5 Jan 2025, 17:40
New Place, New People
Solo - December 2024 - Somewhere in England
Theophilius was used to the way it felt to be in a train; he grew up riding one to get almost everywhere. He was used to the rides, to the places he would go.
He wasn't used to this. No, sitting next to his mother as she held his youngest sister, and his other siblings across from them in their compartment as they rode to their new home. His father had been taken a couple of weeks ago, so little time had passed but so much had already happened. His sisters and he were pulled from the classes they were taking and their homeschooling was put on pause, as they were told to pack.
He was now the man of the house, much to his dismay. His mother had already told him that he would be expected to act responsibly when they were at their new home, the Castellano Manor. His grandmother expected perfection of him, the perfect heir now that his uncles and father were unable to be that.
He glanced over at his sister, Florence. She was holding on to a teddy bear, its fur pressed against her cheek as she stared past him, out the window at the rolling terrain. She was the eldest, at 1o now.
Theo knew that things had changed for her too, she had already told him about the new lessons their mother had talked her through; cooking and cleaning spells, makeup, and proper manners added to the list. He knew that they would both be betrothed one day, though he just hoped his sister was more than just stuck as a housewife, the life of their mother would not make his sister happy.
"Вы в порядке?Are you alright?" He whispered to his sister, nudging her shoulder. She blinked, looking over at him, before smiling, "Я в порядке, просто устал ездить на поезде.I'm fine, just tired of riding the train."
He nodded, sighing as he sat back in his seat. Just a couple more hours, he figured, then he would be at the manor. [333/200]
Last edited by Theophilus Castellano on 5 Jan 2025, 18:32, edited 1 time in total.
5 Jan 2025, 18:30
New Place, New People
The Manor was bigger than their place in Russia; the entrance was overly grand and the driveway too big for a home with no cars. Many hours on a train, a ten-minute walk to a portkey station, and a portkey jump later; they were at their new home. His mother really led them, the older kids not really wanting to follow into their new unknown future, the rest of them so young that their curious natures were coming out, with each step they took.
Theo held his baby sister as his mother knocked on the Manor door; anxiety rolling off him even if he held a strong face. The door opened to show a house elf, with droopy ears and dark eyes looking over the group, "Hello, Mrs is waiting for you all," the creature said. It pulled the door open more, a nonverbal call for them to enter the home. His mother stepped back, allowing the children to go first. Theo did the same, helping the younger ones go inside, curious eyes making slow movements in, before he entered, too.
The manor was darker inside, with large curtains on many of the walls, windows covered for whatever reason. At their home, well their old home, all the windows were uncovered, mostly because the bright days were the best. Various small tables lined the hall they were led down; vases, small statues, and other art pieces were on them, and Theo knew little fingers begged for the chance at them. "Ничего не трогайте, девочки.Don't touch anything girls" Their mother said from behind them, as they walked.
They ended up in a sitting room, with older chairs and loveseats in the space, and plenty of places to sit as the only person in there was their Grandmother. She had glasses on the end of her nose, her eyes focused on a paper in her hands. She looked in when the sound of their footsteps reached her, a smile forming on her lips. "Ah, Welcome to your new home, Children, and Rostisa." She said, standing to welcome them fully. Theo didn't even need to turn to look at his mother to know that the messing up her name was probably not appreciated.
"Спасибо тебе, бабушка.Thank you, Grandmother," Theo spoke, trying to break through the awkwardness that started to fill the space. His grandmother raised a brow, before shaking her head. "Ah, let's fix this right at the start. You are in England, my grandson, and as such you will speak the language." She spoke.
Theo frowned, he knew English, all of his sisters did, but they mostly spoke in the language of their mother. "Sorry, Grandmother," He spoke, his voice sounding deeper than he thought it would as he spoke in the other language, the words almost sounding too short to him, like they should take up more of his time.
Agatha smiled at that, "Perfect, now, why don't I show you all the rest of the house." She said, putting her paper down on the table in front of the chair she was just sitting in. She stepped around it and closer to the family, "And while we are at it, I can tell you the rules of my home." [539/200]
7 Jan 2025, 05:05
New Place, New People
It had already been a couple of weeks being at the manor and already so much had changed. Their schooling had started again here, but never did they go to a school to be around their peers in their new country. Theophilus learned mostly with tutors, all of which would ignore any talk that wasn't in the language they preferred of him.
His English was still shaky compared to the confidence he had when he spoke Russian, words dumbed down to fit the vocabulary he had now that he couldn't reach for the one he could speak so freely only months before.
His sisters were under the same rules, though the younger ones were softly hushed and retaught instead of being under the silent treatment that the older few dealt with. Florence was taught under tutors too, but they taught her a whole range of spells for little things, barely anything that got into with Theophilus.
He was taught about all the history he has missed being in another country; wars, heroes, and chosen ones. Theophilus learned of the pureblood's involvement in said war, how family was broken apart because muggle-borns needed to be a part of something they didn't understand; taking parts of the culture they liked and ignoring the ones they didn't care for.
He heard of how the once boy who lived turned insane, the next who must not be named wannabe who ended up in the jail he put so many pureblood men in. Theophilus learned of his uncles, in the same jail as Harry Potter.
"What- What did they do?"
He never got a clear answer when he asked that. The elfs would ring their ears, the mouths clamped shut as if it pained them to even think about what the older man could have possibly done. His mother didn't know, their late-night talks always had more questions than answers in them nowadays.
He didn't dare to ask his grandmother, subconsciously not trusting her reaction. She wasn’t a cruel woman, but she wasn’t the softest grandmother the children could have. She was mostly in the sitting room, as the children were learning. She wrote letters often, sometimes making the children sit in the room as she explained why she was sending such letters out, and what her mission was.
She told them about purebloods who didn’t care to monitor their relationships with the families they were speaking with; about werewolves who protested being called beasts while relying on the sale of potions from potion masters to keep from acting like dangers; of Muggle-borns who tried to take over the traditions that she so strongly wanted to protect.
Theo learned alot about politics of the British wizarding world in those first few weeks. [459/200]