Carnival Heart [Ella/Rafe]

[Deleted]

December 2025

It had been years since Ella had spent time with her family. Her father wasn't the biggest fan of her giving up quidditch to be an acrobat in the circus. It was a simple fact. But she had been in contact with her youngest brother Rafe, mostly through owl messages. The boy had mentioned that he would be going home for winter break. That sounded like a total drag. The perfect time for old man McLaggen to continue his push of Quidditch team propaganda. Ella figured the seventh year would need some form of escape. So that was what she did. She told him to stop by at any time. The circus had come to London, and he could come by, and she could see her little brother.

She knew that the younger boy would be stopping by sometime today, but figured she could get some practice in. Starting the morning off with some yoga at sunrise, and a large breakfast. After which she stretched, warmed up, and got up on the silks. It was simple. Two pieces of silk fabric hung to the top of the tent. Their was little magic, simply skill. She started to climb, wrapping the fabric around her body and posing, hearing the music she had memorized playing in her mind. She Stretched into a pose, slowly spinning when she herd a familiarly guff voice. All member sof the circus were like family to the girl. The man stated that she had a visitor, she looked down, spotting the man with her brother. "Yea, he's mine." She stated, before releasing her hold, plummeting nearly to the bottom. The fabric caught her though, and Ella gracefully brought herself back down. She picked up a water bottle and drank from it as she walked over. She gave her brother a big smile and quickly pulled him into a hub. "It's been so long Rafe." Pulling back, her smile permanently plastered on her face. "Tell me everything. What have you been up to? Trouble? Is there a gilr? A boy?"

Raphael Caelan McLaggen

[Raphael Caelan McLaggen]

December 2025

The McLaggen family, just like any other family, had its problems. Still, Rafe thought idly as he weaved between circus performers and the small groups of people that had crowded around each display, there was something particularly unique about this family. An overbearing father, and a mother that didn’t do much of anything to restrain him – well, that was normal enough. But then there was the fact that the McLaggen children had all decided to cope with the issue in remarkably different ways. Mickey had swallowed Cormac’s Quidditch gospel and followed their father’s wishes and attitude in every way that mattered. Rafe had never gotten much attention as the last child, and had gotten stuck in the uncomfortable situation of never having to admit that he didn’t want to join the family profession until he’d started his final year of Hogwarts and Cormac had suddenly remembered he had one last child to push into going pro.

But then Ella, of course, had chosen her form of rebellion in a spectacular way. Rafe’s eyes were as wide and round as sickles as he took in the colorful scene around him, the smell of carnival food wafting through the air and little exhibitions on display outside the tents and stalls scattered around the densely packed area. He had always known, in a vague sense, that Ella didn’t buy into the McLaggen ideology the way Mickey did – but Raphael had always been too young to really understand the implications of what that meant. At least until she’d made her dramatic decision to run off to the circus and cut off contact with most of the family. He hadn’t been ready to say goodbye to his older sister (especially not when he…sort of agreed with her), so they’d kept in touch via the owl post. But it wasn’t the same as seeing her, so Rafe was eagerly anticipating their reunion….if he could ever get up the courage to ask somebody where he could find her. He had stopped a man covered head to toe in swirling vine tattoos, but the voice had died in his throat as Rafe wondered whether she went by her real name here or if she’d chosen a stage name.

That attempt had failed, but he’d quickly found another employee in a brilliant red coat and asked hesitantly, “I’m, erm, looking for my sister. Ella McLaggen…?” The man must have seen the resemblance, because he nodded and deftly led Rafe through a thick knot of people into a large tent. Raphael dawdled at the edge of the ring, hands in his pockets as he watched Ella practice her act. In some ironic way, maybe all of those Quidditch workouts and trainings at home had helped prepare her for this. She gracefully descended and approached him, and Rafe bent down to return her hug – she wouldn’t have been around to see his growth spurt, and the fact that he was now almost as tall as Mickey. He returned her smile a little uncertainly – it had been so long since he’d seen her, and he wasn’t sure how much had changed. “Yeah, it’s been forever,” he confirmed and continued eagerly, “But your act looks so cool! It’s bonkers that you can do that without magic.” His face flushed at the question that immediately followed. How to even begin to explain…? “Erm…depends how you define trouble, I suppose,” he mumbled, avoiding eye contact as he scuffed his shoe against the ground. “You, uh, wanna go for a walk…?”

