Wedding Bells Are Ringing -- Anna

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina was nearly delirious with excitement; one of her best friends in the world, Molly Annelise Weasley, was getting married! It was so romantic, with a side of tragedy - Oscar had been the sole survivor of the Beauxbatons carriage explosion; Irina supposed coming that close to death had made him realize just how much Anna meant to him. She had not really interacted much with the other Beauxbatons students, except of course for Emile, whom she had not gotten on with very well. Still, she hadn’t wanted him dead; just away from her little sister. Still, as Anna had relayed the story of Oscar’s proposal, Irina couldn’t help but feel that it was one of the most romantic things she had ever heard.

Irina, admittedly, had no experience whatsoever in wedding planning, but she was always willing to offer a helping hand, especially since Anna and Oscar planned to wed in August of this year. She arrived at Anna’s place right at two in the afternoon on a June Sunday as planned with several Muggle bridal magazines in her arms. She didn’t know how many Muggle touches Anna would want in her wedding as a pureblood, but it didn’t hurt right? Plus, the dresses were just so gorgeous to look at! Irina also wanted to, eventually, share the news with Anna about Dan; how he had come back, how he had taken her to dinner, and how they had decided to give things another go. It was one thing talking to her siblings about the steps, but a completely different atmosphere around friends. She reached up a hand, balled it into a fist and knocked three times at the door before taking a step back, chewing her lower lip in anticipation for the door to swing open and reveal her friend.

@annelise

[Deleted]

Anna was waiting expectantly for Irina to show up. A part of her felt so strung up and stressed about all the plans she had to make for her wedding, but at the same time she was ecstatic. She was marrying Oscar! After everything that happened during the last year, it almost felt too good to be true, but she was so ready for this. At least, she was ready mentally. When it came to planning the thing, though, she had no idea what she was doing.

However, today she was going to go look at dresses with Irina. That was something that needed to be done and it was something she didn't want to do on her own. Once she found a few options, she'd definitely be asking Andy and Lucy what they thought before making a final decision, but it was a good excuse to go out with her friend. When she finally heard Irina knocking, she juped to her feet and ran to the door, opening it and throwing her arms around her friend. "Irina!! How are you? It feels like forever since graduation! Are you ready to go?" Anna knew she was talking pretty fast, but she also couldn't seem to help herself. She was so excited to be spending the afternoon with her friend.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina didn’t have to wait long until the door was flung open and she was engulfed in a hug from her red haired friend. She squeezed Anna back enthusiastically. “It’s good to see you too!” she exclaimed with a laugh. She walked into Anna’s living room and let the door close behind them; it was better to have this conversation inside without their excitement bugging any neighbors. “I’m good! I’m so excited for you to try on WEDDING DRESSES today!” she said enthusiastically, emphasizing the words wedding and dress on purpose. Irina had only been to a few weddings in her eighteen years of life, but she had always been eager to see what the bride wore each time. Now that it was one of her close friends getting married, Irina had readily agreed to help Anna find the perfect gown for her special day. This was different than the obligatory family weddings; she knew she’d get emotional when she saw Anna walk down the aisle with her father. She would have to prepare Daniel for that a few days before the event, but in all fairness his sister had recently married Freddie, so he probably understood the emotions that came with weddings by now.

Speaking of, Irina had yet to tell any of her friends about her and Daniel getting back together -- her family had been made aware, she had told her mentor at work, and she had randomly confided in Kinsey Bainbridge, but other than that she hadn’t had the time to sit down and talk to her friends about her rekindled romance. She supposed now was as good a time as any. “I actually have some news for you,” she told Anna as they sat down. She cleared her throat, unsure how her friend was going to react. “Daniel and I reconnected recently,we found each other at Quality Quidditch supplies, then we went out to dinner and well...we got back together, as of late May,” she said, letting it all out in one exhale.

@annelise

[Deleted]

Anna couldn't help but laugh when Irina came in, talking about how excited she was to see Anna try on wedding dresses. "I bet you're not half as excited as I am," she teased, unable to help herself. It's just ... trying on wedding dresses made things so much more real. She knew she was getting married to Oscar. She was in the middle of all the planning and everything, but looking at dresses? That was one of the big things. 

