Quintessa Fawley

##### Positives

> *Patient* // With as many awful people as she has come in contact with over the years, Quintessa has learned patience. She knows the world will not change in a day, She has dealt with her share of terrible people, both in her family, the sacred 28 families, and outside of it, and she is patient that one day, they will see a better world for them all.
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> *Intelligent* // Her favorite part of any place is a beautiful library, filled with books that she hasn’t read yet, but will. She is always carrying around a book or ten, just in case she has a moment to slip away and grab a few extra pages. She is rather intelligent, more than anyone would ever give her credit for, and would have excelled brilliantly in a normal career if things were different. She likes to know what is going on in the world around her (cue her negative trait of nosiness), and likes to read on things she isn’t familiar with. She might, however, let someone else think that they are teaching her something if it makes them happy.
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> *Kind* // She thinks that the way to make the world a better place is to be nicer to each other, and to help each other out. She listens and hears the people around her, respects the feelings and needs of others, and shows love whenever she can. She is known to show compassion and courtesy, and will often help people when no one else is looking. Because of this, she tends to be someone that others feel naturally comfortable around because she has a very calming nature.
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> *Forgiving* // Foolishly so, Quintessa is incapable of holding a grudge against anyone. She thinks there are more pressing issues in this world than for her to hold things against others when everyone makes mistakes or bad decisions at some point.
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> *Accepting* // Quintessa never really had a hatred to the idea of a betrothal one day, nor did she have a hatred for the idea of pureblood lines, though not for the same reason as others. She doesn’t believe that they are better than others, but she believes that the only place she can really make a difference in this world is by following the outline to her life. She believes in the bigger picture, and that to get there, her heart will guide her.
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> *Strong* // Not a pushover in the slightest, despite it appearing to be when she has to. She is not someone that stands idly by and allows someone to hurt someone else. She believes in doing the right thing, regardless of one’s station in life, and if she sees something wrong being done, she has to get involved. Even though she might turn a blind eye to some things, where a person is not physically being harmed, there are certain things that she will not stand for.
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##### Negatives

> *Nosy* // Quintessa likes to know everything, and that includes the business of others. She doesn’t like to know it to be messy, but she likes to be aware of what is happening as much as possible. Gossip is nice to her, and though she doesn’t have ill intentions with the information she receives, she frequently seeks out information that would otherwise be none of her business.
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> *Stubborn* // She simply doesn’t know when to quit. She might take a small pause in something, but she will return to it because she simply must accomplish things. She believes that success only comes to those that go out and seek it fully, not quitting at the sign of adversity. She believes a person owes it to themselves to see what they are capable of, herself included.
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> *Sensitive* // She is rather sensitive to the things or people around her. If someone is crying, she’s crying. If someone is hurting, she’s hurting. She feels what others feel, and it can be devastating. If there is a lot of tragedy going on around her, she feels it deeply and sometimes, it can be overwhelming if she’s not been careful with regulating herself.
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> *Gullible* // Unfortunately, she airs on the side of believing people at their word, and often gives more chances at forgiveness than a person might deserve. Unlike most, she actually is firmly aware of this trait in herself, but she fails to see it as a bad thing. She understands that someone might lie to her, or someone might be untrue and undeserving, but she would rather see the good than the evil.
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> *Lonely* // Life is lonely as a sacred 28 member sometimes, especially when she knows what her life will be like. She always felt a bit like an outsider compared to others, not that she couldn’t play the cards the right way. She understands her purpose as a sacred 28, and she has no qualms against it, but it’s rather difficult for her to make *real* friends, as opposed to ones that she only shows a certain side of her, the one that she was brought up to be.
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> *Predictable* // Quintessa tends to keep to a schedule. She has a favorite bookstore, a favorite tea shop, a favorite flower based on each season. Although she will occasionally deviate from predictability (she might decide to turn left rather than right on her morning walk), she frequently moves about in a schedule to ensure that everything gets accomplished that needs to be.
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#### History

