Nothing But The Deepest Love

June 7th 1940

Dear Diary,

I do believe mother has gone entirely crazy now. Not that that is something new, of course, but still. This time, there's a reason behind her folly, though. Only this morning, a piece of rather interesting- at least, for her- news reached our ears. The Mansion Merlin, as the estate next to ours is called, has been bought again. Not by a family, though, like last time, but by a considerably young man, and, what's more important, he is unmarried.

Now I can understand mother's enthusiasm, to a certain degree. When a woman has five unmarried daughters at home- or at least, three daughters and two adopted nieces- then she naturally shows a rather keen interest for wealthy young bachelors. But, as usual, she's overdoing it. She's asked Daddy- who has, luckily, some more common sense than she has- to go visit him, and very "subtly" invite him over to dinner. Now please, come on, how obvious can you be?

Thank God I am but the second on her list- but poor Poppy indeed! Poppy, which is, believe it or not, the real name of my eldest sister, is two years my senior, she's twenty-two, and mom has wanted to get her a husband for ages. As if Poppy would ever become an old maid, which is mother's greatest fear! Come on, she's the prettiest and the overall nicest of the five of us, as mother very well knows. She's a blonde, contrary to me, and she has the sweetest temper you have ever seen.

Anyway, I know all mother's hopes for her are focused on this new "opportunity", but for heaven's sake, she plans on dragging me into this too.

Both Sybill and Rolanda are, of course, still rather young, and Serena, a year and a half my junior, doesn't have time for something like "men" between her stars and planets, but why oh why does that mean I am labelled "to be married soon" too?

I am not pretty, I know, with my thick, black hair and those green cat-eyes of mine, but I have to admit I have never truly cared. Even though I was sorted into Gryffindor, I've always rather liked to read and to learn, but what I would have preferred as a job choice would have been either an Auror or a teacher. Unfortunately, there doesn't exist anything like a "job choice" for young girls in the world I live in. I am a rich young lady, so all I "have" to do is sit and wait until one handsome young prince lifts me up, puts me on a horse and drags me along to a fairytale paradise where I would probably be bored beyond reason.

The same goes for the "dinner with the bachelor" which has, so Poppy has just informed me with worry in her eyes, been arranged for tomorrow night...

Yours sincerely,

Minerva Caitriona McGonagall