Charming is a Victorian Era Harry Potter roleplay set primarily in the village of Hogsmeade, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the non-canon village of Irvingly. Characters of all classes, both magical and muggle — and even non-human! — are welcome.
With a member driven story line, monthly games and events, and a friendly and drama-free community focused on quality over quantity, the only thing you can be sure of is fun!
"Are you always this forward?" He asked teasingly since it would be a very short thread if he just ignored her entirely. — Tobin Cartwright in Take A Peek
Did you know? Churchgoers and worshippers had to endure a foul stench during prayers due to the amount of bodies often stored within the vaults of churches and chapels.
I arrived in America two days ago and have now settled my affairs sufficiently that I have a spare moment to write. By 'settled my affairs,' of course, I mean only that I have gotten a good place to lodge for the duration of my stay, not that I have actually begun upon a single bit of work. This country is a little pretty, in its way, which I had not expected. It doesn't have any of the old, regal elegance of the places in Europe, of course, because everything here is too new for that sort of thing, but it does have a sort of... aliveness to it. Everything is young and green and virile, as though the land itself had only been born when the people first arrived here, and it hasn't had time to grow feisty and dreary, like England is. I don't think there's been a cloud in the sky since I arrived.
The boat ride was frightfully long. I don't know how Muggles ever endure such things for all their travels. If only the Floo network extended across the ocean as it does in some places across the English channel--that would have been a much preferable (and much briefer) way to travel. But enough of that; I won't have to see another boat until I've finished up all my work, and then I think the voyage will be a little easier, because I will have the thought of soon being home with me.
Did you know, for all my travelling, I haven't ever been on a boat ride quite that long and arduous. Usually I go by Floo and broom when I can, and in the occasional cases that I've visited other continents--August and I had a lovely trip to South America, once, and then recently I took Mrs. Beckett to one of the islands--we had portkeys to help us, by fortune, or we were at least able to get close and then only take the boat for a day or two. It might be worth the years of study to become an Animagus, if by doing it I could learn to fly or swim across the ocean instead of staying in that dreadful boat--but enough of that, I'm sure you've no mind to hear of it.
You must tell me everything that has happened in the time that I've been away, so that I do not return a complete stranger to your affairs. I've been three weeks gone already, and not even begun what I came to do! But promise to write me often, and we'll weather it.
Should I look for a present for you here, some souvenier of America, or would that be too vulgar? It isn't as though I could find French perfumes, or Russian furs, or anything of that nature, of course, so you must advise me whether I'd do better not to look at all.
Surely you must know how I enjoy hearing of your adventures? Even the unpleasant ones. I suspect you could write me a letter with in-depth details of a game of gobstones and I would still find it a pleasure to read.
Very little is happening back here in Britain worth mentioning, I doubt you wish to hear of whom I have taken tea with and what paltry gossip was to be had. Truthfully, if I were to write it all down it should only remind me of how dull everything is and then I should be even more miserable to be apart from you.
As uncivilized as the country may be, I highly doubt I could find a gift from you vulgar, you have good taste and I trust it entirely. Surprise me?
Fondly,
Ursula
Rune keeps spoiling me unexpectedly with graphical wonders
Surprise you, you say. Then surprised you shall be!
I won't bore you with the boat, though, no matter what you may say. The very worst sort of travelling! For days, all that could be seen was water, in every direction. Where is the fun in that? And the food was awful, and the wine worse. The travel is all the difficulty in this place--otherwise I think it might be much farther advanced, civilly, than it is at present. The isolation certainly doesn't help it; it is like some tribal place, only appropriated by civilized folk. Well, as "civilized" as Americans can really be said to be. They are a little like children in their manners, I find, but there is something very bold and frank and pleasant about dealing with them, too. Much less frippery in the business deals than one finds in France or other places. Which is good; I find, more and more, that I need Har Mrs. Beckett whenever I have to do any fancy footwork for negotiating, because I lack the patience for it. When I was younger I believe I was no better at it, but everyone was a little more forgiving, I think, because I was young.
