Chapter 9
"Jennifer, wake up. Jennifer!" Someone was whispering in her ear and shaking her, trying to get her to wake up. Jennifer moaned and turned around.
"Jennifer, wake up!" Someone whispered again, a bit louder than last time. Jennifer slowly opened her eyes and realised she wasn't in her own bed. She looked down and saw that she was sleeping in a sleeping bed, with somebody snoring loudly on the couch beside her.
Jennifer suddenly remembered about the drunken man last night and how she stayed at Henry's apartment for the night.
"Jennifer" She heard a male voice whispering at her and gently shaking her awake. She slowly turned around and saw Draco's smiling face.
"You're awake." Draco said, standing up.
"What's the time?" Jennifer asked, stretching out and yawning.
"It's almost 7" Draco replied.
"7? In the morning?" Jennifer exclaimed, groaning.
"Yes, and you don't have any classes for another 2 hours" Draco explained. "Get up, I'll take you back to your dorm."
"Ok, ok, I'm up" Jennifer groaned, stretching again and finally sitting up. She looked beside her and found a pretty redhead girl lying asleep on the couch, snoring loudly.
"Who's she?" Jennifer asked curiously.
"One of Leon's girls" Draco explained. "I thought we should go for a walk this morning" Draco added, putting his hand out to help Jennifer up. Jennifer took it and nodded. She brushed her hair and washed her face. Then they both walked outside into the cold morning air.
"Jennifer, there's something I think you should know" Draco started to explain, choosing his words carefully. Jennifer stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. They walked for a while in silent before Draco said one word.
"My whole life, I thought my life was perfect. I was getting good grades at school, I was in one of the most respected families in the wizarding world..." Jennifer felt that funny feeling in the pit of her stomach again, but she still couldn't quite place where she recognised Draco's name or his looks. "And life was just... perfect, with a few bumps in the road." Draco paused, looking down at the pavement. Jennifer waited patiently for him to continue.
"Then, when I had graduated from Hogwarts, the school I attended, my mother told me something that just made my perfect life, not so perfect. You see, Malfoy's pride themselves in being pure blooded..." Jennifer grimaced at this comment, herself only being half a witch. Draco ignored Jennifer's expression and continued, "And all through school, I had put several students down, calling them Mudbloods because they weren't pureblood." Draco paused, waiting for Jennifer's reaction. But Jennifer stayed silent. He quickly glanced at her and she had an expression of disgust, but understanding. Jennifer looked up and noticed Draco had been looking at her.
"So... Umm..." Jennifer wanted Draco to continue, but to also let him know that what Draco did was in the past, and he had changed, she hoped. "So... So what changed?" Jennifer finally managed to ask. Draco sighed, but continued.
"My mother told me something, when she thought I was sleeping one night... She told me that my father was a Muggle." Draco stumbled on the last few words, waiting for Jennifer's response. He had expected her to say, 'Serve you right' and walk away, but the other half knew that Jennifer would understand.
"So you came to live in the Muggle world because you wanted to know what we were really like? And not the way your parents told you?" Jennifer asked, not knowing how right she was. Draco nodded subtly, shocked at how Jennifer had gotten it almost exactly right.
"That, and also, I wanted to try and find my father, but nobody knows that, except you" Draco added, looking into Jennifer's soft brown eyes. Jennifer smiled; appreciating that Draco trusted her enough to tell her this.
"That's why I want to leave the whole day for my mother. I need to know where my father is, and I'm sure she knows, she just won't tell me. And I know that my father is definitely not Lucius Malfoy, not after the way my mother reacted when she found out that I knew the truth." Draco told Jennifer. As soon as Draco mentioned his father's name, something in Jennifer went off.
"You're father's a Death Eater!" Jennifer whispered, her eyes widening. Draco nodded solemnly, looking back down to the ground again. "I'm sorry, that just came out." Jennifer apologized.
"That's alright, I knew you would find out sooner or later" Draco replied, half smiling at her. "Here we are" Draco gestured to the closed door of Jennifer's room.
"Thank you for telling me Draco. I really appreciate it, and I promise I won't tell anyone." Jennifer promised Draco with a genuine smile. Draco smiled back and kissed her goodbye. She opened the door and walked in, to find Cathryn and Karina still asleep. She glanced at her clock, which read 7:28. They still had an hour and a half before their first class.
Jennifer went to the bathroom and had a shower and got changed before she went back outside to wake the girls up. But when she walked back outside, she saw Cathryn stretching on her bed.
