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the-al-chemist · 2 months

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Before Moonrise

A/N: this was meant to be a sweet, ship-py story for @hphm-ship-week (prompt: Sunset). But then, I handed the mic to Chiara, and she kind of just ran with it. I guess it really is the quiet ones…

Warnings: mention of canon character death, allusions to chronic/stigmatised illness, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them descriptions of injuries.

It was the tiredness that was the worst thing. Not the pain in her muscles or her chest, not the hunger that left her almost shaking between mealtimes, not the constant low-level irritation and short-temperedness that she had to fight to keep under control, not even the taste of the Wolfsbane potion or the niggling fear that this time it might not work. It was the Godric-damned tiredness that got her every month, her fatigue growing with each night the crescent waxed.

By the time the full moon came around, Chiara was always exhausted. Perhaps if that weren’t the case, she would have the energy to fight against her transformations, to stop herself becoming the monster she hid from the rest of the world. But, in all the years she had been dealing with her lycanthropy, she had not had a single month where she had been able to muster the strength to fight it.

At least she had the Wolfsbane potion. Chiara was lucky, as lucky as a werewolf could be. Those few occasions on which she had faced the full moon without it had been horrific, her pain unbearable, her dread and self-loathing all-consuming. She had scars from those transformations that would probably never heal: one up her thigh, one on the side of her ribcage, another curving up and over her shoulder. She hated all of them equally. They were all reminders of how she would never be rid of the monster within her, even when the full moon was not high in the sky.

She would never be rid of the wolf.

But, she could predict when it would rear its ugly head. Even if the growing symptoms in her own body weren’t enough, Chiara had her lunar chart memorised. She knew exactly what time the sun would go down, and when the moon — the dreaded full moon — would go up. As long as she was safely back in her little private room by then, all would be well. Well-ish, anyway.

The only problem with her plan was the lack of predictability that came with volunteering in the Hospital Wing. Granted, Chiara should probably not have been volunteering on the day of the full moon, but with Madam Pomfrey still Medusified, what other choice did she have? Only to tell the Healers from St Mungo’s that she would not be able to work the full moons due to her affliction, and risk ruining her chance at a career in Healing after she left school. Madam Pomfrey took no issues with her lycanthropy, but not everyone was so open-minded. Not everyone would want a werewolf for a Healer. No, she was just going to have to push through the aches and the exhaustion, try not to make any stupid mistakes because of them, and make a swift exit before sundown.

If a swift exit was even possible. She should have known by now that leaving the Hospital Wing was always easier said than done, and today was no exception. Every time Chiara thought that she was done, another student would come in with another ailment. Oliver Wood, a third year Gryffindor, had taken a Bludger to the shoulder during Quidditch practice. As soon as he had walked out the door, in came Barnaby Lee, who had been bitten by Hester, apparently a Murtlap he had been feeding on the shore of the Black Lake. No sooner had she sent Barnaby back to the Slytherin common room with his hand in a bandage than two first-years presented with bloody noses after getting into a physical fight. Normally, Chiara might have spent longer listening to them tell her why they had each been so upset that they had resorted to violence, but by that point, the sun was dangerously close to the eastern horizon. She told them that she didn’t care who had started it, fixed their noses and vanished the blood from their faces, and sent them both packing.

A wave of her wand, and the Hospital Wing was spick and span and ready for the following day, and she was ready to face the night ahead. She shut the heavy doors behind her as she walked out, and turned the key in the lock. Finally, she was able to leave, and not a moment too soon, for the sky had already turned pink with the setting sun.

But, as the lock clicked, she heard someone say her name.

“Chiara?”

It was Jae Kim. He had his hands in his pockets, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot as he looked at her. Perhaps he had done something to one of his legs?

“I was hoping you’d be here,” said Jae.

“Why, are you not well?” Chiara hoped that he was well. She did not have the time to tend to him if he wasn’t.

“What? No, I’m grand. Fit as a fiddle, me.” Jae grinned, but kept fidgeting. “I just wanted to chat, that’s all. I mean, if that’s alright with you.”

Of all the times to want to chat. Chiara had to stop herself from sighing out loud.

“I’m actually on my way back to my dormitory, Jae.”

“That’s alright, I can walk with you.”

Chiara couldn’t come up with a good reason why he shouldn’t. Not on the spot, anyway. After almost six years of deliberately keeping her distance from her peers, she was running out of excuses. Or, maybe, she just didn’t want to keep her distance anymore.

