The snow crunched underneath his feet as he crept forwards, snowflakes drifting gently down among the shadows of trees he could barely make out in the dark. But he didn't dare light his wand, their footsteps were never far away. He was overly aware of his breathing, it hissed up from his lungs, coming out in loud gasps that pierced the night and left a cloud of mist behind. He felt as though his pursuers would surely hear his laboured breaths. He swayed with both pain and exhaustion as he tried to keep a steady line through the trees. He knew he must look a wreck, his curly red hair falling into his face and his robes torn even more than they usually were.
There couldn't be much further now, Fabian thought. His legs ached, and he didn't want to think about the burning pain in his side. He wanted to find Gideon and get back. He wiped the frost from his short, red beard and tried to see through the veil of darkness. He strained his ears to hear any sound, his brother or the five Death Eaters he knew were chasing them; making sport. He could see nothing but the shadowy shapes of trees against the glistening white snow, and hear nothing but the rustle of wind through bare branches.
Then, a sharp cry pierced the air. Fabian's head snapped up, as he tried to work out where the sound came from. He swallowed as he contemplated calling out. He was almost sure that the cry had been from his brother, but he stood frozen. It could just as easily be a trap. With a low groan, he forced his legs to work, to move towards where he thought the cry had come from.
He was hyper aware of his surroundings as he forced himself to keep walking, eyes darting from side to side, uselessly trying to see. He didn't know how long he walked, hand frozen as he gripped his wand as tight as he could. After a time, he came across a clearing.
There, he found his brother, clean shaven but looking like his twin. Gideon looked far worse. His leg was at an angle that was all wrong, and blood pooled around him. But, he was still half-sitting in the snow, leaning heavily on on arm. Gideon glanced at Fabian as he approached.
"Unless you have good news, don't speak to me," said Gideon. His usual good humour was gone, replaced by determination. His mouth was set and his blue eyes never left the tree line.
Fabian crouched next to his brother, unsure of what to say, what to do. Gideon glanced at him, and said, "I don't want to hear it, alright?"
Fabian nodded mutely. And, as five figures in black cloaks appeared from the trees, he turned to his brother and said, "Would you consider it to be good news that I'll stay with you?"
Words: 492
For Astronomy: Uranus: Write a story set in winter.
Around the World: 188: Uruguay - Dialogue: "Unless you have good news, don't speak to me."