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carewyncromwell · 2 years

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Hey everybody! Welcome to Lone Wolves -- a special roleplaying series centered around Carewyn becoming close friends with our favorite Hufflepuff Healer, Chiara Lobosca! This friendship is one I’ve had very little chance to explore, but truly, Carewyn was the James Potter to Chiara’s Remus Lupin (meaning this in the sense of Carewyn doing everything she could to help Chiara, not the bullying thing), so I’m so very excited to showcase it properly. But yeah, because of Carewyn basically being Chiara’s “Prongs,” this series will feature elements from both the Lone Wolf and the Animagus sidequests, so it will also feature pieces of how Talbott and Carewyn’s friendship got started, though of course they became closer later on. *eyes the Flying Solo TLSQ and smiles*

To get you all up to speed with when this fits in Carewyn’s canon, this story is set in Carewyn’s fourth year, A.K.A. the year of the Forest Vault and Patricia Rakepick’s reveal. Over the previous summer, Carewyn has made the most strides toward becoming the Mama Bear we all know and love, embracing fashion more seriously and gaining a lot more self-confidence and control over her stormy emotions. She’s not quite the Mama Bear we all know and love, mainly because she hasn’t become a Prefect yet, but she’s still grown up a lot since the days when she used to constantly lose her temper with Merula.

Now that the notes are out of the way...let’s get started!

x~x~x~x

[In the midst of investigating the sleepwalkers all headed mysteriously toward the Forbidden Forest, Carewyn received some very troubling news from her friend Ben Copper -- there was a new rumor circulating around Hogwarts that someone had been attacked by a werewolf. After following up with the Gossip Queen Penny Haywood, Carewyn found out that the rumor was oddly mum about which student had been attacked, which made the Slytherin question whether the rumor had any truth to it at all...but Penny was able to tell her that she wasn’t the only one curious about the rumors. Penny’s dormmate, Chiara Lobosca, had also expressed a lot of interest in the attack and had been investigating the matter too.]

The next Cursed Vault has to be in the Forest -- it’s the only thing that makes sense. And there are plenty of dangerous creatures that live there -- if the werewolf sighting has anything to do with the Vault, then I have to figure out what it means before Rakepick does...

[So after lunch that day, Carewyn went to the Hufflepuff table to go speak to Chiara herself.

It wasn’t hard to pick the Hufflepuff out in a crowd -- Carewyn had never spoken to her before, but her bright white hair made her stand out even more than Carewyn’s Weasley-worthy ginger locks did. She was sitting by herself at the very far end of her house table, her gaze locked on the table rather than anyone else. A strange kind of melancholy seemed to ripple off of her that Carewyn couldn’t quite explain.]

She seems so...lonely.

[Her heart welling up with compassion, Carewyn approached Chiara as gently as she could.]

Carewyn: “Chiara Lobosca?”

[Chiara looked up at the sound of Carewyn’s voice. When the two girls’ eyes met, Chiara’s eyes narrowed just a little bit, not mad, but hesitant and almost guarded.]

Chiara: “Yes?”

[Carewyn offered a smile.]

Carewyn: “I know we haven’t met before...but my name is Carewyn Cromwell -- I’m friends with Penny.”

Chiara: “I know. Penny speaks of you often.”

[It was not said bluntly -- merely soft and matter of fact, and perhaps even a bit wary, as she squinted up at Carewyn like a dog trying to suss out if a stranger was friendly or not.]

[Carewyn’s face turned more serious as she got right to business.]

Carewyn: “Penny told me that you’ve been asking around about it...and well, I’d like to get some answers too.”

[Chiara looked startled.]

Chiara: “You would? Why?”

[Carewyn settled herself down on the bench across from Chiara, folding her hands on the table between them seriously.]

Carewyn: “I’m worried it might have something to do with the Cursed Vaults. The sleepwalkers have all been coaxed toward the Forbidden Forest, and the rumors surrounding this werewolf attack point to it having happened in the Forest. But the rumors I’ve heard are way too vague -- no one even seems to know who the victim was...”

[Carewyn’s almond-shaped blue eyes became a little smaller and more determined.]

