(DISCONTINUED)

○ 0.9 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Washing Machine ○

Dedicated to Ella Jane (@ellajane99 ) (I'm guessing sorry if that's not your name) for telling me which state she's from on my AN a while ago, but also bc she's so enthusiastic like she votes and every chapter and her comments always crack me up like ilysm.

*

This time I woke up to the sensation of being shaken, and somebody whispering in my ear. People have just got to stop waking me up when I'm sleeping comfortably.

"Pumpkin, wake up," Harry whispered.

"Nooo."

"Pumpkin, it's five. I figured Tessie dearest would be the type to have dinner at exactly six o'clock and all that shít, so this way you have time to get ready and fix your makeup or whatever," he rambled unsurely. One of his hands left their place on my skin, probably to lace itself into his hair.

My lips stretched into a sleepy smile. "Aw, cute."

"I am not cute," Harry grumbled.

"You're adorable," I teased.

"Pumpkin, you need to wake up."

"I am awake," I argued.

"You still haven't opened your eyes, love," he chuckled.

"Mm, five more min- five more years," I mumbled, cuddling further into my living, breathing pillow.

Wait, my what?

My eyes flew open only for me to find myself cuddled into Harry's chest, with my arms wrapped tightly around his middle. I sat up quickly, moving away like Harry had burned me.

He sat up with me, the corners of his lips turned down with worry. "What's wrong?"

"Uh-" My voice was too high, too hoarse, too unnatural. I cleared my throat before I tried again, trying to gain some semblance of normality. "Uh, nothing! I'm fine, I'm okay, I just..." I let out a long breath, putting both hands flat on my mattress to steady myself. There was something so dangerously thrilling about waking up in Harry's arms, to have his scent of cigarettes and cologne clinging to my clothes, and to be able to smell the spearmint gum on his breath. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" He leaned closer, reaching out his arm for me, but I backed away, only just managing not to fall off the bed and stay on my feet. They were still clad in my heels, and I felt like shít towering over him by the bed while he sat there looking up at me with vulnerability I rarely saw in him. I was acting like the stereotypical guy after a one night stand, when they had that panic about who they'd just slept with, or whether or not any form of contraception had been in play.

At least, that's what I'd learned from movies.

"I'm sure. I just need to fix my makeup, and you need to go." I looked in the mirror, and thank god I only needed to touch up some things.

"Go?" Harry echoed.

"Yes. You need to leave before she comes back," I said without looking at him, already working on getting ready.

"You're just going to go to dinner with her?" He asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, I am, Harry. No matter what, she's... she's still my mother and she's all I've got," I admitted. I hated that I had to depend on her, that every single I tried to walk out, she had me running back into her scrawny arms. I hated it with a passion, but what could I do?

Harry walked up behind me. "What about your dad?"

I snorted. "What's he gonna do? Defy her by calling my Katrina?" I mocked.