Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Leaving the rest of the people on the bridge behind, Newt had held out the free arm to Catherine just moments after Dumbledore had apparated to some unknown location. When Dumbledore had offered them tea while they talked over the blood pact and her issue, she had assumed they would have walked inside. Part of her had even been excited by the idea of it, getting to see the inside of such a grand school that Newt had told so much about. When he had offered her arm, she knew they would be skipping all of that and simply apparate inside of the building. She did have to admit, the ability to do so had felt so incredibly useful. To be able to be in one place and able to teleport to a completely different place within an instant. Grabbing hold of his offered arm, the two of them twisted leaving the end of the bridge and reappeared somewhere deep within the castle itself.

Lighting up the room, curtainless windows stretched from the front of what she presumed to be a classroom to the very back. Along the walls, chairs and tables stacked on one another to a height that seemed almost impossible. Tucked away in little corners, other baubles and knicknacks sat neatly kept, drawers stacked with microscopes and other beakers. Behind the small simple wooden desk that held a couple stacks of thin colored books, a singular large microscope sat near the edge of a white marbled staircase that twisted to a higher level where a singular door sat alone. With a swish of Dumbledore’s hand, the eraser on the bottom of the green chalkboard just in front of the stairs swiftly began erasing chalk drawn lesson plans from their classes that day. Hoping to catch even the slightest hint at what either he might teach, or what had been taught that evening, Catherine leaned only to find the remnants of what had once been there, something far above her own understanding that had only confused her all the more.

“The students had been touching up on their dueling skills this evening,” Dumbledore chuckled as he leaned against the wooden desk. “The notes on the board were newer techniques for them to try if they were ever curious.” Dumbledore turned to face Newt after noticing her avid curiosity. “I am sorry if I had assumed incorrectly, I had believed her to be a witch as well, especially seeing how she reacted so easily with Apparition. Is she a muggle?”

“I was raised as one,” Catherine stepped towards the glass shelf of countless different glass baubles and nicknacks, her hands traced the edge of the metallic leaf design that clung to the case. “Technically, I am half blood.”

Dumbledore chuckled awkwardly as if trying to piece the puzzle together. “She was what?”

Half turning, she removed her hand from the case. “This is what we had hoped to talk to you about, that you might be able to help with.”

Blinking, he slowly nodded before giving his hand a quick flourish in the air. Out from the closed off room above, a beautifully designed tea kettle already steaming and four different small cups drifted into the room and settled themselves on the smaller table to the side of the desk, after the cups had drifted in a singular cup that once gotten closer to them revealed itself to be a small cup of milk set itself on the desk beside him. Opening his trenchcoat Newt allowed the Niffler to leap out and onto the table to drink. Only to completely ignore the cup of milk that had been laid out for him but instead leap into the air attempting to snatch the enchanted spoons that began stirring one of the cups of tea.

“So as you have said Miss Baldwin, you are a half blood witch, but had been raised a muggle?” He looked to her curiously ensuring he had heard her correctly.

“Yes,” Catherine nodded. Walking over towards the two empty cups remaining, she reached for one of them allowing the kettle to slowly pour the sweetly scented tea into her cup. “Until just a few days ago, I had believed to be what Newt had later explained to be a muggle with some sort of issue that had affected my health on numerous occasions.”

Dumbledore’s eyes turned to Newt who shook his head. “She isn’t an obscurial no.”

“Truly?” Dumbledore marveled.

“As true as one can be.” Catherine gestured to herself with her free hand. Taking a sip of the tea she hummed with delight, the warmth spread across her chest and down to her stomach warming the remaining parts of her body. It had been a while since she had good tea. “I still had the aching that my body had felt after any sort of emotional outbursts, sometimes I had slept for days if it had gotten too bad. Or at least that's what my aunt and father had told me all the time growing up.”

“But how?”

“Grindelwald,” Catherine replied as a matter of factly. “According to my mother, the two of them had met, she had spoken about her concerns about the Macusa seeing as my father had been a muggle. In exchange for her loyalty, he hid me away from the magical world until the trace was removed.”

The man half laughed as he shook his head, his eyes wandering off to a memory far beyond their sight. “No surprise there,” Dumbledore somberly smiled. “Even when we were young he showed such immense prowess with his magic. It’s no surprise that it has only gotten stronger. I presume you met your mother while the group of you were in Paris?”

“Yes,” Catherine nodded.

From there she had explained everything she had spoken about with her mother, the frustration she had felt, the desperation. After such she had pushed farther back explaining all of the things she had been made to experience throughout her childhood, the effect it had on her mind in the growing years, the complications it had given her. How insane she had felt most days, that others had looked at her oddly, confused by what she had claimed to see or experience. Before she had realised, without holding anything back after only just meeting this man properly for the first time, she had opened the bag of where she had stashed away all of the frustrations, her experiences, just simply everything and laid it all out for him to see. Not once had he interrupted, merely listened, taking in every word. As sad as his eyes had seemed talking about Grindelwald, there had been a kindness to them, not only the look in his eyes but the way he calmly spoke, the encouragement in his words and offering had been a gentle assurance as to his character. If Newt could trust this man with this information, about the blood pact item, then surely she too could trust him, or at least learn to do so. While she might have shared a decent bit with the others, speaking with him had felt different, she couldn’t help but share it all, her emotions, thoughts on the matter, just everything.

After what seemed like endless rambling, the three of them sat in breathless silence. Holding the cup out in front of him, Dumbledore softly hummed to himself, his expression deep in thought as everything processed. To her side, she had caught the brief moment of Newt’s eyes carefully watching, it hadn’t been the first time either during the conversation. There had been countless times she had watched his hand twitch in her direction only to be pulled back in on himself, as if he had forced himself against the idea of it.

“I’m sorry to hear about your mother, I can see that her choice to remain loyal to him has scorned you in some way. Gellert Grindelwald is firstly known as an incredibly powerful wizard, one who only I am capable of matching in strength. Secondly, for his capabilities of being able to pull anyone to his cause, to be able to push his way into the mind of those hurting, to give them a sense of purpose and that if they follow him, that everything they could ever dream of could be possible. He had almost pulled me to follow him all those years ago.”

“What stopped you?” Catherine asked.

Dumbledore paused for a brief moment, his hands gripped the sides of the cup as he narrowed his eyebrows in sadness. Shaking away the saddened expression, Dumbledore’s warm smile returned. “We had our differences.”

“You make it seem as if the two of you were close.” Catherine quickly paled before aggressively waving her hands. “I apologize if I am prying.” The last thing she had wanted was to insult the man.

Chuckling softly, he shook his head. “You aren’t. Though you are correct, the two of us were close. As close as two could be. We had grown up together, almost inseparable until we had been.”

“I’m sorry,” Catherine winced. As much as her curiosity begged for her to push for more answers, she had felt it better to not delve any further into the memories of not only someone she hardly knew, but into matters she had no proper understanding of.

“No need,” he waved dismissively. “Sometimes relationships must end for the betterment of the people. I had only wished I had acted sooner is all.” he sighed “I do believe though that the Ministry will get involved, if they haven’t found out now, they will eventually.”

“We’ve already spoken to Theseus about it,” Newt interjected. “We know that it’ll eventually get to the Ministry, it’s just a matter of what might happen once it does. Even without her trace, there have been too many that have recently come to know about her. Too many she has explained her story to. I doubt they’ll sit quietly for too long once this reaches their ears.”

Nodding in agreement, Dumbledore sets down the cup he had been holding in his hand, placing his hands deep into his pockets he continues, “If Theseus does not get to them first, then someone will eventually slip up and word will get out. As terrifying as this sounds, it would be best that we seek them out before too long if he does not speak with them. If we try to avoid them, they might see that as you trying to avoid punishment, that you are guilty of something.

“Will they lock me up?” Catherine slowly asked, the fear of the realization what might happen if they ever did get their hands on her crept into her mind. Her mother had been right, as much as she professed to know about the magical world, there had been so much she had been left in the dark about. There was no way for her to know how they worked, what they would do when controlled by anger and paranoia. As the anxiety on the thoughts of the matter rose exponentially, a quick buzzing coursed through her veins in an intense rush that she had been unable to rein in causing the glass case beside her to crack ever so slightly.

