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
Minty was not quite sure how she felt about the theme of tonights event but she couldn't afford to be choosy. Besides Lestranges were a very respectable name and it would only benefit to be on their good side. There was all sorts of literal magic in the air as illusionary animals stalked around the event and a champagne fountain with glasses levitating in the air near it.
She had ventured out to look at the Vesuvius which was taller than the house. She helped herself to a skewer and the fruit. She dipped it in the chocolate and did her best to avoid getting burned. After she had eaten her lava chocolate covered fruits, she ventured into one of the mazes. The statues looked... questionable. Then it hit her why it felt that way: they represented the people of Pompeii. She stepped back for a better look and ended up backing into a gentleman.
Hurling; at least a bit older, UCAB
*she will soon have reduced impulse control, thx antigone XD
Harrison felt quite silly in his toga, sure he had worn similarly robe like outfits when dealing in Indian ceremonies, but that was ceremonial, and in India, not in Britain, surrounded by other members of polite society. Luckily though there were several discrete seams sewn into his toga so that although it appeared he might be exposed by a slight breeze, he was thoroughly secure.
He was admiring a statue of a couple of men in the throws of what looked light a fist fight when he felt a knock from behind. He turned to see the young woman in question. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." politely taking the blame for an impact that was definatelt hers. He turned and looked at what she was looking at and then at her. "Harrison Knight, are you OK?"
Mintys mind was taken off the statues of the people of Pompeii trying to escape their doomed fate by the sight of a handsome man in a toga. Other men at the party had been wearing similar or at least what their idea of a toga was. "I'm quite all right. I'm Araminta Scrimgeour," Minty said, wondering what sort of reaction her name would bring. After all, her familys troubles were quite known much to her chagrin through it had been years now. Perhaps she would have some luck and find someone completely clueless for his own reasons.
She glanced at the statue he had been looking at which varied somewhat from the depictions of other Pompeii people trying to escape the volcanos eruption she had seen so far. "Do you suppose many of the doomed really got into a fist fight like this?" She asked him curiously as she stepped closer to the statue for a better look. Honestly, she could see it happening. All that fear, adrenaline and lost hope... she imagined a lot of different scenarios had played out for those poor people.
There was a look of half recognition from Harrison at the name, he had heard it but probably in passing, but remembered there was something about it. He shook it out and ignored it, probably some idle gossip he had no interest in, names got tossed around quite easily during the season.
She walked around him and looked at the fighting pose. "I hear it all happened very suddenly and the preserved bodies were found in all manner of poses. Although I wouldn't be surprised if there were some fists thrown. Imagine some ner-do-well arriving at some gent's door wanting shelter." he offered that suggestion. The whole event was fascinatingly morbid, all running around in drinking wine celebrating amongst the echos of the dead.
He looked at the toga clad woman, noting her pale complexion where usually unexpowed skin now met the light. "Where are my manners, can I get you a drink Miss Scrimgeour"
Minty could almost see the scene the man was describing playing out right before her eyes as she envisioned it. She would never want to be caught in such a terrible situation. Luckily, any volcanos were very far away from them. Aside from the chocolate lava one from the party, that was.
"A drink would be magnificant," Minty said with a smile. "But I'd like to continue exploring the statues. Mrs Lestrange seems to have outdone herself."
Harrison smiled at the woman and nodded. "Then I shall aquire refreshments and escort you through the rest of event of you, and your... chaperone? see fit. You are right, these statues are quite impressive." there was ab inflection in his voice that indicated that he was enquiring whether she was chaperoned or not, rather than seeking the permission of some other guardian to socialise with the pretty woman. It would only be a moment while he was walking across the room to obtain two drinks from the magical fountain before returning to Miss Scrimgeour to hand her own. "I hope champagne is acceptable?" there was very few occasions he had found where champagne was not a good answer.
He would beckon the woman to walk alongside him and observe the next statues, this one was of what looked to be a group of men sat around a table, perhaps playing a game. "I wonder who was winning when it all happened?" he spoke closely and quietly to Araminta, sharing her fascination for this slightly macabre display. Just his luck to be buried in hot ash the day the gods smiled on him favourably.
"That would be agreeable," Minty said with a smile, her own chaperone being nearby at a respectable distance whilst also allowing for some privacy. He left her for a moment and Minty continued to enjoy the outdoor attractions that Mrs Lestrange had provided. "Champagne is perfectly acceptable," she assured as she accepted the glass from him. Her fingers brushed against his and it brought a small flush to her cheeks.
She followed as he beckoned, observing the statues alongside him as she sipped her drink. Minty eyed the statues. "Perhaps this one. There's a sly look to him, like he had just figured out how to best his opponent," Minty decided after a moment.
He noted the light blush in her cheeks as he handed over the glass, but said nothing. Until they reached the statues and began to make their assessments. "An interesting theory, and I believe you might be right." he came in closer to have a look at the faces, the attention to detail was excellent.
"I think this one might be trying to calculate his losses, I wonder what he bet? I dont suppose it matters at this point." he quipped somewhat darkly before smiling at Miss Scrimgour to try to judge her reaction.
