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
"I never knew dragon parts had so many uses - not that we should be killing them to begin with!"
Bella continued to ramble on as she and James MacFusty - her stubborn and oh-so-gallant (thought mockingly, of course) guide - made their way up the hillside of the Hebrides island that housed the toddling dragons. He'd agreed nearly two weeks ago to take her there under the condition that she did her research - and Merlin had she! Perhaps it had been too much research, as upon meeting him that morning with books tucked under her arms, she thought she'd detected a bit of annoyance in his tone. Maybe he was just tired - or perhaps he was a bit exasperated by her enthusiasm - but she paid little mind to it once it became apparent that he was going to live up to his word.
"So what exactly do you do? Corral them into cages? Feed them? Do you have duties specific to you, or do you do every duty?" she continued on, a single arm swaying with the summer breeze as the other kept a tight hold on her supplies. She was so prepared for this - Jamie hadn't any idea!
Jamie most certainly regretted having agreed to take Miss Scrimgeour to the toddling island. Not because of the potential harm to her but because she wouldn't bloody shut up. He'd started getting a headache the instant he'd greeted her with all her books and enthusiasm and idle chatter. With a groan, he'd put an arm around her and side apparated her to the base of the island.
But after they got there and had started walking, she'd started talking. Again. He'd rubbed at his temples, trying to stifle the groan he wanted to emit. Her chattering would surely be the death of him.
"I do a lot," he responded gruffly, continuing to walk along up the hill, "Make sure they don't kill themselves. See to any medical attention if they're sick or injured. Keep 'em contained to the island. The basics really." As the began to near the top of the hill, however, he hesitated in his walking and stopped to look at her. "Now's the time you cease your chattering," he said, deadly serious as he looked at her, "They'll likely smell ye before they hear ye. But any added attention is attention we don' want." He regarded her with a raised brow, waiting to make sure she understood what it was he was saying.
For once in the past few months, Bella was glad that she was no longer expected to wear carefully sewn gowns and those tight, heeled shoes. She was much more comfortable parading around in a simple dress and her flats, as they allowed so much more movement than anything Mrs. Scrimgeour had ever tried to dress her in - especially when she had to tug up the hem so she could climb the hillside without tripping.
"Toddling dragons sound a lot like toddling humans - just larger, clawed, and fire-breathing," she observed, obviously amused as she glanced up at him with a wide smile. "What do you do when a dragon gets injured, anyways? How do you tend to a creature that doesn't trust -"
She was cut off abruptly by the change in pace - or rather, the complete stop they came to. She peeked across the hill, and then towards Jamie, visibly perking up at his warnings.
"What would you like me to do, then? Stay behind you? At your side?" she asked, keeping her voice low.
No matter how well things could go, Jamie had decided already he'd not be bringing her to the toddling island again. He didn't care if she managed to handle one on her own without losing a limb. She talked too bloody much and he would likely die from the headache she caused within him. It was also a grand reminder why he had no plans to ever marry. Let society think what they would of him. He couldn't handle an incessantly chattering woman until the end of his life.
"Stay behind me for now," he said quietly, glancing back at her to see if she understood before he continued on his way. He made a point to shorten his stride so that she'd be able to keep up with him easily enough. His long limbs were meant for going the distances in a relatively amount of time. He was used to it. And though she was tall for a woman, she was in a dress and wasn't used to such things. Yet another reason why he rather regretting agreeing to such a thing.
A little further along the way, he pointed to a cropping of trees with a small shack of sorts built within the treeline. "You'll be in there," he said after pausing for her to come up alongside, "You can observe from there." He turned to face her then, looking her straight in the face with a rather fierce sort of expression on his face. "No matter what you see, no matter how bad it may look," he started, tone deadly serious, "You are not to leave the shack."
Bella was not a leader type, but neither did she consider herself the mindless following type; the urge to question him as to why she had to stay behind rested on the tip of her tongue as she marched down the hillside behind him. She couldn't see anything - not yet - and was beginning to wonder where all the toddlings were. Jamie had said that she was likely to get herself killed, but she thought it unlikely with so few dragons and such a large place to maneuver around! But then there was the dreaded shack. She eyed him dubiously.