“Catherine,” Newt swiftly closed the distance. He had yet to take any of the tea he had been offered, with the case on the floor he reached out and grabbed the hand that had flinched from the cracked case.

As quickly as the anxiety had overwhelmed her, within an instant, it had washed away pulling her mind back to the room she had just been standing in. Before she could properly react to the hand that had been around hers, Newt awkwardly pulled his hand away, his gaze averted from hers as the tips of his ears grew crimson. Baffled by the sudden touch, she had turned her gaze to him which had only pushed him to look even further away, directing his attention elsewhere. In the corner of her eye, she watched as Dumbledore chuckled amusedly, his eyes sparking with delight.

Tapping on the desk beside them to bring their attention back, he raised his hand. “As much as some would feel more inclined to that idea, no harm will come to you. That much I assure you. Not just myself but others as well.” He lazily gestured to the man beside her.

Clearing her throat, she nods, “Theseus had also assured us that he would do what he could to help, then there is Tina who is a head Auror, surely she’d be able to help as well.”

“Possibly, seeing as you were born in New York, the Macusa will more than likely be intervening in the matter.” Dumbledore bobbed his head from side to side. “It is quite possible they will question you, to try and pick around your mind to see if you might know anything. You will need to give a testament, defend your innocence.”

“But I don’t, or at least anything that would be of any use to them.” She narrowed her eyes confused. What more could they pull from her mind other than what she might have already told her?

“They are frightened, Grindelwald has been able to undermine them time and time again. And this time he has now disappeared to who knows where with an overwhelmingly large following, causing the Ministry to look in a way that benefits him.” Dumbledore raised his hands. “If they believe that there is a way they could somehow get some sort of information that’ll get the upper hand on him, they will do so. Currently as they are, there are too many led by their anger and misjudgement.”

“If it comes to that, that they send for me, question me for hours on end, do whatever they can to scour through every conversation and memory I have of the night my mother made the deal with him, what we had experienced, what I have experienced.” Catherine paused, her chin lifted high. As much as the idea terrified her, she swallowed down the fear. She needed to regain the reigns she had originally over her emotions. “Is there something that you can do? Anything?”

“I know I have asked a lot of you,” Newt shuffled forward, his gaze no longer turned to the floor. “You have helped me in more ways than I could count.” His voice drifted off into a silent question.

“I do so because I know that I can trust you, that I can rely on you, Mr. Scamander. You have remained ever loyal and true to your own self. You needn’t apologize for asking this of me. I will try to do what I can, speak on your behalf if I am able. Though if they do not allow me, there is something that you could suggest to the Ministry and Macusa.”

“What do you propose?”

“That you learn,” Dumbledore gestured to the room around them. “What they will fear the most is someone like you who has lived for so long without learning how to control your magical power. You can tell them that you can keep it contained, smother it into silence. But their fear will only cause them to believe otherwise. Surely you have it under control now, but what of later? What happens when the unthinkable happens and you ultimately explode with magical power causing unknowable damage to not only our secrecy but to countless innocent people. They won’t want to risk that possibility if it means they can snip it here and now.”

Catherine paled.

“But if you can entice them with the idea that you could learn how to control it, even recommend that someone on their end come to evaluate how well you have gotten then that might make things go our way.” Dumbledore continued.

“Where would I even learn? Here?” Catherine confusedly looked around.

“Oh, Godrick no.” He shook his head. “This school is a place for children to learn. It would take too long. Also there is the issue with how long you have lived without casting any sort of magic, in the beginning your lessons will be rather explosive.” he chuckled. “Doing it here would be too much of a risk. Plus, if I had to guess, they’ll give you a time limit that will be too short for you to take courses here. It’d be better if you had a place to learn out there, that way you won’t have the time restraints and have the ability to learn at a much faster pace.”

“Where else could I learn?”

“There is someone you know that is quite capable,” Dumbledore amusedly turned to look at Newt. “As shy as he was in school, he was an excellent student of mine. Though I will not make the suggestion without asking your opinion on the matter.”

Newt blinked, processing the suggestion Dumbledore had laid out before him. “I have my creatures to care for even with Bunty’s help, so the pace wouldn’t be incredibly fast, but decent enough.” He pondered out loud.

“Even if you did teach me, where am I going to stay?” Catherine turned to him. “Without a job, I’m going to lose my apartment. I mean, I could get somewhere smaller, get a part time job that would be able to cover that so that I still have time to come to my lessons, but who knows how long that might take. That’s if I can obtain a job before I am unable to pay rent within the next two months.”

“You could stay with me.” Newt blinked as if the answer had been so simple. Feeling the heat of his cheeks as they turned crimson, eyes widening at the realization, Newt stumbled over his words. “I-i mean, there is a room in the upstairs part of my home that has been unused for years. I have always slept in a portion of my basement I have created to be closer to my creatures, it was easier that way honestly.”

Catherine hardly heard anything that had come out of that man’s mouth. For she too had turned a dark crimson, her mind suddenly stopping and any form of thought had dropped off the side of the earth. He had offered so casually for her to live in the same building that he had lived in. Even being his assistant, Bunty hadn’t lived with him, she had a place of her own. Yet here, he had asked her something so large, something people would deem scandalous, so casually. As much as her heart had raced at the idea, at the forwardness of the idea, she did have to admit, the idea of it had sounded rather lovely. She wouldn’t have to worry about leaving London. She would get to see Yow at any point in time that she preferred. Most of all, she wouldn’t have to sacrifice any chances of getting to see Newt. The two of them had spent countless hours with one another back when she had worked. If she had taken the offer and lived in the abandoned bedroom upstairs, they would no longer be restricted by the need for her to head home before returning to work the next morning. Not only that, he would be the one teaching her, helping her harness her own magic. She would get to see him more often. Her heart fluttered at the thought.

Behind them, Dumbledore grinned, his smile just barely peaking over the cup of his tea he had recently lifted to drink once more.

“You don’t need to if you don’t want to,” Newt fumbled, desperate to reign in everything he had just said. “I could talk with Bunty and see if she would be fine with you staying with her, there’s also New York, we could see if Jacob would be able to give you a job, it might make the lessons more difficult but..” Newt’s voice ran silent, his hands fumbled over one another as the shakes in his hands grew.

Clearing his throat, the two of them whirl to look at the man whose grin had only widened.

“Either way, I will see what I can do with the Aurors I know back at the Ministry. Once I receive any word of the date of your hearing, I will send you an owl on the news.” Dumbledore, as amused as he had been at the spectacle before him, reigned the conversation back in.

Clearing her throat, she tightly clasped onto the hem of her pants. “That would be incredibly appreciated.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to help too much in the hearing once it does happen,” he apologetically half looked towards Catherine, the crimson on his face and tips of his ears slowly lessening.

“No,” Dumbledore agreed. “Even if you had offered, they’d use it as an excuse to turn you into an Auror. With something as important as this, they will keep it tight lipped and with only Aurors of either Ministry of their own choosing. Though you needn’t worry Mr. Scamander, the plan we have now is more than enough. Do not lose hope, I believe that this will all be over before we know it. Once they approve, You’ll be free to learn magic and obtain your very own wand Miss Baldwin.”

Catherine beamed excitedly at the idea.

“If during any of your training, may it be while Mr. Scamander is away or it is something he might not be able to answer, feel free to send an owl my way. Or,” Dumbledore paused before flicking his hand to the side causing a drawer from his desk to open revealing countless sheets of small pieces of paper that set themselves on the corner of his desk in a neat pile. “If you would prefer swifter answers, then use these sheets of paper. They are enchanted, that once finished and folded in half they disappear and reappear to the person of choice. Not too many of these papers these days.”

“Are you sure,” Catherine blinked. “If there aren’t too many currently, shouldn’t you save them for something incredibly important or life threatening?”

“I’ve held onto these for years, I find it is time to finally use them.” He shook his head.

“Thank you,” Catherine sputtered. “Thank you again for being so willing to help when we have only just met recently.”

“If Newt trusts you, then so shall I.” Dumbledore smiles softly.

