Hermione looked at the last sentence with tears in her eyes. Why did she have to find this book? Why!? If this was how she felt, she didn't even want to look at Harry. But she forced herself to.
He looked oddly calm. There were no tears or any emotion at all in his deep green eyes. And that in itself scared Hermione. Shouldn't he feel anything?
"Harry?" he said softly. "See? They- They worked it out. It'll just take time. That's all." She stroked his arm, hoping to get some reaction from him. Hoping she was comforting him somehow.
He sat still as a statue. This was really troubling. Hermione tried again. "Harry?" She shook him a little. "Harry?"
"WHAT? Hermione?" He snapped at her harshly, his eyes blazing. Hermione took her hand away from him. She felt a lump in her throat. She'd never been able to take harsh words well but this time she felt tears sting her eyes.
"I- I-" She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I was just trying to help." She mumbled.
Harry looked at her, not with malice anymore, but sort of an insane glint. "Help? You want to help, Hermione?" He took the diary from her trembling hands and tossed it dangerously near the fire. "Just destroy it already!" he wailed.
Hermione made to get up and get the diary but Harry held her back roughly into his lap. Hermione was scared for a moment then he heard him say,
"No, just- Stay here for a minute?" he seemed to plead.
Hermione looked at him confused and nodded. It wasn't like she was going to leave him forever if she got up. She cautiously reached a hand up to touch his cheek. She was going to ask him if he was ok or even that she'd stay forever but it was silently agreed that her touch was enough.
Harry rest his head on Hermione's shoulder and closed his eyes. "Thanks."
Hermione sat with him for about half an hour. Neither moved. Hermione thought about that brief moment Harry snapped at her, forced her down. It was scary. He'd never been like that to her, to anyone.
Maybe she shouldn't make him read the diary. It was becoming too much for him. She glanced at it near the fire.
Harry saw that glance. He knew Hermione was trying to help. He knew she would want to keep reading it. He didn't want to but he was going to force himself through it. He had to know why the diary came to Hermione. Came to him.
He lifted Hermione from his lap and put her back on the couch. He stood and got the diary and looked at Hermione like he was confused and didn't know how he'd gotten where he was. He looked back at the diary and gave it to Hermione.
Hermione was stunned and bewildered. The change of heart in such little time was surprising. She realized the diary was making him unpredictable. Even dangerous. She looked at Harry who'd sat down again and by his eyes she knew he was going to get through this. She was to continue.
'Oh thank god' Thought Hermione. The new entry began,
Things are much better!