Burke Lodge has been in the Burke family since the mid 1800s, when Tressach Burke built it, ostensibly as a hunting lodge although in truth he used it to facilitate his gambling. When Silvia Burke had to sell off family holdings to repay her husband's debts, the Lodge was all that was left. It has been the main home for the family for the past five generations.
The Lodge is modest compared to many other pureblood family homes, but it has been carefully and lovingly maintained. These days it is impeccably decorated with heavy, dark, wood trim, shades of green, and patterns in the tile, upholstery, and wallpaper. The thirteen bedrooms are spacious and comfortably appointed, and the common areas all feature fireplaces.
Not Not a Friend: Someone Caitriona knew at Hogwarts, through classes or possibly prefecture, who wasn’t appropriate for her to associate with but was still something of a friend. Not that Caitriona would admit that.
Prospective Fiances: The elder Burkes are rather desperate and willing to go for pretty much anyone who is from a Sacred 28 family and Death Eater aligned/adjacent. Caitriona is distinctly less desperate, so good luck getting the girl to invest.
Indifferent Acquaintances: People who Caitriona doesn’t feel like she needs to impress, who are on the outskirts/outside of high society for whatever reason, so she’s a little more herself around them, with mixed results.
Mixed Influences: Caitriona is deeply unhappy with her lot in life, but needs a push to go after what she really wants. Basically just someone to look at her life and go, “that’s fucked up dude you should do something about that.”
Caitriona has very distinctive handwriting for a number of reasons. Her mother taught her the art of Chinese calligraphy when she was young, and it shows in the way she writes. She holds her hand off the paper, since she’s left handed and otherwise the ink will smear, which creates a noticeable difference in the weight of upstrokes and downstrokes. While her handwriting does have a rounded elegance to it, it’s largely devoid of flourishes, not because she’s not practiced in western calligraphy but because she feels it’s unnecessary. Contrary to the organic and almost casual appearance of her handwriting, Caitriona has actually worked hard to shape it into what she wants it to be; something that strikes the perfect balance of feminine and practical, all while still being legible.
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Caitriona Ebing Burke: ‘Holiday with Hags’ Book Launch Party
Caitriona initially declined the invitation to the book launch, assuming she’d be in China celebrating the New Year on the day of and also simply not wanting to go. Then, her parents decided that now, with her social standing still precarious and the first anniversary of Xavier’s death only a few months away, was not the time to emphasize anything that made her different from her peers. Even the Chinese heritage she’s so proud of. Although she didn’t agree with her parents’ logic, they had already informed the extended family that Caitriona would not be in attendance and she didn’t want to shame them by openly defying their wishes, so she stayed in London.
When the night of the party arrived, Caitriona found herself bored and restless and looking for something to distract herself from her frustration with her parents and her general lot in life, and she figured that even an interminable vanity exercise, which she was sure is exactly what the book launch would be, would be more entertaining than fuming at home. So she fished out a dress from her closet, a backup for a party she attended while still married. It was nothing special, but after how foolish she felt in the dress she wore to the Ministry gala she wanted to wear something that was more representative of her typical wardrobe. Besides, the velvet would help to keep her warm and it certainly fit the dress code.
She paired the dress with matching heels and a gold and pearl choker that was similarly elegant and equally simple and left her hair to fall in a glossy curtain over her shoulders unimpeded. The most daring parts of the ensemble was the rose lipstick, darker and more pronounced than her usual hue, and slightly smoky eye makeup she finished off the look with.
Caitriona Ebing Burke: Ministry of Magic Benefit Gala
When the Burkes received their invitation to the gala, Chu-Hua and Caitriona made arrangements to visit their favored atelier in Dublin. Under the watchful eyes of her mother and the designer who had been making all of Caitriona’s bespoke dresses since she was a teenager, she settled on a design that was modest without being stuffy and youthful without being childish. When the first fitting came, she was surprised to find that she hated it. The problem wasn’t the dress, which was made to the same high standard the Burkes had come to expect, but Caitriona herself.
Keeping her opinions to herself, Caitriona made arrangements for a new dress from a different shop, bought off the rack but tailored to her own measurements. While not terribly risque by any ordinary standards, it was quite outside of Caitriona’s comfort zone, with a high slit in the skirt and an off the shoulders neckline it showed far more skin than she was used to, and that was exactly what she’d been looking for. The gown felt not only young, but sexy, and Caitriona was self-aware enough to admit, if only privately, that a certain curse breaker recently returned to the country was the reason she wanted that.
On the evening of the gala, Caitriona paired her dress with a sleek updo that did nothing to cover her bare shoulders by design, and a drop necklace that drew attention down to the subtle dip in the sweetheart neckline. Not wanting to stray too far from what was expected of her, Caitriona finished off the look with a simple pair of matching heels and soft, rosy makeup.