With the matters concerning her inevitable meeting with perhaps both Macusa and Ministry, the two of them had been locked deep in conversation about the blood pact item Newt had briefly shown him. He had been true in what it was, by the look on Newt's face, blood pacts were nothing to just push idly by. Currently as it was, there wasn’t much that Dumbledore knew could destroy the item, something that had been put into place for the very same reason the group of them huddled together. Even back then Grindelwald had planned for the potentiality that Dumbledore might betray him, or perhaps it had been a thought between the two of them; that if either would descend, they would not be able to harm one another, protecting one another until the very end. He would need time, something they could freely give. With the idea of where Grindelwald's whereabouts a mystery, they had all been brought back to square one.

 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

 

Once apparited back at the front entrance of the castle, Newt stiffly halted. “Is something the matter?” Slowly turning just a few steps ahead of him, Catherine tilted her head curiously.

“You needn’t stay at my place if you don’t wish to. I just,” he sighed frustratingly. “I don’t want to come off as too forward with you. If you do accept, then I assure you that I would avoid the portion of the house where you sleep, even more so if you need to shower or…” His voice began to trail off.

Honestly she had yet to fully think of a response to his offer. Any time that she had tried during the rest of their conversation, her mind had frozen up and she could feel the heat spill over her cheeks as she flushed. This had been something she had thought of perhaps happening in the far future if he had returned her feelings, long after the two had spent a good enough time together as just a couple. She watched him as he clenched his hands into tight fists, his eyes averted elsewhere, he had been so nervous back in the room, seeing him now it had seemed the nerves had not lessened, perhaps worsened the further he tried to find the right words to say only to fumble over them. Pushing away the nervous lump in her throat, she fully turned to face the man and closed the distance.

“You needn’t worry about me feeling as though you’re being too forward.” The nerves had pushed from her throat and now to her lungs, her chest tightening. Tapping the side of her leg to ease the anxiety of it all she let out a slow and evened breath. “And I trust that you’d keep to your word. During all of our time so far together, you have shown time and time again just how capable you are of doing so. Which is why,” she paused, forcing the racing in her mind to cease. “I wish to accept the offer you have given me.”

Perking his head up from looking down towards the ground, Newt’s eyes stared with disbelief. The two of them stood there on the bridge, the wind howling from the height they had stood, the breeze pushing past them through small gusts. The world around her in that moment stilled, the two of them remained silent, their eyes on one another. As brief as it had been in that moment, Catherine drank in every second of it. She would have time to see him again, this wouldn’t be the last time she’d ever get to see his face. The curve of his face, the tuft of hair that dangled over his hair billowing in the breeze, the unsure look in his eyes as he watched. Within that instant, she had considered throwing all of her nerves away that had stopped her before, to finally admit how she had felt about him. Now that she had fully come to terms with her affection for the man, it had become painfully obvious just how long she had those feelings and just when they had developed. How long she had looked away from the fluttering in her chest just being near him. An action she had been all too used to, scared to grow any closer to people knowing she would leave one day.

Catherine watched as the disbelief slowly ebbed away, his eyes returning to the same hesitant look as he turned to look down towards the ground before returning to look back at her, his mouth opening to say something before pulling himself back. “Newt?” Catherine carefully called out to him, her hand reaching out for him.

His eyes turned to the offered hand. “I’ve never been good with words, even as a child. I’m absolutely horrid with them. It’s why I prefer my creatures.” He half laughed.

Catherine raised her eyebrows in surprise. In her time with him, she had seen more moments of confidence in his voice when speaking to those around her. Or perhaps it had been due to the fact he had felt more comfortable around them. “You speak perfectly fine around Jacob, or even Dumbledore and Tina. I feel you cut yourself too short in that regard Newt.”

“No,” he shook his head smiling. “I don’t think I am. With Jacob, it’s different because he and I are friends, same as the others. You included. Though currently I am having a difficult time having the right words to say.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m worried you’ll run or think less of me.” He admitted.

“I just told you that I would accept your offer to live in the same building as you, I’m not going to run.” Catherine took a step closer. “There’s nothing that you could say that could ever make me think less of you. I promise.”

Nodding in acceptance, he shuffled his feet, eyes still on the ground beside him. She wouldn’t force him to look at her as he told her what he struggled to say, nor would she ever in her entire lifetime if she could help it. Looking over towards the crowd that stood still patiently waiting, she turned back to Newt. The others could wait a little longer.

After several minutes of silence, Newt finally spoke. “You are precious to me Catherine, you have been for a while now. I would have told you sooner, I truly wanted to. It just never felt like the right time to. Either you had been going through so much or matters had gotten too complex.”

As the words left his lips, Catherine’s body stiffened and her breath hitched, his confession catching her entirely off guard, throwing her mind into a loop.

“Perhaps not long after we met now that I think about it.” Newt continued. “I adore your gentleness, the curve of your eyes that are always filled with such wonder.” He pauses, his hands tightening as he fights the shaking nerves. “The scrunch in your nose whenever you get engrossed in your books. The adoration you hold for my creature, instead of fear you have only asked to know more.” His eyes flicked to hers momentarily. “I had attempted to talk to Jacob, to get advice. He made an effort to remind me again not to compare you to any sort of Magical creature.” His eyes returned to her once more, an amused glimmer in his eye. A silent recall to the night they had shared together before she had run after her mother.

“As much as Jacob might advise against it,” Catherine smiled in acknowledgement to the look, her chest filled with an overwhelming sense of happiness. She had always assumed he hadn’t felt the same way, that he might not return her own feelings. “But I found it quite cute.” Lifting his head, Newt silently waits, his expression softening as a full smile spreads across his face. “It’s who you are, other women would have to be a fool to find you simply being yourself to be odd enough they’d turn you away. I've always admired your honesty and the way you think. When you had compared me to Antipodean Opaleye I never saw an issue with it, much like I told you back then. Nor do I still.” Now it was her turn. “I have been wanting to tell you something as well, though I only realized how I felt on the matter just recently. So you’ve beat me in that regard.” The two of them chuckled. “I have come to care for you quite a bit, Newt Scamander. Honestly I had begun to have these feelings midway through our first three months we had spent together. I had only pushed against the possibility either due to me believing it hadn’t been anything romantic, but also due to my goal to find my mother and what had been the cause behind everything.”

The date with her co-worker had been for entirely different reasons back then. Sure, there had been the tempting idea placed by the female co-workers that it might turn into something, or the countless others to simply entertain the simple possibility of such an idea. When so many had gone wrong, she had thrown out the idea all together. That was until her feelings for him hadn’t gone away and merely continued with a fervent force.

“Now that my goals have expanded, allowing me to find more of myself. I had hoped that perhaps you might be willing to join me in that journey?” Catherine slowly asked. She had anticipated the tightness in her throat to return as she finally spoke the words into existence. For the anxiety to swell back up and cause her nerves to go haywire. Instead there had only been pure bliss.

His smile had brightened hearing her words, a light flaring up within his eyes.

From then, the two made their way back to the group that waited ever so patiently at the end, perhaps a little closer than they had in the beginning.

 

a/n: Dumbledore over here enjoying his romance telenovela xD

Chapter Text

“Thank you for bringing me back,” Jacob somberly sighed as he turned to face the closed bakery shop before them. It had only been a few days after the events of Parsis, yet Jacob seemed to have aged decades, the bags under his eyes worsening and the darkness growing harsher against his complexion. His voice had sounded so very weak, his movements devoid of the energetic personality the man held the day she had met them.

 

Watching from a short distance, Catherine turned to look towards Newt who only stood in uneasy silence. Even as they had returned from the school, the two had hardly spoken, only enough for Jacob to request that he be brought home. The man who had been so full of life and a burning desire to bring back the woman he loved had been a distant memory of the shell he had become. Lightly tapping the side of his arm, Catherine pushed him forward. It had hurt to see them like this, Jacob so defeated and Newt so unsure of what to say to his hurting friend, the one he had told her that he had the easiest time talking to. She could see why, it was obvious to see how much he had been hurting, she could see the fear in Newt's eyes as he hesitated, unsure if any more words might hurt the man. The desire to give him his space. The two of them looked at one another, his head shaking at her encouragement as he took a singular step back. Letting out a slow huff, she tugged on his arm once again. Purely for the sake of one last goodbye if it would be such for the next however long it would take. Newt’s eyes turned back to hers again, measuring her suggestion, the worth of it.

