Physical Description:
Often found in worn clothes with his shirt sleeves rolled up while engaged in some task, Cassian Mercer can cleanup well and become quote polished when he wants to or when the occasion calls for it. There is something old fashioned about his appearance and he fits the "tall dark and handsome" archetype. He is tall and broad shouldered, with thick naturally tousled dark brown hair, striking gray blue eyes, dark brows, and a strong angular jaw.

Mental Description:
Cass is a man of many positive traits. He is observant and notices small things that others might overlook. He is compassionate and notices when others are struggling. He is patient and knows that some things require time to improve upon. He is dependable, kind, and gentle but can be protective - making sure those around him are okay. He is resourceful and curious and creative.

But just as everyone has negative traits, so does our Caretaker. He can be stubborn and finds it difficult to ask for help. He often overthinks and can be too reserved. His biggest negative trait is that he can be overly self-reliant and he's forgiving of mistakes but not when they're his on.

Biography:
Cassian was raised in a respectable pureblood wizarding household as the only child of Graham and Judith Marvell Mercer in Northcumberland, England. His parents provided for him in the sense that he was fed, educated, and cared for enough but the household lacked warmth. Graham Mercer was a Senior Healer at St. Mungo's and Judith Mercer was a Master Potioneer there and both were well accomplished and far too consumed by their work, leaving little time for their son. Praise was conditional and expectations were high for Cassian. He knew that the expectation was for him to be well behaved, successful, and not troublesome. He fell into line.

It wasn't until he came to Hogwarts that Cass began to feel as though he truly belonged somewhere and what home felt like. A former Ravenclaw, he was not necessarily the most brilliant student in the room but he noticed what others didn't - old books that needed repaired, a portrait with cracked canvas, or a classmate in need of a helping hand.

Upon graduating Hogwarts at his parents urging, Cassian joined the Ministry of Magic and took a position as an investigator with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He proved himself quite competent there since he noticed details others missed but this position never captured his interest. He transferred quickly to an archival position where he turned his sites towards preservation, historical records, and the care of magical artifacts.

It was then that he was tasked with having a damaged artifact from an old wizarding family to be restored. The tarnished brass astrolabe was old and delicate and required expert care and someone within the Ministry recommended that it be taken to a wizard named Arthur Bellamy, owner of Bellamy's Restorations in Brighton.

Cassian's intention was merely to drop off the artifact and return at a later date and nothing more but Cassian found himself absolutely captivated.

There were so many items for sale that had been repaired, so many items in need of repair, supplies for doing so, and Arthur Bellamy became a fast friend. Cassian began to find reasons to visit the shop frequently and questions turned to conversations and conversations turned into lessons. Soon, Cass learned the difference between restoration and preservation and began to work beside him.

Cassian eventually left the Ministry to work for Arthur fulltime and lived in the space above the shop, answering this calling that seemed to come to him. He worked for many years with Arthur and the two developed a bond that went beyond master and apprentice. Arthur became the supportive family that Cassian lacked.

Then the aging wizard passed.

He left the business to Cassian - the building, all the tools, all the supplies, the objects waiting to be sold, the collection of items waiting to be restored. Cassian threw himself into the work, determined to finish all the unfinished projects Arthur had left.

And he got caught in a cycle. This hadn't become a new chapter in his life nor was it a tribute to the old one where his mentor by his side. He was stuck, afraid to make any changes because that would mean leaving Arthur behind.

One afternoon would change that, as a former Hogwarts classmate would walk through the door of Bellamy's Restorations with an old clock in need of repair. Cassian recognized it immediately and remembered it from his school days when it had stood in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Back then when he was a student it hadn't worked properly and he always wondered why no one had fixed it.

The two caught up and the conversation quickly turned to Hogwarts, the current happenings there, the changing staff members, and how the school was looking for a new Caretaker.

That very night Cassian began thinking about the castle that he had called home once and how he had noticed all those things that needed repaired and how through Arthur's lessons he could now restore and repair and preserve nearly each item now.

Maybe he needed a break from Bellamy's Restoration, not to leave it behind, but to carry Arthur's legacy somewhere new while he gained a bit of a fresh perspective.

First Instance of Magic:
It happened one mid-morning when Cassian was five years old. His mother was in the kitchen brewing. He was expected to help at the beginning of the process. "Hand me the blue vial, not the green." "Hold that for me while I measure this." "Fetch me the dragon scales." Just as it always went like that, so did this day. As the potion she was making progressed, she needed him less. Her words became "All right, that's enough" and "Cassian, don't touch that."

"Cassian, I said over there, please." At those words he found himself a space at the table and would have sat there bored out of his mind but he remembered slipping a toy into his pocket that morning and smiled. It was his absolute favorite. It wasn't soft and plush, but a small wooden rabbit carved from a light brown wood. A small winding key protruded from one side and when wound, the mechanism made the rabbit shuffle forward in a hop. He had named him Hopper.

The young boy sat it on the tabletop and turned the key and smiled in anticipation to watch him hop but nothing happened. The wooden figure was motionless. He tried again and still nothing happened. "Mummy, look....." he said in a saddened voice, his eyes fixated on the stillness in front of him. "In a moment," he heard her voice.

"But....." he was cut off by his name said in a sharp tone. "Cassian." So he went quiet. He was upset and he wanted to cry but he knew that would only be more bothersome. He brought his beloved Hopper into his hands and began to examine it.

Some time passed and he heard his mother break the silence. "That's my good boy. You always listen."

Cassian continued to examine the figure. He turned it over and pushed something and tried to get the pieces inside the mechanism to work but his little fingers couldn't do the trick. "Come on, Hopper," he whispered in desperation. "Please work."

And he began to feel the small wooden animal grow warm and heard a tiny click. Another click could be heard and Cassian placed the rabbit down onto the table before him. Click, click, click. When the clicking stopped, the rabbit reclined back and made it's hopping motion across the table as Cassian originally had intended. "I fixed you!" he said and smiled widely, looking over to his mother to see if she had noticed. She had her back to him stirring her potion and had not.

It was not Cassian that had fixed his figure that day, it was magic, but he still discovered the satisfaction in making things right again.


***OOC NOTE: Can we please change his residence to Brighton, England?