She woke up and just like any other day she got ready for school. But today was no ordinary day, it was Hermione Granger's sixteenth birthday. She made her way to school accompanied by the all so familiar feeling of loneliness with a hint of dread.
She could still remember her first day of school when she was six. The smell of the first rains on the dried earth, the yellow oak leafs falling peacefully from the trees. She was beaming. When she got home from school that day, she couldn't wait to go again and learn all that she could. Gradually, the excitement faded away, not because she got bored with knowledge, but due to how her "friends" treated her.
For a popular girl, today was both a very stressful and happy day. It was the day legendary parties were thrown and everybody would almost bow when they walked through the hallways. Not for Hermione, though. Being at the bottom of the high school social ladder she didn't have friends to party with. She had acquaintances, which never quite reached out to her, so she always felt alone even when she was around them.
Hermione was happy that Biology was her first class on her birthday. She loved books and learning, but when she was around cells and plants she wasn't the nerd, but the "uprising talented scientist". When the teacher mentioned a group work, Hermione's blissfulness was tested. All her life she had only know two types of group workers: the ones that had half her A and didn't do anything and the ones that pretended to try to work. As soon as the teacher said Harry was her partner her feelings were mixed.
Harry Potter was a tall, raven haired boy, who had some classes with Hermione. He always sat at the back and was a very low profile person, with only a few friends. That was all Hermione knew about him. For her, Harry wasn't an ordinary person, but not because she fancied him. To the girl, the world had become a black and white place with nothing to aspire to except going to college and flee the shallow waters of high school. She had learned to live like this and she was contempt with that. However, when she looked at the tall boy, she felt a flicker inside her, a strange kinship with him, like she had known him all her life.
When those blue ocean eyes looked into hers to acknowledge the teacher's pairing for the group work, the world lit up and it felt like she was home.
You jaw is tight and your shoulders squared. You're bracing yourself, you're creating a shield. For what? You don't know. You feel it hanging in the air while you stride towards your locker. This type of body language was something you picked up long ago, when you started learning kinesics in an attempt to look less like a target to bullies. It worked, because now it's rather unusual when someone makes fun of you in the hallways.
You're class is considered the jock class, because most of the guys are on the football team and the girls might as well be cheerleaders with all their popularity and power. You loathe almost all of them, only Harry and this outcast girl Gabriella pass your test. She could be your friend, but you were too shy to talk to her and now she has made her friendships outside your class, as you did you acquaintances.
You are surprised to see Harry standing by your locker, waiting for you. You mentally prepare yourself for the answering machine message you always repeat to your group work partners.
"Hi". It's all he says to you when you're close enough to hear him.
"Hey to you too". Emotionless. "I presume this is about the group work… Don't worry, I'll do it and you just have to sign it". It's out of your mouth with a sigh.
"No". It's the rushed answer that Harry manages to say. "I mean, please no. I want to work… I want to work with you, if you let me. Text me your address when you're free and I'll drop by". He scribbles his number on a piece of paper and gives it to you. Without waiting for your answer he calmly walks away navigating through the crowd of teenagers eager to go home after a day of school.
You can't believe your ears. Someone actually wants to work with you. For the first time in years you walk home feeling warm, wanted.
A/N: This is my first fanfiction. I do not own any of this. If you feel like reviewing it or follow it, please be my guest. Hope you enjoyed the reading.