Hermione looked up to the ceiling with clouded eyes.
Why should she get up?
School was easy, there was no challenge anymore. Conversation would be equally boring. She had recognized long ago that she only stayed with Ron and Harry because she would be all alone otherwise. Of course she had felt bad at first but even that guilt had been reduced to a dull sinking feeling in her heart.
Day for day she stood up and went on with the same monotone routine until the weeks blended into each other like chewing gum that had lost its flavor ages ago and taken the quality of cardboard. Slowly she pushed herself out of the bed – red and golden, it was always red and golden – and slouched into the washroom. Being blinded by the whiteness of the room she reached out for her toothbrush and began scrubbing mechanically. She starred at herself in the mirror. Her hair was frizzy and unkempt and bags were forming under her eyes.
With practiced ease she applied glamour.
Searching for a clean uniform she eventually gave up and scrougified one. Yawning she shrugged off her white pajamas and put it on. Grabbing her book bag at the entrance she tumbled down the stairs with about as much grace as Ron had while eating. Her friends were already waiting for her at the Fat Lady's portrait. She greeted them with a fake smile and a nod and received a chorused "Hi Hermione!" from Harry and Ron.
Like every morning.
It was driving her mad.
They made their way to the Great Hall in silence, all of them still tired and caught up in their own thoughts. When they finally arrived Ron started putting food on his plate enthusiastically with almost no regard for exactly what he was grabbing at the time.
Hermione watched the bacon drowning in red beans with a sort of abstract disinterest. Once upon a time it had disgusted her but now she just didn't care anymore. Ron would still eat it either way there was no point in wasting thoughts or words on it.
With no real appetite she forced down some toast with jam and pumpkin juice. Why was there even pumpkin juice on the table? It was not like there were no other more common juice sorts. Well, wizards were stupid no point in thinking about it.
"E' dou'le po'ions 'oday", Ron said through half-chewed potatoes and scrambled eggs, spraying food everywhere. Belatedly Hermione realized that she was supposed to say something.
"Ronald, stop talking with your mouth full, it's disgusting! Also, Potions is an important subject and if you would put some effort into it you would probably enjoy it", Hermione replied half-heartedly.
In all honesty she had stopped caring about Ron's complete disregard for table manners and school subject years ago.
Now, she realized sadly, she just replied what everyone came to expect of her because she was too tired to change her attitude or answer questions. Eventually they made their way down to the dungeons where they met Draco Malfoy and his ever present meat-shields Crabbe and Goyle at the door to the potions classroom.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Of course Harry would initiate a confrontation because he felt threatened by Draco.
It was an age old game, like a choreographed fight, exciting to watch the first few times before you realized that the steps were always the same and no one would ever receive any serious wounds, only scratches that were just there for show, to make it more realistic for the audience.
"From you, Potter? Nothing, what would I want from such a pathetic blood-traitor." Malfoy sneered and stepped into the classroom – finally.
They took their places Malfoy and Hermione regarded each other for a moment, Malfoy with a raised eyebrow and Hermione half-heartedly glaring. They had been paired up together because their grades in potions were top of the class. "Let's get that over with, mudblood." "Whatever, ferret." And they got to work.
Hermione hated it.
Classes seemed to drag themselves out for eternity. Nothing interesting happened and Hermione felt like resting her head on her table but she had appearances to keep up and Hermione Granger would never sleep in class.
If she even showed as much as a glimpse of tiredness while in the classroom everyone and their mother would start asking questions Hermione was too tired to answer.
After all, Hermione Granger held her studies sacred, didn't she? So she took careful notes of every stupid detail about turning a tortoise into a teapot she already knew. Ron and Harry would want to borrow her notes eventually and if she didn't have them then she would be forced to explain those uninteresting details herself and she was not in the mood for teaching Transfiguration. Especially not to two mediocre, uninterested boys who would pay even less attention to her than to Mrs. McGonagall.
After class ended Hermione excused herself to the library, getting almost excited and nearly, nearly bouncing on the way.
It was empty except for Mrs. Pince the bitter librarian.
Sighing Hermione settled into one of the red wingchairs and started reading a book she had found in the Restricted Section yesterday. The old leather was slightly frayed and rough and the parchment was going yellow on the edges but the detailed instruction on the Fiendfyre Curse more than made up for it. Hermione briefly fantasized about setting Hogwarts on fire with it. It would be an amazing sight with giant animals of fire tearing into the very foundation of the old castle, burning and melting stone and wood alike until there was nothing left.
A small smile crept on her lips.
The smile widened when she checked her clock. 10 p.m. It was time. She carefully put the old book back in her book case and made her way into the Restricted Section.
He was already there.
The reason she stood up in the mornings.
The only thing keeping her from lighting Hogwarts on fire with a level 5 restricted curse just to have something to do.
Draco Malfoy.
She slid her bag to the ground with a dull 'thump' and approached him. The infernal smirk on his pale lips was as infuriating as ever and she wiped it of his face by kissing him. He pulled her in a tight embrace and deepened the kiss. A small moan tore from her lips as they broke for air.
At this moment the frustrating monotony was forgotten if just for a few minutes. She smiled and he returned in kind. Leaning down to peck her on the lips he whispered: "School was pure hell."
She nodded. "Yes. I hate it, this dullness, having to pretend to hate you or be interested in schoolwork I have done ages ago…" They kissed again, tongues fighting and dancing, always new and exciting steps so different from the verbal fights Draco had with Harry. It made her breath hitch and her body quiver.
Smiling she let herself be led to the small secret room they had discovered last year while trying to find a place to meet and spend time together without anyone noticing, fully content to just forget the routine of school that slowly drove her mad, even if it only lasted an hour or two.
And she knew that tomorrow she would stand up again to face a day of grey monotony, keeping up appearances and pretending to hate Draco Malfoy just for those evenings in the hidden room behind the library.
Suddenly the future seemed to gain a bit more color.
AN:
Just a short Dramione One-shot I came up with. The english likely sucks because English is not my first language. It's also my first fanfiction so if anyone points out mistakes in the reviews I will correct them and I would be very thankful for constructive criticism
I hope you enjoyed~