Chapter Text
Between work, beasts and family time, the fleeting months of summer passed in a blur with June turning into July turning into August without much distinction between them. A few wonderful moments still stood out though.
They had taken Doran on his first vacation, for instance. Well, if two days spent in the Forest of Dean could be considered as such. But it had been just the three of them, the suitcase and a simple tent, away from home and all familiar surroundings. The little one had taken far better to the unexpected change in his routine than either of them could have hoped. Much to their relief. So well, in fact, that they had agreed to repeat the experience just two weeks after the first. And then again the following weekend...
The outings had been Newt's idea, of course, and it hadn't just been a small amount of selfish indulgence that had played a role in those proposals. Well over two years had passed since he'd last taken up his suitcase and boarded a ship to take him to some new destination. And while he didn't feel bored spending time at home with his wife and son, the feeling of being cooped up in the bowls of the Ministry grew stronger and stronger by the week. And Newt Scamander did not particularly enjoy being cooped up. So, off they went during those summer months, whenever they could get away with it. The Forest of Dean, the Peak District, the Lake District, Wales, Scotland.
Much to Newt's delight, Doran loved spending those weekend days outside, exploring forests and wild nature with his parents, meeting magical and non-magical creatures alike, sitting around a small campfire in the evening and falling asleep curled up next to his trusty Kneazle, who strictly refused to be left at home. And so did his parents, of course, with Newt being entirely in his element while Tina enjoyed the breaks and distraction for her evergrowing pile of bad news at work.
By the end of August, Newt had actually convinced Tina to try and take their little trips all over the British Isles even one step further. Favours had been asked, vacation days requested, plans made... and now here they were, gathered around a chipped lavender-coloured flower vase that would take them away to France. Away from the Ministry, away from England and hopefully away from any kind of bad news as well. For a week at least.
"Are you ready?" Newt inquired, clutching the suitcase in his left while holding onto the Portkey with the other.
Tina nodded, circling her free arm closer around Doran, whom she had safely strapped to her body in a sling. "This is gonna feel a little strange now, baby," she told him, smiling. "But don't worry, it's gonna be okay. Mummy will keep you safe."
Newt chuckled as they boy looked at them in confusion, obviously wondering what this fuss was all about. They wouldn't be taking the Floo Network this time around, though.
" Portus ," Newt murmured, activating the portkey in their hands. A few seconds later, they were forcefully ripped from their kitchen to touch down again in a sunny garden behind a familiar little house.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar scents of a Provence summer as he tried to settle the woozy sensation left behind by the whirling vortex.
"Shhh. It's okay, little Mooncalf."
He opened his eyes again to find his son in tears, eyes wide open and clutching tightly at his mother as he sobbed in shock. Portkeys were not the most pleasant methods of travel, he knew that. Especially the first time around. His father had warned him, when he had requested the Portkey a few days ago. Newt quickly stuffed the violet object into his pocket and made to take the boy from Tina's arms. She herself did not look particularly steady, either.
"Shhh. You're alright, little one. Here, let me-" But his efforts to comfort the boy were rewarded with the reappearance of Doran's last meal all over his chest. Newt sighed. Nausea... another very common side-effect of Portkey-travel. Thankfully, Doran seemed to be a little better for it, though.
"Mercy Lewis!" Tina exclaimed at the sight, in a tone that betrayed both her obvious worry and slight amusement.
She made to take the boy from him again, but Newt stopped her with a shake of his head. Jostling Doran around even more certainly wouldn't help the sitation. Ever the professional caretaker of beasts and babies, he grabbled for his wand and stoically vanished the mess from both their garments before letting his son settle down against his chest again. It hadn't been the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. One of the perks of fatherhood.
"Feeling a little better now, little Mooncalf?" he cooed softly, stroking the boy's head. Doran nodded in reply, wet face pressed against his neck and collar. "Yes? That's good."
The tears had stopped by now and with this one immediate concern dealt with, he turned to check on his Tina as well. She gave him a shaky smile and breathed through the last after-effects from Portkey-travel herself.
"I'm good," she finally said and straightened up again. "We should get out of the sun though."
