Chapter 3:
Harry was certain he had never experienced a summer that had gone by as fast as this one. Before he knew it, there was only one week until term began. While he was sure he had everything prepared for his first class, he still could not help but be a little nervous. The only solace he had was when he reminded himself that it would be just like teaching the members of the DA. He would be lying to himself if he said he was not a little apprehensive for Hagrid's first day as well. People were bound to talk about him as he was much older that the other students, but he thought that if he could bring himself together after Rita Skeeter's article about him in his own fourth year, he could ignore some younger kids.
Glancing at his watch, he received a shock to find that it was getting close to dinner. Time certainly was speeding away from him lately. He thought it might be a good idea to go to Hermione's office to drag her down to dinner with him. Ever the vigilant worker, she had skipped lunch to make things perfect for her Charms classes. However, when he got to her office, he found it deserted. Harry frowned and his heart sank slightly. That's odd, the thought, she usually barricades herself in here when she has work to do.
Deciding that she had to be in her classroom, he started walking in that direction. As his feet automatically took him to the Charms class, he began to think of the conversation they had during dinner the previous night. They did not talk about anything, just telling story after story. Most of the stories were just reminiscence between the two of you. He had realized then and there just how much she was a part of his life. If it had not been for her, he probably would not have made it this far in his life. They had talked well into the night, not realizing that the Great Hall had been deserted for hours when they had decided to leave.
In the present, Harry stopped his paces when he heard a soft voice coming from Hermione's classroom. He grinned as he leaned in the doorway, watching her looking down at a textbook and she waved her wand. A piece of chalk went gliding across the blackboard.
"Now," said Hermione, in a slightly elevated voice as her eyes remained on her book, "this very useful spell will come in handy to you in any case of broken objects. Reparo. Invented in 1754 by Orabella Nuttley, the mending charm was first used to repair the Colosseum in Rome."
Harry's eyebrows lifted. Interesting, he thought, despite his amusement, I never knew that. He not only took in her words but her appearance. She wore a simple, black skirt that reached just above her knees along with a light pink t-shirt. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail as it was a very hot day. God, she really was beautiful.
Hermione, who had spent the last five minutes going through her lecture, finally looked up and jumped as she saw Harry, who chuckled. "Harry! You startled me. How long were you standing there?"
Harry shrugged. "Not long. I came to get you for dinner. I know you skipped lunch, so I thought I'd force you to get some nourishment before you wasted away."
She glanced at her watch and her jaw dropped. She had been working all day and had not even realized it. Placing her book down on her desk, she walked towards Harry and said "Actually, Harry, before we go can I ask you a favor?"
His smile faltering slightly, Harry said, "Of course, what is it?"
"Well," she began, "as I'm going over the Mending Charm, I would like to show my students the different ways to repair objects. Would I be asking too much to repair your glasses during my class? It would be a good opportunity to show them how focused and steady they must be on more delicate repairs."
"Oh," said Harry, his heart skipping slightly. He had not been sure what she was going to ask but he did not expect that. "Sure thing, Hermione. Anything you need!"
She beamed at him and threw her arms around him. "Oh, thank you, Harry."