May 26th, 1889 — Padmore Park

It was the eve of Bragi's first day in Hogsmeade — Merlin, his first day in Britain. And his birthday to boot. Straight off the train he'd made a new friend to introduce him to the local public house, then shortly after he'd met with his family's contact to confirm the deeds for his new home, and then there he'd stood in Foxglove Cottage, a fine little establishment in Poplar Grove, northmost Bartonburg. Most of the furnishings were already in place, and his maid, Mrs Mikkelsen, had made it over with (to his great relief) his cat Marian in one piece. Holding the chubby cat to his chest in an affectionate hug, Bragi let her outside for the first time, and she padded among the poplars with a look of edgy curiosity.

It had been a good day.

Bragi decided to end the evening with a stroll around the local area. It was warm even as the sun dipped, so he'd left his coat at home, but remained elegant and natty in his crisp white shirt. As he roamed through Padmore Park, Bragi found it exceptionally difficult not to hum with merriment. He couldn't remember ever being this happy. And then it struck him — a clever idea. The petite young man found a secluded area of the green, where the trees stretched high and passers-by were minimal, and drew his cypress-wood wand. Perhaps he could finally do it...? "Expecto Patronum!" A great beam of blue emitted from the wandtip, and Bragi's heart cavorted in excitement as the blue haze began to take form... something small, lissome, dainty...

And then, just like that, it evaporated. Ah! So close!

  

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Bella's trips to Hogsmeade were far and few between since she'd relocated to the Hebrides, but she still found reasons to return every now and then. Despite her tumultuous last year, she still had friends who resided there, and she no longer fretted about running into members of her family since they'd relocated to Wales. When in doubt, there was always business to be conducted — dragon-handling equipment to be bought, harvested supplies to be sold, business connections to be visited.

No longer did she fear wandering in Padmore Park as the sun dwindled over the horizon. She no longer wore the dainty dresses that marked her as a debutante, and no longer did anyone expect her to have a chaperon glued to her side. She had freedom by every definition, even if she'd had to sacrifice comfort and reputation to get there.

She was, more than she'd ever been in years prior, happy.

Bella followed the blue flames that lit the path through Padmore Park at this hour, enjoying the peace that came with an empty mind and the serenity of nature itself. The spring air was warm and filled with the scents of the various plants that sprouted from the grass and the bushes. Everything was calm. Still. Predictable. And then it wasn't.

The little blue wisp caught her attention almost immediately, and Bella was far too nosy to mind her own business. She moved closer and closer until the blue wisp was replaced by the sight of a young gentleman with bright red hair and a complexion that was milkier than her own.

"I never had any luck with the patronus charm, either," she offered by way of greeting, a single brow cocked curiously.

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

What had it been, in that moment of corporal promise? A cat? Bragi had always thought his patronus would be a cat, and his little brother Thor had theorised the same thing, but no... it had been too small for a cat. Still, he'd never cast the spell so successfully before, and so his brief disappointment swiftly gave way to pride. He'd try again some other time; and could only get better.

For now he immediately lowered his wand, for a young woman wandered along the path as the last of the blue haze dissolved. She was a lovely-looking girl (and really rather tall!), but seeing her scarred face and the fact that she'd clearly done her own hair, Bragi could not help but feel a pang of awkwardness somewhere in the region of his throat. His parents had always made it clear who he should mix with, and — more importantly — who he should not mix with.

But she was friendly, and they were alone, and Bragi was in a whole new country now. So he smiled. "I almost had it... almost", he promised as he returned his wand to his trouser pocket. "What form do you suppose yours would take?"

  

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He was friendly. And foreign. It was a good sign to Bella, who had spent far too much time in the company of people who'd formed an opinion of her before ever meeting her. She took his response as an invitation and moved from the path and deeper into the grassy patch.

"I'm sure you'll get it, eventually. I stopped trying long ago," she answered, pulling out her own wand. It was made of hawthorn wood and had been mended far more than the average witches'; she supposed it had something to do with her habit of throwing it across the room in frustration.