It had started as a self-preservation mechanism. The closer she got to others, the more likely it would be that they would discover her secret. If they did, the consequences would be disastrous for her and her future. And, as for the rejection she would face, she didn’t think her heart could take the pain. It was far easier to reject everyone first. At least, it had been, until Rowan died and put everything in perspective. Chiara had spent five years living in the same quarters, attending the same lessons, and eating at the same table as Rowan. And yet, they’d barely ever spoken, let alone become friends. Now that she was gone, it was as if something had clicked for Chiara. Now, she’d had enough of being isolated, of isolating herself from everyone around her.

So, she nodded her head, and let Jae accompany her on her walk back to the Hufflepuff common room, the sun getting lower and her stride becoming faster with every brisk step that she took.

“Oi, what’s this?” Jae asked her. His cheeks were pink trying to keep up with her. “I didn’t realise it was going to be a race.”

“It’s not…”

“Or are you just that keen to get away from me?”

“No, I just… Sorry.” Chiara slowed down. It would be more time-efficient to walk less quickly and talk at the same time than to rush back to the basement and stand around chatting for Godric knew how long. “What was it you wanted to talk about, anyway?”

“Oh, I, er…” Jae’s cheeks turned even pinker. He was giving the sky a run for its Sickles. “Well, I just wanted to tell you that I’m really glad you decided to join the Circle of Khanna.”

Was that it? “It was the right thing to do.”

“Yeah, definitely. You’re always doing the right thing,” said Jae. He let out a soft laugh. “What’s it like, being so good all the time?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Chiara told him. “I’m definitely not good all the time.” Before Jae could ask her what she meant by that, she added, “We all have our flaws, don’t we?”

“Some of us have bigger flaws than others though.”

If only Jae knew how true that was. He wouldn’t think her half as good if he did.

“I think you’re probably a better person than you give yourself credit for,” said Chiara, and Jae’s eyes lit up as he smiled.

The walk back from the Hospital Wing to the basement wasn’t short, and Jae had clearly not had that much to say to her, but he kept on walking with her, chatting about nothing consequential and making silly jokes as they went. It was quite nice. It was like having a friend. It was as if she was normal, just like everyone else. She had been tired all week, but now she felt as if she could keep on walking and talking like this all night.

But, of course, Chiara wasn’t just like everyone else. And she couldn’t keep walking all night. She had to get back to her room and lock herself away, before the wolf returned.

“Well, this is me,” she said, once they reached the pile of barrels that hid the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. “Thank you for walking with me.” A pause. “So, goodnight, then.”

“Yeah. ‘Night,” said Jae, but he didn't leave.

Was he just going to stand and watch her as she tapped the barrel sequence to unlock the door? Had that been his aim all along? Was he planning on breaking in later? Well, if that was the case, so be it. She had to get inside, whether he was watching her or not. She turned around and drew her wand.

“Chiara, wait a minute.”

Did Chiara have a minute left to wait? There was no clock in the corridor, nor any windows down here. She no longer had any way of telling what the sun was doing, nor the moon.

“I didn’t just want to talk about the Circle of Khanna, I wanted to…” Jae cleared his throat. “I just wanted to say that I think that you’re really kind and really pretty, and just… lovely, really.”

Chiara blinked. “Well, that’s nice to hear.”

It was nice to hear. It was lovely to hear. Chiara hadn’t known it before that moment, but she had been longing to hear someone say those things about her. But, Jae wasn’t done.

“Yeah, I kind of fancy you a bit, and I’d like to get to know you better…”

It would be better if she turned away, but she didn’t.

“…and I wanted to know if you’d maybe like to go out with me sometime.”

It was time for her to leave, and yet, she stayed.

“We could go and get some food, or a drink, or something. I don’t know. It might be fun.” Jae paused. “So, er, what do you think?”

Chiara didn’t know what to think. She hadn’t been expecting this. And every moment she spent trying to work out how she felt would be another moment closer to moonrise. She couldn’t do this, not now.

“Can I let you know another time?” she asked. Jae’s face fell. “It’s not that I don’t… I just really have to—”

“No. No, it’s fine.” It clearly was not fine. “Forget I asked. It was stupid. Anyway, I’ll let you get on.”

