The First Time He Admitted He Loved Her...

A second salamander skittered out of the flames, doing an odd little flop on its belly as it wriggled its way out of the grate and skidded to a halt next to the messy stack of parchment beside the mantel, tiny sparks tittering across the floor.

Its ember coloured scales glistened like jewels, casting a yellowish glow across the freckled face of the wizard who had started the fire several hours before as he worked away, well into the night, on the final draft of his book.

The tiny lizard's appearance was intense, burning and beautiful, its movements careful and graceful.

For some reason that made Newt think of her, a certain raven haired American witch.

His auror, his Tina.

(Well, not really his...but right now, three thousand miles from the person who had, little by little with each passing letter they exchanged, stolen his affections so completely and utterly-Newt Scamander would allow himself to dream).

She was the woman who made him want to believe in love all over again. The woman with a quiet air of intelligence and authority, as well as unparalleled bravery, loyalty, stubbornness and a rare little dimpled smile that lit up her face, a smile that made him see stars each and every time he saw it.

And her eyes...he didn't even know where to begin with those; so fierce and beautiful and burning almost like...salamanders.

Yes, just like salamanders. His love's eyes glittered like fire in dark water, the two most opposing elements that the ancients had once believed made up the world, coexisting in perfect harmony together in the depths of her eyes.

Cool and collected but fiery and internal...just like Tina.

Completely lost in thought, Newt didn't notice the pair of footsteps approaching him.

"Brother", a voice called, causing him to jump a little as he was pulled from his reverie.

Newt's eyes shot up landing upon a face that was not altogether unlike his own: the freckles, the green-ish brown Scamander eyes and the mop of coppery hair...all belonging to his older and more straight-laced brother Theseus.

Not the best at social niceties, the younger man cut straight to the point. "Any news on my travel ban?", Newt asked, not quite looking at the marginally older Scamander.

Theseus raised a quizzical eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Is that any way to greet family, little brother? What would mother say?"

Ignoring any possible incoming protestations, Theseus, in one single sweep, reached for his younger brother, pulling him up out of his desk chair and causing the pair of them to stumble into a very awkward (at least on Newt's end) one armed hug.

"You know, Newt", Theseus said as he finally released him, his tone suggesting that he was going to give one of his signature 'heart-in-the-right-place but still bloody annoying' lectures. "Maybe if you didn't get into so much trouble when you go abroad, the ministry wouldn't have revoked your license to travel."

Newt chuckled slightly, ducking his head. His own feet were suddenly the most interesting thing in the room. "I have no idea what your talking about."

Theseus rolled his eyes, not without affection. "As much as I hate to admit it, I don't completely detest your being kept here for the foreseeable future."

Newt looked aghast and ready to argue but his older brother ploughed right on, completely ignoring him.

Clearly he had wanted to get what he was about to say off of his chest for a while.

"First you get attacked by a dozen Lethifolds in the Amazon last year, then you almost go and get yourself killed by that little obscurial girl in South Sudan and again in New York when you just so happened to run into Gerllet Grindelwald...and that's only the occasions I know of. Do you have a death wish? Bloody Hell Newt, at the rate your going I won't have a best man at my wedding!"

Newt shook his head adamantly, eyeing the still flaming salamander out of the corner of his eye and feeling a surge of bravery. "Thes, I'm afraid it's of vital importance that I return to New York as soon as my book is ready for publishing."

Theseus raised an eyebrow. "Are you crazy? That's a week before the wedding! You know how much effort Leta and mother have put in, Newton. I thought you were staying in the country, ban or no ban, until next autumn?"

Things always got serious when full names were thrown around.

Newt wondered whether Tina disliked her full name as much as he did his. He saw on her identification when she arrested him that her full name was Portpentina Ester Goldstein, but everyone seemed to call her Tina.

He would have to ask her someday.

Newt shuffled his feet, looking across at his brother through a curtain of his own untameable hair. "It's rather important, Theseus. I made a promise to someone very de-"

But Theseus cut him off. "What sort of promise could be more important than your promise to be at the wedding of your former best friend and brother?"

Newt looked away, once again hit by the familiar feeling that he was completely mucking up on each and every appropriate social que.

