A Missing Bridesmaid

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

A/N: This is for the Globetrotter Drabble Competition for the city: Canberra, Australia. Please enjoy!

"After that, I straightened out a few minor altercations with the venue – they were idiots and completely in the wrong – and now the only thing we need to worry about is the bridesmaid dresses," the annoying and frantic wedding planner relayed to the blonde ice queen delicately lying on the sofa, her head resting in the palm of her hand.

"What do you mean by that?" Narcissa snapped at the imbecile. She was not normally one to stain her voice with disgust or annoyance, but after listening to a lengthy recall of all the things her wedding planner did in the last week for her wedding, she was losing her patience and politeness.

"Well, the dresses are perfect, but you ordered four gowns." The witch smiled apologetically, and Narcissa wondered why the fluttering witch dared to give Narcissa Black pity. Who did she think she was? Then Narcissa's chest tightened as she realized that she had forgotten about Andromeda.

"Oh." The blonde witch gasped for air. The following words came out as a croak, filled with painful emotions and memories buried away. "I forgot about that."

Narcissa had actually managed to forget her sister – she was that detached from Narcissa's life now. Of course she was. Andromeda had chosen that scum over her own sister – her family. But despite that, Narcissa still loved her older sibling. It just wasn't fair. She was planning this wedding without any real help. She had always thought Andromeda would help. Not an imbecile of a planner. This wedding was not as she'd envisioned it. The planning was a nightmare, and Narcissa didn't feel happy at all.

"Yes, so I just have to send it back. That's all." The flighty wedding planner who thought she was in charge shook Narcissa from her thoughts.

"Don't," she told her before she could help herself. The witch – Narcissa failed to come up with a name – looked understandably shocked.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't send it back. Just deliver it to me. I want it." Narcissa wasn't quite sure why she wanted the emerald gown – perhaps it was sentimentality and a buried and ill-founded hope that Andromeda would come back. She couldn't miss her sister's wedding. "Andy" had talked about it all the time with her "Cissy." Yet, where was she?

"Okay," the wedding planner agreed with a wary look on her face before getting distracted by Narcissa's mother. Narcissa took the time to grab some convenient stationary from the side table and scribble details about her wedding day. She would attach it to an owl later and see if maybe, just maybe, Andromeda would come.

At least if Narcissa extended the olive branch, she could stop the tightness in her chest, because she had done what she could in her hurt and abandoned state of mind. Right?

(The wedding planning proceeded to be awful, the wedding itself was dreadful, and Andromeda never did come. Why did a certain mudblood who stole her precious sister have to taint it all? Why couldn't she have her whole family and a perfect wedding? Narcissa didn't even get to have one or the other - it was simply neither. All because of a missing bridesmaid.)