Author's Note: This is a rewrite of "Only A Day", published on my other, inactive account 'WhyIsARavenLikeAWritingDesk'. Updates are planned for every Sunday. Best.
August 7th
Dear Viktor,
It's been weeks since we've written. I know it is just as much my fault. How are you? I hope you're doing well. How is your family? Has your schoolwork kept you from seeing them recently?
I understand if you are busy; things have been hectic here in London with the closing of our summer production of 'Romeo & Juliet'. This fall the London Theatre Company has decided to take a break, but in the spring we have decided to do a muggle opera titled 'The Phantom of the Opera'. It is a story told by a young woman in love with two men, a pronounced member of society, and a man who hides himself from others, skulking through the bowels of the opera house to hide his disfigured appearance. I have seen the muggle production many times, and hope our rendition will be as splendid.
Wishing you are well,
Charlotte
She signed the letter with her usual flourish, and lay the parchment on her desk to dry. Her barn owl, Deek, shuffled back and forth on his perch, as if anxious to dive out into the humid August air. Hoping the ink was dry, and too impatient to wait any longer, Charlotte folded the letter until it could fit in an envelope small enough for Deek to carry, sealed it with a silver colored wax, and charmed it against any weather that could smudge her words. Deek shuffled again, ruffling his own feathers, and Charlotte gave him a quick scratch under the beak before handing him the letter and telling him who it was for.
She stood at her bedroom window for several moments, watching the bid disappear east into the darkness. A flair of disappointment clogged the back of her throat before she swallowed it down; she never should have allowed her correspondence with Viktor to fall off. After five years, and hundreds of letters, Charlotte still felt that sometimes Viktor was the only one that could understand what she was trying to say. Viktor knew Charlotte with an intimacy that was not afforded to others, and, in turn, Charlotte liked to think she knew Viktor.
"Charlotte? Dear, supper is ready," called a soft voice from downstairs.
Charlotte turned away from her window, and made to leave her room, stopping again at her desk to stopper her ink well, and quickly clean the nib on her quill.
August 8th
Charlotte,
I apologize for my absence. Things in Sofia had been terribly busy as well, though not for as exciting a reason as your summer performances. Durmstrang recalled all students a week earlier than we expected, and as such, I have not seen my parents in several weeks, but I have been assured that all is well at home. Our headmaster seems to have gone, for lack of a better term, insane, but with no higher authority to intervene, those of us here must follow along.
In light of school and other obligations, I am not doing well. I am sleepless well into the night, and I do not sleep for many hours at a time. If I had the sense, I could have spent those hours writing to you, but I have been distracted.
As for your auditions, you will do very well, I have no doubt. You do plan to audition, yes? I have never had the pleasure of hearing your voice, but if you sing as lovely as you write, you must be very talented. The opera you have mentioned sounds like something you will greatly enjoy. If you find the nerves too much, step back, close your eyes, and list why you would miss doing what you love most. It has always helped me.
Viktor
Viktor rolled the parchment into a protective dragon hide case, and tied the sleeve to Charlotte's owl, Deek. Feeding both Deek, and how own hawk, Orion, a small handful of treats, he opened his window and let both birds out into the night.
Charlotte was surprised out of her concentration after several hours of quiet by a tapping at her window. It was well after midnight, but she had been diligently making her way though a new book of muggle poetry she had spotted at the store. Deek hooted impatiently as she thumbed the lock on the window to let him in. She held out her arm for him, and was relieved when she recognized Viktor's dragon hide case tied to the barn owl's foot.
"Good job," Charlotte whispered to him, setting him on his perch and refilling his food dish.
She twisted the top off and settled back at her desk to read Viktor's response. Her heart eased at his quick response, but tightened again as she read his words. She knew that Viktor was still in school, as Durmstrang kept their students a year longer than Hogwarts, and she knew he had some kind of obligation that he traveled for, but what that obligation was, Charlotte was never sure; it was never anything he wanted to talk about. In fact, he always seemed relieved when she did not press him for answers. Whatever he did, he would share with her when he wanted to, and she would be satisfied with his letters until then.