@donatella

[Deleted]

Running off after her first official quidditch game to join the circus had left a bad taste in her fathers mouth. It was clear that he wasn't pleased. Despite that, the middle McLaggen child was happy. Not just happy, she loved her life. She wouldn't trade it for anything, especially not one playing pro quidditch and being with her family. She loved her siblings, but the life she had now was better than any she had before.

True, leaving her younger brother behind was hard, she hoped that it wouldn't make things worse for him. But they stayed in touch. Sending owls back and forth, she even sent him some pictures of where she had been thanks to the circus. She walked up to her brother. When did he get so tall? She took a moment to soak in the fact that she was now the shortest of the siblings, and hadn't even had the chance to tease the boy for sprouting up so fast. But none of that mattered now. He returned her smile, which only made her smile grow.

Ella thanked the red coated man for bringing the younger man there and he left the two. Rafe mentioned that her act looked cool and she laughed. "Thanks, Still working out a few transitions and kinds. Magic is used during many of the acts, but I think the areal stuff is just as impressive without." Sure they still used magical flare, but the acts that she performed were dangerous feats without the use of magic, which made them eye catching before they added the magical flare. She bombarded him with some questions, and he seemed to blush at it. With his response, it seemed as though it wasn't because of a crush. She laughed. "What kind of trouble have you been up to? School trouble? Or maybe Cormac trouble?" With Rafe being her younger brother, she expected some sort of Hell rising from him.

The boy mentioned a walk and she nodded. Grabbing his arm, she hugged it, dragging him off to a different area. "Great idea, I'll show you around."

Raphael Caelan McLaggen

[Raphael Caelan McLaggen]

Raphael nodded along as Ella explained more about her act and the balance between magic and the spectacular feats that didn’t need magic at all. He’d never really thought about the planning that must go into preparing these acts, but his sister certainly seemed to know what she was doing – more than that, Ella had looked just as comfortable in the air as on the ground. Maybe in some ironic way, all the Quidditch training Cormac had insisted on had ended up helping Ella. At least, all three McLaggen siblings were extremely comfortable high in the air and they’d been subjected to enough flexibility and strength training that could also be used for acrobatics. Not that Rafe would ever consider a career in the circus – he was plenty happy with his camera and both feet planted firmly on solid ground.

He couldn’t help but blush a little at the line of questioning. What kind of trouble? For a good Hufflepuff that liked things quiet, Rafe had certainly gotten himself into enough trouble this year. He couldn’t help but think of Addy, although the thought of telling his sister about her was mortifying. What exactly would he say? Oh yeah, I have the worst crush on my best friend, except she doesn’t see me that way. Except we keep accidentally hooking up after Quidditch practice. Except she’s been pretty clear it doesn’t mean anything. Except it actually might? Yeah, the thought of saying any of that to Ella made his face burn. So instead he shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Cormac trouble, I guess. I only have one term left at Hogwarts, so I suppose he sees it as his last chance to have me follow Mickey. He hasn’t said your name, but…” But it was pretty clear the rebellious actions of his daughter was pushing Cormac to take a harsher stance with his youngest to ensure he followed the family tradition. Not that Raphael would need to say that out-loud - Ella would get it.

