A Wedding and a Realisation
Evasion: 6
Strength: 5
Wisdom: 8
Arcane Power: 5
Accuracy: 7
Thomas Bleaklane (Uncle)
Guilia Costa (his fiance)
Andrea Bleaklane (Dido's mother and Tom's sister)
Irene Bleaklane (Dido's mother)
Stories Settle Where the Truth Cannot P.1Reducio1) This will be a series of many posts from different dates in the week Dido is off-school owing to her uncle's wedding.
2) At this point in the school year, Dido is not thinking at all clearly about people (especially Ravenclaws) and while everything said is true in her own belief, she is often very wrong/skewed.
3) Thanks for reading!
The Return - 24th April
As the clock struck 2:30, Dido Bleaklane stepped off the Mystic Pullman onto the platform with a wide grin, revitalised by her decision made only a few days prior. Crossing into the main section of King’s Cross, she was quickly met by the welcoming arms of her mother, Irene Bleaklane, and the absolutely adorable, if a little ferocious, leash-trained family cat, Hellie. Dido rushed over to them, lugging her case along as she darted through the invariably tall maze of adults moving around the station, and leapt towards her mother before turning at the last moment and fervently embracing Hellie.
“So much for me!” cried Irene in an outraged but good-natured tone, “I see where I stand in all this!”
Dido laughed, as most twelve year olds still do when their mother makes a self-deprecating joke. In response, she stepped towards the woman and wrapped her arms around her tightly, secretly savouring the warm and comfort her mother gave. With one last squeeze, Dido passed her mother her case and immediately took Hellie’s lead with a cheeky smile, before walking on ahead.
Irene gasped playfully before rolling her eyes and following her daughter. As she caught up, she asked, “So? How was school? How are your classes?” Irene paused before continuing more hesitantly, “Have you made any more friends?”
Until the previous Thursday, Dido would have frozen at these questions, overwhelmed by the conflicting ideas to maintain her lie or come clean, but since then? Dido just smiled and sweetly responded, “It’s wonderful- genuinely.” Then, in faux humility, she continued, “I’m doing well in most of them…”
Irene chuckled, saying, “Oh well done, Miss Top-of-the-class,” in a warm voice, seeming to ‘recognise’ her daughter’s acts of humbleness. Little did she know, these ‘acts’ were in fact just acts.
Dido shrieked, “Mum!” in a scandalised tone before rushing off towards the tube. She had a parrot to go see. And a mother.
Last edited by Dido Bleaklane on 20 May 2026, 22:53, edited 3 times in total.
-Dido Bleaklane |
A Wedding and a Realisation
Evasion: 6
Strength: 5
Wisdom: 8
Arcane Power: 5
Accuracy: 7
Thomas Bleaklane (Uncle)
Guilia Costa (his fiance)
Andrea Bleaklane (Dido's mother and Tom's sister)
Irene Bleaklane (Dido's mother)
The Story - 25th April
Uncle Tom was wearing his usual grin, somehow reminiscent of Dido’s own despite their lack of any blood-relation, but he also had a certain… joy. It was new- not like he hadn’t been happy before- but it felt like a new pair of shoes, fitting him perfectly. When he rushed through the door and hugged his sister tightly before turning to Dido and shouting his usual cry of, “Dodo!” and hugging her too, he wasn’t just happy. Thomas Bleaklane was glowing.
Which was fortunate given that he was getting married on Thursday.
Behind him, Guilia Costa bustled through the door, kissing Andrea and Irene on both cheeks before smiling fondly at Dido, pinching her cheek and warmly saying, “Oh, Dido honey! Look at how you’ve grown!”
Guilia Costa was an interesting woman. Or, at the very least, she interested Dido. She had apparently just a few years younger than Uncle Tom, in the same Hogwarts year Dido’s mother would have been in, had she gone. Every instance where Dido had met Guilia, the woman had been perfectly and wonderfully lovely and yet… Dido always sensed some sort of pain coming from her mother when Guilia was in the room. Of course, if Dido, or even Andrea, could see inside her mother’s head, they would have realised the deep and heavy bitterness Andy carried. Luckily, this level of clarity was impossible for everyone except for Irene, who’s nightmares were fuelled by it.
The group made their way into the kitchen, Irene first, then Thomas, then Andy and Guilia, chatting animatedly. Dido followed them, smiling cheerfully.
After the initial discussions, technicalities and plans for Thursday were made, everyone sat down while Irene passed round the casserole she had spent all day worrying over. Uncle Tom was next to Dido, having professed his desperation to hear all about Hogwarts as he felt “utterly devastated to have missed the Christmas break.”
“So- Tell me everything. How are the lessons- what are the teachers like? I heard about Iwasaki- What’s happening with-”
“How about letting the poor girl actually start speaking?” interrupted Guilia, laughing at her fiancé, “Let’s start at the beginning: How was the train ride?”
