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
December 31st, 1890 - Hogsmeade NYE Festivities Gideon Browne
Though Tabitha was not often included in family outings, this time her father had insisted, which was entirely unlike him. Perhaps her long hours at the hospital were finally starting to be noticeable. Though she loved him dearly, Harlan was not the best at standing up to Felicity where Tabi was concerned. Once Bernard had joined in the agreement, Felicity had been effectively overruled. It wasn't as if she'd outright said Tabs wasn't welcome, but her general demeanor about it said more than words ever could.
Yet here they all were, bundled up against the cold night air, meandering through the festivities, the picture of a happy family. Bernard had tugged her through nearly every booth of interest to him while the girls stopped to look at some jewelry. Tabs treated them to a hot cocoa and a treat from the Honeyduke's booth while they waited for the rest of the family to catch up.
That was of course when Bernard saw something else of interest and sped off while Tabi was mid-sip. "Bernard!" She called, trying to urge the seven year old to stop, but he either didn't hear or didn't care to listen. Starting forward, she found her path blocked. Putting on healer's tone, she pushed on with a firm, "Excuse me!" With one eye on her brother, she realized a little too late she knew the person she'd nearly tried to knock down.
"Mr. Browne, do forgive me. My brother— he's trying to make a break for it." She said with just a hint of panic to her voice now.
A quiet New Year's Eve was always the sort he preferred—the town put on enough of a show that Gideon Browne never thought twice about his preference to avoid showier affairs. At least, he hadn't until this year's saw him rather shoved—albeit not too forcefully—to the side.
In spite of his mild manner, Gideon might have reacted quite indignantly had he not swiftly seen who it was.
"M-Miss Chevalier," he stammered in surprise, immediately cursing his tongue for its inability to work properly in her presence.
Though not unattractive, Gideon's sisters were rather more handsome than beautiful, and so Miss Chevalier was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman in his acquaintance—possibly the world, but he had not travelled enough to say as much with any certainty. She was also the only woman in his acquaintance who could reduce him to an idiot with seemingly no strain, and so the healer waited a moment—perhaps too long—before speaking again in an effort to try to get some sort of handle on his words.
"We must go a-after him, then, lest he become lost in the c-crowds!"
Close enough, he thought as he looked at her, desiring her approval more than he cared to admit.
With one hand occupied with her cocoa and the other resting lightly on Mr. Browne's arm, she kept an eye on Bernard's little brunette head as best she could as she moved away up the lane. She'd been about to excuse herself again, and then find Mr. Browne later to apologize profusely, when his statement caught her momentarily off guard.
"Oh! I would appreciate your help immensely, thank you!" She smiled at him before moving around him, tugging him after her gently in the direction Bernard had gone. Muttering to herself in French, she scanned the crowd. It occurred to her perhaps a moment too late that poor Mr. Browne did not even know who he was looking for! "He's seven, brown hair, blue eyes, he's wearing a bright red scarf." The accent of her home country came out stronger when she was stressed. Disposing of her cocoa on the nearest surface, Tabitha moved around once more.
Ducking down to look around a nearby table of wooden toys, she remembered him mentioning looking for them earlier. Perhaps she could get lucky and this was where he stopped. Oh Felicity was going to have her head if she didn't find him soon. "Bernard! Où es-tu Cherie?" She called softly, hoping the French would catch his ear. At least Harlan had insisted the rest of this children, in addition to Tabitha, grow up learning their home language.
absolute beauty by MJ
January 10, 2021 – 12:44 PM
Last modified: January 14, 2021 – 4:47 PM by Gideon Browne.
Her touch upon his sleeve threatened to make Gideon simply evaporate, but the wizard maintained his wits enough to take in the description of little Bernard. Following her lead—and slightly less light-headed now that she was no longer holding onto him—Gideon began looking around the tables, keeping his eyes peeled for the telltale red of the boy's scarf. There were undoubtedly a number of dark-haired young boys about, but the scarf was a marker that should be easier to distinguish.
