selenophile || remus lupin

chapter eighty two

Ophelia flattened the skirt of her long white dress. The sleeves were much too poofy and the neck was so high that it was slightly suffocating. The fabric, too expensive for the average bride to wear, was scratchy and the lace tight around her arms did nothing to help.

She looked at herself in the large mirror, pleased with what she saw. She was about to marry the man who was told was the love of her life, surrounded by her family, her flesh and blood, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She heard the door open and close behind her and she looked behind her in the mirror. She saw her mother standing there, in a long, green, beaded gown that flowed down to the floor. She held a veil in her hands as she walked over to her daughter.

"How do I look?" she asked, spinning around to face Walburga who studied her for a moment before responding.

"You'll make a fine wife." She put the veil in Ophelia's hair, fixing it to her satisfaction before taking a step back and admiring her work.

"Do you want to see him before the ceremony?" her mother asked.

"Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?" asked Ophelia, a confused smile on her face.

"Oh, but it's not the groom we are talking about."

Ophelia's eyes slightly widened in realization and she smirked. "Lead the way."

Walburga lead Ophelia down to the dungeon of the manor, there being the best place for him to be so that Ophelia could go in and see his misery any time she'd like. So that her groom could torture him whenever he'd pleased. Grabbing the long, layered skirt of her gown, she followed Walburga down the old, stone spiral staircase, leading into the dimly lit dungeon. There he was, locked up behind bars.

"Ophelia-" he said.

"Silence! You shall speak when you are given permission to," Walburga said, putting her hand up.

Ophelia looked at the boy behind bars. She studied the saddened, pained look on his face. Her eyes traced the scars littering his cheeks. His hair, unkempt and messy.

"Hello, Remus," she said. "How do I look?"

Remus opened his mouth but stopped himself from saying anything. He looked like he was having an internal battle, whether to tell her the truth or plead for his freedom. Resigned, he decided on the former.

"You look beautiful, as always."

"Are you not shamed that it could not have been you in his place?"

"You know more than anyone how I feel, Ophelia. You know exactly what I'm feeling and I'd be damned if you weren't feeling it too."

"How dare you assume my feelings towards you. Are you that conceited that you'd think I love you? He is my only love. There was once a time when I was foolish enough to say that I was in love with you, darling, but we both know it was nothing but a childhood crush."

"I do not believe that and I don't think you do either-"

"That is enough, boy. You're lucky we haven't killed you yet. Your time is near," Walburga interrupted him. She grabbed Ophelia by the arm, digging her nails into the laced fabric, and pulled her up the stairs. Ophelia turned around to get one last look at Remus but it was too late and she had already started ascending the stairs.

"The ceremony is about to begin, we'd best be hurrying," her mother said, ushering to the backyard. Her heels clicked against the stone floors of the manor as her gown swayed back and forth across her legs. As soon as she stepped foot outside, the large crowd all turned to face her and the orchestra began to play. It was a haunting, minor tune of romance and love, chilling to the bone.

Ophelia felt a tear roll down her face as she walked down the aisle towards her future husband. But was it a happy or sad tear? That was an easy question, at least it was for Ophelia herself. It was the happiest of tears. She would be getting to marry into one of the most respected families in the wizarding world, she was marrying who she was told was the love of her life, and she would soon be allowed to bear his children of the purest blood.

She smiled at her groom as she looked up at him, him with a look of pure evil and lust aimed at her.

"Welcome all to the celebration, the conjoining of two of the purest families in the world, the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black and the House of Rosier. We are here today to unite Ophelia Black and Evan Rosier in marriage."

Ophelia barely heard any of this though, she was too busy getting lost in Evan's eyes as she stared up at him. She would do anything for him, unconditionally. She loved him more than anything else in the world. She was his servant, he was her master, and together they would thrive.

"I, Evan Rosier, take you, Ophelia Black, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live."

"I, Ophelia Black, take you, Evan Rosier, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as we both shall live."

"You may kiss the bride."

Ophelia wept as she kissed Evan with the passion of a thousand heartbreaks. She married the love of her life and she wanted nothing more.

✩☾✩☽✩

"Ophelia?" Remus gently shook her awake. She looked up at him through blurred vision as she wiped the tears away, hoping he hadn't noticed. He had.

"Remus?" she asked, unbelieving. She had just married Evan, why was she in bed with Remus.

"It's alright, darling. You're safe. It was just a dream," he said, cupping her jaw and wiping a few of the tears away. She wept a little bit more at that, hearing that she wasn't going to be marrying Evan. Her dream was one of the worst she had had, even though she wasn't in fear or in any pain, but because she wasn't. She was happy to be getting married and agreeing with her mother and she convinced herself that she was in love with Evan. As far from reality as you could get, it was all just a dream.

"It's you I want to be with. No matter what happens, know I always want to be with you," she told him.

"Forever, for always, in life and in death, I'll be with you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."