Weekly Drabble Challenge - A Thousand Words: Weddings - Results

[mugglemathdork]

Your challenge this week is to write a drabble around this picture taken by oholysweet on flickr. The only restriction is it cannot be from the groom or bride's POV or anyone else in the wedding party. Get creative. Think outside the box for this one.

The following form must be used when submitting your drabble responses to this post -

[B]Name:[/B]
[B]House:[/B]
[B]Title:[/B]
[B]Warnings:[/B]
[B]Word Count:[/B]
[B]Author's Note:[/B] 

Winners will be awarded 15, 10, and 5 points respectively.

All drabbles must be less than 500 words; All standard grammar rules, and MNFF submissions guidelines apply.

The challenge will be up for a week, and be closed exactly a week later (November 16th).

All questions should be referred to the Question Corner #4 - Do not post questions here. Only drabbles!

Not So New Anymore for the Weekly Challenges:
Due to a major lack of quality drabbles being submitted to the weeklies, Gato Loco will require that some real thoughtful, original submissions be posted from this moment on or you'll end up like this woman here. That's your one and only warning! XD

Other than that...have fun!

~Ebil One

[butter_beer_drinker]

Name: butter_beer_drinker
House: gryffindor
Title: The Mess
Warnings: none
Word Count: 422
Authors Note: I have been in this exact position before!

Oh. My. God! The horror of what I am seeing has me rooted to the spot staring at the mess on the floor. The burning sensation in my nose and eyes is as far as the tears are allowed to get. I cannot believe this has happened. I have been working on this cake for seven days and here it is, lying in a massive pile of white crumbs and fondant all over the kitchen floor. Colorful butterflies and little white flowers are strewn amongst the debris and the culprit stands near the back door.

His ears are drooping, his tail is tucked along his body and his large brown eyes are pleading with me to go easy on him. He knows he did something wrong but what can I possibly do to him? I don’t have time; the wedding is in eighteen hours. There is only one thing I can do; I call my mother.

She arrives in just under thirty minutes; she has her own Kitchen Aid mixer with her, a set of spatulas, and her box of decorating items. Flour and powdered sugar flits among the reaming sunbeams as they sink lower along the windowsill as I dart across the yard carrying a round Wilton pan in each hand. My neighbor graciously allowed me to borrow her oven and the aroma of French vanilla cake wafts behind me and down the street. Two workman smile in delight as the smell hits them and they watch me disappear into my house.

I can hear the sound of the wedding march drifting out the windows as I screech to a halt in front of the church, Mom is out of the car before I even put it in park. The cake is in four boxes and we have forty-five minutes to turn it into the masterpiece I had yesterday morning.

I squeeze out a small amount of royal icing and balance the last purple butterfly along the second tier as the doors open to allow the first guest in. I casually slip the icing bag into my apron pocket and adjust the lace tablecloth. I smile at the mother of the bride as she enters and then slip into the kitchen and collapse in a chair next to my own mother.

“You want to get some coffee?” She is as weary as I am but nods in answer. We gather our boxes of supplies, and covered with flour and icing we head to the local Starbucks for a shot of caffeine.

[bluemoon13]

Name: bluemoon13
House: Hufflepuff
Title: Sweet Dreams
Warnings: None
Word Count: 292
Authors Note: Hopes this is okay because it's not actually at a wedding....

It is utterly beautiful. Three layers of chocolate with a raspberry filling, carefully iced with vanilla butter cream and topped with expertly crafted sugar butterflies. The cake is truly a work of art.

Hermione first sees it in the window of the bakery when she is on lunch break. She has some free time before she had to return to work, and she greatly admires the skill of the bakers. She would love to have that cake on her wedding day.

That was assuming her wedding day came, of course. She and Ron had been dating for years without a hint of the subject. It wasn’t that Hermione minds waiting. Not really. But Harry and Ginny’s wedding had been so amazing, and Hermione longs for that wonder and beauty too.

Everyone seemed to get married after the war. Percy and Audrey, Neville and Hannah, even George (he and Angelina eloped in Mexico, to the fury of Mrs.Weasley). Hermione was surrounded by something so sacred and special, yet she couldn’t be a part of it.

Hermione shakes her head, and realises she needs to get back to work.

~*~
She comes back the next day, just to see the cake. The window, however; is empty. She imagines the cake has been sold. Probably to some happy young girl whose wedding will be perfect. The girl was lucky. Her dreams were coming true. She didn’t have to wait or wish or hope.

