𖥸 TW 𖥸
Aelys
¤ October 31st ¤
I sat on the chair of our bedroom in Malfoy Manor, nervously looking at my reflection through the mirror. Our wedding day had finally arrived and I was a wreck. We had arrived last evening to the Manor with Mattheo, Draco and Pansy. I had slept in our bedroom with Pansy while Mattheo had slept in Draco's since it was tradition for the betrothed to not see each other the night before the wedding. I hadn't been able to sleep a lot, I was too nervous and I missed Mattheo's embrace terribly. It was our first night apart since we met and it made me realize how dependent I was on him.
My gaze moved to my cousin, watching how she was carefully brushing my long brown hair. Narcissa had offered to hire professionals to do my hair and make-up but I had refused. I didn't want anyone else but Pansy to help me get ready. She was my cousin but she was also my best friend. We couldn't have wedding witnesses because it wasn't really a traditional union, but to me, she was mine. I knew Draco was Mattheo's, even if he would deny it if I were to ask.
She hummed softly as she started to tie my curly hair in a low and elegant messy bun. She slid the crown accessory into them and smiled softly, proud of her work.
"What do you think ?" She asked softly.
My brown eyes moved to my reflection and my lips parted slightly.
"It's perfect, Pans." I breathed.
Her smile widened and she turned my chair a little so she could do my make-up. I had asked for something elegant but simple. Something that would look like me the most. I didn't want to be someone I wasn't. Once she was done, I looked at the mirror again and smiled brightly. It was perfect, again.
She took her wand and took my hands in her free one. She mumbled a spell I didn't know then she grinned proudly. My gaze lowered to my hand and I gasped in amazement. My nails were now a little longer and green with a touch of gold. She needed to teach me that spell !
She muttered another spell but this time I recognized it. It was to protect my hair and make-up, that way, it couldn't move unless I casted the counter spell. I could enjoy my day without the fear of ruining my looks.
She backed away and I stood up, walking to my dress hung on the closet's door. My fingers slowly slid on the fabric and my lips curled into a small smile. I was still nervous to marry but excitement was starting to spread through me as well. It was an arranged marriage, yes, but I had learned to love my betrothed and I couldn't wait to finally become his wife. To me, it didn't feel like an arranged union anymore as I couldn't imagine myself marrying another man. Besides, we had been lucky and had been able to choose how we wanted our wedding to be. Normally, in arranged marriage, the parents of the betrothed chose everything, from the theme to the dress, but Mattheo and I had been granted the opportunity to do it ourselves.
I suspected it was Mattheo that had asked his Father for that so I could have the wedding I had always dreamt of. That only made me love him even more.
"Go on, babe. Put your dress on." Pansy encouraged me softly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I nodded and let my silk bathrobe fall on the floor, leaving me in my matching red underwear. Mattheo's favorite color. I picked up the dress and put it on, turning my back to Pansy so she could help me lace it. Once she was done, she gave me my heels and I slid them on.
I turned to the mirror and looked at the woman reflected through the glass. I almost didn't recognize myself. I looked gorgeous and it felt weird. I knew I was pretty, but I never thought I was beautiful. I always thought I was a common beauty, like every girl was. Yet, as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I felt like a goddess.
"You are absolutely stunning, Aelys." Pansy whispered as she came behind me, a smile on her lips.
I turned to face her, feeling my cheeks burning. She tilted her head softly and her smile widened.
"Mattheo is going to be speechless."
I blushed even harder and she giggled softly. A knock on the door startled us and we exchanged a confused glance. She motioned for me to stay out of view from the person who was knocking and she went to open it, careful to hide me from whoever it was. I saw her freeze and she looked back at me, mouthing 'Tom'. My brows furrowed and I nodded, silently telling her he could come in. She moved out of the way, still careful to not open the door wider so no one else could see me. Tom entered and his gaze met me. He froze and his lips parted slightly while his eyes widened.
"I'm going to get ready in your bathroom." Pansy told us while closing the main door. "I'll put a charm on the door so you both can talk in private."
I smiled softly and nodded, watching her disappear in the bathroom. I heard her muttering the silencing spell and my brown eyes went back to Tom. I waited for him to start talking but he was still in a trance, his blue eyes looking me up and down.
I cleared my throat and he snapped back to reality. He pulled out his wand and casted another silencing charm on the bedroom so anyone who were to pass before the bedroom couldn't hear us. I frowned, confused. What did he want to talk about that was so secret ?
"You are... Beautiful, sweetheart." He breathed.
I cringed at the nickname but muttered a small thank you. He put his wand back in his pocket and stepped toward me in big strides. He stopped in front of me and I had to tilt my head up a little since he was pretty close and still taller than me even with my heels. His blue eyes navigate between mine and he sighed.
"Don't marry him, Aelys." He said, his left hand moving to my cheek.
My eyes widened in shock and my lips parted, but I wasn't able to form words. His thumb started to stroke my skin gently and I froze. I wanted to pull back, to escape his touch, but I couldn't fucking move.
