Chapter 8:Wedding Bells
The days past by numerously fast. Through the days, though, I spent more time with Draco, getting to know him better. I'd have to say that I rather admired and fell in love with him. We were walking outside of the Mansion on the last day before the wedding, searching for an escape from my mother, that we found a lonely pond seated past the tall trees behind the Mansion. He went ahead of me and I pursued him through many shrubs and branches. The sky was clear with few clouds and a bright sun. My mother's voice sounded outside and we paced faster. I couldn't tell where we going, but I acknowledged we were descending down a hill.
I heeded small sounds of water dropping into a basin. We reached a heading and as I scrunched between two large bushes, I found myself in a breach with a large pond beyond me. A small waterfall surrounded half of the pond, which was covered in many tiny flowers of all colors. Draco sat on a rock intervening close to the pond. I instead sat on the fresh grass near the waters surface and gazed at my reflection.
The flowers were distracting and I snatched a few. I was preoccupied with the flowers that I didn't notice Draco sit next to me. It was until I glanced at my reflection that I saw him. His image sat beside mine and was smiling broadly. " Jessica, I don't know what to say," he finally uttered.
" Why would you say that?" I inquired while breaking off petals of a purple flower.
" We've known each other for so long and never took the time to understand one another, until after this curse. If this curse never happened I would never get to know a kind hearted person like you." He scooted closer to me as I heeded his words.
" The same goes for you. I mean you are very handsome, Draco, and a good-looking man like you I never expected to be this nice. Why did we ever fight when we were young?" I asked and we both shrugged. Silence found its way to us as we both broke petals off flowers and watched them float on the water.
"Before we get married, Jessica, I'd like to tell you something," Draco muttered and stood up and likewise I pursued, but as I mounted myself upright, he got back on the ground with one knee surfaced on the ground and one up. " Jessica, I know I never proposed properly, but I'd like to now." He took out his wand and mumbled a spell at which made a small ring appear in the palm of his hand. " Jessica Rossington, will you marry me?" he asked with anxiety. I was lost of words. I knew I couldn't deny even his proposal whereas our parents were forcing us to marry, but after getting to know him, I knew I couldn't say no.
" Yes, Draco Malfoy." His face bore a bright smile as he reached for my left hand and put the ring on my finger. He stood up from the ground and said, " I love you, Jessica." Lunging foreword, our lips locked as we shared an extraordinary kiss. Time stopped the very second our lips touched.
" JESSICA AND DRACO? WHERE ARE YOU? GET BACK INTO THE HOUSE THIS MINUTE!" the shouts of my mother interlarded our kiss. I sighed and looked into his eyes.
" We should go before she starts a riot and causes the whole world to shatter," I anguished. He nodded and we strode back up the hill towards the house. My mother stood outside the Mansion searching through shrubs and such, but as we emerged from the forest, she snatched my hand and rushed me inside the house.
" Jessica you must have your beauty sleep for tomorrow is your wedding. Now I'll lift the curse until after the ceremony," she said and pulled out her wand. " Invesior!" I suddenly felt as if I was as light as a feather. " Go on! Get up to bed, you two! Tomorrow is a big day!" she ushered us to our rooms, and when we could see she was out of sight, we conversed.
"I love you, Draco," I lunged at him and kissed his lips. He kissed back and we stood in the hall kissing until I let go. " Goodnight."
" Goodnight, Madame," he said and kissed the back of my hand. I left to my room and likewise he went to his room. Getting ready for bed I pondered on what my life would be like after I got married to Draco. Thereafter I fell asleep dreaming of what the next day would bring me. Early morning light didn't awake me, though. My mother burst through my door even before sunrise and forthwith, she poured ice-cold water on my face when I distinctly refused to get out of bed.
" Jessica, today is going to a remember able day for you. So get up!" she yelled as the icy water was spilled on me.
" MOTHER! THAT WAS COLD!" I screamed as I ran to the bathroom to wipe off the water.