It was a depressing thought, both in the sense that Cormac seemed to think he should be able to control all of his children’s lives, and because he clearly understood that they had different desires and just didn’t care. It was a bizarre thought, but Rafe was excited for the end of the Christmas break so he could return to Hogwarts. He didn’t fancy the thought of homework and NEWTs, but it was still a much better option than another week at home with his parents. He brightened a bit as Ella agreed to show him around, and he followed happily after her, shortening his strides so he didn’t pull ahead. “Have you been making friends here?” he wondered out-loud as his eyes lingered on a strong-man, clearly a part-Giant lifting up several small creatures. He had a hard time picturing Ella in anything but her Quidditch robes, so it was odd to think that this was the community she’d chosen. But if she was happy…well, no doubt she was happier than Mickey, at least.

@donatella

[Deleted]

The circus was a fantastic place. Families and couples went to enjoy fantastical performances with breath taking feats of danger, along side a baffling display of magic. But none of their guests or patrons really understood all the work that went into it. There were those who performed magic, and those who performed other aspects, but behind the scenes there were people who ensured everyone's safety, who created the set pieces, and who ensured that those who lived and worked there were happy and taken care of. While Ella often performed alone or with a small number of people, there were a number of people who had a hand in their routine.

Ella did notice her brothers face starting to gain some color, and wondered what that was all about. He did bring up their father. She smiled when he said that their father hasn't said her name, probably since she abandoned her own quidditch career to join the circus. "Attaboy. Glad you're keeping things lively. So, what do you want to do after you graduate?" She figured it wasn't a question that he got aske too often, especially in the family. They had always just assumed that she would go into Quidditch like her father and brother.

Ella remembered how much Hogwarts felt like a retreat form her family life. A breath of fresh air. It was a place where she made friends and was able to safely figure out who she really wanted to be, though she hadn't figured out what she wanted to do until it spontaneously hit her. They started to walk, and Ella took her brothers arm as they exited the main tent into the back stage area. He asked if she had made friends and she laughed. "The circus is like family to me. So yea, I've made some friends."

Raphael Caelan McLaggen

[Raphael Caelan McLaggen]

Rafe gave a little snort at Ella’s ability to compliment anything that frustrated their dad. She’d always been the most rebellious of the three, although it wasn’t much of a competition. Not when Mickey followed Cormac’s advice like gospel and Raphael didn’t have enough of a backbone to stand up for himself. That had left Ella to be the rebel of the family, pursuing her own interests and letting loose once they were at Hogwarts. Rafe didn’t mind it – in fact, he admired her ability to go after what she wanted. It was part of the reason they’d always gotten along best, and why it was heaps easier to talk to her than Mickey. Not that he didn’t love his brother, just that the amount of awkwardness between the boys could probably fill the Chamber of Secrets.

“Dunno,” he said with a shrug when Ella asked what he wanted to do after graduation. That was a lie, though, and his hands automatically tightened around his camera. Merlin and Morgana, he really was a terrible liar. “I mean, I do know, but it would drive dad crazy if I went into photography. Not a real career, can’t make a living, all the usual arguments.” His gaze was temporarily drawn to a pair of fire-breathers, watching the flames morph into unusual and lively shapes that chased after people in the crowd. Then he turned back to his sister. “It would be nice to do something dad would hate, if I thought I could get away with it. But he’d probably kill me and then you’d only have one brother.” Rafe chewed on that thought for a moment, gave a shiver, and then moved on.

The sight of an occamy made him gasp in delight – how often did you see one of those? It had grown to fill a bathtub and was currently munching happily on a few roaches. Raphael raised his camera instinctively and forgot about the conversation for a moment as he snapped a few shots. It would be an amazing addition to his body of work, and he’d be able to tell Addy and Brígh all about it later. Soon he was satisfied and let the camera drop to hang around his neck again, turning to face Ella with admiring eyes. “Okay, that was cool,” he conceded as they walked by the occamy and its trainer. He nodded at her admission that the circus was like family to her. It did make him happy to hear that she’d finally found what made her happy, even if it was something as unusual as this. “But what about your actual family? I miss you, Ella.” Rafe pouted a little as he fiddled with the camera.

