February 26th, 1892 — Ravenclaw 7th Year Girls' Dormitory

Giselle was enraged. The kidnapping victims had been returned for days now, and the culprit had been caught, but Hogwarts had still kept the February Hogsmeade weekend cancelled! She'd been struggling to reschedule the double appointment for the subsequent weekend, and was on the verge of scheduling them simply back-to-back, instead, so that they could each comment on each other's designs.

But it wasn't the same!

"They can't possibly expect to just lock us up whenever there's a crisis!" she burst out, flinging her brother's latest letter onto her bed in a pause as she paced. "We're adults, aren't we? About to be debutantes! We never go anywhere without a chaperone! Unless we're absolutely brain-dead." She huffed, finally stopping to lean against one of the posts of Ida's bed. "You're coming with us, though, right? When we finally go to the modiste?"

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@Ida Chang | @Pippa Faraday

  

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It was a rare Saturday morning where all the girls were together in the dorm, each coping with the canceled Hogsmeade trip in her own way. It really was the perfect day for it, too -- the sun was shining, it wasn't too cold, or too windy. Even Ida had planned engagements in town this week, a rare occurrence she'd somehow kept secret from the girls. Though Ida wasn't one to really dwell for long on the things she couldn't control, so she'd planned for a productive morning. A new independent research project with Professor Foxwood was keeping her quite busy. The girl was presently sprawled on her bed on her stomach, hair down and pooled around a book of ancient text she was transcribing to modern Transfiguration formulas.

"Hmm, you know Headmaster Black is obsessed with his image," she stated, not looking up. "It's a show for the parents who can't bear to see their little babies get so much as a papercut." Ida finished inking the last formula that would fit onto her sheet of parchment. 

"Plus, did you see there was that explosion at Ivy Leaf?" the girl sat up slightly to take the parchment and wave it around to dry. "It seems like Hogsmeade is brimming with deranged men nowadays... It's not made me terribly enthused about our upcoming season." The last bit she added with a wry, cheeky smile to Gigi.  

Ida set the paper down in the transcription pile with a sigh. Her hand was aching from all the writing, so she began to twist her wrist in small circles. "I already have a dress for the Ball, " she admitted, not having wanted to let on to the girls that she decided to take care of it alone to avoid all the extra fuss. "Though maybe I could come along..." Ida was trying to be diplomatic, but it was easy to see she wasn't altogether excited by the idea. She was also hedging around the possibility that she might have prior engagements -- Ida's tell when she withheld information was the way she nibbled on her lower lip.

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elaine is a gem <3

Pippa could not see Hogwarts staff's logic behind any of this. When the kidnapper was on the loose and the kidnapped still missing, of course it made logical sense, but now? Now they were stuck in the dorm, nothing better to do except study or work on their needle point. Pippa decided to favor one of her many romance novels. She only wished she could have one of her household maids present so that she could try different hair styles for her coming season. At least that would make up for the loss of the dress fitting.

Laying on her own bed, she periodically glanced up from her novel to watch Gigi as she paced. Gigi was taking this the hardest of them all. Pippa's frustration was bubbling deep inside for now. Another weekend taken would likely see her in the same position as Gigi, but for now she kept her calm. Her own hair was in a simple braid that hung down the side of her bed, while she lay in a similar position as Ida.

"Hogsmeade has been in chaos for years. What, with the fog and fires and such? The fog especially extends to that of Irvingly. Perhaps we should all be looking for husbands in London or the countryside. Merlin forbid I find a suitor that insists on moving to Hogsmeade. Apologies, Gigi, but I'd far rather go into the workforce than move to Hogsmeade." Despite her own lamenting, Pippa did notice Ida's tell within seconds. They had known each other long enough that it was rather difficult to keep things from one another. This wasn't the first time that Pippa had noticed something off about Ida recently, but she didn't feel the need to mention it, for now. "Well, if you cannot make these dress fittings, you must surely make time for each of our wedding dresses. That should be a standard agreement between the three of us. You may not be dedicated to the season, Ida, but you will be taking part in my wedding."