"Morning Cath" Jennifer smiled, folding her pyjamas up. Cathryn opened her eyes a bit to look at Jennifer and smiled.
"Morning Jen" she yawned. "You're up early" She commented, knowing Jennifer wasn't the one to wake up early on her own free will.
"Yeah, I went outside for a bit of a walk, I didn't sleep very well" Jennifer explained. She placed her pyjamas inside her cupboard then walked over to the still sleeping Karina.
"Karina, wake up" She said softly, gently shaking her awake.
"What are you doing up?" Karina asked sleepily, stretching and yawning. "I'm not late am I?" Karina suddenly asked, eyes wide open.
"No, she just went out for a morning walk Karina!" Cathryn explained from her bed. Karina mumbled something and stretched one more time before sitting up. She then seemed to remember something and turned to Jennifer.
"How was the date? You have to give us every single detail!" Karina exclaimed, jumping up and down on her bed, suddenly wide-awake.
"Don't you have to get ready for class?" Jennifer teased, walking away to start breakfast.
"C'mon Jen! You can't leave us in the dark!" Cathryn exclaimed, jumping on Karina's bed, both watching Jennifer closely. Jennifer put some bread in the toaster and turned around and smiled.
"Look! She's smiling, something good happened!" Karina squealed, jumping up and down with excitement. Jennifer started laughing at the two girls. They looked like excited puppies about to get a treat.
"My lips are sealed!" Jennifer exclaimed, a twinkle in her eye.
"I bet her lips weren't sealed with Draco!" Karina exclaimed, and the two girls started screaming. Jennifer pretended to look shocked and started laughing.
"Toast's ready" Jennifer announced, putting down their toasts on the table. The two girls jumped off the bed with hunger and started eating their breakfast like it was their first meal in a year.
Jennifer looked out the window and thought about the conversation she just had with Draco.
.::.That's where I knew the name. Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater and Albus Dumbledore caught him several years ago. I had read it in the Daily Prophet!.::.
Jennifer sighed happily, finally figuring out how she knew the name Malfoy. Although he was probably one of those Death Eaters present the night her father was murdered, Jennifer had a feeling that Draco was different. After all, he's not really Lucius' son. It couldn't run in the family. Could it?
"Jennifer, wake up. Jennifer!" Someone was whispering in her ear and shaking her, trying to get her to wake up. Jennifer moaned and turned around.
"Jennifer, wake up!" Someone whispered again, a bit louder than last time. Jennifer slowly opened her eyes and realised she wasn't in her own bed. She looked down and saw that she was sleeping in a sleeping bed, with somebody snoring loudly on the couch beside her.
Jennifer suddenly remembered about the drunken man last night and how she stayed at Henry's apartment for the night.
"Jennifer" She heard a male voice whispering at her and gently shaking her awake. She slowly turned around and saw Draco's smiling face.
"You're awake." Draco said, standing up.
"What's the time?" Jennifer asked, stretching out and yawning.
"It's almost 7" Draco replied.
"7? In the morning?" Jennifer exclaimed, groaning.
"Yes, and you don't have any classes for another 2 hours" Draco explained. "Get up, I'll take you back to your dorm."
"Ok, ok, I'm up" Jennifer groaned, stretching again and finally sitting up. She looked beside her and found a pretty redhead girl lying asleep on the couch, snoring loudly.
"Who's she?" Jennifer asked curiously.
"One of Leon's girls" Draco explained. "I thought we should go for a walk this morning" Draco added, putting his hand out to help Jennifer up. Jennifer took it and nodded. She brushed her hair and washed her face. Then they both walked outside into the cold morning air.
"Jennifer, there's something I think you should know" Draco started to explain, choosing his words carefully. Jennifer stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. They walked for a while in silent before Draco said one word.
"My whole life, I thought my life was perfect. I was getting good grades at school, I was in one of the most respected families in the wizarding world..." Jennifer felt that funny feeling in the pit of her stomach again, but she still couldn't quite place where she recognised Draco's name or his looks. "And life was just... perfect, with a few bumps in the road." Draco paused, looking down at the pavement. Jennifer waited patiently for him to continue.
"Then, when I had graduated from Hogwarts, the school I attended, my mother told me something that just made my perfect life, not so perfect. You see, Malfoy's pride themselves in being pure blooded..." Jennifer grimaced at this comment, herself only being half a witch. Draco ignored Jennifer's expression and continued, "And all through school, I had put several students down, calling them Mudbloods because they weren't pureblood." Draco paused, waiting for Jennifer's reaction. But Jennifer stayed silent. He quickly glanced at her and she had an expression of disgust, but understanding. Jennifer looked up and noticed Draco had been looking at her.