Dido giggled, almost choking as she finished chewing her mouthful of not-very-tender meat. She began, “It was beautiful- I mean, you know that. I sat with a few girls. I haven’t actually seen most of them recently… anyway. The one I’ve been with more is called Tina. She’s nice. And then we got sorted and-” Dido didn’t pause. She didn’t even stutter. Dido never faltered as she easily continued, “I’m in Ravenclaw. The lessons are wonderful. I have this great Charms teacher, which is one of my favourite lessons. And Potions is wonderful. And Flying. I love Flying. I think I want to be a Quidditch player when I grow up!”
The evening continued in similar fashion: joyful words flowing from Dido, embellished and adjusted to make the most beautiful lies with more and more ease as the hours ticked by and Irene Bleaklane’s delicious-casserole slowly sunk in the pot.
-Dido Bleaklane |
A Wedding and a Realisation
Evasion: 6
Strength: 5
Wisdom: 8
Arcane Power: 5
Accuracy: 7
dNPCs
Thomas Bleaklane (Uncle)
Guilia Costa (his fiance)
Andrea Bleaklane (Dido's mother and Tom's sister)
Irene Bleaklane (Dido's mother)
The Rehearsal - 28th April
The stress was everywhere. Tendrils of it swirled into and through every room as people darted through the corridors, heels clicking anxiously on beautiful wooden floorboards. Even the site of the venue emanated a sense of rush and worry, horrifying site of bleak grey London clouds sweeping in only adding to the nerves that the wedding would be a disaster.
“I knew we should have taken your parents’ offer! It’s going to rain here!” cried Guilia, second-time-bridal-nerves clouding every word she said.
“Scotland would definitely rain,” Thomas consoled, “Maybe the weather will clear up here!”
During this and many other similar panics, Dido was thrown from person to person, measured and pinned and asked about her day with fixed, stressful smiles. Several “final” decisions were made over the day: Dido would wear the yellow dress and walk behind Guilia’s bridesmaid; Dido would be in the green and would hold Guilia’s veil; Dido would switch dresses across the wedding. At some point in this it was even agreed that Dido would lead the groomsmen- an idea suggested by her mother who was finding the whole affair highly amusing.
Finally though, everything had been arranged and Dido was finally able to take a moment alone, attempting to work on some of the catch-up work her professors had given her. Unlike what she had told her family, she was not in fact “so ahead as to not need to do more work”, so had to find moments in dark corners to hastily scrawl out answers.
So, Dido was sitting in her room, doodling in the corner of her Charms homework, exhausted by the on-going rush of the day. As she slumped at her desk, her mind drifted to the Ravenclaw crest which was sewn onto her school robes. Dido would be a good Ravenclaw. She would… Dido’s eyes drooped as sleep threatened to overcome her. She would… be smart. Yes… Like that girl. What was her name? Michelle? Mia? Mikaela… Yes! Mikaela Hendricks! Dido would become like Mikaela Hendricks. The perfect Ravenclaw.
-Dido Bleaklane |
A Wedding and a Realisation
Evasion: 6
Strength: 5
Wisdom: 8
Arcane Power: 5
Accuracy: 7
dNPCs
Thomas Bleaklane (Uncle)
Guilia Costa (his fiance)
Andrea Bleaklane (Dido's mother and Tom's sister)
Irene Bleaklane (Dido's mother)
The Wedding - 29th April
It had been an utterly beautiful ceremony. Guilia had looked, not just beautiful, but stunningly happy. And, somehow, Thomas had almost outshined her with his own joy spilling out of him. It was the happiest Dido had ever seen people. It was lovely.
But it was also unsettling. This was new. New. Was that wrong? Weird? Should she have recognised the feeling?
Of course, looking back on this unease, we can see that Thomas and Guilia were getting married. When both thought they never could. But, for Dido, this was a source of worry. Fortunately, on such a happy day, she managed to push these thoughts to one side in favour of laughing with her family’s friends, enjoying the attention being a child gave her and excitedly cradling her teeny tiny little sip of champagne Guilia had passed to her. It was lovely.
Even more than this, all of the many, indulging adults who had spoken to Dido were fulfilling her new wish. They were asking her all about Hogwarts. Many had gone to Beuxbatons or Hogwarts itself but either way, they happily nodded along to Dido’s excited rants, ignoring Andrea Bleaklane whom the vast majority felt even less connected to than Dido. The conversations all went fairly similarly, generally following this formula.
“So, Dia-”
“It’s Dido!”
“Sorry, Dido. How is Hogwarts?”
“Oh it’s wonderful! I-”
“What house are you in, dear? I was a proud Gryffindor, like your Aunt and Uncle!”
“I-I’m in Ravenclaw.”
“Ravenclaw! You’re a clever little thing, Danielle!”
A Ravenclaw. Dido introduced herself as a Ravenclaw. Now, without meaning to overly highlight this, Dido introduced herself as a Ravenclaw. Even more easily as the ceremony went on.
It was lucky she didn’t introduce herself as “Mikaela”.
Though they probably wouldn’t have realised any difference.
-Dido Bleaklane |