Wednesday, April 15th 1998
MALFOY MANOR GARDEN:
"I don't wish to rush you, though, I must say we do have to be quick," Narcissa rushed out, wearing a small smile and prideful eyes, "choosing now to do this is an inconvenience... Draco don't give me that look, I know it's your big day but I want it to stay between us until this all hopefully washes over, now you, Arty my dear stand closer and Draco, my star watch your posture, now is not the time for to forget your teachings."
"Mother-"
"Start now!" Lucius snapped at his son, not maliciously just out of nerves, scared that they would be found despite the spell both he and his wife cast over the small archaic gazebo on their grounds.
Artemis shot her godfather a slight glare whilst Draco kept his loving gaze on her, completely in love and in awe of her being.
He couldn't believe it.
It was their wedding day.
Their unofficial wedding day. Celeste nor Klaus were there to walk her down the aisle. Daphne wasn't her maid of honour and, Blaise and Theo weren't Draco's best men. But Lucius gripped her hand as they sped towards Draco. No exaggeration, they were in a time crunch and had to act quickly. Narcissa made sure that small yet delicate fanciful dragons orbited them, the dragons themselves had engravings of the goddess Artemis. Get it? Everything was rushed but the engaged couple were content. Just as content as they could be at a time like this.
Only they would get married during a bloody war. Draco hadn't slept. A few months ago he had told his mother of his plans to marry Artemis before anything worse could happen and after the Dark Lord discovered that Harry Potter escaped under their watch they were practically dead. Dead men walking. He just couldn't allow her to slip through his fingers without feeling the bliss of marriage. We're above the stars, and they were. He chose today because it was between their birthdays. He couldn't get the idea out of his head since he had that daunting nightmare about her death, so he just made sure wedding chimes flooded his mind to overcompensate that.
So here they were, amongst nature. The moon shielded the sun and brought its stars with it.
Artemis shakily laughed as the beaming balls of fire winked at them. Draco kept smiling at her, he couldn't stop. They were surrounded by darkness yet all he saw was her. Just two lost kids having an awfully big adventure... in the presence of his parents.
"You look so...well put together," Lucius muttered, then looked away, wishing his best friend was present to see his little girl wed his little boy.
Narcissa wiped a stray tear, "Like your mother, who would hate me for indulging in such foolishness... without her."
The young couple ignored them and continued gazing into the others' eyes. The dress Artemis belonged to Narcissa. 20 years old and it happily fit into the young witch. A long-back black lacey dress, with blown-out sleeves and a subtle neckline. Black so it doesn't attract any attention, white might get us killed, she recalled her aunt's words. Draco thought she looked even more spectacular than before. Simple, the dress was simple and slightly dated but it worked. Don't worry, on our actual wedding day, you'll look like a princess. Not that she didn't feel like one now. Artemis thought he looked utterly handsome in his black suit, despite seeing it on him every day, it was perfect and it went great with his gell-less hair.
Artemis sniffled, "Daphne's gonna kill me, Theo as well, he wanted to be a bridesmaid."
Draco nodded, "Blaise would've mocked us-"
"The vows," Lucius spoke rather harshly, aware of the time and how much they were likely to have left.
Narcissa shot her husband a warning look, then promptly turned to the bride and groom attempting to hold back her tears. My little star is getting married, she gushed at the sight before her. Noting her quivering look, Lucius pulled out a handkerchief and presented it to her, knowing at some point he would need it too.
Clearing his throat, Draco gently grabbed Artemis' hands and started his vows, from what he could remember writing down of course.
But staring into her beautifly pools of brown his mouth took over so his mind didn't have to think.
"I knew you were gonna change the world, just like you changed mine. You make it better by simply breathing. Yes, you make everything better just by just being alive. And thank Salazar you are because I don't know what I would do without you. You are the very air I breathe, the soul I yearn for and the goddess to my dragon. You are everything Artemis Joelle Seramore and I don't think you understand how much you mean to me. So that's why I knew it was time to tie the not."
Artemis tried not to cry, but it was impossible. His words brought her a type of peace that didn't require money or magic, just love.
He grew slightly nervous waiting for her vows, that she only had hours to think of, but she knew what was right. He didn't even acknowledge the sniffling from his parents, he just focused on her.
"When we were younger I always drifted towards you. I couldn't help it I just did and I never could comprehend why. Apparently, everyone else knew but I didn't. You might've fallen for me first but I fell so much harder." Draco felt his chest leap out of his chest after hearing Artemis speak, "Even when we squabbled and had our spats I knew I needed and wanted you in my life, not just as a crush or boyfriend or even a fiancé, but as a friend. My best friend, the dragon to my goddess. The Malfoy to my Seramore."
"Until the sea stops meeting the land and the moon leaves the sky, I am yours and you at mine," Draco confessed.
Artemis continued, "You will always be my stars, you aren't the darkness but are my light, I'll forever be yours, always by your side."
"I love you to the moon and back."
"I love you," she choked back a sob, "I should've said it more."
