Love In The Shadows | Fred Weasley x OC

Chapter 97

Chapter 97: The Wedding Day

Adhara stood in the quiet of the bridal suite, the weight of the dress pulling at her shoulders. The gown, with its intricate lacework and delicate fabric, was beautiful—breathtaking, even—but it didn't feel like her. The reflection in the mirror showed a woman she hardly recognized, someone who had spent the last few weeks dressing up a facade of happiness that never existed. She reached up, touching the veil that rested atop her head, and a wave of nausea swept over her.

A part of her had wanted to escape, to break free from all of this, but the reality was too overwhelming. She couldn't escape. She had long since resigned herself to this fate—one she had created, and one that she couldn't undo. Today, she would marry Max Laurent, the man her family had chosen for her. A man she had no desire to be with, but one she had convinced herself was her only option.

Outside, the garden where the ceremony would take place was already set up, a perfect picture of wealth and status. Guests had arrived, family members who had long since given up trying to understand her, their expectations written across their faces as clearly as the fine details of the table settings. The Malfoy name was once again at the center of a grand event, a spectacle, and Adhara was the star of it.

But no matter how beautiful the wedding was, no matter how grand the venue, none of it could wash away the feeling of emptiness in her chest.

She heard a soft knock at the door before it opened slightly. Her mother, Narcissa Malfoy, entered the room, her face soft yet filled with expectation.

"Adhara," Narcissa began, her voice calm and soothing, "it's time. The guests are waiting."

Adhara took a deep breath and nodded, trying to steady herself. She had spent so many years preparing for this moment that it felt like a dream. But now, as she stood there, about to marry a man she barely knew, it felt like the most cruel reality.

"I'm ready," Adhara said, though the words felt like a lie.

Her mother smiled, a smile that didn't reach her eyes. It was the same smile Narcissa had worn for years—one that masked her true feelings, one that hid the fear and sadness that had taken root in her heart over the years.

As Narcissa adjusted the veil, a flicker of doubt passed over Adhara's mind. She thought about Fred—how much she had once loved him, how much she had tried to fight for them despite everything that stood in their way. And yet, here she was, about to marry someone else. Someone who wasn't him.

But Fred deserved better than her. She had known that for a long time. She had always been part of this world—the Malfoy world—and Fred had always been too good for it. She couldn't drag him into a life full of lies and expectations. He deserved someone who could love him without hesitation, without fear of consequences. He deserved someone who wasn't caught between two worlds, who didn't feel like a puppet on strings.

And so, she had let him go.

Narcissa gave her one last look, her eyes full of a sadness that mirrored Adhara's own. "You will be fine," she said softly, before turning to leave the room.

Adhara stared at her reflection once more. The woman staring back at her seemed like a stranger, someone who had no idea what true happiness was, someone who had been forced into a role she had never wanted.

"Adhara," Draco's voice broke through her thoughts.

She turned to see him standing in the doorway, his face a mixture of concern and determination.

"I know you think this is what's best," Draco said, stepping into the room. "But if you're not sure about this, if you're not ready, you don't have to go through with it."

She shook her head, giving her brother a small, sad smile. "I don't have a choice, Draco. This is my life now. I have to accept it."

He frowned, his gaze softening. "But you've always been able to make your own choices. You've always been strong."

"I thought I was," she whispered, her voice cracking. "But I'm not strong enough to fight anymore. I'm not strong enough to go against everything I've been taught, everything my family expects of me. I can't fight anymore. I'm not the person I used to be."

Draco walked over to her, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. "Adhara, I don't know what's going through your head right now, but I do know one thing: Fred wouldn't want you to give up on yourself. He wouldn't want you to marry someone you don't love."

Her chest tightened at the mention of Fred's name, and she felt the familiar pang of longing. How she wished things had been different. How she wished that she had been able to be with him, to choose him, instead of this cold, empty marriage.

"But he's moved on," she said, her voice hollow. "And so should I."

Draco looked like he wanted to argue, but he stopped himself. "If you change your mind, Adhara, don't do it because of us. Do it because you want to. Do it because it's what you need."

Adhara swallowed hard, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall. "I can't change my mind, Draco. I've made my decision."

She felt as though her heart was breaking, but there was no turning back now. She had chosen this path, and there was no other way.

The door opened again, and this time, it was Lucius, his face expressionless, his tone demanding as always. "Adhara, it's time. The guests are waiting."

Adhara nodded silently, feeling as though she was about to walk into a life she had never chosen. A life full of rules, expectations, and empty promises. But it was a life that had been set out for her long ago.

She walked toward the door, her body feeling numb as she stepped out into the corridor. The sounds of guests chatting, laughter filling the air—it all seemed so far away, as though she was detached from it all. This was her wedding day, the day she had been preparing for her whole life, and yet she felt like a stranger in her own story.

As she walked towards the grand hall where Max awaited, her heart felt heavy, and her mind raced with memories of Fred—the love they had shared, the way he had made her feel like the world was theirs.

But that was gone now. She had let it go.

And so, with each step she took, she walked further away from the life she had once dreamed of, and closer to a future she wasn't sure she could bear.

The doors to the grand hall opened before her, and as the music began to play, Adhara took one last look behind her, wondering if Fred would ever understand why she had made this choice. But it was too late for that now.

And so, she walked down the aisle, the weight of her decision heavy on her shoulders, knowing that this was the life she had to live, whether she wanted it or not.