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
Years ago, when he had thought about what he would be doing with his Sunday afternoons at this point in his life, Konstantin had not imagined the Hog's Head. He had envisioned long, lazy walks through the park, the sweetest smile he had ever seen gracing him by some miracle and the promise of nothing but days that positively glowed. Suffice to say it was a disappointment to be sat in the grimy confines of this particular establishment with only his dog for company.
Well, not just his dog, he consoled himself as he looked up. The door had opened and a familiar face came towards him. Would they notice that his eyes were bloodshot? His shaved chin choppy with lack of care?
"Good to see you, pull up a seat," he said conversationally, taking a drag of his cigarette closely following by a mouthful of ale. "I have a feeling we could both do with the company."
Invitational to Ari FiskDorian FiskLeonid Fisk or someone else looking to drown their sorrows that Konstantin already knows :)
The Hog's Head was not a place Leonid typically went to. The Three Broomsticks or the Ministry Club were typically the places he went for drinks. He had spotted a familiar figure through the grimy window though and had made entrance.
Personally, Leonids life had been doing well. Not at first but it was picking up. He had been through the wringer when his lover had died and then literally ghosted him. But things were back on in that regard though it was still tough to have a ghost for a lover. "Is everything all right?" Leonid asked, eyeing his brother as he ordered an ale for himself. Would it be Too Much to ask to clean the mug himself before they poured. Probably, so he decided against it.
Eyeing his brother with grim determination Kons took another drag of his cigarette and briefly toyed with the idea of being honest. The woman he loved had died, of course he wasn’t all right, but he doubted Leo would understand. When had his brother ever opened his heart to the world?
Leonid wished he knew the absolute perfect thing to say but he didn't. He had experienced similar though he had not told anyone. But his behaviour had been a lot more somber for a long time for most of the year of 1893. Point was, he didn't think anyone could have said anything in those times to really lift him out of it.
"Let's have a pint together," he said instead as he patted his older brothers back.
It was probably the kindest thing his brother could have said to him. Konstantin knew all too well that he was being indulgent – he had decided he didn’t care around the time he had lost his job – but really, what was the point of it all? He had done everything as he was supposed to and it had all come crashing down around him: he might as well have spent his life as a dissolute.
He had nothing to show for anything except for the pint his brother put in front of him.
“This,” he pointed at his beer before picking it up reverentially and taking a long gulp. “Is far better than Zelda’s attempt.”
"What did Zeldas attempt entail?" Leonid couldn't help but ask curiously after taking a swig of his own drink. At least his presence seemed to be redirecting Kons thoughts somewhat. Sometimes a distraction rather than cure-all was helpful, Leo personally felt.
“Tidying. Nagging. Mother would have been proud,” Kons replied with a small smile. Their mother would probably have died of shock too: that Zelda of all people should be schooling him. He wanted to see her face. He wanted to see her so much and lately the perennial ache that had taken the place of his mother’s affection was hurting more than ever and nothing seemed able to stop it.
Leonid couldn't help an undignified snort that had his ale going up his nose and made him cough. "Our Zelly? Being a nag?" He managed when he managed to not up and die. He could both envision it and also not envision it in an amusing contradiction of thoughts.
Slapping his brother on the back Kons could not help but grin. The surprise he could well understand but there was also something inherently funny about Zelda being the grown up.
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself,” he admitted, sitting up a little straighter as he thought about his newly exemplary sister. “Perhaps the marriage…perhaps he has helped her to grow up, after all?”
"I suppose motherhood will do that to a woman," Leonid said in agreement. It was still odd to think of Zelda as a married woman, let alone a mother. And yet, here they were.
Set by MJ
October 29, 2024 – 7:56 PM
Last modified: October 29, 2024 – 7:57 PM by Konstantin Fisk.
Yes, that had to be it. Motherhood rather than the influence of her seafaring spouse. She would have been a wonderful mother, he was quite sure, and the thought sent a stab into his gut. He took a long sip of his drink, avoiding his brother's eye.
"So, how is the fighting wing of the Ministry these days?"
"It has been a little slow but I suppose that is a good thing. Less criminals needing to be brought in." That or the criminals were covering their tracks better. Hopefully it was more the former though as it would be less of a headache.
All was well and good with the rest of the world - that was something, Konstantin supposed, though he found it difficult to care these days. Perhaps the Ministry would become his saviour in the end, but for the moment it was leaving him cold, and getting colder each day.
“Shame. I was thinking of a career change and something violent appealed.”
Leonid did not know what to say to that at first. "Please don't become one of the people I must chase down just because you need a change of pace," he teased instead when he had gathered a couple of his wits about him.
Konstantin grinned at his brother and toasted him with the remains of his beer. He needed another, and maybe a few more after that until he felt numb enough that he might sleep. Then he could face another week.
“I doubt I could hack criminality,” he knew himself too well. His instinct for morality would win out – at the moment he was trying to ignore it existed but he was not totally blind to his own character. “I doubt our brother-in-law would struggle quite so much.”