Irina said she had news for Anna too and she cocked her head to the side curiously as she sat down. "What news?" she asked with a smile, hoping it was good news. Irina seemed a bit nervous though, so she wasn't entirely sure if it was or not. The first word Irina said was Daniel and Anna's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected that. The rest of the sentence came out fast and Anna tried to take it all in, wanting to make sure she understood what her friend said before she reacted. It took a few seconds for the last part- about them getting back together in May- to sink in. "Wait, so you're dating Dan again?" she asked, her smile widening. "Are things going well? How did that happen? Come on Irina, you have to give me more than that!" Anna spoke quickly, unable to help herself. She was excited for her friend and sooooo curious about what happened. 

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina could feel the giddy excitement waft from Anna; whether it was for her wedding, how blissfully happy she was with Oscar, her happiness for Irina or a combination she didn’t know. What she did know was that it was contagious - she felt a smile spread from ear to ear. “I am, we are,” she said with a little laugh. “Okay okay!” she exclaimed, holding up her hands. She grabbed Anna’s hands and sat her down on the couch. “So, we ran into each other at Quality Quidditch Supplies last month,” she began. Irina gave her friend the details; how she had accidentally smacked him across the face with Keeper gloves, how he had asked her to dinner, the kissing and eating of said dinner, and finally to the lengthy talk outside Saint Pauls Cathedral that had been the place of the rebirth of their relationship. “Then...I swear to you I’m not joking...this musician started playing La Vie En Rose, you know, the song my music box plays? So he helped me off the bench and we danced to the music…” Irina trailed off, sighing happily. “It was perfect, almost disgustingly so, but I don't even care,” she finished, laughing at herself. Merlin if she had been an outsider looking in she probably would have vomited from the adorable perfection the moment had been.

Irina squeezed Anna’s hands and stood back up. “Okay, now that the cat’s out of the bag let’s get to what is important, and that is finding your WEDDING GOWN!’ she said, jumping up and down a little with glee. “What sort of gown are you thinking of?” she asked, tucking her arm through Anna’s and leading her towards the door so they could get going.

@annelise

[Deleted]

Anna's excitement grew when Irina said that she was happy. That was what really mattered, right? She smiled at her friend as she gave and started telling the story, after making Anna sit beside her on the couch. Anna listened intently, unable to keep the smile off her face, since her friend was obviously so happy about the situation. When she finished, Anna smiled at her. "I'm so happy for you, Irina!" Anna squealed, giving her friend a big hug. "And it doesn't matter what any outsiders think, as long as you're happy about it." 

She laughed when Irina stood back up, saying that now it was time to start looking for the wedding dress. "Yeah, I guess that is why you came here, after all," she teased. She shrugged when Irina started asking what kind of a dress she wanted. "I don't know," Anna admitted, biting her lip. "You know I'm no good at this sort of thing, Irina. That's why I asked you to come." She shrugged, nonverbally asking her friend to take charge of the day's plans. Anna had no idea where to go for wedding dresses or what kind she'd want. She never thought she'd be getting married so soon after graduating. Her father's words rang in her ears for a moment and she frowned, remembering the fight they'd had. She forced a smile and looked back to Irina. Best to let her friend lead today.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina smiled and nodded at her friend. She was right; what mattered was she and Dan were happy and back together, to hell with what anyone else thought. Of course she'd love it if her friends were all as supportive and kind as Anna was, but she hadn’t really told many people they were back together just yet. She had been enjoying just having some solo time, the two of them in their own little happy bubble. As she planned on bringing him to Anna’s wedding however, the bride to be had the right to know.

“Oh stop, you’ll find something you like you just...need to see it in person!” Irina exclaimed. They had an appointment booked at a Muggle salon, but obviously they could take the dress to a magical seamstress for Anna’s fittings, as it would take far less time for them to do the adjustments necessary. “Come on you,” she said, leading her friend out the door and down the street. It wasn’t a far walk, only fifteen minutes, and the day was bright and warm - no rain to damper them. As they walked into the bridal shop, Irina looked around. “Okay Anna, don’t get too overwhelmed,” she told her before drawing her over to a beautiful dress on a mannequin. “What about something like this? It’s demure but elegant,” she suggested.

