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.
Play a character aged 35 or older for one month. Non-humans do not count. Show this by submitting two completed threads started one month (or more) apart. Threads must have at least ten posts, and at least three must be your own.
Did You Know?
It’s quite unusual for a caster's patronus to be their favourite animal, but very possible that it will take the shape of a creature they’ve never before seen or heard of. — Amy
Seneca had had plenty of dancing lessons at Finishing school and still she wasn't good at it. Especially when she was forced to spend the entire evening dancing. Belphoebe and her father wouldn't have her sit out more than a dance at a party arranged just for the purposes of getting her out there.
So here she was, stomping on Cornelius Flint's foot after a miscalculated turn. Of course, Seneca blamed him in her mind, for being too slow and not getting his foot out of harm's way on time and thus making her look the fool who couldn't dance!
She couldn't wait for this dance to be over with. Plus, Cornelius Flint could have engaged her in much more stimulating company than dancing. Last time they'd interacted at a ball, they'd talked about Alchemy!
Archivist of the Flint Institute of Advanced Magic
29 year old Pureblood
5 ft. 9 in.
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Played by Athena
35 Posts
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If he was honest, he didn’t much care for dancing; it was something he had to learn to do because it was expected of him to participate in all the various balls he’d be invited to, but it wasn’t something he would do much of if he had a choice. However, he didn’t mind adding his name to Miss Lestrange’s dance card as most of his interactions with her were interesting and it was a good excuse to see if she’d like to talk once again. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be going well as if it wasn’t for his balance they would’ve toppled over after her missed turn and he did his very best not to grimace as her foot crushed his.
“It’s a very interesting theme your parents chose for a ball,” Cornelius said, rather suddenly, hoping that maybe distracting her with some conversation would make her dance steps more muscle memory and therefore she’d be less likely to mess up, “The way it defies logic and possibility even with all that we know is possible with magic and yet it still makes perfect sense.” He was referring to the oddness of the surrealistic vibes the decor and dress code gave; it fit the Lestrange family perfectly.
"Thank you, I played a part in choosing it," Seneca replied with a smile, her previous misstep forgotten. Belphoebe had suggested a garden party, given it was summer, and Seneca didn't want it to be usual, boring garden party that everyone else hosted. Besides, this theme gave her a reason to dress in something resembling wizarding robes, instead of the typical muggle ballgown. Her dress/robe hybrid was long, silver in colour and she was wearing a cloak over it. She kind of wanted to resemble both a dementor and the Patronus that could shoo it away.
"Both my father and my step-mother are former Unspeakables. I confess I wish I could follow their footsteps." Alas, here she was, dancing with Cornelius Flint. "I only wish that my future husband would encourage such aspirations." She looked into his face, awaiting the response for such a statement. Of course Cornelius Flint was in the appropriate pool and if he then and there declared he wanted his future wife to remain in the parlour and the nursery, she wouldn't want to engage with him further.
Archivist of the Flint Institute of Advanced Magic
29 year old Pureblood
5 ft. 9 in.
❤ Unattached
Played by Athena
35 Posts
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“Ah, well my compliments to you then, Miss Lestrange,” he smiled, “You have impeccable taste.” Though, he was sure she didn’t need him to tell her that. Cornelius most definitely would have agreed that this was a far more interesting theme than your standard garden party and Seneca looked beautiful in her theme appropriate dress robes. He was wearing dark, greenish black dress robes, himself, with an interesting mask over half his face that looked like his costume was the feared Augury.
Cornelius raised his eyebrows slightly, interested to hear she wished to have a career. It shouldn’t surprise him, really, as she didn’t strike him to be like those frivolous debutantes who didn’t have much ambition in their blood, not since he’d spoken to her last, but it was interesting for her to be so blunt about it, especially when she expressed to him that she wished for a husband who would support these ambitions of hers. “I can’t imagine you’d marry at all if you couldn’t find a man who did,” Cornelius said, almost laughing. Though, he worried she may take offense to this, he quickly added, “I just mean you strike me as a woman who would never allow for anyone to get in her way, even a man. I meant it as a compliment, I promise.”
