With the capture of Verandi Farley and several high-ranking Trossach members, the British wizarding world has finally caught a break. The rate of rogue werewolf attacks have started dropping at a steady rate and, hopefully, things will stay that way. The Ministry is starting to loosen some restrictions, like not arresting werewolves standing on the street for loitering, however there’s still an obvious power imbalance between wizardfolk and werewolves.
The Cotswolds pack are continuing to advocate for the rights of werewolves and petitioning to change the legislation that has been set in motion by the current Minister for Magic, whilst the remaining Trossachs members are trying to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile… for now.
Whilst the British wizarding world seems to have calmed down, the same cannot be said for over in Northern Europe where a rebellion of magical creatures has risen. The state of things has gotten so bad that the European Ministry has enacted protocols to protect those under eighteen whilst their adult witches and wizards fight to keep control of their countries.
Students from Durmstrang have been sent to Hogwarts to keep them safe and those not old enough to attend school have been sent to live with relatives or designated British Ministry officials outside of Europe for the time being.
Will the low rates of werewolf attacks in Britain continue? How long will Durmstrang students stay at Hogwarts? Will the creatures usurp the wizardfolk in Northern Europe? Only time will tell.
SEPTEMBER 2019 It's been a very long, eventful summer in the wizarding world. A baby was stolen, several high ranking Trossach members were imprisoned, and werewolf attacks have drastically dropped as a result. What will happen now school has returned?
MAY 2019 An attempt to capture the beta of the Trossachs has been launched. Were the Aurors successful in their mission? Go read more here!
It had been early this morning when Vinda, in the midst of raising an apple to her perfectly painted pink lips to take a bite, received a letter from Adrian of all people, saying he'd be there by 10.00am to speak with her. Immediately, she'd discarded her uneaten apple back onto the table, her appetite lost, because she didn't want to speak to Adrian. She hadn't spoken to him beyond a word or two since the entire kissing incident had occurred where he'd not-so-tenderly rejected her, all but declaring she repulsed him and he wasn't attracted to her in the slightest. It had stung, of course, knowing that her future husband didn't think she was good enough for him.
It only made sense that after facing such a humiliating incident that Vinda had left him alone in the hallway, and ran to someone who did want her instead. Someone who she had wanted for months... years, if she was being truthful. Maybe it had been reckless, given that she and Adrian were still meant to be playing girlfriend/boyfriend to the world at the time, but she hadn't cared as she'd crawled into Willy's bed and into his arms... again and again. If only she'd had the foresight of seeing what was going to happen when they got caught and the rumours had started spreading around the school like wildfire.
Lips drawn into a frown as Vinda stood in front of the fireplace at 9.55am, she wondered if Adrian who'd undoubtedly heard said rumours was going to finally address them with her today. She likely wasn't going to deny them if he asked, but as she glanced at her mother who sat on the living chair conveniently positioned in front of the fireplace, she might have to if he asked in front of her. She didn't want to reveal such intimate details in the presence of a woman she had grown to absolutely loathe.
Narrowing her eyes once more, Vinda decided for the third time to try and get her maman to leave the room. "You can't be here when he comes. He doesn't want to meet you yet," she said, trying her very best to speak in a gentler tone. It didn't appear to work as maman took a sip from the crystal glass of what she claimed to be 'just orange juice.' Perhaps that lie worked for her maman when she was seven, but Vinda knew her all too well by now. The woman couldn't cope being awake for more than an hour without a drop... or an entire bottle of alcohol wetting her tongue, and she'd been awake for two. Vinda gave it twenty minutes at best until her mother slipped from mildly tipsy to hysterically crying and drunk, something she didn't want Adrian to witness for his sake.
Unfortunately, what Vinda wanted didn't appear to be relevant as there was a sudden flash of green light that came from the fireplace. Wonderful, he was here and her mother was there to greet him, moving from her place to give Adrian a kiss on both of his cheeks. With a hushed curse, Vinda moved to her last resort, calling out at the top of her lungs, "Grand-mère! Maman's just met the Anderson's son and she's about to make a very special impression!" Just like that, there was a flurry of movement in the Selwyn house as her grandmother apparated from her room then seized her mother's arm tightly with a polite smile in Adrian's direction. 'We'll leave you two in peace,' was all she said before there was a loud CRACK! and the two of them disappeared from the living room entirely.
