No Tomorrow
Chapter 5: Slowly But Surely
Hermione awoke in Draco's bed after one of the best night's sleep since Harry's passing. She blinked for a moment, trying to remember what had happened. She turned over and saw that she was alone. Then it all came back to her.
She had looked at herself in the mirror, and began to sob. No longer the ravishing beauty she had grown to become, she resembled a skeleton with skin. Hermione could not recognize herself, and what had been worse was she had no one to blame except herself. Collapsing in astonishment, shame and embarrassment, she cried out. Draco rushed into the bathroom. He found her on the ground in a fetal position. He bent down and held in her in his arms, rocking her back and forth to try and calm her down. They didn't speak, but merely communicated with their bodies. Hers cried out and Draco did everything he could to soothe her. Finally, he picked her up off the bathroom floor and carried her into his bedroom.
"I'll be right back," he whispered. She laid her head on the pillow and allowed the tears to flow freely. It was only a few minutes before Draco returned with a mug of steaming green tea.
"Drink this. It'll make you feel better." Hermione did as Draco had requested. The tea instantly made her stop crying, and she soon felt incredibly tired. Putting the mug on the nightstand, she let her eyes close as Draco held her hand and she soon drifted off into a dreamless, but fitful night's sleep.
Hermione stood up and looked around her. Draco's flat was no Hogwarts board room, but it was indeed very cozy. She was still wearing the flimsy hospital gown that she had left in, her hair was still greasy and her stomach was rolling. Walking out into the main room, she found Draco at the table reading the paper, with two plates of piping hot pancakes, sausages, eggs and fresh orange juice.
"I thought you might be hungry, so I got some of my mom's recipe's and did what I could with what I had. I hope you like it."
"Draco, it's wonderful. You didn't have to do this."
"I wanted to. It's been a while since I've gotten to cook something nice instead of instant oatmeal."
Hermione sat down at the table and her stomach rumbled. She took a small pile of pancakes, dripped over them some maple syrup and spread a little butter. She took one bight and her mouth was filled with instant ecstasy. Her eyes widened as she continued to shovel the pancakes and gulp down the orange juice, freshly squeezed.
When finally her stomach could hold no more, she set down her fork. "That was so much better than hospital food."
"Anything is better than hospital food. I had 3 meals a day there for about a week when I started my training rotations. I can't tell you how happy I was to have potato chips and Pop-tarts again."
Hermione giggled and looked at Draco. "I really need to use the shower."
"No problem. There are towels on the sink, and I went out this morning and stocked up on shampoos, conditioners, soaps, shaving cream and razor blades. I didn't know what kind you liked so I just got whatever I could."
"Draco you're amazing. Thank you so much for inviting me into your home and taking care of me like you have. I promise as soon as I regain my strength I'm going out and finishing Hogwarts and getting a job so that I can find my own apartment and leave you be. I know it must be weird having a girl suddenly taking over all of your space and-"
"Whoa whoa whoa there. One at time. Why don't you shower first, and then we'll figure out where to go from there. You can't overwhelm yourself with all of things you can and can't do right away. Just go take your shower and we'll talk about what to do next after you've gotten a chance to clean up."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Malfoy. You're the boss." She gave Draco a wink and walked into his bathroom. Not only had he stocked up on bath supplies, but he also cleaned up the bathroom. The mildew, soap scum and weird smell was replaced by shiny surfaces and a lemon fresh scent. She looked in the shower and every inch was pure porcelain white. Hermione removed her robe, turned on the water and stepped in. It was such a refreshing change from the sponge baths she received from the bitchy nurses at the hospital. The shampoos and conditioners had an exotic floral scent to them. She felt like she was floating, in heaven. She felt like she could reach out and touch Harry and hold his hand.
Her mind was flooded with images of Harry once again. The first time they had showered together was something innocent but romantic. They both had their bathing suits on, and Hermione's parents were gone for the weekend. They laughed and washed each other's hair, making funny styles with the shampoo suds.
A tear slipped down Hermione's cheek as the soap suds from the shampoo dripped down her much to skinny body. Those days were over. She knew she needed to start getting on with her life. She would never forget her first love, but it was time to live again. She missed Harry terribly. Every night she pretends he's still alive and that he was holding her in his arms as they fell asleep together. She couldn't believe it had been nearly a year since it all happened.
Hermione spent the next 30 minutes showering. She shampooed her hair twice just because it felt so good to be clean. By the time she had stepped out of the shower, she had felt a million times better, and lighter surprisingly. The shower provided an almost therapeutic experience: washing away the dirt and grime, and become new again. Reborn. She wiped the fog off the mirror and saw herself in the mirror again for the second time. No longer was her hair in a ratted mess, but rather in a clean, wet stage.
Looking around, she saw that Draco had no hair dryer. Remembering some of the spells she learned at Hogwarts, she concentrated and recited an incantation to hopefully make one appear.