"I've read lots of theories about why patronuses take their specific forms. Some say they represent us. Others say they represent what we need. If that's the case, I suppose mine would be something cautious and timid," she said with a cheeky grin.

"I wouldn't worry about it, though — if you can't cast it, I mean. I has very little practical value unless you're planning on breaking someone out of Azkaban," she offered with a shrug.

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

The young lady reassured him in a surprisingly effective way, though Bragi preferred to focus on an inner promise — he would grasp the spell. Absolutely he would. In fact he’d been so close, more so than ever before, though he suspected the stranger hadn’t seen just how close he’d been. She hadn’t seen the blue haze briefly taking form, small, four-legged… what had it been?

The girl’s patronus would not be cautious and timid, that was for sure. Bragi could not help but return her infectious smile, and raised his brow in interest at her own learnings on the charm. But he also felt a twinge of mild unease as she walked closer and toyed with her own wand, turning this from a brief encounter to, potentially, a full-blown conversation. Yes Bragi looked younger than his years, but he was evidently a gentleman, and single to boot. The presence of an unknown young woman subtly perturbed him in a manner that he did not really like, but he knew to be proper.

”Quite”, he chuckled as she lauded the relative uselessness of the popular spell. And then he glanced briefly between the trees as if spotting someone there (he had not). A sudden chaperone would’ve been nice. ”I do hope I haven’t interrupted your walk? This is my first day in Hogsmeade and I’m already bothering the locals with my mischief”, he added with a smile.

  

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She was no expert on body language, but it didn't take much to conclude that the gentleman was a bit nervous. She'd seen the look before: the reluctant kindness, shifting eyes that searched for anyone who was watching them, be it a chaperon or gossiping lips. Bella had learned not to care; it was difficult for any rumor to affect her as much as the ones from the year before had. The worst they could call her now was ten times less damaging than she'd already been called.

She elected to ignore it, though, and smile at him in return.

"Give it a few weeks and the Hogsmeade residents will be bothering you," she teased, unable to keep a wide, unladylike smile off her face. Although the residents of Hogsmeade were altogether well-behaved, the existence of so much magic in the village meant that accidents — and sometimes tragedies — were inevitable. That was one of the reasons (other than her prompt disownment and expulsion from good society) that Bella had left it when the opportunity struck.

"I actually live up in the Scottish Hebrides, but I lived here with my family growing up. I suppose you're not only from outside of Hogsmeade, though," she asked, an eyebrow cocked in interest. "You're not from Britain, are you?"

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— MJ is MAGICAL —

Luckily, the young woman reached into the parkside ferns and plucked out — a chaperone! Slightly grumpy and covered in twigs, yes, but a chaperone nonetheless, allowing them to continue their discourse with a prudent lack of scandal.

No, that didn’t happen.

So Bragi elected to continue their conversation, which was both a pleasant and a rather unique one. If a couple of frowning spinsters flittered by with their eyes wide, the two young people could easily say their farewells. And in the meantime, Bragi had purposely sought out one of the most secluded areas of the park in which to practice his patronus charm. He told himself these things and thus softened his edge.

”You have a good ear”, he replied, impressed; for his accent was a subtle one. ”I am from Denmark. And I’ve a lot to learn about the local geography… I confess I’ve never heard of the Hebrides. Ah though — could they have something to do with Hebridean Blacks I wonder?” He had a sudden recollection of leafing through dragon species in his Care of Magical Creatures textbook.

By now the topic of conversation was so interesting he was… well, almost willing to stake his reputation on it. Almost. For despite the secluded area of the park he’d chosen, the young lady here was proof that other people did come through here — and further proof shortly joined them. A married pair, quite prim, quite inquisitive, shot them a very subtly disapproving look as they walked by. The young bachelor's insides wriggled uncomfortably, and he realised he’d best be on his way.

”Looks like rain”, Bragi lamely made his excuses, briefly holding out his hand to the dry air. ”I’d best be onwards. It was very fine speaking with you miss, you’ve given me much to think about.” Bragi chanced a final smile before making a comparatively smooth departure.

-wrap-

  

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