Alexis sat in what had been cornered off as "the bride's room" drumming her fingertips nervously on the dresser top that she sat at. After getting everything ready, and going through getting her hair and make up done, Alexis had put her gown on and was now slowly going insane as she waited for her cousin to come get her. Sighing, she got up and went to stand in front of the full length mirror for what had to be the thousandth time, brushing out non existent wrinkles in the skirt material. Her dress was somewhat simple, the sweetheart neckline embellished by silver embroidery, while the off the shoulder sheer sleeves fitted her arms to a tee. The A-line skirt fell straight to the floor, her simple white pumps peeking out from underneath. She wore no veil, instead her hair was held back in a low messy bun by her mother's diamond and mother of pearl flower hair pin. The only jewelry she wore were a pair of hanging diamond earrings. Hearing a gasp, Alexis spun to see Eve standing in the doorway, with a smile.
"Oh Lex, you're gorgeous!"
Leaning into Eve's embrace as the older girl hugged her, Alexis sighed
"I don't think I can do this."
Pulling back, Eve held her cousin by the shoulders. "Yes you can. Severus is a great guy and though he may not show it, or say it, he loves you."
"You think?"
"I know. Now come on, it's time." Eve led her cousin down the hallways of Hogwarts to the grounds, where the ceremony would take place. Severus and Alexis both agreed that Hogwarts would be the best place for the wedding ceremony, as both had wonderful memories of the school. Dumbledore would officiate the wedding, with the staff attending on Severus' behalf. His mother had died a year after Severus finished Hogwarts, and he had no other family, other than the staff, who acted as such. Alexis had Uncle Nicolas and Eve in attendance, along with Harry, Hermione, Neville, the Weasley family, as well as Lucius and Draco.
As Eve led her outside, the sun shone as Alexis blinked to adjust her eyes. The grounds were always immaculate, and in the distance she could see the flower covered arch where the Headmaster and Severus stood. Lucius stood next to him as his second, or the 'best man' if compared to a muggle wedding ceremony. They were too far away for Alexis to make out the details of their attire, but Eve had assured her that they were beyond passable. The two were at the beginning of a cloth aisle that led to the archway, and Eve glanced back at her. Her Uncle Nicolas stood there waiting, wearing a mixture of a suit with a breathable robe over it. He grinned at the two women when they were in sight.
"You ready?" Eve asked, jolting Alexis out of her thoughts. Absentmindedly, Alexis ran her gaze over Eve's dress. It was a greenish blue dress that hugged her upper body but flared at the waist, ending at about an inch above her knees. She held a fragrant bouquet and handed another one to Alexis.
"Yeah," Alexis answered, taking a deep breath as Eve pulled out her wand and charmed the music to begin. With a calming smile, Eve walked sedately down the aisle, before standing next to Dumbledore.
Nicolas laid a comforting hand on Alexis' shoulder. "I wish it was my brother to be here," he said.
Alexis smiled. "He would be glad you could step in, Uncle." Nicolas offered her his arm and she took it as the music changed for her entrance. The ceremony was a mixture of Muggle and Wizarding traditions, and everyone stood as she began her walk. Her uncle's presence was comforting, as she slid her gaze over the attendants, who smiled at her entrance. Her gaze went to Lucius, and his eyes gleamed when their eyes met, and she smiled wider. Lucius was very dapper in light grey, like Nicolas, wearing a suit and a robe. It was when her sight turned to Severus that she almost froze in her tracks.
He wore a tailored black suit, framing his body nicely. A sleeveless black robe was over it, with green and silver embroidery along the edges. His raven hair, usually down in a curtain around his face, was pulled back, tied with a leather strip, leaving small tendrils to escape the tie and frame his face. Alexis met the onyx eyes and couldn't help but keep her gaze on his the rest of the way down the aisle. Severus meanwhile was just as fixated on Alexis. Her simple dress did just enough to bring out her natural beauty, the slight summer wind playing with her hair and pulling a few strands free from her clip.
"You might want to take a breath, you're beginning to turn blue," a snarky voice chortled from his left.