Post by ADRIAN ANDERSON on May 2, 2020 13:09:18 GMT
Adrian had been up all night, repeating the lines that he'd settled on. Again and again the idea of morning swirling in his head, and he ended up penning a letter to Vinda before it was light outside. He'd forced himself to go for a brisk walk around the Anderson estate, which consisted of an acre orchard and a large house. He tried to concentrate on his movement, and it worked for at least half an hour before his intrusive thoughts began to clamour for more space inside his skull. He'd returned to the house, a little sweaty and his mind still abuzz. He'd greeted his father, which had honestly ramped up his anxiety to a new level as he thought the words aggressively at Wolfgang. Today would not the be the day he confessed to his father, and as he glanced at his woeful looking mother he almost convinced himself that they never needed to know. He didn't want to the disappointment in their eyes. Not now, not ever.
All too soon, it was time to leave, and his eyes caught hold of Wolfgang's pondering look before he was swept into the magical flames. Familiar with the floo system, he stepped out into the Selwyn's drawing-room, immediately assaulted by a woman, who kissed both his cheeks. He froze, the pungent smell of alcohol hitting his nose as he pulled back to look at him. She was haggard really, compared to the other Selwyn's and he was almost shocked and curious enough to be distracted from the panic welling up in his chest. He didn't like to be touched, especially from a stranger and it took all he could not to physically unhand her from him. It was all very quick between Vinda calling for her Grand-mere to the woman being removed. As the elderly woman pulled Vinda's mother away from him, he gazed at his fiancé curiously. His expression read 'we will be talking about this later'. But there was no time to talk about it now. She had her secrets and he certainly had his. "Good morning." He murmured, and god was it anything but.
His heart rate was already elevated, from the shock of being manhandled and the sort of confession he planned to make. Oh, how he longed for it to be something akin to a love confession or something sweet, instead of an unpleasant truth they'd have to resolve somehow. He grimaced, deciding against pleasantries to launch into what he'd practised. First, he needed to threaten her or she'd have the upper hand. He'd attempt to be composed, but he was so scared. He needed to scare her too, or else he'd be helpless in the hands of an intelligent Slytherin.
"I'd like to make it very clear right now. If you tell anyone about what we're about to discuss, I will tell your Grand-mere and my father about your indiscretions. That you and Willy were fornicating at the end of the school year. That would break this whole engagement." His tone broke no argument and his eyes were flat. They didn't show the fear that he felt, the ice-cold grip that almost choked him as he stepped forward and sat in a chair. He tried to relax into the plush material, but his shoulders were too tense.
"The reason. Fuck." He took a moment to take a deep breath. "I didn't want to kiss you- no, let me finish. I didn't want to kiss you because I don't want to kiss any girl. Ever." He took a sharp breath and placed his head in his hands. His heart was beating like a terror-filled rabbit, moments away from being captured by the hungry would. He could feel his hands trembling and wished with all his might that he could be strong enough to face this. "You are lovely I wish- I wish…" His voice trembled as he spoke, and he let it fade out.
Adrian pulled his hands away from his face, standing up and desperately wanting to run away as fast as he could. "I- I haven't told anyone, but I had to. I had to tell you. You are one of the most desirable girls in school and I just-." He let her fill in the blanks, that Adrian was just so broken and wrong that he couldn't love her. He couldn't complete his sentences- he was doing his father a dishonour by admitting to being a homosexual and for being completely inadequate in all sense of the word. This wasn't what he was supposed to say, he'd had it all worked out in his head and then his tongue and tripped over his words. His "I don't have another sibling, I have to carry on the Anderson legacy and business. My father would be ruined. I would be ruined." He'd turned away as he spoke, but his eyes returned to his fiancé. All façade of calm was gone, his eyes were wide and desperate, his jaw clenched as he forced himself to speak.
"You understand? Your brother, he's …gay. Like me. But he's got you, and I have no one. This marriage is important to my family, Vinda." He wasn't sure if his point was getting communicated across, but he was barely keeping his breathing slow. Adrian had been convinced for so long that the world around him would collapse if he dared utter the possibility of being gay. For people like McCarthy and Pierre, it seemed so simple and easy. They were adored and had everything he wish he did. A supportive family, a group of friends. They could be themselves and not have to worry. He resented them, but he also couldn't help but adore Pierre and respect McCarthy. They were so brave and he was so scared. He took another deep breath, forcing down the bubble that threatened to consume him and once again face Vinda with his attempt at a calm face. His hands were bunched up in his robes, clenching onto them like a lifeline. Facing Vinda, he wanted the Selwyn's floor to open up underneath him and swallow him whole.
