Chapter 7

The days before Cal's wedding were limited and the deadline was quickly approaching. Soon, it would her wedding day and Sira was busy setting up for it. She was in charge of everything from flowers to food, from dresses to colors, and from guests to setup. Of course, Cal had the final say for all decisions and she accepted them… well, most of them.

"No!" Cal barked angrily at Scabior with rage in her ice-blue eyes. "We are not putting eight chairs at each table!"

"Why not? We could 'ave more people at each table that way," Scabior growled back," and we would need less tables."

"I don't care! It's going to be too crowded with eight people!" she snapped. "I'm the bride and it's going to be done my way!" They were both furious, wanting each other to suffer.

"You know, Cal," he snarled coldly, "you always asked why I left you and, guess what, this is why. You always try to control everything." Cal looked like she just wanted to slap him as hard as she could.

"Well, I'm not marrying you," she stressed, "and I was going to dump you anyways!"

"Like I would care!" Scabior spat. Sira stopped what she was doing, putting tablecloths on all of the tables, and turned to face them.

"HEY!" Sira barked, causing them to stop glaring at each other and look at her. "We need to get working because tomorrow is the big day and there's plenty left to do and we don't need to be bickering about little things! So stop acting so immature and help me!" They both gave her a stunned look, a look that said that they were surprised that she was taking control of the situation.

"But this is important," Cal growled, trying to hide the irritation in her voice.

"No, it's not, so decide and move onto something else," Sira spat as she returned to putting tablecloths on tables. Once she said that, they started their pettifoggery again, Cal wanting six chairs and Scabior wanting eight. Sira was trying to keep calm but they had been at it like that for the last four days and she had enough. "Okay, since you can't decide," she stated loudly, "we're going to flip a coin!"

"Fine," Scabior barked unhappily as he continued to glare at Cal.

"Fine," Cal mocked him, causing his blue-grey eyes to become more agitated. She walked over to them.

"Scabior, call it," Sira said as she fished a galleon out of her pocket.

"Why does he get to-?"

"CAL! I've had enough of this!" Sira barked. "Scabior's calling it!"

"Heads," he stated proudly as Sira flipped the coin. It fell to the ground, clattering on the wood of the dance floor.

"Tails," Sira said flatly and Cal shrieked with laughter. Scabior's face hardened with his defeat as he gazed angrily at the coin, willing it to actually be heads. "Now, you two go and put six chairs around each table." Cal walked off happily, obviously enjoying her victory over him as he walked away, murmuring something icily under his breath. Sira shook her head as she returned to her work.

She didn't know that setting up a wedding would be that much work and would cause her that much stress. Sira was just glad that they already had the location of the actual ceremony set up and all they had to do was get the finishing touches done on the area where the reception would take place. Only, that was taking longer than she expected because of the bickering. There was so little to do but it was still a lot. Sira was just ready for it to be over with and her stress to be done and, tomorrow, it would be.

The guests started to arrive at the Malfoy Manor an hour before the wedding was planned to begin. Sira was busy getting herself and everyone else ready. Right now, she was fixing her make-up one last time and pulling back her hair into a messy bun as she thought of everything that needed to be done. After she was done with herself, she needed to check on everyone else. As she took a few steps back, she examined herself in a mirror. Her dress was pretty but elegant, light blue, and it was knee length. Satisfaction filled her as she looked at herself, she was going to be a good maid of honor for her friend and that fact made all the stress worth it.

"Sira," someone said softly and her head snapped in the direction of the sound to see Narcissa standing in the doorway of the room, wearing the same dress as her for she was a bridesmaid, "do I look okay?"

"Yes, Narcissa," she said, quickly examining her, "you look beautiful."

"Thanks," she said gently with a little smile, "but Bellatrix isn't happy about the dress." Sira let out a soft laugh, gentle and kind.

"I didn't think she would," she said confidently. "How are the others? Are we almost ready to start?"

"Everyone else is fine and I think we're just about ready," Narcissa stated.

"How's Cal?" she asked, hoping that her friend wasn't too worried about today for everything was going smoothly so far. Narcissa shrugged and Sira sighed. "I better go check on her."

"Cal," Sira breathed as she opened the door to the room in the Malfoy Manor where Cal was getting ready in. "Are you okay?" She heard gentle sobs and rushed into the room to comfort her friend. "Cal, what's wrong?" She kneeled beside her friend, who was sitting in a chair, and took Cal's hands in hers, her blue eyes gazing up into her face with concern.

"It's just that everything's not going perfectly, Sira," Cal sobbed to her. "Everything's wrong."

"Everything is just as you wanted it," she said softly. "Everything is going fine, we are on time and we're almost ready and soon, nothing will matter to you other than the man standing before you, the love of your life standing before you, as you go to him and are joined together for life. No one, nothing will matter, other than him. So, Cal, only worry about Lark and let me worry about the rest." Cal smiled and the tears stopped streaking down her face.

"Thanks, Sira," she whispered, "you're such a good friend."

