March 12th, 1890 — Zabini House, London

The correspondence had been her secret. After all, Bellona had not sought it out, merely replied politely to letters that painted the picture of someone who was almost certainly a gentleman, someone who thought her clever. When she had first begun her correspondence with the mysterious A., she had never fathomed that anything would come of it—to be sure, she had expected him to prove ridiculous so that she might reasonably discontinue all correspondence.

She certainly had not expected that he would wish to meet.

Now she sat upon her bed, his letters on the coverlet before her between her and Camilla. Her sister was probably not as fertile a well of advice as Antigone or that woman Calliope might be (both having married, unlike the Zabini sisters), but there was no one in the world Bellona trusted more (which wasn't as fabulous as it sounded).

"Well?" she asked.

— @"Camilla Zabini"/Cassius Lestrange —

  

---

— graphics by MJ ♥ —

Milly was startled when the letters appeared, but read through them, one by one. Bellona deserved her most thoughtful consideration of the correspondence, after all - especially if it was serious enough that she had brought the letters to her. After all - well. They rarely reached any point with men, let alone the point of telling one's sister.

A was thoughtful; that was immediately clear. He was thoughtful, and he was lonely, and he was tied to the museum - which meant to Camilla, more than his Hogwarts house, that he was smart. She set the final letter down on Bella's coverlet.

"If you don't meet him, I think you'll regret it," she said, easily.

There was a part of her that was jealous - although they had their shared woes, and were certainly better off than Lavinia living apart from her husband, Bellona was younger. So maybe it was unfair that the ad in Witch Weekly had featured her. But. Well. Oughtn't Bellona try this, if A was interested?

---

The following 1 user Likes Camilla Prewett's post:1 user Likes Camilla Prewett's post
   Bellona Zabini

Bellona paused. She had not expected her sister to be so...encouraging. She was almost jealous of the ease with which Camilla had answered her, that she could make such an important judgement with so little internal strife.

"But what if he is horrid," the witch protested in spite of the fact that she rather liked her sister's advice. "What if he's really some lech from the Prophet?"

— @"Camilla Zabini" —

  

---

— graphics by MJ ♥ —

"Then you never have to see him again," Camilla said easily, "And your name isn't on your letters - so there's no proof at all."

---

  

"In public? With Witch Weekly looking every which way for any hint of scandal?" she questioned, clearly incredulous.

— @"Camilla Zabini" —

  

---

— graphics by MJ ♥ —

Camilla shrugged. "Going to a museum and talking to someone is so inconsequential, scandal-wise," she said, "Especially with Quidditch going on - half those people are going to be caught in a closet together before the end of the season."

It was easy to be brave when you weren't the one going on adventure.

---

The following 1 user Likes Camilla Prewett's post:1 user Likes Camilla Prewett's post
   Bellona Zabini

Bellona snickered in spite of herself. Though a number of the gentlemen in the quidditch sphere were dreadfully handsome, the sport was nothing if not mired in a perpetual haze of lust and debauchery.

"I should take my chances then, should I?" she asked wryly.

— @"Camilla Zabini" —

The following 1 user Likes Bellona Zabini's post:1 user Likes Bellona Zabini's post
   Elladora Black

---

— graphics by MJ ♥ —

Camilla grinned. "Well I think so," she said brightly, "What if he's - charming and handsome and smart and interesting?" There was a best-case scenario here, too.

---

  

"You are right, of course," Bellona sighed, her smile less reluctant than her words implied. She was not wholeheartedly committed, of course, but with Camilla's encouragements, she was willing to pursue the avenue she had been trying to talk herself out of.

— @"Camilla Zabini" —

  

---

— graphics by MJ ♥ —

"I'm always right," Milly said, "It's one of my better qualities."

---

The following 1 user Likes Camilla Prewett's post:1 user Likes Camilla Prewett's post
   Aldous Crouch