Newt agreed. While Dorset had been plagued by a soft drizzle just a few moments ago, here the sun stood high in the sky, creating an almost uncomfortably contrasting heat around them. She took up the case and led the way.
"You just travelled by Portkey, little man," he softly explained as the three of them walked up to the house. "All the way to France, see! And the weather is really nice here." Doran slowly took a peek at his new surroundings, but quickly moved back to rest against his shoulder again. Apparently he didn't feel that much better just yet.
"That journey wasn't so good, was it?" He could feel the boy shake his head, mumbling a soft No into his skin. Newt agreed. In hind-sight it hadn't been the best of his ideas. "Don't worry, you'll feel better soon, Mooncalf."
"You wanna lie down for a bit?" Tina asked the boy as she rummaged around his coat pocket for the key to enter the house. "Maybe we'll have that nap a little earlier today, hm?"
"No," the boy immediately whined in reply and Newt chuckled. Their son had recently entered a phase where he did not appreciate the luxury of taking a nap during the day anymore... at least not until his eyes almost fell shut on their own at some point in the day.
"Alright then. Let's settle in first," he proposed, following his wife into the blessedly cooler climate of the house's kitchen. "And then we can decide on your nap, little man."
They moved their necessities into the master bedroom of the house, leaving the baby and his Kneazle to occupy the smaller one right next to it.
Just an hour after their arrival, Doran had drifted off to sleep, deeply exhausted and still a little shaken by the stress of Portkey-travel. And Tina, apparently, had followed suit, curling protectively around her son as they both lay on the double bed with their eyes closed. Newt smiled at the sight when he returned from stocking the kitchen, pressed a kiss to both their heads and sneaked out of the room again, leaving the door ajar. They both needed the rest.
The suitcase and it's menagerie of magical beasts once again had gotten its own designated room across the hall, for practical purposes alone. And with his family slumbering, Newt had all the time he needed to ward the room, keeping any escaped thieves or curious adventurers safely inside the four walls. He had learned his lesson in casting those protective charms when his Niffler had nearly demolished their cottage in a frenzy, just a week after moving in. Tina had not been happy with him, to say the least. It had been her first full day at work. Ever since then, the case was meticulously kept in the small work room, door locked and spells in place.
He made his way down the narow ladder again a little while later, finding Dougal and Pickett waiting for him right at the bottom. "Hello you two."
Dougal blinked at him while Pickett started chattering, pointedly gazing up to the closed lid in question. "Don't worry, they're alright. Taking a little nap, both of them." He grimaced. "Doran took the Portkey a little worse than I had expected, so I guess you were right, old chap."
He helped the Bowtruckle climb onto his shoulder as the Demuguise made a sound of agreement, then took him by the hand as well to lead them out of the shed. "Let's see how the new arrival is doing."
Deep in thought over his notes, Newt's gaze absentmindedly drifted out the window. Two familiar shapes appeared in his line of sight, shapes he recognized as Tina and Doran wandering around the garden outside. A smile flitted across his face at the sight and he stood from the bed of the spare room to take a closer look. The two of them explored the as of yet unfamiliar flora of the southern climate together, looking and touching and smelling at the greenery and flowers Tina deemed safe enough for a curious nearly-two-year-old. He chuckled when she quickly stopped the boy from chewing on an old twig of thyme.
A memory rose to the forefront of his mind. Many years ago, on a sunny day in June. He had stood at this very same window and imagined this very scene, wondering if it would ever come to pass... having a family, having a child with Tina.
Back then the fantastic picture of a few seconds had quickly changed back to the reality, leaving him rattled in its wake. Just a Demiguise, clutching at Tina's hand as he explored the garden with her. Today the little boy beside her, wild-haired and curious, would not morph back into someone else, though. No, Doran Scamander was very much a real boy.
They both had turned to wave up at him now, his son excitedly calling out for him to join them. Newt waved back with a grin and soon the little man was distracted by his own curiostiy again. The little explorer seemed to have discovered a flubberworm on one of the plants and watched the creature eagerly as Tina held him.
With a smile still on his lips, Newt went back to his notes. Pages and pages of them, scattered all over the empty bed in the spare room as he made some direly necessary adjustments to the lists and timetables on them. His plan.
