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.
With the same account, complete eight different threads where your character interacts with eight different usergroups. At least one must be a non-human, and one a student.
Did You Know?
Braces, or suspenders, were almost universally worn due to the high cut of men's trousers. Belts did not become common until the 1920s. — MJ
With almost all of his siblings gone until the winter break, it was now that was the easiest time for Ace to go shopping for Christmas. Only Avril and Rosie were the two at home with him, and aunt Brenda had agreed to keep an eye on both while he was gone. Trust was hard to earn back, and Avril still hadn't earned his back. Even if he did forgive her. She had ran away, and put herself in danger. It was hard to come back from something that big. Still, he did forgive her. No matter how stubborn she was at times. Especially with the holidays coming around. It wouldn't seem fair for any of them if Ace was still mad at her during Christmas. But she was still having extra etiquette lessons until he was satisfied with the results.
Gifts were not always easy to pick out. Sybille and Jolie would be the easiest of his siblings, and Edgar and Fleur would be the easiest of their cousins. Sybille and Fleur loved baking. He had already gotten them different baking supplies. Jolie followed him everywhere, and Ace did pick up on a few things that she did and did not like. Edgar loved reading. Most books would be welcome. The trickiest part was picking one that he didn't have. That was where uncle Hubert or aunt Brenda came in. They could at least check the books that Edgar had left at home. And Ace would be quite grateful for that. It was Avril and King who were the hard ones to shop for. Avril didn't seem to like anything. Besides the idea of getting a new wand. Though it seemed like that was more of a necessity than a gift, and they could afford to get something else for her. King wasn't picky, but he was hard to read. At least in Ace's opinion. Ace's aunts and uncles, and grandparents, were complicated in their own right. Harder to read due to the age differences as well. Still, Ace would find something.
At the moment he was trying to pick something out for his grandfather. While they weren't close, they were still family. Something magical seemed like a good gift. So Ace was currently looking through the supplies at Dervish & Banges. It was a small shop, but Ace took his time looking before decided what to get. Picking something to give to another person was different from buying something for one's self. Finding something that did catch his eye on several occasions while looking around, he finally decided that this was the present he wished to buy. Reaching for it, he had not noticed the other had that was reaching for the same thing until both hands brushed against one another. Pulling back, he gave an apologetic smile to the young woman. "My apologies." He said politely. The blonde was a lovely woman that did look slightly familiar to him. Had they met? They looked to be about the same age. Perhaps she was in Hogwarts at about the same time as himself.
Thus far, Hope wasn't doing too well when it came to being a debutante. She was more interested in hanging out at the Pott's flower shop or indulging in her other hobbies to concentrate very long on the prospect of finding a husband for herself. Hope barely even spared a thought for furthering her social status. She just did not care about those things. She had more important things to think about and it wasn't like she was a little troublemaker or anything anyway. She even went most places with her chaperone, the Potts family shop being the sole exception to that.
This time around, however, Hope was out shopping so she had a dutiful chaperone in tow. She was trying to find the perfect gift for her circle of friends, especially Daffy. She wanted to get everyone something that they would really, truly appreciate but that was proving to be harder than the blonde anticipated. She was also hoping she wouldn't run into Daffy. It would be far too difficult to keep mum about which bag she had the girls gift in if she were to run into her!
Heading into Dervish & Banges in the hopes of finding something for her father, she picked through the aisles. Nothing was really catching her eye, if she was being quite honest. Spotting something that seemed absolutely perfect, she made a small squeal of delight and reached for it. Only for her hand to brush over a much more masculine one and she couldn't help but to blush. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't notice that you were also selecting that item," she said softly.
While he wasn't expected to wife hunt yet, it had crossed his mind. It would be far nicer to have someone to confide in that he chose to confide in. Someone that was more than a friend. A real partner. Wasn't that part of a wife's job? It had always seemed like it from the relationship between mother and father. So loving and understanding. Able to work together to problem solve. Even if either of them had separate main focuses.
At least his siblings were at home while he shopped, or at school. Even if Rosie was with him, she would surely be oblivious to what he was doing. Not remembering the day at all for the years to come. Still, it was easier to shop without a baby to check up on. The nanny was handling the job just fine.
"It is quite alright." He didn't even blame her. They both seemed to have been more focused on the item than each other. "I can find something else." He offered. It was only polite of him. Grandfather would surely be pleased by receiving a gift at all.