In any case. Things here are moving along; I will not bore you with the details. It's exactly the same as you said about talking to me of womanly things that would bore me; I believe if I wrote of mannish business matters you wouldn't love me any more for them. But I don't believe that it ought to take me long to tie up the company here, as far as the purchase goes. The main part of the work will be in fixing up their books, because of course if they were a well-off and well-managed affair they would not have brought me in the first place.
I don't quite understand why they are so fixed on quodpot; it seems inferior to Quidditch in many ways. But I'm afraid that if I delve into technical details of sports this would bore you just as much as the business matters. What to talk of, then? I could say more of the country itself; for it is infinitely different from England. There is something in the quality of the air here that is different, without being able to quite articulate what it is, except perhaps what I said in my first letter, which is just that the place feels young. It is the sort of place that inspires men to be bold and virile, as the men here are all, and it seems to give the women an extra glow, as if they've all just finished some brisk exercise. The manners of the women, here, too, are very different; they talk very freely and I have seen more than one walk up and offer me her hand, the way men do, which has caught me very unguarded; but then when I act surprised they all laugh at me for being too English. I suppose it is just their way.
I shall write again when I have something more to write of; but for now I must get straight back to work. The sooner to work, the sooner to home!
I am not altogether sure I like the sound of these brash American women, not that I expected any less of them. I have heard a great many of them are very wealthy but what is wealth without breeding and manners? It sounds a fascinating place to visit, but I am sure I should never wish to live there. Would you?
There is still very little to remark upon here, at least nothing of the sort to make the Daily Prophet. However, I must tell you that Phineas has consented to having a country home built as I reminded him how dreadfully common it is to only have one and to spend the entire year in London is quite frankly embarrassing. The muggles are so dirty the air is entirely unbreathable. Anyhow, he is largely disinterested and so it is my own little project and really quite diverting, though not so much that I forget to miss you.
There is something I wish to speak to you of but I am loathe to do so in a letter. How much longer are you to remain there?
With Deepest Affection,
Ursula
Rune keeps spoiling me unexpectedly with graphical wonders
I can promise only that I shall stay not one minute longer than is necessary, my darling, but unfortunately my business here is far from concluded. The state of affairs with the company is rather poor, and I cannot in good comfort leave it to the delegation of anyone at the moment. If I still had Ha Mrs. Beckett as an aide I could doubtless hand it over to her with little care--she has a man's mind for business, I've found--but as she's taken to being a woman lately and having babies and the like, there really is nothing for it but that I should stay and mend things.
You asked me if I should like to live in America, and of course the answer is no. There would be no reason at all to live here unless it were for the society and the company, and how could I ever justify such a move unless I were to marry some American woman? And you have said yourself how impossible that is; they are not the sort of stock we have in Britain. Even if I were the sort of man who needed a rich and pretty bride, and found one here, I should immediately have to flee bad to England to try and salvage her manners before she at once ruined the reputation of the whole Pettigrew line--as though my cousin were not enough of a blight on the family in that respect. No! I could never live in America. But it is very pleasant to visit, for a time--and the people here can be refreshing, in their way, once you are a little used to them. I should promise to bring you to visit sometime, if it weren't for the impossibility of stealing you away long enough to make the boat ride--but even if time were no factor, I shouldn't subject you to that type of languid journey. Maybe if I could enlist the services of a portkey-smith, it might be feasible.
The building of the country home sounds like an excellent diversion. Have you decided upon the county? You might consider Lancashire, if you can find a good spot for it. Phineas would have no reason to object, I don't think, if you told him it might be within a carriage ride of my manse, and then we could have you and your family over all throughout the year for dinner parties and dances. Of course, the weather is a little more preferable to the south, and everything in England is only a fireplace away, but it does seem a little romantically quaint to have a good friend within a carriage ride's distance, doesn't it?