Finally, Jae turned and walked away, obviously crestfallen. Chiara wanted to call after him, to go after him, but she couldn’t. She had to go to her room, her private, lonely little room. It used to be her safe haven, but now it felt like a prison cell. Even through the window, she couldn’t see another soul, only the grass, silvery in the glow of the rising full moon.

She had only just made it back in time. Thank Merlin she had not gone after Jae. He might have fancied her, and he might have thought she was lovely, but he wouldn’t if he knew the truth. And, as flattered as she was by his interest, as much as she hated that she had hurt his feelings, maybe this was for the best. She was ready to try and make friends, but she wasn’t ready to let someone love her, not yet.

And then the moonlight struck her, and her chest was filled with a pain even worse than that of a broken heart as the wolf took over her once more.

#hphmshipweek24 #hphm ship weekend #hphm #hphm fic #hogwarts mystery #chiara lobosca #jae kim #kimchi #my beloved #werewolves #from the vaults #the hexley saga #not Artemis’s version

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carewyncromwell · 3 months

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"Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin' -- Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'... Don't let some Hell-bent heart leave you bitter! When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider..."

~"I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack

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tagging @drinkyoursoupbitch because I know it's late, but here's some World-Building Soup! 🥣💚

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Throughout the years, Carewyn Cromwell sent her mother Lane many letters and photographs. Perhaps she didn't write about all of her experiences -- her pursuit of the Cursed Vaults and hearing her missing brother's disembodied voice in her own head were conveniently side-stepped -- but even so, it was through these letters and photographs that Lane met most of Carewyn's eventually rather large friend group. Here are some of Lane's impressions of them, based on what her daughter told her about them.

I do have one dormmate who's nice, though. Remember Rowan, the girl from Flourish and Blotts I told you about? Yeah, she's one of them! She took the four-poster closest to mine, and we've started sitting in class together. She's absolutely brilliant, Mum.

Lane liked Rowan from the off-set. Not only was Rowan the first person who'd actively befriended "her Winnie," but Carewyn frequently (and favorably) compared Rowan to Jacob, and when Lane first encountered Rowan on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, she completely understood why. Both enthusiasm and intellect just rippled off of Rowan, just the way it did Jacob. Lane was heartbroken when she learned about Rowan's death in her daughter's sixth year, and learning that her father Charles's criminal organization was largely behind it infuriated her like nothing else could. Even now, Lane hates her father far more for what he's taken from Carewyn and Jacob than anything he ever did to her growing up, and despite being a very gentle and even-tempered woman most of the time, Lane thinks that Charles deserved to rot alone in Azkaban, just for what he did to Duncan Ashe and Rowan Khanna.

Ben Copper and I went outside to study next to the Black Lake today. Ben wasn't so sure at first, since he'd heard stories about the Giant Squid grabbing people and yanking them into the Lake, but once we put a Waterproof Charm on all his things, he felt a little better.

Lane honestly wasn't surprised that one of Carewyn's first friends was someone like Ben. Considering how sensitive Carewyn was and how much Carewyn herself had been bullied as a little kid, Lane couldn't have been more proud of how her daughter empathized with others who were bullied and stood up for them. When Lane met Ben on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters after Carewyn's first year, she found him a very shy and sweet boy. Needless to say, she was a little surprised when she met Ben again in Carewyn's sixth year -- especially since he now towered a good eight inches over her!

Penny Haywood sat with Rowan and me in Potions class today. Rowan was a bit starstruck, since Penny's the most popular girl in our year, but fortunately she's not stuck-up about it. I mostly just don't understand how she can be so good at talking about silly things -- I wonder if it's just something that comes more naturally to Hufflepuffs?

Carewyn befriending someone like Penny, though, did surprise Lane. Penny was the sort of person Lane probably would've never managed to befriend at school herself since she was so soft-spoken, but she was happy that Carewyn was opening herself up to different kinds of people. Still, Lane completely understood where Carewyn was coming from whenever she admitted having to turn down one of Penny's invitations -- the poor woman suffered from severe enough social anxiety that the thought of anyone being such a social butterfly was foreign to her.

The gamekeeper Hagrid invited me over to his hut for tea tomorrow. He said he remembers both you and Jacob from school, so I reckon he must be older than he looks. Maybe he's part Giant? Giants age differently than wizards, right?

