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.
The house was very quiet yesterday. Today hasn't been much better. I can't believe it's been a whole year since we lost you. You were gone for a while, living your own life in Boston and loving it, I could tell just by the way you spoke of it that it was so good for you to be out and independent. After everything that happened how could it not? A fresh start that was all you'd needed.
Then everything changed. Suddenly you weren't just gone, you were gone forever and it still hits me when I least expect it. I knew it would hit me yesterday, I'd been dreading it. I wasn't as bad as I thought I would be, but Mum I could tell. Dell did her very best to keep everything upbeat and light. We had your favorite roast for dinner last night. I'm not sure if Della did it on purpose or not, but it was oddly helpful. Of course we wish you were here to enjoy it with us, but having those little bits of you around help immensely.
Dell thinks we should start cleaning out your room and she's probably right, but Mum won't let her. I did sneak in there and steal one of your shirts. It still smells like you. I promise I'm not torturing myself over this. I just want something else of yours around if we do end up cleaning out your things. I think we'll keep most of it for Harvey, he'll fit in them soon enough.
It's late, I should sleep but I know I won't for a while. I've wrapped myself up in your shirt. Maybe I'll write Tyb. A little nonsense letter will help I think.
I feel like I've gotten devious. It's a strange feeling, having to do something Owen could give me pointers on. Harvey owled to ask me to bring him a book from home on the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. I obviously replied, but it also got me thinking; what a great excuse to "run into" Tyb at the Three Broomsticks that day. How utterly unusual is that? Especially coming from me.
I feel a little guilty keeping this from Mum- I haven't even told Della. In fact, I think you're the only person I have told, but mostly because you won't be telling anybody. Not that you would either. You were always the person I could tell anything to. I need to tell somebody though, about this situation I'm finding myself in. Putting it here is one thing, but I'm only getting my own thoughts organized and it's taken months. I think I need somebody else's input. Maybe Mary and/or Meri. I trust them both to take me seriously, but I feel like Mary, bless her, with her one fairly similar situation won't be of much help. Meri seems to have a more level head about things like this. I'll break down and tell her sooner rather than later, I'm sure- I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't tell somebody soon. The problem is, what exactly do I say? I keep thinking I have myself together, but I really don't. In the months I've given myself to think about it (in small bursts because otherwise it would be too much) I thought I would have come up with something to do about it by now.
But I haven't and I'm stuck.
I wish I could talk to him about it, Tyb's probably the only other person I can tell anything to, but how am I supposed to have a conversation like that with Mrs. Haynes less than two feet away? It's so utterly frustrating. And now I'm getting in too deep thinking about it. I think I'll put this down for tonight.
I got some very strange letters today. They were accompanied by flowers and their meanings and very flattering. I thought at first they might be from Tyb, because it's simply signed "T" but it's definitely not his handwriting. And as much as I adore Tyb, I don't think he knows what any flowers mean. I also doubt he would go to any length to hide the fact that he was sending them. Whatever it is we're doing, we're not exactly telling anybody, but we wouldn't have to hide letters.
I thought at first they might be going to the wrong person, but unless Adella has a new beau that we don't know about, I don't know who else they would really go to. Luce is getting married, Phee is at school and I certainly don't think Lottie or Leah are getting notes from a secret admirer. I suppose I'll just have to send everything back. They really have to have to wrong person.
It's so strange to think you're not here. After a year you would think I would be used to it, but it still hits and hits hard every now and then. The entire month of December doesn't feel right anymore. With your birthday and Christmas, it just reminds me that you're missing. I could tell both Mum and Adella were a little off this morning, we had a very quiet breakfast before everybody went off to work. Luckily Papa will be home this time next week. He always manages to bring a little cheer back to the house with his arrival. It'll be nice to have Owen, Lottie and Harvey home again in a couple of weeks too. The house doesn't feel like it's missing something when almost everybody is here.
It's ruined. Everything is ruined. I can't even tell you what it is exactly, but whatever was going on between Tyb and myself, it's over. I thought, for once, that something might be going my way, how naive of me. I didn't want it to end and I especially didn't want it to end like that. We'd never even had a chance to discuss what we were going to do- just floating along in a happy little bubble and now it's burst and I'm not sure if I can fix it.
It's my fault, naturally, I manage to break everything. There are reasons behind why I think I'll never marry, why spinsterhood is probably best for me. Grip left me, Mr. Parker simply dropped everything and while I was never in love with either of them, doesn't it say something to the fact that I am the common factor? I've never been a pessimist, you know this, I just don't think I'm meant to have Adella's fairy tale ending.
I would have liked to think we could have worked things out- mum would have come around, eventually. I hoped anyway. Now it all seems irrelevant thanks to those ridiculous letters I'd been getting. I'd been tossing them, writing back and trying to rebuff the advances as graciously as I could, but I've run out of patience and niceties. Unfortunately there was one in my pocket, as it had arrived at work and I'd completely forgotten about it- until it fell out just before Tyb and I were set to go skating. Once I saw what it was, I over reacted, because I'm an idiot and everything just spiraled downhill from there. Tyb was upset, naturally and I failed to convince him that they meant nothing. They mean nothing but that look on his face, I can't even begin to describe how much it hurt.
And now I don't know what to do. I can't research the answer, I won't find it in any book; I don't know what to do and it's harder than I would ever care to admit.
Another letter arrived today and I nearly lost it. I sat down and penned a response that was barely civil. Just the arrival of this last letter made me undeniably angry. The worst part is, I feel little remorse. The author had no way to know how seriously I feel about Tyb, but they were the cause of the ruin and for that I cannot be sympathetic.
I think heartbreak has made me bitter and it is most unbecoming; hopefully I can use it to follow through to spinsterhood. I want to give up, but I can't. Something has to give. Nothing is settled and I can't leave it that way. There is a final answer here and I have to know what it is, I just need to find the courage to go after it.
