👻- For something that scares or disturbs them, but they refuse to tell anyone
honestly? rats. camilla was always fond of the tiny mice that she would find gnawing at cabbage in the barn; always fond of creatures of every shape and size. but the first time she spotted a rat, at a young age, it genuinely terrified her. it would go on to haunt her nightmares: thick, frizzled fur, long and yellowed teeth, a tail like a rather large earthworm... she’ll never admit to it, but the things scare the absolute shite out of her.
Whether her niece knew it or not, simply being around family was a great relief to Fleur. She couldn’t visit her parents now… and even if she hadn’t seen them in person in months, the simple fact that she now couldn’t leave the country only made Fleur want to do so that much more. But Camilla was here, in London, along with all of Fleur’s own children. That had to count for something. “It just… seems more than normal.” That was the best explanation that she could come up with. Any further detailed explanation evaded her. “It is good, that you’re here, though. – you’ve been able to enjoy it even just a little, yes?”
“maybe it is that they want to feel normal - pretending a scary thing never happened, so that they can forget.” camilla knows that feeling - the wilful denial of a nightmare, or the pained ignorance of a strange noise in the strange greyishness of sunrise. “oh, yes - it is a strange country, no denying, and the food is terrible. but it has some benefits. i had never lived in the city until now. it is nice.”
Was he sure? He had to be. Luxio was known to keep his emotions in check but lately, it hadn’t been an easy task. Either he angered easily or he just shut down and right now, he was spiraling to a shut down. He stared at the girl in silence for a moment because he knew she was speaking but nothing made sense. Home was not an option. A doctor was pointless. “Yes.” He finally said, steadying his voice. “It just– caught me off guard. Sorry.”
“no - no need to apologise.” camilla’s head shakes, and she offers him a small hint of a smile. “i’m sure you’re right - you just looked unwell. i wanted to make sure you weren’t going to faint on me, i wouldn’t have known what to do.” she looks about, then crosses her arms across her stomach in a bout of self-consciousness. “this is crazy, no?”
Her heart was aching now more than ever. Fleur fully understood the Ministry’s push for the lockdown – an international tragedy had occurred. People had died. People were murdered. It was even more painful knowing that those who were killed were people that she knew. The French Minister and his family. In some ways, he was her Minister just as much as Hermione was – a symbol of the country in which she grew up and her extended family that she loved so deeply. Her office at the Ministry had been a complete mess ever since; she wasn’t sure if or when it would ever get back to normal.
That was why now, more than ever, it was important to cherish any little thing that was normal. Tea with her husband. Going to the shops. Still, though, she found herself impatient as ever as she ventured into the busy Diagon Alley. “Is there something going on, today? Or are people just out more than normal?” she asked to no one in-particular.
camilla chews slowly on the inside of her cheek, unable to avoid the sense of anxiety that seems to be pouring into their world. she sighs, looking about the place, her usual pleasure at the sight of people in their business faded. she turns to the woman, a slight smile on her face despite it all. “you think i would know? i have barely even been here three months, tantine. there do seem to be more people about than i would expect, though.”
“I like to think so. I play myself and my father owns one of the teams that was playing tonight. Sadly not the winner. My father was important back in the day, too.” She shrugged her shoulders, giving the other woman a small smile. “I don’t know if I actually have that power but they don’t need to know that.” She couldn’t help but agree with her assessment. “I just hope a true fight doesn’t break out. We don’t need that. Not anymore.”
“ah,” the sound of understanding plays out almost musically in camilla’s throat, and she nods almost sagely. “i am sorry to hear your father’s team lost,” she says, though it is accompanied by a smile. “sometimes children must hear what they need more than the truth.” she says, then looks away. “no. fighting should never be necessary - let alone turned to, no?”
The other person that was staring him down decided to walk away and Luxio was left standing there feeling cold and empty. He turned to look at the direction the unfamiliar voice was coming from. He was falling apart in that moment and it was very unlike him. “I’m fine.” He responded, forcing himself to look away from her gaze. “Just.. fine.” He wasn’t sure if that was in response to her or a reminder to herself.
