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Witch Weekly · October 14, 2018 – 6:50 PM

Courting By City: How Romance Differs In Hogsmeade, London, and Elsewhere

Does your location make a difference in how you meet members of the opposite sex, or how they might decide to court you (or not)? Could your stalled love life benefit from a little change of scenery? Spending a season with your relatives in a different part of the country may have more of an impact than you would believe.

Society began in London prior to beginning anywhere else, as some say, and so our look into romance begins there as well. The bustling city hides several disparate magical neighborhoods, which are generally made up of similar types of people (similar backgrounds and belief systems, religions, and levels of wealth), but the centrality of Diagon Alley still allows couples to mingle if they choose. A woman raised in London is generally a more lively conversation partner than one from the country, which means courtships there are often briefer and more exciting than their counterparts from elsewhere in the Isles. Men who maintain property in London can generally be assumed to be more stable than those who live in family homes or who rent in Hogsmeade, and can therefore generally be relied upon to be able to support a wife once they feel they are ready for one.

While Hogsmeade boasts more eligible gentleman generally, some, such as Aldous Crouch, have shown a decided hesitancy to enter a courtship.

After experiencing rapid growth during the last decade, Hogsmeade has become a hub of the wizarding world. Unlike London, residential areas and commerce are within a stone's throw of each other, and the ease of access to public areas such as the Black Lake and Padmore Park make the mingling of different social strata more likely in Hogsmeade than anywhere else in the British Isles. For this reason, those looking to make auspicious matches (and do not mind risking being labeled uncultured climbers of the social ladder) tend to fare better in Hogsmeade than they do elsewhere.

Those living in country homes are almost entirely reliant on invitations to parties in order to meet potential mates, which can make cultivating a new acquaintance more difficult. In fact, it is essentially impossible for a young man and a woman to develop a relationship independently of the influence of their friends and family, which some see as a detriment. On the other hand, however, having more outside involvement in developing relationships (a curator of new romance, if you will) can make for sounder matches in the long term, meaning couples who meet this way may end happier than their more quickly-wed counterparts.

Like James MacFusty, some eligible bachelors in the country belong to somewhat peculiar families and may not meet the tastes of every potential bride.

Country homes are also the long-standing preference of the exceptionally rich, of course, who also have a higher likelihood of arranging betrothals in lieu of traditional courting, as they have inheritances and family names they often wish to protect. The additional benefit of this location for women whose natures require them to take socializing only in small doses is that there is plenty of quiet and respite, where more central locations may not offer this and can sometimes prove overwhelming to the most delicate of constitutions.

In order for young ladies to make the most of their limited time as potential brides, locations should be chosen which best represent the qualities of the young woman. The liveliest and most spirited of young women will fare best in London, where quick and able matches abound. Those of more modest character, or for whom beauty is their best (or only) positive trait should find themselves in Hogsmeade, where the sheer number of opportunities will work to their benefit. For those whose dearest hope of success in marriage comes from the possibility of leveraging the influence of their friends or relations, such as the exceptionally shy or dull, a country home is best.

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Issue #201 - Courting By City