Ophelia hadn't slept with Tom. Sure she lied about her identity, her feelings for him, and literally everything but somehow cheating on Carl was just a step too far.
She was standing at their rehearsal dinner. She had explicitly told him she wanted a small wedding. And he had decided that seventy people was plenty small. She greeted everyone next to him, and smiled graciously as they entered the event hall, but she felt suffocated.
She smiled at the cameras and she kissed Carl's cheek to get the perfect shots in. She tried to avoid eye contact with Jason when he entered with some girl on his arm. In different circumstances she would be grilling the twenty something red head and embarrassing the shit out of Jason but no.
They were meant to be mere acquaintances. So she continued to greet people she barely even knew. She hugged her brother when he came through the door,
"Everything is going a smoothly, brother dearest," she said, in his ear,
"Happy to hear, sister dear," said Henry, setting her down and making his way to say hello to Carl, "Carl,"
He said, as they shook hands, "Daniel, happy you could come,"
"Happy to be here, the invitation did say open bar didn't it?" Asked Henry grinning,
"My kind of man," said Carl, "I'll show you," he looked to Ophelia for approval, she rolled her eyes smiling, he was trying to impress his only in law,
"Go, English, I'll be fine." She said, and he smiled at her before taking Henry to the bar,
"Boo."
"Goodness Gracious," exclaimed Ophelia and Lolita emerged laughing, "Don't sneak up on people like that, Delores,"
Lolita tried to suppress a shudder at the use of the name Delores, she hated it. But it had been the only light moment in Ophelia's relationship with Grindelwald, she had laughed so hard at the fact that Lolitas name would be Delores that she had actually thanked him.
"I'm sorry, Pops." She said, linking their arms together, "Now where are those in laws of yours?"
"Already inside," said Ophelia, smiling and greeting another set of ministry officials, "I've been told to call her mom, it's so sweet."
"Aww, adorable. I hope I can be as happy as you one day." She said,
"Don't hook up with anyone at my wedding." Said Ophelia deadly serious at how some of the groomsmen were looking at Lolita,
"I would never. I was thinking maybe after," said Lolita, waving at one who was handsome but certainly a few years older,
Ophelia laughed, "I am about to get a talk from my future mother in law on how to comport myself on the wedding night." Whispered Ophelia, "I must admit I'm a little nervous."
"So American," said Lolita,
"Delores, a man just walked in, what are the odds he recognizes me?" Asked Ophelia her eyes widening at the arrival of Jason's father,
"Already obliviated him." Said Lolita,
"You are the best, Delores." Said Ophelia, "Hello, thank you so much for coming,"
"You must be Poppy," said Mr Finnigan, shaking her hand,
"Yes, and you are?"
"Arthur Finnigan," said Mr Finnigan, Ophelia's eyes glanced into the hall where Jason was currently whispering something to his date who was probably blushing furiously, "You've met my son I see?"
"Yes, he helped me with the seating chart for this evening." She said,
"You are very polite for an American," said Arthur,
"Thank you sir, I'm from the Midwest, a few more manners there." Said Ophelia and the man chuckled,
"Except for Wisconsin." Said Lolita, shaking her head,
"Don't mind Delores, she just hates Wisconsin. I don't know why. Something against cheese perhaps." Said Ophelia and Mr. Finnigan laughed, She knew of his random hatred for the Packers.
"And the terrible football team," Said Mr. Finnigan,
"If you can even call them that." Said Ophelia and Mr Finnigan laughed,
"You're a keeper, Carl chose well." Said Mr. Finnigan before walking into the event hall to find his seat.
"Have I ever told you how grateful I am to have a partner?" Asked Ophelia to Lolita,
"Without me your lovely loving self would no longer exist." Said Lolita, "Pops, you are going to make such a good wife,"
"You had better be a good bridesmaid." Said Ophelia, "For what I've forgiven?"
