The year was 33 AD, but years meant little to Newt. To him, time had been divided into two eras: before the Romans had completely taken over his country and after. Newt rubbed ointment on a skin irritation as he listened to the priests of Ra gossip about the new religion coming into the region- Christianity. One priest approached Newt, smiling at him kindly, "And how are you, young prince?"

Newt shakes his head, "I'm hardly a prince of anything anymore, Seti."

Seti gently places his hand on Newt's head, "To us you are still a prince and you are safe here."

"Stay as long as you want." Another man spoke, also smiling kindly at Newt.

Seti smiles at him, "Thank you Ramses."

Ramses inclines his head, "Of course. Seti, we need you for the ritual." Ramses smiles once more at Newt before walking off.

"I will talk with you more later, little prince, there is a new scroll that you might be interested in."

"Thank you." Newt shyly smiles, Seti pats Newt's shoulder before strolling off after Ramses, leaving Newt alone outside on the temple steps. An hour passes, Newt basking in the sun and idly tracing animals in the sand. Suddenly the sun is blocked out and Newt looks up and gaps at the man standing in front of him, head haloed by the sun, figure strong as any soldier's, and beauty dark and alluring. "Hello." Newt hesitantly greets.

A wry smile appears on the man's face, "Hello. I was hoping to talk to Seti."

Newt shakes his head, "They are not yet back from the ceremony. I think they won't be back before the sun has set."

"A shame." The man tsks. "Perhaps you could tell him I visited and will be back in two day's time?" Without waiting for an answer, the man turns around and heads back down the road leading to the city. Newt stares after the retreating back, only aware that he didn't have a name from the man after he had disappeared around the bend. Newt licks his dry lips, gets up, and heads inside the temple towards his own room. When Seti visits him that evening, Newt stutters through an explanation, only to leave them both confused.

Two days later, Newt is once again sitting out in the sun, enjoying the new scroll from the Romans that Seti has provided him with. Seti appears in the doorway, startling Newt. Seti walks down the stairs, "I'm going into the city today."

"But that man is supposed to come today!" Newt exclaims.

Seti sighs, "I must go as we are in need of several essential supplies and I am the only available and able. Find Ramses if the man appears, perhaps he can help him."

Newt nods unhappily, "Yes, I suppose I'll do that."

"I'll see if I can't bring you another scroll." Seti smiles at Newt and heads off towards the city.

Newt worries his bottom lip, staring after Seti. Finally, once he had turned the bend, Newt returns his attention to the scroll in his hands and goes back to reading. Like the other day, the man appears suddenly, blocking out the sun and haloing his head in light. "Is Seti here?"

Newt shakes his head, "I told him, but his attention was needed elsewhere. I can take you to Ramses?"

The man's right eyebrow lifts, intimidating Newt. "You told him, indeed?"

Newt nods eagerly, "I did."

The man sighs, "I suppose your help would work. My name is Percival." At Newt's confused look, Percival continues saying, "It is a name born of Roman occupation of faraway lands."

"Oh." Newt states, feeling stupid. "My name is Newt."

The eyebrow lifts once more, "That does not seem like the type of a name a priest of Ra would have."

Newt blushes, "I am simply being kept by them, I am not a priest."

"Kept?"

"Safe. I am being kept safe by them...My brother sent me here once the Romans invaded."

"Yes, the Romans are rather good at creating havoc wherever they land."

Newt bites his lip, "I've been told it's chaos with a means- the same as that new religion."

"Oh yes, Christianity, I have heard of it." Percival sneers.

"You don't think highly of it?"

Percival shakes his head, "Why break our religion when it's not broken, but yet the people are quickly forgetting Ra and falling over themselves to listen to the priest of Christ." Percival slurs the word 'priest' as if it was something nasty. Percival glances at the scroll in Newt's lap, "Excellent, you can read."

"I can write as well."

"What languages?"

"If you're asking if I can read and write Latin, the answer is yes. My brother made certain of that."

Percival nods, satisfied, "I have a scroll for you to translate, I have yet to master Latin." Percival pulls a scroll out of the sack that Newt hadn't noticed him holding. Percival transfers the scroll over to Newt's eager hands.

Newt smiles, pleased at the prospect of a project, "Of course! When will you need it back?"

"No longer than a week." Percival states challengingly.

"I can do that!" Newt nods.

Percival inclines his head, "See to it that you do. I will be back in a week, little princeling." Before Newt can reply, Percival is heading back towards the city and gone around the bend. Newt stares after him and finally digesting his words, a cold shiver of fear slides down his spine once he realizes that Percival had referred to him as a prince, something that very few people knew. Newt puts his fear aside, however, and goes inside in search of a stylus and some papyrus.

As promised, Percival appears a week later. Newt looks up at the alluring man and gives a shy smile, "Hello, Percival."

"Newt." He curtly replies, "You have the scroll translated?"

Newt nods and passes the original and the translation over, "Here! It was quite fascinating." Newt grins, eyes crinkling, forgetting the fear that Percival had caused him the week previous.

"Excellent." Percival praises, tucking both into his bag and pulling out another scroll, "Would you-"

"Yes!" Newt interrupts, blushing furiously at his rudeness, "I'm terribly sorry!"

Percival shakes his head, amused, "It is quite alright, young prince. I'm glad for the enthusiasm." Percival passes the next scroll over, along with some blank papyrus. "I thank you for doing these translations."

Newt beams, "I'm glad for something to keep me busy!" He suddenly turns serious, "But I might ask how you know of my heritage."

"I knew of your brother." Percival simply states before he turns sharply on his heel and walks away, leaving Newt staring after him once more.