@donatella

[Deleted]

Out of the three McLaggen siblings, Ella had been branded the black sheep. Cormac could stomach the small rebellions while she was younger, but leaving a professional Quidditch team just as the season had started had been unforgivable. She sent a letter home, but had been no contact ever since. She avoided her father, especially when she was in the area, being sure to stick to muggle dense areas, and when in wizarding populated areas, she was sure to keep an eye out. She would be surprised if Cormac even admitted to anyone that he had a daughter.

There were plenty of things that she ensured her parents never caught her on. Sure, they saw some extra piercings, and would catch an occasional glimpse of a tattoo when she was a teenager, they weren't happy with it, but there wasn't much else they could do. But she was sure to never let them see the piercing that was in her tongue. That was where, she was sure, they would draw the line. But once the kids went back to Hogwarts, she let loose, and was free. Sure, she still played the game for her house, but she knew that there was more to life. She asked the boy what he wanted to do after graduation, something she was sure their parents hadn't bothered. She watched as her brother clung to his camera. She knew what he was going though. "Don't think about dad. Think about what would make you happy. If photography is it, then go for it. There are more ways to make money than freelancing. you can work for a magazine, newspaper, book shop, we even have photographers here sometimes to help promotions." She chuckled, as the boy went on. "You know, when I left my team, I had no idea if the circus would take me. I didn't even know if they would let me perform. But I had decided on it, even if it meant menial labor. And well, it's not the best paycheck, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that it makes me happy." She was a firm believer in the saying "When there's a will, there's a way."

The scenes of the performers, and the smell of the stalls were all so normal to Ella, though it was fun to catch glimpses of her brother who was shocked, surprised, or captivated by something. She stopped as he pulled up his camera. She could tell he had a true passion for it. Why else would he stop to photograph something. She chuckled. "You should come and see a show sometime, watch me perform." she winked. Every act and exhibition was meant to inspire the imagination, and see things that you couldn't see anywhere else. "I miss you too." She did miss seeing her brother. But being at home was toxic for her now. Her choices had led her down a path that her father couldn't approve of. And she didn't want his approval. "Your next break, you should spend a weekend with me. I can get it approved and everything. We can go and see the sights, and you can see some shows. But you'll probably need to help a little back stage." She'd love to spend more time with her brothers. yes, brothers. She missed Mickey too.

Raphael Caelan McLaggen

[Raphael Caelan McLaggen]

Hogwarts was definitely a magical place, and Cheese had loved the last seven years of living, learning, and enjoying all the experiences the castle had to offer. But it could get a little dull sometimes when they were expected to spend all their time there, and even feeding the Giant Squid had lost some of its magic over the years. Hogsmeade was its own style of fun, but again – several years of visiting the same few stores meant you knew exactly what you were getting every time the students were let out for a weekend. Now, the circus – Raphael thought he could maybe remember coming once or twice as a kid, but only with their mum since Cormac would certainly never waste his time on something so silly. But as he and Ella walked through the crowd, it felt like there was something new to see every time he turned his head, and Rafe couldn’t help the gasps of amazement that kept escaping him. Maybe the circus had become like Hogwarts for Ella, but he was still seeing it all with fresh eyes and that made him glad he’d brought his digital camera. Running out of film in such an exciting place was definitely boggart-worthy.

He knew Ella had a point about ignoring what their dad thought, but it was hard to imagine actually putting that plan into action. “We don’t even have regular conversations anymore,” Rafe complained, a pout on his face. “It’s like every letter is a list of demands, and every conversation is actually just a lecture.” He never got the opportunity to vent much, if only because it was hard to find the right audience for it. Addy, for example, knew very well what it was like to get a lot of pressure from a parent, but she chose to lean into it instead and break her back trying to meet their expectations. But Ella? She probably understood better than anyone else, at least definitely more than Mickey. Rafe sighed slightly at the thought of saying no to their dad, and informing him that he wanted to try and make photography work as a career. But he shot her a small smile at her firm statement.

