heaven sent

.

[xocharity]

dorcas‌.

“I had you pegged from the beginning. A go-getter. …. I’m guessing you’re not the sort to take no for an answer.”  Her features fold, unaccustomed to softness and yet she manages. Effort fades from her brow and the hollows of her cheeks. “I can feel the guilt trip coming a mile away. … You don’t have to ask.” Dorcas slid one of the pamphlets from Charity’s stack as she spoke, another hand gesturing wildly as a distraction. Her fingers folded the heavily decorated paper with great care before she could slip the project into her pocket. Heart pounding, Dorcas cleared her throat and shifted, silently praying the blonde had not noticed,  “I’ll go. But I’ll be in disguise. You’ll know it’s me, yeah? You better.” The Gryffindor managed an exaggerated wink before moving to take a stand as a large group of Hufflepuffs shuffled forward to take their place for dinner.

Charity giggles again, amused if a little confused. Dorcas Meadowes was an enigma, and Charity got the feeling she liked it that way. “I didn’t mean it that way,” voice gentle, eyes earnest, she catches the other girl’s free hand as she stands up. There’s a little squeeze as if she needs to press the next sentiment firmly into her friend’s memory. “...but I’m glad you’ll come.” As her classmates settle in around her, they push her papers into even more haphazard heaps, but Charity doesn’t seem to notice. 

[xocharity]

narcissisticblack‌:

She took a step back on instinct, glad that the Hufflepuff came to her senses before she actually touched her skirt. “Certainly not,” Narcissa quipped back, her eyes now wide. “Why have you been doing a first grader’s project?” she asked, her brows furrowing as she searched for the source of the golden mess.

“It’s for the club fair,” she answers, gathering her things as she stands up. “I- I thought for the Muggle Appreciation flyers I should make them without using magic. I lost track of time...” Charity’s voice trails off as she notices the glittery trail she’s left behind her. She glances again at Narcissa’s skirt, then to her face. “I really am sorry about the mess, I didn’t mean to get it on you.”

[xocharity]

lunaminfirmos‌:

Remus was loitering in the hall when he saw a familiar Hufflepuff rush past like a comet, with what appeared to be a pretty convincing stardust trail as well.  When he then realized that her sudden direction change was going to take her face-first into a wall, he immediately rushed over.  He grabbed her upper as gently as he could by the upper arm; he hoped he did frighten her but he worried just yelling her name wouldn’t stop the disaster from happening.  “So sorry, Charity.  But I don’t think you’re going to be able to walk through that one,” He commented, smiling a bit sheepishly at the girl.

The understanding she was off-kilter and about to crash was dawning on her, a feeling not unknown to her, an inevitability. But just in time, there is a sudden steadying hand on her arm, allowing her the opportunity to get her feet under her again.  “Oh!” She looks up to see who has caught her, “Remus! Thanks!” It takes another moment for his joke to register, but she smiles when it does. “I suppose not, yeah? It’s probably a good thing, especially from this level. Thanks for saving me.” Her smile is equally sheepish, shy even. 

[xocharity]

narcissisticblack‌:

Narcissa was glad to be done with class for the day. She was minding her own business, taking her time as she walked back towards her common room. She saw the movement of the other girl first followed by a great wave of golden glitter. Glitter which caused Narcissa’s eyes to widen as it landed right onto the skirt of her uniform. “What in Salazar’s name-” she let her gaze fall from her skirt to the girl who was currently sprawled at her feet. She didn’t recognise her, she definitely didn’t circulate in her circle, still the sight of her was pitiful. “You got glitter on my skirt,” she said, her brow raised, her tone even.

She realizes on the way down what’s happening, and her reaction is to brace herself, making the fall nonchalant, if graceless. “Sorry!” Charity exclaims, half grunting as she pushes herself up from the floor. She reaches out toward the skirt, “Let me fix- oh,” she cuts herself off just in time, noticing the glitter covered hands that would have made the problem worse in any attempt to brush it away. She pulls back, face flushing, “...best not do that, eh?” 

[xocharity]

dorcas.

