The Wedding Planner
A Harry Potter Fanfiction Based Off the Movie "The Wedding Planner"
A/N: Enjoy! Thank you for reading/reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I don't own Harry Potter. All credit goes to J.K Rowling. The original plot idea does come from the movie "The Wedding Planner"
Agreeing to this lunch was a mistake. There was a reason I didn't do this and I was proven correct in my thinking because of this lunch. I quickly deducted this conclusion from approximately two feet away as I approached an outside of the Bistro Shania had picked out. Getting closer the Bistro's script engraved name: Cibus, an eatery that had been profiled in many publications as the newst hot spot to be. Oddly, it was a comfort to see some kind of Malfoy expensive taste somewhere within this couple. While I could only see Shania's back, I could clearly see who would be having lunch with us and would tag along for the dress shopping. Slipping my sunglasses off, I saw Pansy Parkison's eyebrows rise as she caught my eye. She sent me a death glare as I sat down at the table.
"Granger." she greeted me in the same fashion Malfoy had the first day.
"Pansy." I replied in kind.
"Goodness it seems you know everyone don't you?" Shania asked, obviously trying to lighten the tension.
"What are you doing here, Granger?" she spat, looking at Shania to agree with her that I didn't belong at their table.
"She's the wedding planner, Pansy." Shania explained. Pansy tried to open her mouth again for a snide remark but Shania sent her a glare of her own. Pansy clearly got the message and we ordered our food without fanfair. "I can't believe you don't know about Hermione." Shania continued after the waiter left. "You work at Witching Weekly for goodness sake. You two were on the same power list."
"I only care about the gossip column." Pansy corrected. It was then I remembered, Pansy did work for Witching Weekly. She had quite the reputation for finding stories in the most unexpected places despite barely passing at Hogwarts. From what I had heard she had made a solid career. She paused. "Never saw you as a wedding planner. Thought you would go off and find the cure for some disease, honestly. What gives?" She was geniunely curious as were most people. I shrugged. My answer had to be careful, she already didn't like me and anything I said could and would be used against me in those newpaper pages with the reporter tone in her voice.
"I just find it more enjoyable." I settled on as my answer. Vague. Vague was good. The waiter brought our food and we dug in.
"I'm assuming I get the exclusive pictures right?" Pansy jokingly asked Shania. "The sole Malfoy heir gets married! That's what the headline will be with a eight to ten picture spread."
"Oh I don't know Pansy. Talk to Draco about it first. We'll see." Pansy nodded and continued eating. We didn't talk very much after that because of the tension between Pansy and I. Lunch seemed to end unusually fast and while the waiter was running Shania's credit card, I decided to lay out the ground plan for the day.
"Now I have six shops lined up today for dress shopping." I explained, pulling out my day planner. "Don't feel pressured to buy today. If you don't find a dress today you still have time to look elsewhere. Then tonight I was able to pencil in the dance lessons you requested. Apparently Malfoy could buy his way out of everything except ballroom dancing. Shania had contacted me last night with a last minute request to get Malfoy at least one ballroom dancing lesson so he could get through the first dance. It was a puzzling request since as a Malfoy I expected him to already be well versed in Ballroom dancing, but then again it was what Shania wanted so I had to comply.
'Sounds great! What time are the dance lessons?"
"Eight. It's the only time they had, I hope that's alright." I responded.
"Oh I'm sure it's fine for Draco. I'll send him a quick message before we go. What store is first?"
"Frienda Lang." I said without looking at my cheat sheet. It would be a full day indeed. Pansy upon hearing the store's name almost passed out.
"You got an appointment with her?" she shrieked. I grinned. It didn't surprise me Pansy hadn't gotten in at Frienda Lang. Pansy was a gossip reporter and she, I, and Frienda both knew that high profile clients came to Frienda Lang stores for all their bridal needs. It would be the perfect spot for Pansy to scoop up a story or to find a lead to follow up on. Frienda, because it was so exclusive, had a long waiting list to get an appointment. Not to mention Frienda was very picky about people and I happened to fall on her good side. It didn't take much for her to fit me into her schedule, I didn't even have to mention I was planning the Malfoy wedding.
"Yes, we're good friends." I said simply as if it were nothing. Pansy looked like she was debating whether to speak or not. I resisted the urge to respond nastily to her but I instead smiled victoriously and shrugged. With Shania's credit card safely back in her purse, I led the way down the street to the store.
Pansy was completely starstruck as we stepped into the Frienda Lang store. The store itself I knew very well with it's peachy white rooms and notoriously large selection. After I had confirmed our appointment I led them to the back where a large room was set up where different racks of dresses in Shania's size had already been set up. Shania's and Pansy's jaws almost dropped at how lavish the place was. I tried not to laugh as Frienda came in.
"Mya!" she exclaimed, hugging me.
"Frienda!" I replied, hugging her in return.