“I’m glad you’re happy here,” he said genuinely, finally diverting his attention from the wild sights of the circus to study his sister. She did seem to be doing good– there was a spark in her eyes and she walked lightly as if she was almost ready to start flying. She was shorter than he remembered (although really that was probably because of the growth spurt he’d gone through after she’d left), and she had more tattoos and piercings. “I don’t mind helping out,” Rafe rushed to say as Ella mentioned he could come to visit soon. “Seeing a show would be amazing. There’s so many kinds of magic here you don’t see anywhere else.” The awe in his voice was abundantly clear as he craned his neck up to examine the magical bubbles being produced by some unknown source. They were huge and flashed different colors in the sunlight, and he watched a bird fly straight through one and stay suspended in the bubble for a moment until it popped. “Maybe you could come to Hogsmeade too,” he wondered out-loud, “Mickey stops by sometimes, when he has time. Did you get that card with all his match dates too, or does he just think I’m the only one who’ll forget?”

@donatella

[Deleted]

The attractions were familiar to Ella, she had even helped to set a few of them up. But even so, once the patrons started filling the area, the real magic started. She usually watched visitors, seeing the look of excitement on the kids faces, and the enjoyment on those older. Almost everyone was having a good time. This time, Ella's focus was on that of her brother. His expression of amazement were exhilarating. She loved seeing something so familiar to her though the eyes of another.

Ella had always been a bit of a rebellious child. Though she hid her "bigger" acts from their parents. Hiding her piercings, and tattoos the best she could from the adults. She hadn't planned to leave her quidditch team, but she wasn't exactly happy. It seemed almost like fate that the team went to the circus, and even got a tour shortly before their first game. It was love at first sight. Ella still played her part, helping the others in the game, but left them that same night. And because of that decision, she was disowned by her father. Did she care? Absolutely not. The boy continued about their father and Ella wrapped an arm around her brother. "You know, when I sent them a letter telling them my choice, Cormac sent me a Howler? It wasn't fun, but once it was over, it was over." That wasn't something she dwelt on too much, it wasn't fun, and the entire circus heard it. But in a way, she had that red letter to thank for getting her closer to the cast and crew. Hearing such an abusive and entitled attitude, yelling at the girl for following her heart, they opened up and welcomed her in.

"If you ever need space, just come to me. I've been successfully avoiding him for quite some time." True, it wasn't always a conscious effort, she knew the man would never willingly set foot on circus ground. But even when she visited London, she stuck to the more muggle areas, and far away from where he might have been. She saw her brother smile as she showed her passion for freedom and following your dreams. "And hey, if you do want to follow your own path, come stay a few days with me, wright the man, and I'll help you thought the blow up. Then you'll be free to chose your own path." She said, wanting to give her younger brother some love and support that she got from friends at the circus. She couldn't help but beam as her brother said he was glad she was happy. That was all she ever wanted. And yes, she was happier at the circus than she had been for a long while before. "Thank you, and I just want you to find your happy."

The conversation moved to her brother spending his next break with her, and she looked forward to it. It was good that he said that he didn't mind doing some work, cause everyone there worked. "Perfect, we'll put you to work, and you can have a well deserved break." He mentioned how there was unique magic all around. He wasn't wrong. The magical bubbles all the way to

A magically created serpentine dragon made of fire flew above the crowd. Ella laughed as many people were surprised. "Well, we do have witches and wizards from all over the world. and we travel all around too." It was a great place to learn different cultures, and to even see the world. He then mentioned also meeting up in Hogsmeade, with their other brother as well. "I should be able to swing a day where I can find my way up to Hogsmeade" She winked. He then mentioned match cates and Ella thought. "I think I have the dates somewhere. My tent's a bit of a mess right now....well always." She had a small tent that was magically enchanted to be a bit bigger, though she didn't spend too much time there. She was usually only used it to sleep and dress, and the occasional interaction.

