Chapter 24:
The quiet murmur of voices fluttered up the stairs and flowed through the large house. A young woman stood in the shadows on the balcony overlooking the crowd.
She had her eyes closed, but seemed to be concentrating on the group below. Her hair was in a sleek chignon with small white orange blossoms scattered through it and a thin gold band set like a coronet around the crown of her head. Her face was highlighted with golden toned light make up, her green eyes shining brightly from her deep gold eye make-up.
She had a thin silken robe wrapped around her and bare feet. A corset could be seen beneath the robe, but everything else was hidden by the voluminous silk. The cane in her hand was white with gold accents, and featured four animals playing along its stem. At the base of the cane, a gilded toothpick-like object was encased within the diamond point. The handle of the cane was a golden rose; in fact the same rose that had been presented to the lady during her fiancé's proposal.
After a few more moments of patient listening, she turned and walked back down the hallway towards an open doorway with both light and voices spilling out. She could hear the murmured conversation between two frenzied ladies and another gentleman.
"What do you mean you can't find her?!"
"We've looked everywhere for the darling, but she simply doesn't want to be found. You know how she is, love"
A third voice chimed in, "She'll come back when she's ready, as she always does. You two should stop worrying and go meet your guests. Let me deal with her."
"Molly, you're a saint, but I couldn't pass up helping my daughter this day. I never thought I would be able to, and oh dear, I'm going to cry again."
The young woman grinned outside the door and stepped through, saying quietly, "I suppose I ought to be getting ready?"
The three converged on her, all talking at once. She merely ignored them and walked over to where she knew her vanity was and turned to face them. "Are you simply going to talk at me or help me get this dress on?"
The voices stopped and she heard her father drawl, "Always the commanding one, aren't you? I suppose I shall go reassure your groom that you will be attending tonight." He bent and gave a light kiss on her cheek, saying quietly, "You look lovely my dear."
Once the man had gone, the other two women rushed up and spun her out of her robe and began tossing things about the room. Had she been able to see it, she would have seen the two women tossing garments across the room at each other. A garter flew across the room, passing the robe the young woman had just been wearing. A hoop skirt followed the garter and the young woman ducked reflexively when it came a bit too close to her head. "What the deuce are you two doing?! I don't think concussing the bride is part of the ritual!" She was rather impatient about all the hovering the two matrons were doing and simply wanted to put her dress on.
"Hush you," said her mother. "Let us do our jobs and stop fussing like a two year old."
The bride-to-be huffed and crossed her arms. The other woman laughed and said, "None of that frowning dearie, you'll get wrinkles! Now uncross those arms and step into this please. Oneee foot. Good. And now the other. Yes. Lovely. Oh that is such a nice silhouette. I do love a nice corset and hoop skirt. It's just so feminine, don't you agree Bella?"
The other woman stopped her ministrations across the room and glanced at the younger woman. "You know, I always hated them on myself. I was much more an empire type myself. But I think it suits her perfectly. I do like the old styles. Silly muggles with their pants and revealing clothes."
The young woman smirked, "You two should just be glad I'm going along with your old-fashioned ideas."
The red-haired woman tutted, "Hardly old-fashioned dear. It's tradition! The wizarding world has been wearing these styles since before even the muggles were."
The other one piped in, "I could simply throttle that woman's parents for letting you gain that horrible liking for muggle clothing. It simply doesn't suit you."
"Mother," the young woman said warningly as she raised her arms, "they aren't that bad, and you've seen me more often than not in traditional wizarding robes when I go out. I simply use the others for when I need more mobility. Now put this darned dress on me and don't you dare get my makeup on it!"
The other two women laughed and began to pull the underskirt over her head and down to her waist. They were pulling and tugging, constantly adjusting it until the young girl burst out in laughter. "You two! Just put the rest of the dress on for Merlin's sake. Then you can adjust the whole thing."
The two huffed at her and began to pull the dress on, placing her arms in the sleeves for her, so she could navigate the dress down. Once she managed to get her arms through the sleeves, she turned so the women could start doing up the buttons on her back. She grinned once they were done and moved to stand in front of the mirror. She waved her hand at the mirror and the image was transferred to her own thoughts. It was a deliciously complicated spell and concept that she had come up with a few weeks ago when frustrated with not knowing what she was wearing.