"Here's a question, Ben Nevis erupts into life burying half of Britain in ash. How would you like to be frozen?" he raised his eyebrows in query.
Minty was pleased to be right. She was a little surprised at how frank he was being but did not wholly mind it. Maybe because he was handsome. "I suppose not. They all lost in the end," she remarked a little morbidly. Unbeknownst to her, the lava chocolate she had partaken in earlier had lowered her impulse control so she was not filtering out her thoughts as she normally might have.
"Hmm," she hummed in thought to his question. "In the arms of someone I love and who loves me." Realizing what she had just said, her skin flushed even deeper. What a thing to say to a brand new acquaintance and a gentleman at that! It was unlike her. "What about you?" She asked, hoping to get the heat off of what her own answer had been.
Harrison caught that her light of blush had turned into a deeper flush and he smiled. "That's a sweet, perfectly lovely and respectful way to be found." he nodded then thought to himself for his own response.
"Myself, I think I would like to give historians something to scratch their heads about, being found in a state that poses questions as to who and what I was." he laughed; he considered himself to be a very normal gentleman, albeit one with a privileged life. Wouldn't it be funny if people hundreds of years from now assumed he was some god amongst men? "But I could certainly settle with ending my days in the arms of a beautiful woman." Maybe she wouldn't notice that he intended to compliment her, but maybe she would. She was very artractive and there was no harm in the smallest of flirts.
Minty smiled as the gentleman did not seem to think anything negative about her answer. It felt like a pipe dream these days though. In just a couple of years, she would be branded a spinster. Love and romance seemed out of the cards for her though at this point, she would even accept a convenient marriage. Anything to no longer be a burden on her brother and new sister in law.
"That would also be quite the way to go, Mister Knight," she conceded with a small laugh. She wondered for a moment what mark in history might be left of her as it was. Certainly their name currently had a stain upon it but that was Bella and her fathers fault. Perhaps Julius would be the one to bring their Scrimgeour name back to glory.
She smiled as they continued walking together. She was finding herself to be quite charmed by him though with his manners, she felt anyone would be. She could sense he was attempting to flirt with her and she was not altogether adverse. The problem here was that she did not quite know how to encourage more of it.
"Well, the woman whose arms you would have been found in would surely have counted herself lucky," she said, surprising herself a little.
wc: 218
magical set by MJ!
December 17, 2024 – 10:40 PM
Last modified: December 17, 2024 – 10:41 PM by Harrison Knight.
The mirth of the young woman, as they walked was quite enjoyable, and that he was the one to be causing it only added to his pleasure. He laughed at himself too and gave a playful shrug to her. He didn't know how he might stump historians, but he was sure he might find a way. He had a friend who had talked of dressing his cats up to join his burial chamber to have them believe that past Scotsmen surrounded themselves with dressed felines.
Was she flirting back? It seemed to be so, it did not come naturally to the woman by his best guess, but then how could she be blamed for that when the whole of society forced her to behave just so, in order to not be cast outside of it?
He nodded happily to her compliment ”Perhaps she would, it is not good form to blow one's own trumpet but I like to hope that I would be a desirable match.” he smirked to her.
The moved on to the next scenes, it was a little quieter here but there was still plenty of patrons enjoying the macarbre displays. ”I find myself a little surprised that you haven't found your own match yet, you must be harbouring quite the dark secret to be able to counter your other charms. Tell me, do you honk like a goose when you laugh heartily?” he placed his tongue between his teeth, quite obviously poking fun as he moved to loop his arm into her.
He was confident in himself was Mintys takeaway thus far. That was nice. She couldn't abide by those men that were so humble as to end up being self-insulting. He also certainly had looks and charm going for him when it came to being a desirable match for a woman. She was sure that he was aware of that too.
She did hesitate a bit when he mentioned dark secrets. None of her own and it wasn't really a secret. It had been in the news when hr father had harmed her twin and been convicted and put in an asylum for the crime. Where he had later died. And Bella's antics and estrangement were known as well. It felt like he did not know and she kind of wanted to keep it that way. At least for now. He would come to know more on his own if he simply inquired about her to more knowledgable folks.
"I do not honk like a goose," she said in amusement, allowing him to loop his arm with her own. "I have been told my laugh is quite lovely."
"Then I shall have to make sure I do plenty to hear it. Life can be terribly dross without genuine laughter don't you agree." he allowed himself a laugh of his own before very rapidly cutting himself off as he suddenly remembered where he was and an older lady eyed him suspiciously as he walked past a statue depicting yet more volcano victims.
He blushed a little and leaned into the woman conspiratorially "Have you bewitched me, Miss Scrimgeour? In your company, it seems all too easy to forget one's self." he complimented her as the closeness gave him a brief sample of her perfume which was certainly not unpleasant. "I shall have to save my best amusement for when I come to call on you?" The inflexion was a thinly veiled query about whether she would consider that an option given what she already knew of him. He hoped it was but it was always so easy to find a woman's behaviour to be approachable only because society commanded her to seem available to every man.
