Compeer: close friend; comrade.
August 5, 2034
"…The true nature of friendship is needing nothing but your friends' happiness to be happy, nothing but their sorrow to be sorrowful. I've never had better friends than the two of them, so tonight I must be the happiest guy in the room. I love you guys, and I wish you all the blessings in the world…. To the happy couple!"
She really was beautiful, he thought, watching from a dim edge of the dance floor as they spun and swayed, completely in opposition to the fast tempo of the music. Her hair shimmered golden beneath the laced veil, her white dress swirled like a wave around her curving waist. She threw her head back and laughed as he dipped her and they were both so happy. Yes, she really was beautiful.
"Hugo Weasley, best man and faithful comrade," said Lily, appearing suddenly at his side with two drinks in hand. "This is where you've been lurking?"
She nudged his shoulder and slipped the drink into his hand, leaning forward to look at his face. She followed his gaze to their friends, newly-married and in a golden bubble of jubilation in the middle of the room.
"It was a nice ceremony," Lily said.
He nodded.
"Your speech was beautiful," she added, nudging him again. "Who knew Hugo Weasley was so eloquent?"
She laughed, but he didn't. "Yours was nice, too."
Lily snorted. "I didn't even touch on the 'true nature of friendship'. Really, Hue, you did good."
"Thanks." Hugo tipped his head back and downed half his drink in one swallow.
Lily sighed. "I'm sorry, mate." She murmured, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"What for?" he asked. As he watched their friends dance, Melody buried her smile in Mark's shoulder and he kissed her temple. When she pulled back to look at him, there was so much adoration there, Hugo could feel the reflecting rays ten feet away.
"Watching the love of your life marry someone else always sucks," Lily said softly. "It sucks even more when they both happen to be your best friends. Being the best man is just the cherry, huh?"
Hugo finally looked away from the bride and groom, nodded into his drink. Lily wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.
"Like I said Hue, I'm sorry. How about you and me steel the wine fountain and get pissed up on the roof?"
Hugo managed a strangled laugh and allowed her to pull him to his feet. "Make sure you get the Gin from Ben Jordan."
Lily laughed and slipped a silver flask out of her purse with a roguish grin. He shook his head at her.
At the door, Hugo cast one last lingering glance at Mark and Melody. Lily tugged on his hand.
"I know you don't want to hear it right now," she said gently. "But you're going to find an amazing girl one day and fall madly in love all over again. You're a catch, Hue. And she'll be lucky to have you."
But she was wrong, Hugo thought as he followed Lily up the dark stairwell. He would always be hopelessly in love with Mark Forester.
A/N: Alright, this sprang from me watching Love Actually and St. Elmo's Fire over the holidays, both of which have the romantic dilemma of being in love with your best friend's wife, and both set it up like it might be the best friend first. I love both movies, but I really wish just one of them had gone through with the less-played-out best friend avenue.
Anyway, I've got about four more stories for the first ten reviewers over 1000 lined up. I'll get to them soon, promise guys!
Love you all!