##### Family History

###### Fawley Family History

> The Fawley’s were another pureblood family that was cleared as the Sacred 28. The Fawley’s (though sympathetic to half-bloods and muggleborns) were themselves dedicated to their family traditions. Born in late 1977, exactly a year after his eldest brother, Benedict was raised on the traditions of his family. Despite most of the Fawley’s before him, Benedict had been sorted into the house of Ravenclaw. Though he wasn’t the firstborn, he understood his place in this world, and worked hard to achieve the most that he could out of life. It was often commented that he ought to have been sorted into Slytherin based on his deep ambition alone, but he always knew that Ravenclaw had suited him best.
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> Benedict knew that, like the many men in his family line, he would one day find himself working in the Ministry, and with that, came a certain level of power, responsibility, and respect. Growing up, like many brothers, Benedict often found himself competing against his eldest brother, Sullivan, though it was more of a game than anything. His studies were the most important thing for him as he worked hard at finding different ways that he could increase his wealth and status, even more than it currently was due to his family name and whatever inheritance he would have received.
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> Attending Hogwarts at the time of Harry Potter’s return had threatened to be a distraction, but while everyone seemed to be focused on the-boy-who-lived, and every small thing that he did, Benedict focused on getting the highest grades he possibly could. Benedict didn’t hate him, and was just as curious about him as many others seemed to be, but there always felt to be more of a hype than was deserved. He joined quidditch early on, though only managed to play a total of three years during his stay at Hogwarts, one year being cancelled due to the tournament, and the other, him being overlooked by another player when Benedict was very clearly the better option. Despite this, his love for the sport grew, and he knew that he wasn’t going to be done with it, even after graduating.
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> Benedict had joined up with Dumbledore’s Army, though his heart was never really into it as much as it should have been. He simply weighed the odds and chose the side that he felt was the winning one. It was hard for him to take he-who-must-not-be-named seriously when he had been defeated by a mere infant, and once Benedict lost respect for someone, it was rarely a time when it would return.
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> The young Fawley joined the International Magical Trading Standards Body when he was of age to do so, and continued to move up the ladder within the Ministry with his goal set on the Head of the Department. Always one that planned ten steps ahead, he worked tirelessly to get to where he wanted to be as the Head of Department for International Magical Cooperation. Power and money, he found, were two things he sought out in many entrepreneurial opportunities, such as buying the Montrose Magpies in 2018, and purchasing Abraxan race horses to compete at Tavistock Magical Racecourse. Smart with money, Benedict always seemed to move around the right pieces when it seemed fit.
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> He tends to make all of the right connections at all of the right times, and is frequently referred to as having luck on his side, which he laughs off, knowing that it is hard work. Despite his belief in carrying on long stated family traditions, he tends to make friends wherever he goes, often as someone that people seem to naturally trust, even if he isn’t the most trustworthy of people to know.
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###### Burke Family History

> The illustrious Burke family are one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and have done a great deal to maintain a good reputation over the years as well as their purity of blood. While they had no official stance and picked no side during either of the wizarding wars, those close to the family know that they’re not eager to stray from tradition as some other families have done over the years. Many of the other sacreds that the Burkes consider their equivalents have lost their wealth but due to some quick-thinking by Caractacus Burke, the family’s money may have decreased slightly with time but will never leave them impoverished due to the co-ownership of Borgin and Burkes.
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> Today’s descendants don’t wish to dirty their hands working in the shop themselves and so they hire reliable staff to keep it running and manage the books. Their time is better used in places like the Wizengamot or socializing with other high society members. The males within the Burke line are set to inherit everything which leaves the females with no option other than to marry wisely. There has been no need to change, as this strategy has worked incredibly well up until this point, the name Burke spoken with high praises by those of import.
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> Eleanor Burke was the first daughter born to Erasmus and Iphigenia Burke, and her parents never let her forget it. By the time her first memory settled in, she never knew a life without having younger siblings, and without having the expectation put upon her to look after them in any and every way possible. She was to be the example of what they were expected to be, and she worked hard at being that perfect example. First daughter as she was, it was always clear to her that her brothers were the most important. She was jealous of the way that attention and praise had been showered upon them, while she herself continuously received criticism after criticism until perfection was achieved.
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> Despite wanting for nothing in terms of everyday things, her relationships were always more with the various tutors and caretakers that she had, rather than her own parents. It wasn’t something she had even recognized as being what she wanted until she went to Hogwarts and listened to all of her friends tell stories of their own families that seemed way happier than hers ever was, or ever would be. In quiet, she frequently argued with her parents when she reached her teenage years, finding no fairness in the treatment of women versus men, but in public, she was everything she needed to be. At school, she was diligent in various programs, while keeping a keen eye on her siblings. For years, though, she had a secret relationship with another at school, fearing what would happen if it ever got out. Her love seemed to grow deeper and deeper, until her heart was crushed when they left, knowing that she would never truly have the courage to speak out against her family with what she wanted.
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> It was the heartbreak that she had needed, knowing that they had been right, and that this life of purity that her family had groomed her for was the only thing she could ever do. Resigned to that fact, she soon found herself betrothed and married before she even knew what was happening. Feeling as if maybe children of her own would be what would bring her happiness, she set out starting her family with her new husband.
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###### Parents' History

