Happy Birthday...or not. Solo Finished

IC Date May 28th, 2021

Carolyn was extremely excited to find out she got a letter when she visited the Owlery that day. She far was less excited to find out it was NOT, in fact, a letter from her parents.“Of course…I should have known.” She reprimanded herself bitterly. Her parents didn’t even send her the dress for the blossom ball as they promised, why would they remember her birthday? She was being bitter and she hated it. She didn’t use to be so petty in the past and she knew her parents were busy but this year it simply stung more than any other. She was already on edge as it was and this was just adding fuel to the fire. Her parents didn’t always remember the exact day but they made sure to make things right afterwards and Carolyn always forgave them. They had important work to do after all...This time however, it was different. In the past, she simply knew they lost track of time and they would remember soon, but now? She couldn’t hold onto that hope. It didn’t feel like they would write today or any day after that, until she eventually returned back home.

Well, at least it’s not from my grandmother. The girl sighed looking at the name reading “Charles Magnolis" in a rather nice handwriting. While she was hoping to hear from her parents, she had to admit she was curious what he had to say as she opened the letter.

Reducio

Text of the letter:
Dear Carrie,
Happy Birthday! Yes, your grandparents already informed me about all the important dates in your life. It's creepy, I know. They will also keep doing that in the future. Still, I sincerely hope you are having a good day, celebrating with your friends and no, I did not forget your name. I simply believe you will come to hate even the sound of it sooner or later. Sorry for the harsh words but I know your grandma. She has that effect on people and you deserve to know the truth.

Today I'm writing to tell you how I became your "finacé" in the first place. There is no way to say this nicely...my brother is a Squib. A fact my parents tried to hide by sending us both to US under a false pretense of attending the Ilvermorny (well I do). Thankfully, Hunts helped them avoid the rumours to the best of their abilities and so my family tries to stay in their good graces. It's honestly sickening what they are willing to do to keep their reputation intact. I suspect you are starting to understand though. I will write you more later. The school is a mess preparing for the Hogwarts trip to which I won't be coming. My parents don't want me to be seen there so I guess I will see you in summer.
Your (definitely not) Fiancé,
Charles Magnolis

Well...that was... short. Carolyn thought to herself, honestly expecting more from the boy. And yet, the words she read were horrible enough to made her stomach churn. He didn't say much but all that he implied sounded vile. It was clear that he himself, hated his circumstances and was probably not fond of his parents either. At least Carolyn herself was lucky enough that her parents would never agree to make him her actual fiancé. Charles was not. It was a very one sided situation, however she had a suspicion the boy didn't mind. After all, he didn't actually want to marry her either. How he spoke about Annemone though, only confirmed all her fears about the woman and more. She was sure, he would add more details later and she was honestly dreading it. As much as she wanted to be prepared, possibly for the first time in her life, Carolyn wondered whether it wouldn't have been better not to know everything.