Chapter 335: A Wedding (1)
Della was the first person invited to the wedding, invited by Kwasi and Nella together, and Maggie was the second one, also invited by the bride and groom together.
They were invited individually, so theoretically these two invitations could bring four people, and they could each bring a male or female companion, but they didn't.
In fact, it is easy to understand. If Della wanted to bring anyone, it would definitely be Draco. However, Draco would definitely not have a good attitude towards accepting the blessings of the house-elf's serious wedding that was almost as serious as that of a wizard. She didn't want to be perfunctory with a face that was forced to smile on a day when she should be happy, so she didn't bring anyone.
As for Maggie, she couldn't use the word "definitely" because there were many possibilities as he was not in a definite relationship. There was a chance that a new woman would lock his door tonight. But she could use the word "probably". If she wanted to bring a female companion, it would probably be Maria, with whom he still had a warm relationship. However, he also felt that a woman who had enjoyed the humble service of house-elves since childhood would not have a good attitude towards her, so he didn't bring her.
It's not that he cares much about this wedding or those two simple-minded house-elves. Let me emphasize again that Maggie doesn't like trouble. Unless a string is touched, he generally won't seek trouble.
The two people had not communicated for half a month. Yes, they had not sat down and talked to each other since that morning. This made them unaware that the other party would not bring a partner, which led to the awkward situation of sitting together but not looking at each other.
What about the trio, you ask?
Of course they were at the table, and both the Riddles responded to their targeted conversations and aimless small talk, but the atmosphere between the Riddles was still frozen. None of the three had the personality and ability to liven up everything like Fred or George, and after awkwardly discussing a few insignificant topics, the three of them became onlookers who were so embarrassed that they wanted to die in front of an irreconcilable conflict.
The wedding that finally started saved everyone at the table who were increasingly depressed.
Solemn yet pleasant music sounded, and something called happiness slowly enveloped the people present. Kwasi and Nella, wearing specially tailored suits and wedding dresses, walked in arm in arm, their tennis-ball-sized eyes sparkling with watery light, and their faces were filled with expectant and shy smiles.
They decorated the venue to look like the Muggle churches they had seen during the tour, and they also wore the clothes that Muggles wear at weddings, but the bride and groom came together at the beginning, which was actually a bit incongruous. According to the normal process, the groom and best man should enter first, and then the bride should walk towards the groom accompanied by her father.
They couldn't find any elf friends willing to be best man or bridesmaid for them, and everyone was very nice, blessing them and attending the wedding even if they didn't understand. But being best man or bridesmaid at an unprecedented and unnecessary wedding for a house-elf couple who were now being paid was still too much.
As for their father, Quasi and Nella were both house-elves born in Hogwarts. Their parents are still in Hogwarts and currently cannot accept their children's rebelliousness, but Quasi and Nella did not want to go through this process at the beginning.
Because in the Muggle world, there is a transfer of responsibility from the father to the husband, but the house-elves with masters, even if they have the role of father, have never actually taken control of their responsibilities towards the children. With just a word from the master, they can sell their own children. In fact, many families buy their house-elves from childhood in this way.
When Quasi and Nayla had the opportunity to know the outside world with a heart without shame, some of their cognitions also quietly changed. So today, the two free house-elves decided to freely interweave their still free future with marriage. There was no need for any other actions to represent this matter. It was enough for them to welcome it hand in hand.
These two elves, who greatly destroyed the house-elves' creed of not asking for compensation and devoting everything to their masters, are actually very low-key after realizing the nature of some exploitation. They have their own things they want to do, and in the process they increasingly realize their own insignificance, so they never make any remarks to their former partners that they did not like to hear before.
However, after seeing more, they still had more pursuits. Quasi especially did not want to let Nayla down. Besides, no matter where they visited, there were songs about women's yearning for wedding dresses. Quasi wanted the beauty-loving Nayla to have such a moment, and hoped that they would get blessings from their own kind, instead of being like all the previous house-elves who had partners or children in a muddle.
Their best man, Della, understood this idea from the house-elf's intermittent and emotional expressions, proposed the wedding, sponsored everything, and became the first invitee to the wedding.
After the newlyweds walked to the end of the red carpet and expressed their gratitude in their shrill and cute voices to the dwarf elf guests sitting at the wizard table below, Della walked behind Quasi and Nella who were facing the guests, holding the ring box and smiling. She opened the ring box, and inside were the two rings related to opals.
"I am very fortunate to be the witness of this lovely couple's wedding today. Like all house-elves, they are hardworking and considerate. My first impression of them could not be better," Della began her prepared speech. "And Quasi and Nella chose to take care of me when I was stranded in a foreign country when I was at my lowest point. I am even more grateful to them."
"That is, in foreign countries where we have to help each other, I saw more of Kwasi and Nella." As Della's voice fell, the white light of the wedding dimmed, and enlarged photos began to flash above the newlyweds. One by one, the travel records taken by Kwasi with the camera he bought himself were shown to everyone.
