𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 || 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲

↠𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈↞

-°･:*✧*:･°-
𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝐈𝐈
-°･:*✧*:･°-

    "𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐈𝐎."

    As with lungs collapsed under deep water, Luxanna was funnelled into the air—the night sky spun below her, the ground above—and landed with a bolt of electricity through her spine on a grassy surface, panting. Then, like through a portal torn in the mist, another figure came hurtling at her—Johnson, she realised—and dropped over Luxanna, along with the silver cup and some other objects she didn't see.

    "Shit..." Johnson said, withdrawing back onto her knees. "Ugh, sorry... What happened?"

    Luxanna couldn't answer that question. Not for the lack of air due to Johnson's fall, but because she hadn't seen what happened. The cup had been flying towards her, and then the next thing she knew, they were here. The vines that had moments ago been strangling her were gone, along with the winding hedges and sharp passages of the maze. In their place, rows of weathered headstones barely visible in the mist—the cemetery stretching out as far as she could see in the dark, its mottled headstones grey in the moonlight, accompanied by a damp, sweet smell of summer and decay. A charged pause imbued the air, as if the world itself was holding its breath before the inevitable.

    A piece of parchment fluttered in the air behind them, late to arrive. Luxanna caught it in her outstretched fingers. It was a map—Potter's map. It could prove useful. Quickly, she folded it and stuffed it into her robe's pocket.

    "Luksss, this isn't good!" Frost hissed into her ear. "That cup was a Portkey. Hide. Hide immediately."

    Luxanna cradled the red marks that were no doubt forming on her throat. Some feet away, over by a large mausoleum, was the cup lying amidst the grass, and beyond it, two barely distinguishable outlines of Potter and Moody. Moody, who was getting to his knees, and Potter, still and unmoving. Johnson, who had just regained her balance and was looking around wildly, spotted them too, and pointed over. "Quick, draw your wand!" she said.

    "Wait!" Luxanna cried, pulling on her robe to hold her back. "No, we can't, we have to hide!"

    They kicked off the ground before he got to his feet and began hobbling towards them. The moonlight was unforgiving, Luxanna could hardly see past her own feet and make out little else besides the sound of the man's footfalls. They came upon the first tombstone in the row, and Luxanna fell to her knees behind it.

    Johnson was at her heel when they heard it.

    "Lumos! " Moody had said, and the wandlight fell upon the bushes nearest to them, piercing the fog and illuminating their hiding spot like a stage light.

    It happened in a flash. Luxanna wasn't prepared; she flung her arms up in response, and Johnson staggered backwards, tripped over her robes and went sprawling into Moody's line of sight. There wasn't any room, there—

    Johnson immediately scrambled to her feet, reaching for her wand before pointing it at Moody.

    "Stay back!" she yelled.

    Luxanna had cupped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp, and darted back into the shadow of the headstone. Her foot skidded against the damp earth—a silent, yet audible squeal of her sole against mud. The stage light wavered.