 “See, I’ve gone and done you a favor, I’d guess, if I hadn’t come over you’d be working on this until morning. Can you still feel your toes down there? … Dinner’s in a few. Make sure you eat, yeah?”  She shifted, pulling the papers from Charity’s grasp so she could double check the many ambitious promises splashed beneath its bold faced titles. “… Don’t take me seriously,” her brow furrowed as she dodged the other girl’s eye and focused on Charity’s project with an interested, if definitely lazy second look. “It’ll make life much better, I promise,” Dorcas advised with a breathy laugh, humorous despite the brief moment of sincerity. In the other girl’s hard work, she could tell the last thing Charity needed was any sage wisdom from her lips. She was a whirlwind of ideas and hopes and idealistic dreams if the beautiful splashes of glitter and color were anything to go by, “Muggle Appreciation, huh. You set that up yourself?” Dorcas’ mouth thinned, chest feeling a little hollow as she quickly ditched the flyer with a too sharp flick of her wrist, expression perturbed but tone delicate in spite of the Gryffindor’s sudden discomfort,  “What fair, cher?”

Charity is reassured, and nods in agreement when Dorcas urges her to eat. She watches intently as her work is evaluated, and isn’t quite sure what to make of how quickly it’s dropped. At the opportunity to talk about her favorite subject, she lights up. “I’m not a founder but I’ve been the president since third year.” She’s a modest person, but there is still pride in her voice. “The faculty approved a Club Recruitment Fair this year, I don’t know whose idea it was, but I’m very excited! I’ll be representing this,” she gestures to her papers, earnest and eager, “and the stargazing club. I hope all the clubs show up, and I hope people check it out.” 

[lilymxrie-evans]

2nd September 1976

[xocharity]

lilymxrie-evans‌:

“Oh, I suppose if anyone asks you can always say that you added a mention of Euphoric Elixir in there because you feel it might be able to combat the effects of the dementors?” Lily suggested, brows furrowing in thought for a moment before she laughed; she had to admit that Charity’s methods wouldn’t be her chosen technique, but if it worked for the blonde girl then who was she to judge. “Might be a bit of a stretch, but I’m sure there’s a link in there somewhere if you look hard enough.”

Charity giggles along with Lily. She opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by a sharp “Shh!” from Madame Pince who had stepped into earshot a few moments ago. Instead of speaking, she sucks in her lips and glances at Lily wide eyed, as if to say ‘I suppose that’s the end of our conversation’, then turns pointedly to her mess of books for the librarian’s benefit.

[xocharity]

Charity Burbage rushes through the corridors with the energy of a star about to explode, and the glittery trail behind her to match. Her hair is unkempt and her eyes a bit glazed, her mind obviously elsewhere. She is clutching a half-ream of papers as if they were diamond encrusted, and this precious parchment is the apparent source of the sparkly dust falling behind her with each step. Suddenly she veers, as if she’s lost her balance somehow...

[pctter-lily]

“Vanity is going to kick arse this year as captain,” Althea smirked confidently. The entire Slytherin house had a certain sense of confidence about them – and it definitely helped that they had one of the better captains that they’d had in recent years. “I’d be willing to make a bet before the rest of the teams are decided, just based on captains alone, that Slytherin beats your house the first time we play each other.”

[xocharity]

Charity giggles when Althea leans in, Hufflepuff loyalty keeping her brave in the face of all that Slytherin confidence, which otherwise might’ve made her a stuttering mess.  “Emma’s impressive, but Gwenog will surely give her a run for her Galleons!”

[xocharity]

dorcas.

“So, not much then,” the Gryffindor nods. Dorcas’ features unmoved and lips continuing to turn up in a half smile as she carefully studied Charity and her delicate giggle. Her own joke was for no one but herself as she gives up on the girl’s too bright expression to dip her fingers through a thin film of sparkle. “I’ve been here for hours, Cher. Swimming in glitter, as one does.”  The lie slips from her lips without hesitation, although the wait could really only have been moments. She liked the look of glitter clinging to her skin, and admired it for a moment before flicking her fingers and sending the spots of light to sprinkle through the air. The born pessimist half hopeful the mess will draw out another soft giggle, “How long have you been here? And what is all this, besides a brilliant plot to infest the castle with the herpes of the art world?”