“Jacob..” Newt finally spoke up.

Halting with his arm midway in the air, the keys to the door of his shop dangling in his hand as he waited for a brief moment. “I know you have good intentions Newt, you always do.” Jacob tiredly sighed. “But I’m tired, Newt. I can’t do this anymore.” The man half looked over his shoulder, eyes rimmed red from the tears he had wept for Queenie. “I don’t think I can handle all that comes with your world. I’m not as great as you all are.”

Narrowing his eyebrows at the comment his dearest friend had spoken about himself, Newt strode forward. “That is a lie, you’ve been an excellent help Jacob. You always have.”

“How have I helped? By running around like a bumbling fool the entire time? I’m not special like you are. I don’t fit in the world you live in.” Jacob kept his back to them.

“Yes you do,” Newt argued, the crease in his eyes dipped further as he attempted to reign his friend back in. “You have mattered in every regard.”

“You know,” Jacob laughed sardonically, “There had been the hope that everything would turn out wonderful. I had my shop, the girl I loved back in my life, the world I had been so sad to lose returned back to me.” With the half turn of his head that he had kept, the softest hint of a smile that never reached his eyes peaked out. “I was a fool to think it would truly last.”

“Jacob..” It had been Catherine’s turn to step forward. “We can get her back, Queenie, it’ll take some time, but-”

“No Catherine,” Jacob shook his head, interrupting her desperate plea. “I can’t do what you did all those years, search so desperately, to deal with disappointment after disappointment as if it were nothin’. Just water off a duck’s back. I’m not like you. I can’t shut off my emotions and push them away. I can’t keep chasing after that woman knowing there’s a chance that I'm going to get hurt all over again. I can’t risk that.” Placing the key into the lock he continued. “I need to get away from all of this, the magic, the people..” he paused, his shoulders beginning to shake. “I just need to get away from it all..”

“Jacob.” Newt hoarsely called out towards his friend.

“I’m sorry Newt. Bringing me back into this world of yours, it was a mistake.” Without turning to see the expressions on their faces, Jacob had opened the door to his shop and closed it behind him. The closed shades of the windows left down blocking them from seeing their friend any further.

 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

 

Not one moment after the two of them had apparated into Newt’s home after taking a portkey back to London, a loud neverending yowl echoed loudly from the basement, the sound growing closer by the second. Stumbling up the steps, their claws scratching against the tile of the kitchen flooring, their feet stumbling underneath them from the sudden change of material of the floor Yow leapt forward. Laughing, Catherine held out her arms barely standing after the thud of heavy weight against her body from the Matagot clinging to her body, the bright blue eyes blinking wildly as it yowled excitedly at her return. To her side, Newt laughed alongside her as she lowered herself down towards the ground to sit, allowing the Matagot to further crawl into her lap closing in any bit of space between the two.

“I missed you too Yow,” Catherine laughed as she tightly held the Matagot to her chest.

“He’s been howling since you left for some reason.” Bunty chuckled as she made her way up the final stretch of the steps. “I see you have returned from Paris,” she looked around the room, her eyes momentarily paused on Catherine, confused by her appearance alongside Newt during the same time he had apparated back. “I suppose Jacob was brought back to New York.”

“He was yes,” Newt softly nodded, his amused smile watching Catherine still sitting on the floor with a content Yow laying in her lap remained. “How have the creatures been?”

“They’ve been just fine. The niffler babies did escape a couple times while you were away, but I believe I’ve found a new way to keep them from escaping.” Bunty rambled. After a brief moment of silence, Bunty’s eyes widened and she hurried into the living room, “Word about Paris is spreading by the way, about Grindelwald’s return and his talk. And the Ministry attacking someone?” She raised a confused eyebrow towards them.

“A lot happened in a short bit of time,” Catherine let out a nervous chuckle.

“You went with him I presume?” Bunty confusedly asked. “I had thought you were at home all this time? That he took you there before leaving. He said he’d do as much before sending me home.”

“It had been a last minute change of plans,” She winced. “Bringing me along hadn’t been part of the plan.”

Sighing, Bunty shook her head before turning a head back to the basement below them. “I’m glad to see you’ve returned safely. Were you able to find any traces of your mother?”

Gently pushing Yow off of her lap, Catherine pushed herself back up. Beside her, Yow had silently sat, his big eyes looking at each and every one of them. “Actually,” Catherine paused momentarily to look down at the creature. “I was able to do one better, I had found her, spoke to her even.”

“Truly?” Bunty’s eyes lit up excitedly. She had known just how much it had meant to her.

“Truly,” Catherine smiled in turn, though her smile quickly faltered. “Though it hadn’t turned out as intended.”

“Goodnes, what happened?” Bunty turned to Newt.

“Well you’re aware of how things happened in Paris, to add to it, my mother has been gone all these years due to being a loyal follower of Grindelwald.” Telling Bunty hadn’t felt like an issue, she knew the woman would keep it a secret. They wouldn’t have to worry about her blabbering on about it while they waited for her trial date, she could be trusted.

“Merlin’s beard,” Bunty let out a gasp. “I’m sorry, so does that mean she’s a Witch then?”

“She is yes,” Catherine dismissed her. “And there’s no need, It merely means the game of search begins once more.”

“But what about your predicament? Didn’t you say you got fired from your job? You had been stretched halfway up to Sunday with the amount of stress you had about the situation.”

“Catherine will be staying here,” Newt cleared his throat. “In the spare room upstairs. She’ll need a place to stay while waiting for the impending trial with the Ministry and for her to learn magic.”

“She’ll be staying here?” Bunty quietly asked. “What do you mean the trial with the Ministry?”

“They’ll be wanting to know about me soon enough, how I was able to evade them for so long. Probably to see if I am a cause for concern or not honestly,” Catherine half laughed. “We had spoken with Dumbledore, he had suggested we ask the Ministry that I learn magic, to lessen the odd occurrences I’ve been having.”

“That’s what they’ve been?” Bunty curiously asked. “Just fits of magic?”

“Seems so,” Catherine nodded. “If we can get them to agree, then Newt plans on helping me learn. If not, then I suppose I’ll have to figure out some other plan.” She chuckled. “And if they don’t,” Catherine paused. “Then I suppose I’ll have to figure out some other plans, find my grandparents I suppose?”

“I doubt they’ll deny it,” Newt shook his head. “They’d be too concerned about what might happen if they don’t.”

“Yes,” Catherine agreed. “But I’d rather still plan for the possibility that they might. To plan for as many outcomes as I can.”

“You needn’t have to.” he blinked. “I gave you the offer back then, it’ll still stand if they say no. It’s not as if we can’t persuade them at a later date if they say no now.”

Off to the side, Bunty watched the two of them in silence, her eyebrows narrowed in thought, her eyes resting on the closeness the two of them had stood, the exchanged glances and the looks in their eyes. With a soft and slow smile, Bunty nodded. “I see.”

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

 

“Is there something on your mind Bunty?” After firmly stuffing the last bit of her clothes from the closet in her small bedroom, Catherine turned towards Bunty.

After the reveal that Catherine would be staying in Newt’s home, they had swiftly gathered together to work on moving the personal items Catherine had in her own apartment so that she could bring them back to his place. During the entire time, Bunty had silently waved her wand levitating the items and folding them before placing them in a box they would place into Newt’s suitcase to help with traveling. She had hoped that since Newt had been in the other room gathering small things, the two could at least talk while they packed up her bedroom. Yet not once had she spoken during the entire time.

“Pardon?” Bunty slowly turned to face Catherine blinking.

“Did I do something to insult you? Worry you?” Catherine took a step forward.

“Oh heavens no,” Bunty quickly waved her off. “I’ve just been deep in thought that’s all.”

“Alright,” Catherine slowly nodded before turning to pack the next box they had laid out.

