Author's Note: So I decided that I love Newt and Tina too much and I can't stop writing them. I know the last chapter of my first fic Rediscovery ended rather abruptly, and I do apologize for that, but here is the sequel to that! Read on and let me know!
Thank you!
Chapter One
"No, you have to," she said. "You don't have a choice," she shook her head. Tina Goldstein stared down the small Bowtruckle and it seemed like she was losing.
She and the creature had been in an argument for almost five minutes because Pickett did not want to be left with the other Bowtruckles.
The small green creature responded to Tina's statement by sticking out his tongue and blowing a raspberry in her direction.
"That was very rude," Tina said as she put her hands on her hips.
Newt Scamander came around the corner, carrying a well-used bucket in each hand. "Is he still giving you trouble?"
Tina nodded. "Yes. He refuses to be left with the others. Even when I insisted it was just going to be for a few hours," Tina told Newt. "I'll take the buckets back to the shed; you talk to him."
"No, you can leave them. I'll bring them 'round when we're done with our chat," he said before kissing Tina on the cheek.
"I'm all healed up, Newt. I can certainly carry two empty buckets," she said.
"You just go and relax," Newt told her. "I'll be along in a moment."
Tina rolled her eyes, but smiled and then left to give Newt and Pickett some time to talk.
Newt set the buckets down and allowed Pickett to climb into his hand.
"You know very well that I have not replaced you with Tina," he said to the creature. "And she also loves you very much," he added. "So, you need to cut her some slack. And that isn't a suggestion."
The Bowtruckle pouted and sat on the man's shoulder with his arms crossed. He chirped angrily.
"Pickett, I am not replacing you," he said again. "I would never do that," he said with a smile. "I know it was just you and me for a long, long time. But now we have Tina, too. And you know it'll be a good thing. You know I'm planning to propose to her. Do you think she'll say yes?"
He looked around quickly, checking for Tina, before pulling out a small opal ring in a thin silver band to show to Pickett. Both Dougal and the Niffler moved closer to investigate the ring as well.
"You can look at it, but you must promise not to steal it…I'm talking to you," Newt said to the Niffler as he held it out.
The Niffler sniffed and Dougal nodded. Both of them appeared to approve of it.
"What do you think, Pickett?"
He continued to pout.
"Well, I'm going to ask her with or without your permission, Pickett," Newt said with a shrug. "And that is why you have to stay down here tonight. I was hoping it was just going to be the two of us."
For the last six months, Newt had been spending time promoting his book and watching over Tina's recovery. She's spent a few weeks at St. Mungo's just to be on the safe side, but then she was sent home.
Tina hadn't let Queenie abandon her husband and had sent her off when she was out of the woods. That had left Newt as Tina's caretaker and he had taken the position very seriously.
Now, they were sharing a cottage on the north edge of the Scamander Family property. Tina helped look after the creatures while she remained on leave from MACUSA and the Ministry of Magic.
Newt knew that wasn't going to last much longer. Tina Goldstein needed to be doing something; she wasn't good at sitting on her hands. And especially since Grindelwald was still at large. The Aurors from all over Europe that had been captured that night still hadn't been rescued.
The Ministry of Magic was still in a state of disarray since they now knew their Head Auror was under the Imperius Curse for a year, at least, and they were obviously short-staffed since they were missing half a dozen Aurors. They'd already tried to get Tina back to work for them, but Newt had put his foot down. He knew Tina was going to need the time to heal properly before she ran off again.
But in the last six months, Grindelwald had been lying low. Dumbledore had given him a run for his money and now they could only sit and wait for what he was doing next.
Newt was broken from his thoughts when Pickett tried to take the ring out of his hands.
"Oh, no, you don't," Newt said, securing the ring back into his waistcoat pocket. "I'm going to ask her tonight, Pickett, and I need the ring to do so."
He'd had it for a while. They'd been in Australia when Tina was okayed for travel. They'd gone after an Antipodean Opaleye that needed to be tagged and brought to another location with a better chance of finding food. Tina had helped Newt care for it and they were able to relocate it back to New Zealand where it would have a valley to itself.
Newt was fascinated by how easily the dragon had taken to Tina and vice versa. And the opal ring was representative of that trip.
"What do you think?" he asked, looking at Dougal.
The Demiguise nodded and patted Newt on the arm.
Newt wasn't totally certain that the creatures understood what it all really meant, but he did know that they liked having her around. All of them seemed to enjoy her presence – and they really liked when she would sing. Newt never told her that he'd heard her, she'd hate that, but he did like to listen in when he had the chance.
"I'm not nervous, you know," he said. "It just…it's time, don't you think?" Newt said aloud.
Dougal nodded again.
