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”Newt, I mean, your boat’s leaving soon, so we should probably get going, ” Tina told Newt.
He had been putting off leaving her apartment for a while now, lingering in the living room by the Christmas tree that still stood proudly at the center. She was near him on the red couch, her anxiety evident by her tense posture. He did not seem to be worried about making his ship, for on the contrary his demeanor was rather relaxed and untroubled.
The British wizard had come to stay with the witch for the holidays, as this was her first Christmas without Queenie.
”Just one moment, I’ve still got time.” The magizoologist assured Tina.
He didn't want to leave. He had been having the best time here in New York with the auror and didn't want it to end. But he also knew he eventually would have to go back to his home in England. Newt didn’t know if he could bear going back again and being apart from her.
The witch raised her eyebrows.
”Newt, you’ve said that for the last thirty minutes. You’re gonna miss the boat, ”
In all honesty, she didn't want him to leave either. This Christmas had been one of the best in spite of Queenie’s absence. Tina was eternally grateful for Newt and Jacob’s friendship and support during these hard times.
She hoped Newt would come visit more often. The magizoologist always brought a sense of happiness to her otherwise slightly lonely life. Without Queenie’s bubbly and bright personality constantly forcing her out socially, Tina had begun to draw into herself more. She rarely went anywhere anymore, and when she did, it was to Jacob’s bakery, where sometimes she could barely get a word to him he was so busy.
”I won’t miss it, it’s still quite early, you see. We’ve still got a good hour.” Newt appeased.
Newt didn't like how Tina secluded herself from the world now that Queenie was gone. At one point, he had considered asking her to come with him back to England, but he was sure she'd say no. Tina loved her job in New York.
It wasn’t that he was concerned that she couldn't take care of herself- she was very independent - he worried Queenie’s absence was taking more of a toll on the auror than she let on. Even at Christmas, she seemed more distant and saddened. Who wouldn't be after losing their sister? Still, Newt had prolonged his stay a week with the excuse of ship ticket unavailability. It was now well after New Years, and he needed to get home.
Tina clicked her tongue.
”Mr. Scamander, we really must get a move on. You need ample time to get there, and the dock is sure to be crowded with people. ”
She stood from her chair, hands on her hips. She looked down at the still sitting Newt.
”And besides, we still have to stop by Jacob’s to say goodbye. We even might have to wait there to see him, considering he’s been so busy lately.”
Tina was at a loss as to why she was so adamant about Newt making his boat on time.
It wasn't like she wanted him out of her house. She loved his company. The American witch had been overjoyed when his letter saying he was coming to visit arrived. Her heart had leapt with joy.
Maybe it was her lifelong habit of punctuality?
Or her own care that Newt would be inconvenienced by being late?
Or perhaps… no. Tina banished the thought.
Sure Newt was an amazing friend, but she wouldn't manage her feelings that way. The auror had always dealt with any matter head-on. Tina didn't think it was right to skip around or avoid things, especially when it involved another person.
But what if?
Once they finally left Tina’s apartment, they arrived at Jacob’s bustling bakery. The shop was swimming with people, the line to get inside stretched down the street and around the corner. Tina turned to Newt with an I-told-you-so look.
”What did I tell you?”
Newt returned her gaze smirking. ”I will never again doubt the infallible Tina Goldstein, ” He said with a laugh.
The brunette shook her head and pulled Newt into a deserted alleyway which lead to a dirty wooden door. She opened it and ushered Newt inside.
”This is one of Jacob’s storerooms, ” Tina explained, gesturing to the numerous boxes labeled ’flour’ and ’sugar’ among other things. ”I found this a couple of months ago. We can wait here until the crowd dies down.”
The auror sat on a pile of stacked crates and patted the spot next to her.
”Can’t expect to stand the whole time, could be awhile.” She told him, not meeting his eyes.
Newt gave a thankful smile and sat next to her, giving Tina as much space as possible. They were silent for a minute, their eyes resting anywhere but on the other. They both felt a heightened sense of awkwardness.
Newt finally decided to speak.
”Have you any news on Queenie’s whereabouts?”
