Later that morning, Harry stretched languidly with a satisfied grin on his face. He turned to his side to hold the woman he just knew was in his bed. His eyes shot open when he realised he was alone. "Bloody Hell, " He said sitting up in his bed.
Rubbing his eyes, Harry looked at the timepiece on the wall and realised that the students would be out and about now. He guessed that Hermione just did not want to get caught walking out of his room as if she had done something wrong. Not to mention that she was still with Ron, as inappropriate as that relationship was right now.
With a groan, Harry got out of bed and headed to the bath adjacent to his sleeping quarters so that he could get himself ready for the morning.
On the main floor, Hermione walked towards the head table at the great hall. "Good morning," She said to several professors that were already enjoying their breakfasts. She knew that she ought to be nervous, but she wasn't. All the tension she had been feeling the day before had gone with the one stress free night she had shared with her lover.
When Harry finally walked into the great hall he took notice that there were no house divisions among the students. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were sitting with Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Friends with friends, no matter where they lived bound by the love of their school.
At the Gryffindor table, Luna sat with Ron engaged in deep conversation. Harry waved at his friend and received a happy smile from Luna, and a pained one from his best friend. He thought it odd, but did not feel as if he deserved any better from him. I have got to talk to Hermione about telling him. It has got to be soon.
Harry glanced up in Hermione's direction, she had been staring at Ron and Luna's conversation with an unhappy look on her features. She stabbed at her breakfast of pumpkin griddlecakes, as if they would escape her if she did not get them quickly.
The moment that Harry returned his gaze to Ron, Luna laughed at something Ron had said tossing her head back sending her fairy like hair over one shoulder exposing a slender neck. It was an extremely sexy vision, leaving Harry to wonder if Luna wasn't part Vela. Knowing Luna, however, that was completely innocent.
Hermione pushed her plate away angrily and fought to keep her anger at bay. The nerve of that... That... He is mine, mine, mine. She thought fighting an urge to scream.
"Good morning," Harry whispered placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder, "Missed you this morning."
Hermione visibly relaxed as she looked at Harry. "Sorry, I..."
"I understand," Harry said taking his seat next to her, "You know, you have really got to talk to your boyfriend because I can't take the lies anymore. Maybe we shouldn't do this anymore not until we set things straight."
"Harry, I will talk to him I promise," She starts reaching for his knee under the table, "I just can't talk to him here. On the Hogsmeade weekend."
"That's not for a month." Harry said picking from his plate now. He was not sure he could truly last that long without being with her and was dreading what he had just suggested.
"I know but..." Hermione started but was interrupted by a fellow teacher coming up to welcome them.
"Harry m'boy!" Horace Slughorn said coming up to his favorite ex-students, "Miss Granger! So glad to have two of the most talented magical beings this generation join our ranks."
"Thank you," both Harry and Hermione said just a little annoyed at being interrupted.
"If I could ever be of any assistance to you, let me know, and I would be happy to aid you in guiding your students."
"Thank you sir." Harry answered and pushed his half-full plate away. "If you two will excuse me, my first class is in five minutes." With that he stood and walked out of the great hall.
Hermione smiled at professor Slughhorn, "Thank you for the offer sir, I'll be sure to take you up on it if I need it."
Sometime after lunch, Harry had the sixth years from all the houses in his class. As he watched them file into the classroom, He leaned over the balcony in front of the entrance to his office. He would be see them every day for the following two weeks to prepare them for the O. W. L's which they had missed the year before.
Sixth years that had not been in the DA with him a few years before sneered at him as if they knew that Harry couldn't possibly teach them anything useful. They walked into the classroom thinking that this would be an easy class where they would just relax and not really work at it. Several of Harry's attempts at calling his students' attention had failed.
Harry had never really been patient, and attempted to maintain his countenance. But eventually he just cast a silent spell making himself practice, finally finding real use for non-verbal spelling. Silencio, He thought and immediately the room went silent. Harry could see the panicked looks in the Non DA students as they turned to face him. "If you are all quite done talking, I will begin my lesson."
Harry descended the stairs and stood in front of the class. "You all know me, and even if you had not been here at Hogwarts before, it is more than likely you would know my name, so I am not going to introduce myself. Lets just get right to it shall we?" Silencio obliterato he thought taking a seat behind his desk. His students' vocal chords were released from their silence yet the room stayed silent.
"You must all know, that all of the sixth years last year whom studied the dark arts with me, for our O. W. L.'s have passed them with Outstanding levels. So as you review with me these next two weeks, rest assured that you will breeze through the tests."
He cringed during the next part but he had to give credit where credit is due. "You had an excellent teacher last year, so I know that you are prepared. Let's begin with disarming spells shall we?"
"Pick a partner," Harry said looking around, "DA members, if you would please pick a partner whom was not in the DA. It will help them out if we scatter among them, you were excellent students and I want all of you to get an Outstanding in your O. W. L.'s"
Harry had a good academic day over all. His last class of the day was a class for himself. He and Hermione had a Potions class with the other seventh years. The Teachers only had one day of class for each subject, with separate sessions with the rest of the faculty on off hours, so that they may pass their N. E. W. T.'s
"Hi Ron." Harry said sitting at the table He, Ron, and Hermione always occupied when in the dungeon.
"'Lo," Ron answered distractedly looking dejectedly at his girlfriend.
"How are classes so far Ron?" Hermione asked having taught her first Seventh year Transfiguration class two hours earlier.
"You did fine Hermione, really," Ron said
"I had to take points from Gryffindor because of him." Hermione offered an explanation taking her seat.
"Oh Hermione," Harry groaned.
"Well maybe he won't be so condescending next time." Hermione stated and was hushed as Professor Slughorn began his class.
After class, the three of them walked into the library to begin their extracurricular work. "What if Voldemort departed from his normal and did the practical thing instead?" Hermione said leaning tiredly back onto the couch in the library.
"Yeah, like he did with the kelidoball." Ron said resting his head on his girlfriend's lap out of habit.
Harry watched Hermione's fingers run idly through Ron's hair as she had done to him so many times this summer, and secretly wished that their positions were reversed. "How do you mean," he said distractedly.
"Maybe, he entrusted someone with them. A Death Eater maybe." Hermione said tucking a lock of hair behind Ron's ear.
"Voldemort doesn't trust anyone." Harry retorted noticing other students at the door.
"He trusted Molfoy with the book." Ron said sitting up and looking around the library having heard Lunas soft voice carry from the door.
Oh no you don't. Hermione thought as she placed her feet on his lap, and would have moved herself to sit on his lap had Harry not been there. She would rather be doing that with him anyway so she slid them off of his lap again.
"The book was meant to be discovered." Harry said through clenched teeth at the display in front of him.
"Can we go over this tomorrow?" Ron asked distractedly, "I've got loads of school work to do. I've got an Essay in Transfiguration I've got to start on."
"Yes I guess you're righ," Hermione said looking into Harry's eyes, "S'later."
"Later mate," Harry said not taking his eyes off of his other best friend. With that Ron headed out of the library with Luna,
"Your office? Or mine?" Hermione asked licking her lips expectantly.
"Yours is closer," Harry answered in kind.
"Yours is more private," Hermione countered.
"You're right, lets go." Harry answered starting to pick up all of their research materials and checking them out then heading for his office. Both of them knew they weren't really going to get anything done that night.