Oh dear, Seneca thought, Mr. Flint was a step away from becoming the blushing debutante of the two. That being said, she enjoyed his compliments and his efforts into impressing her. That she found more attractive in a man, than trying to bulldoze the conversation with pompous talk about one's mediocre accomplishments at the Ministry! She couldn't stand listening to those men and having to pretend to be impressed by them. Every time she had to validate a man, Seneca wanted to jinx herself.
But Mr. Flint was different than those men. He was intelligent and studious, a fine companion to Seneca's academic spirit. He was also rather attractive, but not in the Golden Quidditch player way that so many other women admired.
"Compliment accepted, Mr. Flint," Sen replied with a playful smile. "And that is true, though do not tell my Papa and my step-mother that!" Then again, it had been Lucius who'd instilled in Seneca this sense of grandiose. "I couldn't marry someone who wouldn't view my ambitions as beneficial for the both of us. Don't you agree, Mr. Flint? Why would someone want to be with someone lesser than them, instead of an equal."She could see that displayed in her father's relationship to Belphoebe, compared to her late mother. He loved his second wife, who had been his equal in wit and accomplishments, while he'd never respected his pretty and vapid wife.
Archivist of the Flint Institute of Advanced Magic
29 year old Pureblood
5 ft. 9 in.
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Played by Athena
35 Posts
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He’d give one thing to Miss Lestrange; she was easy to talk to and didn’t make him feel like he had to rely on his legilimency ability to carry him through a conversation without horrible missteps. Cornelius was pleased that she seemed happy about his compliments and wasn’t at all offended by what he said; he didn’t want to make it sound like he thought she was uppity or difficult - the kind of women who would be left on the shelf to be spinsters because they couldn’t please a man long enough to get a proposal. He just thought she was more selective and that would earn her a better match in the long run than saying yes to the first man who paid her attention; not many ladies felt they had the choice to be as selective as their male counterparts.
“Your secret is safe with me,” he winked at her, giving her a cheeky smile. He thought about what she asked him, and if he was truthful, he’d never considered what he wanted in a wife. In all honesty, Cornelius had been dreading the awful dance that is courtship and would rather focus his attention on academics and not deciding who he’d like to spend the rest of his life with, but he supposed he had no choice but to face it eventually. “As long as I can have conversations with my wife that don’t bore me to tears, she can do whatever she pleases,” he shrugged, though, of course, he meant within reason, “If I’m to spend the rest of my life with her, I’d like her to be someone worth spending time with. An equal, a woman with brains as well as beauty, well, I’d enjoy that very much. I can’t imagine having to spend time with someone who feels she cannot speak her mind around me. But, if I’m to be honest with you, Miss Lestrange, I can’t say I’ve really thought about it before tonight.”
Normally, a man winking at her would have had her fight all impulses not to make a face. She didn't really enjoy flirting with most men, finding them wholly uninteresting and shallow creatures. With Cornelius Flint, though, it was different. He reminded her of her cousin Tiberius in many ways, in that he was an attractive man, who seemed to devout himself in books and knowledge, instead of firewhiskey and Quidditch.
As he spoke about the wife he would like, Seneca couldn't help but think that the two would make a good pair, given their individual desires. She would of course be an equal intellectually and her abilities could ensure that he'd never tire of her 'beauty'. As for Cornelius Flint, even though he wasn't a first son, he was still coming from a good pureblooded family and her father would like that very much.
Most importantly, if Cornelius Flint's word was to be trusted, he could provide her with the kind of freedom she desired in married life, one that would let her pursue her intellectual interests.
Of course, it was too early to think about that and before she could even consider him a serious prospect, he would need to start courting her, but Seneca was taught to measure all gentlemen she met in regards to how good of husbands they'd make. That was her duty as a debutante.
"Oh, truly?" Seneca asked in the most innocent tone. "I must have given you food for thought, then."
Archivist of the Flint Institute of Advanced Magic
29 year old Pureblood
5 ft. 9 in.
