31. August 2022

Beatrice's Home Life

*private thread*

Beatrice closed her notebook, standing up. Her far to long dress wiped away the dust on the floor as she stepped to the mirror. She shook her head in attempt to dismiss her emotions. An Event that her Parents had thrown just ended. It actually ended three hours. After that all she wanted was to go to bed but she still had to say goodbye to all the Guests and wave to them politely as they went home. Whether it was by car, broom or whatever way they chose to travel. Then some stupid boy had lost his gloves and his parents would not leave without them so Beatrice had taken care of her siblings and helped them change into more comfortable clothing while her Parents were occupied with that Family.

She directed her gaze away from the mirror, opening her Wardrobe and kicking the heels, that she had on, into it in attempt of more comfort. The shoes didn't have a lot of heel but Beatrice still hated them. They hurt her feet. An eleven year old shouldn't have to dance and walk around in heels all evening. That's what she told herself. Her parents on the other hand thought differently.

A deep breath in, a deep breath out. Beatrice looked at herself in the mirror. She bit her lip, looking at the dress on her Body. Her Mother had ordered it weeks ago from a tailor that did everything just as her Mother wanted it. She was uncomfortable in it. Not that it wasn't pretty, but she felt much more comfortable in a big sweater and some corduroy trousers.

She walked around the room, picking up the last few things that she had not packed into her trunk yet. Then she walked to her wardrobe again, finally getting rid of the dress and changing into a jumper and sweatpants. She put on fluffy socks and let herself fall onto her big bed, curling up like a cat.

A soft knock let her suppress a groan before she looked up. She said a quick "come in" and Petal, one of the house elves, stuck her head into the room.

»Hello Petal. How may I help you?« Beatrice asked, sitting up and smiling at the elf. Despite how tired she was and how much she did not want to interact with anyone right now.

»Help me? Oh no Miss Beatrice. I am just here to tell you that dinner is ready and that your family awaits you in the dining room.« The small elf said.

»Thank you. I'll be right down.« Beatrice told her and got up from the bed. She quickly tied her hair up and then walked downstairs. As soon as she got into the Dining room, the sent of mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and some kind of roast filled the air. Her stomach growled, showing how hungry she was, as she sat down next to Edith.

Her parents were both sitting on the head of the table, each on opposite sites. Benedict and Calliope were sitting on the other side. Her mother sighed like she was annoyed when Beatrice walked in the room and the girl immediately knew what was about to come.

»Beatrice, how many times do I have to tell you to wear something suitable for company whenever you're not alone? Seriously, you have to stop wearing those awful pyjame-like clothes« Her Father told her. She pressed her lips together as Food was being loaded onto the table.

The dinner went by rather Silent. Beatrice didn't eat much. Her stomach was hurting and she felt sick at the thought of putting more food into her. At the end where everyone had finished their plates and ate desert, just not Beatrice, her Parents sighed.

»Did you not like your dinner sweetie?« Her Mother asked. Beatrice closed her eyes, knowing what was about to come.

»It was wonderful. Thanks Agustin.« She thanked the House Elf who was the Chef. He smiled at her. »I just wasn't very hungry.« She said, immediately regretting it. Her Parents were Silent and her Sibling fled the room after their Mother told them so.

»Would you just eat your goddamn food?! We talked about this!« his rage filled voice rang in her ears. Beatrice almost flinched. She didn't meet her Fathers gaze. They infact did not talk about this. Her parents just told her she had to stay skinny but still eat her food so she doesn't faint. Like she did at the event today. Their guests were not amused and her Parents were mad.

»Look at me!« his voice thundered through the room. She looked up, tears in her eyes. »You disappointed me. Go to your room. We will talk about this tomorrow.« He said, his voice hard.

»I will be leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow.« she said quietly.

»Don't you dare talk back to me!« He yelled at her and threw his glass onto the floor, a squeal coming from her mother. »Go to your room!« His voice hammered in her head. She stood up and left.

»Konstantin, she's trying.« Was the last thing she heard from her Mother before running up the stairs and going to her room.

Before she could enter it tho, a gentle voice stoped her.

»Ice? Are you okay?« Beatrice's anger melted away at her Sisters words. She loved that nickname. A nickname only her siblings use for her. Her parents used to, but now they only call her by her full name.

»Yes Edith. Thanks for asking.« She said. Calliope and Benedict now stepping out of their rooms as well. All of them were in their Pyjamas.

»Can you read us a bed time story?« Calliope's soft voice echoed through the corridor.

»The one with the dream doors?« Benedict asked. A soft smile placed itself onto Beatrice's lips.

