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
A few minutes before eleven Calla slipped out the front door of the Florist Potts, bells clinging behind her as a signal of her departure. She hadn't bothered to wear anything nice as she often did for Hogsmeade visits. A few steps out, she leaned against the wall rising to her tiptoes as searched for the trademark ginger hair al while she tugged on the slightly too short sleeves of her day dress. She hadn't bother to wear one of her nicer dresses like she often wore for Hogsmeade visits. There was no point when they'd made plans to spend time in the greenhouse.
Eyes bright, she surged forwards, twisting through the crowds till she stood before her friend. "Alice! Hello! I'm so glad you've made it. I promise I won't keep you too long." Slowly she settled into a happy grin as she looked over Alice for any changes - any telltale markers that she was okay, no injuries from the dragon attack Alice might have not told her about. Deciding she was fine Calla shoved out the brown paper wrapped package. "Here. This is for you.
Alice could barely mask her grin as she walked through Hogsmeade towards the Potts' shop. After a harrowing month, she was finally - finally! — going to see Calla again. She didn't know when everything had changed for her, but it had. Somehow, somewhere along the way, Calla became the person Alice longed to talk to at the end of a long day and the one she most looked forward to hearing from.
I love you, Calla had said last winter. Was this what she meant? Alice's love for Edison felt similar to this too. It was all too confusing.
Alice gave a start when her friend suddenly appeared before her. "Calla!" She took the package but didn't give it any mind before throwing her arms around Calla's frame. The hug was over too soon, but anything longer than a reunion hug between friends would garner them weird looks. "Merlin, I missed you."
For a second she stiffened in surprise with Alice's hug but quickly relaxed into it, wrapping her arms around the other girl's shoulders. When Alice back away, she fought the desire to hold on longer. Just because Alice and Ned were no longer together didn't mean suddenly that Alice would do anymore than just ignore the strange feelings Calla had confessed to last Christmas. Still it was nice seeing Alice in become more comfortable initiating contact instead of just reciprocating.
"I missed you too Alice," she allowed, her smile growing even warmer. It was nice to know at least that her slip up last winter hadn't destroyed their friendship. Well any of her slip ups. "Let's head on back. Sinna is watching the store right now but no one else is in the greenhouse. We'll have it to ourselves. Come on," Calla informed, reaching out to tug on Alice's wrist. "You can open your gift when we get there."
Alice allowed herself to be tugged towards the greenhouse, her curiosity about the present growing with every step. Christmas wasn't for months yet and her birthday was back in May - for what purpose had Calla gotten her a gift? And was it something Alice was meant to have brought a gift herself for?
They were in the greenhouse before she knew it, the door closed shut behind them, as Calla led them over to their usual bench. "You really didn't have to get me a gift - I don't have anything for you."
As they started to move Calla relaxed her grip on the medwitch's wrist just long enough to drop and shift her grip to Alice's hand. There was an ease in this - the two other them alone- that there was in little else nowadays. It was like the tension had left her body as soon as the warmth of Alice's hand was clasped in her own. This is what she missed most. Not a particular thing the pair did but just being here. With her. Together.
When they reached the greenhouse, Calla slipped her shoes off by the door and led the way to a bench (well a stack of milk crates that Ama had long ago given up on asking Calla not to sit on and instead placed a wooden plank across so at least she was less likely to fall) when Alice's words led her to stumble, stockinged feet catching on the edges of her petticoat. She promptly let go of her friend so as to not cause the other girl to fall as well. Eventually, she looked up at Alice from her dusty landing spot on the floor to ask, "Oh don't say that. Of course you don't need to get me anything. The point of a gift isn't to get something in return. Now go on. Open it."
look at the pretties mj made me!!!
January 13, 2024 – 11:39 PM
Last modified: February 6, 2024 – 7:35 PM by Alice Dawson.
Alice leapt forward as Calla stumbled, ready to help right her if needed. Unfortunately, she was too late and Calla fell entirely. "Merlin, are you alright?" She asked, placing the gift down on the bench softly in favor of helping her friend to her feet. "Did you hurt anything? I have my kit with me if need be, I never go anywhere without it anymore." Alice was rambling and quickly assessing Calla for any visible injuries.
She huffed as helped haul her to her feet and while she appreciated the gesture, she found herself glaring at the medwitch instead of thanking her. "I'm fine, Alice. I've done far worse than trip over my open petticoats. If I couldn't take that I certainly wouldn't have survived playing quidditch all this long."
"Besides," she stressed, her eyes going intense, "I'm not one of your patients. You don't need to be Miss Dawson the medwitch here. Here you are just Alice - my friend, okay? Just as we've always been." Because they were friends before anything else and she hated if Alice felt she might need to play a role with Calla. To always be on guard and wary in case something happened to her. "Now open your gift already!"
The gift remained entirely forgotten on the bench. Alice didn't understand what could have pushed Calla into such a state of upset, had her friend hit her head when she tripped? The fall was minor, yes, but it was still a fall and Alice had seen crazier injuries over smaller things than that this past year. It was a minor fall, Calla couldn't possibly have hit her head.
Then why the glare? Why the anger at being helped? It was what Alice did. Even before she was a mediwitch, even before she had dreams of healing. All she ever did was help people — her parents, her siblings, her friends and classmates. It was her role in society and Calla was so ... dismissive of it.
She took a half step back, her hand falling limply to her side in rejection. "Forgive me for caring." She muttered, her gaze focused on a random stone between them.
