The Rowle Wedding (tagged, invite)

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On the rolling grounds of the Rowle estate, a large marquee had been assembled to contain the wedding ceremony, the wedding breakfast and the reception. While the exterior had been decorated with elaborate garlands, water features and ribbon bunting, the interior was where everything came alive: large flower displays that touched the top of the canopy, ice sculptures, reupholstered seating, centre pieces, chandeliers; it was very clear that this couple was rich and they had no modesty about it.

The guests were already arriving for the ceremony, welcomed in with a live band playing tasteful, classical music. Ptolemy greeted each and every guest as they came through, shook hands, excelled in his pleasantries, smiled so much that his cheeks hurt. In just under an hour's time, Alayna and her bridesmaids would be ready. They were all currently inside the house doing finishing touches, he assumed. Ptolemy hadn't seen her since the night before.

"So lovely to see you, Mrs Selwyn. Mr Selwyn - a pleasure..."

As he gushed and fawned over the guests, his best man stood very stiffly next to him, murmuring at best. When Mr and Mrs Selwyn had passed through and there was a gap in the arrivals, Ptolemy turned to him in annoyance: "You could at least try to be less like a board, Burke," he hissed at him, out of the corner of his mouth. "People will think they're coming to a bloody funeral."

@Melanthius Burke  @Carina Malfoy @Alayna Nott @Millicent Bulstrode Burke  @Minnie Bulstrode  @Astrid Eriksson  @Aquila Malfoy  @Orion Black  @Andrea Herrera  @Idina Herrera  @Scorpius Malfoy  @Cecelia Burke  @Mackenzie Riddle  @Persephone Rowle  @Meredith Riddle  @Pandora Carrow  @Medea Riddle  @Katherine Riddle  @Gabriella Riddle  @Doran Riddle  @Dahlia Travers  @Mason Riddle  @Jeneva Avery  @Vidar Eriksson

Alayna smiled as her mother doted on her and spewed compliments of her groom, "He really is the best. Part of me knew it was going to be him. Ever since I smooshed grits on his head at the first year sorting feast. It's always been Tolly." She nodded in agreement at her next comment, "I'm going to be a wife. And I'm going to be a mother... I'm scared." 

@Daphne Nott

"Why would you think I would be the last?"

"Because you have about as much romantic inclination as a toad," retorted Ptolemy.

Hector looked peeved, but didn't say anything else on the matter. As his brother and his voluptuously-reared girlfriend waddled past, there was more greeting to be done. He must have still had some sourness left in his expression, however, as Dahlia Travers made a point of commenting on it. His brow quavered slightly before he managed a weak smile.

"It is a happy occasion, I am aware of that," he said, but his voice broke somewhere inbetween. He cleared his throat. "So - I... very much hope you enjoy yourself. Thank you for coming."

He had just about grasped being an infallible greeter, when his sister appeared and said what she said. The smile dropped off his face. "I had no part to play in your own downfall," he uttered menacingly, from the corner of his mouth. Still he couldn't quite look at her. Every time he did, he felt a sharp stab of anger, the sickness of saddness, and the melancholy of betrayal.

@Cecelia Burke @Melanthius Burke @Dahlia Travers

"Wonderful of you to come, Dahlia. We are very pleased to have you here."

And Ptolemy Rowle could fix it all with many years experience of flattering and fawning...

He looked at Cecelia joining them, glanced at Hector, and sighed. Something was clearly happening here.

"Yes, let's."

A gathering of Cecelia, Dahlia, Hector and Ptolemy wasn't one she preferred to witness, especially after everything was so raw between the Burkes. They had come here to enjoy themselves and Bellona wished to do just that, even if she did have to watch Alayna bloody Nott swaggering up the asile to her smiling prince.

"Oh look - there's Jeneva," she murmured to Thius, nodding towards her. She was talking to Louis Weasley. "I would say we should go over there and save her, but I know that look. She's not inconvenienced in the slightest." She snorted under her breath. "Imagine that - an Avery and a Weasley."

