Chapter 1

Let the tears come, Let them water your soul

As the tear slid down my cheek I reached up to brush it away, jumping slightly as someone knocked on the door to my chamber. I didn't answer, for I found that I could not. My voice stuck in my throat as I tried to speak and finally escaped in a strangled croak but it didn't matter that I made to reply for the door opened anyway and my mothers head appeared round the door shortly followed by the rest of her body.

She saw me sat there with a tear rolling down my cheek and strolled over to me, she took my hand in hers and smiled at me with that smile only mothers who love you unconditionally can give and it gave me courage and strength but not enough.

'Don't cry Aurelia' She said 'It's just the ceremony today, you won't be going with him for another six months'

I chocked on a sob 'Then when do I have to marry him today?' I looked up at her still expecting my mother to kiss me and make it all better like she did when I scraped my knee when I was younger. But all I got was a sad smile.

You're perhaps wondering why a seventeen year old would be marrying someone against her will. Well in the wizarding world arranged matches were pretty common, mainly between purebloods. It allowed fortunes to be joined, alliances to be made and it prevented bloodlines from being watered down, something that I hardly cared about at all, it didn't seem worth all the fuss to me. An opinion that was perhaps better kept silent.

'It's easier this way Aurelia' She stood up and told me to follow her for the ceremony was starting – Yes and my life was ending I thought bitterly as I followed my mother, I paused to stare at myself in the mirror, my beauty hardly registering through my despair, my silky black hair cascaded in waves down my back, my pale smooth face had the most minimum amount of makeup on, applied at my mothers insistence. I looked the very image of her bride on her wedding day with one exception. My deep green eyes were completely devoid of happiness.

We went down the stairs into a small room that I guessed was used for ceremonies. Forcing my face into a neutral position I walked forward, I noticed with small relief that it was a small gathering; there were just enough people to bear witness to our union. I took a deep breath as I placed my hand into that of my future husband, Theodore Nott. The old wizard who was to perform the ceremony stepped forwards, he bound our hands together with a red ribbon to symbolize life and placed a green sprig on top to bless us with many children and I gave an involuntary shudder at the thought. We then proceeded to utter our vows and place the rings on each others fingers.

Glancing upwards I looked at for the first time that day the man who I would spend the rest of my life with. I looked at his smooth brown hair and light grey eyes, his strong straight nose and his mouth which was currently curled into a frown, and I suddenly realized just how skinny he was, he looked gaunt yet there was something alluring about him, something I didn't want to feel. So I didn't I simply looked away.

And so it was done we were married. After all the tantrums, tears and threats, after all of our parents planning and determination we were finally man and wife till death do us part- literally. I was now officially Mrs. Aurelia Nott.

Still holding my hand my new husband marched me out of the room with the few who were present following behind us. I wanted everyone to leave so I could go home and then go back to Hogwarts where it would be so easy to pretend that this wasn't happening. But it was and there was no escaping it, nor the guest. Who although they were few felt as though they had to make up for the lack of company by staying till late at night after the last person had left I allowed myself to slump down in a chair and breathe a sigh of relief.

My parents were deep in conversation with Mr. Nott but they were talking in low voices so I couldn't here what they were saying. Theodore was glaring icily into the fire gripping his glass of fire whisky and it was then I remembered that he had been going out with Daphne Greengrass since our fifth year. I had completely forgotten about that, no wonder she looked so miserable the last week of term. Yet I still did not consider her predicament worse than mine, she could have him if she wanted, if they were subtle…. Me? I was stuck with him.