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.
Hanna had brought one of her smaller puzzles to Wildflowers Florist today, mostly so that she could sit in the shop while Daffy worked. She had sometimes done this when Daff was still attached to her parents' shop in Hogsmeade, and the shop in London was even better for it because Hanna only had to hold comments to herself until customers were gone. She was in a good mood, today — she tried to always be doing at least slightly well when she visited Daff at work, lest she offend customers — which meant that the door had swung fully shut behind the last customer before she burst out with a comment.
"Her colors for the floral arrangement are so boring, she should have listened to you," Hanna offered. She clicked one of the puzzle pieces into place. "And is your sister really having a baby?"
She was very interested in Zinnia; going from nothing to a marriage in such a short period of time was nigh-inspirational to Johanna.
Daff snorted in the most unladylike manner at Hanna's comment. The entire appointment had been a bit tedious, but Daff was hopeful she'd be able to make it work. "Brides tend to be very inflexible." Even if she agreed with her friend's assessment; monotone pink was going to be boring, but Daff would spice it up with a bunch of different textures around the required roses.
"Which one?" She laughed, watching as Hanna worked on her puzzle at the little coffee table set up between the two green armchairs near the store's front window. It was a cozy little spot that Daff wanted while people were waiting and she loved the plush texture and rich forest green against the wood tones of the room. Her shop wasn't very big, hardly fifteen feet wide at the front itself, but she made up for it in comfort; or so she hoped. "There are three new arrivals scheduled for the spring and summer." Senna first, late May. Then it was anybody's guess as to who would go next, Zinnia or Dahlia. Two out of three were expected, but Zinnia's was the most controversial one.
Making her final notes on the order form, Daff tucked it into a folder, labeled it neatly and then put it on the end of the counter to go back into her office to be filed. The wedding wasn't for a couple of months, so Daff had time to figure that one out. She moved around the end herself and moved to join Hanna in the chairs. A wedding and three babes, a busy year for the Potts family indeed. She sunk into the chair gratefully and watched Hanna work with a bemused smile.
Three new arrivals; the Potts were very prolific. That was the sort of thought that Hanna would say out loud if she was doing well, so she managed to keep it inside.
She beamed at Daff when her friend sat down next to her. "I meant Zinnia," Hanna said, "And she's happy?"
Again: inspirational. As long as Zinnia was happy, (and even if she was only slightly more happy than miserable,) then it was an inspirational action.
Zinna was the natural one to question. Dahlia and Quin couldn't be any more obvious in their affections for one another and Senna was already married and a mother once over. Zin's rushed wedding, the stuttering steps to get there fully, well it did look suspicious because it was. Daff did wonder a little why Zinnia and Rhys just didn't tell everyone about the amortentia-laced-evidence, but she supposed it probably wouldn't change many opinions. At least Rhys was making good on everything.
"I think she will be," Daff smiled softly. She meant that genuinely, too. Of course it wasn't how it should have gone, nor how Zin would have wanted it to, but Rhys was a good man, he stepped in and stepped up to make sure Zinnia was taken care of. It could be a lot worse. "Mr. Gallagher is a good man. He takes very good care of her." Daff shrugged a little. Her opinion was wildly different than her mother's in this respect, which was why Daff hadn't said too much on the topic around family, but felt comfortable doing it now.
Spotting a piece she thought might fit, Daff tried it on the assembly nearest to her, but it wasn't and so she leaned back again, letting Hannah do her thing.
Hanna beamed. She picked up the puzzle piece that Daff had abandoned and slid it into its proper place. She was glad to have friends who would indulge her with puzzling; it was technically a hobby that Johanna could engage in on her own, but she liked being able to do it with others.
"I'm glad she found a good man," Johanna said. "And you, too. I want to find one myself." There had to be good men out there — but how would she get them to overlook the glaring problems with her family, and her personality, and the way that she talked to people?
She put her finger on a puzzle piece and spun it in a circle, contemplating the dilemmas of spinsterhood.
Daff nodded along, watching as Hanna put the piece she'd just attempted to figure out exactly where it went. She had always considered herself a pretty visual person, but had never had the patience for puzzles. Probably because they required sitting and shew as terrible at that.
"You will, when you're least expecting him." Daff assured her friend with a soft smile. Neither she nor Zin had been looking at the time. She had nearly said when you stop looking, but knew this was a bit of a stressor for Hanna. Elias had crash-landed accidentally in her backyard, delivered right to her. It was funny to think about how everything had gone from that simple run of chance. "Are you looking forward to the season then?" Daff was, if only for it was her busiest and therefore most profitable time of year. The shop was currently in a bit of a slump and she hoped it picked up soon.
Hanna wasn't sure she liked that answer; she did not know how to stop expecting him when she was so desperate to find a husband. If she couldn't snag one this year, how was she ever going to justify another season to her family? She was sure that all of them expected her to give up and become a spinster —
She shook her head, and refocused on Daff. "As much as I ever am," she said. "Or maybe more than that." She would get someone this year. "It gets a bit dull in the off-season."
"Mm, I am much busier during the season as well." The majority of her business was decorating for events, and the season was one event after another. It was fun though and it challenged her creativity. This summer might be wholly different, but she needed to make up some revenue from the last few months and from her time off after the wedding; she knew it would be hard to justify all of the late nights when she was sure she would much rather be home with Elias.
Perhaps she could, now that she was to be married and therefore not quite as in the forefront of her mother's matchmaking attempts, attend a few events as well. "I might be able to chaperon every once in a while?" Daff didn't have any brothers, but she could imagine that having one looming around you while you were trying to enjoy a ball might be a little counterproductive to the whole finding a husband thing.
Hanna could believe that; people had to buy more flowers when they had more events to go to.
Chaperoning? Hanna straightened up, and beamed. "You'd chaperon me?" she said, in cheerful disbelief. "I'd love it." It would be fun to chat about the men who she talked to with Daff — and that way, she could have another backup chaperon (outside of Mama) for whenever her brothers Weren't Doing Well.
"Of course," one of the perks (you know, aside from Elias) of being married was that nobody had any say in how she came and went, or with who! "Low stakes for me, but I always enjoyed having one of my more laid back sisters accompany me." Not that Daff had ever been looking for a romantic connection at an event, but they were far more enjoyable without somebody watching your every move life a hawk.
"Far more fun with friends away." Daff also always enjoyed events more when she had friends to keep her company and save her from any unwanted attention. "Maybe it'll help take the pressure off too, just go to enjoy yourself. Having fun attracts people to you." In her experience anyway. Or it could just be pumpkin plants on a warm spring afternoon.
"I really would like that," Hanna said, still enthused. She never had to worry about being over-eager with Daffodil; it was a pleasant change of pace from everyone else. And this had even managed to make her feel better about her chances this season.
"I shall try to have fun this season," she said brightly. Did any eligible men like puzzles?
Pleased that Hanna seemed encouraged by the idea, Daff chuckled quietly. "It'll be fun," she agreed. Not that Daff had ever really been under any scrutiny at events in the past, having always been somehow entangled, but she supposed that none of that was a concern now, so they might be more enjoyable. Not to mention, she and Hanna always managed to have a good time together.
"Shall I make us some tea while you finish that one?" The rate at which Hanna finished puzzles was always a treat, Daff could hardly keep up. Tea and chitchat was just as good for her though, which she could watch in awe.
![[Image: Daff-Sig-A94.png]](https://i.ibb.co/dmdz3DX/Daff-Sig-A94.png)