Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1895. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
Complete a thread started and set every month for twelve consecutive months. Each thread must have at least ten posts, and at least three must be your own.
Did You Know?
Did you know? Jewelry of jet was the haute jewelry of the Victorian era. — Fallin
August 1st, 1888 — Salem Square, Irvingly
For the August Challenge!
It was a very gloomy day; the fog had yet to dissipate, leaving Eula and those at the Infirmary trapped between their homes and work. She was mourning the temporary loss of the Irvingly market—one of the weekly events and always attended—and had strolled past it every day on her way home from work just to see if anyone was about.
Today, there was—only it wasn't one of the sellers, but rather a familiar woman: Miss Marlowe Johnson. The fog made it hard to make out any definite features, but it was obvious that it was her. Two years of living in the same dorm room had ensured her familiarity with the woman's figure and overall image.
"Marli!" she shouted, holding her basket in the air so she might be better seen.
Quite simply, Marli was so very over the fog that had befallen the residents of Irvingly. It was depressing and equally frustrating. And without the Irvingly Market on the weekends, she knew her family was floundering a bit. They had relied on selling their wares at the market every week so without that, well, things were starting to look a bit grim. Marli was just grateful that she had another position she relied on for funds and Miss Nimmie paid her rather well. She supposed it likely was paid by her family but it still was a rather good sum of money.
She had had a little time for herself so had gone off to see her family for a bit. She had hoped to help brighten their moods but it didn't seem to be going any better regardless of her visit. Sure, there were laughs and jokes but there was no denying the somberness that had fallen over the Johnson household. She'd left, feeling a bit defeated, and had been heading through the Square when she heard her name being shouted.
Looking up, she squinted into the fog to see the form of a woman with a basket in the air. A smile spread over her features as she moved toward the figure and began to realize who the woman was. "Well hello to you, too, Eula!" she said as she'd gotten within a few feet from her old dorm mate. "Enjoying this lovely day?" she asked, a hint of playfulness to her tone as she emphasized the word lovely.
Eula giggled at her former dorm-mates words. "Oh, Marli, you wouldn't be able to guess the messes we've been dealing with!" she responded, her tone far more uplifting than her general mood. "That expedition has left us with who-knows-how-many people to tend to. People being bitten by monsters, mosquito swarms..." Merlin, and some of them might die—not that she'd say that.
Marli's eyes widened as she listened to all that Eula had to say. It was evident she was stunned by what she was hearing. It was all almost too absurd sounding to even be thought of as true! But she knew that she would be to believe what her friend was saying. "I don't envy you, that's for sure!" she said in good humor, "Though I suppose it still keeps you quite busy. I would love for a bit more to do but with this fog I'm not even able to do any of my beadwork." And that, truly, was frustrating. Though hardly as frustrating as her family not being able to do their own work.
Eula gave a light-hearted shrug. There was nothing Marli was able to do about it; there was no purpose in putting the weight of her mess on her friend's shoulder. (Though the mystery of Irvingly's fog was everyone's problem.)
"If you're having problems with your bead-work, I'm sure I might be able to make some time after work," she offered, her lips slipping into a very familiar, Eula-esque smile.
Marli smiled at her friend, grateful to have run into her. It was a bright spot on her otherwise rather dull and even depressing day. She just hoped that whatever was happening with the expedition, things would be solved sooner rather than later. It had been a whole month already! She wondered what was really going on with those that had joined the expedition and if they were all still faring well.
"Oh, it isn't really an issue," she admitted though a bit sheepishly, "I'd just gotten used to having my wand for help. I guess we never really know what we have until it is truly gone."
August 6, 2018 – 5:41 AM
Last modified: August 6, 2018 – 5:42 AM by Eula Bonham.
Eula giggled and nodded in total understanding. "Oh, I've never heard truer words spoken!" she agreed. "We don't give those muggles the praise they deserve. Managing to survive without wands—a strong people they are." Eula wasn't even toting her wand today; it spoke volumes of how vulnerable they truly were!
"Do you have plans today? Or is your mistress keeping you busy?" she teased.
Marli nodded in agreement. She'd never take the use of her wand for granted again. Not after all they'd been through thanks to the fog. She was just glass the Miss Nimmie wasn't the sort to be dependent on the use of a wand, being a squib and all. It definitely made things a bit easier on the household as a whole.
"No, no plans for the time being," she answered, "I was just visiting my family to see how they've been faring. Miss Nimmie is busy working on her latest novel so she's of little use of me for the time being. And yourself?"
August 15, 2018 – 6:30 PM
Last modified: August 25, 2018 – 3:15 PM by Eula Bonham.
"I've been working. I've not have a lot of time off with all this fog business," she explained. "I'm on my hour break, you see; I thought I might look around. The fog's given the village a different feel."
She had her family, but if her mother had only gotten worse with the stress of not being able to go to Hogsmeade. Her position was in jeopardy—not that anyone with sense would blame her.
"I imagine the fog doesn't truly stop the infirmary for running," Marli said with a sigh, "People seem to be even less agile when they aren't able to see far in front of them after all."
Looking about for a few brief moments, she eventually looked to her friend again. "Hopefully it ends soon," she said though not entirely with optimism, "I'm not sure how long everyone is going to last with this awful fog."
"Oh, it's still running alright," she laughed. "I wouldn't say it's running smoothly, though. Without all those nifty healing spells, there's been little we're able to do for those with severe injuries."
An auror with a sprained ankle, ladies with malaria - it was a all an awful mess!
"Oh, we'll last. We'll just all be miserable until we get used to it."
Marli added her own bit of laughter to Eula's as the other woman spoke of the infirmary. "I hardly believe it to run smoothly," she added with a nod, "Sounds as though you have your hands full at the very least. Perhaps it will help the time to pass by faster for yourself."
If only she had a saving treat for herself. Beads would have been her go to but that was a moot point without the help of her wand.
"Perhaps we'd need to have a migration of sorts," Marli said thoughtfully, "An expedition to find a home outside of the fog."
While that was definitely an option, it wasn't probably wasn't the most sound one.
"I don't know how everyone would take to that," she responded. "Imagine venturing in the woods for days only to learn that the fog's gone by the time you finally find somewhere to settle down."
Marli nodded at her friend's sound thoughts. It definitely made sense. She still just hoped that the fog would be gone sooner rather than later. She didn't know how the residents of Irvingly would handle perpetual fog. It likely wouldn't end well.
"Good point," she answered with a smile, "We'll just have to pray and hope that it lifts soon."
"And pray we will," she responded, knowing well and good that no matter how hard they tried, only the Ministry would be able to soothe this disaster. "I suppose we should be off then. Work to do, people to see. It was lovely talking to you, though - send me an owl one of these days, you hear me?"
Marli had to simply hope that all would be well. It was all she really had, all the Irvingly residents had. They'd survive though. They were an adaptable people after all.
"Ahh, yes," she said with a smile and nod of her own, "I'm sure you've plenty to do. I'll be sure to send an owl but hopefully we'll be able to enjoy some tea and sunshine in the near future!" With a brief hug, Marli took a step and turned to head away but not before offering one final wave goodbye.
