One Person Two Many

One Person Two Many

Chapter Seven

Harry stood there, invisibility cloak in hand, looking more furious than he had in his life. Hermione started to scramble to her feet, scared at the look of fury on Harry's face, but her legs gave out and she fell back onto the blanket. Draco caught her and steadied her. As Draco's hands touched Hermione's arms, Harry visibly shook.

"Get your hands off of her, Malfoy," he said, his voice quavering with danger. When Draco showed no sign of moving, Harry's temper broke. "Get away from her. How dare you touch her!" Harry suddenly strode over and wrenched Hermione up and away from Draco, nearly throwing her off, but keeping eye contact with Draco the entire time.

"Don't treat her like that," Draco said threateningly.

"What?" Harry said incredulously. "You, Draco Malfoy, are telling me how to treat my girlfriend?"

Draco just sat there with an insanely calm look on his face.

Frustrated, Harry turned his back on Draco and looked at Hermione. She had not moved from where she had landed on the floor when Harry had thrown her. Her eyes widened with panic when Harry walked towards her. Unable to speak, she was, for the first time in her life, terrified of Harry. His fury was clearly about to break fully, and she was scared of what he was capable of doing. She cowered back as he approached her. He grabbed her arm, yanking it up, and pulled her towards the Tower door.

Harry heard a shuffle behind him. Holding one of Hermione's wrists in an iron grasp, he pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at Draco.

"If you give me a reason to, I swear I will use the Cruciatus Curse on you, Malfoy," Harry said flatly.

Harry turned and pulled Hermione through the door and down the flights of stairs until they reached the entrance to the Gryffindor common rooms on the seventh floor. The Fat Lady started to say hello, but Harry cut her off abruptly with the password. She swung forward and Harry stepped in, still dragging Hermione behind him.

As soon as the portrait door had closed, Harry once again flung Hermione away from him. She stumbled back and fell over a stack of disposable butterbeer cups. Ron, who had been sitting by the fire with Ginny, got up and ran to help Hermione, Ginny following hot on his heels.

Harry was still staring at Hermione, who was paying little attention to Ron and Ginny. They were just staring at each other, not saying a word. Ron looked from Harry to Hermione and saw the looks on their faces. He got up from beside Hermione and walked over to Harry. He reached to put a hand on Harry's shoulder, but Harry lifted up his hand and stopped Ron from touching him. Getting worried, Ron said quietly, "What's going on here, Harry?"

Harry took no notice of Ron's question; he still continued to stare at Hermione. Ron walked back from Harry and went over to Ginny.

"Umm, Ginny, I think it would be best if you went up to your dormitory," he whispered.

"Ron, what about all these other people?" Ginny shook her head, irritated, as she gestured to the large mass of students who were still drinking butterbeer and lounging around the common room.

Ron opened his mouth as if he were about to protest, but was interrupted by Hermione letting out a dry sob. Once she started, there was no way to stop her. Seemingly unable to cry, she sat on the floor, supported by Ginny, choking and coughing out her sobs.

Harry turned to head towards the stairs that led to the boy's dormitories.

"Harry, wait!" choked out Hermione.

He stopped and turned back to face her.

"What?" he said. "What could you possibly have to say to me? How can you even think that I want to talk to you after what you've done? What makes you think I even want to be in the same room as you?"

Hermione started crying now, a flood of tears that ran down her face. "Harry, I - I didn't mean-"

Harry glared at her harder than he'd ever glared at anyone before in his life. "You didn't mean to. Well, everything's just fine and dandy then. You didn't mean to. You didn't mean to start seeing Malfoy behind my back!"

Hermione was shaking so hard now that Ginny had to let go of her, as she was unable to support her while she was shuddering so violently. All of the students in the Gryffindor common room had stopped what they were doing and were now listening to the fight avidly, some so drawn in that they seemed to hardly be breathing.

"Harry!" she cried, "I lo-"

Harry's face went hard. "You love me?" he interrupted, his voice getting louder. "Well, let me tell you what I think of you: you are nothing more than some slut. You disgust me." He was yelling at her now. "I thought I knew you, Hermione. I thought you were smart, I thought you could be trusted. And now, now I don't want to ever speak to you again."

With that, Harry turned and stormed up the stairs to his dormitory. The students jumped out of his way, but he didn't even appear to notice that they were there. The common room was as silent as a funeral house until everyone heard the dormitory door slam. People slowly began moving again, picking up used cups and vanishing them. Harry's scene had destroyed the party atmosphere. Ginny was still sitting on the floor, trying to comfort Hermione. Ron hadn't moved; he was still staring where Harry had been standing, as if he hadn't been able to believe what he'd just heard.

Somewhat dumbfounded by this event that had suddenly unfolded in front of him like a summer storm, Ron turned to Hermione. "Is that true?" he asked her. "Did you a-and-"

"Ron!" Ginny said reproachfully as Hermione began a fresh wave of sobs. "I really don't think that now is the time for this. I need to get her to her room."

Immediately contrite, Ron said, "Of course. Sorry, Ginny. Let me help you."

Ginny shook her head. "Stairs, Ron, remember?"

"Oh, right." Ron nodded. "Well, let me know if there is anything I can do."

Ginny nodded, and then started coaxing Hermione to get up so that she could get her into bed quickly.