There weren't many occasions where she felt superior to Jeneva, but this was one of them. She made better choices, clearly!

@Melanthius Burke @Jeneva Avery

"Then you'll be a bridesmaid," he said brightly, chuckling, "That's a wonderful thing to look forward to, and some happy memories to look back on."

Seeing Bellona Lestrange and Melanthius Burke look in their direction, Louis gave them a cheery wave.

@Jeneva Avery @Melanthius Burke

Daphne chuckled.

"Don't be scared, sweetheart," she soothed, "As you were so certain in your match very early on in life, you have nothing to fear. Not a lot of people can say that they haven't been plagued with doubts or changes to their feelings when it comes to their chosen partner. Now you and Ptolemy get to experience your best years! All the hard part is out of the way, as now you have each other to lean on."

She wished she could have said the same about Theodore. With him, she was in a constant state of doubt: before marriage, after marriage, after children...

@Alayna Nott

With Bellona, he swiftly made it inside. He certainly wasn't going to watch his siblings quarrel, and why would he? Why torture himself when they have an entire day to enjoy together?

The thoughts of his family's situation dispersed with ease with their first sight of the other guests.

Was Jeneva wearing white? Merlin, this was going to be a bloodbath. He and Bellona could enjoy a meal with a show following the ceremony if Nott noticed. A heavily pregnant idiot against a vain idiot. There was no way that couldn't be entertaining!

"That's because he's the only person here who'd kiss her arse," Thius muttered to her, blushing from the closeness of their faces. His Bellona never needed to resort to Avery's ways of garnering adoration; unlike Avery, he felt his girlfriend didn't just earn the right to be, but she deserved to be taken cared of as she desired, receive as many flatteries as she wanted...

"Would you like me to get you a drink, Bellona?"

@Bellona Lestrange

"No," she said airily, "I'm fine. I suppose I should go over there and at least say hello..."

Once it was done, it was done. Wiggling along in her restrictive frock, Bellona made a beeline for Jeneva and Weasley, although she made sure not to make direct eye contact with him.

"Hello Jeneva," she breathed, "You look... floral. At least you haven't gone for block white, then you may have been forced to change."

@Jeneva Avery @Melanthius Burke

"And I will be the best-looking bridesmaid there!" And if someone was more gorgeous than her, which was impossible, she'd have Travers hook her up with one of her beauty-enhancing concoctions. Jeneva wouldn't stop to nothing to have the only other spotlight!

Looking over to see Bellona, Jeneva didn't do her best job at concealing a snooty snort. That color? She looked like a humongous egg. "Aww, Bel! You're wearing pastels for once! You finally took my advice!"

Twirling and posing in her dress, Jeneva smirked. "It looked pink to them when I came in! My dress is activated by sunlight, custom-made specifically for me!" In her hair was small, subtle pink flowers to lessen her chances of being kicked out.

@Louis Weasley @Bellona Lestrange

Minnie was wandering around the table of drinks, sneaking one of the cups into her bag as she grabbed another one to pour herself a lemonade.

Nodding, Thius set off to get himself something to drink and figure out their assigned seating. If Bellona changed her mind, he'd let her have his, and he'd just get himself a new one. No big deal. He caught Minnie trying to steal one of the cups and sent a stinging hex right at her. Minnie sprayed some of the lemonade onto herself as a result.

"Well as it's a summer wedding, I can't wear a dark colour. I'd stick out like a sore thumb, like you."

Bellona narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"Wearing white to a wedding is stupid, even for you!"

Although she was busy snapping at Jeneva while Louis smiled his princely smile, she was distracted by someone behind Jeneva who was looking at them whilst slurping up the remainder of his drink. Bellona glowered at Selwyn.

"What do you want?" she hissed at him.

