Ford's brows furrowed. He could recognize the signs that Cash was starting to freak out about this, but he still couldn't figure out why this, out of everything they'd talked about since the dementor had first appeared in April. He'd seemed to be taking things as well in stride as anyone could, in his circumstances, and now he was getting hung up on a conversation that Ford had that had been essentially just that: a conversation. With a human. Of course there was the layer of urgency that he had to get out before the moon came up, which was why he'd had to leave the wardrobe in a less than ideal location in the first place, but it wasn't as though being in the woods for that period of time had been dangerous. Cash's reaction had him a little nervous, though: should he have been more concerned about it? He hadn't reported the incident to the Werewolf Capture Unit, but maybe he should have. The redhead had helped him with the wardrobe, though, so he didn't want to necessarily see him thrown in prison, or anything — and besides, what excuse would he give to the Werewolf Capture Unit for why he'd been lurking in the middle of the Forest at nearly moonrise?

"But I did make it," he pointed out in a level tone. "So it's fine. I'm fine. Alright?"

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Set by Lady!

Cash exhaled again, like the trappings of adrenaline the word werewolf had kickstarted would go with it. "That's too close," he said again, feeling a little stupid as he repeated himself. "How'd you - where'd you even find a werewolf?" Maybe if he grounded himself in details about this he would feel less like he was losing his mind about it; it occurred to him that maybe at some point he should have asked Ford where he was storing the dementor. (Hogsmeade, maybe, if he was telling Cash to stay away from it.)

(As soon as he thought Hogsmeade, Cash had an idea — and it didn't make him feel any better.)

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MJ made this!

"The Forbidden Forest," Ford answered, as though this should have been obvious. He was still catching up to how much he hadn't told Cash about this whole situation, so even the question surprised him. Where else would he have stored a wardrobe full of an angry fledgling dementor? He couldn't have put it anywhere that people might be for the same reasons he couldn't have left it in the Muggle inn. Anyone who might see it might interact with it, which meant they might find a way to open it, even if it had been magically sealed. Even if they didn't, the dementor could feed on them through the walls, if they got close enough or if their feelings were strong enough. That was hardly an efficient way to starve it out, nevermind the effect it would have on the people it preyed on.

"I've been keeping the wardrobe out there, except when I found out about the werewolf I thought that might be dangerous. That a werewolf might damage it and accidentally let the thing inside out," he explained. "So I buried it and I left a marker on it, but I guess during the moon the werewolf must have gotten a hold of the marker, because — anyway," he said with a slight flush, not even sure if Cash was listening at this point — he hadn't actually asked for all of these details and Ford wasn't sure whether or not he wanted them. "Anyway, I looked up this old finding spell that I think will work, but it takes a long time to cast — since most finding spells rely on you having a piece of what you're trying to find, and I don't."

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Set by Lady!

Cash latched onto everything Ford was saying; otherwise, it may well just become white noise, and that wouldn't help him at all. The Forbidden Forest. He didn't like the idea of Ford being there — obviously — but didn't trust himself to conjure a good argument against it. There was a marker, but then there wasn't, and now he was trying a finding spell. Cash sighed, and was actually settled by it this time — some of the nerves had been drawn out of him, if only because he was running out of ways to sputter the word werewolf? repeatedly.

After a beat, he said, "And you're sure we have to get it back. Not just leave it buried."

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   Fortitude Greengrass

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MJ made this!

Ford was shocked by this question, and looked it.

"I have to know," he said firmly. "If it's working." If you're safe.

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   Cassius Lestrange

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Set by Lady!

Cash frowned; he wanted to argue the point, but suspected that maybe Ford would not take the argument of I'm not worth it as well as Cash would. "Not on a full moon night, though," he said, raising one eyebrow; one encounter with a werewolf was more than enough. And Cash would rather Ford not go to the Forbidden Forest at all, but had a feeling that Ford would be stubborn about it, just because of the shock on his face, — so.

Apparently, they needed to find the dementor again.

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MJ made this!

Ford gave a Cash a sympathetic look, then nodded. "Not on a full moon," he agreed. "If it takes until the next full moon to find it, we'll probably be in trouble anyway."

They weren't going to be in trouble. Ford had a plan, and he'd found a spell that ought to work, and if it really came down to it he'd go through the whole forest on his hands and knees until he found it again. Even that wouldn't take a whole month. Ford knew it hadn't been that far from Hogsmeade, so he was going to find it sooner or later. He wasn't worried about that, or about werewolves. He was only worried that he wouldn't find it before something happened to it that put Cash in danger, either from the dementor itself or in danger of being discovered or something. And meanwhile, Cash was apparently worried about him, which was — sweet, but stupid.

"I'll take care of it," he said with conviction. "I just wanted you to know. And —" he shrugged, with a slight smile as if to say look how ridiculous we are. "— to see you. You're really feeling alright?"

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   Cassius Lestrange

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Set by Lady!

Ford would take care of it. Cash had to have faith in him, because — well, mostly because this whole thing hinged on Cash having faith in him. But that didn't mean he liked it, and he suspected that he'd be a little antsy until Ford confirmed that he'd found the thing. But he had to have faith.

He shrugged his shoulders at Ford. "I'm alright," Cash said. If there was any space to tell Ford about the thing from the other day, his little reality slip when he was with Theo, it was right now. But if he did that, he was going to have to provide context, and — he really didn't want to, not when Ford was already stressed. "Promise."

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   Fortitude Greengrass

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MJ made this!