Off in the corner of the room, there had already been several stacked and ready packed boxes. With the room nearly finished, she now truly got to see just how much she had. Over the years, the items she had owned had begun to rise in comparison to what she had originally settled in. Back then she only had a singular suitcase filled with a little bit of money and a few change of clothes to start her off once she had arrived. Catherine wondered just how much more the amount of things she had would continue to grow over the years, how many more books she'll finally be able to have the time to read and obtain. She silently grinned at the idea of being able to spend more time in the library where she had originally found the mythology books she adored so very much.

After a short bit of time, the two of them had finally packed away the last bit of the items in her room, the once filled room now sat empty. With a slow turn, Bunty spoke up, “Let me know if I am wrong,” she slowly began. “But you and Newt seemed awfully close to one another, closer than how you were before the trip to Paris.” She eyed her knowingly, implying that the two of them had gotten together.

Clearing her throat, Catherine nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“About what?” She asked incredulously.

“You had confided in me about your feelings towards Newt, and I knew about that, yet the two of us still….” Catherine’s voice drifted off.

Smiling, Bunty closed the distance grabbing her arm. “You needn’t apologize. In the moment it had stung, to see him with someone else. Honestly I had figured he fancied you for a while now.” She chuckled.

“Really?” Catherine’s head perked up.

“Very much so,” She nodded, her voice feigning seriousness as she grinned. “It was the way he looked at you throughout the months you came over, or the glances he’d take studying you as if you were some puzzle to be solved when you weren’t looking. How his head would always snap towards the door when he had sworn he heard the door upstairs opening.” Bunty chuckled. “Just seeing how excited he was every time the two of you got to spend with one another had been enough of a sign. I’m just happy that it's finally happened.” Catherine snorted as Bunty’s grin only widened. “Plus, now there’s no need for you to stress about losing your place either.”

“It also means that the two of us will be able to hang out more,” Catherine offered. “If you’re alright with that.”

“Absolutely.” Bunty beamed.

 

One Month Later
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

 

Newt had stayed true to his word. As the time slowly passed by, each day awaiting an owl from either Dumbledore or the Ministry, he had avoided the upstairs portion of his home where her bedroom had now been. During then, Theseus had finally visited, his glances always curiously looking to Catherine before turning to Newt as if asking his brother a silent question that had gone unanswered. Upon his arrival, he had let them know that the Ministry had finally been made aware of her predicament, which she had appreciated, the two of them had mulled over how they would write out the letter to the Ministry explaining their scenario. Seeing as Theseus had already done so, their concerns about the situation had no longer mattered. Now all they had needed to do would be to wait.

When the time had finally come, the owl reaching their doorsteps only a couple weeks into their wait, the date had finally been set. She would present herself to both the Ministry and Macusa within two weeks, where she would give a testament. There they would decide her fate. Letting out a deep breath, Catherine extended her clenched fingers, her shoulders stiffening as her upright position tightened. Back then she had been excited, to get the verdict and finally learn magic. Now that she walked stiffly down the long dark wooded hallway, that excitement revealed itself to what its true form had been all along. Uncertainty. She always had the habit of looking to the worst when it came to situations, if she did, at least she’d either be prepared for the disappointment or at least have the time to prepare herself for what seemed to be the inevitable. Back before meeting all of these people, before being placed into this world it had been easy. Now that she had been placed into it, everything felt so very foreign. Their social system had been different in comparison to the Muggle world, valuing power and blood status. The only thing that Catherine deemed similar had been how either side could be easily persuaded by monetary value and fear.

Noticing her tension, while the two were still by themselves in the hallway he reached out squeezing her hand, the tension relaxing at the feel of his touch. The two of them hadn’t really told anyone about them being together, the only one currently being Bunty. Not that they had wanted to hide their relationship, it had just seemed more personal, to keep to themselves for now. They weren’t fools, they knew soon enough they would need to eventually. But that would be later. Seeing her tension released, Newt slowly pulled his hand free from hers and smiled.

Nearing the end of the hall, two familiar faces stood on either side of the hall, beside them elegantly designed metallic framed cushioned benches sat beside a set of doors that were on either side. Looking past Theseus and Tina, Catherine curiously searched for any possibilities of Dumbledore arriving here as well.

“Newt,” Theseus greeted his brother as they closed the distance.

“Theseus.” Newt dipped his head.

“Hello Tina,” Catherine greeted smiling.

“Hello Catherine,” Tina dipped her head. “How are you feeling?”

“Nervous,” She winced.

“There’s no need. You’ll have both myself and Newt’s brother Theseus inside.” She gestured to Theseus.

“Will Dumbledore not be joining?” Catherine turned to Theseus.

“I had brought up the idea,” Theseus sighed, two weeks later and the bags under his eyes still remained. “But they quickly dismissed the request. Both due to the two of you only having the one conversation so they didn’t deem him as a reliable witness, and the fact that several people in the Ministry still do not trust him.”

She had figured it would be like that. The only time she had spoken to the man had been when they arrived at what Newt had later called to be Hogwarts. Afterwards, with it being the school year the man had been so incredibly busy with his lesson plans that the three didn’t have any time for idle chit chat. Plus, both Tina and Theseus had better standing with the Ministry with the two of them being in it, and high up no less. “I figured.” She finally nodded.

“You’ve done nothing wrong, so you’ve no need to feel nervous.” Theseus smiled encouragingly.

“It’s not that I believe I did something wrong,” Catherine shook her head. “It’s the idea of being judged by someone with so much power in general. It’s like going up to America’s president and standing before them and the rest of their cabinet.”

He chuckles. “If it helps to clear your mind prior, then I definitely recommend that.”

“I’ll try. Is there any bit of information you can give me before we enter inside?”

“There are some,” He nods. “The current Minister for London is a man by the name of Hector Fawley, he’s a cautious bloke, roughly in his late thirties to early forties. His caution hasn’t gained him any new favor as of late.”

“Why’s that?” Catherine tilted her head.

“With all that’s happened in the month after Paris, The Minister has been a lot more laid back in trying to widen our searches or strength, he believes that there isn’t much to be concerned about. That a lot of people are blowing this out of proportion.”

“Isn’t that what a lot of people believed before he swiftly broke out of prison?” Catherine winced.

“Precicely why it hasn’t gained him much favor recently,” Theseus nodded. “The Macusa President is here as well, her name is Seraphina Picquery, she’s younger than she is. In comparison to our Minister, she’s gotten a lot more favor, especially after the events of New York.” He eyed his brother. “They will also have a Legillemence.”

“Like Queenie?” Catherine asked curiously.

“Not exactly,” Tina shook her head. “My sister was naturally born with that ability. You can become a Legillamense through practice, that is what the one inside is. The best thing for you when dealing with theirs is to keep your mind clear of anything else you do not wish to share. Only think about the questions they ask you. Try not to think too hard on keeping the other stuff hidden away either.” She smiled. “The Macusa President will be the more serious out of the two, due to such you’ll more than likely be asked a ton of questions.”

“I had a feeling.” She chuckled. “Thank you for the advice though,” Catherine looked between the two of them. “Both of you.”

“Of course,” the two speak in unison.

Beside them, a soft click from behind the thick door beside them echoes, the metal knob turning to open revealing one of the perhaps many inside. Standing just in the doorway, a dark skinned man dressed in a neatly pressed black suit, his hair cleanly pushed back. Everything about him from the way he had dressed, the expression he held on his face, and the way he had presented himself had screamed superiority. Not over the two in front of her, but the others beside him. Behind him just barely, Catherine caught the sight of several rows of chairs that raised to three levels, similar to that of a theater. The seats hadn’t all been filled, not from the quick glance she had been able to get, but a majority had already begun, several others already mingling with one another.

Blocking the view of the room, he eyed Catherine for a brief moment before turning to the others. “It’s time to head inside.”

Feeling Newt’s hand in hers, she turned before entering inside. “Good luck,” he smiled encouragingly. “I’ll be right outside.”

With a gentle nod, the two slowly released their hands and following behind both Tina and Theseus, Catherine entered into the large room where countless people would decide her fate.