"So if it takes both your arms off and you can no longer defend yourself, I can't do anything?" she questioned, looking up at him through raised brows. "Even if you're on the ground crying for help? What in your innards are spread across the field?" Her questions, while legitimate concerns, were more intended to be nagging than anything. "And what am I do to if they go towards the shack?"
Jamie couldn't help his jaw dropping in slight shock at her rather graphic detail of what the possible outcomes could turn out to be. He guessed he'd couldn't quite blame her though. He had been telling her since he'd met her that the toddlings were dragons not to be trifled with. Eventually, however, he chuckled.
"Then you apparate straight back to the house and alert someone," he said as he reached out and gave her shoulder a slight squeeze before nodding at the shack again, "Now be off with you." He gave her a pointed look then, one that meant he was serious.
"And don't worry lass, you'll not be rid of me so soon," he said with a smirk once she'd finally started on her way.
Bella only responded with a roll of her eyes, lest she find herself out of his good favor forever. While Jamie seemed to doubt her ability and her intelligence, she did not doubt his; hopefully today would not be the day he failed to keep the toddlings at bay. She made an effort to dramatically shrug his hand off her shoulder before turning to walk in the other direction, flipping her loose ringlets of hair over her shoulder.
She stopped after a few steps, though, and turned to look at him.
"I'll keep that in mind, but know that I'll give the most touching eulogy at your funeral if you fail to return. Au revoir!" she called, clearly teasing, before she marched towards the shack. She did not take very long before seating herself by the window, eyes peering out at him.
Jamie rolled his eyes in return after she finally began on her way before turning to say her piece. Clearly she was the type that always had to have the last word. And, he'd let her. He wasn't about to distract her further from getting into the relative safety of the shack.
He'd made a point of picking one of the less populated areas of the island for this little excursion. The other handlers didn't need the added distraction of Miss Scrimgeour and he didn't want to deal with the raised brows and pointed looks questioning his choice. He was sure he'd already be getting an earful about it all as it was.
Meandering about to a clearing not far from the sight of the shack, he began to whistle. Short and sharp, not by any means a tune or anything. It didn't take long for the sounds of breaking branches and squawking sort of roars to be heard. He looked in the direction of the shack, exactly where the sounds were coming from, knowing that it would get quite loud near where she was at soon enough. But it would pass quickly, and it did as the black beast erupted from the trees. Jamie smirked.
It was pure black, the size of a Mac's dogs combined likely. The top of its head would easily come up to his shoulder but it was far bulkier. And though it was so dark in color, there was an almost iridescent sort of sheen to it as it came barreling straight for Jamie, its head up in the air with a roar that was more a pitiful squeak than anything. Tiny wings flailed about recklessly, clearly not having a clue how to use them. And then.. It tackled Jamie.
Jamie rolled to the ground with it, having braced himself for the impact. Under his shirt and trousers, he'd made a point of wearing thin sheets of leather by way of armor. They'd prevent the sharp claws from actually cutting into his skin but wouldn't prevent the full pressure from hitting and resulting in plenty of bruise. But as he rolled, he laughed. It was a hearty sort of laugh before he managed to pin the beast to the ground and sat upon its back with a hand holding the neck down. "Tha wasn't very nice, Dagda," he said with a croon as he motioned for the lass in the shack to head over if she hadn't already before he gently stroked the beasts eye ridges and snout.
Bella watched with wide eyes as the dragon seemingly came from no where and charged towards Jamie. Her anticipation was only multiplied with the intense beating of her heart, the blood pumping so violently through her veins that she could feel it in her palms, and then - Jamie was tackled. Except he didn't look like he was struggling - at least not for a moment - and then he was back upright and...laughing? Bella had no ideal that corralling toddling dragons was like playing owner to a handful of excited over-sized puppies, but it seemed these were the dangerous beasts he'd been so concerned about taking her to see. (Should she feel insulted? She couldn't decide.)