@annelise

ooc: let's say she showed her dress 1 that i sent you  

[Deleted]

Anna rolled her eyes at her friend's enthusiasm for shopping. She was never very interested in shopping in general, mostly because she hated how long it took to find anything that she liked. Still, she trusted Irina and at least hoped that her friend would be able to help her find something she'd like semi-quickly. "I hope you're right," she mumbled, not wanting to be argumentative, but unsure all the same.

Anna walked with her friend, her nerves rising as they walked, though she pushed the feeling down. She was Anna Weasley, triwizard champion! There was no reason she should be so nervous about shopping, of all things. She followed Irina into the bridal shop, glancing around. There was so much here. Her eyes widened a bit at all the white. So many different dresses and designs. She heard Irina tell her to not get overwhelmed and laughed quietly. Like that was possible. Irina led her to a dress on a mannequin and Anna smiled. "I actually really like this one," she said, reaching forward to touch the material. It was beautiful! She turned to Irina. "So am I allowed to just choose this one or are you going to make me try it and a few others on first?" Anna quirked a teasing eyebrow.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina tossed her hair behind her shoulder and grinned widely. “Of course I’m right,” she said matter-of-factly before giggling a little. She could see Anna’s eyes light up at the dress on the mannequin and she internally high fived herself for getting her friends’ style correct. “What do you think?” she asked in return, chortling and shaking her head. She got the attention of one of the attendants to take the dress off the mannequin. While they busied themselves gently getting down the dress, Irina perused the racks, trying not to imagine herself in a white dress. She and Dan had just gotten back together after all, any thought of what came next was YEARS away.

“Try on these as well, so we have options,” Irina insisted, handing over two more dresses for Anna to try on in the fitting room. The attendant led her red haired friend away and Irina took a seat in a chair in front of a large mirror. She assumed they would lead Anna out here in her first dress so that she could see it from different angles, so she sipped her water bottle and waited slightly impatiently for her friend to come out.

@annelise

[Deleted]

Irina was obviously excited that Anna liked the first dress she pointed out. Anna couldn't really look at any of the other gowns, or even look away from the dress in front of her, until she heard Irina asking what she thought. Anna shrugged, "I already told you I liked it, what else do you want me to say?" she asked, laughing as she looked over at her friend. She looked back at the dress, glad when Irina took charge and asked them to get the dress down. Anna turned and watched as she looked through the other dresses, but Anna didn't see anything that really interested her.

Finally, Anna was headed to the fitting room, but with three dresses instead of one. She rolled her eyes when Irina asked her to try them all one. "Yeah, sure. I'll be right back." She moved into the dressing room, deciding to save her favorite dress for last. As quickly as she could, she put it on and then stepped out. This one wasn't quite her, but it was very pretty. She stepped out where Irina would be able to see her and spun in a circle. "What do you think?" she asked curiously.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina waited with anticipation as Anna went in to change into the first dress. She knew her friend wasn’t as into the whole idea of trying out a bunch of different dresses before deciding, but honestly this was her WEDDING to her soulmate for Merlins’ sake! Irina would be damned if Anna didn’t get an experience out of it all.

Finally, Anna came back out in one of the dresses Irina had picked out, and Irina leaned her head to one side, studying her friend as she twirled around. “Anna you look so pretty, like a princess,” she said breathily, trying not to get emotional. She thought it was supposed to be Anna getting emotional, not her! “Sorry sorry!” she said, waving her hand in front of her face with a laugh. “Okay, down to business….I like it,” Irina began, then looked Anna square in the eye. “But I can tell it’s not THE one, you know?” she finished, sitting back in her chair. Anna would have come out floating on air if this was the dress she wanted to walk down the aisle in, and she hadn’t. “What about the one from the mannequin? Try that one on next!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands in excitement.

