The first time Percival met Newt and wanted to kiss him was because of his friend, Theseus. Percival had recently received his release papers from the wizarding army; World War I had finally ended. He was on his way back to America to resume his career as an auror for MACUSA. He walked over to his friend to say good bye. They had become good friends as they fought together.
"Theseus, it was an honor to fight beside you," he said as he firmly shook his hand.
"The honor was mine, Percival," Theseus said. "Are you in a hurry to return to America? Could I persuade you into a quick trip to Ukraine?"
"What's in Ukraine?"
"My brother, Newt, is there. He was working with dragons there and fighting on the Eastern Front. I need to see if he's ok."
Percival was intrigued; he had never seen a dragon before. "Do you think we could see a dragon?"
"Knowing my brother, you'll probably be able to meet a dragon and cuddle with it," Theseus chuckled.
"I really don't think dragons are cuddly creatures," he said.
"All creatures love Newt; he has this special way with them. If anybody could snuggle with a dragon, it would be my brother."
"Alright, let's go. I can spare a few days before I head back to New York."
Theseus clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man. Pack up your stuff. I have a portkey to Newt's dragon enclosure."
A short while later, Percival and Theseus activated the portkey and arrived in Ukraine. He looked around in amazement as he saw several large Ukrainian Ironbellies. Their metallic grey skin reflected the sun and blood red eyes watched every movement of the newcomers. The largest dragon let out a deafening roar.
"Gregory, thank you for alerting the entire camp that we have guests," a tall, lanky red-haired wizard said to the dragon as he walked out of a tent. "Although I do believe you were a tad too enthusiastic in warning us."
Theseus chuckled. "Newt!"
The red-haired wizard turned around and grinned widely as he saw the guests. "Theseus!"
The two brothers ran to each other and embraced heartily. After a long moment, Theseus pulled back and looked his brother over. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Newt shook his head. "I'm just fine. How are you? Were you injured?"
"I'm fine. I was worried about you."
"You shouldn't have worried. You saw more fighting than I did."
"You were working with dragons; I had the right to worry."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Dragons will only attack if provoked. Now, are you going to introduce me to your guest or are you going to continue being rude?"
Theseus suddenly remembered Percival was standing beside him and blushed faintly. "Terribly sorry, my friend. Percival, this is my brother, Newt Scamander. Newt, this is my friend, Percival Graves.
Percival's attention had been focused solely on the beautiful young man. He forgot about the dragons he had come to see. All he could see was red-gold curls, bright blue eyes, and pale skin scattered with freckles. When he heard his name called, he refocused on the conversation around him. He stepped forward and offered his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Newt."
"Same here, Percival." Newt shook his hand firmly but avoided eye contact.
Percival had noticed the similarities between the two brothers, but there were differences. Theseus was two inches taller and had broader shoulders. He only had a smattering of freckles across his face but Newt had too many to count, although Percival wanted the opportunity to try to count them all. Theseus had hazel eyes compared to Newt's bright sapphire blue eyes.
Theseus looked at the dragons over Newt's shoulders. "Can you introduce us to the dragons?"
He smiled. "Sure. You need to move slowly and avoid eye contact. If I tell you to move, you move immediately."
Theseus looked at Percival, who nodded at him. "Lead the way, brother."
Newt walked over to the dragons. The largest dragon, Gregory, was watching them warily, but a smaller dragon approached the young man.
"Hello, lovely Olena. I'd like you to meet my brother and his friend," Newt said calmly with a soothing voice.
Olena lowered her head until she was sniffing his coat and butting her head against a pocket.
Newt laughed. "You'll get a treat if you say hello to my guests."
Olena snorted but turned her large head to look at the newcomers.
He looked at the two guests. "You can say hello now."
Theseus looked slightly surprised, but he had seen his brother make friends with dangerous creatures before. "Hello, Olena, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Percival was gob-smacked. He had never heard of a wizard talking to a dragon like they were friends. He was in awe of Newt's way of handling the deadly beast. He was snapped out of his daze when Theseus nudged his arm.
"Oh, hello Olena. It's an honor to meet you. You're very majestic."
