Heya guys! Took me a while because I was totally putting off the ceremony scenes...yeah. Sorry.
I was woken up by the sound of something purring into my side and back. It was an odd sensation leading me to open my eyes to see two large windows that were covered by dark green curtains. It gave the entire room an odd green sheen that bounced back into my eyes on every reflective surface. I rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling.
I was expecting a gray ceiling and the bumpy bed of my room in Devon but it wasn't there. A stark white ceiling gazed back at me forcing a few waves of homesickness into my stomach. Luna's side of the room was much more lively than mine, she'd had the one window and her side of the ceiling was painted with pictures of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville with the word "friends" written in golden ink creating a circle around each of them and connecting them together. They'd never been able to move but I always felt like they'd breathed.
"You're up early, love." A deeper voice echoed into my ears, reminding me of the situation I'd gotten myself into. A hand that'd been resting on my stomach drifted up and grazed my chest lightly. I didn't respond, hoping he'd think I was still asleep somehow. I wasn't even sure how he knew I was awake right now anyways.
"Ara..." His voice echoed again, this time his hand drifted back down towards my pant's waist line. It sounded like he was amused, almost like he was smirking in the pale light.
I snatched his hand, stilling it's path to my lower half. "Malfoy." My own voice echoed with just as much attitude as his had humour. He gripped my hand, squeezing it.
"Draco." He corrected with a strained voice.
"Mal-foy." I repeated, sounding out the word. We'd fallen into our old habits again and I almost felt a little comfort with that, it gave me a smile despite the fact I was in a bed with a guy that wasn't my boyfriend...Even though said boyfriend hadn't owled me at all since we left Hogwarts. I was little torn up about that. Little shitter. He better be really bloody busy to not have owled me for over a week.
"Its going to sound really bloody strange when you're addressing your mate by your shared last name." He sounded easy going but riled at the same time, leaving me to believe he wanted to seem like he was calm when he really just wasn't.
I didn't respond, moving to sit up on the side of the bed. I had to give him props, it was the most comfortable bed I'd ever slept on but I longed for Hogwarts's bumpy mattresses or my own back in Devon out of familiarity for my norms. I pulled the material of my top back down to my hips from where it'd ridden up and wiped my the sleep away from my eyes.
A hand drifted over my shoulders, sweeping my hair over to the side. "Nothing to say?" He whispered into my ear as my head tilted down to look over my shoulder at him. His other hand came around my waist while he chuckled at my continued silence. I was more just taken aback by how gravelly his voice sounded and the feelings it elicited in my core.
"Well this is a rare occasion." He murmured as he started to kiss down from my jaw to my shoulder while his hand slid up my shirt yet again. I felt myself leaning back without really thinking. I'm not sure if it was a mistake or more of a happy coincidence that I'd worn a tank top giving him access to start going down my chest. I felt his hair tickle my face and the smell of him was over powering. I was almost lost in the feeling of his lips trailing down and down and his nimble fingers massaging my chest until a knock woke me up.
It felt hazy as Draco seemed to sigh and pull away. "Yes, mother?" His voice wasn't nearly as gravelly sounding now, much to my surprise. If anything he sounded annoyed as hell when I heard a door crack open. I didn't really want to move to look at the woman as she came in, my body felt like putty and I was actually loving it.
"Oh, my. Thats quite strong. Um. I've come to get your mate, Dragon." She sounded taken aback and I wasn't sure at what as I started to realise I was actually laying down on the bed again and Draco was almost on-top of me, he'd moved for his mum though. My shirt was just covering my chest, leaving my pale stomach completely exposed. I glanced down to process my chest was now peppered with purple and pink marks. Damn it. He'd given me like 30 fuckin' "love bites" all over. I'd sooner call them hickies and keep the emotions out of it though.
"I'll send her down." He nodded his head, a hand was still wrapped around my stomach. She must have nodded to something because I heard the door close and her heel's click away against the marble. What an odd family. Though I didn't exactly have any ground to stand on in that area.
"Please do try to be on your best behaviour. Bellatrix will not be attending but others will." He stroked my stomach as he stressed each word. I furrowed my brow, wondering how I'd even gotten to this spot or why it mattered if his aunt attended a ceremony.
"Why is she not attending?" I queried curiously.
"She's had a bit of a falling out with the family after our change in sides. Please just behave. No swearing, common talk, or derogatory statements." He replied grimly. I nodded slowly.
"Yeah, yeah. whatever." I waved him away as I pushed myself up and stood. I didn't even know what was going to be happening outside of a magic oriented bond. I know Narcissa had me meeting two or three officiators, all were just as blond and pale as the last. I was starting to long for some brown hair or something. She kept asking me which I felt closest too, I closed my eyes and picked one basically. She looked proud when I had and offered up that Draco had picked the same one.
"Ara. Please. It's essential that you are on your best behaviour." He seemed to have followed me, holding my hand and looked urgent. I raised a brow at that.
