We're not Talking about the 'W' Word - Tilly

September 10th 1922
6th Year Girls Dorm

It had been almost a week since the opening feast and the revelation from the new 7th year boy. That had been a rather surprising Opening Feast, and of course that had led to at least a week of endless babble and over the top wedding conversations. Tulip had of course been somewhat dragged into party discussions, and dress types (what 16 year old girl wouldn't be) but had drawn the line at joining in with making a wedding planning scrap book. Tulip found the idea of marriage hard, just the thought of having to spend your life with a person seemed ridiculous to her. She struggled to tolerate most people for even the shortest amount of time. She supposed if she had someone who had a shared connection it might be different, but being stuck with someone she hardly knew forever was akin to a punishment in her eyes. Of course she was also especially picky when it came to the opposite sex, she needed someone who didn't just look and smell nice but that she had a connection with, shared disdain over the same things, the same level of contempt for things and a love of all magical creatures. She doubted she was ever going to find one of those.

With Quidditch still cancelled and zero desire to do any homework, Tulip had taken to the dorm room early, partly to hang out of the window for a quick smoke, (Flora had got her started over the summer break). She had discovered if she sat on the back of the chair with her head out the window and her wand casting a fresh breeze spell she could easily have a smoke without causing too many issues for herself and her dorm mates. She was rationing herself to one a day on days when someone annoyed her, which had been most days so far this week.

But before she decided to enjoy her stress relief she noticed someone had dumped a copy of Magical Wedding weekly on her bed, she picked it up thrumming through the pages. There were some absolute zingers of dresses which in any colour other than white would make a truly fab Winter or Summer Ball dress. But in between the pictures there were long discussions on the proper etiquette for how to word a wedding invitation. "Who writes this drivel?" she said sitting down on her bed, still reading the said drivel.

It had been a week of hell.

Pure and simple.

Drago had let the cat out of the bag, letting everyone at the Gryffindor table know that they were getting married. Well, he didn’t exactly say that, but within 12 hours, you’d think the date was set and the invitations had gone out.

The situation was changing daily, one minute she wanted to scream and run away, while the next Tilly wondered if maybe a marriage to Drago wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

What she did hate, with a passion, was the outside influence. Nearly every girl in the dorm was so excited to help her plan a lavish ceremony and reception. Tilly didn’t want to have any part of the conversation.

For one thing, if.. IF there was going to be a wedding, it wouldn’t be for years. But also, nothing was set in stone. Her world had been turned upside down in a short amount of time. Everyone in her life, grandparents, friends, Drago and his family all were on the marriage train, It seemed Tilly was the only one still unsure of her future.

Not that she would dwell on that, everyone else was obviously delusional.

That was her story and she was sticking to it.

Walking into her dorm, Tilly saw Tulip sitting on her bed. With a smile, Tilly went to say hi, when she saw what Tulip was reading.

“No, Tulip, Not you too?!”

With the dramatics of an emotional 16 year old girl with her life spiraling, Tilly fell on her bed with a loud groan. “I thought you would be on my side.”

The other residents of the girls 6th year dorm were all in wedding mode. Loving the magazines with pretty pictures of dresses and veils. Tilly was trying REALLY HARD to not look at any of them. As a girl, she had dreamed of her wedding from a young age, but maybe not THIS young. Her dream also included a man she chose and loved unconditionally.

“I swear, if I see one more tulle covered, cupcake dress monstrosity I might throw up.”

Tulip had been miles away and hadn't heard Tilly's approach.

“No, Tulip, Not you too?!”

"Jeeze!" Tulip said dropping the magazine and fake clutching her chest. "Well that was my life just flashing before me." she said half joking, she wasn't used to people being able to sneak up on her, that was her job moving around without people noticing.

"Not me too what?" she asked.

“I thought you would be on my side.”

Tulip looked at the magazine and put two and two together, and got two, proving she was better at maths than divination. "Oh...no someone had left it on my bed." she said dismissively, "I was just looking through it. I mean I hate most of the dresses but there are some I'm pretty sure I could copy in a nice black satin that would look stella for a winter or summer ball." Tulip was a pretty decent seamstress, she'd learnt from a couple of her older sisters, who took whatever Mater thought might be a nice gown and made it from ugly to chic.

"What do you think of this in a bottle green, with yellow crystals for a winter ball dress?" she asked showing Tilly the picture she'd been looking at,


“I swear, if I see one more tulle covered, cupcake dress monstrosity I might throw up.”

Tulip nodded, "It's gotten a bit much, and I'm beginning to seriously worry about the sense of style and taste amongst our peers." she mused thinking about the the amount of tulle, when sleek and style were better the frufruness.

She looked over at her friend who lay sprawled on her bed, in a way that didn't look like the picture of loves young dream. "So what's the deal with all this anyway?" Tulip asked, "End of term you were free and single and now..... Well clearly more of an adventurous summer than I had."

The dress Tulip showed her was gorgeous, and would be amazing in the green like she mentioned, but it was also beautiful in white… as a wedding dress..

Noooooooooooooooo. Not going there.

It's gotten a bit much, and I'm beginning to seriously worry about the sense of style and taste amongst our peers." Tilly saw another magazine on the table next to her bed. In fact, there were three. None of which she purchased or even wanted to look in. Looking at wedding dresses was once a fun sleepover activity with her cousins, now it was like looking into the very near future.