At first there were a few poorly photographed landscapes, relying purely on the charm of stunning sunsets and roaring waves to justify the spent film, but that still caused some exclamations from the house-elves, for after a lifetime of busying themselves with kitchen utensils and cleaning supplies, just a few photos of the outside were enough excitement.
And what happens next is even more exciting.
Quasi and Nella were in the picture, and they were not very skilled at using a good camera to take close-up photos. Now it could be said that they were wasting film, but no one noticed the waste. Every guest except Maggie only saw that they were wearing completely different clothes in each subsequent photo.
Quasi, obviously an explorer, always wears clothes that have some elements of adventure and practicality, and apparently in addition to the daily apron with the Hogwarts emblem on it, he has a set of exploration clothes for different scenes such as the valley, rainforest and sea.
As for Nayla, she loved to wear bows when she was at Hogwarts to see which one would go with her tea towel which she couldn't change, and in those photos it was even more outrageous, not only was there no trace of the Hogwarts tea towel, but she was wearing completely different clothes in every photo.
At first, silence spread, and a feeling of suffocation from inside out began to fight against the happiness of the wedding. The expressions on the faces of every house-elf froze, and screams of resistance rose to their throats, clamoring to destroy the wedding, but the first one to scream was Hermione.
"This is incredible!" she cried, her mouth trembling and her eyes full of tears. "They are so wonderful! I have never seen anything more beautiful than them!"
Such screams of joy diverted the howls that were eager to try, and the house-elves also shouted, but in a tone of cheering and joy that they had never used before. At this moment, they truly became guests at a wedding who sincerely gave their blessings.
"Yes, it's incredible and beautiful, but this is the real Quasi and Nella," Della looked up at the photo that finally stopped at the two elves kissing, and the corners of her mouth were softer than ever before, "and they deserve all the beautiful things they experience."
"Here, I wish them to always be able to enjoy the world without worries. Of course," Della laughed, "they can share happiness hand in hand."
"Oh! Della!" Nella cried, and she looked up at Della, already crying, the bow tied with the lily scarf on her pointed ears swaying gently as she wiped her tears.
"I can never have too many tears of happiness today," Della smiled at Nella and looked at Quasi who was also wiping tears. "Well, the best man's speech is over," she raised the ring box in her hand, "it's time for the real protagonist to take the stage."
"Yes!" Quasi looked at Della, then at Nella, and nodded. He took a ring from the ring box, swallowed his saliva, and began his oath nervously, "Quasi has never been a worry-free elf. He is easily excited and easily makes a fuss. It was in this state of mind that Quasi rashly took off his tea towel and asked Dumbledore to send me out."
"Kwasi was looking at the scenery with shame and joy. Every time I went back to Hogwarts, it was the hardest time for me. Kwasi saw the beautiful scenery, but was too embarrassed to speak up and share it," Kwasi said, his eyes fixed on Nella. "Then, our most lively Nella walked up to the shy Kwasi. At first, she must have just wanted to see Kwasi sad. You all know that Nella is the best. But since then, Kwasi has someone to tell everything he sees."
"At that time, Kwasi was already happy enough, but later, we actually had the opportunity to walk into that open landscape together," Kwasi's eyes were filled with tears, and he kept looking at Nella, and spoke slowly under the bride's equally moist gaze, "When we were able to stroll on the street for the first time, Kwasi imagined countless futures of strolling outside with her."
Quasi held the ring in one hand and held Nella's trembling hand in the other, "My dear Nella, are you willing to walk with me towards the future I hope for?"
"I do!" Nayla said without hesitation. The shrill voice unique to house-elf was not annoying at all at this moment. Everyone was immersed in the groom's moving words, and their attention was focused on the flesh-colored little hand that was also trembling as it put the ring on the bride.
"Nayla is so happy at this moment!" Nayla looked at the ring on her hand and fanned her eyes with her hands, trying to ease her excitement and to get back some of the tears she had shed today. "Nayla used to feel so happy when I was chatting and walking with Quasi. I didn't expect that I am even happier now!"
"Oh!" Hermione covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes completely red from crying. She was so moved by this unusual love between house-elves.
"Nayla has always been a willful elf. Only Quasi would make various bows for Nayla without any criticism," Nayla took another ring from the ring box, "and after that, he also considerately changed the tour route for Nayla countless times, just to see more of the scenery Nayla wanted to see, let Nayla wear more of the clothes she wanted to wear, and take more photos Nayla wanted to take."
"Nayla likes to walk outside, and she likes to walk outside with Kwasi even more!" She also held Kwasi's trembling hand, "My dear Kwasi, are you willing to be considerate to Nayla as you have been in the past?"
"I do!" Quasi laughed and tears streamed down his face at the same time. Like the guests in the audience, they all cried and laughed as Nella put the ring on Quasi's hand.
Then, without Della's reminder, the newlyweds couldn't help but complete their vows kiss.
The house-elves, old and young, watched them in the audience. They felt genuinely happy for their companion's happiness, but for some reason a little sadness welled up in their hearts. However, the sadness was so subtle, so subtle that they did not have the urge to delve into it. They let the unnatural sadness go and just cheered for the newlyweds to vent their feelings.