Eclipse

Chapter 19

Harry reached the bottom of the stairs, the gargoyle jumped to the side, and he ran headlong into a lanky redhead.

"Ron, get out of my way."

"I don't think so."

Ron was standing with his head tilted back slightly, arms folded across his chest. He was wearing his nightshirt, with a pair of trousers thrown on underneath. Hermione was standing to the side, wrapped in a bathrobe, wringing her hands, but Ron didn't seem to be paying the slightest attention to her. "I don't know what really happened out there with you and Malfoy, but you come back after three weeks and you've gone over the edge or something! You won't tell us anything, you just disappear in the middle of the night and scare me half to death, and now you're going to do Merlin-Knows-What to save Malfoy... what the hell are we supposed to think? This obsession with Malfoy has got way out of hand!"

"It's not an obsession! He's my friend, and I've got to try to save him. Now let me through!" Harry tried to push past Ron, but Ron moved to block him.

"Ron, either you're going to let me pass, or I'll –"

"You'll what, Harry? You'll fight me?"

Hermione finally tried to move between them. "Harry! Ron! Stop, please!"

Harry shook her off, still glaring at Ron. "I will, if you don't stop being a stupid prat!"

"Harry, no! We're worried about you. What are you going to do with Malfoy? Talk to us!"

"Stay out of this, Hermione," Harry said coldly. "Ron, if you were lying down in the hospital wing, dying, I'd risk my life to save you, and I'm not going to do any less for Draco."

For an instant, Ron looked stunned, but then, his expression darkened. "Risk your life? You're going to risk your life for Draco Malfoy? What the fuck are you about to do?"

In contrast, Hermione eyes grew wide with fear. "Harry, what's Dumbledore planning? What's going on?"

"It's complicated –"

Ron grabbed Harry by the shirt and pulled him around to meet his stare. "I WON'T LET YOU RISK YOUR LIFE FOR DRACO-FUCKING-MALFOY!"

Harry wrenched his shirt free from Ron's grasp. For a long moment, they glared at each other, and then Harry steeled himself. "Just try and stop me." He took two steps forward, only to have Ron block him. A step to the side, and Ron gave him a shove backwards. By now, Harry's breath was whistling angrily through his nostrils. He had to get to Draco, and there was no way in hell Ron was going to stop him. He took one more step towards Ron, but this time, when Ron moved to shove him backwards, he ducked. Ron missed and overstepped, and in the split second while he was off-balance, Harry struck.

It was a hard right hook that caught Ron in the jaw. The second swing found Ron's nose with a sick cracking sound. Blood spurted everywhere as Ron staggered backwards, swearing loudly. Hermione was screaming at both of them, but Harry didn't care what she was saying anymore. He turned to walk away, but before he could take a step, he felt a fist connecting with the back of his head.

Harry stumbled forward and was only able to turn halfway around before a low blow caught him in the side. Rage welled up in him, and before he could formulate the thought, he'd spun around, head down, and charged into Ron. They collided with the wall and fell to the ground together in a tangle of flying fists, kicking feet, and swinging elbows.

Blood was getting everywhere from Ron's nose, but Harry didn't care. Right now, the very fact that Ron was bleeding only spurred him on more. Hermione yelling at him to stop added to the furious elation. He didn't know how he ended up on top of Ron, straddling his hips, but in that momentary advantage, he had seized Ron by the shirt and was shaking him furiously. "You don't understand anything! He almost died for me because he loved me! So I'm going to save him and YOU'RE NOT GONNA STOP ME!"