promise

i. the wedding

"I'm going to cry."

"You are not going to cry."

"Pansy, I can't help it. The tears are literally—"

"Absolutely not. I just did your makeup and I'm not fucking—Valerie! Give me that back right now!"

"You've been hogging it for the past twenty minutes!"

"That's because I haven't got it right yet!" Pansy snatches the eyeliner pencil back from Val's hand, shooting her a glare.

"C'mere, Val," Hermione giggles from the mirror she's currently occupying. "I'll help you."

As Val trudges over with a daggered look in Pansy's direction, Elara pulls back the sheer curtain to peer outside.

They're currently within the small, quaint cottage Draco and Elara had bought a couple months ago, here on the Isle of Skye, the beautiful island made of dreams and fantasy.

Rolling hills stretch out on all sides of them, the nearest town a good half hour away, and currently, the sun is just about to begin setting, throwing the landscape into shades of deep orange and red. The sunset brings with it a cool breeze that sweeps through the cozy back garden where they've set up the chairs and where she will walk down as Elara Jacobs and return as Elara Jacobs-Malfoy.

It's been a long time coming.

"Oh, Merlin, she's going to cry." Freya shakes her head from where she's sat on the bed, long golden hair in a complicated braided updo that Rose had done for her. "I can tell by that huge sigh she just took."

Amelia glances up from where she's playing with Alfie on the floor by Freya's feet. He's nearly five now — and his favourite is definitely Amelia out of everyone in this house. "I learned a Charm that makes things waterproof. Maybe we can try that on her face?"

Hermione nearly chokes. "Not a good idea."

"Why not? Lucinda says it works."

"Who's Lucinda?" Pansy asks from where she's finishing up her eyeliner.

"My best friend," Amelia says without missing a beat. "She's in Slytherin. We're graduating together this year."

"How does that feel?" Freya asks, reaching out to smooth her hand along Amelia's frizzy hair. "You excited?"

Alfie lets out a peal of laughter as Amelia pokes him in the stomach. "It's alright. I'm terrified. I don't know what I want to be."

"You can be the next Minister of Magic," Hermione says, encouragingly, finally finishing Val's eyeliner and going back to braiding her hair.

"Or you can be nothing at all," Freya adds with a gentle smile. "You can get married and have children and build a home."

Amelia shrugs. "I dunno. I'll do whatever Lucinda does. She thinks—Oh, Ellie's crying."

"I'm fine." Elara places her fingers right under her eyes, drying her tears before they fall. "I'm just—overwhelmed."

Val is the first to reach her, throwing her arms around her. "I can't believe it's happening either. I bawled all the way from Morocco, believe me."

"Yeah, I caught Orion sniffling on our way here too," Pansy responds with a half-smirk at Elara. "I think he's secretly sad he missed out on the opportunity to marry you himself."

Freya snorts. "More like marry Draco. Have you seen those two? Attached at the hip."

Elara smiles, looking around at her friends. Rose and Meriam are downstairs, busying themselves with making sure everything is perfect, but if they were here, she knows they'd both envelop her in the biggest bear hug ever.