April 4th, 1890 — Urquart Home

"And now that I've given you guidance, I'd like for you to return the favour, Papa."

Her voice had been trembling at the second part of her sentence, for all that she had tried to pass it in a joking manner. She kept her eyes on her hand-painted Tarot deck, which she had spread to give a reading to her father. It was a small father-daughter bonding activity and Ruby was sure that her father didn't think highly of her hobby, being a scholarly man himself. He probably wished she had more academic interests, like a passion for magical theory or advanced human transfiguration. Instead, he had a daughter who squandered away her opportunity of seven full years at Hogwarts, only for her best class to be Divination.

It should have been Topaz, out of the two twins, to finish Hogwarts with NEWTs.

"I'd like to do something... useful, like Delight*. I couldn't possibly do something like this" she gestured at her cards. "Seriously... When I am out of Hogwarts. How did you know what you wanted to do?"

She kind of wished that Balthazar wasn't the sort of progressive father to allow his daughters to seek professions and do something more than marry and raise children, if they wished to do so. She didn't deserve to have such a father. She deserved to have a father who would see her for the useless person that she was and marry her off, because Ruby felt that was all she was good enough for.

*who I assume works lol
Balthazar Urquart

  

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set by MJ

It was not often that Balthazar Urquart had all four of his children home, and so the wizard was eager to savour the time—to the extent that, unless something was actively on fire, he would not be reporting to the Ministry of Magic offices.  True, he hadn't expected 'time with the children' to include allowing Ruby to read his cards, but it was harmless enough and had grown into something he could see the Gryffindor enjoyed immensely.

Her question, though, stumped him. That Delight had wanted to work had never really come as much of a surprise. Though Balthazar's natal family did not approve of such things, he had never impressed upon his daughters an expectation that they be socialites, wives, and mothers only. Still, this was the first he had heard Ruby mention it, and he was rather taken aback, though did his best not to show it.

"Well," he began before taking a long pause, "I admit, I don't believe I know. It was different for me, you see," Balt explained. "As a third son, there was never any doubt in my mind that I would find a profession, and I think I always assumed it would be within the Ministry of Magic."

True, his path at the Ministry had not exactly been linear, but it had been his 'home', professionally speaking, for the majority of his adult life.

"Of course, once there, I still yearned for something more," he added with a chuckle, "but I think that might have been Fate's way of throwing me at your mother more than anything."

— Ruby Urquart —

  

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— mj makes pretty things! —

Ruby was lucky for not being a third son or a son at all because she wouldn't have survived in the world when her only skills were art and divination. She was lucky to be born a woman, because women could afford to be useless, as long as they could find a good husband. Everyone kept saying that, at least, and Ruby had absorbed any opinion that proved that she was a useless and terrible human being.

She always found the story her parents' love very romantic and she yearned to experience something like this herself. For someone young and attractive and from a wealthy family to choose her and save her from her miserable life. She didn't feel capable of saving herself, in spite of being a Gryffindor. She had become a different girl from the one sorted at age eleven.

"Mama was so lucky to find you. And you, Mama," Ruby commented, not looking at her father but instead at the Lovers card. "I don't think I'll be quite so lucky as you were. I don't think anyone would want to marry me."

She swallowed an urge to tear up and added: "Unless I travel somewhere far away, like you did."

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   Balthazar Urquart

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set by MJ

"Don't be foolish—any gentleman would be incredibly lucky to have you as his wife," Balthazar protested, realizing even though he said it that the words were true, but the intent was not. Ruby's prospects had been all but destroyed when her sister had been turned werewolf—such was the case for much of their family, but none more than Topaz's twin. It was unfair, adding insult to injury, but it was the way of the world.

"Travel, though, has its own rewards," the wizard added. "Have you thought what pockets of the world you might like to see?"

— Ruby Urquart —

  

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— mj makes pretty things! —

Ruby smiled somewhat. The words had some weight since her father had been the one to say them. Ruby still had this childish impression that her father was all-knowing and that he could fix everything. There had been times of doubt, like during his brief engagement to Miss Lovegood but, overall, it was a deeply rooted belief.

She considered her father's question. Ruby had never been anywhere outside the United Kingdom. Everything she knew about other places was from books or other people's stories of their travels. Those mediums tended to describe different places in a romantic way. As though a different country wasn't a real place, with real people, but rather the creation of some author or artist.

"I'd love to go to Italy, there's so much art there," Ruby replied. The most prestigious magical art school was in Italy as well. It was the heart of magical art. "And then, somewhere warmer, I suppose. And somewhere where people aren't this stuck up." Somewhere not in Europe. "It is my understanding that indigenous people in some colonies are more... Free spirited."

Ruby's impression was, of course, very Euro-centric and she viewed those people with a romantic gaze, as though they were from another, fantastical world.

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   Balthazar Urquart

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set by MJ

TW for era-appropriate soft racism!

"Indigenous populations are very different," he agreed, "though I do not know that you would find yourself...compatible. The way of life of the American Indian, for example, would be as foreign to you as a long-forgotten tongue."

Travel was one thing, but Balt found he could not encourage his daughter's "going native", as it were. Safety paramount, with one child already so marred.

"Italy, though..." he mused. "Perhaps a trip could be arranged upon completion of your schooling, if you think it preferable to a debut?"

— Ruby Urquart —

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   Ruby Urquart

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— mj makes pretty things! —

"Really?!" Ruby exclaimed. "Oh, I would love that!"

It was a dream to visit Italy. Every witch and wizard who was interested in the magical arts had to visit Italy at least once in their lifetime. It was full of museums, galleries and, the most prestigious art school. It was an experience that Ruby couldn't say no to. There was no point in her getting a debut either, seeing that nobody would want to marry her.

She stood up from where she was sitting at and circled around the table to give her father a hug. "Oh Papa, I love you!"

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   Balthazar Urquart

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set by MJ

In truth, the arrangement suited Balt just fine—particularly since any sort of debut was almost assured to be lacklustre, given Topaz's affliction. Still, it warmed his heart to see his daughter so delighted, and the wizard could not—and did not wish to—stop a grin from stretching across his face.

"It is decided, then!" he proclaimed, returning Ruby's embrace.

— Ruby Urquart —

  

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— mj makes pretty things! —