Breaking Hermione

The Surprise

Tom yanked me down the hall. Of course no student walking past actually did anything. It was only when a teacher walked past that Tom let go of me entirely, and I like a complete idiot turned and started running in the opposite direction. Was it sheer panic? I didn't know. I heard Tom swear loudly and that's when I knew I just had to keep running.

"Hermione."
Tom was hot on my heels.

I bolted past students, happy for once that I was short enough to not be seen beneath tall people. Who would've known being so short would be to my advantage? I didn't hear anyone chasing me, I walked quickly, darting past students in my haste to get the hell away from

Tom was going to punish me one way or another. But being assaulted again in the Room Of Requirement was enough to spur enough adrenaline to override my common sense. I had just made shit 10 times worse for myself in resisting Tom after pissing him off enough to track me down and find me in the future.

I looked behind me, but Tom was nowhere to be seen.

I stopped walking, coming to a stop once I was locked in a cubicle in the girls bathroom.

I tried to control my breathing, sliding down against the wall. I was shaking uncontrollably. I put my head in my hands.

"I know you're in here you little bitch." I heard a girls voice and froze.

Shalini.

"Come out, you coward." She said. I could hear her walking closer to my cubicle. I got up slowly, coming to stand on the toilet so she wouldn't see me.

I searched in my beaded bag for my wand. Something paper thin, and silken touched my hand. Something slightly see through and sparkly, like a cloak.

Harry's invisibility cloak. But how did it....?

"I know you're in there," Shalini snarled. "Alohomora!"

The door crashed open.

"Where the hell did you go?" Shalini screamed.

"You told me you saw where she went." I heard Tom snarl. "You're fucking messing with me."

"I'm not, I swear I saw her go in that one!"

"Liar."

"I'm not lying! I swear!"

"Crucio."

I didn't want to stay and listen to Shalini's screams, I walked very quietly around them without drawing attention to myself but when I left the bathroom I froze for a second. Tom was torturing Shalini because of me. If I had revealed myself like I did when Luna's father set myself, Harry and Ron up, I would've spared her.

As much as I didn't like Shalini I wasn't going to forsake who I was over some stupid fight. I was better than that. And she was the one who fell for Tom's lies. Not me.

I removed the invisibility cloak, my heart rate picking up instantly. I wasn't safe anymore. I didn't even really know why I was choosing to do this.

"Shalini is right." I entered the girls bathroom to see Tom's furious look. What I wasn't expecting was him to start sprinting towards me, with adrenaline coursing through my veins and the slight distance between us I had the advantage. I bolted out the door Tom in close pursuit. I kept running, darting past students. I turned a corner and threw the invisibility cloak over myself, Tom almost colliding with me. I took a few very slow steps backwards, watching his face go from angry to confused.

"What the fuck..." He said under his breath.

"What's wrong?" A random Slytherin guy I'd never seen before came up to Tom.

"That little whore got away. I don't know if she's cast a disillusionment charm or anything." With lightning speed he drew his wand and slashed it through the air.

Nothing happened. I smirked to myself. I was wearing the original cloak of invisibility, which Tom didn't even know existed.

"What happened with Shalini?"

"She's in the bathroom. Why do you care anyway Mulciber?"

I felt the cold feeling growing in my chest. Mulciber. Another Death Eater.

I walked backwards, keeping my eyes on Tom and checking behind me to make sure I wouldn't run into anyone. What the hell was I going to do now?