"I suppose I should go get cleaned up. I'm taking her out to dinner tonight. You'll all behave? You won't try to escape?" he asked directly to the Niffler.
The Niffler appeared to shrug.
"I s'pose I'll have to accept that," Newt said. "You'll watch the Occamy hatchlings?" he asked Dougal.
Dougal nodded once more, then disappeared into thin air.
"All right…okay…I am going to go now. I'm not really nervous, you know," he said again. "None of you believe me, do you?"
…
Sitting down at the restaurant, across the table from Tina, Newt was trying to calm the nervous feeling inside himself. He was also trying to force himself to focus on what Tina was saying, but it all seemed to be a buzzing sound in his ears. He realized that she'd stopped talking and was looking at him expectantly; she must have asked a question.
"Newt?" she asked with a concerned frown. "What's the matter?"
Newt smiled, trying to play off the fact that he didn't hear the original question.
"I'm fine. I was – my mind was elsewhere – what were you saying? I'm so sorry," Newt said.
Tina was still giving him a concerned look. "You don't look well, Newt. We should go so you can lie down," she shook her head. "I'll get the check," she said as she stuck her hand out to catch the waiter's attention.
"No, really, I am fine," he said down into his salad plate.
"I don't believe you," Tina said back.
The waiter arrived a moment later. "Can I help you, miss?"
"Yes, we would like…"
"The dessert menu, please," Newt interrupted her.
The waiter gave a polite bow. "Of course. I'll be back shortly." With another bow, he was gone.
Tina tipped her head to the side. "Newt, I knew you well enough to know when something is wrong. You're back to not making eye contact and…"
"Oh my! You're Newt Scamander!" a wizard said as he approached their table.
Newt still wasn't used to his fame. His book had sold out multiple times and it had been recently approved as a textbook for Hogwarts students. And everyone seemed to know his name due to the blasted posters and news articles that he was forced by Obscurus Books to do.
"I am, but we are actually…"
"If it wouldn't be a bother, would you sign something for my daughter? She would never forgive me if I didn't at least ask you," the wizard said.
It was impossible to say no. "I, well…of course," Newt said as he accepted the piece of parchment and a quill from the wizard. "What is your daughter's name?"
"Aurelia," he said.
"Lovely," Tina smiled.
"She just loves your book, sir. I think she's been through it at least a half-dozen times. Are you going to have any new editions?"
"He's working on it, but I insisted he stop to eat something tonight," Tina laughed. "How old is your daughter?"
"She'll be eleven in one month's time," the man said. "She's thrilled to be going to Hogwarts this coming September."
"Ah, wonderful," Tina replied.
"She'll love it, I'm certain," Newt told him.
"Just wait 'til I've told Aurelia that I met Mr. Newt Scamander and his lovely wife. She'll be so astounded. You know, she wants to be a Magizoologist when she's finished with school," he told Newt.
"Well, I'm sure she'll have a few ideas in her head before deciding…" Newt started.
The wizard shook his head. "No, I don't think she'll be changing her mind anytime soon, Mr. Scamander. We've already got her a couple of Kneazles to look after and they're thriving so far."
"Wonderful first pets for a child," Newt said. "Well, you tell Aurelia that I'll be on the lookout for her book in a few years' time," Newt smiled warmly. He couldn't help but be flattered by the fact that he'd inspired someone to go into Magizoology.
"Thank you so much for allowing me to interrupt your dinner so rudely, Mr. and Mrs. Scamander," he said before bowing. "My daughter will be simply ecstatic," he said once again before shaking Newt's hand and moving away.
The gentleman had been enough of a distraction for Newt that he was able to gather himself and his thoughts. Newt smiled at Tina across the table.
"Well, that was very nice," Tina said. "I would think you'll see a lot of budding Magizoologists in the future," she added.
"Maybe they'll be able to teach me a thing or two," he chuckled.
"You should be so lucky," Tina teased him. "Maybe you should think of doing a lecture at Hogwarts. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would welcome it. And the students would…"
"Probably find it all exceptionally boring," he told her.
"No! You heard that man. His daughter ate it all up and wants more, Newt. And since your book is going to be required for first years, maybe they'd like you to come introduce it."
"Care of Magical Creatures isn't a required class until third year, though…"
"Think about it, will you?"
"I will," Newt replied. "So, I was hoping to ask you something tonight…"
The waiter appeared out of nowhere carrying an envelope. "This just arrived for you, miss," he said as he handed it to Tina.
"Thank you," she said as she accepted it.
The waiter disappeared once more and Tina read the front.
"It's from Queenie and Jacob and its marked 'urgent'," she said as she tore into it. She read it quickly and a delighted smile lit up her face. "They're having a baby."
Newt was silent for a moment, processing it all and realizing that he'd just missed his chance.