"So... Umm..." Jennifer wanted Draco to continue, but to also let him know that what Draco did was in the past, and he had changed, she hoped. "So... So what changed?" Jennifer finally managed to ask. Draco sighed, but continued.
"My mother told me something, when she thought I was sleeping one night... She told me that my father was a Muggle." Draco stumbled on the last few words, waiting for Jennifer's response. He had expected her to say, 'Serve you right' and walk away, but the other half knew that Jennifer would understand.
"So you came to live in the Muggle world because you wanted to know what we were really like? And not the way your parents told you?" Jennifer asked, not knowing how right she was. Draco nodded subtly, shocked at how Jennifer had gotten it almost exactly right.
"That, and also, I wanted to try and find my father, but nobody knows that, except you" Draco added, looking into Jennifer's soft brown eyes. Jennifer smiled; appreciating that Draco trusted her enough to tell her this.
"That's why I want to leave the whole day for my mother. I need to know where my father is, and I'm sure she knows, she just won't tell me. And I know that my father is definitely not Lucius Malfoy, not after the way my mother reacted when she found out that I knew the truth." Draco told Jennifer. As soon as Draco mentioned his father's name, something in Jennifer went off.
"You're father's a Death Eater!" Jennifer whispered, her eyes widening. Draco nodded solemnly, looking back down to the ground again. "I'm sorry, that just came out." Jennifer apologized.
"That's alright, I knew you would find out sooner or later" Draco replied, half smiling at her. "Here we are" Draco gestured to the closed door of Jennifer's room.
"Thank you for telling me Draco. I really appreciate it, and I promise I won't tell anyone." Jennifer promised Draco with a genuine smile. Draco smiled back and kissed her goodbye. She opened the door and walked in, to find Cathryn and Karina still asleep. She glanced at her clock, which read 7:28. They still had an hour and a half before their first class.
Jennifer went to the bathroom and had a shower and got changed before she went back outside to wake the girls up. But when she walked back outside, she saw Cathryn stretching on her bed.
"Morning Cath" Jennifer smiled, folding her pyjamas up. Cathryn opened her eyes a bit to look at Jennifer and smiled.
"Morning Jen" she yawned. "You're up early" She commented, knowing Jennifer wasn't the one to wake up early on her own free will.
"Yeah, I went outside for a bit of a walk, I didn't sleep very well" Jennifer explained. She placed her pyjamas inside her cupboard then walked over to the still sleeping Karina.
"Karina, wake up" She said softly, gently shaking her awake.
"What are you doing up?" Karina asked sleepily, stretching and yawning. "I'm not late am I?" Karina suddenly asked, eyes wide open.
"No, she just went out for a morning walk Karina!" Cathryn explained from her bed. Karina mumbled something and stretched one more time before sitting up. She then seemed to remember something and turned to Jennifer.
"How was the date? You have to give us every single detail!" Karina exclaimed, jumping up and down on her bed, suddenly wide-awake.
"Don't you have to get ready for class?" Jennifer teased, walking away to start breakfast.
"C'mon Jen! You can't leave us in the dark!" Cathryn exclaimed, jumping on Karina's bed, both watching Jennifer closely. Jennifer put some bread in the toaster and turned around and smiled.
"Look! She's smiling, something good happened!" Karina squealed, jumping up and down with excitement. Jennifer started laughing at the two girls. They looked like excited puppies about to get a treat.
"My lips are sealed!" Jennifer exclaimed, a twinkle in her eye.
"I bet her lips weren't sealed with Draco!" Karina exclaimed, and the two girls started screaming. Jennifer pretended to look shocked and started laughing.
"Toast's ready" Jennifer announced, putting down their toasts on the table. The two girls jumped off the bed with hunger and started eating their breakfast like it was their first meal in a year.
Jennifer looked out the window and thought about the conversation she just had with Draco.
.::.That's where I knew the name. Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater and Albus Dumbledore caught him several years ago. I had read it in the Daily Prophet!.::.
Jennifer sighed happily, finally figuring out how she knew the name Malfoy. Although he was probably one of those Death Eaters present the night her father was murdered, Jennifer had a feeling that Draco was different. After all, he's not really Lucius' son. It couldn't run in the family. Could it?