Her mind blurs over the first comment as it doesn’t immediately make sense to her, having missed the beginning of the conversation. And she’s inclined to believe what she’s told, so her eyebrows tug together in concern. “Hours?” She bites her lip, hoping it’s an exaggeration and she didn’t accidentally ignore Dorcas that long. She watches the other girl play with a bit of the glitter that was already adorning her own skin, all over her hands and wherever they had touched — a smudge on her cheek, a sprinkle in her hairline. Still somewhere in between reality and her own little world, Charity asks, “What time is it? I- I’m not exactly sure how long I’ve been at it. I’m making flyers, for the Muggle Appreciation club — for the fair?”

[xocharity]

hestia-jxnes‌:

“Charity slow down,” Hestia laughed, “are you serious? You didn’t have to.” A smile grew on her face; Hestia had mentioned her plans a few times but never expected Charity to actually go through with it. Hestia folded the prophet and placed it on the table in front of herself. “Nothing good…” She sighed, “but it’s nothing to worry about. The Minister is going to sort out all of this dark wizard stuff before anything bad happens.” Hestia smiled, smoothing her skirt.

“I’m sure they will,” she muses, partially wanting to believe that but mostly too preoccupied to worry. Charity doubles back from her conversational tangent, trying to keep her pace in check. “Anyway, if it happens, my mum said I could have you over — if you want — for part of the holiday... even if it doesn’t happen I suppose... And we can hang out before you go to work with my da, like a sleepover! If you want, of course.” 

[xocharity]

dcrvs‌:

“Now see— This is what I picture when they say, ‘you have way too much time on your hands’.” Without a sign of an invitation, Dorcas had already moved to fold her long limbs beside her fellow classmate, the curious gaze of the Gryffindor taking in their work. Her fingers tapped a rhythm against the wood of the table, her frame radiating with a burst of energy from a good mood. “Then again, ‘too much’ is a very  vague  limit … . if you ask me. Speaking of, miss me any?” The question proving she would be more a distraction, than helpful.

Charity is taking up about five seats worth of table space with her project, papers and glitter spread out in half-organized stacks. She’s so focused on her project that she doesn’t notice at first when Dorcas joins her on the bench, and when she does it seems to her that her friend has somehow Apparated into the Great Hall. “Oh! Wotcher!” she exclaims, followed by a giggle. “How long have you been here?”

[xocharity]

althea-travers‌:

It seemed like Charity had a hard time getting her words out. Althea didn’t quite understand why – if anything, the girl should be proud, talking about her family. Althea couldn’t see herself being anything but. “Good. As much as you can learn at Hogwarts, I find that some of the most important teachers in one’s life are your parents. They’re the ones that know us the longest, after all. You must tell me your ways. I find it difficult to stay awake in Charms, most of the time. I don’t know why it’s so dreadfully boring.”

Charity feels reassured by the lack of teasing patience in Althea’s response, and regains a modicum of confidence. She nods earnestly as the other girl talks about parents, humming in agreement. Her eyes truly light up at the other subject, “I could- Flitwick has me help other students sometimes, I could try to help you too.”

[lilymxrie-evans]

2nd September 1976

[xocharity]

lilymxrie-evans‌:

“Thank you—it helps me keep everything in one place, I used to end up leaving my parchment all over the place.” Lily commented as she huffed out a laugh, her head tilting to the side slightly as she took in the other girl’s method. In a way she understood it, because she had a habit of leaving assignments half-finished, moving onto the next, and then coming back to them—it did help, in a way. It meant that if she got stuck she wasn’t left agonising. But she didn’t think she’d be able to hack doing everything all at once. “Doesn’t that get a bit confusing?”

“Oh, I do that too.” Charity smiles, a bit self-consciously. She doesn’t know why she gets bashful around Lily sometimes, when the Gryffindor has never been anything but friendly toward her. It might have something to do with the notorious names she is associated with, or Lily’s own reputation as a bright, brave witch. 

She tries to elaborate on her homework strategy, but the words don’t come easy. “No- not more, not more than it already is? I dunno, I-I might’ve commented on Euphoric Elixir in my essay on Dementors... or maybe it was the other way... but at least it’s getting done!”