She saw a young woman in a satin bridal dress standing before her. The dress was akin to a Renaissance style with tight sleeves around the upper arm, but belled at the lower. They sported gold designs and dropped off the shoulder, in a line with her bodice. The gold detailing went in a circle around the bust and her back, and trailed down just the front of her bodice. The front of the skirt was simply a sleek white satin that fell in soft folds over her hoop skirt and when swished, showed a hint of the reverse gold side.
The back, however, sported a line of buttons from the top of the dress, just down to the swell of her backside. Just below the buttons, the skirt was gathered with a gold bow and golden flowers, the overskirt from the front splitting in the back revealing an underskirt of the same design as the bodice. It flowed out into a long and wide train of white satin and gold stitching, framed by the split skirt with an underside of gold turned out. She had on white mules with gold stitching as well, matching the overall theme of the dress. (Dress: turned away from the mirror and walked back to her vanity, the steps well known to her. She grasped the golden garter that sat upon the surface and slid it up her bare legs. She had fought to not wear stockings, and in the end she had won. The gold garter was something her mother had worn on her wedding day, like her mother before her.
She had decided not to wear any jewelry aside from the golden engagement ring on her finger that glinted with an ever-changing diamond.
After touching her hair lightly and ensuring that the blossoms and hair were in their places, she murmured to the sniffling women, "Could I have my veil please?"
The two walked up behind her and slid off the gold band. They then placed a thin sheet of fine lace over her head. The veil was trimmed with gold and stopped at her chest in the front and the floor at her back. She had decided against a poofy, tulle concoction and went for a smoother style instead. The two women straightened it out and then replaced the golden band around her head, effectively keeping the veil in place.
They both stood back to take in the full effect and began sobbing. The young woman merely grinned and thought on the irony of the situation.
She was standing in front of Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange, formerly sworn enemies who were now sobbing like babies over her. It was odd their relationship. Molly had taken pity on the extremely weakened Bella and had mothered her for so long that the two had formed some sort of bond. V knew that they avoided certain subjects, but was glad they were able to put aside their differences if only to be close to her. She knew Molly thought of her as another daughter and was deeply touched by it.
She thought of her absent foster parents, or really grandparents. They had left Britain about two weeks after she had divorced Harry and never looked back. She was slightly bothered that they were so easily rid of her, but also understood that they looked at her and her family as the reason her birth-mother had died.
She shrugged off the rather morbid thoughts and turned back to the scene at hand.
Luckily her father, Harry, Luna and Susan entered the room just as the two women were about to rush her and hug her. She had warily been backing away, not wanting them to wet her dress, sensing their overwrought states. The two men effectively stopped the women in their tracks and shooed them away to go fix their own make up.
V had gotten much closer to Luna and Susan over the months since the battle and had invited them to be her bridesmaids. It helped that their significant others would also be standing up for Draco, so the bridal party fit nicely. She heard the girls' soft "oohs" and "aahs" over her dress and grinned.
"Do I look alright?" She asked.
Harry came up to her and took her hands, "You look gorgeous love. And I think this time things will work out alright. The setting sure is different."
V grinned, "Yeah, but there really is nothing like going to the magistrate's office and dragging two people off the street." She acknowledged that most would think it odd her first husband being her second husband's groomsman, but really what isn't odd about my life?
Susan and Luna giggled, Luna saying dreamily, "You know, Harry, you could have borrowed one of our Snorcacks that Daddy found. They are wonderful helpers."
V stifled a laugh at what she knew would be Harry rolling his eyes slightly but looking at his girlfriend with a fond expression.
Susan couldn't stop her laugh, and had to go and sit down in order to calm herself. She said, "Well, I think you look right lovely in that dress. This is a proper wedding. That first one was a foolish idea between two friends that were certainly not meant for more."
Both Harry and V said at the same time, "So we found out. You could have said something sooner though." They all laughed a little and V marveled at how her life had changed over the course of a few years.
