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Everyone has a soulmate, it’s just that finding them is the hard part. There are so many false hopes, first loves that end up being nothing but a disappointment. The sparks lie so many times before they are real.
The sparks. You were terrified of them, yet so excited to feel them. Ever since your mother told you about them.
The first time she felt sparks was with a boy she met at school. They brushed hands when reaching for a paper and there were sparks. They aren’t visible, not at first. They just feel like an electric tingle, like when you sit on your foot for a long time and get pins and needles. Only it’s not painful.
There were sparks every single time they touched skin, she fell in love with him. Later she would find that she only fell in love with him because she thought the sparks never lied. But they do.
The first kiss is when it’s most important. The first kiss is when the sparks are visible. You kiss your soulmate and you are surrounded by a glowing light that only you two can see. Everyone says that it feels like your floating. But your mother wouldn’t feel this, not with her first love.
The first kiss came, and there was nothing. No sparks, no fireworks, no glow. Only disappointment, followed by apologies and a saddened breakup. It wouldn’t be until seven years later that the sparks would come again.
Your mother told you how she tried to ignore them. When she shook hands with the man at the ministry. They were obvious, to both of them. There eyes locked a knowing look in there eyes. But your mother all but ran away, too afraid of being disappointed again. But he persisted. He talked to her, touched her on purpose just to feel the spark. Your mother continued to pull away, but he didn’t stop. One day he got so fed up with her that he pulled her into a kiss. And when the sparks surrounded them, and she felt that floating feeling. She stopped running, because the second time she felt the sparks, they didn’t lie. She was lucky. You had heard stories of people who had fallen so many times for people who were never meant for them.
As you grew up, you feared the sparks for this exact reason. You were so terrified that you would fall so deeply in love, only for them to find someone else that isn’t you. You were so afraid that you wouldn’t find them until you were so old that you wouldn’t be able to live your life with them. You were terrified, but you were also so, so ready. Your mother would often remind you that sometimes the sparks lied, but when you touched you true soulmate for the first time, it was different, part of you could tell, you just had to believe in them.
Sparks.
The first time was with a boy at school. You were sorted into the same house, and shook hands as you sat down. Sparks. You were so young you had no idea how to act around each other. It wasn’t until a small nervous peck under the stairs that your heart was broken for the first time.
Sparks.
The second time was during your last year at school. The boy you had crushed on for two years, that you had never spoken too. There were occasional smiles across the room. But it wasn’t until you accidentally ran into each other that it happened, the sparks. They were more intense than the first time, making you think that they were real. Your first kiss didn’t happen long after. But there was nothing, no fireworks, no sparks..
But you stayed together anyway. It was stupid really. You two knew you weren’t for each other but you rode it out, staying together until you met your soulmates. You didn’t realize it would hurt so much to part, until he met his soulmate, and you were left alone.
Sparks.
That was the last time you felt the spark. Sometimes you wondered if you would ever feel it again. Part of you didn’t want to, you didn’t want to be disappointed a third time. Sometimes you would even find yourself pulling away from peoples touch, as if one brush of skin would break your heart.
These thoughts filled your mind every time you wandered through the city. Every time you saw a couple holding hands, knowing that the person they were touching was the prefect fit for them.
You had gotten so lost in your thoughts that you found yourself stuck in the middle of a heavy group of traffic as everyone was heading home from work. You tried to move to the side, close to the building to get an easier path to walk. But as you stepped aside, you felt it. A shoulder pressed against yours, and sparks. As you steadied yourself and turned to see the person, but all you saw was a head of light curly hair and a long blue coat as the person rushed away, seemingly chasing after something.
Between the time you fought with yourself about whether or not you should chase after him and wondering why they didn’t react, you had lost sight of them. So you stood still as all of the people quickly walked by you, staring in the direction of the man, waiting, as if he would come running back. But all you saw was a sea of dark grey and black clothes, and not a single person looking as if they wanted to talk to you. So you turned and continued on your way back home, convincing yourself that maybe you didn’t feel anything at all. Maybe you were just tired after a long day of paperwork and auror meetings.
- - - - -
He felt it, he did, and he almost stopped, but Niffler was so close and he couldn’t loose sight of him again. When he finally caught him he looked back the way he came, wondering whose shoulder that was. That had been the first time since Leta Lestrange that he felt the sparks, but these ones were different, more intense, real. He dammed himself for not at least glancing back to see who it was, now he might never know.
-
You spent the rest of the night and the whole next morning thinking about that person, those sparks. Your mind was still buzzing with questions about who that could have been. You tried to convince yourself that it was no one, or at least just another false hope, but part of you just knew it wasn’t.
Newt was doing the same thing. He was so distracted that he almost fed his creatures the wrong food. He couldn’t help but wonder if he really missed the opportunity to meet him soulmate.
