Speak Now
I am not the kind of girl,
Who should be rudely bargin' in on a white veil
occasion,
But you are not the kind of boy,
Who should be marryin' the wrong girl,
Let's just get one thing straight—my mother did a very good job raising me and teaching me right from wrong. She would spend hours scolding me if I did one tiny "unforgivable" thing. In short, my mum did well straightening me out.
Why then should I ask am I seeing myself entering a church, where Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson are getting married?
Well, there is only one probable answer to this. I am in love with Draco Malfoy and he is in love with me, and I don't think it is right for him to marry somebody he doesn't love.
I sneak in and see your friends,
And her snotty little family, all dressed in pastel,
And she is yelling at a bridesmaid,
Somewhere back inside a room,
Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry,
This is surely not what you thought it would be,
I lose myself in a daydream,
Where I stand and say:
As I enter the church doors, I see Blaise, Theo, Crabbe and Goyle, Millicent, and Hermione on one side, chatting happily with one another. On the other side, there's Parkinson's family—her parents, some cousins, I guess, and extended family.
A door creaks open then I suddenly hear someone shrieking like a banshee: "Just tell me if you're stupid! You can't trust anybody to get anything right anymore! Just… just get out of my sight!"
Suddenly, I saw Parkinson walk out of the back room, wearing, what at first sight, looked like a giant creampuff. At a second glance I realized that was her gown.
It was made of silvery white silk that ballooned just above her ankles, showing off her 3-inch strappy white heels.
Just thinking of Draco marrying Parkinson made me nauseous. Surely he didn't want this? If he did, then why tell me he loved me in the first place?
Oh what I'd give to tell him to choose me instead of her. What I'd give for the chance to tell him I was an idiot for letting him go. "Don't say yes, run away now,
I'll meet you when you're out,
Of the church at the back door,
Don't wait or say a single vow,
You need to hear me out,"
And they said, "Speak now,"
I'm waiting for that moment where I can tell him to run away from it all. I'm waiting for the moment I can make him realize that he can live his life as he wants it—he can live his life with me. The only problem is I don't know if he still wants me back. What if he really does love Pansy, and he wasn't forced into this marriage?
I just hope it's not true. Fun gestures are exchanged,
And the organ starts to play
A song that sounds like a death march,
And I am hiding in the curtains,
It seems I was uninvited by your lovely bride-to-be,
She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen,
But I know you wish it was me,
You wish it was me, don't you?
"Ginny!" Hermione called, waving to me from the other side of the church. I walk towards them, smiling and waving. "How have you been?" Hermione asked, encasing me in a hug. "I haven't been able to see you in a while, with work and everything…"
"I've been fine," I replied absent-mindedly, looking over Hermione's shoulder for any sign of Draco. "Anyway, h-have you seen Draco?"
Hermione shook her head and looked disapprovingly at Parkinson. "Probably hiding from Parkinson… last I heard from him, he'll do his best to keep away from her. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Draco already Disapparated from here… nobody in their right mind would marry Parkinson… so he says…"
"Well it looks as if he did lose his mind," Blaise started, joining our conversation. Hermione throws him a quizzical glance and he jerks his head to the altar. In front of the altar, dressed in a white tuxedo, was Draco, with his platinum blonde hair combed back just like in school.
Before any of us could react, the organ started playing and they stood by their seats in the pews, whereas I was in the corner, hiding from view. Truth is I don't have an invitation to their wedding… I just came to say what I had to say.
As I watched Parkinson walk down the aisle, clinging to her father's arm, I stole a glance at Draco, who was turning paler than usual. His eyes searched through the crowds, then his eyes met with mine for a split second, then he looked away.
Do you wish it was me walking down the aisle? Do you wish it was me?
Don't say yes, run away now,
I'll meet you when you're out,
Of the church at the back door,
Don't wait or say a single vow,
You need to hear me out,
And they said, "Speak now,"
Don't say yes, run away now,
I'll meet you when you're out,
Of the church at the back door,
Don't wait or say a single vow,
Your time is running out,
And they said, "Speak now,"
My eyes darted from Draco and Parkinson, seeing the gleeful expression on her face, and the indifferent expression on his.
What I'd give to shout "I'm here! She doesn't deserve you! I know you don't love her! You loved me once, right? Are you afraid to admit that you still love me?"
Suddenly, I lost track of everything—the people, the music, everything. I felt everything slip away, I had no time to think of anything else, but of what I came and had to do. I hear the preacher say,
"Speak now or forever hold your peace,"
There's a silence, there's my last chance,
I stand up with shaking hands,
All eyes on me,
Horrified looks from everyone in the room,
But I'm only lookin' at you,
"If any one objects to the union of these two, speak now or forever hold your peace," the preacher finally said. I breathed deeply then stood up, where everyone could see me. There were gasps from both parties, Parkinson's family and Draco's friends—even Hermione looked shocked.
I am not the kind of girl,
Who should be rudely bargin' in on a white veil
occasion,
But you are not the kind of boy,
Who should be marryin' the wrong girl,
"I—I object," I started, my voice sounding awfully shaky. I cleared my throat and repeated, "I object."
"Preposterous!" the elders from Parkinson's family shouted.
"I know I shouldn't be doing this," I continued. "Then you shouldn't be doing it then," somebody muttered from Parkinson's family—her mother, I think. "But I had to say it—so here goes: I'm in love with Draco Malfoy. I have been ever since my fifth year… and I think what he's doing now is wrong.
"I've loved him for seven years… and something tells me he does too… it's not fair if he doesn't marry the one he loves." Don't say yes, run away now,
I'll meet you when you're out,
Of the church at the back door,
Don't wait or say a single vow,
You need to hear me out,
And they said, "Speak now,"
Then I turned to Draco, who looked somewhat confused by all of this. "I love you, Draco. I know you don't love her. But I'm not sure if you're still in love with me. I just want to know, Draco. Tell me I'm wrong, and you'll be free to marry her. Just tell me the truth, as it is."
Then, silence. And you say,
"Let's run away now,
I'll meet you when I'm out of my tux at the back door,
Baby, I didn't say my vows,
So glad you were around when they said, "Speak now,"
I nodded slowly then smiled sheepishly at him. "Goodbye, then." I turned and started walking, doing my best to not cry before I got home. I was already across the church's oak doors when I felt a hand tug at my arm and pull my around, only to meet with Draco's lips.
"You were right. I don't love Parkinson. I still love you, Ginny. I always will… and, I'm glad you came today. It would've been difficult to go through that without you stopping me." He leaned in for a kiss but that's when I got pulled back into reality.
"Are you okay, Gin?" Hermione asked her hand on my arm. "You spaced out there for a while…"
"Huh?" I asked, blinking away my daydream. "Oh, yeah, I am."
I looked back at the altar and saw the ceremony continue right before my very eyes, with me not doing anything about it.