#but yeah seriously why wasn't duncan more involved with the circle of khanna?? he'd be like the PERFECT spy | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

carewyncromwell · 8 months

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Duncan 🤝 Carewyn

After the death of Rowan Khanna, quite a few members of the sixth-year class rallied around her best friend, Carewyn Cromwell, in the pursuit of some justice for their fallen classmate. This led to the creation of the Circle of Khanna, the purpose of which was solely to avenge Rowan by bringing her murderer, Patricia Rakepick, to justice and stop the criminal syndicate Rakepick was a part of, R, from causing any more harm to anyone else. Before long this organization also gained members outside of Rowan's class -- the already-graduated Bill Weasley was one of the group's founding members and arguably its second-in-command after Carewyn, of course, but the group also gained much younger students such as Penny's second year sister Beatrice Haywood, Bill and Charlie's first-year twin brothers Fred and George Weasley, and first-year Hufflepuff magical prodigy Cedric Diggory.

The Circle's most unusual member, however, was the ghost who most commonly occupied the Prefect's Bathroom on the fifth floor -- Duncan Ashe.

In life, Duncan had been friends with Carewyn's older brother, Jacob. When she first met him, Duncan acted very hostile toward the mere mention of Jacob, to the point that she wondered how they ever could've been friends, but over time, as she got to know him better, Carewyn came to see that a lot of Duncan's harsh words toward Jacob were a defense mechanism more than anything, and that he'd truly been very fond of Jacob, even if he had a hard time expressing it. Duncan would even sing with Carewyn sometimes, not just songs she liked, but ones Jacob liked too! And once Jacob was freed from the Portrait Vault and he finally got the opportunity to see Duncan again, even just as a ghost, all remnants of the bitter attitude Carewyn encountered when she first met Duncan had seemingly dissipated. There were even days when Duncan acted legitimately cheerful -- like when he decided to "check in" on Carewyn by poking his head through her Potions textbook while she was studying in the empty Slytherin commonroom.

"You're up well past your curfew, young lady," Duncan's head smirked mischievously at her through the book.

When Carewyn subconsciously dropped it, Duncan laughed, swirling as a translucent shade up into the air over her even as she glared up at him.

"Duncan!" she scolded, clutching her heart. "That's not funny! You scared me half to death!"

Duncan's smirk only broadened as he crossed his arms over his transparent, robed chest. "Hey, it's not my fault you were way too focused on what you were doing to notice your surroundings. Honestly -- you and Jacob really are two of a pair..."

"I was focused because I have a test next week," Carewyn said coolly, leaning over to pick up her book. "I doubt whatever Jacob was focused on was test answers."

Duncan gave a short, bark-like laugh. "Ha! Of course not! More likely he was obsessively comparing illustrations of various dragon breeds, trying to assess the aerodynamics of their respective wing-spans or some nonsense..."

Even while saying this, something oddly fond flickered through Duncan's eyes. It made Carewyn smile a bit more sincerely despite herself.

"Probably..."

Duncan cocked his eyebrows at her expression, and Carewyn had to cover her mouth with her hand to hold in a giggle.

"Sorry, it's just -- when you used to talk about my brother before, it always sounded like you hated him. Even if I know you didn't, really. But now...well, I can't read your emotions as well, with you being a ghost...but I still feel like you're not holding back as much. Like you're being more honest than before."

Carewyn smiled encouragingly at him.

"It's really cool to hear. And to hear about Jacob from you too...I can tell you were really close."

Duncan was so taken aback by this that he actually seemed to flush, his transparent cheeks darkening with gray. He looked away quickly, flustered.

"Oh, don't cod me! I'm not acting in any particular way all of a sudden -- just...just not quite so mad at him anymore, now that we've talked everything out..."

Carewyn smiled a bit more wryly. "I'm glad you did that too. Jacob's never been good with people -- I reckon he was only going to know how you felt when you were finally honest with him -- "

"Oh, eff off, will you?" grumbled Duncan halfheartedly, flushing more gray than ever.

Rather than teasing Duncan further, Carewyn smiled a bit more kindly again.

"I'm serious, Duncan," she said. "I'm glad you and Jacob talked things out. And I'm glad you're happier...after everything you've been through, you deserve it."

Her eyes softened.

"...I'm happy my brother had someone like you. That he still does."

Duncan looked up at Carewyn, that gray flush still clinging to his cheeks. There was something almost unsure about his expression, before it broke into something a little more grounded: a smile touched with a cynical edge.

"...Hm...well, it's not like I could just let your brother throw himself back into danger without any back-up, could I? Or you, for that matter -- you're such a self-sacrificing little thing, I reckon you'd push Jacob right out of the way and chuck yourself in front of the Knight Bus itself, if it came to it -- "

"Shove off," said Carewyn, and Duncan cackled.

"Now then," said the ghost, and he became a bit more serious as he floated down as if to "sit" on the chair closest to her, pretending to prop his arms up on the back of the chair, "what you and Jae Kim were talking about the other day, about infiltrating one of R's meetings. I did some 'investigation' of my own, and I think your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor might have an allegiance you'll want to know about."

Carewyn raised her eyebrows. "Professor Meyers?"

"Yeah. Turns out that old Huxley thought being a professor at such an illustrious school would have a higher salary. Upon discovering, no, in fact, it doesn't, I reckon it was easy for R to sucker him in with the promise of a little extra scratch on the side, in exchange for information. I caught him using the Floo Network talking to someone who sounded suspiciously like that one R dosser who ordered Jacob come to Knockturn Alley, right before I died...asking how long he'd have to wait for his deposit, in exchange for intel on Dumbledore's most recent outing."

Carewyn's eyes flashed with righteous anger. "So that's how R has been able to keep such close watch on us."

"At least partially," agreed Duncan. "Remember, you've only had this bloke for a year...and probably will have him no more than that, if that myth about the Dark Arts job being cursed is true..."

Carewyn crossed her arms. "Well then, we'll definitely have to keep a close eye on Meyers in the future, so that he doesn't overhear anything he shouldn't..."

Her eyes then lit up with a bit of mischief.

"...Duncan, does Meyers have any inkling that we're onto him?"

"Nope," said Duncan with a smug smirk. "He knows who's your friend and who isn't, of course -- but I don't think he has any clue that you all have been investigating R. I'd hazard a guess that that thick plonker has no idea the Circle of Khanna even exists."

Carewyn's mouth spread into just as broad of a smirk as Duncan's.

"Then maybe we can use R's mole to help us get some information on them, as well," she said decisively. "Do you think you could keep an ear out, in case he has any more interesting 'fireside chats?'"

Duncan's smirk betrayed white teeth. "Hm, I'm sure I could. It's not like I have any classes to occupy my time. And hell -- what's the use of being able to float through walls and doors and not having to answer to the law or any of the Hogwarts teachers if you don't take advantage of it?"

Friendship Drabble Prompt!

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #friendship drabbles #my writing #duncan ashe #carewyn cromwell #jacob cromwell #duncan my precious ghost boy I love you!! <33 #and so does carewyn you are her unofficial brother-in-law and that's that :3 #but yeah seriously why wasn't duncan more involved with the circle of khanna?? he'd be like the PERFECT spy #also he has motive to take those R creeps down they were responsible for his death :I

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