"You naughty girl, you haven't returned my calls in ages." she said, scolding a bit but teasingly so. I smiled, she was really a second mother to me. She guided me through so much of my first few months of being a wedding planner. She gave me the vital contacts I needed for my business to survive. I owed my entire career to her. Whenever I could I tried to pay her back by doing small things like having my clients shop for their dress there first, giving a better chance they would buy the dress here. Then that dress would be all over every publication and cause more business for the store.
"I'm sorry but there have been so many weddings since the power list came out." I tried explaining. What can I say? I still had the same passion for work as I did at Hogwarts and took on as much as I could.
"I know! I always see you in the wedding section of the papers!" She gave me a look of approval. I smiled. She turned to the girls. "Now down to business, which of you is the bride to be?" Shania raised her hand a bit.
"Hi, I'm Shania Word." Shania said a bit quietly, obviously in awe of Frienda being there, and stuck out her hand. "It's an honor to meet you. I'm a huge fan." Frienda and Shania shook hands, and Frienda gestured to the dresses.
"Hermione showed me the pictures you had picked out. From those pictures I picked out these dresses for you. Go ahead and look through. Find some dresses that catch your eye and try them on." Frienda offered. "Would anyone like some champange?" Pansy and Shania looked at each other again with awe. We nodded and Frienda dissappeared to the back.
Shania wasted no time in tearing through the dresses. Suddenly the dressing room was full of gowns and Shania went to go change. Pansy, already having downed glass of champange, was a bit more friendly. I looked at her. Clearly she didn't handle even a small amount of alcohol well. Then again why should I have been surprised? She kept on saying random statements about my hair, how annoying I had been at school, and various gossip she was planning to write about later as the champange kept flowing. Then Pansy said something that actually caught my attention.
"You know, I know the only reason why Draco is marrying Shania." I decided to play along because I thought she was being stupid and I had nothing else to do while waiting for Shania.
"You mean Draco doesn't love her?" I joked. Pansy laughed.
"No duh, Granger. You of all people should see that with your perfect scores, teacher's pet crap, and everything." I cocked my head. I did notice that Malfoy didn't care about the schedule...he didn't seem to care in general about the wedding. Then again he was a man and they usually didn't care for frills and flowers. If he did I would've been a tad worried for Shania. Not to mention Malfoy wasn't touchy feely in general, his behavior while odd still suited the range of his personality.
"So why is he marrying her?" I asked, curious if she was telling the truth.
"Draco was secretly dating Shania's sister Meg, but they didn't tell anyone. In the Pureblood world if you even hint about dating someone they can easily see to it that you two are never together again. Marriages are all about power and it being arranged for you. There are power classes even within the Pureblood world. Anyway Meg was in an accident and died. I mean that has got to suck right?"
"Yes I believe it would." I said, trying to process what Pansy had just told me.
"Before she died, she made Draco promise that he would take care of Shania. Older sister protection, EPSN or something." I wanted to correct her and say it was ESP, but I knew tispy Pansy would back lash badly. "Anyway, later on when it was decided that an arranged married between Draco and Shania would be perfect, he easily accepted because he took Meg's words to heart. He even went out of his way to make it look like he loved her from the minute he saw her and that whirlwind fluff so it seemed like their marriage, even though arranged, would be the best thing that ever happened because they happened to fall in love."
"So he's just marrying her out of a promise? While Shania is actually in love with him?" I asked, shocked. This didn't sound like the Malfoy I knew. The one I knew wouldn't have cared about promises or love and would've laughed at death. He must of loved this Meg, I guessed. Then I realized that a Malfoy had actually fallen in love potentially. He had actually felt emotion. Was the sky falling?
"Basically." she answered, as Shania she came out in a slim white gown. I couldn't really take this all. Here was Shania, in love with a man, it clearly showed in her eyes, who was making her believe he was in love with her. It was a bit too much. I told the girls I had to use the restroom and fled to the back.
Frienda was in the back with more champange. I took one of the glasses she had set up and swallowed all the contents in one gulp.
"Hard client then?" Frienda laughed. She had seen all the different types of girls from the laid back to the bridezillas. She rubbed the back of my neck.
"It's not her, but her friend." I explained. "Old school friend, enemy, whatever. A crazed fan of yours." Frienda nodded and I began to tell Frienda the exact story Pansy had just told me. She suddenly became sad.
"Oh I see. The poor thing, she loves him. He doesn't love her though and you having to keep that a secret." she said. "Lunch next week to cheer you up?" I shook my head no.
"The wedding has to be done soon, after the wedding? And if you can get me to survive, I'll pay." she nodded.
"Now I'll take care of the duo, you go get collected." I mouthed 'thank you' and with that I took a deep breath. In moral terms I knew I should tell Shania about Malfoy but I didn't want to be the one to break her heart. Malfoy had come this far and I knew he only would if he wanted it to happen. I calmed down and put back on my professional face to see if Shania had indeed found a dress.