THC/The Houses Competition
House: Hufflepuff
Class: Muggle Studies
Category: Themed
Prompt(s): Using the theme of sight and [Event] Wedding
Word Count: 1186
Ginny wasn't sure why she'd allowed it to happen. After the whole fiasco that had been Bill and Fleur's wedding, she had only wanted a simple thing with friends and family, similar to what Bill and Fleur had had, only without the uninvited Death Eaters. Apparently, that wasn't possible if you were marrying Draco Malfoy. The Death Eaters, well, at least one of them was actually on the guest list. She really couldn't force Draco to not invite his father after all. She smiled thinking about how beautiful the invitations had been. Thick cream parchment with swirling green and silver writing. The calligraphy had even moved slightly when read. Ginny wondered if she could learn that charm.
Ginny peeked out the window, trying to get her mind off of everything. Not that the fact the garden was set up for her wedding would do that. A large white lace canopy had been put up in the garden, temporarily replacing the wooden gazebo that had once stood there. The gazebo hadn't fit in Narcissa's picture-perfect wedding setup, so it had been moved to the south garden for the time being. Strings of pale yellow fairy lights glittered from the canopy's roof, wrapped down around the legs, and then lined the cobblestone path she would walk to the wedding arch. Everything had to be perfect.
Ginny was fairly certain Narcissa had had a hand in most of the extravagant nonsense. The chairs were placed around the garden; white wicker things that also seemed to shine. There were flowers everywhere Ginny looked. They were on top of the canopy, lining the path, and standing in large arrangements on either side of the wedding arch just inside the canopy.
She recognized the basic ones – the roses, irises, orchids. She wasn't sure where Narcissa had managed to get the exotic flowers since it was fall and none of them typically bloomed this time of year. The trees had been enchanted so if one of their leaves fell off, it was instantly transformed into a bunch of small white flower petals. Ginny could already see the ground was starting to look as though it had snowed flower petals.
She smiled. Once the ceremony was over, all of this would go back to normal. She pulled her attention from the window and back to her reflection in the mirror. Her red hair was loose, hanging in curls down past her shoulders. Aunt Muriel's goblin made tiara sparkled from the top of her head. It had been the one thing her mother had insisted on, not knowing Ginny had dreamed about wearing it since she'd been a little girl. She smiled at herself, watching the way the bits of diamond on her bodice moved, and sparkled, in the light. She'd been dressed awhile and knew the ceremony was going to start soon. This was the last time she'd be looking in the mirror as Ginny Weasley.
She'd shooed Hermione and Luna out of the room for now, wanting a minute to herself. She knew they were right outside the door. She could see Luna's shadow beneath the slit of the door. It had to be Luna, who else would be doing ballet in the hallway? Ginny took a deep breath and rose to her feet. The tips of her shoes poked out from under the skirt of her dress. It sparkled every time she moved. She hadn't planned on wearing something so traditional, but it was the one thing Draco had requested of her. She could have said 'no', but for Draco, she'd wear the dress. Her dress swished against her legs as she walked to the door and opened it. Luna stopped mid-spin and looked over at her. Apparently, Luna had been doing ballet in the hallway after all.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Ready," Ginny agreed, as Hermione thrust the bouquet of flowers into Ginny's hand. She barely looked at it, knowing the flowers mirrored the ones that covered the manor only instead of being all white, some were charmed silver. The whole thing was held together by an emerald ribbon with tiny sparkles on it.
Hermione and Luna walked in front of Ginny, leading her out to the garden. She watched the hems of their emerald green dresses sway as they walked. White, green, and silver, are the colors of a perfect Slytherin wedding. Ginny bit back a giggle. The Sorting Hat had wanted to put her in Slytherin, but she'd begged it not to, maybe she shouldn't have? They reached the large french doors that led outside. Like the rest of the manor, they were decorated with flowers, green ribbons, and fairy lights. Ginny watched as the lights twinkled before Hermione pushed the doors open.
She could see the crowd gathered outside rise from their seats. There was a flurry of colors, a flurry of shapes moving- all her friends, her family, Draco's friends, his family, soon to be shared by the two of them. Hermione and Luna walked out first, leaving Ginny to stand on her own for a moment. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
Slowly, the music swelled and Ginny stepped out. Her father joined her, his arm around hers as he escorted her to give her to Draco. She kept her eyes forward as they walked, but she couldn't help but notice the bright blue of the sky. It was perfect, with not a single cloud in the sky. How had Narcissa managed to arrange that? They made their way past the rows of chairs. Ginny smiled as they reached the front and her father left her to take his own seat.
Draco was standing to the right of the arch wearing a pair of black dress robes with a green and silver striped tie. It reminded her of the Slytherin tie he'd worn as part of his uniform. A quick glance at it told her it was actually one and the same. She smiled at him, taking her place across from him. Her bouquet was handed back to Hermione as Ginny faced Draco, their eyes meeting.
Soon the ceremony started. Ginny pledged herself to Draco. She watched his lips as she said her vows, watched him smile at her, at the love shining in his grey eyes. She watched him repeat the vows, smiled at the confidence in his face, how it was so obvious to anyone watching that he'd never hurt her, that he loved her more than anything.
With matching silver rings on their fingers, Ginny and Draco's lips met, lingered for a moment longer than necessary, and parted. Ginny's hand was encased in Draco's as they turned and met the guests as husband and wife for the first time. More flurries of movement as everyone was once again standing, clapping, smiling. Ginny's footfalls matched Draco's as they walked back down the cobblestone path, small white petals falling down like confetti around them. One landed in Ginny's hair and she laughed, shaking her head as she and Draco stepped inside to change into more comfortable clothes for the reception.