She stilled, head tilted on an angle as she looked to Alice. She'd clearly gone and shoved her foot in her mouth again - she could tell that much from Alice's reaction - even if she wasn't sure how she'd upset the other girl. "I don't want you not to care. I like that you care," Calla started, her tone uneasy and nervous. Watch her somehow make this worse. "It is just that you look after people all day. It is literally your job. I don't want you to feel like you have to take care of me here. Like I'm one of your patients. I don't want to be more stress for you. Not if it is just the two of us. I want you to feel like you can relax and breathe. To be Alice for yourself - not for someone else."
Alice blinked, her confusion obvious across her features. It wasn't her career that drove her desire to care for her friends. Her consideration for their respective wellbeings had existed long before her path as a mediwitch was even solidified. That Calla believed it to be a trait she could turn on and off at will was baffling. She shifted uncomfortable on her feet, suddenly feeling as though perhaps the two weren't as close as she thought them to be.
"I don't feel like I have to do anything." Alice stated pointedly. "You're not my patient, you're my friend. My dear friend. Was I supposed to just ignore that you fell and not check on you? I have always looked after my friends, Calla. My career only makes it easier for me to identify a larger issue." If her tone turned defensive, Alice wasn't aware of it.
"I'm sorry," she sighed, deflating. Not really thinking about it, she reached out for Alice's hand as if somehow, understanding could be conveyed through the contact. And not just understanding but comfort as well. Seeking some sort of sign she hadn't messed up too badly. Maybe she'd just have to accept this as something she didn't understand. Couldn't. At least not right now. To Calla, she just wanted Alice to be able to relax around her, to not need to look after her. She hadn't meant it as an insult. She just wanted Alice to be able to have time where that part of her that spent the constant energy trying to care for people could breathe.
"I don't mean to not ask if I'm okay. I... I guess what I mean is that... I'm sorry I don't know how to say it. Please, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean anything by it and I'm sorry if I hurt you. I guess I don't understand. But even if I don't understand I can still respect that part of you. I won't say it again. But I promise I'm okay. Are you?"
The entire situation took the wind from Alice's sails. She was exhausted still from the emotional impacts of the dragon attacks. She had little energy to spare on a disagreement with Calla. Still, the sharp turn the afternoon had taken left her unsettled, a feeling that didn't leave her even as Calla took her hand. Was this how Calla saw her? Was this how she thought of their friendship? Her frown deepened.
"I'm alright." Alice answered unsteadily and made no move to continue towards the bench. "We're fine." She wanted to go back in time and stop Calla from tripping, for now with the thoughts she was having continuing on with the afternoon felt incredibly awkward. "It's fine."
Nothing felt fine.
Amazing set by Bee!
April 24, 2024 – 9:19 PM
Last modified: April 24, 2024 – 9:20 PM by Calla Potts.
She blinked slowly, watching Alice close herself away. The fear on her face was real then. Calla wasn't how she always managed to do this. To mess things up. Once she'd been the ones her friends - who Alice - came to when something was wrong. And now she was what was wrong. Uneasy, she tugged on Alice's hand to pull her back, closer to Calla, not yet willing to let go even if she probably should. But keeping her hold on Alice's hand kept her from reaching out in the way she really wanted to. To reach out and tilt Alice's face up so she could better see the medwitch's expressions. So maybe Alice would see hers.
"We aren't fine. You aren't fine," Calla pushed, for once determined not to let it slip through. "You'll have to try a lot harder than that to lie to me, Alice. I am sorry I hurt you. It truly wasn't my intention. You are always looking after me, Alice. And it really does mean a lot to me. But I thought doing that all the time that it might be tiring. And so I guess I wanted to be that person for you. I just... want you to be able to breathe? To relax and not feel like you need to look after someone because there was someone looking out for you?"
Unsure what else to say she looked down to watch the space where their hands were clasped instead of Alice's face where she would surely see the anger or worse, further pain, start to form. Softly she pulled again, hoping to guide Alice to the bench.
"It isn't tiring," Alice insisted. Caring after her friends often felt like the one thing Alice could do admist all this stress and turmoil. The entire world could crumble around her and she would still be doing her best to ensure everyone else was okay. That Calla wanted to do the same for her was great, but Alice didn't know if she'd ever be fully comfortable letting Calla in to that extent. Edison had been that person for her before, the one who could read her like a book and force her to care for herself too, and Alice had ruined that with a single letter.
She took a deep breath and took a half of a step closer to Calla. "How about we promise to look after each other and then there's no need to stress? Because there's no world in which you can fall and I wouldn't be immediately worried for you." She said earnestly, her gaze warm as she waited for Calla to look at her.
She didn't know how it didn't exhaust Alice. The weight of her friends' emotions and troubles - while she was content, happy even, to bear them - weighed on her, tugging at her shoulders and robes like quicksand trying to pull her in if it was all she allowed herself to worry about. And sometimes, she really wasn't sure Alice ever stopped worrying. She worried that maybe it was tiring but maybe Alice had never stopped long enough to let the feeling catch up with her. But... she could meet Alice in the middle. Maybe Alice wouldn't stop caring all the time but maybe if she let someone care for her at the same time it wouldn't feel so heavy?
"I think we can do that," Calla sighed, turning grey eyes back up towards the redhead. The tension that eased out of her body made her feel... high. It was strange to look up at Alice. To see her at this angle with her eyes warm like that. Somehow, Calla thought she might be even prettier. "But that has to go both ways, Alice. You have to let me look after you too, okay? You have to tell me things and let me be there for you."
There was much Alice couldn't — wouldn't — tell Calla. Not because she didn't trust her friend or because she didn't think Calla could cope with the knowledge, but because verbalizing certain thoughts meant turning them into truths Alice would never be able to face. She would try, though, to confide in her friend more, to force herself to rely on Calla the way she once relied on Edison.
"Okay. If there's something to tell I'll do so." Alice promised with a reassuring smile. "I'll let you look after me."
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