Lane was delighted when she learned Carewyn befriended Rubeus Hagrid. Lane had only ever spoken casually to the gamekeeper when she was at school, since her family would've never approved of her speaking to the "hired help" with any familiarity, but she'd always had a favorable opinion of Hagrid, even if he came across as less than scholarly. Lane actually even ended up sending letters to Hagrid directly a few times, the way she did with Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and Severus Snape over the course of Carewyn's school career. Hagrid always gushed over Carewyn in his responses and occasionally even let slip some things Carewyn didn't tell her mother about in her letters, such as how much the new Professor Rakepick had taken to Carewyn.

I've made a new friend, though. His name's Bill Weasley -- he's a Gryffindor two years ahead of me, and we met on the Training Grounds, while he was practicing on some dummies. Rowan says most of the kids in our year know him for sticking up for younger students, and after meeting him, yeah, Bill seems like a really nice person! Bill's brother Charlie's in our year, also in Gryffindor. I gather from Rowan that most Weasleys have been in Gryffindor. She said one of them was even Gryffindor's Head of House at one point! I wonder if she was anything like Professor McGonagall...

Out of all of Carewyn's friends, Lane arguably heard the most about Bill over the years. His name was the most constant in her daughter's letters, and Lane loved him almost immediately, just based on how kind and generous he sounded. Lane was familiar with the Weasley family's reputation beforehand (the Cromwell Clan had always been very derisive about their stance on blood purity), but she was delighted to see what sincerely good people they were. Bill and his family being so upset that Lane was forced to spend Christmas away from Carewyn that they invited her to stay and celebrate with them at their house touched Lane like few other things have, and ever since that winter, Lane has kept in close written contact with Bill's mother, Molly. Lane saw Bill at Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters more than any of Carewyn's other friends over the years, and so by the time she saw Bill at Carewyn's graduation, they greeted each other like old friends.

Bill's brother Charlie invited me to join in on a Quidditch friendly today. Andre Egwu was there too -- I don't know if you remember him, Mum, he's the one who gave me that pretty light brown coat? -- but I'm not surprised he was there: he's brilliant at flying. Charlie is too -- he became the Gryffindor Seeker back when he and I were still second years! I wish they were on the Slytherin team!

Just like with Bill, Lane liked everything she ever heard about Charlie. She especially loved whenever Carewyn would rave about Charlie's interest in dragons, since Carewyn's own interest in magical creatures would leap off the page every time it came up. Their shared interest in Quidditch Lane didn't jive with as well considering she wasn't much for sports, but that didn't mean Carewyn's mother didn't like knowing Carewyn had people she could enjoy it with.

Andre was another surprise for Lane. On the one hand, he was a Ravenclaw, same as Lane and Jacob had been, and he seemed like a very generous and talented kid. On the other, the interests he shared with Carewyn (Quidditch and fashion) were ones Lane didn't share as much herself, and Andre seemed so gregarious and out-going that Lane wasn't sure he and her daughter would have much common ground. That didn't mean Lane wasn't still very happy for Carewyn when they started dating, nor did it mean Lane wasn't sad to hear they'd broken up. After all, just because Lane wasn't sociable at all and didn't have the same interests as Andre didn't mean she didn't want Carewyn to socialize and try new things. Lane was just relieved that Carewyn and Andre broke up on good terms -- she would've been very unhappy thinking of Carewyn having her own "Evan" who had helped her grow so much as a person, but whose memory now only flooded her with regret.

Tryouts for the new Slytherin Chaser position are coming up really soon, and I want to be ready for them. Fortunately Charlie and Andre have been helping me practice, and now I've got Skye Parkin coaching me too. (She's Slytherin's Star Chaser -- a bit full-of-herself for my taste, but she's been helpful. Her father's Captain of the Wigtown Wanderers.) The main commentator Murphy McNully (just called McNully) also gave me some books on Quidditch strategy -- or, at least, he dropped them in my lap, thoroughly expecting I'd come up and talk to him more about it later. (I'm starting to get the feeling a lot of Quidditch people don't have the best communication skills.)

The last sentence of that paragraph had made Lane laugh. Neither she nor Jacob had ever been a sports fan -- the one most into sports in their immediate family had been Evan, and he'd ended up quite disappointed that he hadn't had anyone who would enjoy going out to cheer on Arsenal F.C. with him. It made Lane a bit sad to think that if Evan hadn't been so stubborn and if he hadn't been so upset about the revelation of their magic, he could've really bonded with Carewyn over their favorite sports in a way that Lane couldn't. Lane supported Carewyn’s decision to leave the Slytherin team after Skye publicly accused Erika Rath of stealing the Cleansweep she'd intended to give Carewyn, even if she'd really wished things had been resolved more peacefully.

