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General Information
Character Name:
Reyna Villamor Durand
Age:
14
Date of Birth:
26 April 1909
Blood Status:
Halfblood
Residence:
England, Australia
Family:
Lovelace Durand (half-sister, 3 years apart)
Personality & House Preference
Personality:
Reyna has always been a bit off the walls. When she was younger, she was terribly inquisitive, always asking strange questions and wanting to know everything about the world around her. When verbal answers failed her wanderlust, Rey took to the great outdoors, always coming back covered in mud or with a new creature friend.
This energy has quieted down a bit as she's reached adolescence, but Rey is still not one to conform to the straight and narrow. She could be considered tomboyish-- not just because of the bobbed hair. Rey isn't fussy about her appearance, or afraid of getting her hands dirty. She’s also been known to steal her father’s suit jackets here and there.
She's tough, witty, but has a tendency to be blunt and even coarse at times. This can be trouble, especially since Rey has a stubborn streak, and doesn't like admitting she was wrong.
That doesn't make her fiery or impulsive, though. She does look before she leaps, contrary to popular belief. Rey knows how to read the room, and keep her confidence. It takes a lot to fluster her. She's playful, and loves to laugh and share in laughter with others. Friend-making comes easily to her, and she'll kill to protect her loved ones.
Rey's upbringing and background has made her resourceful. She knows that you have to be able to adapt to whatever life throws at you, and that good things take time and effort. She wants to know that she's earned this life, but in the back of her mind, there's always a worry that she could be abandoned again, or that her circumstances could change as quick as the wind.
History:
Reyna was the product of a whirlwind romance during a dazzling getaway to Manila, in the Philippines. Rey spent her early years basking in the sun, getting lost in the market, and trying to tame the local civet population, among other things.
Memories of the past often slipped out in the quiet, muggy evenings. Mayari, Reyna's mother, would sit, chin in hand, would wax poetic about a roguishly charming gentleman from Australia who had swept her off her feet. Like the fireflies that wove between the trees, the two had been drawn to each other's warmth and light.
Rey never listened much to these tales, no matter how her mother insisted that Rey would experience the same one day. Why? Why go on and on about a man who clearly wanted nothing to do with either of them, no matter how handsome he supposedly was? You couldn't really live off of dreams and memories.
And unfortunately, reality soon crept in. Mayari had always had a bit of a lingering cough, but she had never given it much thought. She could work well enough, and anyway, doctors were costly to see. Her condition worsened over the years, and by the time she finally scraped enough money to get treatment, it was no use. The tuberculosis was too advanced. She passed away that September. Reyna was five years old. The situation couldn't have been more dire. A child alone, the city barraged by typhoons and severe flooding.
Salvation came in the form of a father. Too late? Perhaps. But what choice did Rey have? She followed her father to England. The man seemed to have finally gained an interest in his progeny now that he had a proper wife. And he was charming, indeed. Able to finesse peoples' money right out of their pockets, with nothing but his quick fingers and silver tongue.
It fascinated Rey, because here was a surefire way to make your way in the world. So what if it was a little dishonest? Most of the folk her father schemed against were rich and wouldn't miss a few pinched pennies. He was ever so confident about it, and didn't let anything rattle him. Maybe he was more interesting than Rey had first thought.
They bounced from England to Australia, now with the addition of darling little Lovelace. The two girls were absolutely inseparable, and Rey was glad to teach her younger sister all that she had learned. The next couple of years were happy, if not chaotic. The Durands were a large family, wild, and rambunctious to boot. But amid the jumble of cousins, aunts, and uncles, Reyna managed to finally find her footing again.
It was hard to shake the outsider label, though. Rey looked enough like her new family, but her accent, her favorite foods, and most glaringly, her illegitimacy... And her inability to perform magic as she got older.Not to mention that no matter how she tried, she couldn't muster up any magic. Oh, she tried, all right. Rey felt a need to prove that she still deserved to be at her father's side, and yet with each passing day, she could feel his attention waning.
One night, after a heated discussion about Reyna's mother, it finally happened. Rey was sitting outside on the porch, head still spinning. A firefly flew close to her, just as she opened her mouth to sigh. Rey sucked in a breath, surprised, and ended up swallowing the little sucker whole. But then, the firefly's light spread from her throat all under her skin, so that Rey, dumfounded, was glowing from the inside out. A beacon in the night. The door cracked open, and there was her father, just as spellbound.