He automatically knew he should not have said that; Tina’s expression metamorphosed into a hard, set look as she processed his question.
”No.” She answered gruffly, ”haven’t learned more.”
Tina struggled to keep her composure inside. They had gone the entire visit without one mention of Queenie; why does he bring it up now?
The auror hated the mere thought of finding Queenie because it made her feel guilty. It made the brunette feel as though she should be doing more to find her sister. Tina was doing all she could, but Queenie seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
Newt wished he had just stopped there. Later he would curse himself for carrying on the subject which he knew was a sensitive one to Tina.
But curiosity got the better of him.
”Has anyone else looked into the matter?” The magizoologist asked.
He wasn't insinuating that Tina’s efforts were inadequate, he was only wondering.
Tina’s inner simmering anger began to boil over in spills of agitation and rage.
”Are my own attempts to find my sister not enough in your opinion?” Tina replied stonily, not looking at Newt.
”That isn't what I meant, ” Newt told her, ”I was only curious -”
”Why now, Mr. Scamander? Why are you talking about this now?” You’ve been in New York for nearly a month, and just suddenly you voice this?”
Tina had stood up from the crates and began to pace the room.
”Why couldn't you just leave it, why did you have to bring Queenie up? In fact, why does it matter to you where she is? She's not your sister.”
This was too much for Newt. He stood up and faced Tina.
“Just because she isn’t my sister doesn’t mean I don’t care if she’s ok!”
Tina threw her arms up in frustration.
“You know it just occurred to me, you barely even know Queenie! You barely know me! You were in New York last year for less than a month, and you somehow found me in Paris an entire year later, and we were together then for even less time! Actually, how did you find me in Paris? I’d really like to know.”
Newt knew there was no point in arguing back, so he answered quietly.
“I-I found a postcard from you saying you were in Paris; Queenie had dropped it. Queenie came to London-to my house to be exact. She was with Jacob.”
Tina gaped at him open-mouthed. She knew Queenie had gone somewhere and had later ended up in Paris, but she had no idea she had gone to Newt’s! And she had brought Jacob?
“Where did my sister go after that?” Tina demanded.
Newt gulped. He was sure Tina was not going to like his answer. At all.
But he told her the truth anyway.
“After she released Jacob from the love spell she had him under, she left my house and disapperated, leaving Jacob behind. And-well you know what happened after that.”
Newt saw with a jolt to his heart that the fire in her salamander eyes was illuminated beautifully, the pools of water alight with a blaze of passion.
Tina exploded.
“ You let my sister LEAVE! In a foreign country! By herself!”
Tina was flabbergasted among her anger.
”And Jacob was under a love spell! How could Queenie do that! She knows the law. She could be thrown in jail!”
Tina threw her hands up in agitation.
“Heck, she basically is in jail now, after going off with freaking Grindelwald!”
At the other end of the bakery, Jacob Kowalski heard yelling coming from the back rooms. He was puzzled, for none of his employees were back there as far as he knew- it was too busy to be dawdling about. The no-maj resolved to investigated the matter.
He located the sound and traced it to his second store room, the one connected to the alley by the main street. He hoped someone hadn’t decided to try to steal anything. He did not have the strength nor patience to deal with the police today.
As he quietly opened the door, as to not alert whoever was making the noise, to his surprise he glimpsed Newt and Tina in the midst of some kind of argument. Jacob’s eyebrows raised on his forehead as he listened in, intrigued.
“I’m not responsible for Queenie’s actions, Tina!” (Jacob’s heart tightened at the blonde’s mention) “How could I have known she was going to run off, I was too busy thinking how I was going to explain to you that I wasn’t engaged!”
“Well you could have done something! Anything! It’s not like informing me of your day-to-day occurrences has ever been your first priority.”
Newt’s eyes widened.
“And what exactly do you mean by that?”
Tina’s eyes left the magizoologist’s face and rested angrily on the crate they had been sitting on. There was silence for a long moment. Newt bit his lip, nervous for what Tina might say. When she spoke, her voice dropped to a harsh whisper.
