It Can't Be... Can It?

Aura walked out of the bathroom dressed in short shorts and a striped and lace tank top. Draco was no where to be found. Aura frowned, wondering where he had drifted off to. She was slipping on her flower flip flops when she heard a knock on her door. She waltzed over to the door to find Narcissa and Erika standing on the other side. A confused look crossed over Aura's face.

"We're going to start making plans for the wedding today!" Narcissa exclaimed.

Erika smiled. Aura's previously happy demeanor faltered. She tried to smile at Narcissa, but it came out as a grimace. She sighed and followed them down the stairs quietly.

Aura collapsed in a chair at the table with tears in her eyes. The table was covered in bridal magazines, fabric swatches, and different types of flowers. 'I will not cry in front of my mother,' she told herself. Crying in front of Narcissa was one thing, after all the woman had raised her. But crying in front of this stranger masquerading as her mother? Never. Aura took a deep breath and lifted her head as Narcissa and Erika joined her at the table.

"What's wrong Aura?" Erika demanded.

For a moment Aura toyed with the idea of not answering her "mother," but in the end she answered.

"I don't want to marry Draco."

Erika huffed and looked appalled. Narcissa frowned.

"Why not? He's a perfect match for you," Erika stated.

"I'm not disagreeing with that," Aura said, "But I would like to have gotten to choose for myself. I love Draco, and I love being with him. But I didn't get a choice but to be with him. I never had another option."

"Well, if you love him, then you would have chosen him anyway so what's the problem?"

"I'll never know if I would have chosen him on my own or if I only chose him because I was forced into the relationship."

Narcissa spoke up then, "I tried to get Lucius to change his mind. I told him this was a bad idea."

"It isn't a bad idea, Cissy," Erika exclaimed, "They are a good match."

"You're right, but she should have gotten to choose him on her own. I chose Lucius; you chose Chris. Why shouldn't your daughter get that same option?"

Erika gave a slight nod and turned back to the bridal magazine she was looking at, "I like this blue color for one of the colors of your wedding, dear."

Narcissa replied, "I like black and white. It's classy."

Aura said quietly, "No."

Erika shot her a glare, "No?"

"Those colors aren't me. They aren't Draco either. We're Slytherin at heart. The colors should be green and silver."

Narcissa smiled, "Then the colors will be green and silver."

Erika rolled her eyes, "What about flowers?"

"White roses," Narcissa said, "Aura loves roses."

Aura nodded. The rest of the decisions about her wedding went in a similar fashion. Around four o'clock Narcissa exclaimed, "It's time for your dress fitting!"



Draco followed his father into his study.

"The women are making plans for the wedding today."

"Are they?" Draco replied.

"Yes. I'm under the impression that you are not happy with my decision to have Aura marry you even though you are the one who requested it," Lucius said with no emotion in his voice.

"Well, Father, at the time of my request I was upset at the situation. However, by the time you had made your decision I had begun to remedy the rift between Aura and I. Your decision set us at odds again."

"Are you implying that it is my fault that you and your fiancee-"

"No, father. I only meant to say that I was wrong to have suggested the marriage."

"So what would you like for me to do?"

"I request that you allow Aura not to marry me unless it is of her own will at the time of her own choosing."

"I hear your request, but I am loathe to grant it. Based on Aura's indescretions in the past, I feel she will not pick a satifactory match for herself, as the only satisfactory match is you. You to get along just fine now, so I will not grant your request. The wedding will be in late July as planned. You may leave now." Lucius sneered.

"Yes, Father," Draco said and stepped from the room.



Aura's eyes shot wide open, but she followed Narcissa to the fireplace and flooed to Mrs. Bitty's Witches Bridal. This wedding was becomeing all to real to Aura now and something didn't feel right. The bridal attendant whisked Aura around the room pulling dresses so fast Aura's head was spinning. After trying on what seemed like a million dresses, Aura was down to three choices. As she stared at herself in each of the beautiful dresses ., she realized what didn't feel right. When she imagined planning her wedding, she imagined being surrounded by her friends as she picked out a dress, colors, and flowers. Aimee and Hermione should be here along with Narcissa. Erika shouldn't even get a say. Yet here she stood listening to the criticisms of a stranger.

"I can't decide. Can we come back another day?" Aura asked.

"You need to decide now," Erika snapped.

"Of course we can, dear. The wedding is months away," Narcissa said and scowled at Erika, "Please hold those three dresses for us, Jenna."

Jenna, the attendant, nodded. When Aura arrived back at the mansion, she darted to her room. When she shut the door she fell against it and screamed.

"This isn't fair!"

"What isn't fair?" Draco asked from his place on her bed.

Concern fliskered over his face.

"Having to marry you," she replied bluntly, "Why are you in here?"

"Well then," he said, feigning hurt, "I'll leave."

Aura darted to him and curled into his arms, "Don't go."

"Then why is marrying me so horrible?"

"It isn't. What's horrible is I didn't get a choice. And I spent all day planning a wedding with a woman I can't stand. It should have been my friends there with me. That's what isn't fair."

Draco squeezed Aura against his chest. "I'm so sorry," he muttered into her silky hair.

"This is the beginning of the end, isn't it Draco?"

He nodded and Aura closed her eyes.

"I tried, Aura."

"Hmm?"

"I asked Father to change his mind. To not make you marry me, at least not until you were ready. He said no."

Aura looked up and kissed Draco's lips, "Thank you."

It was the nicest thing he could have done for her, even if it didn't work.