Midnight || Sirus Black

chapter 16

In the planning meeting, Esther and Sirius sit stiffly at opposite ends of a long, ornate table, eyeing each other with thinly veiled contempt. Their parents are chattering away, entirely oblivious to the tension between the pair. The wedding planner, an over-the-top woman named Lavinia, stands at the head of the table, flipping through a massive binder overflowing with swatches, photographs, and sketches of elaborate décor. She begins with a gleaming smile, clearly unaware of the battlefield she's about to walk into.

"Let's start with the flowers," Lavinia says, holding up a sample board displaying lush arrangements in shades of deep red, white, and silver. "Red roses, lilies, and perhaps some enchanted peonies to open and close at your first dance?"

Esther perks up slightly, intrigued by the idea. "I like the idea of enchanted flowers."

But Sirius, lounging in his chair with an arm slung over the back, rolls his eyes. "How predictable," he mutters, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Just throw some roses in there and call it a day."

Esther's mouth tightens. "Roses are classic, unlike some of your ideas, I'm sure."

Sirius's expression sharpens. "Oh, because your taste is so revolutionary? You'd probably turn the whole place into a greenhouse if you had your way."

"And what's your suggestion, Sirius?" Esther asks, voice dripping with challenge. "Let me guess, something dreary and minimalistic, like your charm?"

His gaze narrows. "At least it wouldn't be a spectacle," he retorts, gesturing toward Lavinia. "Do we really need enchanted flowers? It's a wedding, not a fairy tale."

Esther's face flushes. "I want something elegant. Just because you can't appreciate—"

Lavinia clears her throat nervously, her eyes darting between them as she tries to defuse the tension. "We can find a middle ground! Perhaps some lovely white heather and amaryllis for a bit of color?"

"No flowers at all," Sirius interrupts, glaring at Esther. "Let's just skip the ridiculous frills altogether."

Esther laughs incredulously. "Fine, let's go with your brilliant idea: a bare room and everyone in gray robes. How romantic."

He shrugs, leaning forward with a smirk. "Sounds infinitely better than whatever showy nightmare you're planning."

The parents exchange worried glances, but Lavinia soldiers on, flipping a few more pages to display options for enchanted candles that would float above the tables. She describes the subtle, warm glow they'd cast, but before she can get far, Esther and Sirius are at it again.

"Are you actually opposed to everything?" Esther snaps, turning in her seat to face Sirius directly.

"I'm opposed to spending hours planning something that neither of us wants," he replies, cool and unaffected. "Why waste the time?"

"Because, Sirius," she hisses, "this is happening whether we like it or not. We could at least try to make it somewhat pleasant."

Sirius scoffs, folding his arms. "Pleasant for who? You, so you can live out some ridiculous fantasy while pretending to care?"

"You think I care about flowers and decor?" she bites back, her voice growing sharper. "I care about having some shred of dignity in this sham of a wedding!"

Lavinia's smile fades, her binder slipping slightly from her grasp. She glances at the parents, who shift uncomfortably but remain silent, as if allowing this argument to play out.

Sirius meets Esther's gaze, his eyes hardening. "Dignity? From someone who's willing to throw herself into this for the sake of her precious family name? Don't talk to me about dignity, Esther."

Esther stands up abruptly, her voice growing louder. "Oh, that's rich coming from someone who's only going through with it to avoid dealing with his own family's disgrace!"

A silence falls over the room, thick and heavy, as Sirius's expression changes, a flash of anger breaking through his usual nonchalance. He stands as well, leaning over the table so that they're nearly face to face.

"If you think for one second that I'm doing this for anyone but myself, then you clearly don't know me at all," he says, his voice low and venomous.

"Oh, I know you perfectly well," she retorts, voice steady but fierce. "You're selfish, reckless, and incapable of caring about anyone but yourself."

He smirks, crossing his arms as if her words were a compliment. "At least I'm honest about it."

Lavinia clears her throat again, attempting to draw their attention back to the binder. "Perhaps we can revisit the flowers later and move on to the seating arrangements?"

Neither of them spares her a glance. Instead, they continue to glare at each other, the rest of the room all but forgotten.

"Fine," Esther says, her voice cold and unyielding. "Let's cut the flowers, cut the candles, cut the entire thing. Who cares? It's not like anyone will be looking forward to this circus act anyway."

"Finally, something we can agree on," Sirius replies, his tone just as icy.

They sit back down, but the silence that follows is anything but calm. Lavinia shuffles through her binder, clearly struggling to find a way to resume planning in the face of such open hostility. Eventually, she settles on the seating arrangements, presenting them with a careful sketch of the Great Hall and how it would be arranged.

"So," she says, trying to sound cheerful, "we have your immediate family tables here, near the center, and—"

"Actually," Sirius interrupts, leaning back in his chair with a smirk, "why don't we put the Black family table as far from the Malfoy table as possible? I think we could all use a little... space."

Esther lets out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, for Merlin's sake. It's a wedding, not a battlefield."

"Could've fooled me," he mutters, earning a glare from her.

"Oh, I forgot," she says sarcastically, "you wouldn't know a thing about a real family."

His smirk fades, replaced by something colder. "And you wouldn't know a thing about real love."

Their parents look at each other, clearly at a loss, while Lavinia stands by, her forced smile looking more like a grimace.

"Enough," Esther's father finally says, cutting through the tension. "This wedding will go forward, as planned, with or without your cooperation."

Esther and Sirius share one final, venomous glance before both reluctantly nod, sitting back in their seats as Lavinia begins hesitantly flipping through more pages.

For the rest of the meeting, they say nothing to each other, each lost in their own thoughts, both trapped in a union neither wants yet unable to escape. It's clear that no matter how beautiful the wedding may appear on the surface, the discord between them runs deep, and with each word exchanged, the divide between them grows wider. Oh she was going to lose her sanity if she had to spend one more minute with Sirius Black.

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