“A year, Mr. Scamander. A year. No correspondence, no letters. It’s only when you find out I think you’re engaged that you try to talk to me.” Her steely eyes shot daggers at Newt’s face. “It seems to me you’re only interested when your image is at stake.”
At this, Newt was utterly speechless. He could only stare open-mouthed at the beautiful, flushed face of Tina Goldstein, and wonder what had caused her think this thought that could not be further from the truth.
Jacob took this opportunity to butt in and break up the fight. “Hey guys!” He smiled, overly happy. “Whatcha doing here?”
Tina’s reply was as cold as ice.
“I was just leaving,” she turned back to Newt. “Good bye, Mr. Scamander.”
She turned and disapperated, taking Newt’s broken heart away with her.
One Month Later
Newt Scamander walked the busy streets of London on his way home from work, head down. His briefcase bumped his leg as he shuffled along, Pickett poking his out of his coat pocket. The fog that coalesced in the grey sky accurately reflected Newt’s mind: grey, lifeless, and hard to distinguish any other than the fog settling over the magizoologist’s thoughts.
Life since he had left New York was monotonous, the days seeming to blur together. When Newt turned a corner to enter his neighborhood, he caught sight of someone standing on the steps of a nearby home. A tall someone with short brown hair.
“Tina?” Newt called desperately.
The woman turned. It was not Tina, to Newt’s dismay. She gave him a confused look. He nodded awkwardly and carried on walking.
He had never stopped thinking about Tina. Tina, Tina, Tina. She was forever on his mind. He had replayed their last conversation time and time again in his head, kicking himself over and over for persisting to know about Queenie.
It was pure agony, not hearing from her. He had written dozens of letters but never sent them. He saw her face wherever he went. He worried and thought, never knowing, ever hoping. For what he didn’t know. His mind and heart spiraled into a nothingness, he couldn’t seem to feel anything anymore.
He didn't know how he could keep moving, keep breathing when his heart was across the ocean in the form of one beautiful auror.
Tina Goldstein entered her apartment and hung up her coat by the door. It had been another exhausting day at work, and the auror wanted nothing more than to sit and relax by the fire.
Reflexively, she called out.
”Queenie! Queenie where-”
Tina stopped. Queenie wasn't here- she hadn't been in New York in months.
Tina sighed sadly. How she missed Queenie. She missed having someone else to greet her when she came home. The brunette had gotten used to having another person's presence since he had been here. Newt had stayed so long…
No! She would not think of Newt. She couldn't take any more emotional strain today.
But was there any way to forget him? To truly remove the magizoologist from her thoughts?
And even if she could, there was no way to confirm that she was removed from his thoughts.
Tina turned to her mantelpiece and removed a picture that sat on it. It was one taken the first time Newt had come to New York. Queenie and Jacob were standing next to each other, and Newt had his arm around her, smiling awkwardly.
Seeing Newt’s face sent her mind into a spiral of memories and sadness, wondering what she could have done different to not have completely destroyed her only relationship that withstood the events of Paris.
Not for the first time, the last day of Newt’s Christmas visit flashed through her mind. She had been so adamant about him getting to the docks on time. She hadn’t known why at that time.
Now she realized it was because she couldn’t face her feelings that had become apparent to her in the last couple of days of his visit, so she had to remove the object of those feelings.
The realization came upon her slowly, in a trickle of the same words repeating in her mind.
I am in love with Newt Scamander.
I am in love with Newt Scamander.
I am in love with Newt Scamander!
I AM IN LOVE WITH NEWT SCAMANDER!
A great weight had been lifted from the shoulders of Porpentina Goldstein. Her heart soared and she took a deep, happy breath.
She finally admitted to herself the greatest secret she had ever kept. She loved Newt, she wanted to shout it to the world.
The auror’s quick mind remembered that no matter how loud she shouted here in New York, he would never know. He was across the sea in whole other county.
If Tina ever wanted him to know, it would have to be in person, from her own mouth.
Well, so be it!, Tina thought, grabbing her coat.
