Learning How To Smile

Learning How To Smile

Disclaimer: Do I look like JKRowling?! HUH?! DO I?! No…I didn’t think so!!! So don’t come crying to me about stealing her characters…I just asked them over for tea and see what happened? Hehe…no, seriously. I don’t own Harry Potter or anything related. The plot is all that I own…and who knows, maybe there is someone else out there with the same plot bunny as me…but I did it first!!! =P

A/n: Thanks to Catark who is my fabulous Beta. Also thanks to Darkstar and Amberlena for the fabulous reading. Sarahkitty also helped out with the prologue, so a huge thanks goes out to her. The disclaimer is that same for every chapter, so I am not going to put it in every chapter…tough turkey jerky!

Summary: Life is an interesting thing. A constant teacher. As for Hermione Granger, life has never stopped teaching to her. It has taught her through a war of good and evil, throughout grad school, and even throughout her job as a teacher herself. Now it is not only teaching her the pains of heart brake, but the process of loving once more.

Prologue

Once upon a time, I knew what love was. To know what it felt like to love someone so deeply that you could share each other’s feelings…through the good and the bad. But then I learned what it was like to have that love taken away from you and thrown out the door.

I stopped knowing what love felt like and started knowing what it felt like to nurse a broken heart. I’ve relearned how hard it is to trust romantically and how easy it is to lose faith in people.

I certainly am the scholar…always learning. But I wish I would stop learning how the keep myself miserable and, instead, learn how to be happy. To learn how to be happy and move on…

I want to learn how to smile…really smile.

Learning How To Smile

Chapter 1: Still On My Mind

Orange, purple, and green are lovely colors…just not together. Hermione was finding this out the hard way. Today was one of her best friend’s wedding and she was a bridesmaid in a God-awful dress.

The service was beautiful, and now was the reception. Music was blaring, couples were dancing, friends were laughing, children were playing, and Hermione was sitting…alone. Her right leg bobbed up and down over her left knee. She rested her chin in her right palm while her index finger trailed the rim of her champagne glass. Her eyes were fixed on the wet bubbles moving inside the liquid and she was absentmindedly biting her lower lip.

“You know, the radish earrings don’t look half bad on you.”

Hermione jumped, nearly knocking over her glass.

“Sorry Hermione. Didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“You didn’t, Harry.”

“Right. You just thought that the champagne would look better on the table then in the glass?”

“Well, the linen does look a little dry, now that I think about it.”

“But you were thinking about something?”

“Just about the service.”

Harry finally took a seat next to her, “It was an interesting service.”

“It was lovely.”

“Colorful, you mean.”

“I suppose so,” she shrugged.

“Tell me, why did she wear a purple dress?”

“She didn’t want to live a lie and wear white.”

“Live a lie?”

“Old wives tale. If you are a virgin when you get married you are to wear white. It symbolizes purity.”

“And she didn’t wear white?”

“Harry, has Ron and Luna had sex?”

“Yes.”

“Then Luna isn’t a virgin. She didn’t want to lie about it. So she wore a colored dress.”

“Marriage is an interesting thing.”

Hermione sighed, “Very.”

“Well, as best man to the groom, I must ask about the bachelorette party,” he grabbed a roll out of the breadbasket on the table.

“You mean, did we have any naughty male strippers?” she asked as she handed him butter.

“Something like that.”

“No. We had a muggle party. Cyndi took us all to her house where we sat in her living room, told dirty little secrets, drank, and tried to watch scrambled porn for laughs.”

“So it wasn’t as exciting as ours then?” Harry buttered his roll before biting halfway into it.

“What’s so exciting about a party that ends 15 minutes after it began?”

Harry thought for a moment, “Oh yes, you were there, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I was there. And I was pleased to inform Luna of the goings on this morning as we were getting ready.”

“And what did you tell Luna this morning?”

“The truth,” she sipped her drink.

“Which was?”

“What you all got drunk off of your asses and got off by playing quidditch in the burrow garden, rather than being real mean and getting off by hiring strippers.”

“That’s harsh,” Harry finished his roll.

“That’s the truth.” She took a longer drink.

“You know, it isn’t fair.”

“What isn’t fair?”

“That you could go to both parties.”

“Well, as one of Ron’s best friends, I am allowed to go and help him to enjoy his last night as a free man. And, as one of Luna’s bridesmaids, I am forced to attend her party as well. As I was also forced to wear this monstrosity.”

Harry looked her over. She wore a dress that supported the three wedding colors. The dress was cut off center on top, turning into a halter. It fit her well and hugged her in all the right places. On her left hip sat a huge, purple rose connecting a long swatch of the same purple material used on Luna’s wedding dress. The back cut low, but wasn’t too revealing. The crowning jewels were a pair or red, dangling, radish earrings that each girl was given as a present.

“You don’t look that bad.”

“I chose not to continue this conversation about me and this dress.”

“Fine.”

The two friends sat without talking. The sounds around them changed to a slower pace. Couples began their way onto the dance floor. Harry stood from his seat and turned towards Hermione. He held his hand out to his friend, and without another word spoken, Hermione placed hers in his and they joined the dancing. The music waltzed around in circles with the guests. Many moved closer to their lover, while dancing children stayed arms length away.

Hermione watched over Harry’s shoulder while Ron and Luna slow danced in the middle of the floor. Ron rested his forehead on hers as they moved in sync to the music. Their hands clasped on one side made room for Ron’s right hand to rest on Luna’s hip and her left palm to sit on his chest.

Hermione sighed, “Oh, I want that.”

“Hrm?”

“Nothing Harry,” she laid her head on his shoulder, reliving a familiar memory; ghost moving mere feet away.

Gold satin and scarlet lace flowed around them as a 7th year Hermione danced with her best friend. Harry held her in waltzing possition. She smiled as she glance around the room. That smile soon became nervous when she noticed that Harry had not taken his eyes off of her.

"What?"

"Hrm?"

"What is it? Why are you staring at me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hermione. It's just that...well...you are beautiful."

She adverted her eyes.

"Really, Mione. You look absolutely stunning tonight. I am luck to have you as my date."

"I won't be wearing these robes tomorrow, Harry. Then I'll be the same ole Hermione Granger."

"I'll still be watching you."

Choosing to ignore the comment, they continued their dance. The old song ended and a new one began. Harry moved her to the new beat. She locked eyes with him and suddenly a new feeling washed over her. Everyone in the Great Hall disappeared. Their movements slowed until they were both standing still. Harry brought his hand up to her face. Her gently stroked her flushing cheek with his finger tips. His then made contact with the soft flesh of her face. She leaned into his hand, only to feel more contact.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"What would you do if I kissed you right now?"

She blinked and the 7th year images were gone.

"What?"

He smiled, gazing off, "What would you do if I kissed you right now?"

"You aren't being serious."

"No, Hermione, I'm not. I am just thinking and remembering our first kiss. Thinking of how remarkably similar this situation is."

"There is nothing similar to that. It is a 7 year old memory."

"Aw, Hermione. It's a good memory."

"Eh, Maybe."

"I think so anyway."

They continued to dance, the couple reappearing in the exact same spot, not moving.

"Probably kiss you back."