As for getting a tryout, well, I've been meeting with Orion Amari every morning now, trying to do just that! He's been testing me, I think, though he won't flat-out say so. Instead he's been having me balance on my broom on one foot (which, trust me, is not easy!) and meditate with him for an hour at a time. Skye and McNully both warned me that Orion is a bit eccentric...and after meeting him, yeah! They weren't kidding! But still, I think Orion has good reason to not give me a tryout right away. I mean, I am only a third year, and I'm not exactly built like a Quidditch player. I know Skye didn't really think much of me when I said I planned to try out for the open spot either. And I can tell for all his weirdness, Orion Amari is good at what he does.

Ah, yes, Orion Amari. The one who would eventually, way down the road, become her daughter's romantic partner. While Carewyn was at school, she wrote rather admiringly of Orion, not just for his Quidditch talent, but for his calm and wise temperament. Orion's detached affect was very apparent in Carewyn's letters -- Lane was reminded of some of her old friends in Ravenclaw, just reading about him. Carewyn also on multiple occasions compared Orion to both Jacob and Lane herself, though, in her letters home, and usually in the sweetest ways. Like Jacob, he saw the world differently than everyone else and didn't feel the need to conform or change himself. Like Lane, he was soft-spoken, level-headed, and brilliant, and he was happiest when the world was calm and others were at peace. Carewyn even once admitted that Orion reminded her of Lane when he laughed. When Carewyn formally introduced Lane to Orion many years later when they were adults, Lane found she did like him quite a bit, especially when she saw how calming of an influence he had on her emotional, perfectionistic daughter. Admittedly Lane never understood her daughter's other half's "Orionisms" more than half the time -- but it still filled her heart up with such joy, seeing how in-tune Carewyn was with them, regardless. And it did amuse Lane, when she learned that Orion compared her to a Porlock.

I'll tell you more about our new professor in my next letter -- I promised Tonks and Tulip I'd meet them at Zonko's after lunch. (Not exactly enthused about the location, but Tonks said we could stop at the Three Broomsticks afterward, and I plan to hold her to that.)

Lane rarely heard about Tulip Karasu or Nymphadora Tonks as anything other than a unit, but she always smiled hearing about them, because Carewyn's huffy streak tended to come out more in her letters whenever she wrote about them. Lane gathered that Tonks and Tulip ended up giving Carewyn more than a few headaches since they were on the mischievous side, but for all of the minor griping she would make about them, it was very apparent that Carewyn loved them dearly. After all, no one as proud and sensitive as Carewyn would put themselves in the position to get pranked time and again if she didn't feel anything for the prankers in question.

I also made a new friend yesterday. His name's Barnaby Lee, and he's a Slytherin in my year. He was originally friends with Merula (if you can call it that -- I hardly would, considering Merula doesn't know the meaning of the word!), but after we had a friendly duel, we went to the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer and talked for a while, and he's so nice, Mum. Way nicer than I thought he would be, hanging out with Merula so much! His family's rotten too -- I was reminded so much of your stories about your family, just listening to Barnaby talk about his awful parents and his nasty grandmother! But even with all that, Barnaby's still such a good person. He even introduced me to a Knarl he befriended at the Magical Creature Preserve this morning before class. (His name is literally just Knarl. Not the most creative name, but he's still really cute!)

Oh, Lane liked Barnaby. Not only did Lane's Mama Bear senses go off hearing about Barnaby's family situation, but she was happy that Carewyn had found people in her house who were just as sensitive and kind as she was. One of Lane's favorite pictures of Carewyn's time at Hogwarts was the one her daughter had taken of herself, Liz Tuttle, and Barnaby with their shared pet Lune the bat, who they'd rescued from the Hogwarts owlery -- that picture lived on Lane's bedside table for a good long while, alongside one of a young Jacob staring into the lava lamp in his room. Barnaby is also one of the few members of Carewyn's friend group who Lane actively invited over to their flat over the summer, and when he came over, the two of them geeked over some old handwritten notes by Newt Scamander that Lane had borrowed after a recent trip to the Scamander Museum archives in New York.

Mum, if it's not too much trouble, over the holidays, can we stop by the CD store down the road? I want to get Chiara something special for Christmas.