" It was the only way to get you up!" she said. " House-elves will be up here in a few moments so quickly take a shower!" Not wanting any more episodes with my mother, I did as I was told and came out of the shower with a bathrobe to find two House-elf girls' bearing smiles.
" Sit down, Miss Rossington!" urged one of the house-elves. She pushed me to sit onto a chair seated in front of a mirror and began to curl my hair magically into many shapes. Each time she dressed my hair, she asked for my approval. I agreed on one, and that was a tight bun.
The other elf snatched my left hand and started to paint clear polish on each finger and also on my right hand. Many beauty spells were thrown upon me and soon they finished in an hours timing. They brought out the dress I picked from the store and rather pushed me into the bathroom to change. I put on the dress and fortunately the zipper worked for me. Examining myself in the bathroom mirror I gasped. The dress was astounding and I looked utterly beautiful.
There were loud bangs on the door and as I opened it I found both Narcissa and my mother waiting by the threshold. They heaved a sigh and awed at me. " You look wonderful, darling!" my mother wheezed as I could see small tears run down her face. She embraced me and as it was a little tight, I couldn't breathe well until she let go. She kissed my cheek and wiped more tears from her eyes whilst she put a veil on top of my head. " My baby has grown up!" I could even tell Narcissa had tears swelling in her eyes as well.
With one last check in the mirror I was hustled to the Main Floor to see many guests waiting in chairs outside in the backyard. I was pushed this way and that and soon my mother snatched my arm and guided me to the back end of the aisle I would be walking along. Two doors stood in front of me so I couldn't see anything. As I waited for my father to attend me down the aisle, he came to me with a surprise. " These are for you, Jessica," he said as he held a bouquet of roses without thorns. I took them in my hands and examined their features. " You look beautiful, Jessica," were his words.
" Thanks, dad," I replied as I anxiously waited for the wedding to begin. I gazed around me, searching for a mirror and found one at the end of the hall. Slowly I paced to the mirror to get a better look at myself. I couldn't believe my eyes. I looked gorgeous!
After moments of waiting, my father finally announced, " Come Jessica, it's time." He held up an arm for me and graciously I linked it with my left. The wedding march played behind the two doors and as they opened, the veil was dropped over my face. The sunlight peeked through them and I could see myself pacing on a red carpet with the music. We reached the end of the aisle and I saw two figures. The music stopped and my father unlinked his arm and whispered, " I love you." He backed away, leaving me with the two figures.
One figure stood behind a pulpit and the other was situated a few feet away from me. It stepped forward and lifted my veil and there I saw its silver eyes gaze down at me. Being a little taken aback at my appearance, Draco stepped a bit behind him, but broadened his smile. He mouthed to me, " I love you, Jessica." I smiled as well for the excitement drew me into nervousness.
" Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…," the man behind the pulpit began, but I chose not to heed his words and gazed at Draco. He was handsome in his suit. It was until we had to exchange our vows, that I needed to pay attention to the man behind the pulpit. " Do you Draco Malfoy take Jessica Rossington to be your wife? To love and to cherish and till death do you part?"
" I do," Draco said with a smile.
" And do you, Jessica Rossington, take Draco Malfoy to be your husband? To love, to cherish, and till death do you part?"
Without hesitation I answered, " I do."
" May you bring out your wands?" the man asked and two house-elves walked down the aisle with both Draco's wand and mine. They handed the wands to us and we raised them to touch at the point. " Now you may exchange your vows."
Draco began, " I, Draco Malfoy, take you, Jessica Rossington, to be my wife my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold so I give you my life to keep." His wand alighted and it was my turn.
"I, Jessica Rossington, take you Draco Malfoy, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold so I give you my life to keep." My wand ignited a light as I finished.
" Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy! You may now kiss the bride," the man said and before I knew it Draco lurched at me and kissed my lips. I didn't pull away, though. I instead kissed him back, for I understood what love truly was. Applause broke through and we were ushered to go back down the aisle and wave at the guests.