Chapter Text
Tina closed the creaky front door to the boarding house thankfully, her nose nipped red from cold. She bumps her hip on the door knob, hard. Nope, still not as painful as thinking about a certain Scamander. Damn. She’ll have to try again tomorrow. If it isn’t enough that she has to sit through her co-worker’s saucy gossip, about that ‘beast-man’ who's getting engaged to that beautiful ‘French pure-blood’. Now the man is losing her job opportunities.
Madame Picquery had summoned Tina, in front of her astounded co-workers, to her private office. She was so in shock, her new partner, Achilles’, actually had to push her towards to door. Auror’s only get bidden to her office if they’re getting assigned to an important mission (or if they’re getting fired- she had been pretty sure she wasn’t that). Tina had been unfortunately correct.
“We’re going to send you out, to find Credence,” the president had said briskly, handing a case file into Tina's shaky hands. She'd almost fallen out of her chair.
“Credence is dead,” she’d whispered, leaning forward intently.
“That’s what we thought too,” Picquery said, tilting her hands into a point, “But our sources in Europe have informed us of explosions of power appearing in Paris- and all signs point to that young man,” Tina sat gobsmacked. She had thought she’d failed him. But here was her chance, a chance to help that broken child who just needed love.
“We’ve chosen you,” Picquery continued generously, “since you have a known bond with him,”
“Thank you so much!” Tina had gushed, eye’s shinning with enthusiasm. Her government was finally respecting her, finally trusting her enough to let her-
“So you’ll be joining Theseus Scamander’s team at the ministry of magic and-“ Tina heard an anxious buzzing in her ears.
“What?” she’d asked breathlessly, interrupting the president’s spiel.
“You’re going to be transferred to Britain to assist them in the search,” Picquery told her blankly, cocking an eyebrow.
“I can’t go to England ma’am, I mean” Tina had backtracked frantically at the frown on her bosses face, “my sister will be left alone, and, and, where would I stay?” was her voice squeaking or was she having a panic attack?
“We’re going to set you up in a female boarding house I believe,” the president shuffled her papers around, “and as for your sister, Miss Goldstein, you’re both adults. She’s not a child,”
Tina stared at the sharp corner of the gleaming desk and nodding mechanically.
“I thought you’d be pleased,” she’d continued suspiciously, “I understand Theseus Scamander is the older brother of a certain magiczoologist,” Tina had never found wood so interesting before, “I understand the two of you have been in contact with each other, surely this would give you an opportunity to catch up with him,” Tina swallowed painfully, her throat dry.
“Yes, Madame President,” she'd said tonelessly.
“I suppose,” the President said slowly, “I could give you the weekend to think about it,”
“Thank you, Madame President,” she’d replied.
“But understand Miss Goldstein,” the magjestic woman had leant back in her chair, “I’m very disappointed. Dismissed,”
Tina’s fingernails had bitten into her palms as she’d made her way through the crowded work rooms, eyes focused intensely on the floor. She wasn’t going to cry, at least not until she’d reached the bathroom.
Shaking herself to the present, Tina trudged up her apartment’s stairs, feet aimlessly dragging behind her. Her mind however, was running like a treadmill. If only the job was just based in Paris! Then she’d be off like a shot. She’d do anything to assist Credence. She’d do anything to prevent him from getting wrapped up in Grindlewald’s talons. But to go to England. England.
Her day dreams used to be filled of being handed a job like this. Her and Newt could meet at small table in a ‘pub’, pouring over his book together. Her listening raptly as he passionately described his creatures. Maybe she’d even gather enough courage to hold his hand, then he’d blush and lean in…
Now, instead, it’s one of Tina’s nightmares. She’d walk in and there they’d be- wrapped around each other. Newt would introduce her: “Leta, darling, this is Miss Goldstein my friend- only ever a friend- from New York. She’s an auror, so I could never properly like her, and I stopped writing two months ago because I’m so in love with you!” then they’d kiss and ride off into the sunset on a glowing Pegasus.
Bit dramatic there, Porpentina, the little voice in the back of her mind states dryly.
Yes, true, Tina thinks back sadly, it’d probably be even worse.
Newt would be kind and nice and clever. They’d reminisce about their adventures in New York and discuss their letters. He might even smile at her slightly, in the sideways way he does. But then his eyes would catch someone in the distance, and they’d light up like the sun at seeing his beautiful fiancé. He’d walk over, and kiss Leta sweetly, and she’d join them. And Tina would have to watch them being perfectly nice, and perfectly together, and Tina would have to act as if her heart wasn’t smashed into tiny little pieces on the floor.