"Shut up Lucius," was the snappy hissed reply.
As Alexis and her uncle reached the end of the aisle, Nicolas leaned down and placed a light kiss on Alexis' cheek with a smile before turning to Severus and shaking his hand, placing his niece's hand within Severus'. Smiling widely at the two, Dumbledore welcomed everyone before beginning the ceremony. For Alexis and Severus however, Dumbledore's words just seemed to drift in and out of their ears. Alexis smiled up at Severus as the corner of one side of his mouth quirked back up at her, while he subconsciously stroked the back of the hand he still held with his thumb. The ceremony seemed to fly by, and soon they arrived at the exchange of vows.
"Alexis, if you would begin," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eyes. He gestured for them to face each other, and with a deep breath, Alexis met Severus' eyes.
"Severus," she began, a small smile growing, "I know our road to this spot was long, arduous, and under extreme circumstances-" Alexis heard Eve's soft snicker as she spoke.
"But I am glad and ecstatic to be standing here, with you, ready for the next beginning in my life. I am deliriously happy to be your wife, and I know this marriage will be nothing less than an adventure."
Alexis suspected she could hear Mrs. Weasley's happy sobbing in the crowd, but she got distracted when Severus' hold on her hands tightened slightly before he spoke.
"As many know I'm not a pleasant man to deal with-" Lucius' snorted softly, "and I am deeply honored that you have chosen me to be the man that stands by your side. I vow to stand by you, to the best of my abilities, and to cherish our union." He tilted the corner of his lips into a smile as the sobbing from Mrs. Weasley was still in the background.
"Alexis," Dumbledore said softly, "do you vow to love this man, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." He gave her a wide smile before he turned to Severus.
"And Severus, do you vow to love this woman, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
"May we have the rings?" Alexis and Severus turned to the people next to them. Eve pulled the ring off her bouquet and handed it to her as Lucius reached into his coat pocket to procure the ring for Severus.
Alexis took Severus' left hand and slid the wide band which was a mixture of white gold and platinum and engraved with knot work onto his ring finger. Severus then in kind took Alexis' left hand and put the matching white gold wedding band that was studded with minuscule diamonds on the front that glinted in the sunlight.
With a wide smile and a grand gesture, Dumbledore finally said, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Severus rolled his eyes at Eve and Lucius' quiet chuckles, instead gazing at Alexis, remembering the small kiss he gave her less than a day ago. Holding her hands in his, the two met in a soft kiss. The two could hear the Weasley twins' cat calls and they separated, Severus watching with glee the flush on Alexis' cheeks.
The newly married couple held hands as Lucius offered Eve his arm and she took it lightly as they went down the aisle in front of them. There was a celebration and the reception in the Great Hall lasted early into the morning.
--
Once the festivities for the wedding had finished, and everyone had begun to leave (which Severus had been quite happy about, considering the teasing glances he got from both Lucius and Eve all night), Severus offered his arm silently to his new wife so that he could lead her down to what would now be their quarters. As the two walked, there was a heavy, but yet somewhat comfortable silence that hung around them. Reaching the entryway, Severus whispered the password before leading Alexis into her new home. After the two entered, Alexis slipped her hand out of it's former position in the crook of Severus' arm and stood silently, her eyes going over the familiar surroundings that she recalled from the night she had first received the letter from her uncle. Severus turned to hang his outer robes over the back of an armchair before turning back toward Alexis.
"Welcome home."
Alexis was slightly startled, not only because of the sudden break in the silence, but also because of the tone he had spoken in. It was not cold and sarcastic, as it usually was. It was very sincere and gentle. And did she detect a hint of hope?
Smiling genuinely up at him, Alexis lifted a hand to one side of Severus' face before whispering back,
"Thank You."
Before he could respond or react however, Severus was taken by surprise as Alexis pushed herself up so she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips softly against his. Eyes widening for a moment before closing in pleasure, Severus decided for once to let go of everything and throw caution to the wind. Wrapping his arms around her, Severus drew Alexis closer as her arms wound tightly around his neck. Pulling back only for lack of air, the two gazed at each other as they struggled to catch their breath, Severus half smiling, half smirking when he saw a bright blush quickly rise to cover Alexis' whole face.