> Eleanor had just graduated before she and Benedict were marrying in a very traditional wedding with every prominent individual that they could have possibly invited. Young as she felt, she knew that she had wanted to start for a family right away, hoping that maybe it would be having children that would bring her some semblance of peace and happiness. There had been no love between Eleanor and Benedict, though that had been expected because marriage was not about love when they were both set to expand the family tree for sacreds. Having children did not fill the loneliness that she had felt, and frequently, it made it worse when Benedict was constantly away at work or doing something of utmost importance while she was home with the children. She had been depressed more often than not, while having to put on a show for everyone because she was useless if she wasn’t even able to be a mother.
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> It wasn’t until the children started getting a little older, and being a little mischievous, that she and Benedict started to actually have real conversations with each other. There were even times that it felt like they had been a real family as they would laugh at one of the children’s antics. Finally, she felt like she could have even called Benedict a friend. Benedict’s patience was minimal when it came to babies, but actually watching his children grow up a little bit more seemed to soften his heart a great deal as he found himself wanting to ensure that they had everything they ever needed. His presents to Eleanor started to become more meaningful as he got to know her more through the years, rather than just a piece of expensive jewelry here or there.
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> The friendship started to grow to something more as they found themselves truly trying to help each other even when no one was looking, and even when they had no obligation to do so. He would get up with a sick child in the middle of the night so that she could get some sleep, and she would go through hoops to find a book that might help him in whatever work situation he had been dealing with. It was the love that she had started to grow for him that made her truly believe in arranged marriages as being what was best, and beyond that, the sacred 28 legacy that she had wanted their children to carry.
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##### Early Years

> Third oldest child, and first oldest daughter, Quintessa was the apple of her father’s eye. Frequently regarded as her father’s favorite, and the one with whom he seemed to spoil the most, Quintessa wanted for nothing in life. Though, she was never one that wanted for much, either. Dutiful daughter as she was, following along in all of her lessons, while utilizing every second of free time for something productive, whether it be reading and teaching herself something, or tending to the things around the house, she was known to be a very content child who always looked after her siblings to ensure their well-being. With a gentle spirit, she would find a way to question the way that things were without coming off aggressive or combative.
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##### Hogwarts Years

> It came as little surprise when she went to Hogwarts to join her brothers, finding herself sorted into the house of Hufflepuff. While there, Quintessa quickly involved herself into various groups to increase her knowledge, Ever the type to carry herself in a dignified manner, for her, it never came across as if she were better than others, simply because she had such a personality that others seemed drawn to. Quintessa believed in being kind and patient with others, while also maintaining that she had certain expectations put upon her because of her family name. While many believed this made her weak, she found it to be her strength. Being at Hogwarts provided her endless opportunity to read about many different subjects, and to learn what she could or could not do. To her, she was capable of many things, and with magic, even more. Her stubborn streak kept her learning more and more, thirsty for finding out all of the ways that she could use her position in this world to help others in some way. At least, that had been her hope.
> Taking it upon herself, she helped to care for her siblings throughout their younger years, and trying to bring a new, and brighter, perspective to being a Sacred 28 than what others seemed to believe. They had their expectations upon them, but that didn’t mean, in her opinion, that they were stuck. Quintessa seemed to have a way to see the beauty around her, even while others couldn’t, and that would come to be her defining trait as she went through life, bringing beauty back to that which others gave up on.
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##### Post-Hogwarts Years

> Despite the way of life that Quintessa had grown accustomed to, it was not always sunshine and roses. Being someone that tended to learn things about everyone, whether due to her nosiness or her inability to let things go, she discovered that her brother had been sneaking around with a muggle and planning on leaving magic for good. She thought she had done the right thing in order to protect him from making what she saw as a mistake, but one paid off muggle from her father later, and her brother took his own life rather than follow a path he didn’t want. Worse was when his death had been rules an accident, as he simply “fell from quite a height off of his broom”, despite the letter he left explaining otherwise. The letter had ben burned, and the coverup was made official so the suicide wouldn’t taint their family name.
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> Distraught over it as she was, and the lie that she had to convince herself to believe, Quintessa mourned the loss of her brother, quickly to follow by the celebration of her betrothal. She was certain that her father had planned it that way so that she would be too consumed by plans to be overwhelmed by guilt, and in some ways, she had been right in that assumption. She was, however, capable of celebrating and mourning all in the same breath. Her wedding gift had been a couple of horses, as she had frequently commented about wanting one growing up, but Quintessa knew the true reason behind the gifts.
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> Quintessa had prepared for her wedding while her betrothed traveled overseas for his work within the ministry. During his absence, it came out that he had been the product of an affair, and was not actually as pureblooded as people were falsely led to believe. The betrothal was immediately called off a week before the wedding and Quintessa found herself, once again, awaiting betrothal.
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> Her waiting period didn't last long as she soon found herself with another betrothed, with that of her friend's brother, Gawain Yaxley. So far, she's not sure what to make of him, though she's ready for this next step in her life.
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### Connections

#### **Family**

###### Ainsley Fawley

> Her first cousin
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###### Euphemia Burke

> Her first cousin
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###### Ursula Burke

> Her first cousin
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###### Cordelia Yaxley

> Her roommate from college and friend, though it seems more fake than anything.
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###### Rhiannon Yaxley

> She seems to get along much better with this sister than the other one and has known her for years, mostly due to their same social circles.
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###### Gawain Yaxley

> They are currently betrothed and though there is less romance than anything, maybe one day there will be more.
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###### **Enemies**

> None at the moment.
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