To be honest, there's no good excuse for me not updating this as often as I should have. I've just been busy playing video games and haven't been faithful to my writing or anything lately... sorry, guys. I'll try to do better! (: Hope your holidays are going well!

Chapter Nineteen

The remainder of the school year whirled by in a rush of letters- not only from Antonin, but from my mother, who wrote a couple times a week about wedding preparations. I didn't always respect my mother for how she let herself be treated, but I was grateful for the enthusiasm with which she viewed my marriage.

I knew part of that was merely hoping that my relationship would be more than hers had ever been, but regardless of motive, I was happy to let her plan the decorations and guest list and whatever else she wanted. Her taste, even with our usually modest budget, had always been good. I wondered, though, what she was doing with the expanded funds the Dolohovs had provided.

Antonin's parents weren't completely thrilled that I was his choice for a bride- in their eyes, I was too plain, too middle-class, to ever be on "his level". That didn't stop them, though, from offering whatever was required on their part to make the ceremony a success. I figured they knew better than to disagree with their son- and besides, if they were involved in the most luxurious wedding of the year, it would no doubt only add to their prestige.

Antonin and I had only given the stipulation that it be a small affair- close friends and family only. Even so, we knew it would get more coverage in the Daily Prophet than the average wedding. His family had ties with people in authority, and probably would demand nothing less.

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Their disapproval of my social status didn't stop them from wishing to mingle with my family, either. A week into my summer vacation, two months exactly before the date the wedding was set for, my family- well, my parents and myself; Amycus, who had been inducted as a Death Eater, was on some mission in Australia- was invited to their home for dinner.

The only reason I went, really, was because Antonin would be there, sitting right next to me, to keep me sane. Oh, and because I was afraid of the consequences if I didn't, but I would never admit to that.

As it turns out, I had great reason to be frightened of his parents. I'd met them before, but never in so personal a setting, and never before had they both looked me over appraisingly with obvious distaste in their eyes.

His father, I thought, was enough like Antonin that I might have been able to tolerate him; he was not quite as good looking as my fiancée, and was unmistakably colder in nature. His mother, on the other hand, was entirely terrifying, undeniably gorgeous, and the sort of woman who I couldn't look straight in the eyes without flinching slightly.

Antonin, who had escorted me from my house, squeezed my hand encouragingly as my parents greeted his.

"I'm not sure if I can do this," I whispered through my teeth.

"Sure you can," he replied, just as quiet. "Just be yourself- they'll love you." He sounded suspiciously unsure of himself as he declared it, but I didn't point that out.

"And if they don't?"

"I'll whisk you away to Greenland and we won't have to worry about them," he assured me with a soft smile, ameliorating my fears some.

A soft "ahem" from a nearby doorway broke off our whispered conversation, and immediately Antonin's mother was sweeping toward me. The striking contrast between her dark hair and pale skin really belonged in a Muggle horror film.

"Alecto." I suppose she was attempting for a "warm and maternal" sort of feeling in saying my name, but all I sensed was a terrifyingly blatant sense of disapproval. "I would like you to meet a very close childhood friend of Antonin's, Mademoiselle Margot LaRoux."

At my side, Antonin blanched- he apparently hadn't been expecting this- as the girl in question stepped into view, wearing something very red and very revealing, the dazzling white smile on her face making me feel sick to my stomach. I felt very plain in comparison, even though I was wearing my best emerald green gown, which- I'll admit- I bought because it went so well with the necklace he'd given me.

"She is visiting from France, and we absolutely did not want our son to miss an opportunity to… Rekindle his relationship with her." The woman's smile was too broad; she was enjoying my discomfort. My parents were oblivious, discussing politics with Antonin's father. "I hope you don't mind that she joins us this evening."

I did mind, and I knew that she had been certain that I would before inviting Margot.

"N-Not at all," I managed to stammer, taking a possessive step closer to Antonin.

The whole evening, actually, wasn't entirely a disaster. At least, I didn't do anything extremely embarrassing, and Antonin's quick grins and occasional winks from across the dinner table made things tolerable.

More than once, though, I bristled in anger as I watched him remove Margot's wandering hand from his thigh. The seating, I knew, had been no accident. His parents, ever watchful, smiled whenever they caught me glaring at her; time ticked away too slowly for my liking.

Finally, my father cleared his throat and made an offhanded comment about the late hour- I was pretty sure I'd never felt as much appreciation for him as I did just then.

As Antonin made motion to walk me out, though, his mother called, "Antonin, dear, would you please escort Margot home?" It wasn't a request.

"It would be unfitting for a lady to be out alone so late," his father added, his dark eyes on me suggesting that such a term would never apply to a person like myself.

My fiancée hesitated for a second, casting me a questioning sort of look, and I barely nodded my head- he really had no choice, after all. He caught the gesture, and, with a sigh, murmured, "Bye, love."

"Bye," I smiled weakly, before following my parents through the imposing front doors out to the front lawn, from where we could apparate home.

Don't you hate them?! I do. I really do. Next chapter coming soon... ish.... (: