COMFORT ZONE | Sirius Black [REWRITING]

43. A Christmas Wedding I

*Kindly ignore the car.*

Monday, 23rd December 1974

It was the third day of the Christmas holidays, and Madiha found herself, once again, standing in the main hall of Malfoy Manor, the venue of the wedding. She had just Flooed with Bellatrix from Grimmauld Place, which had turned into the hub for the bridal delegation and where she had been checking over the wedding favours a small while earlier.

Since Abraxas Malfoy was out, Lucius had greeted them and shown her to the hall; Bellatrix had stayed behind to discuss something with him for a bit.

The bridal party had been making strong progress with getting everything set up over the last few months; Lucius had allowed Narcissa to take full reign and today, Madiha had been asked to visit the Manor to lend her support and also to have a look at the setting.

Her mother's floristry was clear to see among the elaborate flower arrangements that were brightening the darker corners of the hall, and from word of mouth, her effort outside in the grounds was even more spectacular, where the main ceremony and dances were to take place.

Mrs Shafiq was not a bridesmaid, having foregone the title since she considered herself too old for it, but she had given all the help she could with conjuring up a wedding that truly captured Narcissa's imagination. Of course, professional florists and gardeners were hired too, but her mother had been assisting them on her days off, guiding and helping where necessary.

Bellatrix Lestrange, who was now strutting through the front entrance of the hall, had been very complimentary of her mother's work.

"Little Maddi!"

Although her and Sirius found his cousin to be quite mad and sometimes verging on the side of deranged, especially after the events concerning her younger sister, Madiha still smiled at the dark-haired woman. Out of courtesy towards an elder and also because her mother had instructed her to be pleasant.

"Bella, this looks lovely."

Bellatrix looked around with strong approval.

"Auntie Zarah has done a perfect little job. Cissy's been raving about it." She gestured towards a set of double doors at the end of the empty hall. "But outside is where the real fun is."

With a hand on her shoulder, Bellatrix steered her to the back entrance which led into a little stone patio surrounded by a neatly pruned yew hedge; she guided her straight across it, until they reached a wide arch through the boundary hedge. Just outside, to the right of the archway, was a small maze of a garden, with equally high bushes and white Christmas roses scattered throughout. A perfect hiding place away from the rest of the manor.

A good walk to the left, however, stood an ivory marquee of an enormous size, its sides open to give those inside full view of the manor towering over it and the landscaped grounds all around. Madiha also realised, with a pleasant surprise, that the air was tolerable as if they were indoors, even though England was currently in the middle of a snowless winter, which was admittedly milder than usual.