Twelve of the Table

Twelve of the Table

Part VIII

The weeks passed and Starr and Severus both were kept busy. March passed by quickly and it is in the middle of April that we find our two love birds.

Severus had taken over the responsibility of planning the honeymoon. He didn't tell Starr what he was planning, only that he was planning it, and not to have any thing scheduled for three weeks after the wedding.

Starr had the job of planning the wedding and reception. She chose September Twenty-ninth for the date of the wedding, and a beautiful wizard cathedral had been acquired for the special day. The bridesmaids dresses were white, tube top dresses, with satin full-circle skirts that swished as they moved. The groomsmen were to wear black Armani suits with black ties and black suits. The whole wedding was being planned around the theme of black and white.

Starr's dress was by far the most beautiful of the season. She had gotten a custom made Vera Wang, and even helped add her own personal touch to it here and there. It had a beautiful pearl encrusted corset, with a satin skirt and long train that also had pearls on it. The pearls were heaviest near the top of the corset, but thinned out as they went down. The train had the same effect, with the pearls being heaviest near the edges and lightest as they moved up the skirt.

The train measure about five feet long, and the veil that would be placed in her hair the day of the wedding was long enough to end just where the train ended. The whole dress looked gorgeous. A whole team of Vera Wang employees helped design it, working with Starr through the whole process. It was a dream come true.

The little flower girl, one of Starr's many nieces, was to wear a gown almost the same as Starr's, without the veil, but with a tiara and puffy sleeves added. The little girl was positively ecstatic!

The morning of April the thirteenth Starr woke up to the sounds of birds chirping. 'Shut up...I don't want to get up...fine...if I have to...' She mumbled in her half consciousness. She rolled over and cuddled up against Severus. Last night they had fallen asleep in their 'special' room.

'Severus, honey, wake up. Remember our meeting?'

'Mmmff...' was all she could get out of him.

'Severus.' She shook him a bit until he rolled over and hugged her.

'We could just stay here forever, just like this.'

'But then we would miss the wedding, and all the people would get to eat the food without even giving us our presents.' Starr winked at him and rolled out of his embrace to stand next to the bed. 'Besides, we have a meeting today with the wedding planner. We can't be late.'

'If I must. But you will pay for this tonight.' He got out of bed and grabbed Starr around the waist. Severus lifted her into the air and twirled her around.

'Of course I will pay you back! I wouldn't expect a favour with no return!' She struggled to get out of his grasp, but her giggling severely hindered her attempt.

'Ok, I'll let you go for now, but we will continue later!' He laughed, and set her down on the floor.

They both got showered and dressed, then apparated to Mordesa's office.

'Welcome! Now, we have lots to discuss. Lets start with the meal. Do you want chicken, or veal, or beef, or did you have something else in mind?' Mordesa motioned for them to sit down in her plush chairs.

'Well,' said Starr, 'I don't really know. Could we have to guests, when they RSVP, tell us what they would want, and then have that prepared for them?'

'We could do that.' Mordesa scribbled something down on a pad of paper and then looked back up at the two people sitting in front of her. She smiled, then continued. 'Starr, your dress arrived yesterday, so we need to schedule one last fitting. And we need to finalize the date. I know we have been saying September twenty-ninth, but you never said your final date. Also, we need to choose an invitation to send to everyone.'

'Let's start with my main concern, her dress. Now, I know I've already been told many, many times that I am not going to see this certain dress until the wedding, but I am the one who is paying the thousands for it, and now she has asked me for a diamond tiara to put with her thousand dollar veil! If anyone deserves to see this dress, I do.' Severus finished his little speech and leaned back into the plush chair.

'Well, of course you can see it Severus, dear.' Starr smiled, a little bit wickedly, but Severus was to surprised to realize.

'Truly?'

'Well, yes. If, that is, you want our marriage cursed before it even begins.' Starr smiled sweetly and relaxed into her chair, knowing that he wouldn't mention the dress again. 'Now, you asked about the date. Unless Severus here has some objection, the date is going to be September twenty-ninth.'

'Alright, and what about the fitting and invitations?' Mordesa was scribbling away on her pad of paper.

'I have time for the fitting tomorrow at three to five, and I still need to take one last look at the invitations. I really like the ones with the silver ribbon, but our theme is black and white, so I think we should have white and black ribbons. I'm still not sure, I'll have my final decision by the fitting tomorrow.'

Mordesa spent a few moments writing, then she swivelled her chair to face Severus. 'I still need some details about the honeymoon. Starr needs to buy outfits, but she doesn't know to buy a bikini or a parka. Also, I need to know if you need transportation from the reception to where ever it is you are heading off to.'