Lowering her eyes in embarrassment, Alexis mumbled,
"Sorry."
Lifting her chin with one hand, Severus stated,
"There's no reason to be. We are husband and wife now and you are perfectly entitled to kiss me if you want."
Pausing for a moment he smirked before looking into her eyes and saying,
"I certainly have no objection."
This statement made Alexis blush even more, causing a chuckle to escape from Severus. It was awfully amusing to see her flush so brilliantly, and he also found her very cute when she was flustered. However, seeing that she was slightly uncomfortable, he broke the silence by saying,
"I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of having your things brought down and put away."
Grateful for the topic change, Alexis looked up at Severus.
"No, that's fine. Thank you very much."
Showing her to the bedroom Alexis was stunned for a moment at the simplistic and clean elegance of it. All the furniture, including the rather large four poster bed, was made from a deep cherry wood. The walls were flocked with bookcases here and there and also some very tasteful artwork. The main focal point was the large fireplace, which was roaring, keeping the room warm while the glow bounced off the colors that adorned the room. Surprisingly, it was not all Slytherin green as she had been expecting. Alexis noticed that all the chairs and the small sofa were decked in dark blue, with dark greens, black, and silver making their appearances here and there, overall giving the room a welcome feel.
"Wow," Alexis breathed.
Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Severus asked,
"What?"
"It's wonderful. Just everything is so.." Trailing off, Alexis shrugged before smiling at Severus.
"Well.."
Seeing she had now made him uncomfortable, Alexis asked,
"Do you mind if I go take a bath?"
"Of course not. This is your home now, you don't have to ask to do anything. It's the door on the left, when you are ready."
Retrieving her needed items from where the house elves had stored them away for her, Alexis slipped her shoes off and, hurrying across the cold stone floor, she slipped into the bathroom.
--
Alexis had lost track of how long she'd been in the tub. The HUGE tub, but she figured only about twenty minutes had passed. Resting her chin on folded arms on the edge, she held out her hand and gazed for what had to be the hundredth time at the glittering engagement and now wedding bands she wore. She was still having trouble grasping the fact that she was married now, to her former Potions professor no less! She smiled though as she thought of Severus. He was a good man, and even though he didn't show it, he was caring, as he had shown earlier this evening, and all throughout earlier that day, during both the wedding and reception. She couldn't say that she was head over heels in love with the man, but she cared for him deeply and if anything happened to him…she would be at a loss and wouldn't know what to do.
--
Severus had long since removed his wedding garb and was now propped up in bed reading a book, waiting for his wife. His wife. That still sounded so foreign to him, and yet…comforting. He was waiting patiently for Alexis to emerge from the bathroom. He wouldn't deny that he indeed desired her, but he would not force her, and would give her time until she was ready. As he turned the page in the book, he heard the bathroom door open and upon looking up, his breathing stopped for the second time that day, Alexis hesitantly walked in, her honey brown hair falling down her back, her brown eyes shining. She wore a simple dark red silk nightdress that clung to her curves before falling to right above her ankles, a matching kimono style robe thrown on and left hanging open, falling loosely around her body. Sensing her slight hesitation, Severus softly called,
"It's alright. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to."
Relaxing, Alexis began approaching the bed and when reaching it, discarded her robe. Pulling back the covers she shyly slipped under the warm comforter, but couldn't stop herself from shivering slightly.
"Are you cold?" Severus asked, locking his eyes with hers as he brushed back some of her hair.
"A little."
Setting down his book on the bedside table, he wrapped his arms around Alexis and pulled her close. Laying against his bare chest, Alexis' lips curved into a tiny, contented smile as her eyes began to drift shut. Tilting her head up once more to look at Severus, she murmured,
"Goodnight Severus."
Softly caressing her check, Severus leaned down and placed the lightest of kisses on her lips before replying,
"Goodnight my Alexis."