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
Avril had needed to get out of her house. Usually, she didn't mind staying in and not socializing. But between her Aunt telling her she was to be married within the next few month's, her Syb being a victum of someone's private thoughts, and now her mother might be alive, she was getting overwhelmed and it was upsetting her more to just keep everything in.
She wrote about what she felt, but that didn't help as much. She needed someone to talk to, someone who she trusted. She just.. She needed feedback and a journal couldn't do that.
The redhead twirled her finger on a loose strand of hair as she waited for Regina - or someone - to answer the door. She hadn't sent a letter a head of time, hopefully her friend would be home.
It was nice to hear when someone came to visit her. Not for there to be her guardian and his weird staff. So when their was a knock on the door, she quickly went to see who it was. Hoping it wasn't someone here to see her guardian. To her delighted surprise, it was Avril. "Avril! Come on in." She said cheerfully. Oh, there was so much that they could talk about. She hadn't even read the paper for the last few days. Everything seemed to be about dying, and she certainly wasn't in the mood to read about death.
Avril was relieved that Regina was home. She hadn't completely thought through showing up unnanounced. She gave her friend a small smile as she was invited in. There was so much they needed to talk about. She wasn't sure they could get through all of it in one visit.
She felt overwhelmed. Whether or not that showed is another matter. She rarely felt like things were getting to her. Even more rare was when she decided to talk about it.
The things she needed to talk about weren't as dire, or secretive, as Regina's had been. But it would be nice if there were nobody else around.
"I don't know how to feel, Regina." she whispered. "My mother might.. She might be alive." she swallowed the dry lump in her throat.
Seeing the look on her friend's face made her own smile falter. Before she could ask what was wrong, Avril spoke. Regina's eyes widened. Mrs. Lukeson might be a live? "Might be a live? What does that even mean?" If one of her parents might be alive, she'd be truly happy. But there seemed to be more to the story if Avril was this upset.
"Ace got a... letter... a few days ago, claiming that she was still alive." Avril shook her head. "I don't know if that claim is true or not. What if it is just a cruel prank?" As she spoke, she started pacing. It made her feel better to be moving when she was talking about what bothered her than just staying put.
"The letter came just over two weeks after my aunt told me I was to be married to Mr. Warwick Nott." It had been one thing after another all month. Wasn't January supposed to be easier, being the beginning of a new year and all?
What a mess. At least Regina was used to messes. Walking with Avril into the house, Regina lead her into the parlor so they can talk in private. Adding to it, Avril was to be married? Who even was this Nott man. Regina had remembered the beginning of last year. Her drunken yes to the proposal that she certainly will always regret. The one that would never be spoken of again... as long as Bella kept her mouth shut. Regina knew that Avril would.
"Can't you talk Ace out of it? I would hope that the news hasn't gone public yet, and that the family that Mr. Nott is tied to can see reason?" Though she was starting to remember that the Nott family was a purist one. And purists were not always the most reasonable. How troubling.
Avril shook her head, it hadn't gone public yet. But she wasn't sure how long that would last. Until, at least, she debuted. "Ace wasn't the one who arranged it." she bit her lip. "Once an idea it put into a man's head, nothing will make them change their mind."
Oh, God. What had her aunt gotten her into? There was no way out, at least not that she could see. She was sure that even her mother, if she truly was alive, could fix this mess. At least Regina had know the man, and had a way out, before anything had gone public. The only thing she knew about Mr. Nott was that he was from an old pureblood line with more money than the Lukesons and Rey's combined.
Well, that was certainly true. Her uncle was proof of that. Still, her eyes widened when it was stated that Ace wasn't the one to arrange it. While it made sense that the brother Lukeson wouldn't do something so uncaring to his sister, that did leave a question. "Than who did?" Regina did not have a way out of this. If she could find magical fixes to problems, she wouldn't be living with her uncle.
"My aunt." Avril responded bitterly. "Ace wants to help, but he can't do much. They're an influential family, and much richer than us." she had stopped pacing for a moment, but had started again just a few moments later.
Influential and richer? "Do you at least know the man? Hopefully he does not have the same views as your aunt and his family?" Not that her hopes ever came true at this point of her life. It didn't seem like Mr. Gladstone was taking as much interest in her as she had hoped by now, but perhaps that was only her doubts.
Avril shook her head again at Regina's question. "I've never met him before." That would probably be changed soon. She doubted even her aunt was mean enough to keep her from knowing whom she was going to be married to, even if there was no way out for her. "Knowing my aunt, she probably picked the family because they shared her views."
How frustrating. Being stuck in a marriage that one might likely be miserable in. While Regina was in a situation that she was miserable in, marriage was her only way out. For Avril, the girl had a good life and was about to be stuck in something that she was likely to be driven insane by. "I'm sorry." She said, as she could not think of anything else to say.
Avril had stopped moving again. She wished there were something they could do, but there wasn't. Maybe she should start accepting whatever fate her aunt had decided for her. Well, not accept it, but learn to live with it. The thought didn't make her feel any better about the arrangement. She decided to change subjects to the thing that was bothering her more than her upcoming debute and apparent wedding.
"What if she is still alive, Regina?" her voice had gone back down to a whisper. What if her mother really was alive? And she'd been held captive for nearly a year?
Subject change. At least it was to something that Regina might be able to help with. "That would be wonderful. I'm sure the aurors will find her and make sure she's safe." She would love to have her parents back. Though she didn't really remember much about her mother, if anything. Her father was a different story. The man was so kind. She missed him dearly.
Trying to regulate her breathing again, Avril took a deep breath and told herself she wouldn't do anymore pacing for the remainder of this visit. "I hope it is not some cruel prank. Ace most likely hasn't told our siblings." but the newpaper most certainly had. She hoped none of them read the Daily Prophet.
Who would pull such a prank? What would they possibly gain from such a thing? "I don't see the logic of making a prank out of such a thing. Then again, I don't have a twisted mind to begin with." Perhaps her guardian would see the humor in it. Not that she would ask.
