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Welcome to Charming, the year is now 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.

Where will you fall?

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Did you know? Jewelry of jet was the haute jewelry of the Victorian era. — Fallin
What she got was the opposite of what she wanted, also known as the subtitle to her marriage.
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Sunshine and a good book
#1
June 7th, 1894 - Padmore Park


The pair of teens sat quietly next to each other on the grass overlooking the lake. A plait blanket with a few sandwiches furnished the ground and Millie’s chaperone sat not far away from them. In Ben’s hand was the next instalment in their shared reading experience, a tale of wizarding peril from war across the Atlantic almost exactly one hundred years prior. With a side tale of romance between an Englishman and a woman of the rebels. They were already a couple of chapters in, with nothing but the beautiful sunshine, the breeze, a good book and a friend.


Millie Potts

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   Millie Potts

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#2
Rustling pages passed the minutes of their outing, but Millie was measuring by the moments between hers and his. Mr. Hunter was early this time, forcing her eyes down the words on the rest of the page before she could hastily flip. It felt easier in the castle, each in their own house dorms, exchanging thoughts in notes between classes. Or brief meetings in the library. Here, with endless time beneath the summer sun, her lips stayed silent, the young witch speaking only through the turning pages of their novel.

Oh, Zinnia Gallagher must see them both as quite mad.




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   Benedict Hunter

[Image: Aoane36.png]
#3


Trumpets blared loudly and the sound of muskets firing across the battlefield filled Ben's imagination as he read the prose in front of him, it was easy to take himself there in his mind's eye. He looked across at the dark haired girl next to him, trying to work out what page Miss Potts might be on. He let out a little chuckle as the writer tried some dark humour to juxtapose with the otherwise bleak description. Ben wondered if Millie had gotten to that part yet, he might have asked her but he kept silent. More pages went by.


Millie Potts

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   Millie Potts

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#4
Grisly depictions of war haunted her eyes even after turning the pages, harder to do with one hand stuck at her throat. Millie hadn't expected Benedict's choice of novels to be such a grim affair, or feel so real. She was only too happy that no one had yet enchanted a manner by which to see these scenes for real. They were only trapped there, on pages to turn quickly past, to live only in the young witch's memory as her eyes sought the better moments the next chapter would bring. Perhaps their next book should return to mysteries instead.




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   Benedict Hunter

[Image: Aoane36.png]
#5

The book was getting really rather good, the current chapter was a little intense, but it was enjoyable. He wondered how Millie might be taking it, he was sure that his friend was as not tied to “girls books” as the professors might like. Perhaps though, he should be grateful when the scene changed to a quieter after battle setting, it was still a challenging read, the titular pair of the book bonding whilst they tended to wounded. Benedict felt the chill in the air as the narrator described it, despite the warmth of june, such was the writer's quality.


Millie Potts

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   Millie Potts

[Image: c95hHx7.png]
#6
Millie spared a glance at Benedict, finding a shared crease in his forehead as the protagonist, as described by his belle while deep in concentration. Curiosity asked the question itself, whether he shared anything else in common with the brave, undaunted hero of the book. Those were trait of Gryffindors, after all.

Recognition swarmed the young witch, fearing where her idle thoughts might lead her. Demurred, she took to the book furiously, turning pages with a swift sound to lend Mr. Hunter no ideas toward any further fantasy beyond the little the author had infused into the pages they read.




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   Benedict Hunter

[Image: Aoane36.png]
#7

The romance part between the pair was lovely, Benedict was sure that had they not been chaperoned by the multitude of injured soldiers, the spark that passed between their exposed hands might turn to a kiss, but it was not to be. Instead Benedict felt the urge for tears as the scene continued and they bonded over the death of one of their charges.

Ben glanced at Millie and offered her a small smile. He didn't know what she might think of him if a book brought him to tears, but her presence was comforting and helped him remain stoic.


-Millie Potts-

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   Millie Potts

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#8
Perhaps it was surreal, to be lost in the pages of war and romance, a cacophony of history unfolding to the sweet sound of birdsong around them. A cool breeze blew through the park, trying earnestly to flip pages ahead of her eyes, offering to be a grounding force for the young witch. She let the breeze go on, fluttering away unlike the firm grasp on the pages which spelled out the dizzying enchantment of the stories she loved so much. An historical adventure to counter the social adventure, one proving to be the real novel in Millie’s day today.




