Black and Silver Main

Wedding

Draco's entourage arrived at nine p.m to whisk him away, insisting that Severus wasn't allowed to see his "bride" until the ceremony, which was to take place the very next night. Although he tried not to let it show, he was growing more and more anxious, about the wedding, about Draco's commitment, and about the wedding night. He'd had sex many times, and made love many times, but Draco and Severus had only been truly intimate once. He found himself worrying that he would be too rough, or not rough enough, or that Draco would find his body unappealing. The prospect of being joined with one person for the rest of his life was daunting as well. He went about his daily routine, not having a huge gaggle of people fussing over his hair and clothing. Draco was well loved and fawned over, everyone wanted to help him get ready for his big day. Severus expected only that Lucius would show up around 8 p.m to help him into his dress robes and give him a pep talk and that would be it as far as his own preparations. Lucius. He was marrying into a family that included Lucius. The sooner he got Draco away from Lucius, the better. But would Draco come with him? He had doubts about Draco's insistence that he "wanted to be good". Love and sex made people, especially young people, do many things they regretted later. Could Draco overcome his family's teachings? Severus graded papers until it was time for him to meet up with Lucius. ** "Friend of the bride or friend of the groom?" The usher asked. "Where's the section for 'neither'?" Ron wanted to know. The usher nodded serenely and led them to a section mainly filled with other Hogwarts students. The ceremony was taking place outdoors on a hillside overlooking a deep valley. Heather waved gently in the highland breeze. A long set of stone steps led down the hill to a marble terrace in the shade of two large trees. Draco watched the preparations from inside the summer house, while his mother brushed his hair and adjusted his pale silver dress robes. He wore a gold and sapphire circlet on his head. "Are you nervous, Darling?" "No, "Draco said, despite the butterflies in his stomach. The wedding planner hurried past, talking into a contraption clipped to her ear. "M.O.B is good to go," she was saying. "F.O.B's gone to get Groom," "Mrs. Malfoy? We need to seat you now." His mother gave him a kiss on the cheek and left with the usher. Father motioned to him. "Draco, come here, I must speak with you." Lucius guided him into another room and turned to face him. He looked tired and concerned. "I hadn't wished to ruin your special day, but I must tell you something before you go away on your honeymoon." "Father.."Draco smiled. "Is this the sex talk? If I needed the sex talk, we wouldn't be here in the first place." "No, Draco, it is not the 'sex talk'," Lucius sighed. "We have found the spy." "Oh." Draco tried to keep his face expressionless. "It is your husband to be, Severus Snape." Lucius touched his arm. "I know, it's difficult to comprehend. I feel as betrayed as you must feel. I too, love Severus, almost as much as you do. In fact, if I were a homosexual, you would find yourself with a serious rival. But the man has been spying on us for Merlin knows how long-Voldemort has asked me to take care of the situation." "H-How?" Draco managed through his suddenly dry mouth. "I have placed a vial of a certain kind of poison in your luggage.Tonight, you will put it into his food or drink. It will appear as if he had a heart attack-which may be attributed to an over exuberant wedding night." "You want me to kill my husband, and let people think he died from having too much sex with me?" Draco asked, trying very hard not to run screaming from the room. "Yes!" Lucius beamed and enveloped Draco in a crushing and embarrassing embrace." Everything will be alright, we'll take care of this monster. Draco, I am sorry I ever forced you into this situation." ** "Ready?" Severus walked in, dressed in dark blue robes and stood next to Draco.Choices and decisions swam around in his head, guilt made him tremble when Severus took his arm. "As ready as I'll ever be,"Draco said. "I would have been here sooner, but your father and I had to go round the back to avoid that huge crowd of angry parents, the ones with the picket signs that say 'Severus Snape is a child molester'. " The doors to the summer house were flung open, and the wedding music began. Diaphana walked in front of them,beaming like a beauty contest winner, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. They reached the bottom of the steps and turned to face the minister. He was nondenominational, and a wizard, of course. "Please be seated. We are gathered today in the sight of God and in the presence of these witnesses to join together Severus Aaron Snape and Draco Lucius Malfoy in holy matrimony. In the beginning, marriage was instituted by God, a union which was and is to be revered and honored by all peoples. They therefore do not join together light-heartedly, or unadvisedly; but thoughtfully, happily, and in the fear of God. We share the joy of Draco and Severus, who now come together in the love of God and one another; uniting two hearts and lives, blending all interests, sympathies, and hopes." Someone in the audience snorted.Draco suspected it was a Weasley. "And now Severus and Draco, do you take each other as husband and husband, to respect and to uphold one another as joint heirs of the grace of life?" "I do" said Draco. "I do," said Severus. "Draco and Severus have chosen to use their own vows, Severus?" Severus took Draco's hands in his and looked into his eyes. "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.If one offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned." Draco smiled up at Severus and spoke the words he'd found written in an old book of quotes. "I love you for the man you are, I love you for the things you do, I love you for the things you say. But most of all I love you because you love me for the man I am for the things I do and for the things I say. I love you .The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along." The minister addressed the audience again. "It is important for us to realize that a marriage of two people really involves the joining of two families. Within these two families there is a great variety and abundance of resources for support and encouragement. The parents of the Grooms join together in pledging support for Severus and Draco, who are being married here today, but there are many other members of these two families who are present, and at this time I would like them to stand to accept these words of encouragement. "Assure them of your acceptance and your willingness to help them in every way, and this will give them the freedom to mature in their marriage. And don't neglect the most important responsibility, that is to be constant in prayer that God's blessing will always be evident in their lives, and that their marriage relationship in turn will be a blessing for everyone with whom they come into contact." "Do we have the rings?" A tiny Malfoy cousin, his name was Louis or something, held out a satin pillow with the two rings on it. "Severus and Draco have chosen rings to be the symbols of their marriage covenant. The ring, made of precious and enduring metal, gold, is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites their hearts in a love which has no end." Severus slipped the gold band onto Draco's finger, lingering just for a second. "I, Severus, take thee Draco to be my wedded husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health; to love, honor and cherish, until death do us part. According to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faithful love." Draco placed a ring on Severus' finger. "I Draco, take thee Severus, to be my wedded husband; to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health; to love, honor and cherish, until death do us part. According to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faithful love." "You will always remember this day, for it is a day of beginnings for both of you. You are no longer to be single, you are now to be married. Everything you have ever experienced, every blessing, every heartache, every gift and talent that has been developed, every hope and desire expressed or unexpressed; all of these you are now giving to each other, and will continue to receive from each other during the rest of your lives. You are publicly stating your love for each other, and a determination to faithfully honor your life-long commitment to each other. But I must tell you that the full measure of the love you pledge is something that you have yet to learn. Severus, to adequately care for Draco, you must get to know him. Do not think that you know him yet. And Draco,to adequately care for Severus, you must get to know him. Do not think that you know him yet. Intimate knowledge is a lifelong quest, matched only by the challenge of being faithful in your acceptance of this other person, in spite of the knowledge you will acquire. Virtues like, patience, sincerity, forgiveness, empathy, quietude, joyfulness, simplicity, creative expression, industriousness, thoughtfulness, and many more. "Lastly, I say to you both, let not your voices lose the tender tones of affection, nor your eyes forget the love with which they shone in courtship days." "And now having pledged your love for, and loyalty to each other, and having sealed the pledge with the marriage rings, I do, by the authority vested in me as a minister and in conformity with the laws of Britain; pronounce you married. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder." Draco knew this next part. He took the initiative, grabbing Severus and kissing him as passionately as he could. The congregation cheered.