Seventh of March

Dear Diary,

I have started to plan our wedding. It's harder than it looks. After supper, Severus and I have been working on it…well, I have. He just sits there and nods whenever I say something that he doesn't care about and when I say something that's out of the question, he gives me a dark look. So far in a week, we have come up with a location (Hogwarts park), priest (Dumbledore, who agreed to it happily), a place for a reception (Great Hall), a list of potential guests, bridesmaids and grooms (he doesn't want some of them but I'm forcing him), which is still being worked on, a budget list and a list of honeymoon places we could go to and afford. We can't go to the south, but we can roam around Europe, since tradition is that the parents of the bride pay for the wedding. Mother gave us a budget to work on, and we have managed pretty well.

Severus doesn't seem excited about the whole ceremony, but he will remember it since I am making it romantic. I want red roses as flowers, a big harbour full of flowers, a beautiful sunny day, pictures to remember and a nice reception and ceremony. I also want a pretty dress that will make him love me so much more. But I'm sure he really cares deep down it's just it's been hard for him recently…

He also has been very distant since our little incident. He won't even kiss me or hug me for that matter, because he's afraid to lose control and almost hurt me again. The whole week, I had to get him to hold my hand while walking, to kiss me good-bye or even just to relax in my arms. Also, I want to have wine at our wedding, but he is insisting on NO alcohol, just in case. Just today, I was very tired and needed something to wake me up so I drank wine. When I asked him if he wanted some, he backed away really fast, scared of repeating the last incident.

Tenth of March

Dear Diary,

I have written letters to our guests for the ceremony. We have thirty so far and we might add some more. I have invited my family and friends; Severus' choices are all friends. I have my old best friends as my bridesmaids. We were six inseparable friends, but we are down to four, since Lily and Eleanor died. Eleanor died during a Death Eater attack.

Before it was Severus, Lily and me but our group enlarged and added more girls and Severus would only come and talk to Lily and me when it was only us 3 around. The group consisted of Lily, Eleanor, Klaira, Emma, Mary and I. But after we graduated everybody went there separates ways and some were lost during the war. The ones left are my bridesmaids. Severus only has two groomsmen, Lucius and Draco. Severus isn't sociable. He didn't want his family to come and I agreed a 100. So my family, friend and his friends are invited, which means Narcissa is invited… sadly…

Fifteenth of March

Dear Diary,

Everything just got back to normal; Severus will kiss me now and hold my hand. My wedding plans are going smoothly but somebody had to go and ruin it! I was called to the hospital wing, for something very serious in middle of class. Karen was on the bed, crying her eyes out as Madam Pomfrey looked at a stick.

"What is the matter?" I asked as Karen started crying as much as possible.

Madam Pomfrey gave me the stick and said, "You have a pregnant student to take care of, that's what…"

It was a Muggle pregnancy test that Karen had used to determine if she was pregnant. Karen was crying and crying, being ripped from her childhood. Apparently she had fainted in class from malnourishment and Mme Pomfrey discovered a pregnancy test in her pocket leaving her no choice to ask me to come in. I sat beside Karen and we had a big talk.

Apparently, she had slept with an older man for months. She loves him more than anything and slept with him because she thought he loved her too. But he left her when she told him she was expecting his child. Her parents are forcing her to marry a man, in order to save the family reputation. His name is Paul Brice, a rich pureblood who is about ten years her senior. I know him from school; he slept with all the girls of his year. Her parents are forcing the wedding to be quick and quiet and she has no say in anything.

After she shared that startling information, I held her in my arms and said, "We'll figure something out…I promise."

She looked at me and said, "I'm sorry if I have been mean, it's just…it's so hard being forced to be a perfect person …you should know what I mean…"

"Yes, I do…" I replied, trying not to think about Sirius or for that matter, Severus.

"I never wanted this to happen and now I'm forced to marry him and I'm not allowed to come back to school, just so I don't shame my family. I don't want to marry him! He doesn't even love me!"

"Whoa! Stop predicting the future. Maybe it won't happen…"

"You don't know my parents!" I sighed as she cried again.

"Listen, first I'll send a letter to your parents. We will figure something out, and I'm sure we can manage with them."

We talked about the child after. She wants to keep it, which means the end of her studies. She wants to raise it, alone. She didn't want to know anything about Paul, but she has to. It is going to be his child too. So afterwards, I came back and wrote a letter to her parents. I didn't know what to say to make them understand Karen's point of view. While I was writing, Severus entered my office. I didn't hear him until he said:

"Who are you writing this letter to?" I hid the letter and smiled awkwardly.

"It's to Karen's parents…"

Before I could even finish my sentence, he asked, "Is she leaving? Tell me she's leaving!"

"You're very horrible, Severus! She's pregnant and her parents are forcing her to marry Paul Brice. I am trying to get her out of it, with a calm and gentle approach."

His expression changed as fast as light as he replied, "Why are you doing this for her?"

"Perhaps because she doesn't want this and nobody deserves to be unhappy and get married purely for the sake of family pride. You should know that by now… Her family doesn't even care about her; it's only family pride. I'm sure you would hate if you had to marry somebody you don't even know or love." Severus wasn't approving, even if it was for the good of people. I sent the letter and later in the night, I got a response.

Dear Professor McGonagall,

Our daughter's life does not concern you. It is our business if she is to get married or not and whom she shall marry.

Good day,

Sylvester & Rima Horton

Just what I needed…

Twenty-First of March

Dear Diary,

Karen's family has let her back in the family, now that she is married to Paul. She came to tell me good-bye today. She is going away to live with him and isn't coming back to school. She thanked me for all the help and promised to keep in contact. She and Paul looked very happy. But I know she isn't. The baby is due in July.

Hopefully she won't regret having given away her childhood so fast; she is fourteen, married and with child. I hope Paul doesn't make her upset and he really does love her, like he says. But it's none of my business, since I'm getting married for love, with somebody I know perfectly, rather than getting married by force to somebody I don't know so well. I wish her the best as she did for me.

Twenty-Fifth of March

Dear Diary,

So far, the wedding is planned, so all that is left is buying decorations, dresses, robes and flowers. Here is what we have done:

Location for wedding and reception (Hogwarts park and Great Hall, all arranged by house-elves)

Priest (Dumbledore)

Guests (30 friends and family, sent invitations)

Time and date (Twenty-fourth of April at six in the afternoon)

Bridesmaids and groomsmen

Food and cake (House-elves)

We have only to order flowers, pick a cake, clothes, honeymoon place and choose what song we want for our ONLY dance together. I am going wedding gown and bridesmaids' dress shopping with Mother and my bridesmaids next weekend. Severus is going this weekend for formal robes for Lucius, Draco and himself. I can't wait! It's coming so fast; it seems only yesterday that he proposed! I can't wait to be called Mrs Snape!