Кассандра Клэр - Draco Veritas

"We're not keeping anything from you," Lupin said sharply. "You know what we know." Harry started to speak, but Lupin cut him off. "Draco is going to be fine, but he's still very weak. And in pain. And we need to be taking care of him, but instead you are wasting our time out here. Think about it."

Hermione took hold of Harry's arm. "We're going," she said, and gestured with her chin for Ron and Ginny to follow. Harry went with Hermione unwillingly, looking back over his shoulder at Lupin and Charlie until they turned the corner of the hallway and were once again all four alone, at which point Hermione turned to Harry, her hand still on his arm.

"There's no need to talk to Charlie like that — " she began.

Harry jerked his arm away from Hermione as soon as they had stopped walking, and glared at her. "And you don't need to lead me around as if I'm some sort of mentally deficient child," he snapped.

Hermione dropped her hand, looking fed up. "Then quit acting like one," she snapped right back.

Harry looked grimly satisfied, as if his goal of provoking a response out of Hermione had now been reached. "I will if you quit acting like a bossy know-it-all," he replied.

She looked shocked, then put her hands on her hips. "Harry Potter," she said in a voice that seethed with rage, "you self-centered, inconsiderate, obstinate — "

Ginny felt a hand land on her shoulder. It was Ron. "We'll just be going now," he said, very loudly, although neither of his two friends turned to look at him. "We have to…there's thing that…we have to do…very soon.

Like, now."

"Right," Ginny agreed weakly. "That thing we have to do," and she fled after Ron. Not, however, before she caught another glimpse of Harry and Hermione glaring fiercely at each other. Harry's hands were balled into fists in his pockets, and Hermione was pale and tight-lipped. She was glad not to have to stay to watch this fight; while Ron and Hermione often bickered and sniped in a wearying manner, Harry and Hermione fought extremely rarely — but when they did, it was with the force of several exploding volcanoes.

She caught up to her brother as they turned the next corner and emerged into the corridor that led to her History of Magic class. Ron was shaking his head. "Unbelievable," he said.

"What's unbelievable?"

Ron gave a short laugh. "Those two," he said. "And their relationship.

Otherwise known as the Circus of Pain."

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad."

"Lately being around them is like repeatedly hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. The only bright side is that it feels good when you stop."

"Ron!" Ginny glowered at her brother. "They're just having a rough patch."

Ron shrugged. "Maybe."

Ginny gave her brother a very hard look. He seemed distracted, and his color was high, as if he were annoyed. "Well, maybe you should get a girlfriend yourself before you go making pronouncements," she said severely.

Ron shrugged again. "What makes you think I don't have one?"

Ginny stopped dead. "Ron! You don't, do you? Do you?"

Ron paused, and looked at her as if in surprise. Then he laughed awkwardly. "No. Of course not."

She continued to look at him until he began to flush slowly.

"Not that anyone would take any interest if I did," he said shortly.

"That's not true! Ron, what on earth is going on with you?"

Ron opened his mouth to reply, then shut it with a snap. He was looking off past her shoulder. She turned to follow his gaze and saw that someone was standing in the hall just ahead of them, near the doorway to History of Magic. It was a moment before she realized that it was Seamus. He must have been waiting out in front of Professor Binns' classroom — waiting for her.

"Hey, Ginny," he said, straightening up as her gaze fell on him.

"Seamus…shouldn't you be in class?" Ron asked, looking surprised.

Seamus nodded, but when he spoke again it was to Ginny. "Please," he said. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He looked from her to Ron. "Alone," he added.

Ron shrugged. "Go ahead. I have to get to Potions anyway," and he took off down the hall. With his long-legged stride he was soon out of view, and Ginny turned reluctantly back towards Seamus.

"All right," she said. "What's so important you cut class to ask me about it?"

He was leaning back against the wall now, looking at her steadily. His blue eyes were almost indigo in the low light. He said, "It's about Malfoy."

Hermione heard her own voice rising as if it had left her control. "Harry Potter," she said in a voice that seethed with rage, "you self-centered, inconsiderate, obstinate, selfish — troll!"

Harry looked bored. "Are you done yet?"

"No," she snapped, anger making her irrational. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware that Ron and Ginny had departed, and was glad.

Now she could get as angry as she wanted to. "Not nearly."

Harry looked at her without moving. His green eyes had gone nearly black, but otherwise his face was expressionless. "Fine," he said. "Owl me when you do finish this pointless diatribe, then." And he turned around, and walked away.

Before she even realized what she was doing, Hermione had fumbled her wand out of her sleeve. "Petrificus partialitus!" she cried, and Harry froze where he was, about three feet away from her, his feet seemingly nailed to the stone floor.

He twisted around and glared. "Oh, very mature, Hermione."

Hermione shoved her wand back into her sleeve and regarded him grimly.

"I'm immature? That's amusing, coming from you."

"Don't talk about things you don't understand," said Harry in a withering tone.

"Oh, I understand," she said. "I understand more than you might think."

Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "Enlighten me, then." His tone was heavy with sarcasm.

Hermione pointed her finger at him and spoke in a voice that trembled with tension. "I may not know what's bothering you," she said. "But I know that something is. And whatever it is, it's poisoning you from the inside out. You're turning into someone I don't know, Harry. Maybe even into someone I don't like."

She raised her eyes to his face as she spoke, and was startled. He looked stricken. She had not expected that. She stood for a moment, taken aback.

She had never really realized how important her good opinion was to Harry, how much his self-image was shaped by what he saw reflected in her eyes. He ducked his head immediately, his jaw set, hiding the hurt in his eyes — but she had seen it. When she spoke again, it was with less rancor. "I've always admired you, Harry. As much as I love you, I admire you, too. Not just because you're brave, but because you're kind, and because you hold yourself to such a high standard. Higher than anyone else would ever think of holding you to. And you've never had any self-pity, even when you were entitled to it. So when I see you using who you are to try make someone else feel guilty, or even worse, sorry for you, like you just did with Lupin — that's not you, Harry. That's not who you are."

Harry did not move. He was looking down at the floor, his shoulders tense. The anger that Hermione had felt was dissipating fast. Exasperated as she was, it went against every fiber of everything she had been for the past six years to hurt Harry deliberately. She had spent far too much time putting herself between him and any harm to do that. She began to reach for her wand to De-Hex him, but before she could, he said, "I shouldn't have said that to Lupin. But you don't understand."

"So explain it to me."

Harry closed his eyes. "I've always known that one day Voldemort would strike at those closest to me. I've always tried to prepare myself. But you have to make a choice, if you're me. Either you choose never to love anyone and close yourself off to that particular threat…or you swear to protect the people that you do love, no matter what happens. I chose the second option…mostly because of you." He opened his eyes and looked at her again, his gaze green and steady. "You gave me a choice, to love you or lose you…and I couldn't stand to lose you."