"Bernard!" he called out hopefully, though uncertain if the young boys of the day came to the sound of strange men calling their names.
Relieved to have another pair of eyes and thankful that her brother had his scarf on for an easy-to-spot identifier, Tabi was reaching a level of frantic on Bernard could bring out in her. Poor Mr. Browne had probably not anticipated this for his evening. Still, his help was greatly appreciated.
She'd lost sight of her sisters and step-mother as well, which was fine, she wasn't worried about that, but if she showed back up without Bernard she would probably be excommunicated from the household altogether. That was not a particularly bad thing in her mind, but that would not be the way she would prefer to go. Plus her father would be disappointed and that was the second worst thing that could happen.
"Bernard!" She called again, spotting a glimpse of a red scarf and surging forward to follow. "Viens ici maintenant." Hopefully the French would work this time.
"Miss Ch-Chevalier," Gideon inquired gently, "perhaps if you remained stationery, it might be easier for him to return to you. O-only for a moment, of c-course!"
Either young Bernard was willfully evading his sister (which seemed a preposterous notion to the healer) or he was looking for her as she was looking for him, moving as though hands on a pocket-watch. An hour could be spent before the two hands met.
The red turned out to be a little lass with a red ribbon, leaving Tabitha wondering It took Tabi a moment to realize what Mr. Browne had suggested, so caught up in her panic as she was, but thought he might have a point. Too much running around would likely just have them moving in circles. She turned wide blue eyes on him for a moment, pondering his suggestion and pausing her search.
"You're right," She sighed, casting him a soft, nervous smile. Bernard couldn't have gone far, he was adventurous certainly, but not so much he wouldn't wonder where the rest of them were. Tabs stepped off to the side for a moment, giving her a better vantage point. "Do you see anything?" She was still panicking a little, French accent stronger than it was on a regular day.
When she smiled at him, Gideon felt simultaneously as though all his insides melted and yet he could quite literally do anything. Was this love, he wondered anxiously, or ought he not have had that scotch before setting out this evening? Impulsively, he moved to rest his hand lightly upon her forearm in what he hoped was a comforting gesture, but that served only to make the previous sensation worse and he withdrew the hand as swiftly as it had been given.
Though loathe to tear his eyes from Miss Chevalier's face, Gideon's eyes roved the crowd for any sight of a bright red scarf—
Aha!
That must be Bernard, he thought, looking a the boy in the red scarf not two shopfronts away from them looking at a display of fireworks. More than looking—
Tabitha caught sight of her brother just as Mr. Browne had, though as he issued the warning, Tabi was already starting forward toward her brother and the fireworks stand. Bernard had always been an inquisitive little thing, but certainly he knew better!
Apparently he did not though, and though she had pushed through the crowd with authority, Tabs didn't quite reach him in time and the following chain reaction was unfortunately unavoidable. Whichever one he had set off, shot skyward, igniting the rest around it to start doing the same. Her brother stumbled backwards and Tabi reached him just as he hit the ground, shielding him from the ignition of fireworks. She felt something hot and sharp graze her cheek, followed by a dazed explosion of stars in her peripheral vision.
Shouts erupted all around them, but it didn't last long as it seemed that the proprietor of the booth had managed to stem the flow of fireworks and prevent any more from going off. Bernard was crying in earnest now and Tabi could feel the blood dripping down her cheek. She check him over briefly, fighting down both the fury and threatening scolding that was indicative of her unnatural side. She'd worked her entire life to be able to contain the emotional outbursts and more vicious characteristics of her veela half, but it was hard in instances like this.
Between that and the fact that the man from the fireworks booth was now shouting at her and Bernard, Tabi was very well near close to tears.
It was not exactly heroic of him, but as the fireworks began to go off, Gideon flinched instinctively away, and, mercifully, thus evaded and sort of injury. When the small explosions were stopped, though, Gideon quickly assessed the situation—a crying child, an angry shopkeeper, and startled, nosy passers-by.
And an injured Miss Chevalier, the healer realized with a pang, his eyes catching her bewitching blues.