She was already closing the shack door behind her when she noticed that Jamie seemed to be motioning for her to come closer, an action that was a far cry from the sentiment he'd expressed minutes ago. The only rational conclusion was that he hadn't trusted her judgment to be there when the toddlings came, and...well, fair enough, she supposed. While the dragon did not look so large beside Jamie, she remembered that he had a good nine or so inches taller than she, meaning the creature was at least her height or taller.
Every step she took away from the shack was a dramatic one, pausing on each foot as if to ask "It IS alright to come now, right?". Despite the way he often treated her like a child (and how she, in turn, acted like one with the mocking and whining), she really didn't want to be on his bad list - even if that only meant receiving the silent treatment. Once only a few yards from Jamie and his dragon-puppy, she placed her hands on her hips.
"Are you alright?" she prompted, keeping a suspiciously close eye on the dragon.
The dragon didn't seem to struggle much, twitching on occasion but not really much more. The little beast knew he didn't stand a chance with Jamie. At least, not for several more weeks. Dragons were actually quite intelligent beasts. They weren't just mindless killing drones that went about wreaking havoc. They so rarely attacked unless they were truly threatened. Most accidents that the family had experienced had been due to rambunctious young dragons with no control or very old and sick ones that just no longer gave a damn.
But Dagda, well, he was somewhere between an infant and a toddling. He was just as deadly as any of his brethren but he was far easier to contain when needed. His fire breathing hadn't happened yet so it was mostly his claws and teeth one had to be worried about. But as it was, he was no more than a ridiculously over sized puppy that just wanted to play. He was also a runt in comparison to his other siblings so it made him the best specimen for Miss Scrimgeor to inspect.
"Fine," he said with a chuckle that only brought a snort from the dragon as he tried to turn his head to see where the feminine voice was coming from, "This 'ere's Dagda. He's too big to be round the infants but not quite a toddling yet." Jamie chuckled again as he felt the beast's tail whip up from behind and smack him in the back of the head.
"He's a feisty bugger but cannae breath fire yet. But his teeth and claws can be jus as deadly," he smirked, turning to look at Bella without releasing his hold from the beast, "Alls he wants to do is play though. Hasn't got much control of his features otherwise and his wings could take ya just as easily." Looking to her closely, he gave a slight nod to her hands, "Got yer wand? Get it out and be ready to cast a stun spell if he lunges for ye. Ye do know how to cast one, right?"
Though her primary concern was trying not to die at the hands of a toddling (correction: barely-toddling) dragon, she Bella could not help the quiet laugh that slipped from her lips as Jamie was whacked by the dragon. It now made sense why the MacFusty men would need to be built rather large: with toddlings this size, she could only imagine the sheer size and brute strength they'd need to handle ones that were larger.
Then came the warning to get her wand, and while Bella might have regularly argued against it (probably suggesting that it looked harmless enough), she was eager enough to leave Jamie with a good impression of her that she did as she was told without question - or at least she tried. She snatched her wand from her pocket, but then came the most inconvenient (and perhaps deadly) bout of anxiety, causing her to fumble with it until it fell to her feet. She moved to snatch it back from the ground just as quickly, but her moments might have been a bit too hasty, as in the next moment her eyes caught sight of the dragon-puppy moving towards her.
Fortunately, she had her wand in her hand, and from her crouched position on the ground she pointed it towards the toddling. She did not cast the spell yet - its movements seemed to be driven more by curiosity than aggravation - and instead kept her eyes on it, staring intently into its beady eyes.
"Tell me what to do, Jamie," she said, just loud enough for him to hear.
Jamie hadn't really planned to realize Dagda unless he'd thought she was fully capable and ready. When her wand had come up, he figured she knew what she was doing so had slowly let go of the beast. But then she dropped the wand and her hasty movements resulted in really capturing Dagda's attentions and had him taking a few steps towards her.
Jamie stood to the side, legs bent at the knees and ready to lunge if he needed to. Luckily, Dagda wasn't moving quickly and looked to be more curious than anything. His head was tilted to the side as the dragon observed Miss Scrimgeour. Nostrils flared as he sniffed the air in front of him. Jamie took note of the way the dragon's tail idly swayed behind him, brushing against the grass.
