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Persephone liked working at the Animal Rescue Center. Yes, it was far cry from sneaking into her Uncle Newt's suitcase, but it was still helping the beautiful beings overcome human cruelty. There was nothing more rewarding than earning their trust and seeing them start enjoying their life once more.
Besides, she reasoned, it was good training. Next year, she would legally be an adult, have her wand, and so, she would be permitted to go with her uncle on his expeditions. This year, he was finalising the 10th edition of his book as it were, anyway.
She had expected her summer to be slow going. What with her father busy in his bakery and her mum, uncle and aunty trespassing Europe. Instead, she found herself enjoying Luke's company and generosity. She met him on her lunch break and they hit it right off the bat.
They went to the theatre every other week, and they had been to the zoo, too. It was just a summer romance. She made sure he knew that but he insisted going alone was no fun and money were meant for spending not hoarding.
Still, as she sat at the beach bar on Coney Island with him on the 10th of August telling him that she would be going to San Francisco for a week on Saturday, she felt pretty bad about it. They had spent their evenings together for over a month now and more often than not also their lunches and her free Wednesdays.
And now she wouldn't see him for over a week and then after another ten days she would disappear to her magical boarding school and they wouldn't be really able to stay in touch. She wasn't sure she would be able to deal with it. Although her NEWTS would probably make her forget to write home, let alone worry about Luke. No matter how wonderfully kind and handsome her Luke was.
Luke didn't seem too bothered when she told him she would spend her birthday tomorrow celebrating with her family despite the fact they spent the last five Wednesdays together. He just smiled at her and told her to enjoy herself. It might have been because he knew she would be with her family already.
She blushed, sipping on her drink. It had been embarrassing when they both had the same spontaneous idea to get snacks for their trip from the best bakery in NY. Luke came in just as her father told her about the family plans. She had introduced him as a good friend and tried to shrug off her father's knowing look.
When she later drew him for a heated goodnight kiss, he told her — still a bit breathless from their snog — to enjoy her birthday and that he will have her present ready by the time she returned from San Francisco. He also said that he would have it ready tomorrow had she told him sooner that the reason she wouldn't be spending the 11th of August with him was a birthday celebration,
And then he smiled and snogged her once more.
"I'll see you the Monday after your trip at 11:00?"
"That would be perfect."
"I hope you'll enjoy your trip."
"Well, I shall; there's never a boring moment with my uncle."
"He sounds like a good man."
"He's the best."
"Oh? What would your father say if he heard you?"
"Probably agree. It's thanks to uncle Newt he met mum and could start his bakery after all."
"Really? That sounds like quite a story."
"The best kind."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes."
"You'll have to tell me then."
"Maybe on Monday."
They shared a sweet slow kiss before she opened the door and started the climb to the flat. As she reached the first landing she wondered about what she just said. And started to fervently hope that he'll forget about the story because she really did not want to mess with the Statute of Secrecy. Soon enough, she was caught up in greetings and trying to keep her mum out of her head.
Her celebration the next day was noisy, magical, and mouth-watering as her mum tried to outdo her dad who tried to outdo himself because it isn't every day one's daughter turns seventeen.
Of course, the trip was a whirlwind tour with only one boring evening spent on a gala. How she missed Luke then. Her wonderful Luke would whisper the most wonderfully scandalous things to her in that deep silky voice of his while smiling politely.
Maybe he would even sweep her on the dance floor. Yes, the gala might have been fun if she could spend it gazing into his blue-grey eyes and on his perfectly shaped mouth.
So, even though she had a lot of fun, she dashed out of the flat half an hour earlier to her uncle's bemusement. She was lucky mum had decided to accompany her dad to work or she wouldn't hear the end of it.
Half an hour later she had her tongue in that mouth that tasted like lemonade, her body pressed against his firm muscular form, and her hands tangled in his silky dark brown almost black locks.
When they came out for air, he ushered her to his car.
"Where are we going?" she asked, setting herself on the passenger seat of his cabriolet.
"You'll see."
"And am I appropriately clothed for it?"
"But of course."
Persephone snorted, doubtfully eying her light blue short dress.
"How was San Francisco?"
"Well, mostly amazing. Apart from that gala, I had to attend because it would be rude not to go. I mean, it was alright for others but I was bored to death going without you. I couldn't even escape these boorish social-climbers to dance-floor as I would have to go dancing with one of them."
"Aah, should I take you dancing this eve then?"
"Only if it would be Latin dances."
"It is a deal then," he smiled and parked the car.
He gave her a peck on a cheek and before she could say anything else he was standing on her other side giving her a hand.
"I am going to blindfold you as to not spoil the surprise," he told her. She vaguely recognised her surroundings as not too far from Bronx ZOO.
She nodded her acceptance and he took a red silk tie from his pocket.
"Isn't it too tight?"
"No"
He hooked his elbow around hers and took hold of her hand.
"Let's go then, milady. Your birthday present awaits you."
She giggled and let him lead her to some nearby building and downstairs where it smelled like water and chlorine and animals.
He let go of her hand and moved behind her undoing the blindfold. She blinked at the glorious sight before her. There was an enormous aquarium with a single silver fish. Despite Persephone's vast knowledge of all that spoke no human language it was the first time she saw this creature live on.
It was a big fish with pink-tinted fins which meant it was female. The ramora's silver scales gleamed in the sunlight coming from above. She was magnificent.
"Luke" whispered Persephone voice tight. She was overwhelmed, never in her wildest dreams—
"I know, you are magical and I know you said this was only summer romance but— "
She blinked. The ramora was a healthy thing. Its eyes alert scales gleaming but for a moment she thought she saw its eyes dull, the scales without their shine and the gorgeous curves of its body deform with malnourishment. For a moment she saw it in the pitiful state many creatures her uncle Newt first rescued were in. In the same state, some of the creatures arriving at the Centre were in.
The ramoras were very magical and very protected. And not much was known about them. Even best meaning men would probably end up mistreating it considering Persephone herself had no idea what ramoras eat.
She whirled around and slapped him. Hard. Then she fled to the closest phone and called MACUSA.
She wasn't sure how she felt when Mark, aunt Tina's colleague that babysat her a few times, showed up and arrested Luke. She just couldn't reconcile that her sweet Luke was a damn smuggler. A man, willing to cage something that, was always meant to be free. In the end, she decided she should have slapped him harder.