Chapter Text

Back when she had seen the small portion of the room when the door had opened, she had assumed the courtroom would have been a rectangular box-like shape. Now that she had fully entered the room, seeing the true shape of the room, she found that she hadn’t been entirely wrong about its shape. The room indeed held a rectangular shape, but the curvature of the edges had made it look more like a stretched out oval. A singular lone wooden chair sat at the back end of the beautifully crafted marble flooring. It wasn’t hard to surmise that this was where she would be sitting during her trial. Surrounding the wooden chair, a small wall blocked her off from the rows of chairs that circled the entire room, portions of the rows had raised higher than the others creating tucked away sections in between the impressively large pillars that circled the room. The back of the room hadn’t been filled, she noticed, only the sides, as if sectioning them off in separate groups.

Slowly scanning through the sea of strangers that watched her with hesitance, it hadn’t taken long for her to spot the two familiar faces that had walked in alongside her and taken their spots while she had gawked at the design of this room. Sitting to the left two rows up, Theseus silently whispered to two others, their eyes turning to Catherine before returning to him. To the right, sitting closer to the massive stand in the front of the room sat Tina who smiled encouragingly as their eyes met. Sitting in the massive stand, Catherine watched as a young dark skinned woman adorned in black and gold attire leaning over to talk with a pale skin-toned man that laughed at whatever they might have spoken about, his smile curled into the pointed curl of his mustache. Seeing as how the people had sat apart, Theseus on one end and Tina on the other, then seeing both the President and Minister, the left had been those of the Ministry, and the right those who belonged to Macusa. Sitting just lower than the President and Minister, a man sat silently waiting, his eyes trained on Catherine. The Legilimance.

Noticing her entry, the President calmly smiled, turning to face her now, the Minister following in suit. “It is good to see you have arrived.” The woman dipped her head in thanks. “I’m sure you must be terribly nervous, to be surrounded by so many you do not know.”

“A little,” Catherine replied honestly. “Though I am not entirely alone, there are a couple that I know, so it isn’t all too bad.” Her eyes turned to Theseus then over to Tina, theirs and all of the other’s attention had now been on her. Surrounded by all of them, feeling all of their eyes piercing into her had been suffocating, she clenched her hands into tight fists to cool the rising nerves.

“I presume that you speak of Theseus Scamander and Tina Goldstein correct?” The President asked curiously, her eyes had been watching Catherine slowly look from one to the other.

“Yes Madam President.” Catherine politely dipped her head.

She smiled. “I had a feeling, they had a hand in suggesting these trials after all. And seemed to have informed you of who we are then.”

“Out of kindness so that I wouldn’t come in blind.” Catherine tried to defend.

“You needn’t worry,” The Minister chuckled, waving her off dismissively. “Simply a curious matter is all. Then again, this entire case is a mystery in of itself isn’t it Madam Picquery?”

“Indeed, Mr. Fawley,” She nods. “When word had reached my ears about your little predicament Miss Baldwin, I must say it did create a cause for concern.”

Catherine nodded in return as she stood in front of the wooden chair, uncertain if it had been the right time to sit or not. Seeing her hesitance, the President gestured towards the chair with a wave of her hand allowing her to take her seat. Once she had, the beginning of her judgement had finally begun, their eyes peering over the stand as they looked down towards her.

“Are you aware of what a Legilamans is, Miss Baldwin?” Madam President asked, her voice bouncing off of the walls as the people in the stands silently watched, witnesses to the trial.

“I am,” Catherine nodded. “Someone who is either trained or born with the ability to peer into the mind and finds lies within the truth.”

“You are well learned for someone raised as a Muggle,” She smiled curiously.

“I’ve only learned about them just recently when I came across one Madam,” Catherine shook her head. “The magical world in itself is still new to me.”

“Oh?”

“A month ago, I came across someone born with it. Her name was Queenie I believe.” In the corner of her eye, Catherine caught the slightest flinch from Tina, her eyes pained.

“I see,” Minister Fawley hummed, “She was one of yours wasn’t she Madam Picquery?”

“She was,” the woman nodded.

Smiling broadly, the Minister clapped. “I suppose that means we needn’t have to explain it afterall, that should speed things up a bit. This here is George Williams, a Legilimans that will be here to see through this hearing. He is not here to accuse you of lying during all of this, merely a precaution that I and Madam Picquery use within our trials.”

“I take no offense, Minister.” Catherine dipped her head.

“That is good to hear,” he smiled.

“We shall begin then. In the short bit of information we have about you Miss Baldwin, your father is a muggle, and your mother the Witch?” Madam President asks.

“Correct.” Catherine nods.

“Do you know what her last name had been originally? We have been unable to find any Witch Family in New York with the last name Baldwin.”

“Baldwin is my fathers surname. I had only found out about it recently, though to my knowledge she had been disowned not too long after announcing her love for my father.”

“And that last name would be?”

“Delecour if I remember correctly.”

Small whispers gathered amongst the crowd, several of them leering in disbelief while others purely out of shock. Seeing how they had reacted to the family name, the Delecour must have been widely known throughout the Wizarding world. Catherine wondered if theirs had been on the pureblooded family list her mother briefly spoke on.

“Is what she is saying true?” Madam President turned to look down towards the Legilamans.

The man eyed her, searching for any lies within her mind. “She speaks the truth Madam, her mother had been originally part of the Delecour family before being disowned by their original head, or in this case, this girl’s Grandmother.”

More whispers filled the groups, their voices bounding over one another.

“Silence,” The Minister raised his hand, the crowd obeyed. “The new head will need to be notified of this. I’m sure he will find it interesting to know about Catherine’s existence.

This puzzled her, for what reason would the new head of the Delecour family have to be curious about her existence? Her mother had been disowned, so wouldn’t that extend to her? What would it matter if the disowned daughter had a child of her own. She scrunched her nose.

The President of the Macusa nodded in agreement. “When was it that your mother left you? How she was able to hide you away all those years.”

“She left when I was eleven, Madam. As for hiding me away, she had nothing to do with it.”

“Then who did?” The relaxed demeanor of the President shifted, her shoulders tensing and eyes narrowing. The others in the stands had seemed just stern, some of them silently talking with one another to avoid disruption.

“Gellert Grindelwald.”

As the words left her lips, the crowd grew into an uproar, several of them panicking at the possibility, others passing it off as simple lies from a muggle trying to claim another’s inheritance. To see that a man held such power over their fear, caused chaos with but a mutter of his name. Several of the people in the stands had shaken their heads in disbelief, some even shouting that she lied. Catherine wondered then, if Grindelwald’s plans had been to dismantle the Macusa and Ministry, if he had ever placed any of his spies inside of either. If they would be here, speaking out against her, claiming her words to be lies. Feeling the weight of the legalman's eyes on her, she reeled in her suspicions. It wouldn’t have done her any good to spout nonsense without any proof to back it. Plus, after the events at the Lestrange tomb, she would bet on the possibility that the two of them already thought over that very notion.

“That is enough, I will not have this room ascend into chaos over a simple name.” Minister Fawley’s voice boomed, silencing the crowd. As his eyes narrowed at the raving crowd, some of them turned their glares to her.

“Surely you understand the reasoning behind our reactions, Minister.” A man from the crowd spoke up. “This woman speaks of an act that should be impossible made by a man that is a danger to us today. How do we know that she isn’t lying? That she didn’t just only now hear about his name and use it here and now to plead innocent?”

“It is because I am telling the truth,” Catherine countered. “You claim as though I have no basis behind my claims, but where are yours?” The man scowled deeply, the lines on his forehead deepening.

“Enough,” Madam President raised her hand. “It is true, it is not just a simple name. But that does not mean we need to give that name power by fearing it every single time that it is spoken.” She scowled towards the man. “And there is a way that we can tell if she is lying to us.” She gestured to George beneath her.

“And how do we know that he isn’t lying for her? That the two might have gotten together to help ease her case? That either Miss Goldstein or Mr. Scamander didn’t put him up to it.”

“That’s an awful lot of claims Mr. Macmillan,” Theseus raised his eyebrow expectantly. “What basis do you hold over such accusations?”

