Chapter Twenty-Seven:
Hyla did have a plan, including a few for her wedding night but that is neither here nor there. The reason she was the least seen sister of the Mars family during the many weddings was because she was bargain shopping in the U.S. for all the reception details. She picked over yard sales, estate sales, and antique shops looking for her decorations. She even tried Ebay.
She bought four stores out of long white taper candles. In an antique shop in New England, she found crystal candelabras and vintage voltive holders. Silver charger plates came from a hole in the wall in Pennsivania. In Georgia, she found a place that makes lace tablecloths and chair covers. She ordered the icicle lights from her own company and got a good discount.
"It's good to be the Queen." She mutters when she sees the markdown.
She finds little silver bowls for the lower arrangements. Her last thing to find is the white street lamps. An idea hits her as she is looking around the Home Depot at the street lamps. She found the ones she wants, but they only come in black. That will not do, but she has family that can remedy that quickly. She orders the amount she needs and pays for the shipping overseas.
Now everything has been delivered, and the other elements hired. She was impressed with elements from the weddings that she did go to. After quietly asking the brides if she can appropriate the idea, she runs with them all. She hires Elf2 to cater. The cute little elves were overjoyed with another job.
Hyla approached Harry's good friend, on the advice of Hermione, and asked Mr. Longbottom if he would be interested in pairing up with Hermione's mother to do her flowers. Mrs. Granger had agreed to arrange them if he would grow them.
Hyla could tell that she shocked the boy. "You want me to grow your flowers? Wow! Thank you for the thought. It will only take about ten days to get all that you would need. What flowers do you want? What colors? What are you planning on doing with them? That last one is so I know if I need to subsitute heartier flowers." They agree to sit down with Mrs. Granger and when the other two see what she wants, both agree to do it.
She shows them the items she bought to hold the flowers. Mrs. Granger stops her and tells her to go and pick up topiary balls, for the tall arrangements and foam blocks for the short ones. Hyla writes it down and they continue to discuss the flowers.
Mr. Longbottom writes down white roses right away. He then suggests using carnations, white lilies and Lisianthus for the smaller arrangements and assorted greenery. Hyla agrees and cuts a check to him for his supplies and one to Mrs. Granger for deposit on her work.
When she went by the other day to the Granger's, Mrs. Granger had just gotten the flowers and every single one of the stems were encased in a self watering capsule. Hyla swung by the Longbottom home and asked Lady Longbottom to please pass the final check to her son for his hard work.
She recieved a visit at Pemberly that night from Mr. Longbottom and his wife. They wanted to return the check, thinking that she forgot that she payed Neville for the flowers. "Thank you for being so honest, but that was not what happened." Hyla was struggling to word her intentions clearly.
Seeing this, Hermione walks in and pats her sister in law on the knee and winks. "I got this." She turns to her good friends.
"Nev, Susie, Hyla didn't forget that she already paid you. In the Muggle world, when someone hires a florist and/or grower for their wedding, they pay a deposit that goes towards the supplies and such to doing what they are asking. Once the job is done, they pay the remaining amount or a sum for the person's time. She was just finishing up the transaction." Hermione explains.
The two women wait until light dawns in the faces of the young couple. Neville looks at the check again and blushes. "Miss Hyla, 'Mione, this is too much. All I did was grow some flowers, which I love doing. I thought what you gave me was more than enough the first time."
Hyla smiles at the young man. He is so charming in his flustered way. "Mr. Longbottom, think of it as a token of my thanks and a testement to your skill then. I am very happy with the results and will recomend you to anyone that needs your expertiste." The couple stands and bows to the women.
"Oh, Mr. Longbottom. There is a farmer's market on Saturdays close to the London Eye. You might want to try your luck. You might be surprised. This could be the start of a career for you and your talented green thumbs." Hyla smiles at the flustered smile on Neville's face and the thoughtful look in Susan's eyes.
"Oh, you can tell that she will encourage him to try it. This might just prove that he could make something of this to his grandmother." Hermione cheers Hyla's quick thinking.
Hyla kisses Charlie goodbye and continues her list of things to get done before the wedding.
Next on the plan is music, instead of her uncles, Jasper and Emmett; Hyla, being an advocate for women, asks her aunts for their help. Just as she hoped, her three aunts; Bella, Alice and Rose take up the mantle. Between the three of them, they have the whole of the twentieth century covered. It will be a cross of slow classic dancing songs, classic rock, new metal and current pop.
Her last stop is the cake shop. Impressed by the cakes of her cousin's wedding, and her two brothers', Hyla asks if they can do a snow white dragon. She sits with the head designer and they come up with one that looks a little like Falcour from Never Ending Story but is still a realisitic dragon. It will be white cake with coconut cream filling and fluffly frosting with coconut. She pays for the cake in full.
Dobby and Winky are waiting for her when she gets back to the mansion. The elves want to go over her menu with her. She smiles at the little buggers.
"All I want is a sit down meal. Appetizer sampler on the tables, for the guests to pass around. Steak tips, potatoes, two veggies or Chicken Marsala, rice and two veggies. I don't like hot peppers or winter squashes, but everything else is fine." Winky copies the menu down and asks what kind of appetizers for the sampler.
"Potato skins, spinach tartlets, stuffed mushroom caps, fried cheese sticks." The elves nod and Hyla writes them out a check for the supplies. "I ran into a snag with my flower guy, so I am warning you. I will pay you again for your time, making the food, at the reception, alright?" Both elves nod and pop away.