A nasty concoction of shame and embarrassment washed over Vinda as she watched her maman be forcibly whisked away from Adrian, Pa one that caused high spots of colour to burn at her cheeks. It wasn't like it was a secret that sometimes Melisandre Selwyn got carried away at parties, drinking one too many wines and making a general spectacle of herself, but this was different. Nobody knew that she did the same in her own house, away from the public eye, on a daily basis... nobody except for her, Pierre, grand-mère and now Adrian who stood mere feet away from her, looking at her like that. Like he wanted to pry and ask questions about a secret that Vinda had kept locked away in a box for so many years.
When Adrian greeted her, Vinda didn't so much as get to say good morning back when his salutations were quickly followed by him having the gall to threaten her. Parting her lips, Vinda was just about to say that he had no proof of her climbing into bed with Willy other than the word of other students who hated her very existence when she took in Adrian's curiously devoid-of-emotion eyes and the way he was sitting drawn so tightly that he looked fit to explode at any moment. It was seldom that Vinda actually shut up and listened, but she did so now, lips pursing as she took in what he had to say.
And what he had to say... it wasn't pieced together eloquently and it wasn't pretty or poetic, but it didn't have to be because it was astoundingly truthful. Staring at the boy - no, the man, who sat opposite her, looking absolutely terrified in his seat like she was going to tear his head off for finally having the bravery to speak his truth, Vinda was quiet for a long moment. "You have me," she finally said, so softly it was almost a whisper, as she approached where he sat. It was the truth, something that surprised even her. Despite all of the arguments they'd had since becoming engaged, she'd actually quite grown to like him as a person. Sure, he had the propensity to be a bit surly at times, but he was heads above their classmates when it came to maturity and he was considerate too, something many people disregarded when it came to dealing with her. "If you want me, that is, you have me... Pierre, too."
Kneeling in front of him, Vinda's movements were sure as she reached for Adrian's tightly wound hands. "You'll rip your robes and you don't want that. They look to be expensive," she said as she pried them free, lacing her fingers through his. She'd held his hands so many times over the last few months but for the first time, she actually wanted to do this rather than feeling like she needed to out of obligation. Gazing up at him, her eyes searching his face closely, Vinda resolved that if he could be so honest with her... then she needed to do the same with what she was about to say. "I don't think we should do this anymore - that we should be betrothed. If you really want to, I'll keep going along with it. But... Adrian, I don't think this is making us happy, carrying out this... this farce, and we're not even married yet. It's only going to keep making us miserable and... why should we be subjected to a lifetime of misery, be forced to pretend like we love each other, when we don't?"
She knew the answer - they needed to go along with it because it was traditional, because they didn't want the pureblood line to be tainted, because their families both desired heirs - but as she said aloud the thoughts that had been lingering in the back of her head ever since she was a small child, conviction became more and more ingrained in what she was saying "I mean, do they really distrust us so much in choosing our own partners that they think they're justified in ripping away our freedom to do so? It's... it's not right. They shouldn't have that big of a say." Vinda shook her head, looking at Adrian pleadingly for an answer. "Should they?"
Post by ADRIAN ANDERSON on May 9, 2020 3:57:31 GMT
Vinda had been so still and silent; he didn't know how she was going to take it. Her favourite and only brother was gay, that'd been the deciding factor. Maybe she wouldn't forgive him, perhaps she'd rat him out, but it was a calculated chance. He couldn't deny that he'd been emotionally affected by keeping his lips shut. His fiance's words made his breath catch in his throat. There was a rush of relief, at the softness of her whisper. She seemed uncertain that he'd even want her, as family or as a friend. But he wouldn't deny his need for someone to lean on, someone to speak to so his head could be clearer of the stifling thoughts that kept him tense and sleepless. He'd grown fond of her sharp wit and the softer side she'd shown him over the months. Her words were soothing, nonjudgmental and kind. It was unexpected but sharp and clear to him.
Yet, it wasn't enough for Adrian. "You don't understand; I need to carry on my family legacy. Take on my father's business. He- I. I wouldn't-" He bit off what he was saying as she knelt in front of him. He let her chide him and take his hands, shaking as they let go of his robes. She was right; the robes were expensive and quite comfortable. His eyes were wide, fear palpable, as she seemed to stare into his soul. He wondered what she was trying to find, some hint of deception maybe? If only, Adrian would love for this to all be a ruse, but the acidic taste of fear grounded him to reality. She'd find the stock standard fear, guilt and anger if she were observant. She'd know the why if she was a Legilimens.