Picking up her quill, and unstoppering her ink well caused an obnoxious squawk from Deek.
"I'm not sending this tonight," Charlotte assured the owl. "It's far too late for polite correspondence. You can go around lunch time."
Seemingly placated with his master's reply, Deek's feathers smoothed out and he settled in for a good night's sleep after such a long trek across Europe.
August 7th
Dear Viktor,
It troubles me to hear you are in such a situation. Is there no one in the various governments between you and I that would intervene on behalf of the students? And while you know I do not mind the letters, you know I welcome them, I do not want them to come at the cost of your health. There is no need to avoid the occasional sleeping potion.
As to your question: yes, I do plan to audition.
To add to the frustrations of auditions, Hogwarts has sent us a letter explaining that things will be a little different this year, but they have not seen fit to give us a reason. And still, tensions continue to rise in London concerning the Ministry and the Quidditch World Cup. Threats have been issued, though so far they seem to be idle, and they have placed a dark cloud over what is usually a much more rambunctious event. Despite having no real interest in the sport, I would like to attend, just to experience it just once. You've mentioned Quidditch many time; would you mind explaining the basics to me?
Wishing you a good night's sleep,
Charlotte
August 9th
Charlotte,
Quidditch? This is your question? It is a strange one to hear from you, but my best answer would be to recommend a book. 'Quidditch Through the Ages' is a very informative book for a beginner. It will explain the history of the game, as well as rules and regulations, and what is happening in the sport now. If you have any questions after that, I will be happy to answer them.
It is very lonely here, and often your letters are the only bright spot in a day. When I am not at school, attending to other obligations, I am the youngest involved by seven years, I believe. It is difficult, being in school, then being grouped with an older crowd and having the expectation placed upon you that you must be able to fit into both.
As you are concerned with my health, I think I have found a way to improve. I would like you to join me at the Quidditch World Cup. I've send your ticket with this letter. I hope you agree.
Viktor
To say Viktor was nervous when Charlotte's owl swooped into his family's kitchen in the late afternoon would be to downplay the knot in his stomach. He took the letter from Deek, and thanked the owl before carefully peeling the wax from the parchment.
August 10th
Viktor,
It would be my pleasure to attend the Quidditch World Cup with you! It will be wonderful to see a professional game, and have your opinions on it as well. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Charlotte
Viktor had not been so pleased in a very long time.
At the moment Viktor spotted Deek huddled and drying by his family's fireplace, he knew the letter the owl brought with him would not be a good one. He was home to see his parents for the first time in what felt like months, and it had been storming continuously since he had arrived. Deek was soaked through his feathers, several shades darker than his normal tree-bark brown, and Viktor knew the bird could not have been happy.
The letter Deek had carried was dry due to the charm Charlotte never failed to apply to the parchment, but when he opened it there were several smudged spots that, as they could not have been made by the rain, must have been made by Charlotte herself.
August 16th
Dear Viktor,
I regret to inform you that I will be unable to attend the Quidditch World Cup with you, even as much as I wish to. My grandfather has passed away in the night, and as you know he was my only living relative. As I am still a few months shy of being of age, I am to remain a ward of the Ministry of Magic until I am able to inherit his accounts. I have been able to make arrangements to withdraw a small amount to prepare myself for school in the coming month, but am unable to leave the custody of a Ministry official, much less the country, unit l turn seventeen.
Please forgive me for being unable to attend,
Charlotte
Daniela Krum did not often get to see her son between school, and his Quidditch practices, but she knew when he was sad. Viktor had a presence that could fill a home with warmth and comfort, but could just as easily suffocate and depress. When the owl had shown up, attempting to hide from the storm under the lattice, she knew he could not bring good news. This was confirmed when Viktor told her of his friend's grandfather's passing, and that she was grieving, and he would be unable to be there for her in person. Daniela would also suspect that he had stoked the fire under his hope of finally meeting this young woman, and that he was just as disappointed that she would miss the Cup.
