4 | ﴾ Things Have Changed ﴿

                                    

                                          
I laid on the carpet for so long that I fell asleep there. I was completely defeated, and the sleep provided some escape from the horrible world I had woken up to once again. 
                          
When my eyes fluttered open it was due to being nudged by a grisly house elf. The small figure was bruised badly in various regions of his body and his fingers were heavily bandaged. He was poking a sharp toe nail into my side looking absolutely unimpressed, "Master has made it clear Mrs. Malfoy is to bathe now."
                          
I rolled my stiff eyes and pushed up onto my knees, "I am not Mrs. Malfoy."
                          
The house elf narrowed it's eyes further, "Kreacher remembers Mrs. Malfoy. Such a difficult wife for the master, always causing trouble."
                          
He snapped his fingers and a large bottle of fire whiskey appeared in his hand, "The master has requested Kreacher presents the missus with this."
                          
I wearily took it from him. It was a very high quality brand, and based on this and the pedigree of everything else around Malfoy I gathered that money was no obstacle for him. At the very least if I had to participate in intimacy with a vicious Death Eater he'd had the decency to consider my comfort.
                          
The grouchy elf left the room with a pop and I uncorked the bottle to sniff at the foul liquor. I inhaled sharply, aware that it wouldn't take much at all for me to get hammered. I was weak, and I hadn't eaten much in the past two days.  I had to drink only enough for a moderate buzz so that my mind was still cognizant when he returned. I chugged a large gulp and fought the urge to hurl the bitter liquid back up. I swallowed slowly, doing my best to take in as much as possible before wobbling to my feet. 
                          
I would have to shower or else risk being painfully reprimanded. I floated around the room, wincing from the still serious pain in my bones. 
                          
Malfoy had said for old time's sake. Had I become some form of a raging alcoholic?
                          
I located the bathroom by it being the only other doorway in the vast room. There was an enormous claw foot tub in the center of the dark green room. I drew a bath and started undressing with a creeping feeling shooting down my spine. The room was filled with his personal possessions and I felt uncomfortable with his confident vulnerability. 
                          
I was lowering my naked body into the bubbles, trying to avoid looking at the white scars that dotted my limbs, when I finally began to feel my nerves building despite the few shots I'd had. Very shortly the extremely handsome boy would be back and whether or not my body would be a disappointment to him began to loom in my mind. I pulled bubbles up around my chest so that I wouldn't scour myself with judgmental thoughts as I imagined his naked body in return. He seemed to be completely flawless and my heart was now pounding against my chest at the thought of him touching me, seeing me. Another part of me acknowledged a hidden desire buried within that anticipation.
                          
The bath was not very long as a result. I was completely restless by the time I stepped out, finally clean. My bones no longer ached, and I chugged another small shot of the liquor hoping to keep the high climbing. It was then that I noticed my reflection for the first time since the accident. 
                          
The large mirror reflected back at me a gorgeous girl, and my heart rested more easily knowing that the Order members had clearly focused a lot on mending my face. I looked almost identical to how I recalled being before, only slightly older and with a thin scar running along my jawline. My blond hair was long and wavy. My golden eyes stared back at me, and I gasped at how much weight I had lost -  my chin now pointed and my features jutting. I wrapped a towel around myself and left the bathroom.
                          
When I had passed through the doorway I noticed that I was no longer alone in his bedroom. He stood by the windows in a sharp black suit, swirling around a dark liquid in a crystal glass. The entire wall was one massive sheet of glass, held together by a matrix of wooden panes. The moon light was streaming in from outside, illuminating his features.