Knock knock.
I open the door and my best friend Ginger rushes by me carrying a large box.
"Come right in." I say sarcastically as I close the door behind me.
"It came today," Ginger declares beginning to pace back and forth in front of my tiny coffee table.
"What came?" I ask worriedly.
"It came today in a music box, delievered by two swans wearing a pink and blue ribbons, along with a baby Cupid, who recited a poem about love and promise."
Okay... She lost me at two swans. I look over at Ginger and her exasperated appearance. She must have left her flat right away because she's only wearing her bathrobe. Not to mention her bushy brown hair is flying out of her ponytail.
"Speak in English please?"
Ginger sighs, stops her pacing and moves right in front of me.
"The wedding invitation. James's wedding invitation."
Oh. That came.
I let out a deep breath and start moving to my small kitchen. "Do you want tea? I went out and got some yesterday from the local farmers market."
"Lily.."
"I don't think it's the same as the one my mum buys but it's good enough..."
"Lily"
"It's a different brand and it tastes a bit funny,"
"Lily!"
"I think it has a spice in it, an antioxidant"
"Lily we have to talk about this."
"I'm fine, I hope it doesn't make you get bloated."
"Lily are you even listening to me?"
"Well of course I am, you want milk and sugar in your tea?"
"Lily stop!" Ginger says sternly as she moves the kettle away from my hands.
I start to cry. I cry like I've never before. After all these months that I've stayed away from James, tried to forget him and move forward with my life, I break down now. I didn't shed a tear when he told he didn't love me. I didn't cry when he said he couldn't be with me because I wasn't a pureblood. I didn't cry when he called me the name he vowed to never say; a mudblood. I didn't feel a thing when he left me in the bench sitting alone in the cold at our favorite place.
I felt numb. I felt nothing. I was nothing.
And now knowing that he moved on so much faster than I did means that our relationship meant absoulety nothing to him. Was he bored of me? Was he tired of my company? Did my blood status really mean something for him and his family?
I feel Ginger's arm wrap around me as she sits me down on my olive green couch. I crawl closer to her as she brushes my hair back with her fingers.
"Shhh... It's alright," she whispers trying to soothe me. And I sob louder.
"I thought I could really handle not being with him but now, finding out he's getting married! MARRIED! For Merlin sake."
"I know, I know."
"Married... Bloody married and to that whore!" I exclaim perking up from Gingers hold. She nods along with eagerly. "I know, such a whore!"
Knock knock.
Great. More company to add to my enjoyment. Fantastic.
"I'll get it" Gingers says. I slump back into the cushions hoping the cotton and polyester could drown me. The second she opens the door my other best friend storms in.
"It came." Charlie speaks slowly to Ginger.
Ginger nods. "I apparated the second I opened the-"
"Music box, delivered by two swans with a pink and blue ribbons, along with a baby Cupid, who recited after a poem about love and promise." They finish together.
"How's shes holding up?" he askes warily.
"She went a little luney about tea and then broke down crying."
"Luney about tea?"
"Yea, something about a farmer and antioxidants."
"Sounds exotic."
"Hello! Did you forget I'm here?" I wave.
"I didn't see you there! you blend in perfectly with the couch and cushions! Camoflouge at it's highest." Charlie praises.
I groan and drop my face into cushions. "You're such a douche." I grumble.
"Oh Lily, I'm sorry, I'm just worried about you!" Charlie pouts taking a seat next to me. Ginger takes a seat on the other side of me and pulls out the afghan from behind the couch. She spreads the red and yellow pattern quilt around the three of us. She takes a look at Charlie and starts to laugh.
I look at Charlie and start to laugh as well. His curly brown hair is messier than ever. Bed hair more like it.
Charlie puts his hands over his head and pats his hair down.
"Okay okay, I know how my hair is in the morning. Let's not point out the obvious." he says hotly.
He's the master of hair spray and overall all hair product.
I stop laughing and my gaze stops when it reaches my coffee table. There's the box that Ginger brought over.
"Whats inside?" I ask softly.
Ginger starts fidgeting. "It's um the wedding invitation... When I got it.. I um... I apparated here right away... I didn't even think about leaving it..." She trails off.
"I want to see it."
"I don't think that's best thing to do darling," Charlie begins.
"No, I want to see it " I say more sternly.
Ginger gives Charlie an uneasy look and reaches over for the box. She takes out a white porcelain music box that has the initials JP & MB on the edges and hands it to me. I open it and the wedding march song begins to play. On the velvet cushion lies a small egg white envelope. I pull out the invitation from the envolpe and the scent of French vanilla from the envelope wraps me. I look over the invitation and every thing is printed in neat script. Feels expensive. Very expensive.
Please honor us with your presence,
As we celebrate new beginnings, new dreams, and most importantly, new love of
Ms. Madison Bell & Mr. James Potter
Saturday, June 25th at the Potters mansion
'New love huh?'
I start to laugh.
Charlie and Ginger exchange another strange look at each other. Charlie raises an eyebrow.
"What exactly is so amusing? The fact that the love of your life is going to marriage a troll?"
"The fact that it smells like someone poured a whole bottle of vanilla perfume on a sheet of paper and that it was delivered by a freaking swan. And apparently that they're in 'love', that's the funniest part."
"I think it was all Madison's idea. You know how she was in school," Ginger says squeezing my hand.
