As always, please review when you're done reading! I hope you like this chapter. (: The next one will be up before the end of the week.

Chapter Twenty One

When Antonin didn't come back by that night, I was concerned. When a whole week went by without a word from him, though, my concern blossomed into fully fledged panic. I tried writing, but my owl always returned without having delivered the letter. His fire was no longer connected to the Floo system. By the seventh day, I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Because I didn't know whether I should be worried or angry, I refused to be either- instead, I busied myself in helping my mother prepare for the wedding. As long as I could stay occupied, I didn't have much time to brood over his absence.

And, despite the fact that my mother had been making arrangements for a while, there was still enough to be done that I was certainly busy. Two weeks after he'd disappeared, we made our way to Diagon Alley in order to find the perfect wedding dress.

My taste in clothing, much like my taste in everything else (except men, when you look at Antonin) is a tad on the plain side. I've never been fond of standing out in a crowd. For this reason, I couldn't really imagine myself traipsing down the aisle in a poofy white gown.

"Alecto, the whole point is to look absolutely stunning," my mother sighed by the fifth dress. "You can't keep dismissing dresses as 'too flashy'. That's the objective."

I frowned and disappeared back into the dressing room for dress number six- I wondered if I'd make it through the store's entire stock without finding what I was looking for. Probably so. After all, even I wasn't sure what exactly it was that I was trying to find.

Dresses six and seven were both far too frilly. I was getting fed up, and told my mother so. "Mum, I want something less... fairy tale. More... er..." I gestured at the dress I was wearing, "not like this."

"Alecto. You're being difficult."

"I'm being realistic," I answered stubbornly. "If I try to wear this, I'll kill myself."

She sounded irritated as she threatened, "If you don't pick something, I'm going to make you get your dress from a Muggle store."

There was only one dress left to try on. Much to my pleasure, it was far simpler than the elaborate gowns my mother had been tending toward- and the best part of all was that it looked incredible on.

"This one," I declared triumphantly, as I turned so my mother could observe from all angles. "This is it."

"Are you sure you don't want something fancier?" She almost sounded disappointed. I had to remind myself that her own marriage had been practically forced upon her by her parents, and that she hadn't gotten much choice in anything. Whereas I was perfectly happy letting other people make the arrangements for me, I supposed she saw my wedding in a very different light.

"I'll let you pick the bridesmaids' dresses," I promised her. "I just don't want my dress to... detract from things."

"Alright," she acquiesced, shooting a longing glance at the pile of rejected dresses.

I left the store feeling much better about the whole wedding situation- after all, I had just purchased what was, quite probably, the most important garment I would ever have. It had been plaguing me for weeks, and had turned out relatively painless- apart from the pin Madame Malkin had accidentally jabbed me with while taking in the hem of the dress.

My mother and I paused for an ice cream at Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour, and it was as we were leaving that my heart just about stood still in my ribcage.

I saw Antonin.

And I saw Margot.

And I saw Margot kissing Antonin. Right there. In the middle of Diagon Alley.

Before my mother could notice that, I dragged her around the corner in the opposite direction.

"Alecto?" she ventured timidly.

"I need to get home," I replied quickly, perhaps a tad too harshly. "I have things to do."

"Oh. Okay. Well, let's get home then," she agreed meekly.

I cringed slightly- my mother had always been a bit too much of a pushover, and I hated taking advantage of that. It reminded me of how my father always seemed to intimidate her into doing his bidding.

---

The second I got home, it occurred to me that I should probably feel like crying. But I didn't, not in the slightest. I'd expected this, even. It wasn't as if my mind hadn't explored all the possible options of Antonin's whereabouts while he'd been gone. Maybe his parents had forced him to choose her over me?

Or perhaps he'd been messing around all along, and I'd just never caught him.

Somehow, the notion sounded ridiculous. I knew what I'd seen, but even that couldn't make me doubt Antonin's faithfulness. Something just wasn't adding up.

"Ally."

I thought I might have fallen asleep and begun dreaming when he walked into my room. I said nothing.

I didn't move when he embraced me, didn't respond when he kissed me. In fact, I was so occupied trying to wake myself up that I almost forgot the fact that the love of my life- or at least, who I'd thought was the love of my life- was standing right there.

"Ally, say something."

My teeth gritted together. "Why?" It could have been a response to his command, or applicable a number of other things he'd done recently.

"I'm so. Sorry." He kissed me again, and I remembered that he was holding me. I twisted out of his arms, out of his reach. "The Dark Lord- he has plans you wouldn't believe, Ally- he sent me away, and I couldn't tell you about it. I really wanted to, but I was forbidden and-- I'm so sorry."

"And?"

A frown spread across his face. "It's not going to happen again, Ally. He was just testing my loyalty. Just making sure that I wouldn't betray him for the sake of my only weakness- that is, you. Next time, I can tell you, or take you-- some of the spells he's taught us, Ally, you wouldn't believe--"

I dodged as he tried to embrace me again. "Why were you in Diagon Alley, then? Why were you... were you... snogging Margot?"

Surprise registered across his features, but not guilt. I waited.

"She- I- Ally, you think I would voluntarily kiss that whore? I was going to buy you flowers when she assaulted me in the street. I didn't-"

"Likely story," I answered scathingly. "You always were a good liar."

"I'm not lying," he insisted. "Please, listen-"

"Look, I don't care where you've been or what- or who- you've been doing."

The genuine pain that crossed his countenance was something that I wasn't used to. I froze, suddenly incapable of feeling any more anger toward him, even if he had cheated. Why was I always so helpless where he was concerned?

"Alecto..." The tone of his voice was so pitiful. "Listen."

I looked away from him, listening.

"I'll drink Veritaserum if you won't believe me. It wasn't me. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you- you know that. You know that."

My eyes met his. I did know that.

Or did I?

"I want to believe you," I informed him slowly, biting my lower lip hesitantly. "I just..."

"You can't," he finished for me. "I wish it wasn't that way. Sometimes, I would like nothing better than for you to be able to read my mind and know that I'm being completely honest, Ally..."

Such sincerity was obvious in his voice that there wasn't much I could do but believe him. I knew he was an expert liar, but for some reason, I simply had to believe him that time. It couldn't have been his fault- the Antonin I knew never would have done something like that to me. He just wouldn't.

"Antonin."

"Yes, love?"

I hesitated for a moment, and then I let myself step back into his arms where I belonged. "I love you."

"I love you, too." It sounded like a promise.

Review? I think so. (: I even ended on a happy note. Aren't they just the most adorably foolish people you've ever seen? Yeah. Thought so.