The thought had come to him quite suddenly, on a quiet but rainy evening some time back in May. Doran had been deeply asleep already, he remembered, and they had taken the opportunity to cuddle up on the sofa in their living room for a bit. Newt with a quill and notebook in hand to work on his little project for Sammy and the rest of the Scamander-Kowalski-brood while Tina's nose had been buried deep inside a book.
He had asked for her opinion on a word for one of his creature descriptions, whether or not it would be understood by a child. She had only chuckled and explained that what most kids really wanted to hear about were stories about how he came to find those creatures in the first place. And all the adventures he had with them on his travels. So they could feel like little adventurers themselves.
But mulling over how to put his adventures into child-friendly words had left him with only one wish prominently on his mind: going on new adventures.
And so a new idea had slowly but surely taken hold of him, an idea that had he had approached with scientific methods to make sure it would work. To make it perfect. The plan had to be perfectly thought out in order to get the neccessary approval.
Because Porpentina Esther Scamander would never agree to anything less. Not when it came to the comfort and well-being of their son.
Sitting in a shady corner behind the house, Tina took a slow and deep breath, revelling in the lovely scents around her. Provence. She hadn't been here in years. Only once since their honeymoon, actually. A few days in a more agreeable climate to convalesce after she had been foolish and careless at work, getting hit by three stunners in a fight.
She took a sip from her coffee. Convalescence had only been a thinly veiled excuse, of course. If anything, she had been a little sorer after those few days than before... though that kind of sore had been distinctly more pleasant to come by. Her husband had been really thorough, looking after her needs and his own.
A smirk settled on her face as an idea came to her mind. The little Mooncalf seemed to have recovered perfectly from the unexpected shock of Portkey-travel yesterday, feeling fit as a fiddle again after just a little nap, and kept them on thir toes well beyond his usual bed-time last night. It was still early today, but after a whole morning of running around the garden with her, even Doran wouldn't refuse his mid-day nap anymore. Leaving them with an hour at least all to themselves...
Tina downed the last of her coffee and returned into the kitchen, where the last remnants of breakfast still sat on the table while both of her men were already on their way up the stairs to change. She'd let her husband have the honour to put their son down to nap today... and greet him with a little surprise afterwards.
"Could you put him to bed, darling?" she asked sweetly after lunch. As she had expected earlier, Doran had nearly fallen asleep at the table after exploring the garden all morning. He was only barely keeping his eyes open right now.
"Of course," Newt chuckled and picked the little adventurer up to carry upstairs. "You won't even put up much of a fight today, will you?"
Doran yanwed in reply and snuggled against his shoulder. No, he would not. Poor baby.
She brushed against her husband's arm as he passed her on the way out, nearly purring her next instruction. "Come and find me afterwards, okay?"
Newt smirked, having guessed where this would be going, and nodded before leaving the room.
A flick of her wand and the kitchen cleaned itself before she followed them up the stairs. Cooing and humming reached her ear from the smaller bedroom as she passed the door. Her feet took her past and to the door acroos the hall, though. She needed to get something out of the case first.
Behind the locked and charmed door, Tina found a mess of parchments and papers cluttering the room. Most of the sheets were located on the bed, though some of them had fallen to the floor from the breeze she had brought in with her. She bent down to pick them up again, but her breath faltered as she took a look at them. Those were lists. Lists of provisions. List of items. Maps were strewn in among the collection on the bed. Bits and pieces of newspaper articles as well. She had seen this kind of thing before...
Research. And research could only mean one thing.
"Tina, is that you in there?" The door to the room, only left ajar, swung open again, revealing Newt with a concerned expression on his face. A short instance of relief flickered over it when he saw that nothing seemed to have excaped the case as he had thought – only to be replaced by an anxious kind of tension when he noticed the sheets in her hand.
"What's all this?" she asked, holding up one of the lists in question. Newt shrugged.
"Uh... nothing really." He stepped into the room and closed the door, exhaling slowly before facing her again. "It's nothing."
One of her eyebrows shut up at the obvious lie. "Doesn't look like nothing to me, Newt."
He closed the distance between them and gently took the pages from her grasp, glancing at them for a moment before throwing them back to the bed. He licked his lips before looking at her again. "It really is nothing, Tina... For now at least."
