trigger warning : not eating for a period of time.
hello my lovelies, this chapter mentions not eating for a period of time. if this is something that you or people you know struggle with, you may want to skip this chapter. my inboxes are always open if you feel like you want to contact me for any reasons.
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ - beat is a UK based charity where you can talk to an advisor in confidence. they have helplines that are open 365 days a year, chatrooms with people who are in similar situations, free resources and local support.
i love every single person who reads my work, and i care about you. you are so much stronger than you think, and i believe in you. you are all amazing people.
Eden woke up from a long night's sleep, expecting a fresh start to the day. However, her heart was immediately consumed by heartbreak. It was an unexpected blow, considering that she and Fred had never been together, and he had never shown any interest in her. Nevertheless, the sight of him giving a promise ring to his girlfriend, Angelina, shattered her heart into pieces.
Feeling an overwhelming sense of sadness, Eden slowly got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. She filled up her water bottle in the sink, trying to distract herself from the pain. As she returned to her bed, she couldn't help but dwell on the image of Fred and Angelina. It felt like a cruel reminder of her unreciprocated feelings.
In that moment, Eden made a decision not to attend any of her lessons. Instead, she planned to stay in the comfort of her own bed, hoping that time would heal her broken heart. She knew that staying in bed wouldn't solve anything, but it seemed like the only way to shield herself from Fred.
As the hours passed, Eden laid in bed, deep in thought. She replayed memories and imagined what could have been if Fred had reciprocated her feelings. Each passing moment was a painful reminder of the unattainable love she yearned for.
Many knocks were heard from her door through the door, and a few notes were slipped under it. She knew it was Draco, but didn't have the strength to tell him why she was so upset.
--
It had been 10 days since Draco has seen Eden. He grew worried on the first morning, but there was no way for him to reach her. She had casted a spell on her door that was difficult to unlock, so all he could do was knock and slide letters underneath the door.
Around 7pm on a Wednesday night, the idea came to him. He could just go see Dumbledore to see if he could unlock the door. Without a second thought, he rushed out of his room and ran to Dumbledore's office.
Draco enters the office after being allowed entry, his voice trembling with worry.
"Professor, I am really sorry for disturbing you, but it is urgent. My friend, Eden Avery, hasn't left her dorm in 10 days, and I have tried to get in but she has casted some sort of spell on the door that has locked it. I have tried every spell I know, but none have worked, and I was hoping you could try unlock the door." Draco panickily speaks, rushing his words.
Understanding the urgency in Draco's voice, Dumbledore swiftly rises from his desk. Without uttering a word, he rushes down to the Slytherin common room, determined to unlock Eden's door. Tapping into his vast magical knowledge, the headmaster tries several spells until he discovers the perfect one. A soft click resonates from the door as it unlocks.
With anticipation, Draco grasps the door handle and pushes it open, revealing Eden inside. To their surprise, she remains unresponsive to the door's opening. It becomes evident that she is deep in slumber. Acting swiftly, both Draco and Dumbledore attempt to rouse her from her sleep. Despite their efforts, Eden shows no signs of awakening.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Dumbledore's voice brims with urgency as he instructs Draco to transport Eden to the hospital wing immediately. Without hesitation, Draco carefully lifts his friend and carries her to the hospital wing, following the headmaster's urgent directive.
--
Once Eden had been seen to by Madam Pomfrey, it was discovered that she had passed out from lack of eating. Madam said she will probably wake up in the next few minutes or so, but she had never dealt with something this extreme before so it would be hard to tell.
Draco sat next to her for a while, carefully watching her as she slept. After a while, he decided it was best to go and tell their Gryffindor friends about what has happened.
He entered their common room after hearing the common room's password from a first year. They were all sat around the fire on the sofa, Angelina cuddled up with Fred.
"Hi, everyone." He quietly spoke, many turned around suddenly.
"Draco? Why are you here?" Hermione frowned at him.
"Eden is in the hospital wing, I just wanted to tell you incase you wanted to go and see her." He fidgets with his fingers while he looks at the floor.
Fred shoots up from the sofa, nearly knocking Angelina to the ground. The rest of the group stand up to head to the hospital wing, but none as eager as him.
"Baby? What are you doing!" Angelina shouts at Fred, confused as to why he is running off to see another girl in hospital.
She screams while running after him, desperate to know why he is in such a rush to see her. He doesn't slow down or stop, he even pushes multiple people out of the way, including a first year boy who fell to the floor because of Fred.
All of her Gryffindor friends arrived at the hospital wing rather quickly, they stood around Eden's bed.
"Merlin, why is everyone here? One visitor at a time, please!" Madam Pomfrey exclaims.
The group look back to Fred who has already taken a seat next to Eden and make the silent decision to leave him with her.
