Chapter 1
“You don’t understand Hermione.” Tom said, running his hands through his hair in frustration. He was 18 now, he could make this decision. He had been saving up for it for what seemed like his entire life; regardless that his father offered to pay for it.
“Tom, you look fine the way you are, why do you need to change your appearance?” Hermione asked standing in front of him, arms crossed. “Okay yes, your father is handsome but looks aren’t everything.”
“No, they aren’t everything Hermione, but women, they prefer handsome men.”
Pushing her hair behind her ear, Hermione shrugged, “I think you are already handsome.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Tom sighed “You are only saying that because you are my best friend. I’m doing this Hermione. I don’t want to continue to be like my mother, ugly and unwanted.”
“You aren’t unwanted Tom; I like you just the way you are” Tom said nothing, watching her quietly. Finally, she wrapped her hands around her waist and sighed softly “ok, I’ll be there for you... you know I will” she whispered.
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The day of the surgery had been set; the knot in her stomach tightening more as the date got closer.
She hated this idea that he needed to change himself, and what was worse he wouldn’t even tell her the real reason behind this decision.
No, the real reason was for a girl! He was in love with a girl and didn’t think she could care about him back as he currently was. Abraxas had explained to her, Tom was in love, and she felt her heart break as the information sunk in.
She had been his friend since they were children, had loved him for nearly as long, but in the end, he didn’t see her as anything more than that, a friend, a supporter, but not as a woman to love.
The night before the surgery she couldn’t sleep wondering who it was. Who would be shallow enough not to see past Tom’s looks? To see the man beneath? Why would he, level-headed Tom, desire a woman who required this type of change for his love?
She compiled a list of all the girls they were close enough to, unable to think who it could possibly be. Maybe Lavender Brown...
The day of the surgery she gave him as warm a smile as possible, telling him it would go well, she would be waiting the whole time.
He nodded back, giving her hand a squeeze leaving her with a softly spoken “Thank you”, her heart aching as they took him back to prep.
She sat in the waiting room for hours, hours where her mind wandered over all the possibilities Tom would have now that he was undergoing this surgery.
Would he still speak to me, spend time with me, once he was with his dream girl? Would he just rather forget, plain ole me?
Hermione wasn’t stupid. She knew she wasn’t the prettiest girl, but before this she had never let that bother her. Now however, now Tom would be able to get any woman he wanted, why would he want her?
She went to the bathroom and cried, unable to help it, her heart aching, knowing it was just a matter of time.
She was able to calm her inner heart ache enough to visit with Tom once he was finished with her surgery, his face wrapped in bandages. The doctors said it would be a few weeks recovery, but the surgery was successful.
Tom had never seemed happier, some genuine warmth leaked through her heartbreak to see him so happy.
The weeks flew by with Hermione spending every moment she could with Tom, knowing it would all end too soon.
Per his request, she accompanied him to his final checkup, holding tight to his hand as the doctors unwrapped his face, showing him his features.
If Hermione was honest, she would say he was more attractive than even his father. Tom smiled brightly, looking at Hermione who smiled back, though it didn’t reach her eyes.
“No one could turn me down now” he said softly to himself, but she heard it. She said nothing.
Slowly, she withdrew from him after that, letting him be with his newfound confidence and better looks, trying not to hear the gossip but still catching snippets of girls at school loving his new looks, fan-girling over him now.
She closed her locker with a bit more force than was called for, as he was surrounded by another group of giggling, flirting girls. Startled when Abraxas leaned against the locker next to hers, quietly saying, “He hasn’t asked her yet you know. You still have time to tell him.”
Hermione scoffed, looking at the girls, at how Tom smiled, basking in the attention “I couldn’t compete with that. He did this for a girl Brax. I loved him as he was, and I didn’t hide it. He didn’t need me to say it out loud, I showed it every day, ever since we were children. I wasn’t good enough.” softly she continued, "To him, I’m as ugly as his mother.” She tore her eyes away from the scene in front of her, trying not to cry, to keep herself together, “I wasn’t good enough” she whispered.
Abraxas frowned “Hermione...” he whispered, putting a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off, forcing some steel into her spine, wishing she actually felt this confidence.
“It doesn’t matter. In a few weeks we will be graduating, I will move away from this place, and he will soon forget me. Going on to have a wonderful life.” She said, “I have to go.” She brushed past him, unable to help it as she overheard one of the girls ask him out.
She didn’t stick around to hear the answer.