Olena looked like she was preening, then she butted Newt's pocket again.
Newt chuckled and patted her head. "Good girl, Olena, you can have your treat now."
He reached into his pocket and threw a piece of dried meat into the air. The dragon neatly plucked it out of the air with her teeth.
Percival watched as the sun glinted off the dragon's scales and Newt's red-gold curls. He had the urge to kiss the smile on Newt's beautiful face. He realized he was completely smitten with this young man. He was gorgeous and incredibly brave. Percival wanted to kiss him senseless, but he knew had to return to New York. He sighed as he realized they lived an entire ocean apart, and he probably would never see him again. Life wasn't fair, he thought.
The second time Percival met Newt and wanted to kiss him was because of an illegal trafficking ring. A year after the dragons, Percival was working a trafficking case in New York. Wizards were illegally breeding and trafficking demiguises, bowtruckles, and diricawls. He led a team of aurors to the trafficker's hideout. Before they began their raid, Percival suddenly heard shouting and crashing sounds. He quickly led his team into the abandoned building and saw one wizard fighting against four wizards. He instantly recognized Newt and ordered his team to help him fight the traffickers, although Newt was holding his own against four opponents.
The fight quickly turned in Newt's and the aurors' favor and the four traffickers were arrested. Percival walked over to the British wizard. With his adrenaline still pumping, he wanted to push Newt against the wall and kiss him until he was breathless with desire. The redhead was a proficient dueler and seemed capable of taking down the traffickers without help. Percival was impressed by his fighting ability, and he had looked so beautiful and graceful as he fought. But, he knew he had to be professional, so he curbed his desire.
"What are you doing here, Newt?" he asked.
Newt looked down at the ground and shifted his feet. "I heard of this group here. I couldn't let them hurt these wonderful creatures, so I came to New York."
"Why didn't you contact me? We were already aware of this group and were about to begin our raid when you beat us to it. This is our job."
Newt looked up at him defiantly for a moment before looking away. "It's my job to care for these creatures because no one else will. Tell me, Percival, what's your plan for these creatures? What's going to happen to them now?"
"There's a ban on all illegal creatures in New York," he admitted. He knew Newt wasn't going to like their policy on dealing with creatures. "The creatures will be destroyed."
The young man paled dramatically, making his freckles stand out. "You can't kill them! They're innocent creatures. They're not dangerous."
"I don't agree with the policy, Newt, but I have to do my job." He hated being the cause of Newt's anguish, but he had to follow the law.
"Let me have them," he pleaded. "I'll nurse them back to health and take them back to their natural habitats."
Percival sighed. "I can't."
"Please, Percival. Ask your boss if you can release them into my custody. I have permits for transporting creatures, and I can be on the next ship to England."
Against his better judgement, Percival returned to MACUSA to talk to his boss. He couldn't say no to Newt's sad blue eyes. He knew he had found his greatest weakness, an adorable and oblivious magizoologist.
The next day, Percival escorted New to the waiting ocean liner. His boss had reluctantly agreed to Newt's request on the basis that the creatures weren't truly dangerous and they would leave the country immediately. Percival had discovered Newt's magical suitcase when he asked the British wizard how he planned on getting the creatures home without being seen by no-majs. Newt had proudly shown him his suitcase and explained all the charms and spells he and Theseus had placed on the case to make it habitable. He was very impressed by the creative spell work.
Despite the trouble he had caused, Percival still wanted to kiss the gorgeous yet reckless wizard. He wished Newt could stay in New York for a few days, so he could show him around and take him to dinner. As they said goodnight after dinner, he could lean in and kiss him slowly yet deeply. He shook his head to clear away his daydream.
"Have a safe trip home, Newt. Please don't go after any more traffickers by yourself."
"I can't promise that, Percival, but I'll promise to be careful."
He sighed. He knew it was going to be the best compromise he was going to receive from the rash young man who cared more about saving creatures than his own safety.
"Goodbye, Newt. Say hello to Theseus for me."
"I will," he said. "Thanks for all your help. Goodbye, Percival."