"Why?" I tilted my head, turning to face him.
"The ceremony will just entail of you, my family, yours, and myself but the party after will hold those who are high in the system and the bloody press." His eyes were on mine, watching and analysing while his lips were pursed.
"What system exactly?" I raised both brows, waiting for an answer.
"The Ministry of Magic for the UK and a few other countries." He looked a little frustrated with my questions.
I raised a brow at that and nodded slowly. "No worries. I'll be a perfect, quiet, little lady." I responded dryly, turning back to the wardrobe to pull out a button up and put it on. He didn't respond, going back to his own closet and pulling out his dress robes. I was hoping he had to go through a ridiculous number of fittings to get his clothes too but I doubted it.
"She'll be waiting in the downstairs bathroom." He called out from his closet as I stilled near the door.
"Right." I mumbled wondering which downstairs bathroom he meant.
I was a little taken aback by the dress for the ceremony itself and also the number of people in the bathroom when I finally found it. I almost found myself walking back out. In fact I'd gotten maybe a foot back out of the door when Narcissa noticed me and ushered me to sit down. Lights and body heat heated the other wise cold and colourless bathroom. Dresses were hung up on a rack on the back wall, greens and blues glinted back at me.
"Now then, we'll have your hair up for this and down for the next." A tall black haired woman smiled softly back at me as she waved glamour charms into the clothes and hair pins. I stood for maybe 30 minutes before I was ushered to the next woman who brought the dress out. I had a feeling these were all at least half Veelas from the skin tone and the ever-clear blue eyes.
I hadn't seen this one before, it was graceful looking. Subtle hints of green glinted back from the pale blue flows that ran from my top to bottom. It had a scoop neckline, which entrancingly revealed the modest dress below it. My eyes drifted along with a bit of surprise at the intricate swells and crisscrosses that were just barely evident in the silky looking fabrics.
The delicate, black corset-like tied of my dress covered my stomach, wrapped in black streams of fabric where the continuous flow was broken up by a small green cloth belt worn quite high around my waist. Small live white flowers seemed to have been charmed to sit on the neck line and lined the dress's trim as it streamed out from my waist to the floor and behind me. I was impressed to say the least but it all just seemed to continue.
Below the cloth belt the dress ran down and hid the sides of the skirts below. The front of the top dress was a tad bit shorter at the front but flowed straight down, not really breaking up the view of it all together. I glanced behind my shoulder as my eyes followed the trail of flowers to the back. It continued a fair length behind me and ended in a broad rectangle. I could just see the little black shoes, I was wearing, peek out in the front when I turned back around to face the two witches that were moving little pieces of cloth around to be just so according to Narcissa's commands.
My blue sleeves were narrow and just a bit shorter than my arms, hanging around my wrists. The flow of fabric was broken just below my covered shoulders where they were divided by thick, dark aesthetic looking bands that were line with the same flowers from the sides of my dress. Under the flowers the same fabric was the same shade of black that was used to outline the edges of the dress.
"What flowers are these?" I asked softly, looking towards the black haired woman that was adjusting the fabric corset along my waist and torso.
"Oh they're Sweet Autumn Clematis. We thought it would work to lighten the dress a pinch." She smiled back. She had a pretty smile, one that lit up her eyes and made her nose crinkle. It made me want to smile.
Narcissa seemed to nod as the women left and stepped off to the side. I felt like I'd become her piece of art or something with the way she appraised me. She nodded again after a second look and pulled a mirror over for me to see.
"What do you think?" She'd crossed her arms over her chest and motioned back to the mirror with her head.
I looked the same as ever but I felt like I'd aged. I was 16 but I felt much older than that looking back at my reflection. The wispy blonde hair had been pulled up to see in a braid along the crown of my head with little green gems in between the twists. I had no make up but they'd definitely covered up the hickies that were courtesy of Malfoy.
"Its...definitely a traditional dress. Not that traditional is bad!" I nodded slowly, putting a hand up to defend the adjective. She nodded, pulling the mirror away.
"Lovely, well we've got maybe two minutes. Time to get you out there, Ara ,darling." She smirked, reminding me of Draco all at once. The mention of the ceremony as she pulled me along was a little terrifying at best and she seemed to know it as she guided me along.
I stood in front of lines of empty seats and tables that were light with black flowers and floating candles. The blond officiator or whatever the hell he was stood next to me, making small talk.
"As much as I appreciate the comforting small talk, lets be honest here. Is it going to hurt?" I turned and almost glowered at him as I spoke sharply. He looked amused as he shook his head.
"Not at all. We won't be bonding you two personally, just objects that you'll wear. It was Mr Malfoy's wish in the case that you passed before his son." He tilted his head down with some aspect of understanding that I completely lacked. I thought if I said no to the bonding, he'd die. Now I was going to die and some how this was supposed to change things?