A few minutes later, Seti appears on the step next to him and sits down, "Who was that man?"

"He was the one who asked for you." Newt holds up the scroll, "I translated some Latin for him this past week and he's given me another to translate."

Seti peers at the scrolls, "Well, I'm glad he asked you, because I think you may be the only in the temple who knows Latin."

Newt shrugs, "My brother forced me to learn."

"With these changing times, it's a good thing he did." Seti sets a hand on Newt's shoulder, "Make certain you aren't being taken advantage of by this mysterious man."

Newt nods, "I like having something productive to do with my time."

Seti smiles at the younger man, "As long as you are certain."

"I am."

The next six months pass in a similar manner, Percival appearing with a new scroll for Newt to translate and Newt happily passing on his work, despite any frustrations he might have about never learning anything about Percival even as he shared about himself. One week Percival appears on his usual day, usual bag in hand along with another sack. Unlike usual, Percival settles himself on the step next to Newt, instead of his usual looming. The pair trade scrolls before Percival pulls the other bag nearer, "I thought you might enjoy a sweet treat from the city." Percival opens the bag and Newt gasps, pleased beyond belief.

"Thank you!" Newt grins widely at his companion.

"This is just my way of expressing my gratitude for how much you have helped me by translating all these scrolls."

"It's truly been my pleasure." Newt continues to beam.

"I must get going, I've another errand." Newt nods his understanding and hides his disappointment. Percival even looks disappointed that he must leave. "I'll be back in another week."

"Goodbye." Newt glumly says.

"Goodbye, Newt."

Newt is pleased that after that day, Percival starts to slowly open up to him and every week brings a new gift, sometimes two if Percival was feeling generous. "What do you need all these scrolls translated for?" Newt asks one afternoon as they munch on Percival's gift, some flatbread and cheese, as they lounge in the sun.

"I am learning more about this culture that has taken over our country."

"It did not happen overnight." Newt points out.

"Indeed." Newt waits, but Percival doesn't expand. Soon after he leaves Newt to his sunbathing on the temple steps.

A few weeks later, Percival arrives and gratefully takes the translated scroll, but does not give Newt one in return. "You don't have one for me?"

Percival shakes his head, "That is all. I won't ask for anymore of your time."

Newt bites his lip, "Will I see you again?"

"No." Newt looks shocked at the answer, so Percival continues, "I am leaving for Rome in a few day's time and after that, perhaps one of their territories."

Newt jumps up, finding himself a little taller than the other man, "Take me with you!"

"Wouldn't your brother worry that you are not here?"

Newt shakes his head vehemently, "My brother is dead."

"Then the priest, this Seti-"

"I care for him, but I want to see the lands the Romans hail from! I want to be anywhere but chained to this single temple!" Newt cries, flailing his hands in frustration, "I adore Ra as much as any prince does, but I can not hide behind his temple walls forever!"

A curious glint appears in Percival's eyes, "You truly want to come with me?" Newt eagerly nods and Percival sighs, "There is something you must know before you commit to traveling with me."

"Yes?" Newt asks once several moments have passed and Percival had yet to speak. "What is it?" The sun seems to dim and the only light that is, emits from the halo around Percival's head and Newt falls to his knees when the image of Ra appeared superimposed over Percival, combining until there was only a singular figure standing in front of Newt. "Ra." Newt averts his gaze.

A hand guides Newt's face to turn towards Percival's and forces their eyes to meet. When Newt looks at him, all he sees is Percival, the alluring man that he met months ago. "Does this change things?"

Newt boldly stares at him and he finally shakes his head, "No."

A grin appears on Percival's face, brighter than anything that Newt had seen on his face before. Breathless, Percival says, "Good." He then pulls Newt's face even closer and their lips meet in a hesitant kiss that quickly deepens. Eventually they pull away and Newt stares at him in awe, a look that Percival easily returns.

"You will need someone that speaks Latin." Newt simply states, as if sealing the deal. Percival laughs, but doesn't disagree.

"You are still willing to come with me?"

Newt nods, "But why are you even leaving?"

Percival sighs and looks towards the ground, staring at the grains of sand intensely. "The people no longer need me. Christianity is quickly catching on and they have a new God to believe in. My power is weakening, even in places that are sacred to me." Percival looks back up and meets Newt's gaze, "Soon I fear I will be human. I will live and then die as I have watched humans do for so long."

Newt stares at him in shock, "But why leave, even if you will become human?"

"My country is quickly becoming a place I don't recognize. Times are changing and I too must change. I leave because I have lived here my entire existence and if I am to become human, there is nothing to stop me from exploring other places." Percival runs a hand through his hair, Newt watching intently.

"I will still come with you." Newt states firmly, "Let me gather my pack and say my goodbyes to Seti."

"I will wait here." Percival presses a kiss to the back of Newt's hand, causing the other man to blush. Newt heads inside the temple and appears a few minutes later, quickly capturing Percival's hand. The pair walk the path towards the city, on their way to the port to secure passage to Rome, hands never straying from each other until the last moment before they enter the city.

A day later they are on the deck of the ship, watching their homeland disappear on the horizon. "Do you regret coming with me?"

Newt shakes his head, "No. This is a new beginning and I think I'll like it."

Years later, when they are on their deathbed, Newt asks. "Do you regret anything?"

Percival shakes his head and replies, "No. Our death isn't goodbye nor is it an end, it's a new beginning and I think we'll like it."

The year is 1926 and a wizard by the name of Newt Scamander meets another wizard named Percival Graves for the first time. "Hi." Percival smiles at him.

Newt blushes as he takes in the appearance of the dark and alluring man, "Hello...Have we met before?"