Hermione can envision it: a bride decked in white gracefully walks down the aisle, a wedding march bringing tears to her mother’s eyes. Standing before her is her man- the only one she can imagine spending the rest of her life with.

Hermione sighs. For now, all she can do is dream.

-Shivy

[Equinox Chick]

Name: Equinox Chick
House: Hufflepuff
Title: "I love you,Dora."
Warnings: Mild swearing
Word Count: 487
Authors Note: This is a moment before Remus has his 'wobble'. I hope this counts because although Remus and Tonks are married it's not their wedding they're observing. * bit cheeky*

It was a Saturday afternoon in July and Nymphadora Tonks, now Nymphadora Lupin, was walking down a Muggle street, hand in hand, with her husband of one week.

“So,” Remus said jokingly, “will everyone have to call you Lupin now and not Tonks?”

She giggled. “I hadn’t thought of that. It might be a bit confusing, Lupin and Lupin. I think everyone should stick to Tonks.”

“Mmm,” he said as he leant over and kissed her cheek. “Except sometimes when I’ll be calling you Dora.”

She giggled again. Remus had told her he refused to use her nickname when they were being affectionate.

She pulled him down a side street and began to kiss him. Usually so reserved, she expected him to pull away but to her surprise he responded.

“I love you, Dora” he whispered.

“I love you too,” she replied.

“Oy, do you mind,” screeched a voice behind them. “The wedding party will be here soon and you’re right in the way of the staff entrance.”

She looked at Remus’ shabby clothes and Tonks’ frayed jeans.

“You’re not guests, then?” she muttered.

“No,” replied Tonks. “We’re just passing.” She looked at the large box in the woman’s hands.

“Oh, is that the cake?” she asked.

“Yep, three tiers, flowers, butterflies, sparkly bits – the whole shebang!”

“Can I see it?” said Tonks.

The woman considered carefully then lifted the lid to reveal the creation.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” breathed Tonks. “Remus, look at those butterflies. Aren’t they lovely?”

She looked up at the woman. “Did you make this?” she asked, her eyes alight with enthusiasm.

The woman nodded, mollified by the compliments on her skill.

Remus watched sadly as his new wife gazed at the cake. Their wedding had been ridiculously small. No family and precious few friends in attendance. Kingsley and Moody had acted as witnesses. It hadn’t bothered him but he knew Tonks had been deeply hurt by her parent’s non-attendance, despite the bravado.

“Well,” said the woman, “I’d better get on. That looks like the first car arriving.”

Remus and Tonks followed her gaze and saw a sleek Rolls Royce draw up. The chauffeur stepped out and opened the door of the car. A young, handsome man got out of the car and looked round.

“You could help me,” complained a voice from inside the car, “This dress is bloody uncomfortable.”

They saw the groom turn back with an impatient look on his face and reach into the car. The bride got out. She was wearing a stunning, ivory silk, dream of a dress which emphasised her tiny waist. Remus looked down at Tonks thinking she’d be looking at the dress longingly, but he thought wrong.

“She looks angry about something,” mused Tonks. “How can a bride be cross on her wedding day? And she looks so beautiful too.”

“She can’t hold a candle to you, Dora,” whispered Remus as he nuzzled her ear.

Carole
xxx

[inspirations]

Name: inspirations
House: Hufflepuff
Title: Marzipan Butterflies
Warnings: None
Word Count: 164 << short!
Authors Note: This is wrote from Rita Skeeter's PoV, and she is in her animagus form. The wedding party is unaware of her presence. Enjoy!

This was going to be a top scoop – I could tell a great story at a single glance.

I watched the bride and groom. The wedding party gathered around the cake, and the couple held the knife together. He stood behind her, an arm around her slim waist. They cut the cake.

She popped an intricate, purple, marzipan butterfly into her mouth, and gave him a peck on the cheek. There was a burst of applause, and I yearned for my camera-man and quick-quotes quill. Of course, I would look a little conspicuous then.

He sat on a chair, slightly apart from the crowd. She settled in his lap, the pretty, white layers of her dress fanning out around them both. She whispered in his ear, causing a burst of tinkling laughter to tumble from his lips.

I vaguely wondered how he would react when he realised I had been spying, because, yes, Harry and Ginny Potters' marriage would make quite a report.

[XhayleeXblackX]

Name: XhayleeXblackX / Haylee
House: Slytheirn
Title: His Son
Warnings: None
Word Count: 498
Authors Note: I hope this is okay because I didn't actually use the cake, more the idea of the wedding, but yeah . . .

