August [j.p]

023- Baby, kiss it better

When you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you
Dancin' in your Levi's
Drunk under a streetlight, I
-
cardigan

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James Potter saw August two weekends in a row before life caught up to him.

Suddenly it was studying for NEWTS, career choices and the full moon.

But the strangest thing that happened to James Potter was being called into Dumbledore's office and not having done anything wrong.

"I swear we didn't do anything Professor." Sirius held his hands up in the air in some attempt to look innocent.

"Not that we recall, at least." Peter added, earning a glare from Sirius.

Dumbledore chuckled, "Oh no Mr Black, you are not here to be reprimanded."

He gestured to the empty chairs opposite his big desk cluttered with papers and magical knick-knacks. "Have a lemondrop."

Peter didn't let himself be told twice and immediately reached over to pop the hard candy in his mouth.

Remus gave him a look, as if saying, "I've taught you better than this."

It was funny, as much as the lycanthrope denied being pack mother, he acted an awful lot like it.

But Sirius banned James from bringing it up because it put Moony in a bad mood. And apparently if Moony was in a bad mood, "Padfoot doesn't get any."

Traitor.

"I called for you, because I believe you are destined to be part if something much bigger than yourself. The Order of the Phoenix."

"Dumbledore certainly has a flare for the dramatics." Sirius muttered under his breath.

Remus shot him a stink eye and subtly stomped down on his foot.

"Kinky." The long-haired boy smiled cheekily

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August Williams didn't think that her birthday was a tricky date to remember, it was, after all, her namesake.

Her mother, lacking creativity, and her father, just an indifferent ass who she never knew, decided that because she was born on the 1st if August, her name would be...

Yes, you guessed it, August.

Despite her birthday being one of the easiest in the world to remember, her boyfriend of almost three months seemed to forget about it.

The morning started off with hoping, and to some extent believing, that James was going to surprise her.

But it was a Saturday and he didn't show up in the common room at the designated time.

August spent the rest of her day anxiously worried that something bad had happened to him.

"Augie, we have a surprise for you." Sadie said as she sat down on the edge of August's bed and gently stroked the girl's hair.

All August wanted to do was crawl into a ball and cry her eyes dry because her boyfriend forgot her 17th birthday and even worse, she spent her 17th birthday moping over it.

"I don't want to." August sniffled.

Her eyes were red and puffy and her face blotched.

Things were going great with James. Ever since the night they made up and had (amazing) sex, they hadn't done anything but share a few kisses and one steamy make-out session in a broom closet, they had been on dates that flew by and they had kept things slow and steady.

Was she going too slow, was he getting uninterested because sex had been taken out of the equation.

Her mother's words rung cruelly and unwontedly in her head, "Keep his balls empty and his stomach stuffed, that's how you keep a man Augustine. None of this sappy lovey-dovey stuff will keep him in your bed and out of other women's."

August couldn't cook for the life of her and she wondered, insecurely, if she was even good at sex. But James had only ever had sex with her, he had nothing to compare it to. The thought, as reassuring as it was, did nothing to relieve her worrying.

"Come, Augie, for us." Lori pleaded.

Lori was using her soft voice, a voice she only used when things were bad, that set August on track quickly.

Lori shouldn't waste her soft voice on a stupid boy.

But he wasn't a stupid boy, he was James Potter. The boy who she loved so much it physically hurt.

"Fine." She grumbled and reluctantly slipped out from underneath the warm covers.

The two friends wasted no time as they bundled her into a coat that was just thick enough for a summer night and snuck out of the dormitory window, a trick that they had all perfected since second year.

They had to take a brief window break in third year after Sadie got spooked by a bird and broke her arm. At the time it seemed funny to Lori and August who didn't realize the severity of the injury and laughed so hard they, themselves nearly tumbled to the ground. Thank Merlin Lori had a steel grip and August had the balance of a trained gymnast.

The girls walked towards the greenhouses, the chilly air turning the hot tears on August's cheeks cold and cooling her blotchy face.

"Ta-da" Lori shouted enthusiastically as she opened the greenhouse doors.

Inside was a string of small floating candles casting soft hues over the blooming flowers and plants and on the ground, was a blanket and a baby blue birthday cake along with chocolate coated strawberries, liquorices wands and wine. All of August's favorite foods in one of her favorite places.

She drew her friends into a tight hug almost tearing up at how much they cared for her.

She had never really had a loving family, her mother had always been stone-cold and expected perfection. Beating etiquette and manners into her with the wooden spoon kept in the lower kitchen drawer and August preferred to never even think if her step-father, who was a monster that deserved to rot. She was envious of people who had parents who loved and accepted them, like the Potter's did with not only James, but anyone who showed up on their doorstep. Sadie's parents were the epitome of good people and although Lori's father singlehandedly raised her and her four brothers he was a good man who loved his children more than life itself.

But there, in that greenhouse, with Lori and Sadie by her side August never felt more loved.

She had found friends who would go to the ends of the world with her, even if it meant walking through hell and back.

She felt sorry for people who didn't have a Lori and a Sadie, how empty their lives must have been.

"You guys are so cheesy." August laughed through the tears.

"Only for you baby." Lori winked at her, "Now let's open this bitch up." Lori held the bottle if wine above her head like some prized trophy.

August popped the cork and all three squealed as it made a loud pop and shot somewhere into the plants.

"To our best friend." Sadie and Lori clinked their glasses with August.

And for the first time in a long time, James Potter didn't cross her mind once.

A/N
Early update cause I'm going back to school :((
Updates might be less frequent but I'll probably write more chapters instead of studying.

You are loved. I'm so happy you're here