Chapter 14

The days turned into to weeks, weeks turned into months, and before she knew it her wedding date was less than two weeks away. Having worked nearly everyday leading up to her nuptials, she had saved enough money to purchase the dress of her dreams. Hanging up her work robes in the break room, she walked out the back door of Flourish and Blotts to find Molly Weasley waiting by the door.

"They told me that you normally came out the back door when leaving work. I thought I'd wait for you here."

"What are you doing here, Mrs. Weasley?"

"Oh dear, I'm taking you wedding dress shopping. You didn't think Severus was going to take you, did you?"

"No...um...I just thought I'd go by myself."

"Heavens no, dear. We wouldn't make you do something this momentous on your own."

"I thought you didn't approve...of...us."

"Whether I approve or not, this is a happy occasion and I will not let my opinions cloud it. Now off we go."

Grasping her by the arm, Molly dragged Meredith to every single shoppe that sold wedding dresses in Diagon Alley. She tried on short dresses, long dresses, fitted dresses, loose dresses, dresses covered in sequins and tulle, and she was honestly tired of all of it. Every dress she tried on Molly had an opinion about, some good and some not. Standing in front of the mirror for the umpteenth time, she was completely fed up with dresses.

"Oh, Meredith, you look lovely. What do you think?"

"The bodice itches."

"Yes, well, I'm sure we can find another one-"

"Can't we just stop for the day, I'm exhausted."

"Just one more dress and we'll get dinner and go home, yeah?"

"Promise that this will be the last one."

"I promise, try this on and we'll leave."

Going back into the dressing room for the last time, she slid into an ivory gown. The gown was floor length and entirely made out of lace, the sleeves came all the way to her wrists, pointing in a 'v' shape on the top of her hand, the back had a key hole cut out in the center, followed by pearl buttons that fastened all the way down the train, which was easily two foot long. Looking in the mirror in the dressing room, she felt pretty for the first time that day. Smiling, she walked out to show Molly the dress.

"What do you think," she questioned with a smile.

Molly covered her mouth with both hands and choked back a sob.

"Are you...crying?"

"You...look...so...beautiful," she exclaimed as she stood and hugged Meredith.

"I think this is the one, what do you think?"

"I think you'll be silly not to get that one." Molly said with a smile, wiping her eyes from stray tears.

Leaving the store with her dress in tow, she walked with Molly to the Leaky Cauldron, where she bid her farewell and apparated back to Spinner's End. Walking in the door, she kicked off her shoes and laid her dress bag across the couch. Plodding to the kitchen table, she pulled out a piece of parchment and grabbed a quill and started a note to Severus.

My Dearest Severus,

Today I bought my wedding dress, which means I will now be dressed appropriately for the eighteenth. We both know that Molly and Albus would have a fit if I came in anything but the best. I know their hearts are in the right place, but I can't help but feel overwhelmed by it all.

Nonetheless, I'm glad things are going well at Hogwarts. I can't believe that the second challenge was in the Black Lake, with mermaids no less. I can't wait to hear of the third challenge...I'll be at Hogwarts by then! Maybe I'll actually get to see it first hand.

Much love until our wedding day,

Meredith

Folding the letter and handing it to their owl, she watched it float off to Severus. Walking through the living room, she grabbed the dress and headed to their bedroom, hanging the dress in their closet. Sliding into her pajamas, she crawled beneath the covers and pulled Severus's pillow close, inhaling his scent from the sheets.

Standing in the doorway to his bedroom, he couldn't help but feel the chill of the dungeons. Pulling out his wand, he lit the fire in the grate and prepared a kettle for tea. Hanging up his outer robes, he walked to the doorway of his bedroom again, taking the time to fully realize that in ten days his quarters would no longer be his alone. Although she was not teaching at Hogwarts, Dumbledore had approved her staying on the campus due to her marriage with Severus. Maybe they would finally get around to her Potions apprenticeship, although he was afraid that their marriage would hinder him from being her teacher. Nonetheless, he looked forward to her constant chatter, which would surely fill his rooms with smiles instead of the usual sneers. Yet still, he struggled to wrap his mind around a traditional marriage. Him, married? What would the Dark Lord think? Though his opinion meant little to Severus, he wanted approval enough for survival.

Shaking his head, he grabbed the whistling kettle and poured it over his tea leaves. Adding one sugar and no cream, he made his way to sit on the small couch that sat just before the fire. Throwing one dragon hide boot onto the coffee table, he rolled up his left shirt sleeve and looked at his Dark Mark with disdain. Though he'd been ignoring Karkaroff's ramblings, he too had felt it begin to tingle. How, he wasn't sure of, but he knew for sure that the Dark Lord's return was close. What would that mean for Meredith? How would he protect her? With her heritage, it would be hard to hide her from Voldemort, but he would have to do his best to ensure that she wasn't harmed by the other members. Knowing how they typically behaved, he shuddered at the thought of bringing her to a meeting.

Standing, he levitated his tea cup to the sink in the kitchen and made his way to bed. Shimmying out of his clothes and levitating them to the hamper in the corner, he slid into the bed in his boxers. Turning to his side, he couldn't help but imagine how lovely she would look laying in this very bed with him...in only ten days. Rolling back over to his other side, he cast a nox spell and drifted off to sleep.