Part Thirteen
Once the procession ended, and everyone had socialized enough, it was time for the reception. Ailene stuck close to Marden, her arm linked onto his as they made their way to the parent's of the bride's table and sat down. However, Marden's mother instructed Ailene to sit next to her, while Marden take the end.
"I wanted to get to know you more, my dear. What did you say your name was again?" Mrs. McKinnon asked. Ailene watched as Verana drew her wand and waved it in the air around them. A transparent bubble encased their table, and the sounds of conversation around them diminished into total silence.
"Ah, Ailene." She answered after a long while, watching magic form in front of her own eyes.
"So, Ailene, what is it that you do?" Verana asked curiously as she ate with extreme etiquette.
"Well, I teach music to children." She smiled softly, clearly she loved her job as an educator, and loved music even more. Ailene slowly placed a bit of food into her mouth as to not come off as rude. She still had zero appetite.
"Is that so?" Angus said with more curiosity than his wife. "You play instruments?"
"Oh yes, my favorite and preferred instrument is the piano. But I can also play the violin, harp, and I've tried my hand at the trumpet, but I prefer lighter sounds." She explained. "I've written a few pieces of my own. I tried to get them sold, but no one seems too interested."
"Perhaps we can sample some of your work after later on in the evening?" Verana inquired, looking at her husband for the same approval, who simply nodded.
Ailene nodded along with them, seeing as this could be a good thing, that they were interested enough in her.
"But I love children, and children love music, and making music." She smiled, careful with her eating and making sure not to look as sloppy as she did when she ate in the comfort of her own home.
"What did you say yer last name was again, lass?" Angus then asked.
"Erm...Hastings, sir. Hastings."
"Hmmm...that is not a name I have heard before. What are your parent's names?" Verana then chimed in.
Ailene didn't see how this mattered. "Edward and Florence." She answered. "I lost them a few years ago in the war." She explained
"Yes, Grindewald took many lives...I'm sorry to hear that, dear." Verana was silent again, but only for a moment. "I don't think I recognize those names. And when did you graduate Hogwarts, my dear?"
"Oh, I uh- I didn't attend Hogwarts, Madame."
"Oh, you must have gone to one of the other schools? Beauxbatons? Certainly not Ilvernmory? You're not an American..."
"N-no, ma'am, I- uh, I didn't go to any Wizarding schools." Ailene took the deepest breath of her life, feeling the muscles of her chest stretch to their maximum.
"I'm not a witch."
There was a chilling silence in their bubble, Ailene could hear Marden breathing next to her.
"Then...what are you?" Verana asked rather harshly "A veela?"
"No," It was Marden who now interjected in a calm voice. "Ailene is not of wizarding kind. She's a Muggle."
Verana McKinnon looked at Ailene, searching her face before her eyes trailed down her body, inspecting every fine detail of the girl. Then, it seemed as though his mother had finally connected the dots as to just why Ailene was here, on all days.
"Oh Marden," Verana broke her silence. "A Muggle? The same Muggle from that time you used magic?" Her voice rose dramatically "You cannot be serious. Absolutely not..."
Marden slowly nodded. "Yes mother, I'm afraid she is."
Verana shook her head, placing her fork down before taking the handkerchief off of her lap and throwing it down onto her plate. She folded her fingers together and rested her hands over her mouth. She sat in silence, staring ahead.
"Mother, I know-"
"Don't. Speak." Verana said in a very dangerous tone. Ailene could feel heat rise from her chest all the way to her cheeks. She could tell her fair skin was now shockingly red.
"I told you to stay away from that Muggle place. I told you to stay away from Muggles. Period. And you did the very thing I told you not to do!" Verana now raised her voice angrily.
Euphemia and Fleamont Potter were watching the table nervously, trying to read each one of their lips, and they could tell that the truth was out.
"This is the Muggle woman you saved that night, isn't she?" Verana asked. Angus had done the same as his wife, placing his dinner napkin on the table, as if to quietly announce that he was done eating.
"Yes, mother it is." He said truthfully. "I got to know Ailene very well after the incident. So much so that I have grown incredibly fond of her."
