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 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
Show a pattern of selfish behaviour with your character. You should have at least three threads (ten posts, three+ yours) of your character doing cruel things. Character accounts cannot be combined.
Did You Know?
Queen Victoria was known for putting jackets and dresses on her pups, causing clothing for dogs to become so popular that fashion houses for just dog clothes started popping up all over Paris. — Fox
It would be easy to assume that Evangeline came to the Lady Morgana only to pick fights. That wasn't true at all. They also had very good biscuits. — Evangeline RowleinCheck Your Privilege
June 11th, 1888 — Honeyduke's Sweet Shop Sage Macnair
Going to Hogsmeade was stupid, especially due to the nearby Irvingly fog and the rampant gossip regarding her cousin and Uncle Argus. She'd become rather paranoid that anyone who heard her name would think ill of her, even if they didn't know who she really was—never mind that most people didn't really like her either way.
Her father had been insistent, though; they were going to visit the Lestrange family, but like, her Lestrange relatives rather than Seneca. (Not that she imagined that would have gone well, either.) While her father stood outside speaking to another Ministry employee, Holly had quietly sneaked into the nearby Honeyduke's with the hope of escaping the bustling public. The solitude of Honeyduke's in the morning was—nonexistent.
"Mr. Macnair," she greeted cordially, but made no effort to wear a smile or any other expression of outward friendliness. She supposed this one—Sage—was better than Germander Macnair, her betrothed.
(At least, she thought, his face was less likely to immediately peeve her upon sight.)
— set by MJ <3 —
June 11, 2018 – 10:30 PM
Last modified: June 11, 2018 – 10:30 PM by Sage Macnair.
Sage wasn't especially fond of being around a lot of people so it followed that heading into Hogsmeade had definitely not been his idea. As it was though, he had recently realized that he needed 'friendships' which was sort of an 'eh' concept since there were very few people that he got along with. Most of his cousins were tolerable, at least and a couple of his dormmates. Abney had a little bit of a sweet tooth apparently so he had been brought into Honeydukes while his dormmate got what he wanted. He didn't quite enjoy sweets himself so this was a pointless place for him to be in.
Watching his 'friend' end up in a conversation with an older Slytherin that Sage personally couldn't stand, he looked towards the door as his brothers betrothed entered the establishment. "Miss Scrimgeour," he greeted amiably enough. "Missing Hogwarts yet?" Sage was personally indifferent about his locale so long as he had his books. It was rather inconvenient to technically not be able to use any magic though.
"Yes," she responded indifferently, beginning to shift through a package of so-called "limited edition" sugar pops. "And you?" she asked, eyeing him for a moment. He was definitely as handsome as his brother—though his short answers made him infinitely more preferable. Germander Macnair would have likely thrown himself into a tirade about her disgraced cousins—or something of that sort. Germander Macnair was always out to spite her.
"I suppose," Sage stated. He probably would have been content to leave the conversation at that but he was supposed to be socializing with peers and all that and besides, he was a little curious about the girl that would be part of his family one day. "It's not so much the school but the inability to do magic wherever I desire." He could get away with doing it at home but if he wanted to have a little bit of magical entertainment then he was out of luck. "And the library. Have you had the chance to look through many of the books?" He didn't know her reading or study habits but from what he had been told about her, he thought she might be the sort to want to learn about the fun shit like hexes before learning about them in class.
The inability to do magic was a problem, and even more so living in London than Hogsmeade. Of course, she had a magical father and step-mother—but her step-mother was nearly never home and her father worked.
"I suppose," she responded, flashing a knowing smile at him. "It's unfortunate that the school feels the need to limit us to what we can and cannot read—don't you think?" she asked. Had Sage Macnair ever found his way into the Restricted Section? And if so, what was it like?
"Most definitely," Sage said in agreement when Miss Scrimgeour commented on how unfortunate it was that the school felt the need to restrict their reading. "There is a plethora of information available in the restricted section that we could probably find easily in our home libraries." It made little sense for them to limit so much when the Macnaure library had such information at his fingertips.