The security guard at MACUSA affirmed to himself that he had now seen it all after Tina Goldstein, esteemed auror, ran breathless up to him in the middle of the night, panting.
“I need a Portkey to London,”
Newt Scamander sat administering medicine to his injured Zouwu, his thoughts on the only thing they had been on for a month.
There was no doubt in his mind that he was in love with Tina. Since that day at the docks he had known, but never had he told her. He had come close in the records room, but not close enough.
Now she hated him. And he wasn’t about to go and confess after all that happened at Jacob’s.
The magizoologist was utterly dismayed. Miserable. Wretched. His only reason for carrying on was his beasts.
Newt wandered over to a table in the middle of the shed and picked up a picture of him, Theseus, and their parents. Newt smiled, remembering something his father had told him as a boy.
“If you are ever lost in misery, you can get out. You got yourself in it in the first place, you can find a way out!”
Could he really get out?
The only thing that he could do to be happy again was to see Tina. The magizoologist knew that.
Then go to Tina! His mind told him.
It seemed obvious. He could explain everything to her; it had been a month, she could have forgiven him.
Suddenly, his brother burst in and came rushing down the stairs, breathing heavy.
“Newt!” He called out.
Newt came to him, wondering the reason for his late appearance.
Theseus ran towards him eagerly, yelling.
“Tina Goldstein ordered a Portkey to the Ministry!”
Newt was shocked. “When?”
“Just five minutes ago! Why it must be close to midnight in New York!” This fact seemed to have just come upon Theseus.
Newt was still shocked. The reason for the Portkey had crossed his mind, but he wasn't about to believe it yet.
“When does it arrive?”
“Any minute now!”
Newt grabbed his coat. He had to see her. It was fact at this point. Maybe that's why she had booked the Portkey; Newt wouldn’t let himself dream, though.
He ran up the stairs with Theseus and they disapparated to the Ministry.
When Newt came inside, the place was deserted. He bolted towards the Portkey office, where everyone using that form of transportation into London had to pass through. In his haste, he bumped into another passerby.
“Sorry,” He muttered.
“Newt?” The passerby whispered.
He turned and looked into the face of the person he had bumped, and clasped his hand over his mouth. He had been right about the reason for the Portkey.
It was Tina.
Tina Goldstein felt tears spring to her eyes when she saw Newt’s surprised face. They were standing some distance apart; they stared at each other in disbelief and surprise. Then, Tina dashed over to him, the tears beginning to fall, and flung herself into his arms.
He did not hesitate, immediately taking the woman he loved into his arms, almost lifting her off her feet. They felt each other’s tears on their faces. They felt as though they had been apart for years instead of only a month.
Tina broke away slightly, only to see his adorable face that was still crying. She was too, but they were tears of happiness. Tears of joy and bliss. Tina and Newt were not complete without the other’s presence.
Newt smiled, a grin of relief and elation. His salamander eyed Tina had come back. She had forgiven him. The hell he had experienced, the uncertainty and pain, it was over.
Tina, suddenly a bit nervous, started rambling to explain her return.
“I’m sorry for everything, I shouldn't have yelled, I can’t stand being away from you, I-”
“ Tina,” Newt stopped her, “It’s okay.”
She smiled, crying again. He wiped away her tears, crying more of his own.
She had come closer, a seemingly magnetic pull drawing them together. Newt took a deep breath.
They weren’t sure who had moved first, but the next thing they knew their lips were colliding with the force of a tidal wave, laying waste to everything they had ever been sure of in their life before, with the exception of one thing.
That the only thing tying them to this earth was each other, she was his anchor and he was hers.
They had no doubts any longer. They loved each other and would until the end of time. Longer than that.
Newt made a promise to himself that day. That no matter what life through at him, he would never again let the beauty and wonder that was Tina Goldstein slip away from him.
Life had given him a treasure, and he would not take it for granted.
In Tina’s mind, she made the same promise. No more hesitation, no more fear.
This wonder and treasure life had given her in the form of Newt Scamander was much too valuable to let slip through her fingers. Never again would she make that mistake.
Her heart would make sure of that.
The End