((This story actually begins in the middle, and will jump back and forth a few times. Again, all of Pansy's perspectives are written by myself, anything that comes from Theodore Nott comes from an extremely talented writer, whom I have the pleasure of working with.))

Chapter 2

Pansy,

Forgive the abruptness of my departure, I had some business to attend to in Loch Munsel, Scotland. I will be here for a few days at least, when I return I will call on you. Until then take care.

Love,

Theodore

Pansy finally had a few minutes to herself. The 'mother's' had gone out for some last minute errands and Henrik was out at the office so the manor was completely empty, save for the help. Taking a quill, she thought about how she was going to respond to the letter from Theodore. She had to admit she was a bit surprised to receive the owl early the previous morning, and it took all of her effort to keep it from Mrs. Parkinson's prying eyes. But she had, and she had taken it to the stone bench in the western garden and read and reread it. The letter answered her questions, of where he was and whether he was alright or not. But it did nothing to quell the emptiness she felt in her heart after learning of his sudden departure.

She kept the letter with her, from sun up to sundown, waiting for a moment of clarity, where she would be able to write what she felt. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but there weren't enough words to say it. In the end, the night before her wedding, her hurried hand manage to scribble a few words in response, of which the contents she would never quite remember.

Setting the quill aside Pansy made her way to one of the windows in the master chamber. The moon was almost full and below the lawn was illuminated in a soft light. It was a beautiful night, and had it been any other person sitting on the window sill, they might have been able to enjoy it. But since her arrival, there had been no moments of joy for Pansy. Instead as the family owl took off into the still night, she laid her head in her hands and cried.

People say that when a soul is on the brink of catastrophe, a minute can stretch into eternity.

So on the afternoon of her wedding, Pansy stood, dressed in a off white gown of satin and lace, her hair tied in a loose ponytail atop her head, the Gessler family jewels adorning her neck and hands, and time seemed to be standing still. Way beyond the eternity, Pansy stood on the brink of her destiny. Foreign hands were upon her face and her body, willing her to move, to react. And although her body went along with it, her mind was elsewhere. In the corridors of Hogwarts castle, having breakfast, in the shorelines of Rome, she was everywhere but where she happened to be at the moment.

And she struggled to breathe.

Although she had complained, on various occasions, that the stays on her corset were extremely tight, it seemed that Mrs. Parkinson, instead of relieving her daughter of their restraint, only made them tighter, demanding that they were there for the sake of her figure. Pansy only felt suffocated by them, as every single movement she made seemed to make them cut into her ribcage. Luckily, she wasn't doing very much moving.

Everything was being prepared. The help was making sure the guests were comfortable and properly seated. The entire eastern portion of the Manor's grounds had been decorated for the event. Nearest to the house, a good portion of the lawn had been set with dozens of round tables, each seating around twelve guests. In the middle of this setup, a marble dance floor with a stage for the magical orchestra. Beyond this area, in the middle of the Gessler's prized garden, were rows of white seats covered in a sea of pink and yellow pansies, all facing in the direction of the setting sun. Elaborate floral arrangements marked the place where the couple was to stand before a ministry official. All of this beauty and perfection was lost on Pansy, as she struggled to will her body forward every inch of the way.

In almost no time at all she and a line of family members and friends, including the ministry official, were gathered in the manors second parlor. Last minute orders and demands were still being made, as everyone continued to scurry about. Beyond the tall glass windows, Pansy could hear the orchestra tuning their instruments and the hushed whispers of several of their guest. With her bouquet in hand, she followed the party outside, down the concrete steps, around the reception area, and to the path that would lead them to the garden.

It was at this time, that Pansy, who had been nothing but numb the last few days, began to feel. Began to sense what was happening. The whispers were louder than ever, and her mother, who was standing beside her, was still barking out orders. Pansy looked over at her and wondered how she could be so distant from the person who had raised her. As if looking at a stranger she quickly turned her head, disgusted, and looked down at her hands. The bouquet itched under her palms and for the first time, she noticed what an ugly shade of yellow the flowers were. She would have thrown the wretched thing aside, if the line wasn't moving.

As the party passed and took their seats, Pansy was left with only her mother and father. Mr. Parkinson looked as though the entire matter was of no importance to him, kissing his only daughter on the forehead before taking his place up front. Pansy's mother stood there, watching her for a second. Her eyes searching her daughters, as if she wanted to say something, and Pansy was sure her mother was. Hoping for some words of encouragement, for anything to take the nervousness away, she nodded, urging her to speak.

Mrs. Parkinson raised a seasoned hand and placed it upon her daughters face. Pansy breathed a sigh of relief. "Do not ruin this for us Pansy."

And with those words, she turned and joined her husband.

At the edge of the garden entrance, Pansy stood. Her gown flowing behind her, eyes twinkling from the light the hundreds of fairies provided. The music began, her cue, and with nervous steps, she made her way towards Henrik, who stood halfway down the aisle. She looked upon her future husband and realized, with horror, that she knew nothing of him. Even his genuine smile wasn't enough to comfort her and when he took her arm and wrapped it in his; she almost flinched from his touch.

The music was too loud. It was getting louder by the second and as Pansy searched the standing crowd, there wasn't a familiar face among them. With her heart pounding, the first of the tears began to fall and suddenly she couldn't breathe. In shock she stopped, only to feel Henrik's hand tighten around her arm pulling her along, he didn't understand, he couldn't. As they drew closer and closer towards the front, Pansy could see her mother and father waiting, with their pathetic smiles.

Once again, she tried to stop, but Henrik's hand was wise to her, he pulled her undetected, the rest of the way.

And then they were standing face to face."We are gathered on this occasion to..."

Someone was speaking, but she didn't hear a thing. The stays were cutting into her rib cage, making it difficult for her to breathe. Tears were stinging the corner of her eyes and she looked upon her future husband who didn't seem to notice.

And then he did.

His arms were on her shoulders as he asked, "Pansy, darling, what is it?"

Pansy tried to focus, but she couldn't. The minister had stopped making noise and was now looking upon her with confusion. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the crowd shifting, something was wrong.

"Henrik, I- I..." she was shaking her head, the tears now cutting down her face. 'Darling?' Pansy wasn't his darling, he knew nothing of her. He was staring at her shaking his head slightly, in disbelief.

"I can't."

And with that, pansy tossed the bouquet at her mother and father's feet, lifted the skirt of her gown, and ran, back up the aisle and away from the confused screams and comments of the entire wedding party.

((Please take the time to review.))