Half an hour later, after running laps around the training room and then showering quickly, they descended to the kitchen, where Dobby had a nice breakfast waiting for them. After spending that much energy, they ate with gusto, not wasting time on talking. Just staying near each other was quite good enough.
They were just finishing their meal when a very tired Molly came in, followed by a just as tired Arthur. Dobby silently brought them breakfast. It took Molly a few minutes to recover and really notice them. "You look fresh. Have you done your running, as expected?"
Harry put his tea down to reply. "Sure! We woke up almost an hour ago and ran for twenty minutes. We then had our showers, put on clean clothes and came here."
She frowned. "You did it all together?"
He shrugged. "Well, her room is adjacent to mine. She heard me wake up and I also knocked on her door to make sure."
Molly was still frowning. "Where are your rooms? I've not seen you on our floor."
Harry was glad of that. "Sirius put me in the family wing. When Hermione came, he gave her the adjacent room. He said only family and those permitted by the Head of House can even find that wing."
He wasn't quite sure of that, but it could help keep Molly out of his hair. The Weasley elders started eating silently. Harry and Hermione stayed, although they had finished breakfast. It was just politer that way.
"Have you started your summer homework?" Molly asked as she was reaching the end of her breakfast. Evidently, she remembered what Sirius said she could do. Some of it.
Hermione shrugged. "I've already finished mine. I may do some more reading after we get our new books."
"I have to finish one essay. It's more than half finished, but not fully so," Harry said. "I think I'll finish it this morning and then read some more about defensive spells and tactics. It could help us with the training in the afternoon."
Arthur stood up. "I need to go to work. The attack on your relatives seems to have acted like kicking a mound of ants. I'm helping the DMLE try to sort it out."
"Do you know how the Dementors came there?" Harry asked.
"Not quite. Somebody must have sent them there, that much is evident, but we still need to find who and why. It shouldn't take more than a few days, I believe." With that optimistic view, Arthur left the kitchen to make his way to the Ministry.
Molly sighed, looking like she was more prone to fall asleep than to start a new day. "I'll go wake the children up. They also need to exercise."
Hermione looked at Harry. "Let's go back to your room, so you can do as you said you would. I also like to check some charms in one of my books."
It was just like Hermione to say that. She made him feel light-hearted, as if all the problems of the world were already solved. He didn't even think when he moved a bit and captured her lips in a tender kiss. It was short and sweet, showing love, trust and pleasure in being together. As they parted, Hermione asked him with a twinkle in her eyes, "What caused this?"
He shrugged. "Just you being you. It makes me feel so good to know that we're together."
She smiled. "It makes me feel good too. Now, didn't we need to go to your room?"
She still went first to her room, grabbed a few books and joined him in his room, sitting at the desk on his left side, "closer to the heart," as he said.
Harry worked diligently for almost an hour. He then stretched a bit, waited for the ink to dry, and handed the parchment to Hermione for inspection. He then noticed the title of one of her books, "Useful Charms for the Active Witch".
"What's this?" he asked.
"Oh, just a few things that might come handy in the near future," she answered, her attention already on his essay.
Harry took the book and leafed through its pages. It was really meant for witches, dealing with make-up charms, hair care charms and figure adjusting charms, to name a few. He then encountered some more "interesting" charms, for contraception, fertility, period pains, birth pains and more of the kind. He felt his face heat.
"What were you looking for in this book?" he asked. He wouldn't have asked another girl, but he felt completely at ease talking with Hermione of whatever subject.
Her attention was still mainly on his essay, but she answered without giving it any thought. "Oh, I was looking for some contraceptive spells. I thought they may soon come in handy, now that we're together."
Noticing that she was not quite paying attention to her words, he quickly dropped the subject. She had already told him it was kind of expected, and he really liked the idea, but it also frightened him. What if he wasn't good enough for her? He could not stand the idea of disappointing her.
It took Hermione a few more minutes to finish checking his work. She only commented on a few missing commas. "This is really good work. I wonder why you don't show that much understanding in class."
He wasn't sure he had an answer to that, but he tried. "My relatives would punish me when I got better grades than Dudley, so I made sure to never show my full ability. Then I met Ron on the train. I didn't think he'd like me to outshine him. He's quite jealous as is."
Hermione didn't like his answer. "Your relatives had no right to punish you for doing better than their son, and Ron should shove his jealousy… you know where. Now that I can see you're able to, I expect my boyfriend to do his best, even if you surpass me. A bit of healthy competition couldn't hurt our relationship."
"Of course, dear," Harry answered like every good boyfriend.
He put his essay back and started looking for his DADA books. Hermione looked at him and got an idea. "Why don't you ask Sirius for some DADA books from his library? We may find some spells that don't appear in the textbooks and even some curses and counter-curses that could help us if we ever need to fight."