'I'm not going to even hint about the climate. Starr, you have my permission to raid my vault to buy as many outfits as you think you will need for haw ever many climates you may think of.' He smiled at her look of surprise, then continued answering Mordesa. 'I have transportation all worked out, so there is no need to even trouble your mind about the honeymoon. It has been all worked out for at least one month.'

'Good. One more thing to check off my list.' She wrote a little note, and then swivelled her chair back to face Starr. 'One last thing, Starr. You still haven't told me where the reception is to be held, and I need to schedule the caterers and wait staff.'

'Oh, I'm sorry! The reception will be held at Snape Estate. I will need you to help procure some portkeys from the cathedral to Severus's home, but that shouldn't be too hard.'

'Alright then, that is all the questions that I have to bombard you with today. I'll see you tomorrow, Starr, and I hope to see you soon Severus.' Mordesa stood and shook both of their hands.

Starr and Severus apparated back to Snape Estate and spent the rest of the day in the library, still working on a few glitches they had noticed in the Potter's Fidelius spell. Pettigrew had been summoned many times, and each time had been the same. Pettigrew said he was working on being the Secret-keeper, but that the Potter's were leaning towards using Sirius Black. Every time Severus threatened to use corporal punishment, but he never fulfilled his threats.

One day, a few weeks past, Starr found herself home alone when she was summoned. She arrived at Malfoy Mansion to be greeted by a little house elf. 'Hello, Miss. You is Miss Walsh?'

'Yes I am. Who are you?'

'I is Dobby, Ma'am. You is to go to the dungeons. I take you there.'

Starr watched the little house elf as he led her to the dungeons, wondering what he would look like when he was full grown, and how many hours he had already been forced to endure of Lucius's raving. After a short walk the house elf scurried away after pointing Starr down a dark passage way.

Starr walked down the slowly narrowing hallway, and she ended up in front of a cell, with a small bundle of rags in the corner. 'Great, just what I need. A session with Pettigrew, when I have a manicure appointment in thirty minutes!' She muttered to herself.

Starr's voice caused the bundle of clothing to sprout a head and legs. Pettigrew stood up and turned to walk towards Starr. 'Pretty lady. You'll let me out of here. I'll be good, just-'

Starr slapped him hard. 'Shut up. Just because I am female, and blonde does not mean I am going to be any nicer than Lucius or Severus would be. In fact...' She paused to kick him in the shins so that he fell over onto the ground. 'I think you are going to find yourself begging for Lucius to come and torture you by the time I am done.' She spat on him, then reached for her wand.

'Crucio!' she yelled. Once again, Pettigrew became a ball of rags, but this time the ball of rags was screaming and twitching on the floor. 'Disgusting. I can withstand that curse by now without even changing my expression.'

'Finite Incantatem. Now you are going to tell me your sad excuse for why you have failed once again.'

'I don't....I haven't...I...'

'Spit it out damn it! Or, do you want another does of the pain curse?'

'I don't want to...to raise their...suspicions.' Pettigrew stopped to catch his breath.

'You know, I don't have time for you to be panting. I have an appointment that I can't miss, and unless you want to stay here for another night, you had better tell me some good news.'

'They said it might be...a good idea...idea to use me because the Dark Lord would never...suspect they would use me.' *pant pant pant*

'Good, I'm glad you remembered that. Now you will not have to endure this ful as long as if you hadn't have had any good news.' She had summoned a whip from the collection of such items she knew Lucius kept in a room somewhere around her. She brought it down on Pettigrew's back until she was afraid he might pass out. Then she healed his wounds and fixed his clothing and sent him on his way.

'I'm going to make my appointment!'

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Severus and Starr handed in regular reports about the problems with contacting the Potter's. They had long ago given up on persuading them to the Dark Side, it just wasn't going to happen. Now their plan was simple. Find out where the Potter's are, then go and kill them. Lily Potter was reported to now be three months along in her pregnancy, and Starr was beginning to think about starting her own family.

One day she cornered Severus in a hallway. 'How many children do you want? Or do you not want any?'

'I've never really thought about it. I guess I wouldn't mind having a child, but I would only want one.' Severus was giving Starr a funny look.

'Why only one? Wouldn't you want lots of children running around?'

'No, because then they don't get as much attention as if they were an only child. I was an only child.'

'And look at how you turned out!' Starr laughed and ran out of the room before Severus could figure out if that had been an insult or a compliment. Judging by her behavior, I think it was an insult! He raced off after her.

Starr was tackled from behind and thrown to the ground. 'Hey! You're just a big brute. Always using force to get your way!'

'I thought you liked a dominant man in bed.'

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Lucius had been spending many days and nights in his dungeon workrooms. Finally, he was done.

'I've done it. I've made another! This will be the perfect present for Starr. Yes, the perfect present.'

In his hands he dangled a golden necklace. It had two golden heart charms that sparkled in the light.

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