August 16th
Charlotte,
Do not trouble yourself with me. Deal with what you must. Though the Cup will not be as enjoyable without your presence, there is no forgiveness to be had. You are needed in London to watch over your grandfather. I stress that anything you may need will be given if only you ask, and please do not hesitate from doing so. I am happy to give anything I can.
Though I did not know your grandfather, he had to have been a remarkable man to have raised such a remarkable young woman. You told me once that it was he who turned you to the arts in the wake of your parents passing, so my only advice would be to honor him, and turn your passion for the art into something he would be proud of.
Please know that my heart lies with you until you no longer need it, and, even so, after.
Viktor
August 25th
Viktor,
I'm still sorry we couldn't meet at the Cup. I think it would have been interesting to meet you in such a setting. When the times comes that we do meet, I'm afraid I've worked myself into a little bit of a nervous knot. I've poured my heart into some of these letters, and I can't imagine that I will live up to what I've written. Sometimes I imagine that the person I am to you is someone altogether different from how anyone else sees me. I can only hope that when we do meet face to face, you will not be disappointed.
My grandfather's estate has been squared away, and I am set to inherit all properties, accounts, and holdings upon my seventeenth birthday in November. I've been allowed the money to continue at Hogwarts this September. I cannot thank you enough for your support. It means more to me than I know how to write.
Hoping to see you soon,
Charlotte
August 27th
Charlotte Adele,
You could never be anything less than beautiful to me. Whether you are uncomfortable speaking and we pass notes for the rest of our friendship, I will be happy. I have every letter you have ever written to me, even the first one. Do you remember that one? The first time you ever wrote to me was by accident. You sent a letter with your owl, and instructed him to drop it in the sea. He went wrong way, confused by dark skies and stormy winds. Deek ended up taking shelter in my family's house, and I got your letter. You did not know who I was an I did not know who you were. But that changed. Looking back, I see nothing but the thoughts and wishes and words of a mind deeper than the ones that surround me.
Your expression of worry towards our future meeting have made my own surface. I do not know how you have pictured me, if you have done so at all, and I do not know what you expect, but I fear I will not live up to expectation either.
Viktor
August 28th
Dear Viktor,
I do remember that first letter. I had written down everything that had gone right and wrong in the last few months of my life because I had no one to tell, and I sent it off with Deek. I was so worried when the storm swooped in and he didn't return home as quickly as he should have! And you were so embarrassed, having read what was a rather personal letter, but you wrote me back to apologize. Truthfully, I didn't know what to think of Deek appearing with a letter that hadn't been meant for any one, but not a day has gone by that I've regretted the mix up. Not a day goes by that I regret writing you again. Now it's been five years, and you know me, and I know you.
Charlotte
August 29th
Charlotte,
Our headmaster at Durmstrang has announced to the school that Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament this year, and that both we and the French school, Beauxbatons, have been invited to attend and compete. It seems this is what your own headmaster meant when he informed students that things would be different. It also seems that we will be able to meet without much effort on our own parts.
We will arrive on October 30th, and we have been instructed to bring our dress uniforms as Hogwarts will be hosting a Halloween Ball on the night of the 31st. Our headmaster has only conceded to masks, not full costumes. It may be rash to ask you in a letter, but would you meet me for the ball? I do believe I'd very much like to dance with you.
Yours,
Viktor
September 1st
Dear Viktor,
Please excuse the shaky penmanship; Hogwarts students arrive by train, and it is never a smooth trip. Thank you for warning me of the Tournament and the Ball. I don't think I will enjoy much of either, what with the death count afforded to the Tournament, and my inability to dance, but it would be my pleasure to accompany you on Halloween night.