Newt walked up the gangplank without looking back. Percival stayed on the docks until the ship sailed away. He regretted not taking a chance and asking him for a kiss, but he had the feeling that one kiss would not be enough. It was too bad they lived too far apart, he thought as he apparated back to MACUSA.
The third time Percival met Newt and wanted to kiss him was again because of Theseus. Percival received an invitation from Theseus to visit him. The Scamander family home was located in Dorset, England. Percival had almost declined the invitation; he was working hard to become a senior auror. He didn't want to take a vacation and fall behind in his duties.
However, the possibility of seeing Newt again had changed his mind. He and Theseus had remained friends by exchanging letters, and the British wizard was always writing about his younger brother. Percival loved reading those parts of the letters. The magizoologist was always on his mind; he often wondered about Newt's travels and what new creatures he had acquired. He decided to travel to England to visit Theseus and hopefully see Newt again.
Theseus showed him around the Scamander manor home, which was located in the country. He led Percival to the stables.
"My mother apologizes for not greeting you at the house, but its foaling season for the hippogriffs. She has to be in the stable to assist with the births."
"That's quite alright," he said. "So, you have a few hippogriffs here?"
Theseus chuckled. "My mother breeds hippogriffs. We have more than a few."
"Oh, I'm guessing that's how Newt learned to love magical creatures."
"Yes, he grew up with hippogriffs, and they loved him as much as he loved them," Theseus said fondly, remembering his adorable baby brother playing with and riding the hippogriffs.
As they entered the stables, Percival was overwhelmed by the smell of blood, hay, and musky animal scent. Theseus whispered to him, "The mothers are easily startled so no loud noises or sudden movements."
Percival nodded. He looked around the stables and saw an older woman in one of the stalls. She was comforting a chestnut-colored hippogriff. She had red hair with streaks of grey and hazel eyes; Percival assumed that she was Ophelia Scamander. In a few stalls away, he caught a glimpse of red-gold curls and his heart skipped a beat.
Percival silently crept closer to the stall and saw Newt kneeling next to grey hippogriff. He was murmuring soothingly to her as he gently stroked her back. He was covered in dirt and there was straw in his hair, but Percival thought he looked absolutely stunning. He wanted to walk over to him and hold him in his arms as he gently kissed his soft, pink lips.
He felt a nudge on arm and looked at Theseus, who raised a questioning eyebrow at him. Percival knew he probably had a besotted look on his face. He blushed slightly and nodded.
Theseus grinned widely. He leaned over and whispered in his ear, "We'll talk later. You're going to need help courting Newt. He's completely oblivious. But, if you hurt him, I'll feed you to the hippogriffs."
Percival groaned. How was he going to explain to Newt's over-protective brother that he wasn't planning on courting the young wizard? He still thought they couldn't make a long-distance relationship work. However at that instant, Newt looked up and saw them standing there. He beamed brightly, and Percival wanted to make him smile like that every day. He decided it wouldn't hurt to hear Theseus' tips. Maybe fate would be kind to him and send Newt his way again sometime in the future.
The fourth time Percival met Newt was because of Grindelwald and a Hidebehind. Percival was sitting in a small wizarding bar in the Quebec province of Canada. There had been rumored sightings of Grindelwald in the area. Percival and his partner were sent to investigate. His partner was back in their hotel room suffering from food poisoning, so he was sitting alone at the bar.
Then, he heard a charming British accent. "Excuse me is this seat taken?"
Percival turned his head so fast he thought he might have whiplash because that had sounded like Newt's sweet voice. Miraculously, it was the young British wizard standing next to him, smiling happily at him.
"Newt! What are you doing here?" he asked. "Please sit down."
Newt sat on the stool next to him and ordered a fire whiskey. "Hello, Percival, it's good to see you again. I'm here investigating rumors of a Hidebehind sighting."
Percival thought back to his lessons at Ilvermorny, but he was distracted by Newt's proximity. His hair had grown longer and now charmingly fell over his forehead. He wanted to reach out and touch his hair to feel if it was as soft and silky as it looked. After staring at him for a few moments and smiling dopily, he finally got his brain working.
