Tying the Knot
July 16th had finally arrived. The Worchild Manor had been buzzing with activity all morning. The caterers were busying themselves with setting up for the reception in the second floor ball room. Maxwell and Clara had been given the day off due to their part in the day's festivities. Presently, Clara sat on Lia's bed, staring into a hand mirror. Lia kneeled behind the older woman and was weaving the servant's hair into a delicate plait.
"Oh Miss Emilia. It's lovely," Clara exclaimed once Lia had finished.
"Clara, please don't call me Miss," Lia begged.
"I'm sorry. It's just hard to break an old habit," Clara mumbled.
Emilia swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. She was dressed in workout shorts and tank top. They had to be at the cathedral in two hours. Her wedding gown hung from her wardrobe doors.
"Well I guess I'd better dressed," she murmured to no one in particular.
With a sigh she undressed and climbed into the soft white material. Clara joined her mistress to zip up the back. Lia stared at herself in the full length mirror on the isde of the door.
"How do I look?" she asked, spinning around once to get a full view.
"Amazing," Clara answered with a smile.
Lia ignored the three inch silver sandals that sat waiting to be put on. Instead she moved to her desk and pulled out a small folding mirror. She merely sat there, lost in space. Clara cleared her throat lightly.
"Huh?" Lia muttered.
"You were dazing off," Clara informed the young bride.
"Oh. I didn't even realize. What time is it?" Lia questioned.
"One twenty," Clara replied.
"I guess I better finish getting ready. Grandmother will want to leave early, insane fucker."
Without another word, Lia set to doing her makeup. After dumping the bottle of mascara all over her desk, she decided she would go without it. It wasn't worth the hassle and frustration. She looked at the clock and saw it was almost two. Suddenly there was a knock on her door.
"Come in," she called as she grabbed her wand, causing the mascara mess to disappear.
The door opened and Draco stepped in, wearing brand new dark blue dress robes. Clara smiled at him, gave him a little bow and excused herself. Lia threw herself at her bed.
"Careful. Don't want to ruin the dress," Draco chided as he sat down next to her.
"Yes Mother," she chuckled back.
"How's your arm?" she asked, sitting up and pushing her hair out of her face.
Draco pulled his sleeve up to reveal a paper thin patch of skin where the Dark Mark had been. The wound that had replaced it had healed nicely and no one would notice that anything had been there.
"Looks good," she said with a smile.
"Thank you so much. You really don't know how much it means to me," he whispered against her roused cheek.
"No messing up the makeup mister. Not until after we say 'I do'," she chortled.
"Oh I came to tell you that we're leaving a half hour early so we can take some before pictures or something," Draco told her.
"Shit! My hair!' Emilia yelped.
She snatched her wand from the desk and looked in the mirror. She frantically began to apply spells to her hair to style it. She curled it and put it in a bun at the nape of her neck. Several wavy tendrils framed her face gracefully.
"You look gorgeous," Draco breathed as he handed her the silver sandals.
She slipped them on and then cautiously walked out with him. The stairs were difficult in such tall shoes but with Draco's assistance she managed to get down to the entrance where most of the guests were waiting. Once everyone had arrived, they apparated to the cathedral. It had high stained glass windows and a life size Christ on the cross that disturbed Lia slightly. As Draco had said, the couple and the wedding party took several pictures in different areas of the chapel. At 2:50, Lia and Maxwell left the chapel and anxiously waited for the music to begin. Emilia peered around the edge of the doorway and saw Draco standing nervously at the alter. Professor Snape stood by him. Draco had appointed him Best Man.
"Ready?" Maxwell asked, catching Lia off guard.
"As I'll ever be," she murmured and slipped her arm into his.
The music began and they entered the back of the chapel, slowly making their way along the rose pedal strewn isle. Everyone in attendance rose to watch the pair walk up. When they reached the front, Maxwell gracefully and confidently handed Emilia off to Draco. Bride and groom faced each other, holding hands. The priest opened his small bible with gold edged pages and surveyed the crowd.
"Today, we celebrate the holy sacrament of marriage. Today we join these two people in matrimony," he began, his voice brusque.
"If anyone has a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace," he continued. No one spoke.
With that he launched into a long speech about the couple. Most of it was devised in the few meetings they'd had together. Draco and Lia exchanged looks of anxiety. They wanted to get to the important part. Finally the priest looked at the pair before him and turned a page in his bible.
"The time has come for you to exchange your wedding vows," he informed them. He turned to Draco first.
"Do you Draco, take Emilia to be your lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?" the priest recited.
"I do," Draco spoke firmly and loudly, taking the wedding band from his Professor's outstretched hand and sliding it onto Emilia's finger, below her engagement ring.
"And do you Emilia, take Draco to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," she answered mirrored her husband's gesture, sliding the band onto his finger.
"Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the priest proclaimed.
Draco leaned forward, taking Emilia's hands in his and kissed her gently on the lips. They held the gesture for a few seconds before pulling apart. The newlyweds turned to face the crowd and carefully walked down the alter steps and out of the chapel. Once out of view, Draco wrapped his arms around Lia's waist and gave her a proper kiss. Just as they pulled apart, Agatha and Narcissa came towards them.
"Congratulations," they said, hugging their respective family members. Both did their best to squirm out of the awkward position.
"Thanks. I'm starving let's go eat," Draco called and disapparated with Lia at his side.
Their guests followed suit and soon all were seated at tables in the second floor ballroom of Worchild Manor. The rest of the evening ran smoothly. Emilia and Max waltzed across the floor with the ease of seasoned partners. Little did anyone know that they had indeed been taking waltzing lessons for several years. Given the guests were an older crowd, bride and groom did not have to worry about stopping what they were doing for a kiss every time someone clanged a spoon against a water or wine glass.
"We should tell them," Draco whispered as they moved to cut the cake..
"After we cut the cake," she answered.
Together they slid the knife into the bottom layer of the five tier cake. Instead of letting the caterers divvy up the cake, Lia insisted on cutting and distributing it herself. It was her wedding cake after all. Once all the guests were once more seated and enjoying cake, she and Draco stood up, clanging their own spoons on glasses to draw attention.
"We have an announcement," Lia said, the room falling into silence. She caught her Grandmother's eye from down the table. She looked horror-struck.
"We have bought a flat and we're moving in next week," Draco said, finishing his wife's sentence.
Agatha looked relieved and the room erupted into applause. The pair resumed their seats and cake eating. It had turned out alright. The engagement that had started out as a disaster in the bride and groom's minds had turned out quite well. Perhaps it wasn't so bad after all to marry a stranger. You learn a lot about yourself in the process. While not reconciled with her past, Lia felt herself on the road to accepting what life sent her way. And Draco, freed from his biggest mistake, could choose his own future. From now on, they were going to look after each other, as lovers, confidants and friends.