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
Crystal was frustrated with her painting. She knew, logically, that she wasn't going to make anything beautiful in a day. Especially since she'd just learned basics the day before. It didn't help that she'd seen Acacia paint some neat things in a day. Why couldn't she have the same talent? She scowled at the mess on the canvas.
She's been going for a flower, but it looked more like she'd just puked colors and hoped they made something nice. She wanted to put the stupid thing in the fire and never look at such a tragedy again. Doing that would probably draw more attention to the eye sore than if she just left it where it was.
Sweetie had recently put in a good amount of effort to not be the judgmental type, really. But it was part of her nature. How could one really stop one's nature? That said, it took everything in her not to gasp at the monstrosity that was her best friend's painting. "What... what is that?" Trying to keep her voice from wavering due to her bewilderment, she kept her mouth shut after that statement for fear of upsetting her friend.
The common room had begun to be more of a place for studying, changing, bathing, and sleeping for Miss Whitledge. However, she thought that today would be a good day to try and spend some time with her friend. With all of the determined studying in order to achieve several of her goals, relaxing with a friend had not been high on her to do list recently.
Crystal glanced over at her friend in amusement. She wasn't the only one who thought it looked like a disaster? Good. That meant she wasn't being overly picky. "It was supposed to be a flower." there was clearly judgement over the painting and amusement toward Sweetie's response in her tone. "But I think it looks more like a puddle of mud or something."
"Colorful mud. I'm fairly certain that French people like that art. So you're on the right track." Of course, Sweetie didn't know too many French people. And it is supposedly quite difference in France than it is for them. "Be careful with that stuff. Bijoux has been especially testy lately." The brunette gestured to the paint as she said it. Imagining the poor cat running around with paint all over it seemed rather silly. And she as anything but.
Crystal was positive that even French people would cringe at the sight of her attempt at painting. Maybe she should have started with drawing instead. At least she could burn the evidence without making a scene. She started laughing at Sweetie's remark over Bijoux leaving colorful pawprints scattered throughout the commonroom and castle.
"At least you'd never have to wonder where Bijoux ran off too."
She took out her wand and cleared the blob away from the canvas. Should she try again? It would probably end worse than her first attempt.
Well, at least the idea of a paint covered cat seemed to cheer Crystal up. Both Slytherins seemed to have the most strange of cats compared to others in the whole castle. It was frustrating to say the very least. With no additional remark regarding the French, Sweetie left it with that.
"No, but I have caught her trying to eat several other student's pets. Wouldn't that be dreadful? As if the whole castle didn't hate me enough. She almost ate my cousin's owl during summer. If he ever found out... ugh, I'd be a wreck to that part of my family as well" Perhaps she was overthinking things. At least this branch seemed to be more understanding.
Watching as the fellow Slytherin made the blob go away, she wondered what her friend was planning next.
Crystal wished she knew how to comfort Sweetie. She didn't have much contact with her father's side of the family, save for her Grandfather who worked in the castle. She also didn't know what it was like to be all but actually disowned by her family. She wished she actually knew how the other Slytherin actually felt, without having to be told.
She didn't want to say something wrong, and have her best friend hate her. She took the few seconds after Sweetie was finished talking to think about what she was going to say, and to think about whether she wanted to call it quits on painting or try again.
“I don't think the whole castle hates you.” Apparently she had decided to go for round two of painting. At least she knew what not to do this time. Hopefully it'd go well enough for her to give a decent painting to her family for Christmas. She needed more paint.
“You can–” Whatever she had been about to say was cut off by Cia deciding to dart in front of her as she walked, and trip her. Whatever paint she'd had in her hand, ironically, splattered on and around the cat.
Sweetie would not wish her situation on anyone. Crystal's sisters seemed nice, at least Acacia did. If not a bit judging. But Acacia wasn't cruel, from what Sweetie could tell. Just a bit caught up in her worries. That was something Sweetie could understand. She had been the overprotective sister at one point, and it had lead to her current situation now.
After she had spoken, she watched as her friend was silent for a while. It was a complicated matter. Sweetie understood that. It wasn't as if she could complain that her friend needed time to think of what to say. It was likely that Sweetie would be the one to say something before thinking of it. Feeling like an idiot less than a second later.
What could she say to that? Shrugging seemed like a better option, so that was what she did. It seemed like everyone saw her in a negative light by now. Even if she had changed since two years ago, or even more so since last year.
Eyes going wide, Sweetie watched as the chaos unfolded. "Bad kitty." She muttered. That made her look around briefly for her own cat, who was surely going to do something stupid as well.