I broke down and sent a St. Valentine's card to Tyb yesterday. I'd been working on it for so long I thought I'd just finish it and then never send it, but something possessed me to. I haven't heard back, I don't even know why I hoped I would. I'm just being silly now.
It's not doing my any good, to keep dwelling on this, trying to pick up the pieces is harder than I would ever care to admit. Whining and over thinking is not going to cut it. It's just not. There are other things to do. I think I'm going to put up an ad on the local bulletin to see if I can't find a family to governess for. I love working at the bookstore and Odira has been very good to me, but it's not something I can do in the long run. I should start asking mum's family if they have any friends in need of a governess. I think nearly a year's apprenticeship with mum should get me somewhere viable.
Hopefully. I'll start just about anywhere! Thankfully I have the bookstore until I do. It's the little things in life, I suppose.
I ran into Martha the other day at the toy shop. I hadn't seen her in so long, it was nice to just chat about nothing at all, just little pleasantries and catching up. I forgot how alike we are that it was actually refreshing to talk with somebody like-minded about things like work and social events.
Maybe I should get out a little more, see my friends more often. It would probably do me some good. I won't be attending any balls, but I can handle tea with friends.
There's been a huge disaster in the ministry, part of the Department of Mysteries collapsed! Shay's sister, stopped by the house asking if we'd seen him! What a way to learn about the other part of his family. I hadn't heard from him though and now I'm worried. Both he and Theo were there and who knows if they're safe! It worries me. I hope they'll be alright. Some departments are still trapped! It's unbelievable, but I keep hearing about injuries and fatalities and I'm trying to keep both mum and Della calm, they're worse than I am.
Look out for them Ben, we can't lose anybody else in this family.
I must have lost my mind. I told myself I wouldn't write any more, but then I remembered that Tybalt has two siblings at the ministry. I do hope they're all alright. I know I shouldn't have written, clearly everything is just at an end, but I had to make sure. I feel a little better, but who knows if I'll get a response. There's been nothing in the paper about them, so I'm just hoping all is well there.
You'll never guess what happened today. It was out of the blue and totally unexpected, but completely wonderful.
Tyb came by to see me after I got out of work today and things are alright again. Better than alright, I think. We both apologized for our mistakes, I can hardly blame him, I never did, not really, but having that behind us is a huge weight off my shoulders. Getting past all of that worry let me get down to how I feel.
Now things can only go forward, however they're going to go. I'm committed to this, no matter how unrealistic it may be and I don't know if you would approve or not, Ben, but I hope that you'd support me. I can't tell anyone else, though Mary knows more than most, I just can't envision admitting this out loud to anybody. It's crazy, it's very unlike me, but I can't help it. You're probably laughing at me right about now. I wish you were here Ben, getting your advice would help, more than you could ever know.
Apparently, Tyb also thought I could be bribed, so I have a giant box of presents on my bed. There's some sheet music, sweets from Honeyduke's, a couple of novels and an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful set of illustrated fairy tales. I never realized just how much I'd missed him until now, looking through these thoughtful presents. I'd been missing my best friend and now I don't have to anymore.
I'm done being ridiculously girly now. I miss you.
Nineteen is such a strange age. I'm no longer a student but I don't feel like an adult either. Actually today I felt like a child trying to get away with something they shouldn't- because I was doing exactly that. Adella, Lucinda and I went to the park for my birthday, (Adella made me the most beautiful dress!) and I had also arranged to 'run into' Tyb there. I think we're getting painfully obvious, especially sitting on the bottom of the boat for as long as we did.
Adella questioned me, but I said my dress got stuck on a nail and we were trying to figure out how to get it out without damaging the dress. I don't know if she bought it or not. I know we shouldn't be so obvious, but it's hard when I don't see him that often. At the risk of sounding like a complete child, I just miss spending time with him like we did in school. It was so much easier back then and it's so frustrating now. I just wish I knew mum would be alright with it, but I know she won't and I don't know what to do.
Odira's been abducted! By that crazy Lestrange they put in jail all those years ago! Ben, she's having a baby! How can this be? We just had tea right after my birthday and she told me about the baby. This is so awful, I hope that maniac doesn't hurt her or the babe. I hope they find them soon, it's unbelievable!
I'm still terribly worried about Odira. There's been no word and it's been weeks now. I makes me ill to think about what could have happened to her. I just have to keep hoping she's alright. She's having a baby for Merlin's sake! How could anyone kidnap or mistreat a woman who is with child?
In lighter news, I've found out Tybalt is going to be in a play in Padmore Park soon. I would have never imagined he'd do something like that, but he can be a bit dramatic, so I supposed I'm not surprised. His brother Atticus is also participating, I can't wait to go see it.
I went to see Tyb's play yesterday. It was... entertaining. It really was though! I had to reread the story before I went to see it, but it was not all that bad! They might have needed a little more practice, but wasn't that obvious. I think it actually went pretty well, considering.
Still no news on Odira, it's almost unbearable. I just hope she's home safe soon.
I knew this would happen! We haven't exactly been subtle lately, but I really didn't think Lucinda and Adella were paying that close of attention. I was so very wrong. Lucinda invited me to tea, which I thought was nice, she's getting so far along, it was nice to visit.
But then the attack began! Alright, that's an exaggeration, but it felt like it! I didn't understand at first, but she kept fishing! I've never had to lie so distinctly in my life. She must know though. Luce's demands and questions were very specific. I probably did not convince her very well, but I suppose I won't be bothering her to chaperon me anymore. Luckily, Della will be married in the spring and I can borrow her instead! Plus Luce will be busy with a new babe soon, that'll be a good distraction for her!
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