"Madam, what happened to her?" He spoke as the group left the hospital wing.
"Malfoy and Dumbledore found her in her room unconscious. Turns out she hasn't eaten for over a week and has passed out due to lack of food." She speaks while grabbing some potions and bringing them to Eden's bedside.
He moves his hands up to her hair and plays with it softly, hoping she will wake up soon. Her eyes flutter open after a few moments.
She adjusts to the light of the room and sits up, confused as to why she is in the hospital wing.
"What's happening?" She looks around, her eyes fixing on the ginger boy next to her, "Why are you here?"
"Drink these, love." Madam Pomfrey lifted up one of the potions and handed it to her, which she drank.
"What was that?" Eden scrunches her eyebrows.
"It is a nutritional drink, since you have not eaten for a while." She smiles to her and brings over a sandwich for her to try and eat.
She silently eats the ham and cheese sandwich while looking at Fred.
"What are you doing here, Fred?" Eden stares at him blankly, her eyes appear tired and lifeless due to the lack of sleep and numerous tears shed over the boy sat next to her bed.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay." He quietly speaks.
"You shouldn't be here." She glares, turning away refusing to look at him.
"Yes I should, George said that I made you upset. I'm sorry for whatever I did." He sighs and leans back into the chair.
"Whatever you did? Don't make me laugh." She shakes her head and laughs at him, dumfounded at how oblivious he is being.
--
Fred had been sitting by Eden's side in the hospital bed, offering his support and hoping to bring her some comfort. However, he soon realized that his presence was not welcomed by her. Feeling a sense of rejection, he reluctantly left the room.
Eden lay in the hospital wing, surrounded by old brick walls and the faint smell of antiseptic. She couldn't help but feel guilty for the predicament she found herself in, knowing that she had unintentionally caused harm to her own body. She couldn't stand to face Draco right now. She felt evil for putting him through that, she couldn't even imagine how it felt for him to find her like that.
Madam Pomfrey approached Eden's bed and informed her that she would need to stay in the hospital wing for a few days. This was necessary to ensure that she was able to eat enough food and regain her strength.
And so, Eden remained in the hospital wing, surrounded by the constant hustle and bustle of students and staff passing by. She focused on her healing, taking each meal as a step towards recovery. The days passed slowly, but she knew that she needed to take this time to rest, mend, and rebuild her body.
Throughout her stay, Madam Pomfrey provided attentive care and monitored Eden's progress closely. She ensured that Eden received the nourishment she needed and provided words of encouragement to keep her spirits up. Eden found solace in Madam Pomfrey's presence, knowing that she was in capable hands.
As the days turned into nights, Eden slowly started to feel her strength returning. The pain lessened, and her appetite improved. It was a gradual process, but Eden knew that she was on the right path towards recovery.
Finally, the day came when Madam Pomfrey deemed Eden well enough to leave the hospital wing. Eden left the hospital wing heading straight to her dorm room to shower. Since it was mid day when she left the hospital, she takes the rest of the day off.
She opens her dorm room and is met with the many notes scattered around the doorway, all from Draco. The sight of the notes brings a tinge of sadness. She picks up her bin that is sitting next to her desk and throws the notes in, not daring to read any of them. She knows that doing so will only break her heart.
Taking a deep breath, she walks into her bathroom and turns on the shower. The sound of the water cascading down brings a sense of calmness. She strips off her dirty pyjamas, which she has been wearing for the past two weeks, and places them into her laundry basket.
She steps into the warm stream of water, feeling the droplets cascading down her body. Her cocoa shower gel creates a gentle lather, enveloping her in its comforting scent. She picks up her razor and slowly removes the hairs on her body that have been growing for the past two weeks.
Moving on to her hair, she reaches for her mint shampoo and conditioner. The cool sensation on her scalp refreshes her mind, as if washing away lingering memories. With each gentle massage, she feels a sense of rejuvenation.
She steps out the shower and dries her body and hair, picking up her toothbrush and toothpaste and brushing her teeth. After two minutes, she spits out the toothpaste and rinses her toothbrush before placing it back into the pot.
She changes into some new pyjamas and changes her bedsheets, cleaning up her room. She sits in the fresh bed and stares up at the ceiling.
Tomorrow she will have to face Draco, and try to apologise to him. Deep down she knows that she shouldn't feel sorry and that it was her mental state that made her that way, but she feels guilty for how Draco must have felt.
For now, she decides it is best to go to sleep, as she discovered it isn't easy to fall asleep in those hospital beds. She falls into a deep sleep in the comfort of her own bed, much earlier than she would have liked to.
Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts for the past two weeks, I have been so so busy.
Please don't be afraid to message me if I have gotten something wrong in this chapter. I did my research but I may have gotten things wrong, so don't be afraid to educate me!
I hope you are all well, stay safe and TPWK.