spoilt, selfish and unkind.
But then one winter's night, an old beggar man came to the castle, and offered the prince a single rose, in return for shelter from the winter cold. Repulsed by the man's haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old man away.
But the old man warned him, not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within, and when the prince dismissed him again, the old man's ugliness melted away (partially) to reveal the one and only Albus Dumbledore.
The prince tried to apologise, but it was too late for Dumbledore had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment he transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there.
Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself in his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.
The rose Dumbledore had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year, if he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.
As the years passed Draco, the beast, fell into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?