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
"He's doing well?" she nearly cooed, a smile spreading across her lips. It seemed that every creature Bella grew attached to was at risk for an early demise: Dymphna the depressed mooncalf, Dagda the tiny toddling, and now Frideswide the puppy-runt. Good news was not just news to her—it was a glimmer of hope.
"I'll have to go visit sometime," she added as an afterthought, purposefully leaving out the word "we". She doubted Jamie would ever take her back after their last trip to the toddling isle, so she'd find someone else—maybe Ninnian, maybe Tavish, someone—to take her back when the opportunity struck.
Jamie simply nodded, not feeling as though he needed to actually say out loud Dagda was doing fine. He'd pretty much ashtray said as much after all and he wasn't exactly one to repeat himself.
But her remark of going to see him earned her a bit of a glare. "I'd advise against that," he said bluntly, knowing better than to outright deny it. He was sure she'd still argue no matter what he said though.
Bella frowned at his remark. "I'm sure there's plenty of things you'd advise against," she responded, stabbing the vegetables on her plate with her fork. "Fortunately, I'm wise enough not to let others dull my sense of... adventure." That's what shewould call it; others preferred the terms "stupidity" and "recklessness".
Jamie rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide the annoyance or disdain he felt in the slightest. Why did she always insist on doing reckless things on the name of adventure? It was stupid. And crazy.
"It's not an adventure," he said bluntly again, "It's a death wish. You're not trained or experienced enough going by yourself."
Bella pursed her lips and shot him a look. "I'm not going alone," she insisted, "I'm going to ask one of your brothers to accompany me. I'm sure they won't mind." At least not like Jamie seemed to mind.
Jamie rolled his eyes. If course she'd go to someone else. Headstrong and reckless. She was a combination of attributes that didn't really work together. "I'm sure they'll tell you the same thing," he said bluntly, "You forget we've lost family to toddlings. All because they shouldn't have been out there but got brought out ashtrays."
"With any luck, I'll be able to charm one of them into helping me," she responded, trying to sound like she didn't care. Bella had long let negativity consume her life, and was not about to let Jamie MacFusty—the encyclopedic definition of a cynic—dissuade her. "Do my hair up pretty, giggle a bit, and bat my eyelashes," she muttered under her breath. It wasn't the most respectable way to earn a man's help, but one of the smartest...
If he rolled his eyes anymore, Jamie was sure they'd roll right out of his head. He was going to just let it go and ignore it though. Truthfully, the fight wasn't worth his time. But as he finished eating the meal, that he had to admit was rather tasty and filling, he heard her mumble under his breath.
He laughed, loud. "I thought you knew is MacFustys better than that," he said through a chuckle, "Pretty hair, giggles and batted lashes won't get you more than a laugh. You'd be better off parading about in your knickers."
Bella scowled. "That says more about you than it does me," she huffed, pushing her plate away. "I think I'll be heading home. It'll be dark soon and I'm sure you wouldn't want me to get bit by a bug—or something," she grumbled, moving to her feet. She dug into her bag, grabbed the scarf she'd knitted him, and hastily tossed it on the table. "Here, a new cleaning rag. You need one around here."
Another quick turn for the less than ideal. Jamie, for once, was stunned to silence. He was usually silent but when it came to such things, he didn't know when to shut up apparently. He watched, in silence, as she pushed her plate away and then dug in her bag and threw something at him. It would be the time to apologize, really. Unfortunately, Jamie wasn't the best when it came to anything society may deem appropriate so he simply stared and watched her as she went to leave.
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