»Of course.« She said, walking with them to her room. They all settled into her bed, as she got the book from her bookshelf.

The siblings cuddled onto their Older sister, the only light coming from enchanted farie lights. She read to them with quiet words, as they slowly fell asleep. When all of them were sleeping, she put away the book, pulling the big planket over all of them and going to sleep herself.

Word Count: 1069

23. December 2022

Beatrice's Home Life

*privat thread*

Beatrice's Room

Beatrice walked through the grand doors of her home. Her Parents had stepped in several minutes ago but Beatrice had taken her time, taking in the fresh Scottish air so she didn't have to step into that suffocating house. A body slammed into hers, almost making her fall. Edith's small arms were tightly around Beatrice as the younger girl pressed her face into her older sisters shoulder. She didn't even mind the snow that was all over her older sister and Beatrice didn't mind either. She put her arms around her little sister, taking in the grand entrance hall. She watches as Calliope and Benedict came running down the stairs as well and their small body's surrounded Beatrice in no time.

»Hi guys.« she breathed out as she tried to somehow hug all of her siblings at once. »Are you okay?« she asked them but words seemed to be to much for her younger siblings. Petal ran through the hall into the direction of the hugging siblings.

»Miss Beatrice, it's good to have you home!« she said nodding her head violently with a smile. »I have put your luggage into your chambers and prepared tea that is also in your room Miss. Enjoy!« then she hurried away again, Beatrice only managed to call a small "Thank you" after the house elf. Her Mother strut into the entrance hall once again.

»Edith, Calliope, Benedict! Leave your sister be!« she called out and her siblings immediately let go. »Beatrice, go get out of those filthy train clothes and take a shower. We will have dinner after that and then you will tell your father and I about your studies.« Alice's strong french accent slipped through her words as she commanded her daughter.

Beatrice was up the flights of stairs in no time, hurrying through all the halls until she finally opened the door to her room and stepped in, closing it behind her. Even tho it hadn't been much more than 3 months, the room felt unfamiliar and cold. It was weirdly clean and nothing like living in a dorm with Irina. She felt as if she couldn't breath in this house and Beatrice didn't want anything more than to run out of the house again. Instead she took out a black dress, skin colored tights and shoes, taking everything into the bathroom and taking a shower.

Reducio

Dinner was served at exactly 19:00 o'clock 7 pm. Beatrice sat next to Edith as silent piano music came from lounge room next to the dining room they were currently sitting in. There wasn't anyone playing the piano, it was enchanted. Beatrice had a plate with potato, some weird looking mushrooms and a expensive piece of meat in front of her. Her parents were conversing about the upcoming ball and what they had planned for the rest of the holidays. Apparently they were going to some other Party that Beatrice had to attend with them.

»Ice? Can you read us a story tonight?« Benedicts quiet voice reached her from the other side of the table. She almost couldn't hear him because of her parents and the cutlery sounds. A small smile appeared on her lips and she nodded at him, mouthing "of course" which apparently catched her parents attention.

»Beatrice, have you been training at Hogwarts? I heard they have a ballroom and even a rehearsal room, don't they?« her father's deep voice echoed through the bug room. She looked up at him, slightly turning her head to the right.

»Yes, but studying and homework require a lot of my attention so I couldn't train as much as I wanted to.« Beatrice knew how to lie. The words left her lips so easily that anyone that listened would have thought they were true. In reality Beatrice spend more time reading or doing other things. She had barely trained.

»You will have to do a lot of intense training over break then, we don't want you to lose your precise movements or forget something. Alice, we should send a letter to her Ballet teacher so he can come by earlier then we had planned.« Konstantin took a sip of his wine after talking and Alice nodded with a smile.

Dinner felt like an eternity and after it Beatrice had to sit through another hour of talking about her grades and studying. Now she was walking up the stairs and through one of the halls. It wasn't long until she stood in front of Calliope's bedroom. She heard giggles from the other side of the door and knocked. Edith opened the door, wearing Beatrice's school robes. She blinked a few times as her little sister pulled her into the room. Her siblings engaged her into story telling, reading books and whining about how their tutors had said they should be more like Beatrice. The rest of the evening went by in no time. Beatrice went to bed around 11 pm, her siblings fast asleep in each of their rooms. She had read all of them a bed time story and tucked them in.

Sitting down on her bed, she pulled her journal from underneath her pillow. She took a quill, starting to mindlessly draw. The next day Petal found Beatrice laying in her bed, fully clothed with ink stained fingers and puffy eyes.