Yeah, that’s more like it, the little voice says unhelpfully.
“Mercy Lewis, Queenie better have a bottle of wine open,” Tina groans, accidentally lumbering on the step that always squeaks.
“Who’s there?” shouts her land lord, aggressively.
“It’s me, Mrs Esposito,” Tina replies, tiredly.
“Who?” she yells back.
“Tina?” Tina says hesitantly, taking a step backwards to stare at the shadow in the doorway. The old lady steps into the light, surprise written all over her face.
“Oh dear, it’s you,” she says, obviously confused.
“Yes, I just got back from work,” the old lady’s brow is still furrowed, so Tina feels inclined to ask, “Why?”
“It’s just… your sister said you were with her when you got home,” 'What?' Tina thinks, mind boggled. She can’t remember Queenie saying anything about inviting guests over tonight. But to be fair- Queenie has been a bit distant lately, mainly just mind reading, instead of actually having conversations with her. Suspicious herself, Tina forces that feeling down because of the clear fear in Mrs Esposito’s eyes: stranger danger, they say. Or even worse male, stranger danger. Not wanting a no-maj searching through their thoroughly magical apartment, she decides to cover for her sister.
“Oh, I remember now. I did come back with her, but I forgot some case files at the office,” Tina warbles, crossing her fingers behind her back.
“Right…” Tina can tell she doesn’t believe her, and so bounds up the stairs before she can get bombarded with any more questions.
Bursting into her apartment, her burgeoning annoyance with her sister and completely frayed nerves were not ready for the sight that met her eyes. Her baby sister, passionately kissing a man on their couch. And not just any man. Jacob Kowaski.
“What the actual fuck!” Tina shrieks. She hardly ever swears. But there’s always exceptions to the rule.
Jacob is frantically attempting to recede off her sister, doing up his waistcoat buttons in the wrong holes, refusing to meet her eyes. Queenie however, to Tina’s intense frustration, is almost casually re-arranging her clothes back together.
“What is this?” Tina asks faintly, leaning against their hat stand for balance.
“He remembers me Teenie,” Queenie says, reaching over and squeezing Jacob’s hand, beaming widely, “he remembers everything,”
“Well basically,” Jacob intersects, but backing down at the heat of Tina’s glare.
“But it means we can be together Teen, ain’t it wonderful!” Queenie coos, laying her head on Jacobs shoulder. Tina sets her jaw.
“No, Queenie, it’s not,” She says sternly, “What on earth were you thinking?”
Queenie, puffs out her cheeks in exasperation, rolling her eyes like she’s twelve.
“I knew you’d react this way,” she says huffily. Tina’s blood pressure reaches breaking point.
“You knew-,” She begins to raise her voice.
“Baby, I’d better get going,” Jacob says glancing between the two sisters nervously. Queenie kisses him on the cheek.
“Yes I think you must,” she says stonily, “use the spatula,” she waves her wand in an arch, and the wooden spatula, sitting on the coffee table flashes a bright blue. Before Tina can blink, Jacob touches it and evaporates. A portkey.
“Mind telling me when you got permission to do that?” she crosses her arms across her chest.
“You and your rules,” Queenie clicks her tongue, “you know I don’t care as much as you do about little things like that,” Tina throws up her hands.
“Mercy Lewis, it’s not about caring Queenie, it’s about following the law,” Tina spits, “speaking of,” she gestures sharply to where Jacob was sitting.
“What about it?” Queenie says equally furious, ”I love him, and he loves me. There’s nothing else to say,”
“Actually I believe there’s plenty more to say,” Tina yells, then hears herself, and takes a few deeps breaths to calm herself. Finally when her heart rate returns to normal, she sits down next to her sister and places a hand on her leg. Queenie moves minutely away, and Tina buries the hurt unsuccessfully. They sit in silence, for what seems like years. Tina can't remember the last time they really fought. She thinks it might've been before their parents died.
“Queenie, where do you see this going?” she asks softly.
“He wants to marry me, Tina,” she says resolutely. Tina bites her lip, knowing that her sister being able to hear her thoughts, will not make this easier.
“Sweetie you can’t,” she begins.
“And why not?” her sister blows, “he’s a decent person! The law is rubbish, just because he doesn’t have powers," she says the word, 'powers' sarcastically, throwing her wand on the ground. Tina stays silent, watching the wand roll away.
"We’ll keep it a secret,” Queenie sounds far away now now. Tina can almost picture her planning out their whole life together.