"You want to travel again," she stated. That much was obvious to her, though she couldn't make out just yet where the journey was supposed to go.
"I do." He swallowed, meeting her eyes. "I really do, love."
Tina nodded, arms going akimbo as her mind ran a mile a minute. She should have guessed, going by the number of smaller trips he had so enthusiastically talked her into lately. It really had only been a matter of time, before her wayfarer got a restless again. "Where? When?"
"Well, there's only one place I haven't really been to yet." A small smile flitted over his face when she nodded in understanding. North America. He'd never gotten the chance to fully explore the continent before they had been asked (forced) to leave. "The when still remains to be determined, though... It depends on whether or not I get the neccessary approval."
Tina nodded again. "You need time off for research from the Ministry, since you used your last days up for this vacation. And MACUSA needs to give a green light too, I imagine."
They were legally allowed back into the country by now, but still... given the reputation Newt Scamander had over there, he should better make sure to get all necessary licenses and support from the Congress before embarking on that trip. She had no desire to see him in a cell there ever again.
Newt slowly shook his head, though, and smiled. "No. I need approval by you."
Tina gaped at him, flabbergasted for a moment. "Me? Do you really think I'd keep you from travelling, Newt? 'Cause we both know that wouldn't go over well, would it. You'd stay, of course, but-"
"No, no," he interrupted her, stepping closer to frame her face in his hands. His eyes lit up as he explained. " I need your approval because I want to take you with me, Tina."
A beat. "What?"
He nodded. "A journey around North America. You, me and Doran. That is what I want to do."
Tina swallowed, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the intensity in his gaze as it bored into her. He seemed to realize it as well, taking a quick step back to let her work through her own thoughts on the matter. I want to take you with me... She shook her head to clear it, sinking down onto the bed behind her.
"You want... us to go with you? Out into the field?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Newt sighed, rubbing a hand across his forehead as he started on an explanation. "As much as I love my work... if there's something I learned in the past years, it's that those trips are far more enjoyable with your company. Worth remembering for more than just the creatures. And just the thought of leaving you two behind for more than a few days-" He shook his head and met her eyes. "-I don't think I'd be able to do that, love."
"What brought this on?" she couldn't help but wonder. "Why now?"
He chuckled softly, stepping closer again to brush the frown from her face. "Working on that book for Sammy... and Doran, too, eventually... Reliving all those little adventures reminded me what it was like, out in the fields." He gave her a smile and gently carded her hair behind her ear, even though there were no loose strands to warrant it. "I enjoyed being home with you two for so long, but... well, you know me."
Tina nodded, unable to keep the small chuckle at bay. "My wayfarer. Always getting a little restless when cooped up for too long."
In those five years before her pregnancy they had barely spent more than six months at a time in England before he'd pitched a new location, a new creature to study, for her approval.
"It's been over two years now," he agreed slowly, cupping her cheek. "I miss it, especially since there's still an entire continent of magical creatures I haven't had a chance to study yet."
A long pause followed, in which she tried to sort through her whirling thoughts. Travelling. Her heart did an exicted jump at the thought. She missed it, too, if she was honest. Or maybe she just missed doing something useful, instead of sitting behind a desk all day. It was hard to tell those two apart at the moment.
"America," she repeated slowly, warming up a little to the thought of going back to her former home. "The great unknown, to you at least."
Newt nodded, exhaling slowly in obvious relief at not being refused outright. His thumb gently stroked along her cheeckbone. "Twice now we've planned to go there, love. And twice something has come up to keep us from it. Third time's the charm, wouldn't you agree?"
She chuckled, thinking back to those failed attempts to discover the great unknown. This time around, everything would be very different, though. They would take a child with them. Because leaving Doran behind for anything more than a week (at most) was just not an option. For either of them, it seemed.
"How long would this trip take you're planning?" she asked, carefully looking up at him. She received a smile in return before Newt bent to pick up some of the notes behind her. He settled down next toher, swiping some of the irrelevant pages aside.
"That's what I was still working on, you see. With Doran in the mix, we'd need more time than if it were only the two of us. Time to travel for one, since obviously he's not very good with Portkeys."
