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 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
Ostensibly, hanging out with Delight and Rowan to talk about the wedding wasn't that different from hanging out with them normally — except that she had a lengthy checklist of things she was supposed to cover from Xena, and they had not actually made much progress, and the wedding was next month. She wished they had a magic puzzle to solve; unfortunately, accidents and catastrophes did not frequently indulge Zelda's schedule.
"I just feel like I don't know what I want from a wedding," Zelda said, and flopped dramatically back onto her bed. She wanted to be married; she did not particularly want a day where everybody was looking at her. "What would you two want from a wedding?"
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Delight was one of the few people who knew that Zelda and Captain Darrow were already married, and it put her in the odd position of having to pretend they weren't while participating in the bridal party. But it would be fine; she was resolved to approach the wedding as if it was Zelda's first and only experience exchanging vows, because between the Fisks and the Darrows and all of their relatives, she was certain it would be a completely different experience.
"I'd want something private," she offered, "but I have a good reason for that." A former Minister for Magic as a father, a werewolf for a sister—she couldn't imagine trying to enjoy her wedding day while worrying about what other people might say to and about her family. "I can't imagine your family allowing you something so small."
"The guest list is truly going to kill me," Zelda complained. She wanted a small wedding — she didn't want too many people looking at her — and the odds of that being allowed were near zero. "All of your families are invited, obviously."Obviously. At least these were mostly people she would like!
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It may have been the weekend, but Rowan was still exhausted from the night previously — Mama had required extra help around the house, and it had been a flurry of nonstop movement until the house sparkled. By the end of the night, Rowan's feet ached and she'd almost gone to sleep without changing out of her day clothes. She was thankful this day was just spend with friends as opposed to at work. Under any other circumstances, she would have not enjoyed the extra talk about weddings, but given this a) was about Zelda's wedding specifically and b) didn't require her to do any sort of cleaning or lifting, Rowan was perfectly content to sprawl out unceremoniously onto her friend's bedroom floor to chat about the upcoming nuptials.
"Regardless, I don't think I'd want a society wedding." Rowan tossed in, knowing it was highly unlikely she would get any sort of wedding like that. "Though I wouldn't say no to a party with large groaning tables of delicious food and lively dancing."
Though Zelda might not have been able to see her from her vantage on the bed, Rowan smiled gratefully in her friend's direction. She wasn't entirely sure her family would be looked kindly upon given her father's past actions, but there was some comfort in knowing that she might not be alone in that category, what with Delight's family as well. "At least with the addition of our families, it'll feel closer to a family affair rather than a society one!"
On the list of friendships that Persephone's mother encouraged, Zelda Fisk was not near the top (given she worked), but her impending nuptials were certainly a bump in the right direction. If her mother thought that standing as a bridesmaid for her friend would give her dreams of a blushing bride moment of her own, or that she would depart the wedding with one of the unmarried Fisk brothers upon her arm, she was sadly destined for disappointment.
Still, it afforded her an opportunity to socialize with her sort of people without anyone causing a fuss, something Persy did relish—even if she was rather distracted by a translation and so was late, so to speak, to the party.
"If the Minister of Magic is to be there," Persy remarked dryly, having caught only the last as she entered her friend's bedchamber, "it shall be 'Society' whether anyone likes it or not. I should be very surprised if you don't find some Witch Weekly creature hiding behind the altar."
"Even just family makes it larger than I wanted," Zelda whined, although she appreciated Ro's effort. There were far too many Fisks, even outside of her immediate family — and the Darrows were fairly close and fairly prolific, too. Then there were friends — and Ministry people she had to invite — and Alfred's colleagues. There was a lot, was all.
"Persy, I'm putting you in charge of Witch Weekly removal," Zelda said, and while her tone was joking she was not entirely un-serious. "But maybe we'll get lucky and someone famous will — elope, or die, or something."
EMPLOYEE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL ACCIDENTS & CATASTROPHES
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At Persy's comment, Rowan's expression fell again and she frowned. She was quite right - anywhere the Minister would be, it was sure to be a party of some sort or at least something to be reported on. Elopement crossed Rowan's mind, however, she wasn't entirely sure how Zelda's family would take to that. They were fairly well known throughout society, and she guessed that elopement would cause quite an upheaval; something Zelda would likely not want to deal with either. "I'll send my best wishes onto the soon-to-be-departed for you." Rowan laughed from her place on the ground before sitting up and backing against the wall.
She took her wand out lazily and started tracing the air with it, a thin golden thread spinning out of it and hovering in air, directionless. "What would you want for a wedding if you didn't have any restrictions, Zelda?" she asked, prodding the golden thread to make it connect in a circle. "If you could invite whomever you please and do whatever you wish."
"Unladylike knowledge on bodily harm," Zelda suggested brightly. This was fun as long as she could joke about it; it would become less fun if she actually had to think about Witch Weekly on her wedding day. She considered Rowan's question for another beat. "This isn't too far off," she said, "Except there'll be far more people than I'd want. I don't really want to be the center of attention."
EMPLOYEE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL ACCIDENTS & CATASTROPHES
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Rowan waved her wand in a fluid motion to make the circle disconnect and flutter around the room above their heads. "I'm afraid a wedding — particularly your own — isn't the best place to escape attention. Oh!" She said, casting Zelda a sympathetic glance before a thought
struck her. "Perhaps I could help Persy by throwing in some Mandarin; they wouldn't know which way to turn." She cracked a grin, giggling.
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Delight's gaze darted nervously from Persy to Zelda, a knowing look in her eye as she sought out her Zelda's gaze. She could understand her reservations about a wedding, but if Delight had been in her shoes her worries would have been directedly in an entirely different direction. What if one of them found out? What if someone—not her, of course, since she would be avoiding all alcohol and most people, save for the bridesmaids—said something? It was an unfounded fear; nobody but her knew, but maybe that was why the idea of someone finding out made her all the more anxious.
"I can insert myself into the conversation if things go poorly," she offered unhelpfully, "It usually makes people uncomfortable." Especially society types who knew more of her family than they did her.
Zelda flushed because, obviously, she had already eloped. But Delight was the only person to know that, and, luckily, Delight didn't say anything. "I knew there were good reasons I picked you all as my bridesmaids," Zelda said instead, tone indulgent.