“And what about your children, Queenie? What happens when they have to go to Ilvermony? What happens when their friends ask who dad is?” A nasty thought hits her- Queenie hears it before she can shut it out.
“And what if they’re no-maj’s” she sneers, “I thought you were better than that, sister,”
“I didn’t mean it like and you know it,” Tina says stung, “but…can’t you admit how hard this is going to be? What if you end up in jail and Jacob's left mindless, and you’ve got three young kids with no parents and no home?”
“We’ll figure it out,” Queenie says hastily, and Tina scoffs.
“You can’t date a no-maj, Queenie,” she says running her hands over her face tiredly.
“Well at least I’m trying to be with the person I love,” she stands up, and kicks the coffee table, “talked to Mr Scamander lately?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tina glares at her.
“You can be with that man. Yet you’re being a coward, sitting here doing nothing about it! No one in our world would care if you two got married, but Jacob and I…” she trails off hands on her hips.
“He’s engaged Queenie,” Tina says quietly, “I’m not being a coward, I’m attempting to save my feelings,”
“If you had any feelings you’d be in London, in his arms right now! I read those letters you sent him, nothing about how you actually feel, all about cases you’ve been assigned to and what spells you preference. No wonder the man forgot you,” Queenie cries, two red spots appearing on the tops of her cheek bones.
“Shut up,” Tina says eyes filling with tears. Newt said he liked her spell preferences.
“That Leta person,” Queenie says nastily, “she loved her you know, obsessed with her. She did him wrong, there’s no doubt about that, but I bet she actually flirted with him. It probably wasn’t long until he fell into her arms again, with you the way you are. Won’t even help your own sister because of ‘the law’”
“I SAID SHUT UP!” Tina screams standing as well, tears tumbling down her face, “I would help you, I would Queenie, you have to know that, you’re my little sister! But I can’t help you be with someone you can’t have,”
“I can be with him!” Queenie shrieks, “you just won’t let me! You and your ‘auror buddies’! You know that’s probably the reason Newt doesn’t like you. What’d he write to you again? A bunch of ‘Careerist hypocrites?’,” Tina bottom lip trembles.
Queenie’s won and she knows it, staring slightly smugly out the window. Tina feels an sudden burst of intense range at her sister, that she’s never felt once in her whole life. They’ve always stuck by each other. Always. She’d always knew Queenie sometimes abhorred her vigilant rule following, but she’d never said anything. Always said what she thought, but leniently. She’d never gone in for the kill. Tina bites her tongue and shoots her and evil thought, regretting it instantly. Queenie falters, her jaw dropping, but only for a second.
“I dare you, to say that out loud,” She says, dangerously calm.
“Queenie,” Tina whispers, “You know I didn’t mean it,” he reaches out a shakily hand to brush her sister’s hair out of her face. Queenie slaps it away.
“Bitch,” Queenie nods her head slowly, “there. I said it for you. It’s nice to know at least one of us has the courage to say what they think,” unable to bear it anymore, Tina gasps out a sob and runs to her room.
Blinded by tears she pulls a suitcase down from their wardrobe, and begins stuffing all her worldly belongings in it. On top she places gently, a picture of her and a young Queenie smiling happily at each other. After debating for a spilt second, she also tucks in her worn copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them. Lugging out the bag, into the lounge room distraught, she finds Queenie calmly preparing dinner at the stove. Her eyes are empty.
“I’m leaving for a case,” Tina says tremendously into the silence, “I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Queenie doesn’t move.
“I can’t stay here, Queenie,” Tina fights out, “but I’ll write, every day if you want me too,” Queenie shrugs.
Tina walks briskly over, giving Queenie a hug around the waist. Queenie stands as still as a statue, as Tina squeezes her tight.
“I love you,” she murmurs wetly in her blonde hair. Unwillingly Tina releases her, grabs her things and shuts the door with a slam. She hopes rather than thinks she hear Queenie say it back.
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Tina rushes through MACUSA, ignoring everyone and everything, until she reaches the President’s office. She knocks twice, clumsily, and doesn’t even wait for an official ‘okay’ before opening the door.
“Miss Goldstein, this is a surprise,” Picquery greets her, elbows resting on her desk.
“I accept,” Tina puffs, hoping the president doesn’t notice how red her eyes are, “I accept, the offer,”
“That’s very good to hear,” Picquery gives her a rare smile, “would you like a few days to get ready?”
“No,” Tina says, shaking her head, biting the inside of her lip, “I’d like to leave now, tonight,”