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35 Posts
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Being a man, that was something he never really had to think about; from the moment a lady was old enough to understand the concept of marriage, her whole life revolved around preparing for it - making sure she stayed pure and knew how to keep house, among other things that would ensure she would be picked and wouldn’t be left to be a lonely spinster. Men, on the other hand, like Cornelius, could ignore the whole thing until he was secure in a position of work - or leisure, and he could choose just about anyone he wanted. Of course, being a second son he didn’t have the choices that his elder brother did, but it wasn’t like he was begging for scraps either. Cornelius was honestly intending on ignoring the concept of marriage until his elder brother wed at the very least, and if not until it would be odd if he hadn’t chosen someone already, at the very latest.
However, his conversation with Seneca was forcing him to think about it and he supposed there was a lot more to think about than he originally thought. “It seems you have,” he agreed with her, “It seems there are many factors to consider when choosing someone to wed.” Of course, that was not promising he’d choose Seneca in the end, though she was lovely and he enjoyed her company, but he wasn’t entirely opposed to considering her - that is, if someone didn’t beat him to it. “I suppose I would rather think about my work than things like that - we’ve received numerous boxes of new artifacts and old spell books I’ve yet to archive and I have to admit I’m itching to get back to it. Not that your company is something I’m trying to run from, of course.” He laughed; it was only a matter of time before his charming façade fell to reveal how awkward he was.
Seneca senses that she might have pushed the man too hard. While it was a debutante’s only job to find a husband to wed, it was a grave mistake to make a man believe that you were desperate to have him pick you. She didn’t want Cornelius Flint leaving this ball thinking that she was desperate to get a ring on her finger, ready to plead with her father to increase her dowry so he would choose her over his unarchived artefacts!
“Of course I wouldn’t think that, Mr. Flint and I confess I’ve had this itch myself for the entire evening, for I would much rather be finishing up the second tome of Heracletus’ Alchemic Principles, instead of have dances back to back like some ballerina, but alas.”
Spoken a bit harsher than needed, but Seneca thought he was far more privileged in that regard. It wasn’t like they’d forced him to attend, unlike with her who had no choice but to attend a ball engineered specifically to get her out there.
And, she had to admit, she wanted Mr. Flint to know what she was reading.
Archivist of the Flint Institute of Advanced Magic
29 year old Pureblood
5 ft. 9 in.
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Played by Athena
35 Posts
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In honesty, while Cornelius didn’t think that Seneca was desperate to get married in general, though he wasn’t so naïve he hadn’t considered the point of this ball was to promote the fact she was ‘on the market’, so to speak, he did wonder if she was expecting an answer of some sort from him. Was she asking him if he would be willing to court her? Asking him if she married him, would he be willing to allow her to work in the Department of Mysteries? He couldn’t be sure and he honestly thought it would be far too forward if he simply just asked her to clarify what she wanted from him. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder.
It would seem he would have to put a pin in that thought process because he was immediately distracted, like a dog who just saw a squirrel, when the conversation of academics came up. “Ah! I haven’t read that one in some time - it’s a great read; highly recommend it,” his whole body language seemed to perk up as well, “I understand, however. I always welcome an invitation to attend events like these, I don’t have anything against you or your parents, but I do agree I’d rather be immersed in my work than attending society balls.” He only attended them so he wouldn’t be labeled a total recluse and have it reflect poorly on his family; especially his sister, Lucretia. “If you don’t mind, I could send you my notes from the last time I read Heracletus’ Alchemic Principles. I would love to see what you think of them - if you agree with my findings,” he offered.
Mr. Flint's energy was contagious and Seneca found herself smiling at his enthusiasm about Heracletus' Alchemic Principles. It was one of the staples in Alchemic studies, the first tome being taught at Hogwarts. The second tome was more exciting, in that it discussed mostly theories, some of them proven by other alchemists over the centuries, but most of them still mere hypothesis. It would be a delight for a person like her or Mr. Flint to be able to prove them.