"Everyone, take your places," Sira called as she and a group of people stood at the entrance of the Malfoy Manor. They moved and prepared themselves to walk out of the house. She checked everyone over, making sure that they were perfect, with one exception of Bellatrix not being happy. Then, Sira saw someone she wished that she would never see again, the young guard from Azkaban that drug her through the prison when she arrived there.

"Are you the maid of honor, Sira Volkov?" he asked arrogantly as she straightened his blue tie that was the same color as her dress. She gazed up into his eyes with a baffled look.

"Yes, are you the best man?" she asked, really hoping that he wasn't. He smiled at her and her heart plummeted.

"Yes and let me introduce myself," he said proudly. "I'm Seth and I'll force you to walk down that aisle with me if I have to."

"Too bad that I'm going to walk down it willingly," she hissed softly, "because I'm sure that you would love to tackle me again for trying to escape." The smile grew on his face, the arrogant, cocky smile.

"I'm sure that you'd love it too," he said darkly, it was barely a whisper, but his words sent a chill through her.

"I'm engaged," she spat, trying hard to cover her disgust. The smile was wiped off of his face with her words.

"To who?"

"I'll let you guess," she breathed, her voice sassy, as they started to walk out of the house. She held a bouquet of flowers in her hands as she interlocked arms with Seth. Everything was beautiful once they approached the location that the wedding as taking place at. The grove of trees that they choose for it on lawn of the manor looked amazing. The colors of the wedding went perfectly with the surrounding, light greens, light blues, and light yellows. It was perfect in every way. All eyes were upon them as they headed slowly down the aisle; she couldn't help the beautiful smile that bloomed on her face. It was a little odd though, on one side sat mostly Death Eaters and on the other sat mostly guards from Azkaban. Her eyes locked with Scabior's, he was sitting in the second row from the front and on the side she was going to be standing on.

Something within her heart fluttered, as if she felt that Scabior should be standing up there on the altar and she should be coming to wed him. Soon, she unlocked arms with Seth and headed to stand beside Bellatrix as they waited for Cal to walk down the aisle. Scabior smiled at her, he though she was beautiful and stunning up there and he had the same longing in his heart as she did, he just didn't know that she was feeling the same.

Then, a boy and a girl walked in, the ring bearer and the flower girl. The ring bearer had dark, chocolate-brown hair and dark-blue eyes, almost the color of sapphires and he wore a little tuxedo with a light yellow tie. The flower girl wore a yellow dress and she had caramel-brown hair and dark-green eyes. As she walked, she dropped flower petals from the basket she was carrying. Sira glanced over to where Lark stood. He was smiling as he caught sight of his bride ready to walk down the aisle. He was anxious to see her. He wore a handsome tuxedo with a soft yellow tie, he looked well-put together and better than Sira had ever seen him.

Everyone stood simultaneously as Cal stepped into the aisle. She was lovely, stunning and all eyes were on her but hers were only on Lark, holding her desire and her wanting. A smile blossomed on her lips as she walked gracefully towards him. Her dress was snow-white with very light yellow embroidery, gemstones glittered on the top of the dress and there was an intertwining pattern on the train. Her veil tumbled down her back, not covering her face. In her hands was a bouquet of white and yellow roses and daisies. Everything about her was breath-taking.

She reached the alter where she stood, facing Lark with the smile still on her face and the glittering still in her eyes. All took their seats again. "Ladies and gentleman," an older wizard said proudly, "we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Lark Blackwood and Calypso in holy matrimony." Sira looked at Lark, he seemed to not even be there, and he was lost in Cal's eyes. Nothing else in the world mattered to them. Tears rimmed Sira's eyes as she looked at them, they deserved to have a long and joyous life together.

"Please join hands," the wizard said softly as Cal turned to Sira, handing over her bouquet to her as Sira gave her a little smile of reassurance. Cal turned back to Lark with a little nod of her head. "Do you, Lark Blackwood, take Calypso as your lawfully wedded wife, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, for sickness or for health, until death do you part?" Lark's smile grew as his emerald eyes glittered with his answer.

"I do," he said tenderly.

"Do you, Calypso," the wizard ask, "take Lark Blackwood as your lawfully wedded husband, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, for sickness or for health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Cal said her voice full of her emotions.

"By the power vested in me," the wizard stated proudly, "I declare you bonded for life." The wizard raised his wand above their heads, sending silver stars showering down around them as their lips met in a kiss. A tear rolled down Sira's cheek as she looked at Scabior, her wanting growing brighter in her eyes. He smiled back at her as the applause filled the air. Lark and Cal parted and she turned to Sira, a sweet smile on her face, and Sira gave back her flowers.

Everyone stood again, still clapping, as Cal and Lark walked down the aisle together, beaming with their joy. Soon, Sira walked down from the alter and met Seth. She walked away with him but her eyes were gazing at Scabior the whole time. It was as if Scabior was the only thing that she had ever wanted, that nothing could ever compare to him. She wanted to marry him; she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.