He was there before he could help himself, before he could give it thought, a handkerchief in hand and pressed against the other healer's cheek before he knew it.
"Miss Chevelier," Gideon said gently, voice rather more confident now that he was actually useful, "are...do you hurt?"
Tabi could feel the red of an outburst creeping into her field of vision and she took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down. At the same time she tried to soothe her brother and thankfully he was much easier to appease. Hauling them both to their feet and trying to ignore the shouts and the stares, coming from what felt like every direction.
Then Mr. Browne was there and she remembered the pain in her cheek. She hissed out a little complaint, but knew he was right to apply pressure. It was basic healing protocol. Extremely grateful for him at that very moment, his question and caring gave her something else to focus on and get her out of her own head. "I— I'm alright, yes, thank you." She had no idea how bad the gash truly was, but it felt superficial.
Bernard clutched her skirts, looking up at the pair with wide teary eyes, but Tabi was too focused on the concern across Mr. Browne's features to do much more than put her free arm around her brother. "It's nothing, I'm sure." Something either one of them could likely fix in an instant. Tabi just hated to worry others, no matter the reason.
Nodding slowly, she rather thought it would be better to let Mr. Browne deal with it. She was too worked up at that moment. After losing Bernard then the fireworks and the shouting, she was very much on the verge of losing her composure and that would not be good for anyone. It had been a long time since Tabitha had let her veela nature get the better of her and she'd hate to see it gone now.
"That's a good idea, thank you." Tabi slid her hand down to Bernard's to bring him along, though she suspected he'd learned his lesson this evening.
They were not far from the Broomsticks, but Gideon expected the inn would be rather too busy this evening to be a quiet space to work. No, the hospital, he thought, would be best, just in case Miss Chevalier needed more advanced aid—a notion that made him feel decidedly queasy. What a terrible way it would be to begin a new year, if Miss Chevalier found herself in a state!
"The hospital, I think—although," he cautioned apologetically, "I do not trust myself to side-along two passengers. Might you be able to see to young Master Bernard? If you would meet me in the lobby, I am certain we might find an available work space."
The hospital was the logical choice, of course, and so Tabitha nodded, still holding his handkerchief against her cheek. She could handle the apparition, if Bernard would let her. "I think it might be best of I find his mother before we simply disappear. They were back a little ways when we were separated." One disappearance for the evening was enough for her as she was already likely to hear about the whole ordeal from her stepmother in great detail.
"I'll meet you there in a few minutes." She assured Mr. Browne and once again took her brother's hand to lead him back the way they came. Fortunately, despite the fray, it didn't take long for her to locate Felicity, who was, by nature, rather loud in both personality and appearance. Bernard seemed to have settled and was nearly back to himself, but Tabitha didn't have time to explain.
With that seen to, she moved off to the side and disapparated to the hospital lobby like Mr. Brown had suggested. Upon arrival, she swayed a little, but was relieved to find him waiting for her. "I can probably manage now, if you'd like to be free of me. I cannot thank you enough for your help." Tabitha was embarrassed by the whole situation, but keenly grateful for Mr. Browne's kindness throughout.
At this hour the hospital was, predictably, quite quiet. As Gideon stood in the lobby, he could not help but worry—fear, even—that Miss Chevalier simply would not come. His heart sank at the prospect, both because it would be confirmation she had little (or no!) faith in his skills, and also because if she did not, she might succumb to her (...admittedly not as dire as he had originally suspected) injuries. Neither was a notion he wished to entertain.
After what seemed like an hour but was, at most, a quarter of one, she apparated into the lobby with a pop, and Gideon's stomach did the little somersault it was so good at in her presence and he felt decidedly lighter than he had moments before.
"Miss Chevalier, you are clearly out of sorts," Gideon pointed out gently in protest, his hands just beside her back, just beside her elbow, that he might guide without presuming to touch her. "Let us at least get you to a work room so I can see to your head and get a potion into you."
![[Image: Tabi-MJSig.png]](https://i.ibb.co/PzkZ1DX/Tabi-MJSig.png)