Panic sent his heart thundering again as she admitted that they should break it off. No, no, no, this precisely what he didn't want. His breathing hitched, and suddenly her words had a chokehold on his mind. Vinda was rejecting the farce, the betrothal. He'd failed in keeping her with him because of his own goddamn inadequacies, his inability to speak to her. His mind swirled in a dangerous place, and he closed his eyes to avoid the knowing gaze of the Slytherin who sat before him. If she didn't want this engagement, he was sure she'd find a way to end it. Maybe, if he were lucky, they'd figure out how to avoid the wrath of his father. He knew that in the end, if they broke it off, he'd just be moved onto another girl, someone Adrian might like as a friend or someone he may not. To his family, his father, it didn't matter what he wanted.
"No, that's not-. I. Miserable is going to be my life Vinda. There's no way out for me." There was an edge of hopeless in his voice that he'd try to mask, opening his blue eyes again. She was right, it wasn't right what they were doing, but it was what was happening. It didn't matter that it wasn't justified; their families didn't care for fair. Vinda had asked him a question, so he should at least answer it honestly. "It's not right, and it's not fair, and it's not okay. But it's what's happening. I wish I had the strength-" He voice broke off again, and some of the fear morphed in anger. At himself, mostly but also at his father. He wished he had the strength to say no. To stand up for himself.
"My father likes control, and he doesn't trust me. He's never trusted me. I was a fool for thinking I'd be able to find someone myself. But I suppose... I understand. You deserve better; you could find a better match." He took a deep breath, getting the air his lungs were desperately screaming at him for. "I...I'd hope I'd be able to come here today to help, to fix this rift between us. To make it clear that nothing that has happened between us has been your fault." Finally, some of the ideas and preplanned words had made it back to him. "If...breaking it off it what you want, then we shall do that. It's- I don't want to trap you." Unconsciously, he'd used the same word to describe their relationship as he had the night she'd kissed him. "This, this will have consequences for us," for me is what he'd avoided saying. "We can't-" I can't, his mind supplied, "just tell them we won't do it. My father won't listen and your grand-mere looks almost as stern as he is."
To say that Vinda didn't understand was a lie and one that had the petite blonde's shoulders drawing backwards, straightening in indignation. She had spent her entire life trying to carry on the family legacy, to uphold the prestigious Sewlyn reputation. "My family might not have a business, but that doesn't mean I don't get what this means," she pointed out, though her tone was calm and collected as she spoke, not nearly as harsh as she might normally be. Mostly, because she could feel how scared he was - there was a quivering in the hands she grasped, and the eyes that she gazed into were wide and fearful - and she didn't want to him to transform into someone who was angry instead of just frightened.
The terror Adrian was feeling had apparently transformed into something far more anxious, based on the way that Adrian's breathing pattern started hitching. It seemed proposing the idea of breaking things off was the wrong thing to say, but... he'd come to her to confess that he was gay, that he'd never be attracted to her try as he may, and she had this inkling that he wanted her to make things better, to fix things, and Vinda was such a perfectionist that she couldn't stand it when things were messy like their current situation was. "We can work something out," she insisted, shaking her head because on top of liking things in order, she was ambitious too. Once she set her eyes on an objective, she was relentless until she achieved it... and currently, getting the both of them out of this mess was a goal. "I'm going to find an escape both of us, and if you doubt that I can... well, I think you'll be sorely disappointed when I prove you wrong, Adrian."
Vinda wasn't so certain that she could find a better match. Adrian, despite his good-doer qualities that could be grating at times, was easy to work with because he tolerated her and the way she carried herself. A lot of pureblood men wouldn't want to allow her to be herself because they'd view her strength as a weakness, they wouldn't like the fact that she was confident and wanted to be more than just a pretty little housewife. They'd try to obstruct her from her aim of becoming a world renowned potioneer, whilst Adrian... he encouraged it. "I don't think I could," she said openly. "I'm not... subservient enough for most pureblood men's liking, and I don't ever plan on changing that. I wouldn't be happy with somebody trying to force me to be something I'm not." And Adrian shouldn't be either, but she left those words go unspoken. They didn't need to be said.
"You're right, we can't just tell them we won't," Vinda agreed, nodding slowly as her mind churned through all the possible reasonsfor breaking this off. But... there was no real good excuse could present to her grand-mere without the woman scoffing at her and telling her to just accept that this was her fate. It was then that an idea hit her, and Vinda finally moved off of her knees, instead perching herself on the arm of the chair beside Adrian. "You're welcome to drag my name through the mud to get out of it but... what if we pitted them against each other? What if we made the Andersons and the Selwyns despise each other so much that they tarnish each other's reputations to the point where nobody in the pureblood community will want to marry into our families, become betrothed to either of us?" It may have been just Vinda, but this proposition... it sounded feasible. Workable, even.