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   Benedict Hunter

[Image: Aoane36.png]
#9

Benedict hoped that one day he might be able to put ink to paper and write such things. The capability of the author to convey the emotions that had caused a tear to escape from his eye was impressive. Fortunately it had been the eye further from his reading partner so he had been able to maintain discretion when wiping away what was obviously a bug that had landed on his face. It was starting to become breezier and a little chillier, Ben wondered how long they had read and what Mrs. Gallagher might make of them, specifically Benedict himself.


Millie Potts

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   Millie Potts

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#10
Summertime was no time for the chill that crept suddenly upon her. Borne on the wind fluttering the held pages, it sent a shiver through the bewildered young witch trying to forget herself in the book. Even with long sleeves, her cotton dress was not made for a day of highland winds.

It was a day Millie could bask in her cousin's presence, warmed by Zinnia's presence. She burrowed into it, able to ignore the chill with the warmth of another body alongside her. Only then a new chill settled in, realizing who she was touching, and she froze completely.




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   Benedict Hunter

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#11

Benedict was sure he felt the shuffling on the bench before her heard it but paid no heed until he felt the warmth of the girl pressing into him. Despite the quickening of his heart, he didn't mind, not even a little bit, shifting his body just slightly to allow her more comfort. He turned the page of his book and continued to read the next chapter but there was something else on his mind now, the growing sensation of closeness that he had thus far not shared with a girl. Something about sitting here with her just seemed proper.


Millie Potts

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   Millie Potts

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#12
The young witch's mind screamed about how improper this was. She enjoyed the friendship shared with Benedict Hunter well enough. In the eyes of Society, they were fated to be opposites, no more likely to mix than oil and water. It was surprising to her that Zinnia had yet to intervene, a surprise that whispered a soothing suggestion. Perhaps this was the way of friendships after all, freed from the constraints of school and the wandering eyes of portraits. Her hands fretted, one at her throat to find the necklace there, the other hastily turning pages she had not read.




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   Benedict Hunter

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#13

Benedict felt enjoyed with the girl resting into him, he wondered how Millie was feeling as she toyed with her necklace, was it his presence? Surely not as she leaned on him and he in no way prevented her moving. Or could it simply be the subject of the book, it had been a riveting read and the pair had made excellent progress if measured in chapters. He leaned over, just to look where Miss Potts read, trying to catch the page number but in the process catching the scent of whatever floral soaps the girl washed her hair with.


Millie Potts

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   Millie Potts

[Image: c95hHx7.png]
#14
The links of her necklace were often more thoughtful than she was. It lay atop her skin not within it, and Millie liked to think she could borrow some of its detached wisdom. All she could feel now was the familiar calm the motion brought her, and for a moment her eyes focused only on the page in her lap. The young witch couldn't recall when her favorite characters had become so cross with each other. Frowning, the usual pine of discomfort growing at the back of her throat shattering the brief calm, she closed her book and stood up.




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   Benedict Hunter

[Image: Aoane36.png]
#15

As Millie pulled away from where Benedict had become comfortable, he couldn't help but feel a little robbed. But the pair had been reading for ages, it was becoming colder and the light was fading so he could assume the reason they were finished. Mrs Gallagher walked over to collect her ward and he suddenly felt quite aware of himself. Ben smiled to Millie without really knowing how to say goodbye. At least with the exciting action that was developing in the book, he had ample excuse to walk to her house in Bartonburg and bother her with his presence.


Millie Potts

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   Millie Potts

[Image: c95hHx7.png]
#16
Once standing, Millie realized that she felt quite beside herself. She only stood to gather herself for a moment, perhaps to take another seat not so close to the boy. By the time her head had cleared and her mind made up, Zinnia was at her elbow with a ready disposition. She supposed it was past time to be heading back, and the mere act of conceding made her nerves start to calm again. Looping her elbow around Zin’s arm, the young witch nodded to Mr. Hunter’s smile. A small one appeared on her own lips before starting off home.




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   Benedict Hunter

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