"Aren't Hidebehinds native to America?"
Newt nodded. "They're native to Massachusetts. It's possible one has migrated over the Canadian-American border in search of food, but I haven't seen any traces of one in the area."
"They're extremely dangerous, right?"
"Yes, they unfortunately hunt and eat humans."
Percival was aghast. He didn't want Newt anywhere near these creatures. "You wouldn't try to capture it and put it in your case, would you?"
"Merlin's beard, no! That would be extremely foolish. While I do believe my fellow witches and wizards need to be educated more about creatures and not immediately kill them, I do know which ones I cannot save without endangering myself and others."
"Good," he said as he took a sip of his drink.
"So, what are you doing here?" Newt asked with curiosity.
"I'm here for auror business," he said. He couldn't discuss Grindelwald with him. It was top secret information.
"Ah, I understand. It's classified," he said. His brother was an auror, so he understood the need to keep important matters classified.
Percival smiled and asked him what he had been doing since he had seen him last year in England. Newt talked animatedly about the new creatures he had rescued, which included mooncalves, fwoopers, and occamys. He also informed him that the demiguise from New York had decided to stay with him and his name was Dougal. Also, one particular bowtruckle had taken a liking to him and chose to stay in his coat pocket instead of his tree in the suitcase.
"Pickett, would you show yourself? I want you to meet my friend Percival."
Percival watched avidly as a tiny green head peeked out of Newt's pocket. It stared at him for a long moment and then climbed out of the pocket. Newt held out his hand and Pickett climbed on.
"Hello, Pickett, it's nice to make your acquaintance," he said to the stick-like creature.
Pickett chattered at him, and then Newt placed him back into his pocket. "He said it was nice to meet you too."
Percival laughed. They spent the next couple hours talking and drinking. Newt had become tipsy and less shy. He was making eye contact with Percival and blushing frequently. Percival was utterly charmed by the man next to him. He loved hearing how passionate he was about his creatures. He loved hearing his tales about his family's hippogriffs. He loved how Newt smiled at him when he asked about the foal Newt had helped deliver last year. He loved everything about Newt.
Percival thought it would be so easy to lean over and place a kiss on those tempting lips, but he knew he couldn't take advantage of Newt's drunkenness. He decided it was time to put Theseus' courting tips to use. Fate had brought them together again, so he took it as a sign that he and Newt belonged together. Theseus' first tip was to take things slow and take their time getting to know each other. Newt would respond better to being courted if they had a solid foundation of friendship to build upon.
"May I write you?" he asked.
"I'd like that," Newt replied. "I'd like to hear from you directly and not just second-hand from Theseus."
Percival smiled. "Will my owls be able to find you? You seem to travel all over the world."
"I'll be in London for a while. I need to review my notes about my latest trips and start writing my book. Plus, my boss at the Ministry wants me in the office for a while. There have been complaints about my frequent trips."
He frowned. How could anyone complain about the adorable magizoologist? They paid their tabs, and Percival walked Newt back to his hotel. Unfortunately, they weren't staying at the same hotel. As he apparated to his hotel, Percival smiled slightly. He had a plan to court Newt, and he wasn't going to let anything stop him.
The fifth time Percival met Newt and wanted to kiss him was because of Percival's promotion to senior auror. He invited the Scamander brothers to New York to help him celebrate. Unfortunately, Theseus couldn't attend because of a particularly stressful case he was working on. Percival took a personal day and met Newt at the docks as his ship arrived mid-morning.
He smiled as he saw Newt walking down the gangplank. He was wearing a fetching blue coat, which flattered his eyes and hair. Percival thought he looked as beautiful as he always looked. He offered his hand for Newt to shake in welcome, but the young man surprised him by hugging him instead. He closed his eyes to savor the feel of Newt's body pressed close to his, and he subtly smelled the young man. He smelled like the ocean and the herbs he kept in his case.
"Hello, Percival," Newt said as he let go and stepped back.
"Hello, Newt," he said. "Thank you for coming."
"Congratulations on your promotion. You absolutely deserve it. Theseus sends his regrets that he cannot be here to help you celebrate."