“are you sure?” camilla isn’t one to push, but something shakes her about the boy - he certainly doesn’t look to be in a good way, and the way he reassures himself tightens a nervous knot around her. “i don’t mean to push, but perhaps you should see a doctor. or go home and have something to eat”
“They don’t want to make me upset. I could easily ban them from two quidditch pitches should I get their names.” Her name didn’t hold as much power as some but quidditch was sacred to some. If she could stop things like that, she would. “I’m sure there will be more. Teenage boys have always had short tempers.”
“so you are important, in quidditch?” she asks, a little amazed by the statement - she knew in abstract how exclusive wizarding society in england was, and how much quidditch dominated it. she didn’t realise just how close knit everything could be - banned for just fighting in front of someone. “well, they have learned their lesson. but it is not the teenage boys’ tempers i worry about.”
The celebration had turned cold the moment everyone realized what was in the sky. Still in her Magpie shirt (the only time she would wear it was if she couldn’t support her own team) she tried to make her way through the crowd. She saw two teenagers starting to fight and she pulled the pair apart. “This is the last thing you should be doing. This is not the time or the place. Go back to your families. Now.” Recognition of who she was flickered in their eyes before one ran off, the other moving slower away from her. She let out a sigh, trying hard to keep her emotions in check.
the sight of someone else taking on the brawling kids is almost enough to make camilla smile in relief, and she watches them scarper as though being told off by a parent or a teacher. “they respect you,” she comments, almost in surprise, almost in wonder. “it is a wonder i haven’t seen another fight like that. fear does strange things to us.”
This was a horrible time to be out of one’s own hometown. She looked a little lost and Roxanne couldn’t blame her. She tried to ease up a little, “You’re out here by yourself? Are you visiting family?” She asked curiously. Roxie smiled softly, “No worries– I shouldn’t be such a hard ass but people haven’t been the best lately.”
“sort of - well, i moved to england for work. but i have family here, too.” she half-explains, not out of secrecy but more out of the mundane nature of her tale. “ah, no, i understand. the world can be a cruel place. it can become difficult for us to see the light, at times.”
Jay noticed the evident worry on her face and he wondered if she had been left here alone. He listened to what she had to say and his suspicions had been confirmed correct. “You’re not from here? Is there somewhere safe that you’re staying at perhaps? I can help you get there.”
“well, of course not. i do not think i sound english, do you?” she smiles, clear and bright as day despite her nervousness. her words are free of sarcasm. “i am living in the old wandmaker’s place in cornwall - his name is augustus. it is not too far from the muggle village of st ives - i can find my way from there, i am sure.”
It wasn’t that Jay was here to support his brother but he did enjoy a good celebration with great food to follow. However, the events that unfolded before him meant that he was no longer taking time to enjoy the day but back at working. He stared up at the sky in hopes to find some flaw of someone lingering behind and then Jay looked around at the panicked group of people. “I think it’s best that everyone head back home–”
“home?” she says almost absently, a heavy knot of worry gnawing in her gut and her hands wringing around themselves, nervous. then she looks at the man who had spoken, and nods. “yes, of course, home... i only - you see, i am not so confident about apparating in this country yet, especially not knowing me new area very well. so i suppose that i am stuck, somewhat, here.”
Luxio knew that this was trouble and considering that his father was running for the position of minister of magic, he knew that people would start talking and his celebration for winning the match was cut short. He could feel someone staring at him, “Why the bloody hell are you looking at me like that?”
camilla had been facing the other way, unsure of herself, lost and admittedly confused - not so terrified as anyone else. but the sound of a voice - an accusation - makes her turn. “are you alright?” she asks, blinking. “you look a little pale.”
Roxanne stares at the other for a moment. She’s not too bad at reading people and she does notice that this girl was more than likely speaking the truth and so she decides to drop the subject. “You know, considering everything going around, I’d be careful about getting too lost in thought in public. Some people are on edge and you wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of things.”
