Helga Hufflepuff felt like she couldn't breathe as she stood in front of the mirror. Here she was, dressed in all white with little yellow flowers cascading around her veil. Her mother thought it made her look more like an angel especially with her hair coiled and curled from being two days in a tight braid. She never thought that this day would come for her, but it did; her wedding day. She couldn't even tell if she was actually blushing or it was the powder one of her sisters put on her face.
Half of the village was invited to the event, the other half were showing up anyways. For once, Helga wasn't going to cater to anyone's wedding with her food, this time the village was catering to hers. As much as she felt delighted that the whole town was turning up for the event, she could sense it was for gossiping purposes and not because they were happy for her. It didn't matter, she could sense that Rowena and Godric were happy for their friend's and that seemed to be all that Helga cared about.
She peeked out of her window to the yard placement in front of her view and could see everyone walking around and enjoying themselves. Sylvia Slytherin was talking to her brother, Jasper Hufflepuff, but it only looked as if it was out of courtesy and not enjoyment. Still, it was better than Sylvia making fun of the commoners like she always seemed to do.
A slight ruffle made her turn around and gasped at her friend, the high maiden in her wedding, Rowena. She was in a yellow dress and by the looks of it, she was not pleased with the way she looked.
Rowena picked up her dress and walked over to the mirror before she let out a low groan.
"Why yellow?"
"Because it is my favorite color" Helga answered, "I have to wear blue to yours, remember?"
"You only like yellow after Salazar made the shape of the body and placed you as the heart of gold" Rowena snapped, "Besides, Godric is wearing green, I would be more than happy wearing green! At least it does not make me look sick"
"Now you know how I felt" Helga smirked, "And do not even think about changing the color before you walk down the aisle"
Rowena sighed, "I would not dare dream of it… here, have some of this"
Helga looked over and noticed that Rowena was giving her small cookies, "How did you know?"
"Because I was in this tent once" Rowena said, "I know what it was like to anxiously wait for the dinner only to be yanked back and forth everywhere and never getting a chance to eat"
Helga couldn't help but smile as she made her way across the room and scarfed down the treats that were presented to her. Normally, she would comment about how dry they were and wonder whose treats were these but she didn't care. Rowena didn't seem to notice anyways as she presented her with a goblet of wine. Helga reached out for it and gulped it down to soften the hard "desserts". The feeling of being hungry gave way as she was more than happy to know she chose correctly on her maiden.
Her mother was not pleased at all with the decision, wanting it to be one of her sisters or even Salazar's sister. But Helga didn't feel it to be right, Rowena was the only one who praised her for being her own person when her sisters told her not to be so bold. Sylvia, on the other hand, she didn't know much about but she could sense that Sylvia is not fond of Helga. She did not want someone who does not enjoy her presence to be part of the wedding.
Being that this was her wedding, Helga wanted her best friend at her side, she didn't even care that it was bad luck on their part. Salazar agreed that it should be Rowena and no one else which was all she cared about. What mattered to her was that she was getting married to someone who actually cared about her and that her best friend would be by her side.
Helga finally stopped eating and turned back to the mirror, hoping that she didn't spill on herself. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she realized that she did not.
"I do not need to be an empath to know that you are in distress, my friend" Rowena said, "What is on your mind?"
"My future" Helga turned to her, "Only just a couple of days ago, Salazar was my friend and now he is going to be my husband. How will I suddenly change between the two titles? And once we are married, people will want us to have children a month later… and that it should happen tonight. What if I am not ready?"