"Dryus Apparatus" and suddenly a hair dryer appeared. She plugged in the dryer and began brushing and drying her completely soaked mane. The condensation on the mirror began to melt away, and Hermione could see herself completely. Her face, although cleaner, still needed to be scrubbed and moisturized. Her hair, now completely dry and straight, no longer resembled the ratted matted mess it had been only yesterday. Holding it up in a pony tail, Hermione used some of the facial products that Draco had provided and began to scrub her face. The tingly sensation emitted from the face wash made her cheeks tickle, and caused a smile to spread across her face. Hermione continued to wash her face until all the lather had rinsed away. She grabbed the astringent next the moisturizer and blotted her face with the liquid. The cotton ball on her face as she spread the astringent created a warming sensation. Next she applied moisturizer to her very sallow complexion. Hermione new it was going to be a while before she would look remotely like she did before. But just taking the few extra steps of cleaning up made her feel like a completely new woman. Noting that her breath tasted horrible, she grabbed Draco's toothbrush and toothpaste and began to brush her teeth. They had turned a sickly color since it had been months since she had had a real cleaning. She spit out the residue and began gargling the Blisterine mouth wash, a very strong, intense mouth wash. She knew it was going to burn like the dickens, but she was sure her gums were growing something nasty and it was time to kill it off.
Finally, after spending nearly an hour in the bathroom, Hermione adjusted her robe and appeared in Draco's living room.
"You look amazing," he awed. She was still skin and bones, but to see her in a much more refreshed, relaxed state gave her an entirely different glow.
"I feel so much better. Draco I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."
"I don't want you to. I want you to feel better, get better and began working at living life again. That's how you can repay me. Now, we have the small matter of finding you clothes. You certainly can't wear that bathrobe or the hospital gown for the rest of your life."
Hermione looked down. "I don't have any money."
"I don't want you to worry about that. I'm going to give you a pair of my sweats. It's not the best but it'll work for now, and then I'm taking you out shopping."
"You just got fired from your hospital job and you're taking me out shopping."
"I'm a Malfoy remember? My father set up a trust fund for me that I can legally withdraw from now. I put a freeze on his name so he couldn't touch it after I turned 18. He may be a powerful wizard, but he isn't the brightest crayon in the box. I don't want you to worry about money."
"I just don't feel right about this though. I have a little money left in my bank accounts, assuming my parents haven't cancelled them or taken all of my money."
"I don't want you to worry about this." He got up from the couch, looked down at Hermione, and placed his hands on her shoulders, sending electric sparks up and down her spine. "I promised that I would take care of you, and I never go back on my promises. You're in my care now, and we're going shopping."
Chapter 5: Slowly But Surely
Hermione awoke in Draco's bed after one of the best night's sleep since Harry's passing. She blinked for a moment, trying to remember what had happened. She turned over and saw that she was alone. Then it all came back to her.
She had looked at herself in the mirror, and began to sob. No longer the ravishing beauty she had grown to become, she resembled a skeleton with skin. Hermione could not recognize herself, and what had been worse was she had no one to blame except herself. Collapsing in astonishment, shame and embarrassment, she cried out. Draco rushed into the bathroom. He found her on the ground in a fetal position. He bent down and held in her in his arms, rocking her back and forth to try and calm her down. They didn't speak, but merely communicated with their bodies. Hers cried out and Draco did everything he could to soothe her. Finally, he picked her up off the bathroom floor and carried her into his bedroom.
"I'll be right back," he whispered. She laid her head on the pillow and allowed the tears to flow freely. It was only a few minutes before Draco returned with a mug of steaming green tea.
"Drink this. It'll make you feel better." Hermione did as Draco had requested. The tea instantly made her stop crying, and she soon felt incredibly tired. Putting the mug on the nightstand, she let her eyes close as Draco held her hand and she soon drifted off into a dreamless, but fitful night's sleep.
Hermione stood up and looked around her. Draco's flat was no Hogwarts board room, but it was indeed very cozy. She was still wearing the flimsy hospital gown that she had left in, her hair was still greasy and her stomach was rolling. Walking out into the main room, she found Draco at the table reading the paper, with two plates of piping hot pancakes, sausages, eggs and fresh orange juice.
"I thought you might be hungry, so I got some of my mom's recipe's and did what I could with what I had. I hope you like it."
"Draco, it's wonderful. You didn't have to do this."
"I wanted to. It's been a while since I've gotten to cook something nice instead of instant oatmeal."
Hermione sat down at the table and her stomach rumbled. She took a small pile of pancakes, dripped over them some maple syrup and spread a little butter. She took one bight and her mouth was filled with instant ecstasy. Her eyes widened as she continued to shovel the pancakes and gulp down the orange juice, freshly squeezed.
When finally her stomach could hold no more, she set down her fork. "That was so much better than hospital food."
"Anything is better than hospital food. I had 3 meals a day there for about a week when I started my training rotations. I can't tell you how happy I was to have potato chips and Pop-tarts again."
Hermione giggled and looked at Draco. "I really need to use the shower."
