Ford felt her stumble and instinctively moved so that he could better support her, wrapping his arm around her back and letting his hand hold the far side of her waist. Decidedly closer than he usually was with young women he barely knew, but it wasn't as though they had much choice; the ground was uneven here, but they couldn't afford to slow down so that she could go more carefully. A shield charm was a handy fix for now, but Ford didn't have enough confidence in his magic to think it would hold up indefinitely.

"Try a finite incantatum at 'em," he suggested — his own wand was busy keeping the shield active.

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