"A baby! Well, isn't that just wonderful!" he said. "We should see about going to visit them," he added.
"Do you think we could? Do you have the time?" Tina asked.
"We will make the time," he replied. "When would you like to go?"
"Well, I should reply to her and see what their plans are before we decide. What do you think?" she asked as another waiter brought them each a copy of the dessert menu.
"I'm sorry, Newt. You had started to ask me something before the letter arrived. What was it?" she asked.
"I, um…" he began. He hadn't been like this around her in ages, but the nervousness had come back full force that night. "I was just going to ask if you wanted to split a single dessert with me or if we should each get our own to share?" he asked.
"Let's each get something different so we get two desserts," Tina smiled. "If you're feeling up to it."
"Oh, I'm fine, fine," Newt said as he busied himself looking over the menu in his hands.
"Do you want to see if we can catch a picture tonight as well?" Tina asked. "I'm so glad I'm allowed out now. I was starting to go stir crazy," she smiled.
"That sounds…yes…why don't we see what's on?" he said. "I'll have the cheesecake, please," he told the waiter. "And another bottle of wine, I think."
Tine eyed him curiously. She never knew him to be much of a drinker and that would be the second bottle for their table. And he'd had much of the first one as well.
"And for you, miss?" the waiter smiled flirtatiously at her to which she was totally oblivious. Newt caught the man's eye, however, and the waiter's expression became stoic.
"I think I would like a slice of the triple layer chocolate cake, please," she said before handing him the menu. "Thank you."
Tina waited until they were alone again.
"What is the matter?" she asked bluntly. "I don't need to have Queenie's powers to see that the wheels are spinning up there, Newton Scamander."
"I assure you, Porpetina, I am fine," he said before finishing his glass of wine in one long drink.
…
Newton Scamander, you need to help me here. You need to walk upright," Tina said through gritted teeth as she did her best to keep him vertical while they exited the restaurant and walked down the street. "Just long enough to get around the corner."
"You are so beautiful, Tina," he said in a slurred voice. He was not his usual self still, and now to boot, he was drunk. He was tripping over his own feet as he moved.
And Tina was not pleased. "Yes, Newt, you've said that a few times already tonight," she said tiredly. She just needed to get him to the alleyway so they could apparate home.
Newt stumbled again over nothing and Tina somehow managed to keep him from falling on his freckled face by catching him around the middle.
"Please, focus on moving forward, Newt," she told him. "I…" she sighed as he caught a fit of the giggles. "You will be going straight to bed when we arrive home."
At last, they had arrived at the alley and Tina all but shoved him down into it to get him off the street. She had never seen him like this and it worried her. But if she could just get him home, she could at least him contained and safe.
She brought him straight into their cottage and she pulled blue coat from his body as she moved him forward towards their bedroom.
"Into the bedroom with you," she told him as he paused outside their door.
He didn't move.
She sighed and pulled him by his wrist as if he were a child.
Inside the bedroom that they had shared since Tina had come home from St. Mungo's, Tina began to undo the buttons of his waistcoat. He tried to catch her hands and stop her, but Tina was focused on her mission. She brushed against the waistcoat's pocket and felt something tucked into it. Without pulling the object out, she felt it. A ring. And suddenly, it all became clear to her and all of the anger she was feeling towards him subsided.
"C'mon Newt, let's get your shoes off," she said gently as she pushed him into a seated position on the bed.
"No, I need…the creatures…feed…" he said tiredly as his head fell against her abdomen. She waved her wand and his shoes came off and were set neatly in the corner.
"You lie down and sleep this off, please," she said before placing a kiss on his forehead.
She got him to lie down, but he had a hand on her hip. "Come to bed," he said with his eyes half-closed.
"I'm going to feed the creatures," she said as she stepped free of his hand. "Just say here, Newt. It'll be all right," he said soothingly.
His eyelids closed fully and Tina knew he was totally asleep. She pressed another light kiss on his forehead and pulled the blankets up and over him before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
Some hours later, Newt awoke in the middle of the night with a splitting headache and a dry mouth that felt like he'd been eating sand for several days. He was in the darkness of their bedroom and heard the sounds of Tina sleeping peacefully to his right.
Turning to his nightstand on the left, he found a glass of water and a note that he struggled to read in the dim light of the room.
Our creatures are fed.
And – yes. If that's what you're worried about.
– T.
He looked himself over with a furrowed brow and found that he was still fully-dressed. He felt for the waistcoat pocket and the ring he'd bought was still inside it. He knew he had made a total fool of himself earlier in the evening, but somehow she still took care of him, of their creatures, and was still willing to say yes to him when he asked her. With those thoughts, he chugged the glass of water and curled up around Tina to go back to sleep once more.
….
Author's note: so…how do you like this one so far? Lemme know!