2. April 2023

Beatrice's Home Life

*privat thread*

Beatrice hadn't touched her Journal in quite some time. It laid open on her bed as she sat at her table. It hadn't been more than an hour since she had gotten home but this time Beatrice didn't feel trapped in these walls. This time she felt like this was going to be a good break. Her parents were planning an easter feast for the 9th and she hoped that some of her friends would be there. This time they had send out several invitations to not only Pureblood families but pretty much everyone they knew of. It had been quite a surprise to Beatrice but then again, how could she know that this wasn't another move of Konstantin and Alice Dupont to get to know and influence more families. A big Picnic was planned along with several activities such as easter egg hunting, an easter egg decorating station and even pony riding. Her parents would spare no expenses with this. Beatrice took a big breath before she stood up. Dinner was always at 7. Right on the dot. It was still another 15 minutes so Beatrice decided to wander through the garden for a little. She made her way down the stairs and through the grand doors back into tea room, which had giant glass doors and windows. Opening a door, she stepped out. The white flats on her feet might not have been the best choice to walk through the slightly wet grass but they matched her dark red long sleeved dress that she had put on for dinner. The cold air brushed her bare legs as she stepped out into the garden.

There was a large set of stone stairs that led from the upper part of the garden to the lower part. Beatrice looked out on their property, taking in every inch. The Dupont Manor and general property was massive. The grass was decked with fresh spring flowers that seemed to glow in the dark and with every step Beatrice took, she got closer to the stone railing of the upper part of their garden. It was almost as if the upper part was a extremely large balcony that was overgrown by grass and led to several bushes and a small walk way on one side. If you followed the walk way, you would simply walk around the house and arrive between the thick trees that cut of the space in front of the house from the space behind it. A hedge that went far above Beatrice's height used to have a walk through that the walk way had led to but her parents had let that overgrow when wild animals started to roam around their property and use that specific walk through as a sleeping space for whatever weird reason. Those wild animals were gone now.
»Beatrice?« Her Father's thick dark voice let Beatrice flinch terribly and she almost tripped over her own feet, clenching her wand in her left fist. »Yes?« she hurried to answer him and looked back at the tea room which she had come through. He stood in the door dressed in a dark red suit. It was almost a blood like color, fitting the wine he had in his hand. He swirled it around in the glass as he looked at his daughter. »Whatever are you doing outside?« his voice thundered through the evening air as the sun set behind Beatrice. He stepped closer to Beatrice, taking large steps until he stood right in front of her. »Come back inside my darling girl, we are about to have dinner.« he told her, his free hand squeezed her shoulder as he stood beside her and pushed her a little to start walking. The door shut behind them and he walked her through the manor and into the dining room, where his hand switched from her shoulder to patting her on the head. Alice Dupont saw them walking inside as she was already seated, having her own glass of wine. In that moment Beatrice's mother realized once again how much her oldest daughter looked like her husband. Edith, Benedict and Calliope came in behind them. Edith and Calliope were wearing the same dress as Beatrice but Edith had it in a dark green and Calliope was wearing it in white. Benedict matched his mother's black dress with his suit.
At dinner and every other meal, they always sat the same way. Beatrice and Edith sat on the right long side of the table, her father said on Beatrice's right side at the head of the table, her mother on the left at the end of the table while Calliope and Benedict sat on the long left side of the table. It was always the same. Dinner was severed by the house elves and the Duponts started to eat. It was a quiet dinner, as usual. The only thing that was talked about was Beatrice's academic achievements, her ballet training, the quidditch position she now had, what academic achievements her siblings had made and how the business was going for both Konstantin Dupont as well as Alice Dupont, who still worked at the Ministry.
After Dinner, Beatrice went up to her room and took a bath. Her Siblings still had to do assignments that each of their tutor's had given them. When Beatrice stepped out of the bathtub, she got dressed into her Pyjamas and was about to sit down in front of her mirror when there was a sudden knock on her door. Her long wet hair was up in a towel turban as she called for the person to come in. To Beatrice's surprise it was her mother that entered her room. Alice Dupont immediately noted the piano music playing in the background from the small wizarding radio that Beatrice was in possession of. Beatrice's mother stood at the door, a book in her hand.
»Can I help you with something Mum?« Beatrice asked with a slight frown. It felt like ages since her mother had last entered her room. Alice Dupont smiled. It was a soft and loving smile, one that Beatrice rarely ever saw. »I've been meaning to give you this book.« her mother told her, stepping closer to Beatrice. The War of the Worlds. Beatrice had seen that in her mother's bookshelf before but hadn't dared to take it out since it looked quite old. She looked at the book and than at her Mother. »Thanks you.« Beatrice smiled and her mother nodded. Alice was almost out of the door again and Beatrice had sat down in front of her mirror, letting her hair down and starting to brush it when her Mother spoke again. »Beatrice?« she asked and Beatrice turned to her again. »Yes?« she asked. Her Mother came closer again. »May I help you with that?« Beatrice was quite surprised by her Mother's question, she did not even have words to answer, she just nodded. Her Mother pulled the chair from Beatrice's table and sat down behind her daughter, who was sitting on a stool. Her Mother took her brush and gently started to brush Beatrice's hair. She dried it after brushing and then brushed through it again. Then she braided it. Beatrice was to flabbergasted to say any, she just stared through the mirror at her mother, who was focused on Beatrice's long hair. She couldn't remember the last time her mother had braided her hair and perhaps that was what had brought Alice Dupont to do this. Because she didn't remember either. When she was done, she kissed Beatrice on the head and left her with a good night. Beatrice sat in front of her mirror staring at herself for quite some time that night. Then she went to bed with the book her mother had given her, opening it and starting to read.