"I know that whore." I say staring the only piece of art hanging on my wall. Its a collage of colors arranged to make the shape of a star. A canvas that James bought me on our six month aniversity. We saw it with a bunch of others that was being sold in the streets of Diagon Alley and he bought it for me. I remember how he joked about this was going to be the first piece of anything we would have for when we move in together. Funny how things changed from then.
"I just can't wrap my head around why from all the people in the universe he had to go and decide to marry Madison. She's all material and plastic something he wouldn't even bother looking at." Charlie shudders.
"Madison is perfect, that's why. I mean she has all the looks, the wealth and the status to be with James. James deserves a girl like him."
"No fucking way Lils, you and James deserve to be together. In fact this should be the invitation that weshould be receiving from you guys." Charlie interjects.
"Oh please, I was just another prize that James wanted to win. His intentions were never true. If he really loved me as I loved him, he would have never even thought about marrying a girl like Madison. The girl who chased him throughout school."
"Look what James did is stupid. We know that. What we don't know, is what changed his mind."
"I know exactly why-"
"Wait Lily, for once listen. After James did what he did, it wasn't like he returned to his same way with his friends. On the contaray, I spoke with Sirius and he told me how James hasn't been the same. He's left Madison do all the talking and planning while he stays behind to his own." Ginger says trying to stay calm.
"He's probably found a girl that would do all the work for him, his own trophy wife." I continue.
Charlie huffs. "Don't you understand? Something happened to James and we can't let him make this mistake."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'we can't let him make a mistake' "
"Put two and two together. A boy who is forced into marriage with a nagging girl plus a wedding reception plus a girl who is perfect for the boy is waiting at the wings..." Charlie raises his eyebrows.
"No, no way" I stand abruptly from the couch, dropping the afghan on the floor.
"Oh come on Lily! We both know we have to do this."
"No fucking way"
"We have to to do this."
"No, maybe you have to, but I'm not going to go break off the wedding."
"The whole wedding reception expects this happen!"
No. No. No. I won't do it. I won't agree to this. I just won't.
"Well maybe we should just try and listen to what Charlie has planned." Ginger chimes in.
I turn to face Ginger. "Don't tell me you agree to this madness"
Ginger shrugs. "Charlie has a point, somethings up with James and you're clearly not over James to give up any feelings for him."
"Well you're both wrong. What James decided to do is his own choice and he has to live with it. And I don't have any feelings for him." I say indigently
"Lily don't lie to your self, if you didn't have any feelings for him you wouldn't have been crying over him or overreacting like this." Ginger snaps.
"Stop lying to yourself for once and think about what you want. Not the reality of things but what we could change to become reality." Charlie says.
"I don't-"
"Stop" Charlie interrupts. "Think"
God how frustrating this is. I don't want to care about James or his stupid wedding with that girl. I don't want to hold on to any memories we once had together. I don't want to feel this way, helpless and hopeless. For so long I swear I've tried to move on with my own life as he did. But its hard to do so when I've poured half of myself to him and he still has a hold on to it. But Holy Merlin, how I still love him. I love him so much that the hole in my chest opens with every thought of maybe seeing him again. Of seeing his beautiful eyes and how they can make feel like I'm the only one that matters. Just imaging touching his face or holding his hand again can send my mind and heart in a frenzy.
That's it. I want James. That's what I want. James.
Shit.
There's only one thing to do.
"This is dangerous and irrational," I begin.
Charlie and Ginger both nod.
"And we can get into alot of trouble,"
They nod.
I take a deep breath and look at my friends. "Okay, I'm in"
They both break into huge grins and I run to them to hug them.
"See Ginger, I told you I'd get her to agree," Charlie exclaims, sticking his tongue out childishly.
I scowl. "You guys already had this planned?"
"Since we heard about the engagement," Ginger answers without shame.
I laugh. "You guys are the best! Wait. I didn't receive a invitation, how am I getting in?"
"Plus one baby" Charlie smirks.
I giggle. They really did think of everything.
Charlie jerks forward. "Come on we have a wedding to crash! We only have a week to get ready."
"A week is more than enough time, plus isn't the day of the wedding the most important day when crashing a wedding?"
"Not in your case. We have to get a dress, get you fixed up because you look ridiculous. We have to do the casual run in where he sees what he's missing and talk to the best mate. We have alot to get done." Charlie says counting the things we have to do with his fingers.
"Can't I just show up and say 'stop the wedding'"
"No way, we have to style you up first, you have left your self go girl."
I frown.
"He has point. The mess in this flat makes it even smaller. And your hair. Omg your hair. What have you done?" Ginger groans.
"And let's not get started with what you're wearing. How long have you had them on?" Charlie grimaces at my sweats. Sorry I can't wear designer bottoms like he does.
"Hey these sweats are comfortable" I argue.
"That they may be, but we need James to be be crawling back to you"
I giggle. I wouldn't mind seeing that.
"Alright let's get started then."
"Hold on, we need a name for our mission" Ginger remarks.
"Easy," Charlie answers, "Operation: break up Potter's wedding"
"Potter's Bloody Wedding, because we're not leaving until James is in a run away car with Lily. Even if we have to kill the troll of the bride." Ginger teases.
I grin. "I like it. Let Operation: Break up Potter's Bloody Wedding begin."