When did that happen?
Disclaimer: I don't own Fantastic Beasts or any Person in this story. All I own are my interpretations of Newt's thoughts.
"´Cause I like you. ´Cause you are my friend."
Jacob looked a little taken aback, but pleased at this.
Newt himself was quite surprised. He hadn't thought about it much why he did it. It just felt natural to take Jacob along. But now that he had spoken that word – "friend" – he immediately knew it to be true.
Newt had never really had a male friend before. Sure, he got along well enough with Dumbledore, but he was more of a father-figure, maybe an uncle. Also there had been times he got along well with his brother, Theseus. But the only friend he ever had before had been Leta. He didn't really do well with people, even as a child most other children stayed away from him. Most of the times he didn't really mind, but there were times he got lonely and he had to admit, that it was nice to have someone to call friend again.
But just when did that happen? When did he befriend the most unlikely person – an American no-maj?
When he first met Jacob he had been fascinated how the muggle handled the hedging egg. Being a muggle, Jacob had never before seen an occamy. Still there had been no fear in his eyes when he first laid eye on the fledling, but only wonder and awe.
Newt had liked that about the other man and when the chance provided itself to see his reaction to other beasts, he took it gladly. And he hadn't been disappointed. Jacob was quite different from any other human being he had ever shown his little family. Again the muggle hadn't reacted negatively, but took it all in a stride. Newt immediately saw, that he enjoyed himself immensely while helping care for the creatures. The wizard rejoiced in the sense of wonder in the other man´s eyes. A sense of wonder he himself still felt after all this time, when he worked with his fantastic beasts.
This muggle was able to look at his beasts without prejudice and see their beauty, despite never meeting a magical beast, till being bitten by one. That was quite a feat. Many of his fellow witches and wizards couldn't do that. They didn't understand Newt, but maybe Jacob did or could with time. So did they become friends that first time he took Jacob with him into his world? Well maybe not, but he certainly became an acquaintance. Because, while Newt didn't really like being called Mr. Scamander, he didn't just let anybody call him by his given name. So yeah, that had been their first step towards friendship.
After that it certainly helped, that even after Newt got Jacob in trouble again, this time for "robbing" the jewelry store, the man didn't get up and leave, like so many others would have done and in fact had done in the past. So in the central park, when he gave his acquaintance the gear, it might not only have been out of necessity, but also out of concern.
Even after watching Newt courtship an Erumpment, which most people would have considered weird and after that being chased by said Erumpment, the man didn't get the hell away from him. No, he stayed. Either, he was insane or maybe, dare he think it, the man cared about him and/or his beasts enough to stay. A concept, that was quite foreign to Newt. He had really expected the man to call him insane, shout insults and then leave. He had been prepared for it, at least as much as one can be. But no, instead Jacob had offered him to call him by his given name, too.
So he guessed that had been how he had made his first friend in a long time. Even if he didn't dare call him that just then, not even in a well-protected nook of his mind. No, part of him still expected Jacob to come to his senses and leave.
Only when they got thrown into the MACUSA holding cells. When Newt had been taken away by the aurors. When Jacobs eyes had shown no fear, but only concern for the young wizard. Only then did he realise, that Jacob was here to stay.
And that was when he began to see him as a friend.
Hi guys,
Thanks for reading this story. It was my first Fantastic Beasts story. I only just watched the movie and kinda fell in love with Newt. I mean, isn't he adorable? Just look at his hair 3
Anyway, I hope you liked it. Please review.
FM