Full Name: Caitriona Ebing Burke, formerly Caitriona Yaxley
Nickname(s): Cait, pronounced Kate (only Benjy calls her this)
Age: 21
Date of Birth: 5 July 1960, 9:05pm
Hometown: the Burke estate, Burke Lodge, in Connemara, County Galway, Republic of Ireland
Current Location: lives in Connemara, spends most of her time in London
Ethnicity: ½ white, ½ Chinese
Nationality: Irish
Gender: cisfemale
Pronouns: she/her
Species: human, witch
Orientation: demiromantic, pansexual
Religion: atheist
Occupation: unemployed
Living Arrangements: Burke Lodge
Language(s) Spoken: English, Irish, Mandarin, Latin, Ancient Greek, French, Cantonese
Accent: Irish, understandable but distinct
Left or Right Handed: left
Magic Information
School Attended: Hogwarts
Hogwarts House: Slytherin
Blood Status: pureblood
Wand: elm, phoenix feather, 10 ½”, hard; walnut, dragon heartstring, 10”, swishy (an unregistered wand Caitriona uses to work on more questionable artifacts, previously belonging to her paternal great-grandmother)
Patronus: black swan
Boggart: herself, alone and abandoned by everyone who cares about her
Amortentia: old books, leather, rice water, vanilla and chai
Quidditch?: no
Prefect?: yes
O.W.Ls: Potions; E, Charms; E, Herbology; E, Transfiguration; E, Defense Against the Dark Arts; E, History of Magic; E, Astronomy; E, Arithmancy; E, Study of Ancient Runes; E
N.E.W.Ts: Potions; E, Charms; E, Transfiguration; E, Defense Against the Dark Arts; E, Arithmancy; E, Study of Ancient Runes; E
Favorite spell : specialis revelio
Magic they wish they were better at : n/a; if Caitriona wants to be better at something, she works at it until she’s satisfied
Physical Appearance
Long hair or short hair? : long, mid back
Hair color, and is it natural or dyed? : black, natural
Eye color : dark, russet brown
Plain clothes or colorful clothes : plain, shades of green
Tattoos? : none
Are their ears pierced? : yes, once in each lobe
Any other piercings? : no
Jewelry that they wear regularly : a jade necklace, a pair of pearl earrings, a signet ring with the Burke family crest, and a claddagh ring; formerly wedding ring
What sort of clothes do they wear in public : modest and feminine; mostly dresses, generally full skirts, necklines without cleavage, fitted but not tight
What sort of clothes do they wear at home : practical but still modest, loose pants and blouses or sweaters
Favorite outfit : short sleeved, green, silk, button down dress
Do they paint their nails? : yes; she keeps them manicured with a pale, flesh-toned pink
Do they need glasses? : only for reading
Health
Physical Ailments: mildly farsighted
Neurological Conditions: none
Allergies: feathers
Sleeping Habits: Caitriona is a light sleeper, has a strict sleep schedule, sleeps on her side, and usually gets about 6hrs a night
Eating Habits: Caitriona eats a diet high in fruits and vegetables, taking after her mother’s example, as well as a lot of seafood. She prefers to eat multiple small meals a day rather than three large ones.
Exercise Habits: Chu-Hua taught Caitriona the art of Wing Chun, and she practices daily
Favorite band : Caitriona doesn’t have a specific favorite band
Favorite book : the latest one to teach her something
Family
Father: Eamonn Burke
Mother: Chu-Hua Burke, nee Chan
Sibling(s): none
Children: none
Pet(s): 2 Russian Blue cats, Aine and Brigid
Relationships and Connections
Relationship status : widowed
People they admire : Chu-Hua, Andromeda Tonks
Someone they’ll talk to about anything : Regulus, almost
Someone they couldn’t live without : n/a
Do they want to get married? : not particularly
Do they want kids? : yes, but mostly because she’s supposed to want them
Someone they wish things had turned out differently with : Xavier Yaxley, sort of
Someone that makes them laugh : Benjy Fenwick
Little Secrets
Biggest regret : agreeing to marry Xavier
Someone they fear : Eamonn, but she doesn’t fully realize it
Someone they could kill : it’s less about the person and more about the situation; Caitriona could kill to protect herself or those she is loyal you
Someone they miss : Benjy, Marlene McKinnon, Andromeda
Someone they resent : Yvette Yaxley
Is there a secret they want to share with someone? Who and what? : no, all of Caitriona’s secrets are secret for a reason
Something they’re embarrassed about liking : being barefoot; Caitriona abhors shoes and socks and would much rather not wear them, but she was raised to believe it isn’t ladylike
What did they want to be when they were younger? : her mother
Secret they consider to be their “big secret” : her real opinions about blood purity, her relationship with Benjy
All About You
Character’s favorite feature : her eyes
Character’s least favorite feature : her freckles
One thing they’re really good at : making people think they know her
One thing they’re really bad at : being authentic
One thing they wish they were good at : n/a, if Caitriona wants to be good at something she works at it until she is
Do they collect chocolate frog cards? : no
Can they play an instrument? : guzheng, clairseach, piano
Can they cook? : she probably could if she were taught
"I have this dream of being whole. Of not going to sleep each night, wanting. But still sometimes, when the wind is warm or the crickets sing… I dream of a love that even time will lie down and be still for. I just want someone to love me. I want to be seen." — Practical Magic (1998)