As Harry led Luna and Susan back out to the landing to wait for the ceremony to start, V began to reminisce about her past. She thought of her chance meeting of Draco at her parent's home and the miserable marriage to Harry.
She remembered her time with the twins fondly and the time with Harry and Ron before that with tears. She hadn't thought about Ron in a long while, feeling more comfortable with pushing him to the back of her mind. She wondered what he would think of her now, marrying Draco Malfoy of all people and daughter to the Lestranges. She could almost hear him say, that git?! Well if he even tries to hurt you or doing some funny business, he'll be answering to me! She smiled sadly and blinked back a tear.
A low voice from a far corner of the room spoke out, "And why might the bride be crying on this supposedly happy day? Don't think on what you can't change, dear one, but accept what you have been given."
She nodded at her father and said simply, "I was only saying 'so long' to an old friend."
He patted her hand and placed her cane into her other, saying softly, "It's time."
She took a deep breath and stood, grasping her cane tightly. She took her father's arm and they walked out of her rooms. Rooms that I will no longer truly use, she thought. She had wished that a little more time could be taken to say goodbye to her parent's house and the place that had been a true home for such a little time.
Once Draco had found out about her pregnancy, he had pushed up their wedding and had given her only 2 weeks to prepare for it. He had claimed that, "no child of his would be questioned on their family."
She had sighed at the time at his old-fashioned ideas, but was now rather glad that she could still wear her dress and not be showing. She was only about three months along, and knew that the proverbial baby bump would appear sooner than she would like.
She felt her father stop and sensed that they had reached the top of the stairs. She wished that she could see the area below, but knew that focusing on her lack of sight would only frustrate her on a day that she was supposed to be ecstatic. She held her head high as they began to descend the rounded staircase that led out to the lawn, where the ceremony was being held.
As they walked out onto the lawn she heard the murmurs of people's approval and the whispered conversations. She caught a whisp of Draco's gasp at the end of the long aisle and knew that all eyes were on her.
Draco had to force himself to remember to breath. He had thought himself quite dashing in his deep green dress robes, which reflected the Renaissance as his mother-in-law-to-be had requested; but he was no match for the image of loveliness that was his bride walking up the isle. Her gown and veil were stunning, but he was fixated on her calm, serene face that was trained on his own. He held her unseeing eyes until she was just before him and her father was handing her off to him. He grasped her hand tightly and thought, You are gorgeous. Right now, I feel like I could fly.
They turned to the officiating wizard and she thought back, Only if you take me with you.
They listened as the wizard spoke of love and life, of fidelity and loyalty, of new life and ultimately death. They didn't release touch of each other until the wizard forced them to turn and take the binding ropes from Susan and Blaise to present to each other. V had chosen ropes that represented passion, eternity and fidelity; while Draco had chosen those that represented companionship, loyalty, and life. The wizard wrapped them around the twined hands of the pair and murmuring an ancient Greek spell, tapped them with his wand three times.
After the third tap, the ropes began to glow and meld together, a light emanating from them, encasing the pair. V and Draco felt the light wash over their skin, their hearts and their souls as it pulsed. When the official finished his chant the light pulsed once more and then disappeared into the now melded rope that bound their hands. The wizard tapped the rope once more and it separated into two, forming two small circlets in the air which flashed, became gold, and then fit themselves onto the ring fingers of the pair.
"Do you, Veronique Hermione Lestrange, take this wizard to be your life and soul mate?"
"I do." The ring burst with light and then faded back into gold, but now with faint etching on it.
"Do you, Draco Abraxas Malfoy, take this witch to be your life and soul mate?"
"I do." His ring burst also with light and faded with new lettering just as V's had.
V and Draco looked at each other, Draco relaying images to V through their thoughts. They then spoke their vows of devotion and love to one another. After each had finished, the official raised his hands into the air and said loudly, "I ask for the gods' blessing on this happy union." A chirping was heard and a small dove flew over the pair. The wizard nodded and said happily, waving his wand in the final bonding spells, "I now pronounce you wizard and witch! You may kiss the bride!"