"You're in love with her." Verana said matter-of-factly, knowing now what wasn't known before. "You know how we feel about Muggle relationships with wizards."
"I know, but if you'd just give her a chance. She's an incredible wom-"
"That's enough." Verana hissed like a snake. "You are to discontinue all contact with Ms. Hastings. You are not to engage romantically from this day forth."
Marden sat back and looked at his mother. "No."
"Marden." It was now Angus who spoke up in a very threatening tone, his eyes on his son. "Don't do this to the poor lass, she deserves a Muggle, and you deserve a Witch."
"How do you know what I deserve?" Marden suddenly hissed back.
Verana McKinnon sat, her poisonous stare fixed on Marden, she looked like a snake positioned to strike. "We do not approve of this. And if you continue with such a marriage, you do not have our blessing nor our support." Verana said before pushing her chair away from the table. "She needs to leave, immediately."
Marden sat back in his chair. "She's not going."
"Then I shall escort her out myself if I have to. You along with her." His mother said finitely, standing.
"Ma'am, it's alright." Ailene tried to reassure his mother. "I know about everything; I know about your world. And I accept it whole-heartedly. I love your son, and I am willing to come into your world"
"I don't want to hear anything from you!" Verana hissed, her voice echoing off of the invisible bubble that surrounded them. "You are not a witch, not matter how hard you may pretend to be."
"Please, it's okay. Please, don't do this, I am happy to be apart of this world." Ailene insisted, but no one was listening to her.
"You aren't actually seriously considerin' her as a wife?" Angus now raised his voice through the two of them.
"As a matter of fact, father, I am!" Marden now sat up and leaned in over Ailene. "I do love her, Mother. There's no one else I'd rather spend my life with than Ailene. And if you give her a chance, you'll see why!"
"Get out. Both of you! OUT!" Verana McKinnon's shrill voice echoed off of their private bubble and Marden grabbed Ailene by the arm, practically yanking her out of her chair.
"GLADLY!" Marden barked back at his mother. He pulled Ailene along, she stumbled after him as they stepped out of the safety of the bubble, the loud conversation going on around them booming in their ears.. Luckily, not too many people had noticed the argument going on in the corner of the room. However, many voices died down as they noticed the brother of the Bride leaving the room rather quickly with his date tailing behind.
Marden let go of Ailene, and she was thankful, his grip was rather tight around her arm. She hiked up her robes to keep up with him as he briskly walked back to the drawing room where they had Flooed prior. He ignited green flames before they stepped in and the plummeting elevator ensued, gliding past all sorts of rooms before their feet landed back at the Leaky Cauldron.
Marden stepped out of the gate first, Ailene followed. The pub was quite packed than it was before, and he made his way over to the bar.
"Usual, I presume?" The hunchback behind the counter asked as Ailene cautiously sat next to him, not making much noise.
"And fer the witch?" Ailene didn't realize that the bartender was talking to her until she looked up at him. "Uh, and Old Fashioned, please..."
The bartender looked at her, others around her began to chortle softly at her unusual request.
She then sighed angrily. "I'll just have whatever he's having."
The couple sat in silennce, Marden's head in his left hand. Ailene slowly took his hand that sat in his lap. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."
"No," Marden said softly. "It's not your fault. I should've done this sooner. Way sooner. I don't know what we were thinking, doing this now..."
The bartender came back with two, short glasses of ice and a burgundy-colored drink. Marden downed the entire amount in one swig before placing it back down on the wooden bar.
"Another please, Tom?"
Ailene looked down at the alcohol in front of her and brought it to her nose. She was no stranger to alcohol, (as she was sure Marden was aware from Christmas), but she had never tried Wizard's alcohol before. It smelled strongly of cinnamon and a cozy fire. She took a sip and the liquid was warm, almost too warm. The only thing she could do was swallow and she felt that cozy fire shoot down her esophagus and into the pit of her stomach. Her throat burned as if she had just swallowed embers, and she gripped the wooden bar, her face twisted in pain.