They found Sirius in his room, bent over a large ledger. He lifted his eyes at the teens standing at his open door, looking like he was pleading for mercy. "Would any of you like to check my accounts for me?"
He didn't really expect an answer. "What can I do for you two lovebirds?" he asked in a much livelier tone.
"I was thinking that there might be some DADA books in your library, ones that can't be found elsewhere or are just not taught at school. They may give us an edge if we encounter fighting," Hermione said.
Sirius rubbed his goatee, thinking. It took him a moment to reply. "Most of the books there are very dark, certainly not fit for your age, or any age for that matter. Some books are even cursed to hurt the reader. I need to hire a curse breaker to clear the library of such books before I can give you access, but your idea is sound. I'll ask Remus to have a look and see if we can find something suitable. It may still take a few days, at least, as we must be extremely cautious with the books there."
Hermione beamed a smile at him. "Oh, that's fine. We still have our school books. We haven't learned most of what's in them, so it may take us a few days to catch up. Thank you so very much!"
When they turned to go back to his room, Harry heard Sirius mumble, "So much like Lily..."
Dobby popped into Harry's room a few minutes later, carrying a tray with some drinks and refreshments. "Master and Mistress may need to strengthen themselves when studying so hard," he said.
"Dobby! I'm not your mistress! Why do you say I am?"
Dobby smiled, as if he needed to explain the obvious. "Haven't you and Master promised each other to be together for life? That makes you my mistress, even if not yet official. All Potter elves feel your connection to the family and will treat you as their mistress."
"I… I didn't know. I mean… I never thought I would have house-elves."
Dobby shook his head bemusedly. "I can see you's become the bestest mistress a house-elf can have."
Harry had different thoughts running in his mind. "How are you getting along with Kreacher?"
Dobby looked determined. "Kreacher old and stubborn, but Dobby keeps showing him the right ways, Kreacher likes Dobby's help but doesn't like Dobby's master. Kreacher will learn."
They were left alone for the rest of the morning. Harry hoped that Ron was also doing fine with his homework, at least due to Molly supervising it. Reading together, explaining to each other and practising wand movements and pronunciation, they barely felt the passage of time. They were actually surprised when Sirius came to check on them.
"Have you finished your homework?" he asked.
"I've done it all before I came here. Harry only had a single essay to finish. I checked it over when he did," Hermione told him.
"Would you like to show me your homework? Both of you."
Hermione went to her room to grab her work. Harry's was just there. Sirius started reading the transfiguration homework. He stopped at a point and concentrated, as if trying to remember something, and then smiled and continued. The teens looked at him, unable to understand the changes in his mood and his expression.
Finally, Sirius put it back on the desk. "This is some first-class work, Harry. It shows understanding not expected at your age. Where did you learn it all?"
Harry shrugged. "Most of it comes from Professor McGonagall. I try to listen attentively, and Hermione writes it all down, so I can check it later, if needed. I also read some of the reference books in the library. The weeks that Ron kept away from me turned very fruitful, as far as my studies are concerned."
"Is he really holding you back?"
"Not intentionally. He just doesn't like to put any effort into his studies. He's quite satisfied with a passing grade. I thrive to do my best, but I don't want to become a show-off."
Sirius was stern. "You don't need to be a show-off, but you shouldn't let him hold you back. Do like Hermione. With Voldemort back, you should take whatever knowledge you can, One can never know when that particular knowledge can become a lifesaver."
Harry sighed. "I know. I also promised Hermione to do my best, even if it means beating her at some subjects."
"It will only make me try harder," Hermione said
Sirius spent some more time checking their work, finding both excellent. "I think I even learned a bit from checking your homework. Good work, you two. You're making me proud. Now, I think we should head for lunch. Remus is scheduled for about an hour later, so enjoy it as much as you can before he comes."
The Weasleys were already at the table, waiting for them to come before starting the meal. The twins looked in a good mood and so did Ginny, but Ron seemed depressed and nervous. "How was everyone's morning," Sirius asked jovially.
"Brilliant!" the twins said.
"Just fine," Ginny smiled.
"Awful. Mum made me read a chapter in that boring book and then write it from memory in my own words. It was a nightmare, I tell you," Ron complained, making his mother frown.
"Ron, you know that we all need to learn in order to be able to get a job, earn a living and use our magic to its fullest. You can't achieve your goals without learning," Hermione admonished him.
"What good will potions or history do for my career at Quidditch?" he asked.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can only play Quidditch for a few years before a younger player replaces you. Once out of the league, what will you do if you have no other knowledge? Wizards may live up to a hundred and fifty years or more, but a Quidditch career is rarely longer than ten years. What about the rest of your life?"
Ron looked as if this was completely new information for him. "I've never thought of it that way," he confessed.
"It's not too late to think of it and try to change," Hermione lectured. Ron grimaced, but Molly seemed content that somebody finally managed to put some sense in her youngest son.