Fog. It crept over the rolling hills, through the trees, up the winding stairs of the castle. Tendrils formed from the mist and captured Hogwarts in a tight and unrelenting grasp, casting a perpetually ominous veil over the school.
The sun traced the edge of the horizon behind the forest, casting a dim gray buzz over the sky. Branches crunched and snapped violently under Lysander's heavy footsteps as he stumbled through the courtyard, muttering the occasional curse as he tripped over tree roots.
"What the hell did you and Caspian do to Hugo?" His voice rang through the muted dawn, sending reverbrations through the darkness.
Abby, resting with her back against a tall tree and twirling her wand between her fingers, hushed him. "He'll live."
"That's not the point." Lysander gripped the stone column beside him, feeling the dirt and moss crumble between his fingers. It was all he could do to keep himself standing. "Where is he now?"
Abby shrugged. "Hell if I know. Cas said he wanted to deal with him alone, and that's the last thing I know. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly with them."
He exhaled, looking down to the leaf-covered grass. He kicked some rocks out from beneath the barely-rising sprouts surfacing with Spring's approach. The thick mist coating the school crawled down his throat and flooded his lungs, choking him in a frenzy of sorrow. From his perspective, the options were limited. Fighting back would end in misery, but so would compliance. He opened his mouth to speak when Abby broke the silence.
"Look," she said. Her voice was cool as the break of dawn, a nightmarish chill flushing through her veins. "We made an agreement. You help me and I help you. You're free to go running back to your friends whenever you want, but be aware of what you'll risk."
"It's hardly an agreement. You're holding me hostage, Parkinson, don't pretend you don't know it."
"We're not holding you hostage, Scamander." She spat out his name like it was blood on her tongue. "If it really means so much to you, just go. Back to your blood-traitor friends, your witless family -"
"You have no idea what you're talking about," Lysander snapped. His heart beat so fast he swore his whole body shook. "They're not - You're threatening the people I care about. I'm being forced to help you, it's no agreement. It's a crime."
"Legality doesn't matter when the law is wrong. Tell me, would you break the law if the people you care about were in danger?"
Lysander was silent.
"Oh, wait. That's exactly what you're doing now. Because getting me what I need is the only way to keep your friends safe."
"It isn't keeping them safe anyway!" He exploded. Searing hot tears bit at his eyes as images of the inevitable future wracked his head, but he pushed them back. "It doesn't matter if I bring it to you. Your people are hurting them already. Your promises are meaningless, Parkinson. All of them."
A pause.
"What -" he cut himself off, taking a deep breath. The cold air chilled him to the bone, slowing the rapid beating of his heart. "What do you even need it for? If I'm taking a risk as big as this, sneaking it past my entire family, I deserve to know what will be done with it."
"I don't give a shit what you deserve." Abby stood up, wiping her dirt-stained hands on her jeans. Bits of leaves snapped and crunched as she took a step forward, looking Lysander directly in the eye. "This isn't about you, Scamander. It's about something much bigger than any of us. And if you want to keep it away from the people you love, you better remember that."