"Oh, still?" Asked Lolita as Carl encircled Ophelia's waist from behind,
"What did you do to my fiance?" Asked Carl, kissing Ophelia's cheek as her hands moved to rest on his,
"Nothing she hasn't forgiven me for," Said Lolita, "I'm going to say hello to Marjorie," And then she was gone,
Ophelia turned in his arms to face him, her hands on his chest, smoothing his shirt, he loved it when she did that, it calmed his nerves.
"What did she do?" He asked amused,
"She set my hair on fire." Said Ophelia, "Of course I almost for lack of a better word pissed myself." He chuckled,
"Where are we in the plan again?" He asked, his eyes heavy lidded as he breathed deeply enjoying the scent of honey.
"English, you did it, you're living your dream. You were a contract actor, you became a writer, and now your movie is getting made, the first of many." She said,
"And now I marry the girl of my dreams," He said grinning at her,
"Let's now get ahead of ourselves, English," She said, "That's not till tomorrow when I marry the man of my dreams."
"The man of your dreams?" He asked, she nodded, "I like the way you see me, my love,"
"I just believe in you," She said, "One day you are going to win an oscar, and then two, and I will be happy knowing I helped make that happen."
"I love you so much, Poppy." He said before kissing her for ten solid seconds,
"Save it for the wedding night, English." She said, before winking at him and walking away to her seat in the event hall.
--
"Merlin, is my brother hitting above his weight, look at you." Said Tim sitting across from Ophelia, this was the first time they were meeting, he wasn't there when she met the rest of the groomsmen. All she knew is that he had had a business conflict.
"You are too kind," She said, holding Carl's hand beneath the table as he glared at his brother,
"When Carl told me he'd fallen in love with a waitress in America so quickly I couldn't believe it. Has anyone ever told you that you have a worldly way about you?"
"You would be the first." Said Ophelia, trying to remain polite,
"Tim don't scare her off, or she won't come to family Christmases," Said Mrs Spencer-Moon, "We have to steal her away from her own family,"
Ophelia stilled a little bit, "My parents are dead, I still have my brother though. Who appears to be well on his way to being the drunkest person in the room. If you'll excuse me I'm going to stop him from ordering anything else alcoholic."
"Oh, she is such a dear, Carl." Said Mrs. Spencer-Moon as Ophelia walked away, "Now we don't have to worry about sharing her with another family. Or sharing grandkids."
"Mum," Exclaimed Carl, as his father joined the table,
"Her golden eyes on a little baby," Said Mrs. Spencer-Moon, and her husband sighed,
"She's been like this since she met the girl," Said Mr. Spencer-Moon, shaking his head,
"I look like and grandmum, but do I have any grandkids?" She said, "Not one." She looked between her two sons,
"Maybe that will change, maybe it won't. But not if Tim keeps hitting on my fiance," Said Carl, elbowing his brother,
"Everyone loves her, look even Finnigan wants to be her friend," Said Tim, "I hate that guy,"
"Timothy, his father is very important and you would do well to play nice," Said Mr Spencer-Moon,
Ophelia was in conversation with her brother, he couldn't seem to do it. He didn't seem to be able to keep the lie going. So she pulled him out of the room,
"How are you doing it?" He asked as she pulled him to a bench in the corridor,
"Daniel?" She said, "I'm going to need you to snap out of this, okay? You need to walk me down the aisle tomorrow, and stay alive to do it,"
THey both knew what would happen if they backed out, murder in a very slow and painful way. Forced to watch the other suffer. Forced to watch their father die.
"Lia, I-" He began,
"Jason, my brother is drunk," Said Ophelia as soon as she saw that Jason Finnigan had made an appearance, "I need you to get him food. Please. I have in laws to impress."
"Yeah, okay, come on Daniel," Said Jason, wrapping Henry's arm around his shoulders and carrying him to where the caterers were setting up for dinner,
"Thank you," Said Ophelia, "Daniel, when day breaks you sh'all be of fine spirits and strong of heart?"