Hope was glad that he seemed to be the forgiving sort. She had experienced people in the past that would be downright cranky after a little accidental bump. She did not understand those sorts of people. Accidents happened and Hope personally always tried to believe in the best in everybodys intentions. She recogned the man faintly - he had been just a year above her if she was remembering correctly. Oh but he was quite handsome!
"If you like, I could help you," she found herself offering. Hope generally did like being helpful to other people and it seemed only fair since he was letting her take the item that he'd been considering previously.
Typically when one was bumped into, they would act as if a terrible crime had been committed. But this young lady handled such things with grace. He still didn't see the situation as completely her fault, if at all. He had been distracted. Perhaps she had been as well.
It came as a bit of a surprise when the young lady offered to help. While he would like to think that his sisters would do the same, not many families of their status could say the same. He gave a grateful smile to the blonde. "Thank you. I would be quite grateful for the assistance."
Hope was glad when the man accepted her help. She knew some men had a bit of a thing about their pride and all that. "I guess the important thing to now know is - whom are you shopping for?" After all, the type of gift suitable would be different based on who he was shopping for. He wouldn't get the same sort of thing for a family member as he would an acquaintance and all that. It just wasn't done. "Oh, and I'm Hope Crawford," she offered when she realized she had yet to even introduce herself.
Pride usually was not a problem for Ace. Unless someone was actually upsetting him. He would admit to being prideful when upset. But this wasn't one of those times. And this young woman was being so kind. "My grandfather. A stubborn man, but hopefully we can find something that he will like." He had a hard time getting along with his grandfather. This was mainly due to their difference in views. "I am Ace Lukeson. It is nice to officially meet you Miss Crawford."
Hmm, a grandfather. Hope let her eyes travel over the different items. Stubborn - so probably pretty rigid, she was assuming. "A pleasure, Mister Lukeson," she said, curtsying politely before going back to looking over the different objects. "Does he have any hobbies aside from being stubborn?" She asked, cheery tone as always. "Is he the paranoid sort at all?" She picked up the sneakoscope that had caught her eye. It was pretty shiny but she didn't know how useful the mans grandfather might find it.
After she curtsied, he nodded politely. "A pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Crawford." Hopefully he had not been too quick to make the assumption that she was unmarried. Perhaps some small part of him was simply hoping she wasn't. Though that might be seen as rude as well. Not that he wished her ill luck in life. He let go of his sudden train of thought, as it would have gotten him nowhere. "He likes chess, and other games of the mind. I wouldn't say that he is paranoid. More, set in his ways." The purist man disappointed Ace. Why couldn't that part of his family be more open-minded? He could never understand.
The man seemed quite nice and so far he was giving Hope a very good first impression. Chess and games of the mind - Hope personally had never been one for such things. She was more into Herbology, gardening and attempting to be an artist. "Oh, maybe you could fine him some new wizarding chess pieces. Look at these ones, they're so shiny," she said with a slight laugh as she held one up for him to look at.
Personally Ace enjoyed history, potions, and travelling when he could. It had always appealed to him more than time with his grandfather. He supposed that the love of history was from his father. Looking at the chess piece that she held up to her, he nodded lightly as he thought. "He would likely be pleased by a new set. Especially one as nice as these. Thank you." He said as he smiled once more at Miss Crawford.
"You're quite welcome. I'm glad to have been of assistance," Hope said with a chuckle. "Perhaps in another life, I'd have been a salesgirl." That was an amusing thought but the idea of working was lightly foreign considering her debutante status. The only actual career she had ever considered was becoming a herbologist. Which she would likely actually do if she was still a debutante after the next social season.
She would have made quite a pretty sales girl. No matter the attire that any status would have provided for her, he could tell that she would look graceful in any outfit. But he kept that to himself. "Your kindness would likely have everyone buying something from your store." He commented. Which also felt like a true statement. A woman working didn't seem that odd to him. Though imaging his little sister actually having the patience of trying to manage the book keeping part of owning a bakery did make him hesitate on the young Hufflepuff's goals. But if she could do it, he wouldn't be one for stopping her.
Hope couldn't help but laugh lightly at the redheads words. "How kind of you to say! Are you always so complimentary, Mister Lukeson?" She asked in amusement. It was rather nice, really. Who didn't enjoy a nice compliment from a handsome boy?
Always complimentary? Depends on the subject at hand. "Only to those who deserve it." It wasn't said in a snobbish way, but in a further complimentary tone. She was certainly one of those to deserve a compliment. It wasn't as though he were a shameless flirt. Was this even flirting? He had never really done such a thing.
