August [j.p]

033- Playing hide and seek and

A friend to all is a friend to none
Chase two girls, lose the one
When you are young, they assume you know nothin'
-
cardigan

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The big day was finally here.

Sadie Austin thanked the Lord that it was. As much as she was honored to be a bridesmaid, she was equally exhausted.

From picking the right flowers to making sure that the soft gold didn't clash with the periwinkle blue.

If anything she would've thought wedding planning would put her iff of weddings but seeing the look on her friend's face made her want to find her soulmate and get married somewhere.

"Oh Merlin. I'm so excited." August beamed as Euphemia Potter added the last touches to her hair.

Her curly hair was left in it's natural state but small blue flowers were interwoven to make it look like a crown.

Her dress what white silk imported from Bordeaux, elegant and simple, Sadie thought it was perfectly August. Simplicity that seemed like brilliance.

"You look lovely, dear." Euphemia wiped the girl's teary eyes with her thumbs while her own happiness ran down her cheeks.

"Don't ruin your makeup Mia." August sniffled.

"I better go fix it." The woman smiled and made her way out of the room too her own.

"You look stunning Augie." Sadie smiled.

"I never thought I could ever be this happy. After what I went through." She swallowed thickly, memories of her childhood threatening too spill over. "I didn't think things would be okay again. But then, days go by and you wonder if it means you're fine. You think that maybe you're ignoring your emotions and one day they'll just overflow and drown you, I thought that for a long time. That I was just getting buy. But then last night, I looked at my dress and I told James to not even dare come in and I realized that I was happy. That thing, it didn't break me because I'm stronger than that. Maybe I can survive anything, I finally want to."

Sadie crushed her friend in a hug. "You are the most magnificent person I have ever met."

"Ditto."

"A group hug and I wasn't invited."

Sadie and August both swung their heads around so fast it was a wonder they didn't break them.

"Lori?" August asked shocked.

"I figured it would be shitty of me to not pitch to my best friend's wedding."

"Oh Merlin! Lori." The two girls jumped up and crushed the brunette in a bone crushing embrace.

"Now my makeup is really ruined." August sniffled against Lori's shoulder.

"It adds to the deranged wife look you have going on." Lori teased, a contagious smile playing on her lips.

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"Look at Prongsie, all grown up." Sirius teased his best friend.

"Yet he still can't tie his own tie." Remus mumbled, folding and knotting the read fabric into a neat knot.

"I'd go ask August but it's bad luck to see the bride."

"You actually believe in that?" Peter asked, chewing on a chocolate covered strawberry.

"Course not, it's a bunch of bollocks. But my mother does and so does she."

"Look at the two woman in your life getting along." Sirius smiled.

"Three actually." He winked at his best friend.

"You did not." Sirius glared back at him. "If you weren't getting married I would've given you a cute little shiner, right here." He tapped his left eye.

"James's vision is already impaired, don't damage it more." Remus laughed. Straightening the tie and stepping back too admire his handiwork.

A knock on the door interrupted their banter and Remus went to check who it was; revealing a redhead in a light green dress.

"Hey Lils." He greeted.

"Hey Rem." She smiled softly at him, "Mind if I speak to James."

"He's all yours." He placed his hand on her shoulder briefly before motioning for the other boys to follow. Peter walking out and then returning to grab the plate of strawberries.

"Oh Pete." Lily snickered as he shut the door behind him.

"He's one in a million alright." James shook his head at his friends antics.

"How are you feeling." Lily asked after a brief pause of silence.

"Nervous. Excited." James rubbed his palms on his pants before sitting down on the bed.

"You chose her." Lily finally blurted out. Days of pent up anger getting to her.

"You chose her and you loved her instead. And I? I was a forgotten memory. You barely even notice me when she's around and it sickens me because she's amazing, she's great and she's unbearably nice and all I wish is that you would just look at me. Look at me and save me from how much I love you because I hurt whenever she's around."

"I'm looking at you now, aren't I?" James asked, his eyebrows drawn together in contemplation or confusion. Lily couldn't tell.

"Don't do that. Don't play me against her because that's vile James. I came here too give you a piece of my mind and you proceed to do whatever it is you're doing." Lily motioned with her hands between them.

"I don't think we were supposed to love each other Lily, and I'm sorry, for this." He mimicked her earlier movements.

"Maybe not." She replied defeatedly.

"But we did, didn't we?" He admitted, reluctantly and with every word, hating himself more.

"Yeah."

A draft rolled through the open window and her scent flooded his room. For a while, as long as he possibly could, he held his breath, keeping het there within his veins. Warm bread, honey and rosewater. It was like flipping through an old photo book or hearing an old song your parents sang early Sunday mornings in the kitchen.

Comfortable, familiar.

"Always will." Lily said.

The wind faded and he let himself breathe again.

"Stuff like that doesn't just disappear."

Of course she knew. She knew it all too well.

"Promise me that you'll love her right and be the man she deserves. She didn't deserve any if this and a part of me wants to tell her but I won't because I know how much she means to you."

"I promise." James said softly and earnestly.

"Alright then." Lily opened the door and walked out.