Carewyn: “If I’m going to get to the truth, I need to talk to the victim herself and hear it from her first-hand. I was hoping you might’ve heard something I didn’t.”

[Chiara hung her head.]

Chiara: “(very quietly) ...I’m sorry...but I don’t know anything more about who was attacked than you do.”

[Carewyn’s lips came together thoughtfully as she considered this.]

Carewyn: “Look...”

Carewyn: “I mean, it’s clear that we both want to get to the bottom of this. If these rumors are just that, that’s great -- but if they’re not, perhaps the two of us can find out the truth faster, if we help each other.”

[Something in Chiara’s eyes hardened, but once again, it wasn’t out of anger, but out of something very guarded. Carewyn could practically see the walls going up behind them.]

Chiara: “...That’s very logical, Carewyn...but I don’t think we should.”

Carewyn: “(frowns) Why?”

[Chiara looked away uncomfortably and didn’t answer. Instead, after a moment, she said,]

Chiara: “...Tell me something, Carewyn.”

[Carewyn looked horrified.]

Carewyn: “No! No, of course not! I mean...I don’t know much about werewolves, but...well, I know they’re not in control of themselves, when they transform. My mum did a report about their role in history, for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures -- they just want to live normal lives, most of them, without being judged for their condition. Most of them don’t mean to hurt anybody...”

[Something softer flickered in Chiara’s expression -- something almost comforted -- and yet, it disappeared so quickly, as if it was hidden behind another tall wall.]

Chiara: “...Yes, but...does that really matter? Whether they meant to or not...someone was hurt.”

Carewyn: “(very firmly) I want to know all the facts before I pass judgment. Even if the rumors are true, and someone was really attacked by a werewolf...I want to know the werewolf’s side of the story too. Who knows -- maybe they’re just as much a victim of the Cursed Vault as the sleepwalkers are.”

[Chiara’s lips twitched uncomfortably.]

Chiara: “I doubt that, but...I’m sorry, Carewyn, I just think this whole thing is something I’d be better off doing alone. It’s nothing personal, it’s just...I have my own reasons, for wanting to do this, and they’re not the same as yours.”

[Carewyn raised her eyebrows.]

Carewyn: “Do you want to hurt the werewolf?”

Chiara: “(startled) What? No!”

Carewyn: “Do you want to find out what happened and prevent anyone else from getting hurt?”

Chiara: “Yes, but -- ”

Carewyn: “Well then, our reasons seem to have enough in common. (more gently) ...Chiara, I understand if you don’t trust me -- as I said, we don’t know each other at all, except through Penny. But from what I can see, we both want to do something to help. And as much as I’m okay with working alone and I’m sure you are too...we need to find out how much water this rumor even holds, if we’re going to be able to do anything about it. And I’ve heard it said that two heads are better than one...”

[She smiled.]

Carewyn: “Whatever your reason is for wanting to find out the truth, I’m pretty sure it’s a kind one. And considering that your reason makes you want to help Hogwarts, just like I do...I’d like to help you get the answers you’re looking for. Especially since they’re answers I want too.”

[Chiara considered Carewyn, her head tilted slightly to the left as her lips subconsciously spread into a very small, but sweet smile.]

Chiara: “So where should we start?”

[Carewyn’s face grew much more serious again.]

Carewyn: “Well, all we have right now are second-hand rumors. What we really need is a first-hand account with all the details...but we can’t get that, if we don’t even know who was supposedly attacked in the first place...”

Chiara: “If Madame Pomfrey treated the girl after the werewolf attack, I’m sure her name would be in there.”

[Carewyn’s eyes lit up.]

Carewyn: “That’s brilliant!”

Chiara: “(grimly) Don’t get too excited -- I already tried asking Madame Pomfrey if I could take a look, but she wouldn’t let me near them...”

[But Carewyn didn’t look the least bit daunted by this.]

Carewyn: “Maybe...”

Carewyn: “Meet me in the Hospital Wing -- we’re going to go get ourselves that name.”

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #lone wolves #carewyn cromwell #chiara lobosca #penny haywood #roleplaying #gameplay

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