Marden gently patted her back, and she felt a fluttering feeling tickling her diaphragm. She then pictured the very evening that Ailene first laid eyes on Marden, in Rosa's cafe. She never noticed him before, sitting there, reading his weird newspapers with that furrowed brow and ice-blue eyes. His eyes then flickered up at hers, and his face instantly smiled back at her. Butterflies bloomed in her stomach, a blaze burning in her intestines as she suddenly felt like she was standing on the very top of the world.
"Ailene...You alright?" His angelic voice was in her ear. She slowly opened her eyes and she turned to Marden, their eyes meeting. That concerned-harsh look. His bushy eyebrows. His sharp nose and delicate lips.
"Never had Firewhisky, I reckon?" The bartender named Tom laughed, however Ailene wasn't paying attention to Tom. She was completely enthralled by Marden. It was as if she had fallen in love with him all over again.
She grabbed Marden's face and crashed her lips with his, right there in the middle of the pub. Cheers erupted around them, wolf-whistles ensued and Marden returned her kiss.
Two more glasses slammed onto the bar. "On the house, for the love birds!"
They downed their Firewhisky, and Ailene found more courage boil in the pit of her stomach. She took off her witches hat and flung it across the bar.
They hopped down off of their stools and shuffled outside as the patrons of the Leaky Cauldron patted Marden's back and pushed him further out into the cold air. They leaned on one another as they walked, an arm supporting each other's back. At each corner they exchanged passionate kisses, tongues intertwined until they found their way back to her flat. Their mouths were connected when they made it through the door, their hands all over each other, finding ways underneath each other's robes.
They suddenly pulled away, breathlessly staring at one another.
"Let's get married."
"Absolutley."
"Right now."
"Right now?" Marden asked her.
"Yes right now! Do we even need an officiant or priest or anyone else? We don't need anybody! All we need is us! That's all we need, that's all we've had these past few months is us! And I wouldn't take anyone else but you! We've already fucked, what else is there left to bloody do! We can do it right now, we can vow to be with one another, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part!" Ailene erupted before she threw her arms around Marden, their lips finding one another again. Marden twirled her in the air before placing her back down on her feet.
He then scooped her up off of her feet and quickly carried her to her room where he plopped her onto her bed. He stood at the base of her bed while she sat up on her knees, finding his lips as she began pulling his robes up until they were hiked up at his waist. Ailene trailed sloppy kisses down his cheek and to his neck, letting her whole mouth taste his sweet skin. Hands quickly found his erection, rubbing everything between his legs, leaving nothing neglected. Ailene could feel the vibrations of his voice against her lips, and she quickly yanked his robes off over his head. She admired his body, he averagely built but to her, he was decadently handsome. Her fingers gingerly ran from his collarbone down his pectorals, over his stomach and to his fuzzy navel where she forcefully pulled at his underwear. There, she slowly lowered herself down and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his standing cock. He let out soft moans and she wanted to hear more, so she gingerly placed her mouth over his head.
"Ailene..." He breathed softly, his fingertips gently ran through her hair, stiff with chemicals to keep her hair in place. "I love you so much..."
She went further and further down his shaft with her mouth, getting him wet. She then lifted his cock and flicked her tongue over the delicate skin of his scrotom, licking each of his balls. Marden let out a loud, desperate moan, his fingernails digging ever so slightly into her scalp. She trailed her tongue back up to his tip before taking him into her mouth once more and letting her head move to and fro. He then took his turn pulling her thick robes up to the small of her back, desperate to get any and all of her undergarments off of her body as she continued to suck him.
Marden brought her back up until they were level with one another and he pulled off her robes over her head before stripping her completely, now the both of them bare. He wrapped his arms around her and pushed her onto the bed, climbing over top of her until he lay her down and wasted no time spreading her legs apart and entering her with ease, her saliva making it a smooth transition. They were enthralled with one another, their legs and arms entangled as Marden thrusted into her. They couldn't get any closer if they tried, but tried they did. They nipped, licked, bit and scratched at each other's skin.
Ailene turned over on her hands and knees, Marden's hands gripping her round bum as their bodies clapped together. It wasn't too long after when Ailene began to convulse and cry out under him. Marden bent down and pressed his chest against her back, kissing at her shoulder, wanting to feel her body reacting to him before he came not too long after, feeling their bodies pulsate inside of one another.