"I would very much love that!" Seneca told the man. "I find myself particularly interest in the subject of life force materials - blood of course is the one most commonly used, but as you know Heracletus believed that there's deeper substances into a living organism, that if one managed to harness them, they could make the most powerful of magic! I'm curious to see what you thought about that subject, Mr. Flint."
Archivist of the Flint Institute of Advanced Magic
29 year old Pureblood
5 ft. 9 in.
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Played by Athena
35 Posts
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Now this was a comfortable topic! Cornelius felt very much in his element now that they had started talking about academic theories and not the fact he was probably going to have to pick a wife eventually and Miss Lestrange had to be distracted otherwise she’d step on his toes again. “I’ll be sure to send it over by owl, then,” Cornelius grinned; he felt delivering it in person would be a bit much, he didn’t want to overstep, but certainly an owl shouldn’t be too much. He raised his brows in complete surprise as she spoke of life force materials, especially blood. It fascinated him as well, though he had to admit he thought most ladies would be too squeamish to get through those chapters - perhaps Miss Lestrange wasn’t like most ladies.
“Most magic that requires the use of such things are considered dark in nature and therefore don’t have many writings on them, I’m afraid. I feel that most of that research remains hidden in fear the wizards who obtained it would be persecuted, but I’m of the belief that we should explore all there is to be explored - for science, for knowledge. If we understand how it works, we know how to better protect ourselves against it,” Cornelius wondered if he was rambling a bit too much, though he did try and hold himself back so he didn’t bore her, “Who knows what we could discover if we weren’t so afraid to experiment?”
Ah, there was where the Ravenclaw in Mr. Flint and the Slytherin in Seneca diverged. She was interested in such topics, not purely academically, but also because of the promise of the power they could give to those who had mastered them. It intrigued her to think that she could one day yield the power to do whatever she pleased.
"You are so very right, Mr. Flint" Seneca said regardless, because she wasn't about to admit to Mr. Flint that she was interested in the dark arts beyond the academics of it. Granted, Seneca had only ever cast the Unforgivables for curiousity's sake and all of them on animals, instead of humans. The truth was, she didn't feel inclined to use them on any humans. Perhaps she wasn't as hardcore as the rest of her family members, though Seneca liked to think herself that way.
"I am so happy to have found an academic peer in you, Mr. Flint," Seneca told the man as their dance was nearing to an end. "Perhaps we could ever work on a project together in the future." The truth was that she would much rather spend a day in a Potions lab with Cornelius Flint, than dancing and promenading. Of course, it was rather forward of her to make such a suggestion to Mr. Flint, but she didn't care much, those like them with the purest magical blood owed it to themselves and the magic within them to pursue deeper knowledge instead of fully immersing themselves into muggle practices of propriety!
Archivist of the Flint Institute of Advanced Magic
29 year old Pureblood
5 ft. 9 in.
❤ Unattached
Played by Athena
35 Posts
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That same house divide separated him from his elder brother, as well. While he spent all his time in the archives, gathering knowledge and studying various artifacts for the sake of it, content in not using the magic he learned about except to test it on an experimental basis, he knew that his brother was interested in the power it brought and what it could do for the Knights of Walpurgis. Cornelius didn’t mind it at all, however, as long as he could continue doing what he wanted, he didn’t care what Thaddeus decided to do with what he’d learned about powerful magic, and perhaps, the exact same could be said for Seneca.
Cornelius smiled, glad that she agreed with him, though he had an inkling she would, as it seemed they were similar in a lot of ways. “And I, you, Miss Lestrange,” he figured he’d find someone one day that he could discuss academia with, but he did think it would be a man, not a woman. But, even as traditional as he could be, he wouldn’t turn away a fellow academic just because of her sex. He was surprised she wanted to work on a project together, but he was excited at the prospect, no matter how forward it probably was to say. “Absolutely. I would like that,” he nodded, “Two heads are better than one, as they say.”
It was then that their dance had come to a close, the music quieting down a moment to signal the start of a new waltz starting soon and Cornelius knew his time with Miss Lestrange had come to an end for now. “Allow me to escort you back to your chaperone,” he asked her. Seneca could have a moment of rest until her next suitor waltzed her back onto the dance floor.
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