like a bowl of oranges

Name:
Emmeline Elizabeth Vance

Birthdate:
15 February 1960
Bloodline:
Halfblood

Residence:
Grimsby, England

Wand:
9 7/8”, hazel, unicorn tail hair; tough but elastic, durable

Boggart: TBD

Patronus: Eurasian Bittern

House:
Slytherin

Classes:
Emmeline is an above average student. She earned her O.W.L.s in Potions (O), Herbology (O), Charms (E), History of Magic (E), and Astronomy (E). For the rest, she did pass Transfiguration (A) and Defense Against the Dark Arts (A) but did not pass Divination (P) or Ancient Runes (P). She is open about her grades when she does well but does not mention those she is not proud of. Emmeline is taking N.E.W.T. level Potions, Herbology, Charms, DADA, History of Magic, and Astronomy.

Appearance:
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 140
Distinguishing Marks:
Emmeline is described later in life as “stately”, which is easy to see developing in her youth. Her face is oval in shape with intelligent brown eyes set in balanced, classical features. She is not exceptionally pretty nor is she downright unattractive. Some days she thinks her nose is too long, others that her forehead is too large; but generally she does not consider her appearance more than keeping it free of spots and pimples. Her hair is a matte dark brunette, always clean, and mostly wavy. Her complexion is fair, and she tends to burn across her cheeks in the summertime. Her body is of an obviously feminine build, not appearing athletic or physically strong.
Emmeline dresses simply, preferring solid colors over patterns and embellishments. She likes the simplicity of her uniform. Outside of classes she wears muted colors, a typical outfit being a simple denim or khaki skirt, light tee, dull colored cardigan.

"just hold my hand, I think that that would help"

Family:
Mother: Marilyn Orwell Vance, b. 1925, Ravenclaw, halfblood witch who was first married to a Muggle who died young; Emmeline and her mother have a working relationship, respectful and effective in the household. Marilyn was responsible for the discipline in the household, but Emmeline rarely misbehaved; Marilyn raised a precocious and polite girl who responded well to gentle suggestion. Emmeline doesn’t feel particularly close or distant from her mother, thinking of her as a distant friend who gives the most sensible advice more than anything else.
Father: Edgar Vance, b. 1935, Hufflepuff, halfblood wizard, first marriage. Emmeline was, as they say, a daddy’s girl. Edgar was responsible for her true initiation into the magical world. He trained her in Wizarding customs and mores and took her to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Edgar was the one who was most excited about school shopping when Emmeline received her Hogwarts letter.
Siblings: Peter, b. 1949, Hufflepuff, significantly older half-brother from her mother’s first marriage, living as and married to a Muggle.
Pet: Perry, a small-to-medium sized plain brown owl she received as a gift following her completion of fourth year.

Family History:
Edgar Vance met Marilyn Orwell shortly after her first husband had died, but their relationship did not progress beyond acquaintances for several more years. Edgar was working as a copyeditor at a bureau office of the Daily Prophet in Norwich and had gone on business to the Minstry of Magic to verify some facts and supplement an interview for a features article. Marilyn was ten years older than him, already established as a private banker to Gringotts more affluent customers. Their first interaction was not a wholly positive one; it was only after many “no comment”s and “I cannot say”s that the still grieving Marilyn petulantly referred Edgar to Gringotts media liason.
When Edgar was promoted to the London offices four years later, he met Marilyn again when his teller at Gringotts needed help working his transaction; Marilyn had been promoted to oversee all operations on the main floor of the bank and so came over to offer assistance. Edgar, though he did not mention it, remembered her; and he was so taken by this new attitude of helpfulness and efficiency that he offered to take her to a cup of coffee for her troubles. Marilyn would not have accepted if it weren’t just in time for her break.
They dated casually while Marilyn’s son Peter was young but became serious and eventually married in 1959; they moved to Grimsby in the north of England shortly after. After Peter went away to Hogwarts, Marilyn and Edgar learned they were pregnant with another child, a little girl who would be Emmeline. And so it was that Emmeline was born into a quiet and happily blended family. Her parents’ occupations, both very detail-oriented and involved in their individual fields, led to a secure household encouraging of questions and independence.