Ella happily showed her brother through the area, letting him have the true circus experience. And she even took the young man into the back and showed him some of the inner workings. All in all, it was a great day, spent with her younger brother.

Fin

Raphael Caelan McLaggen

[Raphael Caelan McLaggen]

Rafe winced at the mention of a Howler. Oh yeah, that sounded exactly like something their dad would do. He yelled plenty whenever the kids were home, usually during their Quidditch training periods when he would put them through difficult drills and quiz them on increasingly complicated strategies used by the national teams. So why wouldn’t he put it in a letter too, and keep the ‘encouragement’ going even when his children were far from home? Rafe himself hadn’t gotten one at Hogwarts yet, mostly because the boy was too timid to openly oppose whatever Cormac demanded of him. And he was sure that Mickey had never done anything bad enough to get one either, being the golden son and all. But…if Rafe continued to seriously pursue photography as his passion, and if he didn’t get drafted by a professional Quidditch team after graduation? Then yeah, he saw a red letter in his future too.

That thought was paralyzing, but his sister’s assurance that he could always come stay with her for a while helped him breathe again. He shot Ella a grateful look, because he’d been worried for a while now that as Ella slowly put distance between her and the rest of the family…well, he was worried that might include him too. Rafe knew the McLaggens were a difficult bunch – even just between the siblings, there was so much that went unspoken about what Cormac had put them through and how differently they’d each reacted to it. But he looked up to his brother and sister – yeah, to both of them – and all he really wanted was to get along. Things between him and Mickey were awkward, although it was easy to see how the two were related in everything from the brawny physique they’d inherited from Cormac to the identically rigid way they sat in the pizza parlor. He didn’t want things with Ella to be awkward too, especially since she’d (successfully?) defied Cormac’s expectations for her.

So he gave a sheepish laugh and said, “I’ll definitely take you up on that. I dunno how I’d even start a letter to dad explaining what I want.” He lingered on the thought a little longer, wondering if it really had to be a black-and-white choice between pro Quidditch or nothing. Addy had mentioned matter-of-factly to him that her brother worked as a sports reporter at the Daily Prophet, which meant he also worked with Cormac. And as Rafe contemplated the Daily Prophet, and the wide variety of jobs that were involved in the creation of a newspaper, he said slowly, “Maybe I can still find a compromise with him.” At the end of the day, he wanted to be happy too. That didn’t mean working at the circus like it did for Ella, but Rafe didn’t want to conform so completely to what his dad wanted that all of his dreams disappeared entirely. But he was a classic Hufflepuff, avoiding conflict wherever he could. And if there could be a compromise between what he wanted and what their dad wanted…that’d be okay too. Maybe the next part of the puzzle could be found in the Prophet.

“You have a tent?” he asked in awe, all troublesome thoughts about the future disappearing at the strange thought of living in a tent. But on second thought, that made a lot of sense – there were so permanent buildings in the area, and the circus was on the move anyway. “Can I see it?” he asked eagerly, letting his camera swing freely around his neck as he craned his neck up to admire the fire-breathers and the dragon they were creating in the air. He happily followed Ella as she continued to dodge through the crowd and around attractions, explaining each one and how well she knew the performers in question. That must be the coolest part of the job, Rafe thought, meeting all these unique people and the magic they bring from around the world. And at the end of the day, as she accompanied him back to the Portkey that would take him back to Godric’s Hollow until the end of the holiday season, he hugged his sister tightly and lingered a moment. Merlin, he’d missed her loads since she'd left -- he and Mickey seemed physically incapable of showing affection for the other. “See each other soon,” he promised, before nudging the old can with his foot and picking it up. He hoped she'd try dropping by Hogsmeade to see him, or that he could come visit again soon. But he didn't worry about the details, only let himself enjoy the memories of their fun day.

@donatella
[End post Cheese!]