Unhappy Endings

100: The Marriage Of Love & Convenience

Not one to wear something once and toss it away, you wore your Yule Ball gown to your wedding. If it had been stunning once, it would certainly be stunning again and this time with a flowing black veil.

The wedding was held off-castle grounds, of course, and it included the same menagerie of dark witches and wizards that you had been interacting with. As the only remaining adult wizard in your family who wasn't a 'filthy mudblood', Lucius, who was dressed to the nines, walked you down the aisle. You and Severus would be married in front of the Riddle family grave... a rather dour spot. Voldemort, although watching, was not in direct attendance and you thanked Merlin for that. You were afraid your body would give you away in a minute. Although the last five years had given you more control over it, you still changed colors when the emotion was strong. And your fear of the Dark Lord was just that.

Your aunt Narcissa and your cousin Malfoy sat in the front row on the 'bridal' side of the wedding. Many of the other death eaters sat more comfortably on the side of Severus Snape. This wedding had luckily been approved of due to both of your half-blood natures. It neither tarnished a pure-blood nor watered down bloodlines any further. But it did not matter. You would repeat nearly the same vows as before and mean them just the same, no matter who was in attendance or who approved.

As Lucius left you with your husband, Antonin Dolohov began the ceremony.

"It is with the Dark Lord's blessing that we begin this ceremony. Brandish your wands."

You pulled out the ancestral Black wand, causing an "ooo" of interest in some of the death eaters, while Severus retrieved his childhood wand as well.

"Connect arms and cross wands. I will perform the unbreakable vow." He commanded. As you did as you were told, he laid the magic down. "Now speak."

"My darling Esmeralda, I want so badly to be able to explain all the love I have for you. Not the love of butterflies and stomach knots—but more the blurring of self and the entanglement with another soul. Love is a word that is much too soft and used far too often to ever describe the fierce, infinite and blazing passion that I have in my heart for you, a love that is the only thing that comes close to my loyalty for the Dark Lord. You are powerful. You are loyal. You are intelligent. You acknowledge my strengths and accept my faults. I take you as you are now, tomorrow and for eternity to come, to be my wife. Even when the day comes that I am old and gray, I promise to always see you with the same eyes and the same heart that I see you with at this exact moment. So today, I vow to honor you and respect you, support you and encourage you in our pursuit of the Dark Arts. I promise to always pursue you, to fight for you, and love you unconditionally and wholeheartedly for the rest of my life. You are a loyal partner and I'm the luckiest person on Earth to call you mine." Severus' cool voice was quiet, but the graveyard was quiet enough to hear him. It brought tears to your aunt's eyes as she had not gotten to have a marriage of love, only one of convenience.It made her happy to see her relative get to be loved. She wished the same on her son. Perhaps seeing this marriage, rather than her own, would help persuade him.

It was now your turn. "I, standing here in front of you and the people that we both share similar values with, promise to always love you. Hear that: I will always love you. To me, your love is like water. It is shapeless and it is  formless but it is also peaceful, yet so, so strong. You cannot live  without water – and I cannot live without you. You, my darling, are my  heart. I promise to support you, through thick and thin. I vow to support you in life and in death and to always be loyal--" You paused, choking up with tears. Even if it was the second time, and even if it was in front of incredibly despicable people, the love you felt was real. "It took only a year for us to really, truly fall in love but I will serve you as you serve the Dark Lord as if it were an eternity."

Severus wanted to stroke your beautiful, glowing face, to wipe the tears from it, but both hands were occupied. As Antonin completed the Unbreakable Vow, you were able to separate and collapse into a hug while the dark wizards and witches cheered you on.

"Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her!" You could hear a chorus of mostly male death eaters cheering Severus on, and you knew to oblige them. Looking up to Severus' eyes, you saw the sparkle that said he loved you. And as he looked back at you, your entire body became indigo with overwhelming love. You knew you had both made the right choice. And with a kiss, it was sealed.