That was it. Beatrice's first year was over, just like that. So little had happened, yet so much. She could still remember her first day as if it was yesterday. There had been a mix of emotion throughout the whole year and now the dark haired almost second year was quite unsure if she should cry or laugh. Excitement, fear, a silly little feeling she had had with this one girl (which Beatrice was denying by the way), making friends, loosing them again, a little piece of her heart getting taken with Irina to Germany, getting into fights, crazy events and balls, sadness, learning and letting go, trying to be a kid. It felt as though Beatrice could now let this all go for a little, as she transitioned into Summer holidays. However, she would not be free of duties. Doing Homework, Assignments, late night studying and constantly being the perfect student was not the hard part of life. Well at least not quite as hard as disobeying her parents, making them proud and being a proper young lady.

The wind hit Beatrice as she stood in the middle of this field. This wasn't their property anymore but she couldn't help standing in this flower field, letting her eyes grace over nature. A flower crown sat atop her head and the white dress she had on, flowed in the wind. It wasn't a cold wind anymore. Scotland had warmed up quite a bit and the warm breeze mixed in with the already warm weather. She took a deep breath, letting her thoughts cycle in her head. Fort William was quite beautiful in every season. The winters were filled with heavy snow laying atop any surface the flakes could find, Autumn was wind rustling through fallen leafs and drinking pumpkin coco, spring was seeing the colors return and Summer was picking wild strawberries and quidditch matches in the yard.

The other part of the seasons was wearing fancy clothing, ballet training, piano lessons, tutoring, etiquette lessons, quiet dinners, events and balls, staying atop of what was going on in the world, following her parents wishes and being nothing less but perfect. Beatrice knew all too well how her summer would turn out. She was going to spent the majority of these two months at her Grandparents Manor in America, missing out on Summer Camp and following their believes and rules instead. She would be a eligible young lady when she came back home. Eligible for what? You shall see.

Her Parents expected a lot of her and so did her Grandparents. Even though Benedict was the heir of the Dupont name, just because he was a boy, the pressure of the eldest daughter still lingered on Beatrice's heavy shoulders that she held so high. At Hogwarts there were moments where she could forget about this bone crushing expectations but at home there were contestant reminders.

All of this was the reason why Beatrice was now standing in this field. She wasn't good with feelings. Rather awkward and closed off actually. It took time for Beatrice to open up to people. Now that she was at home, she wanted to take a moment and be away from any pressure there might be behind those big entrance doors. She hadn't even gone in to say hello to her siblings and the house elves even though her Parents had insisted on it. She had just wanted one moment of peace. This was her moment. Standing in this large field of flowers at the brink of sundown. The day hadn't been too hot but it was July now, soon every living creature would search for shadow wherever they could find it.

Hours went by before Beatrice decided to go back home. It was around ten o'clock and she knew that her parents would be mad but when she came through the tea room's door, her mother just sat there, drinking tea and her father was occupied in the library. They greeted her but did not say more, which was incredibly odd. Her siblings had gone to bed already so the house elf Petal made her a plate of leftovers from dinner and sat with Beatrice in the kitchen as she ate her food. After finishing, she said goodnight to her parents. Her father patted her on the head like she was a dog, a book in his hand that he seemed very interested in. His dark green suit pants shimmered in the candle light and the a glass of red wine stood on the study table. Her Mother on the other hand just smiled a tight smile and returned Beatrice's good night. Then the slim girl made her way through the manor and up to her room, just to find something very surprising.

That was it, the end of Bea's first year and this thread. It does not seem like this much time has passed but it's almost a year. Thanks to whoever has read even one word in this solo, see you after summer back with another one of these.