Coincide

In Commitment, an Unhooked First Mate

"My- my hook?" Harry said hoarsely. "You want my hook?"

Mal nodded. "Your hook."

"Can't you take anything else?" Harry pleaded, feeling rather as if his store of dignity was being steadily depleted. "Anything?"

"I know you're attached enough to your hook that you won't try anything funny if you thought you might not get it back," Mal said firmly. "It's the only collateral we'll take."

She indicated herself and Ben. The guards stood stony-faced. Harry was very conscious of the way Uma was slumping in his arms. Her eyes were half-shut, her cheeks flushed, and her breathing ragged. As he stood there helplessly, she raised her eyelids slightly to give him a pleading look. Her lips moved, so subtly he could barely see the words they formed.

Please, Harry.

Harry swallowed hand, transferred Uma to one arm, wrenched his hook off, and thrust it at Mal, hoping very much that the stinging in his eyes wasn't showing.

"There," he said harshly, his throat raw. "Take it."

Gareth took the hook silently, dropping it into the sparsely-filled bag of magical items. Mal looked like she wanted to say something, but Harry dropped his eyes, and she didn't.

"All right," Ben said gently, gesturing for a guard to relieve Harry of his burden. "Let's get you into the car."

Harry nodded numbly, but refused to surrender Uma. Ben didn't comment, but after they had all sat down on the luxurious car seats (Uma's head in Harry's lap), Mal leaned over to Harry.

"You've come a long way, Harry," she said quietly.

Harry couldn't remember ever feeling worse in his life.

~\:/~

They managed to get the Isle passengers into Auradon Prep, though not without some staring and whispering. Uma was spirited off into the infirmary, while Mal dismissed the guards and led Harry into the hallway where the student's rooms were.

"There's only one available place," she said, a hint of apology in her voice. "But you aren't going to like it."

"I wouldn't like it anyway," Harry muttered, pushing past her into the room, which was much too clean for his liking. He was about to ask who else occupied the room, but Mal had gone.

Harry flopped down on one of the beds, kicking his boots listlessly and wondering despondently how he had gotten himself into such a fix.

"Looks like I've got a roommate," Chad Charming drawled as he entered the room, dumping an armload of books onto his night table. "Where's your hook, Hook?"