“Merely coincidence,” Mr. Macmillan scowled. “What she speaks about, a Wizard or Witch capable of hiding someone from the Ministry is unheard of.”

“That doesn’t make it impossible. Remember Mr. Macmillan, we are dealing with a very dangerous man that easily makes the impossible seem possible.” Tina countered. “It would do you good to gather your proof first before accusing either Mr. Scamander or I of such a treasonous act.”

“Do you expect us to believe that we are to believe such a woman? One who had been raised as a muggle so recently to suddenly find she is of Magic blood?” Another man beside Mr. Macmillan scowled. “Do forgive Mr. Macmillan for speaking so outwardly Miss Goldstein and Mr. Scamander, but there are suspicions, there have been since we received word about this court case. She’s already admitted that she’s come across one other Legilamans in the past, so she’s aware of how they work. How are we to not assume she hasn’t fabricated some stream of words that seem as though she is telling the truth only to cover up any bit of misinformation.”

“Are you accusing me of not being able to discern lies from the truth Mr. Black?” Mr. Williams scowled in turn leaning over his stand.

Mr. Black smiled calmly, an air of confidence. “I am not judging your ability of reading people Mr. Williams, I am merely questioning the girl. Surely you can understand.”

“From what I understand, in part by dismissing her response, you are also dismissing me.”

“Mr. Black, Mr. Macmillan,” A red headed woman in an elegantly blue dress spoke from the same side of the room as the other part of the London Ministry. “Istead of lashing out at the poor woman, why not give her a chance to speak her truth? She has yet to explain her reasoning yet the two of you antagonize her as if you know something else.”

“Are you insinuating something Mrs. Prewette?” Mr. Macmillan lifted his chin.

“Why would I?” The woman smiled. “Your family and I have known each other for some time now, I wouldn’t dare suggest such disrespect to either you or the Noble House Black. I merely request we allow her the proper time to defend herself before throwing out such beliefs.”

“Miss Baldwin has only come across one other Legilamans before, within the last month. I find it highly unlikely she could become skilled enough to learn to maneuver her words around enough to evade the truth.” A dark skinned woman from the Macusa side spoke out, beside her others nodded in agreement. “Even so, do you not think that either Madam President or Minister would not prepare for such occasions and not pick someone capable of spotting when someone had tried evading the truth?”

The room grew silent, Mr. Macmillan had no response to the matter, his scowl remaining. Mr. Black had given her a dip of the head, though the look of disgust in his eyes as he watched Catherine caused a shiver to run up her spine. Her mother had told her about many who despised mixed blood, those who believed muggles to be lesser. He hadn’t been the only one, others held the same look of disgust in their eyes.

When no one else spoke up, the Madam President let out a slow and evened sigh before continuing. “Could you elaborate as to how? When did your mother come in contact with Grindelwald?”

“That I don’t know,” She shook her head. “When I recently came across my mother, demanded the truth from her; she had only briefly explained that she had come across him, by chance. For her Loyalty, he would hide me away until the trace would be taken off of me at seventeen.”

Her eyebrows narrowed in worry. “Did she not delve into how he had done it?”

“No, Madam,” Catherine shook her head.

“Did she explain why she wanted to hide you away?”

“She did,” Catherine nodded. “She had fallen in love with a Muggle and had a child with him, something that while being in New York was illegal. She despised the Macusa and its rules. She believed that once you found out, you would obliviate my father, send my mother to prison and send me to what is your equivalent of Wizarding School in America. She wanted to remain together, so upon hearing her concerns she went with him.”

The President of the Macusa scowled, an anger beginning to grow behind her eyes. Keeping her calm composure, she spoke, “Those rules are put in place for the safety of the Wizarding world.” She paused. “You have heard your mother’s concern, what is it that you believe?”

Keeping her attention remained on the two in front of her, she tightly grabbed at the fabric of her pants. “I have seen so little of the magical world, so I do not know if my opinion matters much. Be that as it may, I have experienced it mostly through London, learning its Laws and allowances. I can see the reasoning behind why you or those before you put those laws into place, how the secrecy keeps you safe. I only wish that in the future there might be some sort of change. If the London Ministry believes it can be allowed, though in a limited manner, then why not the Macusa? I mean no disrespect Madam President, I merely just wish for a time when anyone can be with whomever they choose. May it be muggle or magically inclined.”

A small smile twitched in the corner of her mouth. “You haven’t disrespected me. I asked what you believed, and you told me. Perhaps in the future we might, but for now in America, things remain different than over here in Britain. So thus we continue to hold said laws.”

“How was your home life growing up?” Minister Fawley intertwined his fingers as he leaned forward.

“Nothing too out of the ordinary,” Catherine blinked. “I lived with my Father and Aunt.”

“Did your father have any inclination that you might be magically gifted?” he asked curiously.

“Before we get too far, Mr. Williams, has she told the truth about the matter concerning Grindelwald.” The President quickly interjected.

“O-oh,” Mr. Williams blinked before focusing on her mind once more. “She’s telling the truth, that is what her mother explained to her. If her mother lied about any of it, it is not Miss Baldwin’s fault.”

“I would hope that my mother would be honest with me in regards to that, she owed me that much.” Catherine snorted. Hearing the small throat clearing from Theseus, Catherine composed herself once more. As disgruntled or annoyed by the idea as she was, this entire scenario was serious, any snide comments or outward thoughts needed to be kept inside. She needed to be as proper as she possibly could. The two in front of her were in charge of her upcoming future.

“One would hope.” Minister Fawley chuckled.

“While she is your mother, since she is currently allied with Grindelwald, there is still the chance. We just need to cover all of our bases, especially seeing as now a new ability of his has been revealed.” The President grimly replied.

She had every right to be concerned. If he could have done it then, just how many others he could have done it to in the past?

“To answer your question, Minister Fawley, I don’t remember my mother ever talking about her being a witch while she had been around. Though I doubt my father was absentminded as to what she was. My father always ensured that I kept my emotions in check, that if it got too out of hand it would damage my health.” Beside her, several people hesitantly whispered amongst one another casting worrying glances to one another.

“When a child first comes into their magical abilities, before they can control it, their magic fluctuates with their emotions.” Minister Fawley briefly explained, as Catherine nodded in acknowledgement, he continued. “That’s probably what he meant, that it would do harm to the body. If you were to be kept hidden until you were seventeen, you would have a well of magical power that could possibly betray you at any given moment. How is it that you did it, control her magic?”

“Honestly I didn’t even know it was magic until a month ago,” She half laughed. “Back then I had believed it was a physical illness, forcing myself to be weak all of the time. To push back what I could, I pushed down my emotions, remained neutral at every opportunity. It had been hard growing up, as I grew older, I found more ways to calm myself if my emotions ever got out of control.”

He hummed thoughtfully, “When they hadn’t remained in control, what sort of mishaps did your magic create?”

Catherine quietly thought to herself. “As a child I had rattled cups, moved the window cupboards. As an adult, items slightly moved, or recently lightning strikes in the distance.” More murmurs.

“Thank you,” The President gave a dip of the head. “You say you were born in New York, for what reason did you need to come to London?”

“To find my mother,” Catherine replied. “When my father died in the war, I had been left with a small portion of money. I had always wanted to find her. When my father had been alive, both he and my aunt never truly revealed why she left, why I struggled with what I did. Once I arrived here, I had found through her old co-workers she had worked with for a short time in the muggle world that she had gone to France roughly around the time the events in New York ended with Mr. Scamander.”

Both the Minister and President silently muttered to themselves, the President with a wave of her hand caused a nearby quill to begin writing on its own. “How was it you were introduced to the Magical World Miss Baldwin?”

“It was Newt actually,” She amusedly chuckled. In front of her, the President’s eyebrow rose curiously. To her side, Theseus had only sighed silently, his head shaking. “It had been due to a Magical Creature,” she watched the President’s and Minister’s bodies stiffen. “Though it wasn’t a creature of his own. I had found it being harmed by muggle boys firstly. A Matagot. He came to me secondly by happenstance. After bringing it back to his home, he helped look after it. After that, for the next three months we saw each other more often, I learned more about the magical world, all while keeping every bit of it a secret from the rest of the world just as I promised.” After a moment, she continued. “After I had found out Newt would be heading to Paris, I had been desperate, I had recently lost my job and would soon lose my apartment too. So before he had left, I clung to him without his knowing.”