Out of all of Carewyn's friends, Chiara Lobosca was the one Lane became the most fond of, aside from Bill and Rowan. Not only were Chiara's and Lane's personalities very well-suited to each other, but Lane could see the pure, unmitigated love Chiara had for "her Winnie," and it just flooded her heart with so much joy. Chiara is one of the other few friends Lane invited over to her and Carewyn's flat over the summer, and they had a lovely visit over tea and pikelets. She also met Chiara's parents briefly when they came to pick her up, as well as at Chiara and Carewyn's graduation: Chiara's mother Donna in particular greeted Lane very kindly and gushed over Carewyn profusely. Lane was very flattering of Chiara in return, which made the Hufflepuff blush. Chiara didn't tell Lane she was a werewolf for a long while, since she was harbored some fears that Lane wouldn't want her around Carewyn anymore if she knew. Fortunately when she finally explained to Lane about her condition and that Carewyn had become an Animagus to keep her company during full moons, Lane responded very warmly and gave Chiara the biggest hug.

"I couldn't have asked for a better friend for my Winnie," she'd said.

In other news, Talbott Winger actually called me his friend the other day. It feels weird to hear him say it aloud, but really good, all the same.

Talbott Winger was the last of Carewyn's friends to be directly invited by Lane over to their flat over the summer, after Lane and Carewyn saw a flyer about a slam poetry session going on at a local Muggle bookstore and Carewyn offhandedly remarked that Talbott would love something like that. The three of them ended up having a really nice time, and afterward Lane invited Talbott over to their place for a proper Toad-in-the-hole supper. Lane enjoyed Talbott's wry sense of humor, which was very in-tune with Carewyn's -- Talbott appreciated Lane's extensive knowledge of History of Magic, which was a subject he'd never excelled in. He also borrowed a copy of Homer's Odyssey from Lane, after a long discussion they'd had over supper about Greek epic poetry.

I had my first Divination class with Professor Trelawney today. I wish I could say it was fun, but I found the class rather woolly. I wouldn't mind asking Torvus what he thinks about human Divination now that I've taken my first class, because I can't imagine that he and his herd throwing a hysterical fit over a clump of soggy tea leaves.

Lane was incredibly intrigued by Torvus. Although Carewyn neglected to tell Lane exactly how they'd met, her mother gathered that Torvus had known Charlie first. After learning Carewyn had befriended a centaur, however, Lane sent a very long letter back not only offering her what little she knew about centaur history, but also asking if Carewyn would pass along some of her own questions to Torvus as well.

I swung by the Prefects’ Bathroom briefly after doing my nightly rounds with Charlie. While there I saw the ghost who lives there, who’s named Duncan — I met him earlier this year, while Bill was showing Charlie and me around. He can be a bit of a prat sometimes, but you’d like him a lot, Mum. I hope I can introduce him to you someday.

Carewyn didn’t give her mother full context about who Duncan Ashe was, since talking about who he was to Jacob would’ve opened up the floodgates to Carewyn herself seeking out the Cursed Vaults, but she still couldn’t help but bring him up every-so-often. Lane got the impression that Carewyn felt sorry for Duncan since he was stuck haunting the Prefects’ Bathroom all by himself, and she was charmed by it, imagining Carewyn was so sensitive a soul that she even befriended ghosts if she thought they were lonely. Obviously there was a lot more to why Carewyn interacted with Duncan than that, and when Lane did get a full explanation about who Duncan was, she understandably was very upset, especially with the Hogwarts staff for not telling her that her son lost his best friend right before he was expelled. After the Cursed Vaults were dealt with and Duncan was finally laid to rest, Lane made the extreme step of actually reaching out to Duncan’s father asking for a picture of him and wanting to know where she could pay her respects. She was shocked and dismayed when Mr. Ashe informed her that he’d “shed” all of Duncan’s belongings after his death and so had no pictures to send her. He’d also had Duncan cremated and his ashes scattered at sea. After sending back a coldly disapproving letter making clear that Duncan had been loved dearly by her family and she at least would pay the respects that Mr. Ashe seemed determined to deny his son, Lane then went out of her way to track down as many photos of Duncan as she could from Hogwarts's staff and Jacob's school friend, Olivia Green. The best of these Lane framed and hung up near her small cauldron set up in the kitchen. When Jacob saw the little tribute his mother had made for his boy best friend, he threw his arms around her, unable to stop crying.

