A/N: So this is a super short prologue to the story (one-shot) I've had cooking in my head since CoG came out. This story is also cross-posted on AO3.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Fantastic Beasts or Harry Potter.

Enjoy!

Skender was a simple man. He only ever desired two things: money and loyalty from the freaks that made him money. Although, he didn't want loyalty from the freaks, he demanded it.

So maybe he only really desired one thing.

He glowered at the overturned beasts' cart in contempt, snapping his fingers at the elf—he could never remember the creature's name—to get to work on righting it. Ever since that boy had run off with the Maledictus, Skender hadn't been able to find anyone willing or even able to tend to the beasts that remained (which was only a few Firedrakes and the Kappa).

He hadn't been lying to the kid when he told the boy he was the best stagehand he'd ever had. After all, he managed to keep all the creatures complacent, and all of his limbs.

Figures, Skender thought, taking another sip of the firewhiskey in front of him. Only someone who can get hard thinking about the snake-girl can handle the rest of those damn beasts. Although even he would admit that his plan to keep the boy docile had backfired in spectacular fashion, he still maintained that dangling the carrot of the girl had worked for quite some time.

He was certain that the boy was always going to take the bait—ever since the day the girl was brought to Le Cirque Arcanus and he caught the kid looking at her with the strangest mix of hope and fear—and it was then that Skender knew what he needed to do.

He initially thought that he might run into issues if the snake-girl decided to turn and strangle the kid in his sleep—he really hadn't wanted to have to kill his star attraction—but when weeks started to pass with nothing of note occurring, he himself grew complacent in the fact that he had made the right decision. The boy had been wrapped around the girl's finger, and the fact that he knew Skender was the one who had made it possible for him to be with the freak, kept him in line. And for the girl, she was given the meagerest taste of freedom, crushing her spirit every time she had to get back in the cage.

On the other hand, it probably hadn't been a good idea to let the shields down around the stage when the crowd was that rowdy—looking back, it had just been asking for trouble. And sure enough, the boy had nearly gotten himself beaten to a pulp that night, and it had costed the ringmaster a not-insignificant amount of Galleons to keep the whole mess quiet.

Which, of course, only lasted until they decided to run off like they're in some goddamn fairytale, thinking I wouldn't find them in the end, he thought darkly, remembering what he had said to the woman earlier that night: All of my freaks think they can leave.

Skender was sure that the two had been thinking of tying to escape for some time, but he had been banking on the boy's fear of reparations to keep him with the circus until his "year" was up. But, the girl must have planted some inane idea in his mind that they would be able to pull the wool over his eyes and disappear into the city without him noticing.

He should have listened to that beautiful Frenchwoman when she first gave him the idea—keeping them apart, isolating the boy, was the only way to control them. When he found the two again, he would be certain they wouldn't have the same opportunities to escape…that doesn't mean that he still couldn't use the two against each other.

He grinned, finally staggering to his feet, a plan forming in his head to get back his best attraction and the best bargaining chip he had with the purebloods of the Parisian wizarding community. After all, he only needed to find one and the other wouldn't be far behind, trying (and ultimately failing) to save the both of themselves.

I'd like to see the freaks try, Skender chuckled darkly, yelling for the rest of the "performers" to start getting ready for the night's show.

A/N: I really hoped you enjoyed this prologue, the next chapter (which I will try and get up in the next couple of days) is much longer.

Remember to favorite or comment, I really appreciate the feedback!