"You have a lifetime to say it more," he expressed with the widest smile anyone's ever seen on his face, but neither of his parents could say they were shocked, Artemis made him smile like that. Draco was soo happy he didn't see the guilt floating in her eyes upon hearing his words, "Now will you do me the honour and be my wife."
"I do," she said quicker than anything in her life, "And will you do me the honour and be my husband?"
He happily nodded, "I do."
"Rings, rings, can't forget these," Narcissa shakily gave them their engagement rings that were resized and altered for this moment.
As soon as they placed them on each other's fingers, from then on everything was like a fairytale. The magical dragons breathed out small little tunes as they danced around the newlyweds. Draco pulled Artemis into a feverish kiss and his parents were emotional messes as they clapped quietly.
What an awfully big adventure they have to look forward to...
Or maybe not.
***
DRACO'S ROOM:
"Malfoy," Draco suggested to his wife. My wife, he couldn't get used to that and he doubt he ever would.
"No, my name is amazing and you know it."
They were laying up in his bedroom after their big day. Or night, considering there were only a few hours left of the day and they wanted to block out everything that was going on in their lives. Essentially block out the truth, their reality. And luckily Narcissa made sure they wouldn't be bothered, which wasn't hard because the manor was practically scarce odd and worrying. But they had to make the most of it.
"Hyphenate?" he asked with an unsure tone, bringing him closer to his chest.
"Would you?" she glanced up at him.
"I would rather jinx myself," he grumbled, earning a giggle from her.
"Thought so."
"Seramalfoy?"
"That sounds like a potion," she teased.
"They're your specialities, so it works doesn't it?"
A bashful smile tugged at her lips, "I guess."
"Well, we have time to think until we tell our lot," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"They're gonna kill us aren't they?" she groaned, playing with their wedding rings.
"They will, not sure who would kill us more though."
"Daph and Theo," they said in unison and burst out laughing.
"Undoubtedly those two," Draco added, playing rolling his eyes, "Undoubtedly."
"We're in for it."
He playfully scoffed, "I'll protect you, wife."
"Thank you, husband," she spoke, grinning up at him, embracing the warmth that took over her, husband, my husband, "I have an idea."
"What?"
"We should dance."
"Now?!"
"It's our wedding day! Or night doesn't matter, we're dancing."
"Really?" He chuckled, then rose gently, pulling her to stand with him.
"Yes," she smiled, then snaked her arms around his neck and he rested his arms around her waist "But you have to ask me first."
"We're already- ouch you cannot smack your husband's chest," he teased, with his smile growing at the sight of her pout, how adorable, "Would you do me the honour of joining me in our first dance Mrs Seramalfoy?"
"That name?" it didn't sound right to her in the slightest and somehow she would convince him to hyphenate their names.
"Doesn't sound right does it?"
"No."
They both laughed and how magical their laughs felt.
"We'll get it right eventually, we have all the time in the world mon amour," he promised and she shakily nodded her head, swallowing the knot in her throat.
"I accept your offer to dance darling," she said and they started moving their feet to the music the non-existent music.
Foreheads pressed against each other and humming emitted their lips. Draco gently spun her around and dipped her, earning a squeal from his wife. He pressed another kiss to her lips and she moaned into it, before reluctantly pulling away. He was so excited that he could do that for the rest of their life. They giggled when she tried to spin him around but failed because of his stature.
The moonlight crept across his bedroom floor, captivating their attention.
"D... look, it's so pretty."
"Just like me right?" He jokily asked, referring to her drunken words from Cedric's memorial Halloween party.
"You're never letting that go, are you?" she groaned into his chest, feeling a small wave of sadness wash over her, when she thought about her fallen friend.
"Of course, I won't, I'm your husband."
"And I'm your wife."
"Always."
"Always and forever, like Mikaelsons would say."
"Oh fuck," he muttered, eyes widening in realisation, "Klaus will kill me for marrying you without him being there."
"No, my mum will get to you before that."
"You're not helping."
"Not trying to-"He squeezed and tickled her sides, cutting her off and making her laugh.
As she was pulled back to his chest she glanced up at his ceiling and noticed the transfigured ceiling again.
"Dancing above the stars? how fitting for us," she grinned, looking back at him.
He didn't see anything, instead, he sealed their lips, before peppering more kisses all over her face, drawing more laughter from her.
"Why don't we look at the real stars? Now isn't that more fitting?"
"I suppose it is,"
"Come here," He pulled her towards his window to see the real stars.
"Oh Draco," she gasped when she saw it, "it's you. you're constellation. Isn't it beautiful?"
There in the vast night sky were the stars in the perfect dragon alignment. The huge serpent brightly drew Artemis in.
"It is," he whispered, looking directly at her, "So beautiful."
After they got ready for bed, they slept peacefully that night, ignoring the slaughter to come.
And what a vicious slaughter that would be.
***
a/n:
i wanted them to have a little impromptu wedding guys. let's hope they live to have a real one.