The Minister’s eyes turned to Theseus, his brother wincing in acknowledgement. He had broken his ban going there, a matter they would more than likely discuss later on.

“How is it that you came across your mother?” The Minister turned to face her, “Surely with the talk happening, she would have been busy helping him. And what was it that the two of you talked about?”

“She had found me first, apparently someone had gotten to her telling her that someone that looked like her had been running around Paris.” She chuckled. “As for what we talked about, it was mostly me talking. Demanding actually. Why she had left me, why she stayed away for so long. Telling her how foolish she was to run after him.”

“Did she ever delve into what Grindelwald had planned?” The President leaned forward expectantly. He hadn’t fully laid out what he had planned that night, the side against him only had speculations.

“To overthrow both Governments.” Catherine replied as a matter of factly. “My mother, and all those that follow wholeheartedly believe that without the two of you governing over the magical world, that they’ll be free to do as they wish. That some will be able to love who they desire. What lives they wish to have that the two of you might be against.” Catherine leaned forward. “She believes with every fiber of her being that they are liberating the world of Witches and Wizards. She had almost got me to join her, to leave with her.”

To the side, the Legilamans looked up. “She speaks the truth.”

Not even a breath after Mr. William’s statement, the President spoke up. “Did you consider leaving with her?”

“For a moment I did.” Catherine replied honestly. To her side, several of those who had fought against her earlier scoffed at her words, muttering that they had been right to distrust her. “Though can you blame me?” She continued on, ignoring those who talked about her on the sidelines. “I grew up in a world that forced me to live against how I was meant to, forcing a part of myself away. My mother had been out of my light for eighteen years. I had desired so badly to see her again, to have her back in my life. I tried persuading her to join our side, to fight against Grindelwald.” She then turned to the group that scowled towards her distrustingly, scowling in return. “It is true, I considered it. But that was all. Once I saw what he could do. What he did. I knew right then and there that was not someone I wanted to join. I saw someone who saw the pain in others and used them for his own selfish gains.” She stood there for a brief moment, her eyes locked on theirs, daring them to look away. She was no child, she did not care if they liked her, she wasn’t here to make every person like her.

The two in front of her stood silent for a short while. She watched in the corner of her eye as they watched her, pondering her response. Pulling away, the President began to speak first. As she rose, Catherine remembered the small bit of information that Theseus had explained about the Minister, how he had believed the entire issue with Grindelwald hadn’t been as complex or as important as others believed. Seeing as the only questions he asked of her had been about her childhood and method of controlling her magic, and the President of Macusa being the one to ask a majority of the questions, she now understood fully what he had meant.

“If it came down to it, that you would have to fight your mother in all of this, would you?” The President asked.

“I would rather not harm my mother if I was given the choice. Arrest her surely. Perhaps try one final time to lure her over to our side. As evil as my mother seems to be, allying herself with that man for so long, she is still my mother, and I still love her. Though that doesn't mean I don’t want to help you all. Many people want this to happen purely for their desires to become a reality, to no longer hide themselves from who they love. The base of it for most is pure, but the way they go about it is entirely wrong. Though that only counts for some. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a large portion that are in it to have power over the muggles. Many of them simply want to change the world, for good, they have just been led astray by the wrong man that’s all. I want to do what I can to ensure a man like him does not get into power.”

The President nodded in approval, a smile spreading across her face.

To her side, someone a couple rows behind Tina spoke up. “For eighteen years, you have shoved your emotions and magic away and haven’t learned to truly control it. How can you be of help to us when you could turn into an Obscurial at any point dangering us all in the process? The others remember the damage the Credence boy did, just think of what would happen if two were stomping around.” Below the man that had spoken up, Tina’s body stiffened, her eyes turning away.

“Firstly,” Catherine turned to face them. “If you know anything about Obscurials, then you would know that they never truly grow up. That they die quite young. Most never maturing into their late twenties. Yet here I stand, nearly thirty.”

“Perhaps you’re special?” Mr. Macmillan mused. “Perhaps you don’t truly begin to die until you are a little older. What if you’ve been holding it back, waiting until you’ve entered our little world and then sprung it on us. Perhaps you were waiting until now? With so many important family heads, the two who govern over our countries that Grindelwald seeks to remove from office?”

“Is spouting accusations and causing paranoia all that you do?” Catherine spat.

Mr. Macmillan sneered, “You will watch what you say to me half-breed.”

She chuckled. That had confirmed it. He had been one of the ones that saw others who weren’t pureblooded or muggles as lesser than him. “It doesn’t do you any good to have prejudice guide your reasoning.” Catherine countered. “It’s quite unbecoming of you Mr. Macmillan.”

“Enough,” the President shouted, her eyes glaring daggers at the man before turning to the Minister. “We will not stray from the trial.”

Turning back to the two of them, Catherine deeply bowed her head. “I’m sorry Madam President. To continue what I had said earlier, I am no Obscurial. To become one is to be raised outside of love and not practice or control your magic. It is from there the parasite grows slowly killing the host. As much as one might try to push it back, to prolong their life. I doubt there is anything that can be done. Even raised with love, I felt the effect it had on my body when I pushed it all away, how tired it had made me after the outbursts, how often my bones had ached and screamed for me to stop holding back. I cannot imagine someone who is going through the brunt force of it, who had been abused their entire life not knowing love would have neither the mental strength nor physical to be able to push it truly away to allow them to live to their late twenties. As terrified as many of you are, there is a solution, a proposition.”

“Such as?” The Minister curiously asked, beside him the President silently watched with a questioning gaze.

“To allow me to not only cast magic freely, but to learn how to cast it properly as well.” Catherine offered.

“Are you asking for us to enroll you in one of the schools?” The Minister asked bemused.

“No,” Catherine shook her head, chuckling. “I feel my magic would be too destructive and unsafe for the children if I were to practice there. That is why I suggest I learn elsewhere, in a more safe environment where no one can get hurt.”

“Where do you suggest that you learn, if not the schools?” The President questioned.

Without skipping a beat, Catherine smiled as she replied. “As it stands, I am currently living alongside Newt Scamander, he has already offered to teach me, so it is he who I ask that he teaches me.”

To the side, Catherine watches as Theseus’s head snaps up, his eyes wide in surprise at her reveal. Blinking rapidly, she quickly averted her gaze as he stared at her in disbelief, they hadn’t quite told him just yet and hoped to later. I suppose now is a better time than any. Catherine nervously thought to herself. She’d have to apologize to Newt after.

Clearing her throat, Catherine continued. “If you come to an agreement to allow me to do this, then I leave the time limit as to how long I have to learn everything and keep it under control. If you are concerned that I might lie about my progress or concerned about how well or terrible I might be doing, then I suggest that someone from the Ministry come and check up on my progress before reporting back to you. You would have an updated knowledge as to how far I have come, allowing you to either change to a shorter time if you feel I am excelling or a lengthier time if my magic is more difficult than we anticipated.”

“I would like to volunteer myself to visit and see to her progress once a month.” Theseus spoke out to the crowd, his face turned to the two sitting at the post.

“Would it not be better to choose someone else? He has personal relations with Newt Scamander.” Someone in the crowd asked.

“Theseus has yet to give any cause to believe he would do such a thing.” Another from the same side countered.

“Why must Newt Scamander be the one that teaches her? Shouldn’t someone more qualified, someone with the experience of teaching magic be the one to teach her?” Someone from the right side called out in question.

With a wave of her hand, the room grew silent. “These are all things we shall think over and discuss.” The President turned to Catherine. “I appreciate your honesty throughout this and your cooperation. For now we must bring all the information we have together and vote on your verdict. We will send someone your way once we have made a consensus.”

“Thank you Madam President,” Catherine dipped her head to the woman. “Thank you Minister.” She dipped her head to the man beside her.

As they dip their heads in return, Catherine slowly pushed up from her chair and slowly made her way towards the door she had been brought into while the others talked over one another discussing her fate.