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
Soon Liliana would be at her very own coming out ball. Her dress was perfect, her hair spectacular. Everything to her standards, which was saying something as they were ridiculously high. Gazing at the mirror, she had to admire the work done. The theme of this party was rather excellent. And the best part? None of her siblings could come, as they were too young. But father would be there. She would be the center of his attention.
Finally, she was ready. Getting up from her vanity, she saw no need to acknowledge the maid who had done her hair. It was the woman's job. The only commentary that was needed was when they were making a mess of things. So instead, Liliana made her way to the door. Opening it with the expectation of finding the hallway empty, she instead found one of the banes of her existence. "What do you want?"
Cad shrugged carelessly as Liliana as she challenged him, but didn;t make any effort to move out of her way.
’It’s my house, I can be where I like’ he retorted, alright technically it was their fathers house, but he couldn’t be cast off like an old sock, she -could be, and if their father died tomorrow, her future was entirely in his hands. After all that was what natural children were for. If Liliana was lucky she might one day get to be his sisters paid companion or perhaps a spinster governess to his brothers brood. Not his, no - he wouldn’t have a bastard in his home, as far as Cad was concerned her mothers inability to keep her legs closed didnt give her the right to think herself a ‘lady’, and their fathers indiscretions didn’t make her family, no matter that she was allowed to use their name.
’You look ridiculous’ he stated flatly, his face impassive and cold.
Challenge was not the word that Liliana would use for how she dealt with her annoyance of a brother. If Liliana Emily Selwyn wanted to truly challenge someone, they would certainly know it for what it was.
As far as Liliana was concerned, she was father's little princess, and this was her castle. Having always seen herself as his favorite, the man certainly never made a move to suggest otherwise as far as Liliana was concerned. Whomever her birth mother was as a person, Liliana was the apple in their father's eyes. And she expected to marry the finest before her demon-child brother became the head of house. Being a governess was certainly not in the cards.
"Not near my room. I put a hex on the door the minute I came back from Hogwarts, so don't even try snooping." She wasn't going to bother telling him what the hex was, but it would be quite amusing if he did set it off. Not that a proper gentleman should ever go into a lady's room anyway, though Cad was less gentleman and more rabid dog.
Scoffing at the vile from his mouth, she scrunched her nose. "This was made by Marcus Lytton himself. Not that I expect a boy to understand society fashion at it's finest." She snarled. Deep breath, relax the face, no need to cause premature wrinkles.
Cads disdain for the families bastard offspring was fairly common knowledge within the family, but then so was his mothers. She was a half blood and a bastard, and she took attention and focus from the families true children. If his father was to die tomorrow, and Cad became the families inheritor - this child would be out on her ear alongside the hearse. He didn't view her as a sibling, not really- she was a begger at their table, an eating pledge who shamed the whole family by being part of it.
'I may loiter in any area that pleases me' he corrected her, his tone cold and dispassionate. 'But it's good to know, I'll have to speak to mother about that, we wouldn't want anyone thinking you were behaving like your mother behind our closed doors. he remarked. 'Goodness knows who you could be be sneaking in, and what of the poor housemaids' his face was his usual implacable mask. Liliana's petulance and foolish flapping amused him, she was a deluded child, despite being his elder, her strange delusion that she would marry some well heeled gentleman was hilarious.
'Oh this will be that mudblood woman's idea won't it?' he said with a smirk.
If Liliana had her way, their father would live to be positively ancient. Even with her married. Gifts sent her way, and someone to complain to if her husband became a pain - for surely he understood what that felt like - was her goal in life. Cad was a damn threat. If she had it her way, she would have likely killed him in his sleep. At least the younger boy was tolerable, if unpleasant to look at. He would likely follow like a pathetic puppy.
Liliana strained to keep the laugh in her throat lady-like, but she managed with grace. "It's only for the foul intent. If a maid wanted to steal from a Selwyn then they should rightfully be hexed. As should you if you were to mess with my things. Father would happily stand by me on the matter." And their father likely would, and Cad knew that, she was sure. "And I am a respectable young lady. Father would have no less under his roof. Which is why no male should be in my room in the first place."