He wasn’t particularly happy that they were getting married, and yet there he sat, in the front row of the marquee, watching as the Weasel brought the bride down the isle. She looked beautiful, there was no mistaking it, but Rose Weasley was still not quite what he had expected for his son. Then again, he had only ever hoped that Scorpius would wed out of love and not expectancy, and that was exactly what he was doing – why else would he marry her?

Draco sighed and placed an arm on his wife’s shoulder as she began to sob; Astoria always had been an emotional person. He knew that she was shedding a mixture of loss and happiness in her tears, and he understood her confliction all too well. Scorpius was their child, their one and only, and they both feared that they were losing him, no matter how much he had assured them he was going nowhere.

Scorpius’ life was changing forever, in a mere matter of moments. As Draco watched his son give his vows, his heart swelled with uncontrollable pride. His son had done the exact opposite of himself; he had become his own person, his own man, and married the woman with the key to her heart, whilst Draco had married to please his mother. Although he had grown to love his wife, the simple joy that shown in Scorpius’ soft grey eyes was enough to make Draco envy and admire his son all at the same time.

Before Draco had realised it, the bride and groom were one, husband and wife. He stood with the crowd of guests, clapping politely as Malfoys do. He watched Scorpius and Rose walk back down the isle hand in hand, never straying from each other’s eyes.

The reception started soon thereafter, and Draco headed toward the wedding party to offer his official congratulations to the newly weds. As he approached, he met eyes with the bride’s father, and nodded the same short non Ron Weasley did, realising that they must both come to terms with their children’s relationship.

“Well, son, congratulations. You’ve found a beautiful bride and happiness,” Draco said, shaking Scorpius’ hand. The younger Malfoy moved forward, grasping his father and embracing him.

“Thanks, Dad, for everything.”

“I want you to know, Scorpius, that I am proud of you,” Draco whispered to him.

“I know,” he said, grinning as they parted. “Come on, Rose wants to cut the cake.”

Draco smiled, an odd occasion usually, but he often found that Scorpius had that effect on him. He was his pride and joy, an emotion that was expressed unconsciously across his face whenever he was with his son.

They walked toward the crowd gathering around the table and Draco took his place next his wife as his son took his next to his own. He watched as he cut the magnificent cake, and smiled once more as the couple kissed again.

He had never felt so proud.

-Haylee

[cirelondiel]

Name: Chelsea
House: Hufflepuff
Title: Wedding Crasher
Warnings: None
Word Count: 136
Authors Note: This was a fun one

You have to admit you were disappointed the first time you transformed. No, your Animagus form couldn't be something tough. You had to be a butterfly. Something that would be chased by small children, and maybe by animals wanting a snack. Great. Just great.

But right now, you're thankful for having an Animagus form that's inconspicuous. You're small, you're silent, and at least people don't try to squash butterflies.

And it gets better. When you fly into the marquee, you instantly notice the cake. Oh, what a cake. Its white-coated tiers are covered with dozens of stunning marzipan butterflies. Their intricately coloured wings feature every colour of the rainbow.

Oh, glorious day. Fate has smiled upon you.

You settle onto the cake. You've got a wedding to crash.

[antipodean_opaleye]

Name: Antipodean_Opaleye
House: Slytherin
Title: Joy of the World
Warnings: None
Word Count: 424
Authors Note: Inside the mind of Victoire Weasley on her loved one’s wedding day.

As I sat out in my spot, I couldn’t help my notice how much I loathed sitting here. The one person I truly love is up standing the front of the room, about to marry someone else. I had a chance with my lover but things just started fading from him. My love tried to make the break up painless but I still cried. He tried to make it better by still being friends but it’s never the same. It had only been a year before he ran into that muggle girl after he broke my heart and she won his. They’d only known each other for a few months before he had asked her out on a date. It killed me to see him do such a thing.

Now that girl was up with my love in a tight fitting white gown. He was waiting nervously for that moment that was soon to come. I had to object this wedding. I had to. I needed him for myself and myself alone. She doesn’t need him like I do. What would I say when I needed a reason; that I couldn’t let him wed that muggle piece of trash? “I do,” her voice came and I knew I missed my chance. He was about to wed her. “I, Theodore Remus Lupin, take thee, Cerys Jenna Banda, to be my lawful wedded wife, in sickness of health, for better or for worst, for rich or for pour, to love thy forever with all my heart. I do.” Ted spoke to her lovingly and he slipped a ring on her finger.