"I'm just glad that my favorite Scamander was able to come," he said, smiling at him. After a year of sending letters, he thought it was time for part two of his plan. They had developed a strong friendship. He was going to flirt with Newt and make his intention clear of courting him.
Newt blushed and looked at him through his fringe. Percival held back a groan at how cute he looked when he did that.
"Come on, let's go home," he said. He led him to an isolated alley and apparated them to his house.
"Your house is beautiful," Newt said as he looked around. It was a modest-sized house but furnished nicely.
"It's a good size to share with somebody," he said, looking intently at Newt.
"Are you looking for a roommate?" Newt asked innocently.
"Not exactly," he said, hiding his frustration. He realized he had to be more direct, but he didn't want to scare Newt away. "I'll show you to your room."
Then, he made lunch for them. He wanted to impress Newt with his cooking skills and show that he could provide and take care of him.
"Lunch was delicious," Newt praised. "I'm not much of a cook. I make the food for my creatures, but I'm pretty hopeless cooking for myself."
"Speaking of your creatures, will you introduce me to them?"
"You really want to meet them?" Newt asked shocked. No one, except for Theseus and his parents, had taken an interest in his creatures.
"From your letters, I feel like I know them already," he confessed. "I'd like to meet them in person if I may."
"I'd love to give you a tour of my case and introduce you to everybody," Newt said, smiling brightly.
Percival smiled too. "Thank you for trusting me with your creatures. I know how much you care about them."
He blushed. "Of course, I trust you. You're my best friend. I care about you too, very much so."
Percival squeezed his hand that was resting on the table. "I care about you too, Newt. I care about you a lot."
Newt smiled as he twisted his hand upside down and laced his fingers with Percival's. Tugging on his hand, he stood up and said, "Let's go. Everybody will be excited to meet you."
"They know about me?" he asked hopefully.
"I may talk to them about you or read your letters aloud sometimes," Newt confessed bashfully.
Percival could not stop grinning as he descended the ladder into the suitcase. Newt talked about him to his creatures. Maybe Newt felt the same way he did.
After they spent an enjoyable afternoon in the suitcase, they returned to Percival's living room. Gathering his courage, Percival stood in front of Newt and asked him, "Will you have dinner with me tonight? As a date?"
"D…date," Newt stuttered in shock and confusion. "Why would you want to date me?"
"I like you, Newt. I've liked you since the first time we met. You're intelligent, brave, and reckless. You also have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. You care so much about your creatures and family. Plus, you're gorgeous. You take my breath away every time I see you, especially your smile. You're beautiful inside and out," he explained earnestly.
Newt shook his head in denial. "I'm not any of those things, Percival. I tend to annoy people."
Percival growled in frustration; he was going to make Newt see himself as he saw him. He pushed Newt against the wall, one arm went around his waist and the other hand went to the back of his neck. He pressed closer to the other wizard until their bodies were touching, and he used his grip on Newt's neck to pull him down into a kiss.
He kissed him roughly, lips pressing hard against Newt's. Newt gasped in surprise and Percival slid his tongue inside his mouth. He tangled with his tongue, trying to coax it into playing with his own. Newt clumsily returned the kiss, uncertain what he should do with his tongue. He seemed to be inexperienced in the kissing department, which made Percival groan as he thought about all the different types of kissing he could teach him.
The passionate, deep kisses slowed down to soft, gentle kisses as Percival sweetly nibbled on Newt's full bottom lip. These first kisses had surpassed his greatest fantasies. Newt's lips were much softer than they looked, and he tasted like tea and honey. As he stopped kissing him and pulled back, he finally realized what he had done. He had basically shoved Newt against the wall and assaulted him.
"Newt, I'm so sorry," he apologized. He released his hold on his body and stepped back, mortified at his behavior.
Newt was breathless and wide-eyed, but he grabbed a hold of Percival's hands before he could go too far. "I'll admit you took me by surprise, but you have nothing to apologize for. I quite enjoyed kissing you.
"Really?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes, I have thought about it before," he admitted bashfully.
Percival smiled brightly. "Will you have dinner with me tonight? Allow me to court you properly?"