"Please." He whispered. "Don't marry my brother. Marry me."
I didn't know it was possible but I froze even more, my whole body tensing. I felt like my eyes were about to pop out of my skull and my lips were still parted, my voice still unable to come out. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. It felt unreal. I jumped in surprise as he leaned his forehead against mine and I immediately wanted to pull back but his right hand moved to my waist, trapping me in his hold. I watched with wide eyes as he closed his eyes and sighed softly.
"I have a plan." He mumbled. "You don't have to marry him. We can be together. Please." He begged.
I tried to speak but again, no words escaped my lips. His grip on my waist tightened and I winced in pain, trying to pull back but again without success.
"Mattheo has been useless these past few weeks. If he were to... Pass away. My Father would name me as his right hand and I could marry you. We could carry on the Riddle name, together." A smile graced his lips and I felt my heart beat faster in horror.
I tried again to escape from his embrace but he held me even tighter. I frowned and my lips quivered as I felt tears start to well up in my eyes. I couldn't believe what he was implying. He wanted to kill Mattheo so he could marry me. It was sick and I was terrified.
He pulled back and started to lean down to kiss me. That's when I took back control over my body. With wandless magic, I forced him to step back away from me, finally freeing myself from his hold. His eyes snapped open and widened in surprise. He tried to come back closer but I muttered a wandless spell to restrain his every move.
"Aelys... Please, sweetheart, I won't hurt you." He pleaded, hoping I would release him.
I scoffed and started to laugh maniacally. I was stunned by every word escaping his lips. He thought I was afraid of him ? Was he serious ?
"I am not scared of you, Tom." I huffed.
"Does it mean you agree with my plan ?" He asked, eyes shining with hope.
I scoffed again and shook my head in disbelief. I stopped myself to run a hand in my hair, not wanting to ruin Pansy's work. Instead, I balled my fists and glared at him.
"Are you listening to yourself, Tom ?" I exclaimed. "I am not agreeing to anything ! I won't let you kill Mattheo and I won't marry you !"
He frowned and I almost felt bad when I saw his expression fall and turn sad.
"I love him and I want to become his wife for Merlin's sake !" I threw my arms in desperation.
He scoffed and I glared at him.
"Why ?" He growled.
I sighed and shook my head.
"I just do, Tom. I'm sorry. You're my friend, I thought you knew that."
He pinched his lips in a thin line and didn't move for a few seconds before nodding slowly. I lifted the spell and he immediately turned on his heels and left the room, slamming the door shut harshly behind him, causing me to jump.
I stayed frozen in place, my eyes fixated on the door, my mind still racing, trying to comprehend what had just happened. I heard the bathroom' door opening, my eyes finally moving to look at Pansy coming into the bedroom, dressed in her gorgeous emerald dress, her short black hair curled and loose, her make-up matching her dress. She looked beautiful but I couldn't form words, too shaken by my conversation with Tom.
"Hey, everything's okay ?" She asked worryingly.
I nodded softly and finally forced myself to snap out of my thoughts, smiling at her. She smiled back and did a spin to give me a better look of her looks.
"So, what do you think ?"
"You look perfect, Pans." I hugged her softly and she giggled.
My thoughts involuntarily wandered back to Tom's plan. I had to tell Theo about it so we could find a way to stop him from murdering him. But I would tell him after our wedding, when we will be back at Hogwarts in the comfort of our dorm.
¤
I held my bouquet of green and white roses tight in my hands, feeling nervousness taking over me once again. I was waiting for my father to walk me down the aisle. In a few minutes, I would be married to the man I loved and it terrified me. Especially after learning Tom's plan of killing him. What if he attacked Theo today before we could get married by the Dark Lord ? What if he ruined our marriage ?
I jumped slightly as I felt a hand on my shoulder and my head turned to look at who it was. I exhaled in relief when I met my father's blue eyes. He smiled and kissed my cheek.
"You look lovely, my sweet child."
"Thank you, Father." I smiled.
He offered me his arm and I happily linked mine with his. We turned to the closed doors hiding my fiance and the guests, all waiting for us.
"I am truly sorry for this, Aelys. I hope you can forgive me someday..." He whispered with a shaky voice.
My eyes turned back to him and I found myself taken aback by the guilt and sadness on his features. I squeezed his arm softly and he looked at me, confused and ashamed.
"I am not mad, Father. I understand." I said softly. "And I learned to love him. He makes me happy. I think I should thank you actually." I chuckled.
Relief flooded in his eyes and he relaxed, laughing softly, nodding.
"I am glad you found happiness, my precious little girl. I am proud of the woman you've become, Aelys. Your Mother would be too."
My heart filled with joy at his words and I kissed his cheek.
"Thank you." I whispered.