Holly wasn't about to comment on that. Her father didn't think her advanced enough, at least not yet, to visit his library. Working in magical law enforcement, she couldn't imagine that he had many illegal or otherwise shady things locked up in there, but there probably were things he didn't want her trying at her skill level.
Busying her hands with the nearby merchandise, Holly wondered what information she might get from him.
"What's the most shocking thing you've ever found in your home library?" she asked casually, though it was near impossible to miss the hint of curiosity in her voice.
The most shocking? Sage tilted his head in thought. He was pretty sure that his definition of shocking probably didn't match up with most other peoples. He was at least somewhat self aware in that regard. So what was a level of shocking one could share with a young girl? Sage didn't have a filter for it so he couldn't puzzle it out so he just went with what had been one of his favorites. "This book on old spells that used to be used for torture in the medieval times. Kind of like crucio but technically still legal." It had all been beautiful and Sage was somewhat frustrated that such spells were beyond his skillset at the current moment.
Holly cocked a brow at his claim, unsure if he was bluffing or being bluntly honest. She knew little about this Macnair personality-wise, but was compelled—at least based off his lack of hesitance and her immediate perception of him as a person—to believe he was telling the truth. Rather than let a look of shock overtake her features, she glanced back towards the shelf.
"Sounds disturbing," she said, the corner of her lips tugging up. "I supposed you've just been dying to try it. If you ever get a chance, Mr. Germander could use something to...loosen him up a bit." The glance she shot him next was almost teasing, but a glimmer in her eye said that she was one hundred percent serious.
Sage supposed it was. He found it fascinating. "Not too fond of your betrothed, are you?" Sage asked with an almost-smile. Sage had little use for most of his siblings, didn't find himself really able to connect with them in any meaningful way. Germander definitely could probably benefit from some torture. Logically, he knew that was a thing he should find abhorrent. "I'm sure he'll charm you eventually." The bit of a smile playing at his lips probably belied that he was being mildly sarcastic at his own brothers expense.
Germander was still a boy, but Holly could not imagining him changing so drastically to where he might one day become the sort of man she hoped to marry. Firstly, he was a Ravenclaw - a fact that might not have been so bad if he seemed to possess any intellect or wit. Instead, he was just grouchy and judgmental and wholly uninteresting. Secondly - and arguably most importantly - he seemed to brush off the idea that she might make anything of herself one day, believing her to be no more than a girl with a bark and no bite.
She scoffed at Mr. Macnair's comments and made no attempt to obscure her childish eye-roll.
"It's unlikely. I've never met such a boring person - there's no mystery, no charm, no nothing." Germander Macnair wasn't even an heir; surely her father could have done better!
Suffice to say, Sage was amused by Miss Scrimgeour. She was obviously of the spirited kind and he was looking forward to seeing how Germander handled that in the future. "You do recall we are speaking of my brother," Sage said teasingly, which was a rare thing for him to do. She wasn't wrong, though.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, clearly not sorry at all, "you must know of all his hidden depths. Please do enlighten me - I so do wish to like him!" Her tone was as dry as her words were dramatic, but she was a hunch that there were no hidden depths and Germander Macnair was just awful in every way.
"I'll tell you a secret," Sage said, moving slightly closer though not close enough that it would look untoward. "He is great for target practice." Honestly, Sage wasn't close to Germander nor was he likely able to profess knowing him any deeper than Miss Scrimgeour did. It was just the way things were.
Holly could only snicker. So Germander Mancair was a complete loser, even to his own brothers It spoke volumes about what was to come - and also spoke volumes of what she'd have to avoid such a fate. She could make it clear now that she had no intention to follow his orders, or she could plead with her father to enter her in an alternative arrangement. Anything, she thought, was better than being tied to a miserable man-child.
"I'll keep that in mind," she responded, her tone equally ominous as a smile spread across her lips. She couldn't get away with anything now, but still, it was good to know!
Miss Scrimgeour was going to make for an interesting sister in law. Based on this brief conversation, he could see that she was not mentally compatible with his brother. She seemed much wittier though he was also probably somewhat biased. "I should be going but I reckon I will be seeing and speaking with you again soon enough." It was going to be interesting for him to see just how incompatible she and his elder brother would prove to be.