I would like nothing more than to visit you, I need only think of some way to prevent Elladora from wondering where I am as Phineas will surely never notice my absence. Spinsters really are the most inconvenient creatures! Though I suppose I do value her company when my only alternatives are young children, servants, or house elves. It occurs to me that I have spent more of my married life with my sister-in-law than my husband, is that not shocking?
Hopefully she will not come so often to the country house, I am looking forward to the escape. Even the largest of townhouses seem oppressively small after a while.
Unfortunately, it somehow slipped my mind that your own home is in Lancashire and the plot is already bought but by some stroke of fortunate coincidence it is located in Cumbria which neighbors Lancashire. It may yet be possible that we are within a carriage ride of each other which I like the sound of very much, certainly more so than you thinking of me as your 'good friend'. I shall be quite distracted from the next quidditch match you invite me to if I must wonder how many of those good friends attending have shared that box with you alone.
I hope it will be possible to arrange something, if you do not know when you will be returning then it is quite important I see you. Not that I ever need a reason to want to see you.
Your Good Friend,
Ursula
Rune keeps spoiling me unexpectedly with graphical wonders
My darling lady, you did me a great disservice in this letter. You know very well that phrases such as 'a good friend' are only slips of the tongue, habits forged for propriety's sake. Do not abuse me for a phrase; you know very well what I meant by it. Besides, to any of the sort of public things I referenced in my letter--to dinner invitations and dances and the like--you must of course come as a good friend, so my phrasing was not such a sin as you seem to make it.
When I wrote of the possibility of bringing you to visit America, I thought more of some future date--that we could make a trip of it like our trip to Prague last winter. You'll have to forgive me, my darling, for being absent-minded on account of the business I'm at here, for it hadn't occurred to me to attempt to have you meet me here, but the more I think it over, the more plausible it seems to me. It should be easier, I think, to get a reliable portkey built up from this end, as I can find out a good enough smith myself, and trust the other end to my usual fellow for such things. I shall have to pretend, to him, that I plan a return to England; but it should be easy enough to have him send the portkey to whatever address I choose. In your next letter, send me the address of your country place--that seems least likely to be intercepted. You can use the portkey there, and return there, and I can smooth the details out on this end while it's being constructed. How long do you think you'll be able to get away? If you can stay a day I'll find some diversions for us; but I must admit that your insistence on this mysterious news of yours has me a little worried about the visit. Tell me when you will be able to get away, and whether you will want to see or do anything while you are here; but if you have no interest in seeing America, I think it would suit just as well for me to come there for a brief time--I could not get away longer than an afternoon, but it might be more discreet for me to travel than for you.
I don't want to travel across an ocean for bad news, though, so if it's anything awful you need to tell me, at least temper it with something more pleasant, please. This mystery really is nagging at me terribly now, and all the more so for having to wait at least another week to hear anything more of it!
You must have mistaken the tone of my letter for I was merely teasing you, I was under no illusion to what you really meant by it! I thought it an amusing choice of words, considering. From now on I shall aim to be more serious when I reply to your letters, I always find myself in particularly high spirits when they arrive.
I am quite convinced America is a dreadful place full of awful people, but I am oddly not averse to seeing it. Quite the opposite actually. You must show me anything you think worth seeing. I conveniently have a birthday this month, I doubt Ella would think twice about me wanting to spend a day or so celebrating with a friend. Now I think about it, I really would rather avoid Elladora on my birthday if possible, I fear she has revenge on the cards after my birthday gift to her.
Meanwhile, do not worry yourself about my little mystery, it is nothing terrible.
Yours,
Ursula
[[Address is included on a separate piece of parchment]]
Rune keeps spoiling me unexpectedly with graphical wonders
Dear me, a birthday visit. I'm afraid I can't spare a moment to write you, for there's simply too much to plan. I'll be seeing you soon, my darling, and hopefully I can make a day that will not leave you wholly as dissatisfied with America.
![[-]](https://old.charmingrp.com/images/collapse.png)