He nodded and asked me if I was ready. I exhaled and nodded. Without another word, the doors opened and we started to walk. I saw the room filled with Death Eaters, all of them turning their heads toward us, and I gulped, feeling even more nervous than before. Then my eyes met his and everything else disappeared.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. He was wearing an emerald green suit and he looked magnificent. I bit on my bottom lip to refrain a smile when I noticed he had left his hair natural, just how I loved them. Small rebellious curls were falling on his forehead, just above his shining chocolate eyes. His perfect pink lips were slightly parted in awe.
I was so drawn by him I almost didn't notice the Dark Lord standing at his side. My gaze fell on him when we arrived next to them. He had a devilish grin on his pale face and it made me shudder. I knew he was the one to marry us and I knew it wasn't a traditional union but I didn't know what to expect.
Mattheo offered me his hand and I slid my one in his palm. He gently pulled me to the altar, right in front of him, then his other hand grabbed my other one. My father went to sit in the front row and I tensed when my eyes caught the sight of Tom. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were dark, filled with rage.
I quickly snapped back to reality as the Dark Lord started to speak, welcoming everyone for coming. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed our friends sitting next to Tom, face neutral but eyes burning with happiness. Unfortunately, we couldn't show emotions in front of the Dark Lord. Especially Theo or me. He wouldn't be happy to know we were in love and would probably kill us for that.
I focused back on Mattheo, finding him looking at me with no emotions on his features but his eyes were filled with love.
The Dark Lord took out his wand and we held our hands tighter as he put the tip on them. He hissed a spell in parseltongue and black smoke erupted from his wand, engulfing our joined hands. I felt darkness infiltrate my soul but it abruptly stopped as I felt the warmth of Theo's soul linking with mine.
When the Dark Lord pulled his wand back, he grinned devilishly and clapped, making all his Death Eaters clapping too. I looked down at our hands and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the beautiful rings adorning both of our fingers. The symbol of our linked souls by powerful dark magic. A spell that was making me Mattheo's wife.
He interlocked our fingers and we turned toward the assembly before walking toward the exit. We were now husband and wife and it was time for the reception.
¤
Mattheo and I were sitting at our table, silently observing the guests chatting or dancing. I took a sip of my champagne and grinned softly when I felt my husband's hand on my thigh. This man really couldn't contain himself. He grinned and I knew he had heard my thoughts. I rolled my eyes playfully and he chuckled.
Suddenly, he stood up and I raised an eyebrow in a silent question. His grin widened and he offered me his hand.
"May I have this dance, Mrs Riddle ?"
My lips curled in a bright smile and I glided my palm on his then interlocked our fingers.
"With pleasure, Mr Riddle."
I followed him to the middle of the ballroom and he pulled me to him, one hand on my waist and the other still in mine. We started dancing in the middle of Death Eaters, our bodies pressed tight like we were the only people in the room.
We danced for what seemed like hours, lost in each other's eyes, filled with love. I was happy and I knew he was too.
But nothing ever lasts.
A scream resonated in the ballroom, silencing everyone. We all turned to see Fenrir Greyback dropping on the ground, an arm sliced off, blood escaping from his now lifeless body.
My head whipped to see hundreds of wizards in black cloaks raising their wands at us. The Order of the Phoenix. How had they learnt about the new date ? They weren't supposed to know we had moved the wedding to today.
Mattheo pushed me behind him and took out his wand, pointing it at a member of the Order who was striding toward us, body shaking with rage. They took their mask off and I froze, eyes widening in shock. It was Ronald Weasley, Potter's friend.
Mattheo's hand on my waist tightened and his body tensed. He blocked a spell thrown by Weasley but another member shot another spell toward him that he barely blocked, hurting him as it hit him. He grunted in pain and I snapped back to reality, conjuring my wand.
"Flipendo !" I shouted, hitting the member that had hit Mattheo.
Hexes and curses shot from everywhere across the room as the Death Eaters protected Theo and I as best they could while still protecting themselves. I didn't take the time to look if our friends were safe, too focused on saving my husband and myself. I knew the Dark Lord had probably left the second Greyback had dropped dead but I couldn't care less. All that mattered to me was that Theo was safe.
"Theo !" I shouted in horror as he was hit by a spell, causing him to drop on the ground, groaning in pain and his body convulsing.
I immediately recognized the effects of the cruciatus curse and my eyes burned with rage when I saw Ronald Weasley, wand pointed at my husband, an evil smile on his face.
I shot a spell at him but it got deflected by another member of the Order. Weasley snapped out of his trance, lifting the spell from Theo causing him to pant, his body still laying on the floor.
'Please, Theo, tell me you're okay...' I begged in his mind, wand still aimed at Weasley.
'Get the hell out of here, love. Please go !'
I shook my head no and ignored his pleading voice ringing in my head, shooting another spell at Weasley who blocked it.
He immediately casted a nonverbal spell and I was taken aback, unable to block it. I yelped in pain and dropped on my knees, my wand slipping from my hand.
"Incarcerous !" He shouted.
"No !" Mattheo yelled, trying to stand up.
Another cruciatus curse was casted on him and I screamed, trying to fight back but suddenly, I heard Weasley shouting 'Stupedy' and everything turned black as I slipped into unconsciousness.