Chapter 5

They had an amazing time that afternoon and he wasn't the only one enjoying himself. The girl, her name was Janette but she insisted upon Draco calling her Jenny, was smiling and laughing a lot more then it seemed she could at the first impression. They sat in the café for half and hour then Draco proposed to go rave the shops. He still needed to buy that ring. So by the time they sat in the train taking them to the poorer part of London (as Draco observed), it was already getting dark.

"So where does your father work?" the young man enquired as a matter of fact.

"Oh, I haven't go a father", Jenny replied, but then seeing the questioning look on Draco's face, went on, "Well, mom says he died trying to save someone from fire. That was when I still was in her tummy..."

Draco frowned but didn't say whatever he was thinking. What man in their right mind would leave his wife with a kid to save someone who doesn't even matter?

"They were never married", added the child as if reading the man's mind. Draco looked at her for a long time. It wasn't the first or a second time he noticed today that she replied on questions he didn't even ask yet. Who knows, maybe she'll be taken to Hogwarts sometime in about 6 or 7 years… or was it all just coincidence?

They went out on a rather shabby looking station, where Draco got his first huge fright in months. A filthy guy stumbled at him out of the corner, asking for some change in a dry croak, that I wouldn't have dared to call voice.

"Eeeek! T-take this!" this was all Draco managed to squeeze out, throwing a handful of coins at the guy, gripped Jenny's hand harder and dashed away, looking back frightfully as if this guy was going to turn into an alien and take over the world, terrorizing innocent citizens and torturing stuffed pink toys (including Energizer rabbits, who had their own secret plan to take over the world!).

His facial expression (and maybe his thoughts?) caused Jenny to giggle harder then she ever did. Malfoy was very grateful when they reached an old brown five story building, which was situated in a cluster with three more buildings alike. Draco looked over it. All the windows had drawn curtains in them, a good many of them had brown mould or dirt (whichever it was), seeming that the glass hasn't been washed since the construction of the building. A couple of windows on lower floors were shattered and the flats seemed deserted and absolutely spooky, even for a wizard, as Draco thought getting a fit of shivers. From the light of a half shattered buzzing bulb at the door, he could just make out a sigh "block C".

"You live ihere/i?" he asked, hoping that it was a mistake, a wrong station or something. A sweet smart little girl couldn't live in this… this idump/i!

"Yeah, well, its a bit old…" Jenny tried to sound somewhat apologetic, and then Draco could just make out her mumbling sadly, "We can't afford more…"

Then she got back her serious manner, "Well, I like it here anyways! Mom does too! Handy things are near!" Draco thought she sounded more like convincing herself then him.

He smiled, "Like what?"

"Well… there is a garbage can!" she said after a pause and pointed to the right.

Draco couldn't suppressed, "Urgh", after taking a single glance in that direction, which was enough. There in the shadow ("Thanks God", he thought) stood a big green rectangular container with one almost completely rotted wall, it had no lid and a long stale garbage was spilling out of it, all covered in greasy sickening yellowish grey slime and greenish white mould. Draco could probably make out gnats and flies and other living disgusting things squirming in there if it was daylight. And he was very thankful it wasn't, because he would just probably see greenish vapors rising from this "gourmand's ex-ex-…-ex-dinner".

He quickly turned around, "I think we better go inside".

When he entered the building, he let Jenny lead the way because he just couldn't trust himself within these white washed walls which were far from white washed now. The floor was littered with cigarette butts, broken glass, strange transparent thin rubbery things (obviously used) and a couple of needles.

Jenny bravely led her way to an elevator and pointed at the button (which looked filthier then the whole room) for Draco to press, because she just couldn't reach it. Draco squirmed at the burned plastic circle and pressed it as hard and as fast as he could. While they waited he rubbed his finger on his jeans as hard as he could (thinking he'd probably burn all clothes when he gets home). Their floor was the last one (the buttons gratefully looked a bit better then the one before). Exiting the cabin, Jenny marched to the end of the corridor to what Draco guessed to be the smallest apartment on the floor. The door though looked very much okay, being clean and maroon (unlike others, which had quite a variation of dark brown-grey). Draco rung the doorbell (the button was sparkling and smelled pleasantly of some modern cleaning product).

First he thought that there was no one at home and looked inquiringly at Jenny. She just nodded her head for him not to worry. Then he could clearly make out a woman's sobbing nearing the front door. There was a pause when the person on the other side looking through the eyehole, then a mad clicking of various locks and the next thing the young man realized was that Jenny was being swept into an urgent hug by a woman with wavy brown hair, same shade as the girl's. The lady was delicately built, of medium height, fair but not pale (like his) limbs and a fit slim body. He couldn't see the face because it was buried in the mass of Jenny's frizzy soft hair, sobbing her heart out. The girl, a woman better to say (Draco just couldn't bring him self to think woman, she looked so fragile and delicate) was dressed into beige shorts (not tight but quite outlining) and a simple white t-shirt.

"Mom, I am very glad to see you… you can let go now… mommy" the last word came out in a kind of a strangled gasp.

"I think I'll go…" Draco said, making a step backwards.

"Oh, oh, I am so terribly sorry!" the lady stood up, revealing her face. Even despite crying (quite a long time) her face looked so lovely and young. And Draco clearly noted the resemblance of the mother and the daughter in the characteristically intellectual expression. She had deep brown eyes, a color of melted chocolate, clearly outlined soft lips and a perfect nose. He just couldn't put a finger on it but she seemed so familiar… When the woman stood up, she smiled at Draco but when she studied him, her smile somewhat slipped and she gasped.

"Draco! Malfoy!" she said in low whisper.