Claimed

The date had been set. They were to be married on August 14th. The hall had been prepared, the dress and suit purchased. The invitations mailed via the special Owl Express for weddings. The menu planned. The entertainment and caterer hired. The future bride and groom to be however, were giving up quite a battle. Jessica had 'accidentally' spilled something on her dress. Mirabelle had to owl the seamstress and after a grueling punishment, to Jessica's disappointment, the dress was replaced. Her mother hid it somewhere in the house to prevent another 'unfortunate accident' from occurring. Draco claimed to have misplaced his suit, but his mother found it balled up and stuffed in a cupboard in the kitchen.

There was still a week remaining before the big day, and Jessica and Draco swore to sabotage it as best as they could.

"We still have the rings to consider. We haven't even had the chance to purchase one," Lucius said to William, as they sat in the Leaky Cauldron discussing matters.

"Aye, we need to get one as well. Jessica is becoming such a hassle. Did I tell you what she did to her dress? Mirabelle is pulling out her hair trying to get her obey. She just won't do it," William said, before taking a swig of his liquor.

"Draco knows better than that, though there was a problem with him and his suit. He seems rather dejected, but, he knows not to ruin this," Lucius said, placing down his glass. It was immediately refilled by a nosy bartender who had taken an interest in their discussion.

"I can't believe there's only a week. I'll be glad when this is over," William said, sounding tired. He'd had to deal with a lot in the past month. He raised his glass, the alcohol slurring his speech slightly. "A toast to our families, and that this all works out in the end." Their glasses clinked lightly, before they emptied them quickly, trying not to think about the problems to come.

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As much as they revolted, Jessica and Draco were forced to spend more time with one another before their final step. Draco and Jessica had been required to dress up for this particular outing. A Spanish woman greeted them warmly as they entered a large building.

"Welcome, come right in," she said warmly, her accent unfamiliar to them. She led them into another larger room where there was music playing.

"Where exactly are we?" Jessica asked. Her parent's constant secrecy was getting on her nerves.

"Welcome to Senorita Diana's School of Dance," she said smiling widely. Jessica and Draco shot each other a confused look.

"Dance class?" they asked in unison.

"Well, if you are to get married, you need to know how to waltz," Mirabelle said. Draco could tell by her tone that it had been her idea. Their parents left the establishment quickly, not wanting to answer any more questions. Senorita Diana quickly got them started.

"So, you two are getting married?" she asked, leading them out onto the floor in the enormous ballroom.

"Yes. Thanks for the reminder," Jessica said icily. Senorita Diana looked at her perplexed, then said something in Spanish to the conductor of the band. The music stopped, and a different song started. It had a much slower beat.

"Now, take your fiance in your arms," she commanded. Draco winced at her term for Jessica. Jessica bit her tongue. Her arms were crossed over her chest, so it took several minutes to get step one. Jessica reluctantly cooperated with Draco's arms around her.

"Now, put your arms up like this," Senorita Diana ordered. Jessica slowly abided.

"Please, can we hurry this along?" Draco asked, feeling very uncomfortable. He'd never been this close to Jessica.

"Well, for the bride and groom to be, you sure are uncomfortable doing this. You act as though you're being forced to be around one another," Senorita Diana.

"Well, we pretty much are, so what's next?" Jessica said, feeling the same anxiousness as Draco. Something inside her liked feeling his arms around her. She swallowed hard, drowning out those thoughts. After several adjustments, and changes of pace, Jessica and Draco were slowly, but surely, waltzing. Senorita Diana watched from afar, admiring their form, but laughing amusedly at their awkwardness. Neither of them spoke for several minutes, allowing the music to carry them far away where not even their parents could bring them down.

"Well, this isn't as bad as I'd thought," Jessica admitted. She was surprised at what she'd said, but she didn't care. She rather enjoyed their dance.

"Yeah," Draco said, his voice shaking slightly. Her body against his felt strange, but he, for unknown reasons, also took pleasure in it. She finally allowed herself to look into his eyes, something that had felt forbidden when he'd first put his arms around her. He stared back, her emerald eyes penetrating his being. She smiled slightly, trying to ease their tension as they slowly moved to the rhythm. He relaxed, letting her get closer to him. They were lost in a world of their own, not wanting to be found. His arms that encircled her waist, rested on her hips, as they moved more smoothly. The notes took them, creating an indestructible wall around the two of them. Free of judgment, and coercion. They let their vision intertwine again, feeling each other's heartbeat. The song ended, and they separated, still gazing.

"That was beautiful," Senorita Diana said, coming back to them, and distracting them from their stare. Jessica put her arms back in their crossed position across her chest. It looked as though she was just physically protesting the situation, but she was really trying to replace his arms. She felt empty without them around her.

"Are we done yet?" Jessica asked, for some reason hoping the answer would be no.

"Once more?" Senorita Diana asked, smiling. They nodded casually, beginning to dance again. Jessica as easily and fluidly as if she had planned it, rested her head on Draco's shoulder. He inhaled the scent of her hair, and closed his eyes, being taken away again. The planned marriage, and the pressure and everything disappeared. They saw nor heard anything else but the music and their hearts. They felt...right.

"Jessica?" came her mother's shrill voice. They quickly shoved away from one another. Draco swallowed hard, running his quivering hand over his pale hair. Jessica crossed her arms once more, her insides burning like she'd drank too many warming potions. Draco felt tingly all over. Their parents eyed them, having not said anything.

"They did a beautiful job," Senorita Diana said quickly, having noticed their hasty separation.

"Thank you for your services. It's so hard to get these two to spend time together," Mirabelle said. She giggled merrily, and Jessica guessed she'd been drinking. Jessica gave one last look to Draco, who was staring right back. She couldn't explain any of it, but she felt complete. Her father guided her toward the door. She turned back, and Draco saw something he thought he'd never see. Jessica smiled at him. A genuine smile, which Draco returned.

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