“of course,” camilla concedes, blush burning her embarrassment into her skin. “dark times, these are. i do not think my mother would have ever told me to come to england if she had known...” she shrugs. she will never understand the terror of the dark mark to the english, but she still knows some lesser horror. “but here we are now. and again, i am sorry.”
Roxanne was looking over the information that was presented about what happened in France while having a drink. She had never thought to see something like this again. During her years so far as a hit witch, she’s seen a lot but she figured that mark was long done for. Roxanne could feel someone staring at her. It was to be expected. Recently she had been fed up with wearing scarves to cover the scars on her neck and instead chose to dress normally instead of always covering up one way or another. “I can feel you staring. It’s rude, y’know.” She pointed out without looking up. // @inomniahqstarters
“pardon?” comes her reply, a little taken aback - then she realises, perhaps, that she had disappeared into her mind, her eyes staring numbly at the woman. she blushes. the thought of where she might find some loose cherry wood at this time of year suddenly isn’t so interesting. “oh, no - i am sorry, i did not mean to... i was, er, off with the fairies, as you say.” she dips her head. “i should mind myself, with that. i didn’t mean to offend you, or to pry.”
the lover { hailee turner, cisfemale, homosexual } ♛ 》camilla delacour, TWENTY, has been marked safe after the recent events. SHE is currently a WANDMAKER IN TRAINING. to some, they are GENTLE & OPTIMISTIC. for others, ECCENTRIC & NAIVE.
to me, they remind me of the smell of grass first thing in the morning, herbacious and earthen; handfired clay plates littered with chips and cracks; lipstick smeared on clothing and a desire for love, love, love; the first calf born of spring, dancing in dandelions and unaware of the world. 《 vic, nzst, 21, n/a.
gabrielle had camilla at a very young age - eighteen or nineteen. camilla never bothered to figure it out. the father was unknown - at least, that’s what she told her whole family, told gabrielle herself. for some children, this would have harbored resentment, or questions, or even just discontent. for camilla, it was merely a fact of life, merely a mystery she has never had an interest in solving. she grew up on a farm the delacours owned with her mother and their small herd of cows, their goats, their sheep, the chickens and the plants.
many assumed camilla would grow up to be a farmer or a herbologist, the affinity she showed for the living things, the love she held for them. but she was simply a soft young girl, ready to listen to the world and unconcerned with the machinations of people, unwavering and hopeful. she believed in goodness all around her - showered with love from her grandparents and her sister.
at beauxbatons she was nothing but a ray of light, drifting through her classes, kind to a fault, but never in that sickly and overbearing way. she would wait for others to speak to her, would walk the lonely ones to class, take her lunch outside and sit in the sun. that being said, she did feel a mean streak at times - always quashed, however. she knew what cruelty was. she could see it in others, and occasionally in herself. but she could always sense the good, too, and so the darkness never seemed to put her off, not even when she was trodden on and used.
it was this that enamoured the wandmaker in the nearest town to her: this ability to see into people, to read them. her apprenticeship was offered before she even graduated school - and she abandoned her education in favor of learning, of foraging for woods and for cores. she loved the sound of the wandmaker anaïs’ voice, the musical way she would tell stories. the seriousness with which she was taken was refreshing, and camilla took to the trade like a haystack to flames.
it was only a couple of years before anaïs passed, however, and camilla remained unequipped to carry the shop on alone. england, her mother suggested to her. in england, she could find a new teacher. she would have family there, of course. and it was not too far, if she ever wanted to return. it pained her to leave the farm, her mother, her grandparents. it was just as painful to farewell the old horses and the young piglets, the calves and her beloved gardens. but this was her path forward: so she took it, and found herself some odd fellow in the south of england to take her in.
stats
full name: camilla héloïse delacour
sexuality: homosexual
nickname(s): ellie, cam, milly, really depends who you ask
age: twenty
status: halfblood (part veela)
hogwarts house: hufflepuff, had she attended
patronus: dove.
favorite class: herbology
character inspo: luna lovegood, camilla macaula, toni topaz (DONT @ ME), cher horowitz, peeta mellark, orla mccool