-
The next day, Newt began walking around the city, he wasn’t going anywhere in particular. He just felt like walking. His grey coat swayed in the wind, the cloudy skies threatening rain. Newt walked with his head hung low, occasionally looking around. Eventually he made it past the crowds and into an almost empty area of the city. But when he heard an unusual sound he stopped in his tracks. It was a cry, a scared but quiet one. He recognized it.
You decided to go for a walk. It was a cold day, but you loved the way it felt just before it rained. Not many people would be out in the area so it was the perfect time to be out. You didn’t get vary far when you heard an unusual noise, a sad scared cry, it sounded like a bird. Taking a few steps towards the noise you listened again, hearing it one more time. Walking into an alleyway you saw something moving in the shadows.
Taking out your wand you cautiously approached “Lumos” you whispered. When the alley lit up you saw it, an Augurey. It’s foot was caught in some old wires that someone threw out. When it saw you it began to try and fly away, only harming itself more. You knelt down “shhh, it’s alright, I’m not going to hurt you”. The Augurey seemed to be listening but it was still scared. You looked at it closely, it was a little smaller than normal, so it must be young. You moved slightly closer, your hands raised to show that you meant no harm.
Just as you got closer, the Augurey seemed to be willing to let you help. But just as you were about to touch it, it saw something behind you and cried out, getting nervous again. Turning swiftly you drew your wand, only to be met with another wizard pointing his wand at you.
“Oh” you muttered, not having expected it to be a wizard.
“Hello” he smiled, shocked himself.
Newt put his wand down before glancing behind you, seeing the panicked Augurey. You turned as well before leaning down again “Shh shh, it’s alright” You glanced back at him “It’s stuck”
His eyes widened slightly before taking a step closer “Can I help? It’s kind of my job. Helping magical creatures I mean” his voice was soft kind.
You nodded and he approached, helping the Augurey to understand he meant no harm. You two managed to get close enough to begin unwrapping the wires from around his feet. He had cut himself on some loose metal that someone had thrown in the dumpster. You shushed him and Newt used his magic to release him. When he was out, he hopped around, both feet injured.
Newt muttered to himself “He must have been looking for something to make his nest out of”
You reached out slowly “You’re alright”
The Augurey seemed to watch you closely before leaning into your touch, much to the surprise of both you and Newt “Augurey’s are extremely shy, I’m surprised he’s letting you touch him”
“Me too. But I find that creatures often like me” you smiled shyly at Newt, which he returned “Uh, you said that you help creatures, are you a rehabilitator?”
“Yes. Well no, I’m a magizoologist. But I do often house creatures that are hurt”
“Can you take him? Heal his feet?”
“Oh yes, definitely, but, something tells me, he trusts you more than me”
You followed his eyes down to the Augurey who had huddled closer to you. You smiled and looked back up at the man “Maybe you would accompany me? It might be easier. It’s not far, I keep all my creatures in here” he raised his hand holding a suitcase.
“A magic suitcase? How big is it on the inside?”
“As big as I need it to be”
You leaned down and met the Augureys eyes “Can I pick you up?”
The bird chirped as if agreeing. Gently you scooped him up into your arms and stood, looking at the man. “We should find somewhere where no one will find the case.”
“My apartment is just around the corner” you said.
Newt shook his head in agreement before shuffling, almost surprised “Oh, um I suppose I should introduce myself. I’m Newt Scamander”
“Newt Scamander? I’ve heard of you, I’ve read your book” you replied with a smile. He seemed to grow a light shade of red. You reached out your hand “I’m Y/n L/n”
He reached out, and just as your hands touched you both jerked back in surprise, a small chirp coming from the Augurey. You stared at each other. You had never felt sparks like that. They were almost painful. It was similar to what you felt the day before. As you stared at each other in silence, your mind went back to yesterday. Short light curly hair. It was him wasn’t it. “Um..yesterday…did you happen to bump into someone and-”
“Yes” he answered quickly “Yes, I did” he shuffled “I didn’t turn to look though, I was chasing a Niffler”
“Oh, I was wondering why…”
You two stared at each other for another moment, when from your arms the Augurey began to sing. The sound was sad, mournful, and it sent chills down your spine. Newt cleared his throat, his voice came out soft “You know people use to think that the Augurey’s song meant that someone was about to die, but in reality it means-”
“It’s about to rain” you met his eyes with a smile
Newt smiled at you “Yes, exactly”
Just then, you felt a drop of water land on the top of your head. Looking up, you could see the rain begin falling down, but before it hit you, Newt created an umbrella from his wand and held it over you. Looking back down at him, he was a little closer, a little more red than before. He cleared his throat “Should we go?”
“Oh, yes” you began walking slowly out of the alley, wrapping your coat around the Augurey so no one would see him. You and Newt kept glancing at each other, and when your shoulders brushed and you felt the spark you let out a small chuckle “I don’t think I’ve ever felt them so intense”
Newt stared down at his feet, before looking over at you “Me either”.
As you made your way back to your home, you knew. It was just like your mother said. The sparks would be different when it was real. And it was, they were real, you found yourself believing in the sparks more than before. You knew they were real, and you weren’t afraid of them anymore.