[hestia-jxnes]

September 6, 1976

Breakfast was coming to an end. Some students still sat in small groups at tables, quietly chatting. Hestia Jones was cozily sitting by herself at the Hufflepuff table, her face buried in today’s daily prophet. With her other hand, she absentmindedly stirred a spoon in her cup of tea that was definitely cold by now. A plate of nearly untouched toast sat nearby. Though she could often be found lecturing her younger housemates about the importance of balanced meals all day, ironically she rarely ate breakfast. Her owl just wasn’t able to drop off her paper in the common room.

[xocharity]

“Hestia!” Charity exclaims, collapsing on the bench next to the older girl, out of breath. She pauses for a moment to catch it before launching into the message she brought. “I have been looking for you everywhere! I was thinking how it felt like I’ve barely seen you this year and then I remembered that my da said to tell you he’s going to ask his boss if you could shadow him at work for a day over the holidays and he doesn’t know if they’ll approve it but it can’t hurt to ask!” She inhales sharply, having rushed through all of that in one breath, then sighs. “Hey, anything interesting in the Prophet?”

[xocharity]

althea-travers‌:

Whether her back felt better due to the spell or because of some placebo effect, Althea couldn’t be certain… but the pain was beginning to subside, and for that, she was grateful. “Does he? He must be quite the talented healer… or at least a good teacher.” It was a rare compliment from Althea Travers. She hoped that wasn’t lost on Charity. “Does he teach you a lot about what he does? Or do you do some of that learning on your own?”

“H-he is, yeah, both things.” Perhaps startled by the compliment, or simply realizing she hadn’t really answered the original question, Charity stumbles through her response. “And I’m - I - yes, he teaches me at home. A-and my mum...” She doesn’t think better of what she was about to say so much as cut herself off with a different thought mid-sentence. “I pick up Charms and— well, just Charms... I pick it up easy.” Her face is flushed and not just from the crisp autumn air.

[lilymxrie-evans]

2nd September 1976

[xocharity]

lilymxrie-evans‌:

“Transfiguration.” Lily answered as she held the book up so that Charity was able to see it better, before placing it back down onto the table as she heaved out a sigh and pulled out her notebook—being raised in the Muggle world, she had always favoured Muggle stationary over the typical parchment and a quill, she found a notebook and pen to be far more practical. “If it wasn’t for Professor McGonagall I wouldn’t even be bothering with the subject, frankly…” Well, her, and the fact Lily wouldn’t be able to become a Healer without a NEWT in the subject. “What about you?”

Charity nods, sitting back in her seat. “McGonagall’s nice,” she agrees, scribbling aimlessly with her quill as it ran out of ink. “I’m working on a little of everything? I thought if I did it all at once I could get it done faster.” Almost shyly, she adds, “I like your notebook!” She had her own Muggle supplies but they were more craft oriented than Lily’s stationery. 

[xocharity]

𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏 — 𝒂 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈

Charity’s parents are both doctors — her father at St. Mungo’s and her mother a GP with a clinic near their home. This meant she always had the best care for the bumps, scrapes, and illnesses of childhood. There was a balance between magical and Muggle medicine in their home, as both her parents believed that some things should be done the long way, including healing. She has a very distinct memory of skinning her knees as a toddler, sitting atop the washing machine sobbing into her father’s chest while her mother bandaged her up. 

“There!” Grace kissed the plaster lightly. “It will be alright soon, my sweet girl.” Charles leaned down to kiss her other knee, silently casting a healing charm. “All better.”

It wasn’t surprising, then, when the young witch, in distress over witnessing a playmate fall from a tree and break multiple bones, took it upon herself to “kiss it better” — healing two broken limbs and a cracked rib in an instant. Unfortunately, the toddler wasn’t aware that bones need to be set. The arm had to be re-broken and properly healed, but the leg was trickier and the Muggle boy would have a slight limp for the rest of his life. 

Her parents had agreed that she would attend Muggle primary school until her magical studies began, so her father waited until her first Christmas break from Hogwarts to begin tutoring her. He is very proud of her apparent natural gift for healing magic, and dreams privately that she will join him in working at St. Mungo’s after she graduates.