Meet Me in the Hallway (HS AU)

twenty six.

Following the makeshift map he drew me, I made my way up the hallway to the kitchen. The whole space almost sent an electric shock through me. It was a mix of beautiful whites and sage greens, potted plants sat on top of the cabinets and fresh fruit sat in bowls around the counter top.

The bruising winds of the cold weather outside were a contradiction to the warmth I was feeling. It felt homey, it felt warm and it felt safe.

My stomach growled loudly and I immediately made my way over to the freezer. There was a pile of freezable containers, each holding a large slice of lasagne. My mouth watered in anticipation as I watched the layered goodness spin on the microwave plate. The smell fuelled the hunger filling my stomach and the moment the microwave dinged, the door was flung open and I made my way towards the circular dining table in the corner.

My stomach felt empty after not eating in well over 12 hours along with the stress from yesterday, so the lasagne went down easy. After filling my stomach with what I would guess is Harry's specialty dish, I needed to shower.

I felt filthy. Not so much from being dirty but just the feel of his hands on me needed to be washed down the drain. The hair on the back of my head was also matted down due to the dry blood there.

Following the map once again, I made my way towards the bathroom. Upon entering, the first thing that caught my eye was the black bed sheet I assumed was covering the mirror. I didn't want to look at myself. Pain intensified once you actually visualised the injury and with the pain I already felt, I didn't need it increasing.

I turned the water on in the shower and waited for the steam to form. Without looking down, I removed the dress and tights I still wore from last night. I kept my eyes locked on the shower head, refusing to even look at my legs as the tights were rolled down my legs. Once I was fully naked, I stepped into the stream of water and let out a cry of pain.

Everything hurt. Every angle I tried did nothing to settle the pain and discomfort I felt. My eyes fell on the blue bottles of shampoo and conditioner sitting on the shower shelf and the pink body wash beside it.

My hair was a gentle place to start. My fingers continued to get caught in the strands as I ran the shampoo though. The blood had clumped my hair together and I would have to wait for my wound to heal before I could properly clean it and brush it out.

I couldn't stand the thought of scrubbing my aching skin so I opted to gently rub the body wash onto my skin to remove the dry blood there. It would have to do. Because there was no chance I was going to look down and check to see if it was all clean.

Just as quick as I was in the shower, I was out. Even the gentle impact of the water made my whole body ache. One of the towels that were sat on the toilet seat was wrapped gently around my tender skin and the other sat limply around my hair.

A small part of me wanted to see the aftermath of last night as a form of closure and the rest realised that removing the sheet from the mirror right now was a horrible idea. Mentally, I wasn't ready to accept the extent of my injuries but I also couldn't properly acknowledge the fact they had happened until I saw them either.

What did catch my attention during my internal dilemma was a fully sealed, so obviously new, toothbrush and wide-toothed comb. Tears stung the back of my eyes and I blinked them away before they could fall. It was just a toothbrush and a hair brush I wouldn't be able to use by myself for a while, why was I almost crying?

Probably because it was a kind thing to do, you dipshit.

After exiting the bathroom and making my way back to 'my room', I realised that I had nothing to change into. I didn't want to get back into my dress from last night, it would be cold and not practical.