"You can count on it, sister fair," Said Henry, as he was pulled to the caterers,
Ophelia put herself together again and walked back into the event hall, shaking so many hands that she thought she should have brought hand sanitizer. Once she was back at her table she sat next to Carl and took a breath,
"What did I miss?" Asked Ophelia,
"How was your brother?" Asked Carl,
"Jason Finnigan is taking care of him." Said Ophelia, "He'll be fine. He just went through a breakup recently, it's been hard on him." She took a sip of water, "What did I miss?"
"We were just talking about Grandkids," Said Mrs Spencer-Moon, Ophelia's eyes widened, "You do want children don't you?"
"Of course," answered Ophelia, "I'm just young, there's always more time."
She was in fact barely legal. And she didn't want children with Carl. She was very grateful for occlumency right at that moment.
"Yes but the sooner you have them the longer you have to love them," Said Mrs Spencer-Moon, "And motherhood is just the most rewarding thing."
"I look forward to it then, it'll happen when it happens." Said Ophelia shifting uncomfortably, "So, Mr Spencer-Moon, what is being minister of magic like?"
"Don't get him started." Said Tim,
"It's stressful, let's leave it at that." Said Mr Spencer-Moon,
"What's it like being first lady then, Mrs Spencer-Moon?" Asked Ophelia,
"First of all, my name is Mum, and second it is a lot of responsibility." Said Mrs. Spencer-Moon who thought she would rather like her daughter in law. "There are so many functions to organize and names to remember."
"I wouldn't be able to do it, without her." Said Mr Spencer-Moon, and Carl literally grinned and looked to Ophelia, she turned and returned his smile,
"Oh look at you two so in love," Said Mrs. Spencer-Moon,
"It's nauseating." Said Tim,
"Shut up, Tim. I'm happy." Said Carl, holding Ophelia's hand beneath the table, she kissed his cheek before dinner was served and so much guilt flooded her that she thought she may die.
But this was her job.
The only thing that scared her was just how easy it all was for her.
--
Ophelia was in her wedding dress. It was an hour before she was to be married. The dress was beautiful and they were getting married in the same small castle as his parents were married in. She picked up the bouquet and looked at herself, she looked like a real bride.
She wore a tiara and held a bouquet of carnations because they were Mrs. Spencer-Moon's favourite and frankly she didn't really care. She posed with her flowers, her bridesmaids were in the other room getting their makeup done. She lifted her hand,
"I do hope to catch the bouquet," Said a familiar German accent, she nearly jumped out of her skin, "Don't act so surprised, Miss Amara,"
"I just jump scare easily, it's why I could never be an auror." She muttered, turning to face him,
"The perfect bride, aren't you." Said Grindelwald, sitting down and eating one of the muffins set out for her,
"I did my best." Said Ophelia,
"Very impressive too. Remarkable how fast you made it happen. You have a gift." Said Grindelwald, he glanced at the baked goods laid out on the table, "Did you make these?"
"Just the cookies. Very into stress baking right now." Said Ophelia, as he ate the cookie,
"Delicious. Your own recipe?"
"Very important not to make them too sweet. Why are you here?"
"To wish you luck on your big day of course, and to tell you your brother won't be joining you next time." Said Grindelwald,
"Next time? What the fuck, this is a one time engagement." Said Ophelia, "I do this and it's over you let us go."
"Miss Amara, don't frown. You'll get wrinkles." Said Grindelwald picking up a few cookies and pocketing them, "I'll see you in a little bit." He walked over to her and turned her around so she was facing the mirror, "Remember the plan, Poppy. You marry the Spencer-Moon. And in thirty days,"
"I disappear,"
"You really do make a lovely bride." He said, and he was about to leave but she turned around,
"Are you gay? Like you and Dumbledore were you two really a couple?" Asked Ophelia, he chuckled, "Dude, if I'm stuck in this fucked up employment system the least you could do is answer my question."
"Yes." Said Grindelwald, "He ended things."
"Can't imagine why." Said Ophelia sarcastically,
"Congratulations on your Marriage Poppy."
He apparated and Ophelia suppressed a sob. She was trapped. She took a deep breath and looked at herself.
She could do this. Anything to keep her family alive.