@Jeneva Avery

"It's called wanting to look refreshing, Bel! I wasn't going to wear yellow! Have you seen how that color clashes with my tan? It's so disgusting!" How could Bellona stand to look so pale? She practically looked like a vampire, and vampires are disgusting!

Turning around, Jeneva crossed her arms at weirdo Selwyn. "He's so gross, Bel! I thought he was going to puke on me a few days ago!"

@Bellona Lestrange @Comarth Selwyn

Acheflow was chatting with other women of her standing, discussing their grandchildren, the wedding, and all of the other topics they'd normally discuss. It had been a while since she's seen some of them, so she was grateful to have this chance to socialize. Of course, she wasn't bringing up Cecelia and what she'd been up to. She wasn't going to tarnish her own family by bringing it up.

"I was merely wondering what sort of enchantment was made in the gown, that's all. Then I wondered what enchantment is on yours, Bellona. There's no possible way that seams are responsible for holding everything in."

He uttered that very calmly and casually, returning to slurp through his straw as he gazed up thoughtfully.

@Jeneva Avery

Bellona turned bright, vivid red, looking scandalised.

"Comarth!" she wailed, now shrinking away self-consciously.

"Weirdo alert!"

Although she couldn't necessarily disagree. It's amusing trying to see Bellona walk around in that dress.

Returning to Bellona after getting himself a drink, his eyes narrowed at Selwyn. Did he do something to his girlfriend? It sounded like it.

Stomping towards him, he interrogated, "What's your problem, Selwyn?" He already hexed Minnie, he wouldn't hesitate to hex Selwyn too. Nobody was going to mess with his lady!

@Comarth Selwyn

"Well, I hope for your sake those enchantments last. There would be nothing more peculiar than having you burst out on the dance floor like a werewolf."

He sniggered at the thought. At least that would be entertaining!

As Burke appeared from nowhere, Comarth smiled at him. "Apart from being ravenous enough to try and take food from the kitchens, I haven't any other problem."

@Melanthius Burke

Hearing that comment, the look in his eyes were full of rage.

"You do have a bloody problem, Selwyn! You're insulting my girlfriend!" Did that nimrod forget the deal they made? Was he so determined to lose his forest pass so quickly? "And I have a bloody problem with that!"

He pointed his wand at him menacingly. "Apologize to my lady this instant, Selwyn!"

@Comarth Selwyn

"I wasn't insulting her! I was merely praising the enchantments of her frock, that was all!"

But a wand was pointed in his face and Comarth had nothing to defend himself with. His hands went up calmly in surrender.

"Fine. I apologise, Lestrange. I didn't mean to suggest you could be a werewolf, as you are indeed nothing of the sort."

Girls were so crabby and particular about things, he thought.

"Now would you lower your wand?" he asked Thius pointedly.

@Melanthius Burke

Bellona very much wanted to kick Selwyn where it hurt and would have likely done something if Thius hadn't intervened. That was for the best, she thought. She would have ended up making an absolute scene of herself before anything started, and all the other guests would be offended by her behaviour.

Argh! That stupid boy! She looked between Jeneva and Comarth angrily.

"You are both stupid. Perhaps you deserve one another," she snarled sourly, knowing Jeneva would probably hate that sort of suggestion: Comarth Selwyn was less of her type than a frog.

He squinted at Selwyn skeptically. "That certainly didn't sound like praise, Selwyn. Her dress fits her gorgeously." Thius still kept his wand up towards him as he slowly backed away to be back at his girlfriend's side.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, his wand remained out to signal to others to not even think about trashing Bellona. "Was that even an actual apology, Selwyn? Perhaps you and Avery did get etiquette lessons from the same tutor. A match made in heaven, indeed."

@Bellona Lestrange @Comarth Selwyn

"Me with weirdo Selwyn? Bel, are you nuts?"

She had to be to be dating Burke out of all the boys around their age.

Jeneva visibly gagged at the thought.

@Bellona Lestrange