'muggle nobility' he said with a scoffing laugh, 'but I suppose when one isn't pureblood one will cling to anything that makes you feel special. But I suppose you are right that if a maid were to steal from a Selwyn the repercussions would be dire...' he smirked and consulted his nails for dirt. 'but then you are not a real Selwyn.' He looked at her from toe to head, 'Selwyns are pureblood, you are not, Selwyns are not base born, you are, Selwyns are not the illegitimate leavings in an old whore...you are' he dared her to challenge anything he had said as untrue. When the both knew it was -her mother hadn't even been a mistress, just a port in a storm for a man with a known penchant for beautiful if vacuous women.
'You over estimate your power in this house' he retorted, 'Father took you in because of his sense of honour, but you have no dowry, no debut as a daughter of this house, you rely on a muggle noble to take pity on you. You are a pet, like a dog or horse that father is fond of, but if you bit one of the true born members of the family, you would be out on your ear, and the law would not protect you.' Liliana might have been pretty, in a common way, but it didn't change what she was, her own delusions about the position she held in their fathers home was exactly that - a delusion. Their father had acknowledged her, and although named a Selwyn she had no legal claim to the name, but that was as far as his protection had extended, and the only social norm he had bucked for her sake. Her mother hadn't been special - only the first trollop to give him an illegitimate child. There were others - at least if you believed the gossip.
No matter how much faith she had in their father being willing to stand up for her, she also knew that the step-monster would likely turn Liliana into a pitiful toad if Liliana even tried to hex the little demon that stood before her. But the thought was growing more and more tempting as he went on with the typical Cad rantings. Something she had learned years ago were more bark than bite. At least while their father was alive.
"Your mother is why I need to rely on a noble for my coming out. I know for a fact that father had demanded that your mother work on my debut before I even finished my seventh year. But I found a better solution. A sponsor that wouldn't try to sabotage me. Don't bother denying it, you know your mother would stoop so low." Perhaps demand was a bit of a stretch, but it felt like power on its own. She wasn't going to bother arguing that she was indeed a Selwyn, she knew she was every time she talked to their father, dined in their home, and received the latest fashion items on a whim because her father just couldn't say no.
'Yes because the children of harlots are not ladys' he laughed in her face, 'And father didn't demand anything,' he scoffed, 'he probably just told you that to make you go away' he knew his mother had certainly done nothing to arrange a debut for the little bastard - and even if one had been held, no one from polite society would have come. Halfblood illegitimate children didn't get happily ever afters, they got to be the paid companion of the legitimate children if they played their cards right, but Liliana had never been nice enough Hortense for that to ever happen. No, even if the entire Selwyn household were to be hit by lightning tomorrow Liliana would never be better off than she was at this very moment.
'I won't deny that my mother has too much dignity to bother trying to turn a sows ear into a silk purse' he mused, consulting his finger nails. 'You can claim all the airs and graces you like Liliana, but no one in this world will ever forget you are a bastard. Father certainly doesn't' his voice was cold and detached now, 'Why do you think he let the mudblood woman organize your debut? Could it be because he didn't care enough to present you as his daughter? You'll note he isn't attending tonight, he didn't insist that you enter society as a woman of this house, as he will Hortense, you enter society as the pet of a mudblood, and as someone not worthy of being debuted as a Selwyn.'
He pushed off the wall, and with a last scornful look headed off down the corridor to find something more amusing to do. 'I hope your mudblood friend is well connected because you're going to need all the help you can get.' he called not bothering to look back and praying that the vapid little tart would crash and burn.
There was no way to be sure which Selwyn was right in this case, and Liliana fancied herself too much of a proper lady to snort in response to his assumption.
Rage boiled through Liliana's blood. Just he wait, she would remind herself repeatedly. The moment she was married, she could give him every cruel remark under the sun. But young ladies weren't allowed to do that to their brothers in proper society, legitimates or otherwise.
"He'll be there. I would say that you'll see, but little boys aren't allowed at proper society functions." She stated coldly, not bothering to raise her voice like a child before she turned on her heels and left for her party.
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