“No…” I whispered desperately as he lifted the veil from in front of her face. Her caramel colored skin didn’t look as flushed as it had with the veil down. In fact, she looked rather beautiful. Her black hair was normally pin straight and waist length but today she had it curly. Teddy was looking at her with that loving look he once gave me. Of the fire in the pit of my stomach burned. “You may kiss the bride.” Those words were the end of it. Ted had sealed their marriage with a passionate kiss to his now beloved wife. Why were things so unfair? Tears ran down my cheeks and my father patted my shoulder. “It’s okay ‘Torie. Just because he’s married down doesn’t mean he’s gone,” he said to me and I wanted to weep harder. I wanted so badly to be Victoire Lupin. Why is the joy of the world absent?

[Enneirda]

Name: AJ / Enneirda
House: Hufflepuff :]
Title: My Brethren!
Warnings: None
Word Count: 244
Authors Note: Gah, this was the best I could do.

"I'll race you!" one of my friends say before laughing and fluttering through the hot air. I relax on the branch, watching their shiny bodies disappear in the crowd of humans. Their colours are unusually glittery today, as if they're covered in tiny scales of sunlight.

I stretch my wings in the warm sun's glow before taking off into the air. The warm summer sun is delightful on my wings and I dip low to discreetly observe the gathering of humans.

I wonder why one of the females is dressed more extravagantly. Hmm. Is it someone's birthday? I know they have a lot of fun with each other's day of birth annually.

This party is probably important, as their delicious food is spread out so lovely in neat rows on pretty tables -

I stop, hovering over one of the odd food items. A human points a stick at one of my friends and they are rendered immobile, their body dropping into the hands of the woman. I gasp, a small noise too quiet for anyone else.

She places my purple-tinted friend on the cake. She repeats the process with all my other friends and family as I stare in horror.

My brethren! My family! What have those blasted humans done?!

My friends' wings are placed decoratively on the cake, their magnificent bodies shining in the sunlight.

Suddenly, I drop from the sky and land in the cruel human hand. Oh, Lord. No!

-AJ

[lily_evans34]

Name: lily_evans34
House: Ravenclaw
Title: The Wedding You Always Imagined
Warnings: None.
Word Count: 496. I need to stop doing that.
Authors Note: ... Ritta, can you kindly increase the word count to 600? Pretty much... everything I write ends up being about that long, which sticks me in no-man's land between drabbles and one shots. >.>

“You always were too beautiful for a simple cake, weren’t you?”

You see her look up, and you register the flicker of shock which crosses her features as she stands. Her expression is as unreadable as it has ever been – something caught between curiosity and aloofness, and her eyes are cold, distant, more beautiful than yours have ever been. It has been years since you last saw her, but she still looks young. You wonder if she’ll ever look truly old – if her face will always hide the lines more capably than it should.

“Andromeda, what are you doing here?”

“There was a time when I would have been surprised that my own sister didn’t invite me to her wedding.”

“You know I couldn’t have. You know you shouldn’t be here.”

You look away, absorbing the scene before you. This is the house in which you grew up, but you can hardly recognise it. It too has grown up – the paint is worn and chipped; the curtains are hanging at odd angles. The lawn however has never looked more well-kept. There are chairs lining either side of the aisle, the grass concealed by a silver path for the occasion. Narcissa is standing next to a table on which there is a cake which almost looks too grandiose to be real, which, in a convoluted way, suits your sister.

“We used to plan your wedding together, do you remember?”

You know that she does, because she closes her eyes and turns away from you. You too frown as you remember the late hours during which the two of you would sit on Narcissa’s bed, drawing pictures and writing out detailed accounts of Narcissa’s wedding with her Prince Charming. Narcissa’s was the wedding which you always planned. You never gave much thought to yours, which was hardly surprising. Narcissa was always the beautiful one, the romantic one, the one who had her life drawn out before her before she could walk. You know that whoever her fiancée is, he’s rich and handsome and alluring, because you know your sister. You know that she would marry nothing less.

“Please, Andromeda. Just go. You don’t belong here anymore.”

“I know.”

She looks up and the corners of her mouth crease, and you can tell that she doesn’t believe you. She thinks you came for a reason other than to just see the life you left behind. You didn’t.

“I hope it’s everything you imagined.”

You turn away, and you forget that at one time, you would have been standing in the front row as she walked down the aisle. You would have been the one who sliced the cake and toasted your sister as she began her new life.

You bite back tears as you remember that Narcissa was the only thing you’ve ever had a problem letting go of. But in a world with ostentatious wedding cakes and marzipan butterflies, it’s hard to believe that she ever needed you.