Wishing for Halloween,
Charlotte
Charlotte flinched as the train rocked more violently than usual before settling back into her seat to wait for the ink to dry. She had gotten Viktor's letter and invitation to the Halloween Ball two days prior, but had been so busy making sure she had packed everything for school, she packed the letter along with her stationary and quills. It had taken her the first hour of the train ride to find the letter, and another fretting over finally meeting him before she could pen a reply.
Ada, Charlotte's best friend, sat across from her, frantically attempting to finish the homework she had been assigned at the beginning of the summer. She had been sorted into Gryffindor, Charlotte herself in Ravenclaw, and generally lived up to the stereotype. She had brown hair and hazel eyes, and stood a few inches shorter than Charlotte. Despite her reluctance to do so, Ada had accepted the prefect's duties Professor McGonagall had assigned her, and now had to scramble to finish her work in order to walk her rounds and check on the first years.
"That a letter for what's his name?" Ada asked, glancing up from her potion's essay.
"His name is Viktor," Charlotte said, "and, yes."
"Has he proposed yet?" she asked teasingly.
"Ha ha," Charlotte said mockingly, folding the parchment and charming it against the weather.
"You write to him more than you write to everyone else combined. What am I supposed to think?"
"We haven't even met face to face yet," Charlotte said.
"Yet," Ada stresses. "Forget what's his name. Have you picked your piece for your audition yet? Who are you auditioning for?"
"Yes, I've picked my arrangement. And, um, Christine. She's the, uh, main character."
"That's good!" Ada congratulated her. "That's great! Charlie, you've never gone after a lead role before. I'm so proud of you!"
"It's not that big of a deal," Charlotte muttered.
"Yes, it is. When are auditions?"
"Beginning of December. I'm going to be so busy I don't know how I'm going to deal with it all."
"Deal with what all? What else is going on?"
Charlotte seized her bottom lip between her teeth to keep from spilling the news. At the silence, Ada looked up from her parchment again.
"What?" she asks. "What aren't you telling me?"
"I don't think I'm supposed to know," Charlotte admitted. "Viktor wrote and told me that Hogwarts is going to be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament this year, and that Durmstrang, and the French school Beauxbatons, have been invited to attend and compete. That's why we all got the letter that things would be a little different this year."
Ada blinked once.
"Also, uh, a Halloween Ball, a few nights after the other schools arrive."
"Doesn't what's his name attend Durmstrang?"
"Viktor."
"Yes. Viktor. Doesn't he go there?"
"Yes."
"So, he's coming to Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"And you're finally going to meet?"
"Yes."
"Finally!" Ada said, throwing her hands in the air. "I have been waiting for this moment forever!"
"You what?" Charlotte asked. "What does it matter to you if we've met?"
"It'll make you happy," Ada said. "That's why it matters to me."
Charlotte rolled her eyes, but was hard pressed to keep to keep the smile from her face.
"Come here, and let me braid that hair," she said, tucking her parchment away in her school bag.
"Shouldn't we change first?"
"If you insist."
They both rose from their seats, Ada pulling down their trunks as Charlotte pulled the blinds on their carriage door. After both had changed into their respective house robes, Charlotte took a seat on the floor in front of Ada's legs, and unclipped her hair, letting it fall in tangled waves down her back.
"So tell me what else has been said this summer," Ada demanded, easing tangles and knots before she started braiding.
"Viktor invited me to the Quidditch World Cup."
"Are you serious?" the Gryffindor asked, fingers pausing in Charlotte's hair.
"Yeah. He sent me a ticket and everything."
"Well, what did you tell him?"
"I said yes," Charlotte said quietly, "but then..."
"But then Grandfather Atticus passed away," Ada said solemnly.
Charlotte nodded.
"How did he take that news?"
"He said that the Cup wouldn't be as enjoyable without me, but that he understood that my grandfather was my only family, and that I needed to be there for him. And he offered any help I could think of, if only I'd ask."
"Sounds like a real gentleman, than one does." Ada's fingers pause again. "Let's not go and fall in love with this boy until you meet him, okay? I don't want you getting your heart broke."
"I'll try, Ada, but I can't make any promises."