That settled it, then.
When it came time to return to England, strangely, she was excited. Especially since she was to attend magic school, of all things. It was proof that she had a place somewhere, where she could make something of herself, instead of drifting from place to place.
Rey has thrived at Hogwarts, truly. And this year, Lovelace is finally set to join her at school. Good riddance to those stuffy old Javors. They don't know real fun, so Reyna is all for showing her little sister the ropes, just as she always has.
She just hopes that it lasts, this time around.
House Preference:
Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin
Year Preference:
Fourth
Prompt Response:
(Hogwarts Letter)
The morning air smelled like rising dust and the eucalyptus fumes outside. It was still cool enough to sit on the floor by the window without perishing of sunstroke, so that was exactly where Reyna planted herself.
The other children were sound asleep. Normally, Rey would have loved to go around waking up her many relatives, and lead the charge to the breakfast table, but it was far too early for that. And besides, she had purposefully chosen this time to be alone.
She'd been thinking. More than usual. She didn't like it when the thoughts in her brain got too heavy or complicated. Made her temples hurt, like that time a tarantula had gotten tangled in her hair. But no matter how hard she tried, Rey couldn't shake the unease building at the base of her neck, and then some. That fight with her father a few days ago– it had boiled over, but things were still tense between them. Then again, when were things not tense with that man?
"There's something come in the mail for you."
Speak of the devil. A familiarly gruff voice broke the blissful silence, followed by the creaking of the floorboards. Rey turned around to see a letter thrust into her line of sight.
"I was out at the letter-box," Her father mumbled. "Looks important, don't it?"
“Looks very important.” echoed Reyna. She furrowed her brow and reached out for the creamy white envelope, with its glossy red wax seal.
Her father shook his head and held it aloft. “Wait.”
Reyna huffed, more of a low growl, really. “What is it?” She dropped her hand and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring.
“Whatever’s in here– you don’t go ‘round telling it to the others,” Her father said, fixing his daughter with just as stern of a look. “And especially not Lovelace.”
“Sounds stupid,” Rey shot back, instantly. “She’s only seven. Just because you don’t ‘approve’ of her either–”
”Reyna Durand.” The crease between his brows tightened, like crumpled paper, before smoothing out just a smidge. He held the letter out to her. “I’m in earnest.” He watched Rey take it. Hesitated. “Please.”
“Fine.” Rey sighed. It really was too early for this nonsense. She tore open the letter without a second thought. The pristine parchment fell in tatters upon the floor, followed by bits of smushed wax. Her eyes flew over the inked words, indents still tangible in her palm, and they grew wider and wider by the second.
Dear Miss Durand… Hogwarts… Witchcraft, Wizardry…
Rey’s heart bobbed up into her throat like a duck coming up for air. She looked down at the letter. Then back up at her father. Then the letter again. His gaze was burning holes into her forehead, and she didn’t want to deal with that at the moment.
“This is… real?” Rey murmured. “You’re not pulling my leg?”
“Yes. I mean, it’s real.” Her father sighed. “Knew this might come to pass, eventually, but so soon…” He rubbed a hand over his chin, expression quite unreadable as he muttered to himself. “The term starts in September. It’s in Scotland… but we were already planning on heading back to England, anyway....”
“Wait!” Reyna exclaimed. The parchment crinkled as she gripped it tightly. “I don’t get it. How– how am I– a witch? I thought I couldn't-- How is this possible?”
"I'm not sure... sometimes magic takes a bit of time. But you are my daughter, Rey. Don't you remember the fireflies that evening?" He cracked a lopsided smile. “Oh, don’t give me that look. This is good, you’ll see. You’ll be around other children like yourself. It will be loads of fun.”
A beat. Her father nodded to himself, as if he too was accepting the whole idea. “I’m glad it’s you first, Rey. I’m proud of you, I am. I meant what I said the other day, I am really going to try harder, and– oof!”
Rey threw the letter aside and flung herself into his arms. He smelled like old leather and cigar smoke, but she pressed her face into his shoulder and held on for dear life. She was whole, not broken, or damaged beyond repair. There was an inexplicable warm feeling spreading from the pit of her stomach out through her fingertips, like a-- a sunlower blooming madly, somewhere wild, open and free.
Miscellaneous
Other Characters
N/A
How did you find us?
from Eli!