Thanks to Merula of all people, I actually have a new sparring partner: the Dueling Club's darling, Diego Caplan. I admit, I never really spoke to Diego before, as he always came across as overly flirtatious...after getting to know him better, though, all I can really do is laugh, because for however over-the-top and theatrical he is, I think he is actually sincere in his compliments! He acts like a total Casanova, but it really seems as though he's just the sort to wear all of his emotions on his sleeve -- the biggest, brightest, flashiest sleeve imaginable. And yet he'll roll up that sleeve and hand your arse to you on the Dueling Field, with no reservations. It's kind of hilarious, actually.

Diego was another friend that seemed completely opposite to Carewyn in every way, largely because Lane had so much difficulty imagining her overly sensitive daughter dueling seriously. It was one thing for Carewyn to duel with Bill, who Lane knew was also very nurturing and gentle with his friends and would never really want to hurt anybody, but to learn Carewyn was enjoying dueling with someone as hard-core competitive in it as Diego was surprising. It made Lane wish all the more that Jacob had considered joining the Dueling Club full-time when he was at school, since he would've enjoyed having an opponent as talented and yet amiable as Diego. When Lane met Diego in passing at Carewyn's graduation, Diego did not hesitate in turning on the charm even with her, which tickled Lane to no end.

"Careful, young man," she said with a wry smile. "I know plenty of younger women would swoon at such compliments."

One small advantage to being in detention has been the company. Charlie and Ben's dormmate Jae Kim is there right along with me, and we've been able to talk while we're working, so long as we're quiet. Oh yes, I’ve learned something new about Charlie today: apparently he sings Queen badly in the shower.

Carewyn was generally very understated in how she talked about Jae, aside from the fact that he was in detention often, so Lane surmised he was a “troublemaker” sort, akin to Tonks and Tulip. During the Second War, Lane also learned Jae was one of those friends of Carewyn’s helping keep other families hidden from the Death Eaters. Jae and Lane finally met when he catered the party Carewyn and Orion held after their partnership ceremony, and she took to him far more than she’d imagined she would after they ended up in an involved conversation about saving money on various food ingredients and household goods. Lane was very touched to hear Jae was so financially supportive of his mother, instantly reminded of how much Jacob and Carewyn tried to help her out around the house while they were low on funds. Jae now will reach out to Lane whenever he needs input on anything Muggle-related — no offense, Mr. Weasley, but Lane is that bit more experienced in this field than you are.

The Frog Choir’s been rehearsing hard for the graduation ceremony. Merula has a solo in their performance of In Noctem — I gather Snape likes the piece just as much as you do.

From the moment Lane first read about Merula Snyde, she really hoped that Carewyn and she would either find some common ground and make peace or that Carewyn would just put some distance between them. Yes, perhaps Merula sounded unpleasant, but the last thing Lane wanted for either of her bairns was for them to have "enemies." After Carewyn and Merula both stayed with the Weasleys for Christmas, Lane was a bit more hopeful that the two girls would be able to mend fences, but that hope persisted largely because she was unaware of just how much Merula was getting in Carewyn's way while pursuing the Cursed Vaults. This is ultimately why she encouraged Carewyn to consider letting Merula take the open spot on the Frog Choir after her daughter asked her for advice -- Lane thought that it sounded like Merula didn't have a safe space to sing happily at home the way Carewyn herself did, and perhaps the spot on the Choir could give Merula a constructive outlet for her negative emotions, the way that it often had for her while living at the Cromwell estate. By the time Carewyn and Merula both graduated, even if neither of them classified each other as friends, they had come together in large part because of them co-founding the Circle of Khanna with Bill, Charlie, and Ben. This made it so that when Lane saw Merula at Carewyn's graduation, she embraced her fully and praised her performance with the Frog Choir. Lane also noticed Merula eying the heck out of Jacob at the ceremony. Rather than feel any matchmaker-esque urges in response to this, though, she ended up trying to gently coax "her Blue Jay" elsewhere. The last thing Lane wanted was for Jacob to cause unnecessary drama at his and Carewyn's graduation by accidentally hurting Merula's feelings with his utter cluelessness.

"How long has Merula been sweet on your brother?" Lane murmured to Carewyn at one point.

Carewyn was unable to hold back an eye roll. "Since last year. She loved the fact that Jacob wiped the floor with me in a wizard duel."

Lane winced. "I see." She paused very briefly before saying, "...Well, that's not going to go anywhere."

"Nope."

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