@annelise

[Deleted]

Irina liked the first dress, which Anna could see as soon as she spotted her friend. She turned and watched herself in the mirrors with a critical eye as she waited for her friend's thoughts about the dress. She turned sharply and looked at the girl in surprise when she heard her tone of voice. Was she ... about to cry? Anna's eyes widened and she fought the urge to grin. Well, she tried to fight the urge. She ended up grinning wildly as Irina waved her hands, apologizing. "You're just fine," she said with a smirk. She was that pretty, eh? Ha! She knew that wasn't why Irina was emotional, but she was in an interesting mood. 

Anna looked back to the mirror when Irina said she was getting down to business. She nodded, "Yeah, that's how I feel," she agreed, playing with the skirt of the dress a little. It was . It was beautiful, but Irina was right. It wasn't her. She turned to go back to try another one on. She was going to save her favorite dress, but Irina requested it next. Anna waved her hand by her head, not wanting to turn around and answer since she was already there.

This dress was different. It only took Anna a few seconds to know that this was the dress she wanted. She didn't know if Irina would make her try the last one on or not, but this was perfect for her! She grinned at the small mirror in the changing area before leaving. She walked out, unable to stop grinning as she moved in front of her friend and twirled in a circle. "So?" she asked, arching an eyebrow as she waited for Irina's response.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina laughed and wiped her eyes with a tissue as Anna smirked at her. “You’re always pretty Anna, it’s just surreal to see you in a wedding dress,” she reasoned, sticking her tongue out at her friend playfully. Irina nodded as Anna agreed - the dress simply wasn’t her. Irina of course would be supportive in whatever dress Anna chose, but there was just something missing. Not from the dress itself, but more from Anna. Her friend didn’t seem wholly comfortable, and that would not be good for a bride to be.

Irina waited, not realizing she was holding in a breath until Anna came out in the dress that had caught her eye from the beginning. It was….well, breathtaking. She let out her breath in a low whistle. “Oh Anna…” she whispered, trailing off. It was just so...Anna. The long sleeves, the tulle skirt, it was elegant, understated yet classy, and just so incredibly perfect. “I think if you don’t go with this one, you’re barking mad,” Irina declared, then waved to the consultant. “Could we get her a veil to see what the look put together is like?” she asked, raising a brow at them expectantly.

@annelise

[Deleted]

After Irina spoke, saying it was surreal to see her in a wedding dress, Anna couldn't help but smile widely at her friend. "What, you thought I was so crazy no one would ever like me?" she teased. Anna thought that for a while. Then she met Oscar and everything went wrong. She was so glad that they found a way to make it better because now she couldn't imagine her life without him, as cheesy as it sounded.

Irina's face when she walked out in the right dress was all Anna needed to know that she'd been right. This dress was the one she wanted. It was her, classy and comfortable and she just loved it. She smiled, "Does this look like the right size to you?" she beckoned Irina to join her more closely. Then someone arrived holding out a veil for her and Anna took it, promptly giving it to Irina. "Okay, you put this on me. I have absolutely no idea how it's supposed to go." Why should she? It wasn't like Anna was ever a bride before. She'd also only seen weddings on movies.

Irina Rose Krum

[Irina Rose Krum]

Irina stuck her tongue out at her friend. “You know perfectly well what I meant,” she said, toying with the end of her long black ponytail as she circled around Anna slowly. “Of course you’d get married, you’re a catch,” she added with a smile. She had known Anna since the Sorting Hat had placed both of them in Gryffindor almost eight years ago, and she knew how kind, courageous and loyal the redhead was, to both her friends and family. Oscar was a lucky man, and would do well to treat her right. She kept that little threat to herself however. “Though, you did need someone who could keep up with you,” she said teasingly. Anna Weasley hadn’t been Sorted into Gryffindor wrongly after all.

“It fits you like a glove, like it was made to you,” Irina declared, knowing that the pinpricks of tears were starting at the corner of her eyes. She picked up a tissue and dabbed gently. “Alright, can you squat down a bit, and close your eyes,” Irina agreed, taking the veil from her friend and draping it over her arm. She tied Anna’s hair into a low bun before tucking the veils’ comb underneath the hairdo. She gently fluffed out the gauzy material before grabbing the bouquet of fake flowers from the table. “Okay, ready? Open your eyes,” she said, standing a little away from the mirror so Anna could take in how she looked in all her glory.

@annelise