History:
Emmeline did not, however, question the way magical and Muggle methods of chores or work were selected. It was only natural to wash the dishes by hand and then ask Daddy to change her teddy into a doll. The first time her magic manifested occurred when she was seven and attempting to push her heavy wooden dresser out of the way of her window. The legs would not move across the floor, and her frustration quickly grew at encountering a task she could not accomplish alone. Exasperated she gave the chest of drawers a shove, rattling Mum’s antique china lamp right off the top. She reached out to catch the lamp, though she was obviously too far away to reach it, and the lamp suddenly hung in midair until she was able to reach it and set it down. No one was around, and she did not tell anyone for fear they would not believe her. Only when her Hogwarts letter came did her parents and Emmeline received confirmation that she did in fact have magical powers to be cultivated.
Emmeline’s placement in Slytherin house seemed a natural fit. She is a self-aware, sensitive girl with a knack for showing her hand when most advantageous. She’s by no means vindictive when wronged, but
Emmeline is calculating by nature. Her surname “Vance” means “marsh”, so she felt even more at home in the house when she learned Salazar Slytherin was from the same sort of place. She enjoys the witty (though sometimes biting) comments her housemates aim toward other houses, but ultimately Emmeline likes being on the inside of that fight. She stays silent when the words turn toward blood heritage and tries to quietly remove herself from those particular situations.
Her first years at Hogwarts were spent happily going to classes and befriending her fellow students. She tried out to play chaser on her house quidditch team fourth year but did not make the team (she was not disappointed after seeing no other girls showed up at try-outs). She was made prefect fifth year, a post that she fills with diligence and due respect for the rules. She has sometimes looked the other way with housemates or boys who appeal to her the right way, but generally she will toe a strict line.
Emmeline tends to have more male friends that female ones, though altogether she is not exceptionally social. She spent nearly all of fourth year pining over Sirius Black. For a moment, she found Regulus more interesting, but that didn’t last long at all. She finds Xeno Lovegood to be a charming sort that she would never seriously consider. She admires Lily Evans’ smarts, finds James Potter’s sense of humor infantile, and thinks Remus Lupin sometimes interesting but mostly dull.
When Emmeline graduates from Hogwarts, she looks forward to a career and a family. She has no idea what field she wants to go into, having already shifting among spell damage healing, media liason with a professional quidditch team, and a prosecutor for the Wizengamot.
Personality:
Emmeline is relatively stoic for a teenage girl; she is, like her peers, given to bouts of excessive excitement or melodramatic melancholy, but she is much more likely to be the steadying force in her dormitory than the drama queen. She accepts disappointments with a poker face, though annoyances can crack her countenance. She receives good news and happy surprises with mild pleasant expressions. Her pet peeves included a lack of hygiene or cleanliness, rudeness, loudness for no reason, practical jokes she perceives as cruel or mean, interruptions while she is reading or writing, and intrusion into her personal space. She is not yet as driven as she will become when she learns about the Order of the Phoenix; this event will trigger in Emmeline a change marked by a dogged determination and newfound alertness. Until then, she is committed to little more than her House quidditch team.
In class, Emmeline is not the type to raise her hand at every question, though it’s very likely she knows the answer. She prefers classes with more theory than practice. She usually starts her revising and homework almost immediately but does not finish it until the night before it’s due.
Emmeline is clean but not very tidy. In the dormitory, her things are often out of place, but there is no dirt, dust, or fur to be found. With her housemates and friends she is helpful and friendly. She works well cooperatively and prefers to do so.
Emmeline has no real blood prejudice to speak of, though she understands that she is lucky to be at least halfblood in the increasingly tense political climate. She does not see the profit or benefit in blood elitism. Her parents did not discuss the topic with her at home, so it is something she had to discover largely on her own while at school.

each person i encountered, i couldn't wait to meet

Sexuality: heterosexual; she hasn't been attracted enough to a girl to question this
Friends: TBD
Enemies: TBD
Relationships: none worth mentioning

Likes: tidiness, people who take responsibility, getting things ready early, eating breakfast first thing, Slytherin house quidditch, the Montrose Magpies, punctuality
Dislikes: loudness, people who assume familiarity too quickly, rudeness, repeating herself,
Strengths: understanding theories and applying concepts, critical thinking, curiosity, politeness, rationality
Weaknesses: overthinking, second guessing herself, a little flattery and a smile from a cute boy, compulsion to tidy or fix things