Newt grinned mischievously. "Yes, but on one condition."
"What?" He was intrigued by his playful expression.
"Kiss me again," Newt demanded, and he tugged on Percival's hands to pull him closer.
Percival was smiling as his lips met Newt's again. Before he became lost in his embrace, he thought he would like to kiss Newt every day for the rest of his life.
Two years and countless kisses later, Percival was impatiently waiting to see Newt again. Today was their wedding day, and they hadn't seen each other since last night. They had decided to get married in England. Percival's parents were dead and he had no siblings. He also wanted to keep Newt a secret from MACUSA. He was worried that if it became known that he was married, then his enemies would target his husband. He wanted to protect Newt. He loved him too much to allow any harm to come to him.
As he paced the floor of the guest room, he thought of everything that could go wrong. What if Newt changed his mind and didn't want to marry him anymore? What if somebody tried to interrupt their wedding? He should have checked to make sure that Leta Lestrange wasn't anywhere near Dorset. What if one of Newt's creatures escaped and they had to chase it all over the English countryside?
Then, he heard a knock on the door. Theseus opened the door and looked him over. Percival nervously straightened his light blue tie. He was wearing a dark navy suit. Newt was wearing the opposite color combination; his suit was light blue with a navy tie.
"Is it time?" he asked. "Do I look ok?"
Theseus chuckled. "I never thought I'd see the day where the great Percival Graves was nervous."
"Shut up, Theseus. I'm allowed to be nervous on my wedding day. What if Newt changes his mind and runs away to the Amazon?"
"You don't have anything to worry about. Newt is here and very excited. He sent me to check on you."
Percival relaxed as he realized his main reason to worry was nonexistent. He knew that Newt loved him and wouldn't run away from him. He sighed impatiently. "How much longer do I have to wait until I can see Newt again?"
"You are seriously smitten." Theseus laughed heartily. "Luckily for you, the ceremony is starting in ten minutes."
"Alright," he said shakily. "I can do this."
"Remember that you're not doing this alone. Newt will be right there beside you."
Percival smiled. After today, they would be bound together legally and magically for the rest of their lives. He was never going to be alone again.
Ten minutes later, Percival was standing under the wedding arch, which was erected in the backyard garden. The only guests were Newt's family: his parents, brother, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Newt had asked his favorite professor, Albus Dumbledore, to officiate the ceremony. Percival had met Dumbledore yesterday to discuss the details of the ceremony. He was slightly uncomfortable by the amount of eye-twinkling Dumbledore had done when he looked at them. He didn't think it was natural for eyes to twinkle.
Victoria, Newt's cousin, began to play the wedding march on her violin. Percival turned to the house and watched as Newt started walking towards him, smiling so brightly he outshone the setting sun.
Percival felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at Newt. He looked absolutely stunning in his light blue suit. He looked incredibly happy as he approached the arch. He couldn't believe he was going to marry the angel in front of him.
The wedding guests formed a circle around the arch, with the couple and Dumbledore in the middle. Dumbledore began the ceremony, but Percival barely paid attention to the ceremony, letting the professor's voice wash over him. His entire focus was on Newt. Over the past two years, Newt had become comfortable making eye contact with him. Now, he was looking directly into Percival's dark brown eyes, and he couldn't look away from the love he saw shining in the blue eyes he adored. Plus, as long as he looked at Newt's beautiful face, he didn't have to see Dumbledore's strange eye-twinkling.
He recited his vows when promoted and listened fervently as Newt recited his own vows. They exchanged rings, which were magically connected to them. Then, the moment he was waiting for finally arrived. Dumbledore pronounced them husband and husband and said they may kiss now. Percival had wanted to kiss the man he loved all day and had been denied.
As the sun set over the horizon, the newly wedded couple was bathed in crimson, gold, and violet light. Percival leaned in and kissed his husband for the first time. The kiss was soft and sweet, full of all the love and happiness they both felt in that moment. He thought it was the best kiss he had ever received, and he knew he would remember this moment forever. No matter what happened in the future, he knew his life was going to be wonderful as long as he had Newt by his side.