"What happens if I die before him then?" I raised a brow, trying not to move my arms before the rest of the people came in.
"He would have passed as soon as you if not an hour later but instead, he can take the ring and survive maybe a year more before succumbing." He explained hesitantly. I could see it in his eyes that he thought I knew about this, I hadn't at all. I was told that my finger would be pricked by this guy and that I'd end up with a ring but who knew that it's whole purpose was to allow Malfoy to live after I kicked it.
"Of course it was." I grinded out as the doors opened, Malfoy strolled in looking calm and collected but I could see the terror in his eyes. He'd been dressed in rather traditional clothing as well.
"Ara. Mr Warren." He greeted us with a light but confident voice. His leather jacket was fairly short sleeved, but it covered to well below his groin and was almost completely buttoned up at the center. The sleeves of his jacket were wide and reached down to his hands, they just as decorated with a band of crisscrossed patterns at the edges.
His jacket had a narrow, rectangular neckline which revealed part of the white shirt worn below it, and a dark leather belt, which is held together by an intricate knot hung around his pant's line. The leather belt is entirely decorative as far as I could tell. His pants were darkly coloured and clung to his legs. He'd been putting on weight since we'd gotten to his families home it seemed.
He came up and stood next to me. "You look brilliant." He looked me over with a neutral expression as he complimented me. I just nodded back at him, not replying. I wasn't all that enthused by this demonstration. It wasn't out of love or want, it was out of a need and promised protection. Voldemort would have a harder time without his family's influence and wealth.
The doors opened again revealing Lucius and Narcissa, both were in dress robes but not nearly as traditional as ours. Instead she was wearing a nude dress that was accented with gems and reached the ground, trailing behind her. He merely wore black and white robes but held his cane in his hand. I was flabbergasted to see my potions professor follow in after them, looking solemn as ever. Since when was Snape a Malfoy?
Luna's dress was bright yellow that made me want to smile if I wasn't so bloody mad with her. She was accompanied by my father whose robes were new but just as yellow as Luna's dress. She was pretty with her hair braided and curled down her back, her heels echoed as she almost skipped into the large marble ballroom. I was a little sick of marble these days. I felt like it was a cold empty stone.
"Welcome all." Warren spoke loudly, it echoed and almost made me jump but I stopped myself out of fear I'd embarrass everyone somehow.
"Today we see the binding of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Ara Lovegood." He spoke again after a second of people situating themselves. Eugh. His father had taken Draco's middle name. How self-absorbed could you possibly get?
Warren turned to my with his hand extended, palm facing up. "If you will, my lady." His voice was honey coated but I still eyed his other hand warily due to the large looking pin he held primed and ready to stick me.
I hesitantly raised my hand, placing it in his. He gave me a small smile as he nodded, that was probably a good thing, right? Maybe. I don't know at this point. I was pretty close to just ripping my hand out of his and sprinting to the jump out one of the large windows that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. I flinched a little as his hand came flying down and pricked me then pulled back up just as quickly.
He pulled my hand over to a sliver platter containing a necklace and a ring. "Etium viticum vinculum" he waved his wand as he squeezed. A crimson drop fell onto the silver ring. He patted my hand with a small smile and reached for Draco's with a different pin. His had a large green ball at the end of it.
"Sir." Wordlessly, Draco placed his hand into Warren's waiting one. I jumped between his expression, posture, and his finger as the man pricked him just like he had me. He was stone faced as ever, looking empty almost. His shoulders were relaxed, nothing gave away his current emotions right now. I was a little thrown but maybe I was just a big baby about being stuck with a bloody needle.
"Etium viticum vinculum." Warren repeated the incantation with Draco's blood dropped into the necklace. Both objects seemed to have absorbed it which led me to believe it had a lot to do with the spell that was being cast. Draco's hand fell back to his side gracefully as Warren finished his work and held the platter up to us. I hesitated, not sure if I was supposed to put the ring on him or what. I should have seriously paid more attention when Narcissa was rattling on about it all.
Draco seemed to have caught on as he went and picked up the silver necklace, at it's base hung a piece of silver that had been covered with a large M, dragons, and spears. The background was green and black squares with a piece of writing at the bottom that I couldn't read when it was in motion. He stepped forwards, staring me in the eyes as he clasped it behind my neck. Vaguely, I worried that I wouldn't be able to ever take this of or something. It was a little weighted, the pendant at the end was close to the size of the bottom of a tea cup.
He took a step back which signaled it was my turn to do the whole creepy, wordless stare as I put a piece of jewelry on him. I plucked the ring up off the platter as it moved away again, probably put back on the side table.
I picked up his hand, and slid the shiny metal onto his middle finger clumsily. He seemed to have cracked a little bit of a smile as he took it off then slide it back onto his ring finger. Nothing was said but I could see humour dancing around the wrinkles closest to his eyes. That reminded me of how Luna smiled, her eyes always crinkled first.