"So what's the deal with all this anyway? End of term you were free and single and now..... Well clearly more of an adventurous summer than I had."

Tilly groaned, pulled her pillow over her head and screamed. LOUD.

When her throat was raw and her voice hoarse she pulled the pillow away from her face and sat up. Hair a mess, face red, Tilly was not the picture of refinement.

“I don’t know if adventurous is the correct word. That implies an eventful, fun vacation or hike. No, I had a monumental catastrophe of epic proportions.”

Dramatic, yes. But also correct.

“I’ll save you the long story. My granny, in all her evil glory, set up an arranged marriage without my knowledge or approval. I met my betrothed at Ellen’s birthday, right there in the ballroom in front of everyone.”

Just the memory of that night made her stomach flip. “As you can imagine, I did not react in accordance with my grandmother's approved reactions. I met Drago a few times over the summer, had NO idea he was coming to Hogwarts. So that was awesome.”

Absent-mindedly, Tilly grabbed one of the bridal magazines off the table and started flipping through the pages. Too much fluff… Too revealing… Too lacey… Too much beading, that dress probably weighed a ton.

“We’ve talked. For now, it looks like this is happening, much to my dismay. I’ve agreed to give him a shot at least. We’ll see how it goes, my grandfather is for it, but time will tell if I actually walk down the aisle.”

“Ohhhh, look at this one.”

Tulip sprawled across her own bed, moving her pillows to make herself comfortable, she was settling in for a story.

“I’ll save you the long story. My granny, in all her evil glory, set up an arranged marriage without my knowledge or approval. I met my betrothed at Ellen’s birthday, right there in the ballroom in front of everyone.”

Tulip couldn't hide the look of both shock and surprise on her face, "No way! So you had no idea until Ellen’s birthday party, that must have been.... wow just wow. I thought this arranged marriage stuff went out with Queen Victoria." Tulip shook her head,"That must have been devastating, I would have been begging the ground to swallow me up" she couldn’t imagine her family doing that to her it was crazy. Well actually she was sure there were some members of her extended family that would love to marry off her and her sisters to people in far flung corners of the world, never to be seen again.

“As you can imagine, I did not react in accordance with my grandmother's approved reactions. I met Drago a few times over the summer, had NO idea he was coming to Hogwarts. So that was awesome.”

Tulip was becoming more relieved her summer had been as quiet as it had. "Not to mention he's in the same House, literally the otherside of the common room." The luck was not with her friend right now, "And no offence he doesn't really look like your type, not to mention Durmstang." She heard all the rumours about that school, like everyone else she'd been told of the Dark Arts preference there.

We’ve talked. For now, it looks like this is happening, much to my dismay. I’ve agreed to give him a shot at least. We’ll see how it goes, my grandfather is for it, but time will tell if I actually walk down the aisle.”

Tulip thought for a moment, she could hear people moving about the corridors, it was never truely quiet here. "Ignoring your dearest granny's views, evil plans, whatever. You've spoken to him a few times, do you actually have anything in common with him?" She asked. She wasn’t an expert on love and romance. She'd had little more than silly crushes here and there. But she couldn’t imagine spending a lifetime with someone she had nothing in common with

Tulip looked over at Tully's bed as she flicked to another gorgeous dress, "Are you thinking ball or wedding?"

"No way! So you had no idea until Ellen’s birthday party, that must have been.... wow just wow. I thought this arranged marriage stuff went out with Queen Victoria. That must have been devastating, I would have been begging the ground to swallow me up."

FINALLY! Someone who understood. The rest of their roommates didn’t get it. They all thought it was sweet and romantic. IT WAS NOT SWEET AND ROMANTIC. Flipping the pages violently, Tilly kept looking at the dresses, not really seeing them as the pages flipped one after another.

"Not to mention he's in the same House, literally the otherside of the common room. And no offence he doesn't really look like your type, not to mention Durmstang."

Stopping, she looked at Tulip and considered what she said. “This room is literally my only safe spot. He sits next to me in class, found me in the greenhouse when I was trying to hide. When this all happened I figured I’d be able to breath here and figure shit out, but now he’s everywhere!”

She began flipping again, blindly looking at the brides and grooms on display. The magical pictures moving and swaying with music she couldn’t hear. The one she stopped on had something she couldn’t pinpoint, something that made her stomach flutter. Then she saw it, the groom could be Drago’s brother. With an audible growl she ripped the picture out, crumpled it up and tossed it across the room.

"Ignoring your dearest granny's views, evil plans, whatever. You've spoken to him a few times, do you actually have anything in common with him?"

Shaking her head Tilly rolled her eyes in exaggerated annoyance. “We’re still getting to know each other. I mean, he’s nice and seems like a good guy. And he’s handsome, like… I mean, have you seen him? But no, I don’t think we have much in common. He’s very quiet, so it’s hard.”

The sound of pages flipping filled the room once again, Tilly stopping on a beautiful sleek, simple dress. Long sleeves, satin, no lace or beading. It was gorgeous. "Are you thinking ball or wedding?"

With a shrug Tilly lifted the page up to show Tulip. “I’m not sure if I have much say in the matter. My granny probably already has everything picked out, so it’s guaranteed that I’ll hate everything. But isn’t this one gorgeous? I kind of like how simple it is.”