"No," she chuckled. "Our son definitely takes after me when it comes ot Portkey-travel."
Her husband smiled. "Time for sightseeing or other exploration, too. We know now, he enjoys that. And this trip should be fun for the smaller Scamander, too."
A frown crossed her brow when she took in his words. "Wait. All this summer... were those weekend trips trial runs?"
He had the decency to blush, at least. "In part, yes. There would've been no sense in making any frther plans if Doran didn't take well to being away from home yet." He continued in a lower voice. "And I had a need to get out for a bit myself. Something not work-related, for once."
She gave a nod. "And this one?"
"An actual vacation," he replied. "You always bug me to do something for my birthday other than staying at home. So here we are, spending a week in France. Though I admit, I was curious to see how our little Mooncalf would do with Portkeys."
"Yeah, we found that out alright," Tina snorted.
"That we did. And I've spent part of the morning adjusting the plans for that limitation." He quickly checked over the notes on his parchment, worrying his lower lip as he did so. An anxious habit of his, she knew. "To answer your question... It should be about three months if I keep my research to only a few of the more interesting creatures you have over there. Horned Serpents, Wampus Cats and the likes. Longer, the more I add to that list, of course."
She hummed in understanding. Three months wasn't that long. Their last journey had lasted about the same, and that had been over before she knew it between days and nights spent observing Fire Flugs and running after elusive Caiporas. Speaking of...
"What about the dangers, though? We can't take a toddler with us to hunt down a beast."
"No, of course not! I would do the dangerous or too boring parts by myself, leave you two to explore on your own of stay in if you like." He gave her a half-smile. "It wouldn't be exactly like old times, but... close, I imagine."
Tina greed on that. It would make sense, having her stay with Doran while the man himself chased after his creatures... at least as long as he didn't leave her alone all day every day to do just that. She wouldn't feel good about letting Newt go on a hunt without backup, but it would be something she could deal with. Better than with the alternative, at least... That way, she would be there to patch him up, should he return in tatters, and go after him when he failed to show up at all.
"I'd need to train up again," she told him. "I don't think Theseus would let us leave the country without a proper Auror escort... so that might as well be me again."
Newt smirked. "Word around the Ministry has it that you're already bringing the duelling instructors to their knees during third-year practice."
Tina shook her head and laghed. "Nothing stays secret in those dark halls under Whitehall, does it?"
He shrugged. "Not when it comes to a well-known duellist such as yourself... It's not every day the recruits see Auror Scamander fight, especially since she's supposedly still off duty."
Something in his tone of voice made her suspicious about his motives. He had known about her joining the third-years for training... and he had obviously been planning this whole thing for a while now, going by the sheer number of notes around them.
"Is that why you want to go?" she sighed. "To keep me from going back to active duty again?"
"In part," he admitted silently, confirming her suspicion. Tina couldn't help staring at him in disbelief. "I won't lie about it, my love. The thought has crossed my mind, but it's not the main reason to go."
He shook his head. "You know I'd stop you from re-joining the Auror ranks just as little as you'd stop me from chasing after creatures again. As much as it makes me feel better to know you're stuck behind the desk all day... I know it's not what you want. It won't make you happy."
Tina snorted. "No it doesn't. Not anymore, at least."
"I know," he agreed, and Tina shouldn't have been as surprised about it as she was. They'd known each other for years now... of course, he'd know when she wasn't happy. "So it's up to you. Auror on active duty whenever they think you're ready again. Or Auror Escort to you gallivanting husband for a while before jumping back into the action."
He moved his hand to cradle her face again, tipping her head just slightly for a kiss to her forehead.. "You don't even have to decide now, love. Take yor time. And let me know what it will be when you do."
Tina nodded, thankful that he didn't pressure her into a decision just yet. Though deep down, she already knew what choice she favoured.
By the end of their week in Provence, Newt's notes had vanished from the spare bedroom. Instead, they had taken residence on the living room table, sorted into neat stacks as their plans slowly progressed into something more tangible.
Mr. and Mrs. Newt Scamander greeted the new year in New York City, a tired but awake two-year-old between them as they stood among the crowd on Times Square to watch the ball drop.