"No problem. There are towels on the sink, and I went out this morning and stocked up on shampoos, conditioners, soaps, shaving cream and razor blades. I didn't know what kind you liked so I just got whatever I could."
"Draco you're amazing. Thank you so much for inviting me into your home and taking care of me like you have. I promise as soon as I regain my strength I'm going out and finishing Hogwarts and getting a job so that I can find my own apartment and leave you be. I know it must be weird having a girl suddenly taking over all of your space and-"
"Whoa whoa whoa there. One at time. Why don't you shower first, and then we'll figure out where to go from there. You can't overwhelm yourself with all of things you can and can't do right away. Just go take your shower and we'll talk about what to do next after you've gotten a chance to clean up."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Malfoy. You're the boss." She gave Draco a wink and walked into his bathroom. Not only had he stocked up on bath supplies, but he also cleaned up the bathroom. The mildew, soap scum and weird smell was replaced by shiny surfaces and a lemon fresh scent. She looked in the shower and every inch was pure porcelain white. Hermione removed her robe, turned on the water and stepped in. It was such a refreshing change from the sponge baths she received from the bitchy nurses at the hospital. The shampoos and conditioners had an exotic floral scent to them. She felt like she was floating, in heaven. She felt like she could reach out and touch Harry and hold his hand.
Her mind was flooded with images of Harry once again. The first time they had showered together was something innocent but romantic. They both had their bathing suits on, and Hermione's parents were gone for the weekend. They laughed and washed each other's hair, making funny styles with the shampoo suds.
A tear slipped down Hermione's cheek as the soap suds from the shampoo dripped down her much to skinny body. Those days were over. She knew she needed to start getting on with her life. She would never forget her first love, but it was time to live again. She missed Harry terribly. Every night she pretends he's still alive and that he was holding her in his arms as they fell asleep together. She couldn't believe it had been nearly a year since it all happened.
Hermione spent the next 30 minutes showering. She shampooed her hair twice just because it felt so good to be clean. By the time she had stepped out of the shower, she had felt a million times better, and lighter surprisingly. The shower provided an almost therapeutic experience: washing away the dirt and grime, and become new again. Reborn. She wiped the fog off the mirror and saw herself in the mirror again for the second time. No longer was her hair in a ratted mess, but rather in a clean, wet stage.
Looking around, she saw that Draco had no hair dryer. Remembering some of the spells she learned at Hogwarts, she concentrated and recited an incantation to hopefully make one appear.
"Dryus Apparatus" and suddenly a hair dryer appeared. She plugged in the dryer and began brushing and drying her completely soaked mane. The condensation on the mirror began to melt away, and Hermione could see herself completely. Her face, although cleaner, still needed to be scrubbed and moisturized. Her hair, now completely dry and straight, no longer resembled the ratted matted mess it had been only yesterday. Holding it up in a pony tail, Hermione used some of the facial products that Draco had provided and began to scrub her face. The tingly sensation emitted from the face wash made her cheeks tickle, and caused a smile to spread across her face. Hermione continued to wash her face until all the lather had rinsed away. She grabbed the astringent next the moisturizer and blotted her face with the liquid. The cotton ball on her face as she spread the astringent created a warming sensation. Next she applied moisturizer to her very sallow complexion. Hermione new it was going to be a while before she would look remotely like she did before. But just taking the few extra steps of cleaning up made her feel like a completely new woman. Noting that her breath tasted horrible, she grabbed Draco's toothbrush and toothpaste and began to brush her teeth. They had turned a sickly color since it had been months since she had had a real cleaning. She spit out the residue and began gargling the Blisterine mouth wash, a very strong, intense mouth wash. She knew it was going to burn like the dickens, but she was sure her gums were growing something nasty and it was time to kill it off.
Finally, after spending nearly an hour in the bathroom, Hermione adjusted her robe and appeared in Draco's living room.
"You look amazing," he awed. She was still skin and bones, but to see her in a much more refreshed, relaxed state gave her an entirely different glow.
"I feel so much better. Draco I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."
"I don't want you to. I want you to feel better, get better and began working at living life again. That's how you can repay me. Now, we have the small matter of finding you clothes. You certainly can't wear that bathrobe or the hospital gown for the rest of your life."
Hermione looked down. "I don't have any money."
"I don't want you to worry about that. I'm going to give you a pair of my sweats. It's not the best but it'll work for now, and then I'm taking you out shopping."
"You just got fired from your hospital job and you're taking me out shopping."
"I'm a Malfoy remember? My father set up a trust fund for me that I can legally withdraw from now. I put a freeze on his name so he couldn't touch it after I turned 18. He may be a powerful wizard, but he isn't the brightest crayon in the box. I don't want you to worry about money."
"I just don't feel right about this though. I have a little money left in my bank accounts, assuming my parents haven't cancelled them or taken all of my money."
"I don't want you to worry about this." He got up from the couch, looked down at Hermione, and placed his hands on her shoulders, sending electric sparks up and down her spine. "I promised that I would take care of you, and I never go back on my promises. You're in my care now, and we're going shopping."