Draco hauled V to him and leaned her back into a debonair, but long kiss. They broke to catcalls and cheers. Both slightly jogged down the aisle, into the house, where a banquet was set up.
After three hours of dancing and toasts, Draco and V were anxious to leave. V managed to escape the well wishing members of the Order and fled to a dimly lit corner, where she ran into another figure with a light thump. "Draco?! You coward!"
He chuckled and pulled her close to him, nibbling her ear, "Just waiting for the right moment love. Let us go, they will all understand."
She was having trouble thinking, his ministrations on her sensitive ear driving her insane. "Mhmmm."
He smirked and apparated them away.
They landed in a softly lit room that V couldn't recognize through her senses. She thought, Where are we??
Draco sent back a thought, or picture, of a cave mouth – the very cave mouth they had parted at so many years ago in Asia. She gasped and he thought back, I had a small house built on the mountain near the cave, so that we could get away if we need to and come back to where we started.
She looked up at him, eyes brimming, wishing with all her heart that she could only see his face. She asked, "Is there a mirror?"
He answered in the affirmative and showed her to a floor length one in the adjoining dressing room. She waved her hand at it and pulled him in front of the mirror. She saw him looking at her with heated eyes. She studied his clothing and the room beyond. Waving her hand once more, she flung herself at him and peppered his face with kisses. Thank you.
He held her close for a few moments, surmising what she had done with the mirror. Then their embrace seemed to change slightly and they began to be more aware of each other's body. V could feel his body thrumming and she knew her own heart was about to thud out of her chest.
He began to kiss her hair, trailing kisses down her forehead, over her nose, and finally to her mouth – soft and pliant after the loving kisses shared. She responded by taking his mouth with her own, desperate to show him her love. She waved her hand at her complicated dress and heard it thump onto a chair on the other side of the room. She arched against the cold air striking her skin and pulled closer to her husband. Husband, she moaned in her thoughts.
He shivered himself at the feel of her satiny skin beneath his calloused fingers. Wife, he thought back huskily. He ran his hands down her side and over her breasts. She shuddered and pushed him back slightly.
She thought to him, Let me see you. She ran her hands over his face, mapping the contours. She brought them down his neck, one sliding through his hair to his shoulders. She slipped his robe off and unbuttoned the waist coat. Then unbuttoning the shirt with her mouth, her hands moved down to his pants, slipping the buttons out of their holes and freeing him from constraints.
She brought her hands back up to his chest, running her fingers over the rippling muscles and feeling him thoroughly. She slid the silky shirt off of him and ran her hands over his back as she arched against his front. When she pushed his pants and boxers down impatiently, he grinned and then grunted in pleasure as she took him into her soft hands. She analyzed the feel of him in her hand and used her fingers to study every vein and inch of hardness.
He finally growled in frustration and quickly picked her up, stalked to a King Louis bed, laid her down and swiftly joined her. Crawling between her parted legs, he kissed the inside of her thigh, the curve of her hip, the tip of her breast, the hollow of her jaw and the shadow of her lip – light fleeting touches, arousing her as well as himself, while her hand continued its ministrations.
He thought to her, I love you more than life itself. Slowly positioning himself at her already ready entrance, he pistoned his hips, firmly seating himself in her warmth, just as her took her mouth in a passionate, soul-searing kiss.
V felt the magic washing over her in waves, cresting as they came together and ebbing as he pulled out a little. They participated in the oldest life-ritual, the dance of life – him thrusting, her rising to meet him; lips crashing; bodies thrashing. She knew that this was their mysterious bond completing itself. She had no idea how or why it had happened, but thanked Merlin for it. She thought to him, amidst wild moans and whimpers, I love you, my husband!
At the last words he gave a final shuddering thrust and she felt him pulse within her, the sensations sending her over the edge as he whispered, my wife, finally, my wife!
They fell against the pillows, sated and relaxed. Draco pulled her to his shoulder and smirking said, "How's that for a commencement Lady Malfoy?"
She yawned and said sleepily, cuddling into his warmth, "A commencement of the rest of our lives."
They both fell asleep with contented smiles on their faces, secure in the fact that for the first time, they could admit their love and rejoice in it freely.