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Magic by Elaine

"Headmaster Black's obsessions aside, he must know that with the Hogwarts Coming Out Ball on the horizon, our image would be affected by not having proper debutante gowns," Giselle huffed, shoving from the bedpost towards her own bed, to land summarily on her own blankets, looking between her two best friends. "We can't do anything about this weekend at this point, unfortunately. We can only hope that he doesn't decide to cancel next weekend's trip after that explosion," she acknowledged Pippa's conern. "I would think London would be worse. Hogsmeade is at least where our society focuses during the season. I'd rather the countryside myself."

Hopefully their weddings would be sooner than later. If not, Giselle would, too, be joining the workforce. Perhaps she would become a renowned herbologist in her adulthood...or perhaps she would teach other witches more defensive spells than Hogwarts ever taught them. Even, perhaps, witches who hadn't been able to afford higher education than their OWLs, or even earlier. Not that that would be a very lucrative business, but it would be of benefit to an underprivileged group. Not something Gigi always thought of, but it was proper, was it not, for women to participate in charity.

"Who do you think is your most ideal candidate for marriage?" she spontaneously inquired. "And what do you think is the most important quality in a gentleman?"

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It was a small blessing Pippa's observations went unnoticed, or Ida's nervous guilt might've gnawed her lip right off. Instead, the brunette threw her head back in an earnest cackle, tension instantly eased over Pippa's fretting over Hogsmeade.

"Just how soon do you intend to find your charming countryman, Pippa?" the witch teased. Truthfully, she had no doubt that either of her friends could find a suitor this year if they wanted. It wrang her heart into pieces, knowing these days sharing a dormitory were coming to a close. Trying to shake off her sadness, the girl deflected with wry humor. "I hope you're not in such a hurry. I require no less than six month's notice, so that I am fully prepared for the emotional toll..." 

Ida raised up to a full seat on her bed, holding her chest with a joking, forlorn look, before breaking into a grin. "Of course, I wouldn't miss either of your weddings for the world." One day I should tell them, she thought with uncharacteristic sentimentality. That would be the least I can do, for how much they helped me after It happened.

The moment for a heartfelt confession came and went, however, as Gigi in all her restlessness turned the conversation to serious inquiry. This was murky territory for Ida, and with literally anyone else, the potential for embarrassment would've shut the conversation down. Here in the safe confines of their room, however, she tentatively peeled the topic back like an intimidating new formula.

"No candidates," she put succinctly, because in her mind at least it was true. The mental index of men she knew was incredibly short, those in any marriageable position even shorter. And putting the question of best qualities in the picture, the list came down to... three. There was Nelson, but he felt too much like a dear brother. Someone like Professor Foxwood... But no, she filed that misguided feeling away into her deepest vault some time ago, when he appealed to her too much like a father. From the back of her mind, she spontaneously wondered how Isaiah was since he graduated, but... 

Well, hm. Isaiah. Funny enough, her mental notes came up blank with him.

"But, um," the girl shook herself out of her train of thought with a sheepish smile. "I don't wish to disappoint myself by wanting too much. I will feel well matched if whatever they do, they do it quite well. To be passionate about whatever their intellectual pursuit or ambition." Her sheepish look turned cheeky. "I would be quite lucky then, if that meant they may leave me alone to my own devices."

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@Giselle Hunt
@Pippa Faraday

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elaine is a gem <3

Giselle nodded along as Ida spoke, gently raising a hand as Ida mentioned wanting to feel well matched. But she took a moment of pause as she mentioned that she would like a husband passionate about their own intellectual pursuit or ambition. "Ida," she began, shifting in place to face her friend fully, "do tell me you don't intend to marry one of the eligible professors?" Okay, yes, Professors Foxwood and Lissington were young, eligible, and attractive, but they were their professors! Surely there must be something morally wrong with that option!

Perhaps there was something, however, to the idea of marrying someone who was interested in more than just...whatever happened in a marriage. Giselle, like most girls of her age and station, had no education in the ways of the world, as it were. Surely it had to be interesting, for some of these families to be so large. Just look at the Parkinsons!

"I should like a gentleman who will allow me a massive library," she finally sighed, falling until her back hit her blanket, though her feet remained on the floor. "And a garden and a greenhouse."

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