"It's a certain kind of—", the younger Scamander started, in an attempt to give some sort of excuse for his need to travel internationally so close to what was set to be 'the ministry wedding of the year'.

He felt that telling his brother was giving away too much about how he felt about Tina, something that was so private and personal to him. No one, not even Theseus, should know how he loved her until she did. "—it's a certain kind of personal matter but I assure you that I will be back in time for your and Leta's nuptials-"

Theseus rolled his eyes, believing he knew exactly what that meant. With Newt it couldn't mean anything else. "For the love of Merlin, Newt. You're not leaving the country the week before my wedding to chase some tree bearded, bugged eyed Water Nymph for that book of yours!"

Newt ducked his head, a blush tinging his cheeks. He couldn't help himself when he admitted it quietly, especially since he was usually so terrible at lying in the first place.

"No", he whispered, shifting his feet awkwardly, unable to look at his brother for fear he would give the whole secret away, a secret he had held very close to his heart in the days and weeks following his return to England. A secret with dark hair, flaming eyes and one of the most caring and determined souls he had ever met. "This time I'm chasing something far more rare and beautiful than that".

Tina's smile, Newt thought to himself. He was going to New York to chase after Tina Goldstein's smile.

Ever the auror, Theseus looked at his younger brother with a slightly quizzical and confused expression, one that slowly morphed into an amused smile as the realisation dawned on him.

His annoyance completely melted away as he chuckled aloud, slapping Newt proudly on the arm as he fought the urge to hug him again. "Rare and beautiful? A personal matter? You wouldn't be in love would you, little brother?"

Theseus Scamander thought he would never see the day! His younger brother...in love! He wouldn't have believed it if it weren't so bloody obvious, but now he's wondering how he hasn't noticed before.

He should have noticed before.

Newt looked at Theseus slightly startled, unable to form a coherent thought, much less an actual argument in response. Feeling more and more like a embarrassed schoolboy, heat rushed to his cheeks until he was certain that his embarrassment had turned him a colour that would have rivalled the scales of a Chinese Fireball.

Was he in love?

Newt thought about what he felt deep down inside him when he relived those days he spent with Tina and when he read her letters and imagined it was her speaking to him in person.

He thought of how he would rehearse in his head what he would write in his letters to her before sending them and spend hours imagining how they would spend their time when they were finally back together.

He thought of Tina's expression when she entered the case for the first time and the amazement and awe he saw glowing in her eyes. He thought of how gently she held the Occamy babies and how she hugged Doughal goodbye when they were returning to England.

Most of all, Newt replayed that moment in the docks over and over in his mind; berating himself for not doing more, not saying more.

He felt a warmth deep down inside him when he thought of her, his Tina. He wanted to do right by her, he wanted to return to her...

"I—I don't know what you're talking about", Newt managed to stammer out, knowing full well that his feeble attempts would prove futile against his brother, after all the man investigates and interrogates people for a living.

Theseus grinned as though they were two kids, back sitting by the fire in the Hufflepuff common room at Hogwarts all over again. He had always been more than delighted to tease his younger brother mercilessly, it was something that had thankfully never changed as the years progressed and everything else around them seemed to. "Well, what's my future sister-in-law's name?"

Turning an even deeper shade of red, Newt frowned.

"Come off it, Theseus. I haven't even told her of my intentions, much less proposed a courtship-", the younger brother stopped dead in his tracks like a deer caught in the headlight as he realised what he had said...just a smidge too much.

"Oh bugger it!"

There was no hiding anything anymore, Newt prepared himself for the influx of 'helpful brotherly advice' that he was surely to be on the receiving end of any moment now, just as soon as the initial teasing had died down.

There goes the possibility of Tina being the first to know...

Theseus's eyes glinted mischievously, unable to help the Cheshire grin that he was totally incapable of wiping from his face.

If there was anyone in the world he would wish happiness for it was his little brother.

"So you admit it then, you love this girl?"

Once again confronted by the question, Newt's mind found a certain dark haired American witch as it so often tended to do since he departed New York.

His wonderful wonderful auror with salamander eyes.

He looked his brother straight in the eye for the first time in the entire conversation. Newt replied to the question earnestly, honestly. (his mind and heart over three thousand miles away across the Atlantic).

"Yes, I believe I do."