"The Powers that Be will guide you" Rowena said, "Pregnancy does not come as quickly as the old women say, Helga. Rodrick and I have been married for three years and still nothing but we do not give up hope. We know the time will come when it is right"
Helga smiled a little as she said, "That is nice, Rodrick is patient"
Rowena nodded and gave a sidenod, "Yes, in that way he is a good husband. I do enjoy our time alone in Alba when it is only us. It makes me almost fall in love with him but then his father appears right when I believe in that lie and stays however long he deems it to be"
"I am sorry, Rowena" Helga sighed, "I hope someday Rodrick will choose you over his father"
Rowena just gave a dry laugh and waved her hand in a passive way. She quickly turned around and went back to some fabric on the table. Helga wanted to say more but she couldn't, there were only so many apologies you can give for someone else's actions. Helga realized how lucky she was in order to marry someone who has expressed feelings for her and was just waiting for a window in order to take her to be his bride. It was the fairy tale wedding that she had always dreamed of.
She peeked back outside of the window at the crowd that was getting ready to sit down. Helga couldn't help but think that the Parr's would have been there and even Russel and his grandfather. She furrowed her eyebrows as she wondered if this killer was at her wedding and who it was. She closed her eyes as she tried to search for an ill feeling in the crowd but for once, it was her own feelings that were getting in the way from searching the crowd.
The harp sound is a lovely melodic sound, snapping Helga out of her search as she realized that that was the cue for the guests to sit down. She quickly turned to Rowena who picked up her dress and rushed to her side. Now the stoic best friend all of a sudden got tearful as she did a last minute fluff and tug to her veil and hair.
"Oh, my" Rowena breathed out, "You look so beautiful, Helga"
"You think so?" Helga asked.
"Trust me, Salazar is lucky that you stood your ground for all these years" Rowena laughed, "He will have to deal with me personally if he thinks he will ruin this marriage"
"Funny, that is what Godric said as well" Helga blushed, "You cast your charms last night, did you not?"
"Yes, your marriage is blessed" Rowena nodded, "Great things are bound to happen through this union"
"Thank you, Rowena" Helga smiled, "For believing in me when no one else did"
"Tis a pity to know that this place does not value your way of thinking" Rowena sighed, "I hope one day, we all will marry for love"
The tent flap opened for a second to reveal Helga's father. He took one look at his daughter, gripped his chest and sighed. A twinkle of a tear came to his eyes as wrinkles creaked at the corner of his eyes. Her muggle father slowly made his way to his daughter as he gripped onto her hands and gave them a firm squeeze. Tears came naturally down Helga's cheeks as a small warm glow resonated in her chest as she couldn't get enough of how much approval was in her father's eyes.
She peeked over to Rowena who was busying herself with the bouquet of flowers that Salazar had presented as a gift earlier that morning. She turned back to her father as she could hear Godric outside, urging some people to quickly take their seats so they could get started. In just a couple of moments, Helga Hufflepuff was going to be a married woman. She wondered how things will change after today.
"Do not worry about anything, love" her father encouraged, "I will be right here with your mother when you come back… you will come back, will you not?"
"I will, father" Helga looked over to Rowena, "Every summer, just like Rowena and Rodrick"
"I will hold you to it" her father said, "Come, we must get ready or your mother will have a fit that we did not listen to her during rehearsals"
Helga giggled as she linked arms with her father and Rowena took to the head of the small party as her little niece and two nephews went in front of her, "This is a dream, isn't it?"
"No, darling, it really is happening" Helga's father whispered, "And you will make the best wife any wizard could ever hope for"
Helga looked to your father, "Thank you"
"I wish you all the most blessed luck in the world, my dear" he said, "You, out of all of your siblings, deserve it"
The music began, making Helga gasp as she tensed up. The tent flap magically opened as the Helga's only niece from Ginesa slowly walked out of the covering with her two cousins in tow. Rowena turned and looked to Helga once last time as she blew a kiss before making her way down the aisle. Helga turned to her father as the crowd rose to their feet before the pair slowly made their way down the aisle. Helga kept her head straight up as how she would think a noble would have done so as she made her way to the front where she finally saw Salazar standing there with Godric behind him, grinning from ear to ear.
Salazar stared at her with piercing blue eyes as his voice filled her head like a song, "You look beautiful, my bride"