His own attentions were drawn back to her when she told him to tell her what to do. "That's exactly how I like my lasses," he said with a smirk and light chuckle, 'Asking what I want them to do." His chuckle drew Dagda's attention away from the woman enough to look at him, head tilted again as if asking him what was so funny. Waving it off, he glanced back to Miss Scrimgeor. "You tell me, Miss Scrimgeor," he ended up saying, eyes moving back to watch Dagda with his own wand held easily in his hand, "What did your research tell you? You're the one that's supposed to be learning here."
For a second - only a split second - she thought he was actually going to help her. He was the dragonkeeper and she a research assistant; he'd made it clear that she was just observing, not training, and for one long, drawn-out, anticipatory moment, she actually expected him to do something. And he did, but it was far from helpful. Rather than offering assistance of any sort - a distracting whistle, a stunning spell, anything - he chose to torment her.
Anger flared up within her, and before she could even think rationally about her actions, and stood up and flung her wand in the direction of Jamie, completely disregarding the dragon's presence.
"My research said that I should be accompanied by someone useful," she hissed through her teeth, her eyes nervously flickering between Jamie and the dragon as the realization hit her that she'd tossed her wand rather than, say, a rock. "I don't have time for lewd comments from an ass like you," she continued, her vocal cords strained as she simultaneously tried to remain quiet while also voicing her outrage.
If she died, fine. She knew it was coming. (Or at least that's what she told herself as she stood there, completely vulnerable and helpless, with a dragon standing between her and her only possible savior - if she'd dare call him that after this.) All she hoped was that, if she did die, Mac hit him over the head with something. Anything.
"Please - just - just do something." For fuck's sake.
Jamie couldn't help but to chuckle at the obvious indignation the woman showed him at his own response. The fact she threw her wand at him, her one means of being safe in regards to the dragon, only made the whole situation all the more humorous. Had it been any other dragon than Dagda with them, he'd likely have acted with more thought and not been the ass she was claiming him to be. Though, he imagined he may not have been able to pass up such a remark even if the situation had been a bit more serious.
Dagda, however, seemed more interested in the flying stick. The dragon's eyes seemed to have followed its path to where it landed at Jamie's feet.
Stooping to pick up her wand, he smirked as the dragon's head followed the movements of the wand. With a smirk, he tossed it back to her and sure enough the eyes of the beast followed its path. "How's that for something?" he asked, regarding her with a raised brow.
Jamie did not seem to care about her or her own safety; the smug smirk remained on his face, and he did not respond to her accusations, choosing instead to pick up her wand. She was just about to complain about his recklessness, tasteless, and unprofessional behavior when -
The dragon was wanting to play fetch. Bella could only scoff at the ridiculous situation, her hand instinctively reaching out to catch her wand as Jamie flung it back in her direction. She came here to study, not play games! But then again, this was definitely something to write about in her research entries...
Having the creature's attention back on her, Bella flung it back towards Jamie, a smirk on her face.
"I'd say he really thinks he's a dog," she replied. "It's obvious now: you've been too soft on him!"
Jamie responded with a deep sort of chuckle. He'd known Dagda was a bit of a pup when it all came down to it. He'd never tried to really test the boundaries though. It wasn't until the chance seemed to arise that it became apparent the beast did just want to play. But, that could still be dangerous. One false move and those claws could do some serious damage even if it wasn't intentional.
"You canae be too soft on these beast," he said with a smirk as he caught the soaring wand once again, the dragon's attention falling back to him again. He stooped to the ground to pick up a more disposable option for the dragon to chase, a larger stick that he wouldn't have to pay to replace should the dragon actually chase it down.
Waving it in front of Dagda, he chuckled lightly as the dragon's head moved in unison with the movements of the stick. With one hand, he tossed her wand back to her but threw the other stick up and over his shoulder. He just barely managed to step aside as the dragon bound off in the direction of the stick, tearing up the Earth beneath him in the process.
"Dagda's still young," he ended up saying as he moved to stand next to Miss Scrimgeour though his dark eyes focused on the beast bounding about trying to find the stick and failing quite miserably, "He's too big to be with the infants though and he's not quite big enough to be with the other toddlings. He's actually a bit of a runt when it comes down to it. Chances are, he won't survive with the other toddlings.
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