Newt's next few weeks were filled with stress. Not much was known about this particular creatures hatching habits, so he was on the alert at all times. He began to carry the egg with him. The shell was durable enough that even if someone bumped into him, it wouldn't break. But just in case, he made a sort of makeshift baby carrier and tucked it underneath his jumper and robes. It was a little too warm for Newt, but a perfect, snug little place for the egg. Newt took great comfort in the egg as well and reduced a little of his anxiety. Having it on him was a vast improvement he felt. He could keep a close watch on it while it was receiving the close contact it needed.
Newt quickly found a place in the Great Hall and plated a few things before opening up his textbook for his Care of Magical Creatures class. He'd already read it of course during the summer, but he always ended up reading books twice to absorb the information more clearly. His thoughts wandered before he started the new chapter however, and he found himself thinking about that girl.
That girl. The American. The one he'd hoped he wouldn't hear from again, had one afternoon that week, kindly woken Newt from his accidental nap in the common room. Felicity.
He'd told her the truth of course. Well, not the whole truth. But it made him feel better to have told her his real name at least. It made him feel...seen. Not only that she'd noticed him asleep and thought that he might be missing a class (which he was: he'd gotten detention again. With a different teacher this time. Not that Newt particularly minded the Forbidden Forest) but now someone other than his professors, his brother and a couple rude Gryffindor kids, knew his name. Allowing himself a small smile, he decided to refocus on his book.
Newt wasn't sure just how much time had passed when a voice, close enough to his ear that he could feel the breath forming the words brush him, said "Whatcha reading?" He identified the American accent before ever turning and definitely before his heart returned to his chest.
"Felicity." Newt was positive his face must be bright red by this point. Just how long had she been sitting there? So close to him as well?
The girl smiled at him with surprised color. "You remembered my name." She seemed quietly shocked, as though that wasn't something she was used to, and Newt felt a pang of empathy.
Newt also amusingly noticed a bit of some food on her chin, but while deciding not to say anything, he almost didn't register that she'd asked him about the demiguise illustration on the open page of his text. He turned his attention to the page and repeated the memorized information about Demiguise endangerment. It made him depressed every time, as well as rekindled a desperate, hopeless desire to rescue every last living demiguise and protect them.
After he finished his explanation, Felicity crossed her arms, looking angry. For a second, Newt wondered what he might have said absentmindedly that could have upset her before she exclaimed:
"But that's terrible. Such an amazing creature and people would rather kill it for some temporary magic?" She bent over the picture over Newt's shoulder again. "The Demiguise has been known to attack if it is feeling threatened" Her face soured considerably "I would give you a pretty nasty nip if you wanted to skin me alive. What are they thinking?"
Newt almost laughed out loud as he felt several emotions at once; A righteous anger in tune with Felicity's, a pleasant surprise to learn she felt as strongly about the matter as he, and a sharp humor in imagining kind Felicity biting anyone. She seemed to catch him looking at her and held contact with him.
"What? Is there something on my face?" She smiled gently at him. Newt held back a giggle, it was too perfect.
"Yeah, just there." He pointed on his own chin the spot where Felicity had what looked like custard dotted.
Her mouth dropped open in surprise and she quickly wiped her chin with her hand and inspected it. She unexpectedly let loose a loud laugh, making him and a few nearby Hufflepuffs jump, and proceeded to lick the custard off her hand like a cat might. Already holding back, this act drove Newt off the edge and he let loose a stream of giggles. This is turn, seemed to set Felicity off more and she laughed harder, a full-body kind of laugh that makes other want to join in. Newt honestly couldn't remember when last he'd laughed this hard, especially around any human besides maybe his mother.
An expert in bad timing, this was the moment that his beloved older brother decided to butt in. In the middle of wiping his eyes, Newt didn't notice Theseus creep up behind them.
"Something funny?"
Newt's mood soured considerably. He should've known that Theseus would've noticed an opportunity for his favorite pastime.
"Just something Newt said is all." Felicity hadn't seemed to notice the mood change yet.
"Newton Artemis Fido Scamander said something funnier than his name? That is a surprise."
"Theseus…" Newt brushed through his hair irritatedly.
"You courting the American girl now Newton? She's a bit out of your league ain't she?"
He repressed the urge to roll his eyes, knowing his brother was only trying to get him angry.
"Theseus please…"
"Excuse me?" Newt glanced up to see Felicity's eyes take on a fiery note. "Who are you to talk to him that way?"
Surprised she'd stood up to him, but knowing that was exactly what Theseus wanted, he tried to placate her. "It's okay Felicity…"
"Oh I'm Newton's older brother, unfortunately. I like her Newton. Mind if I borrow her one of these weekends?"
Newt could deal with his brother's taunts about his name, but he tried to warn Theseus with his eyes not to dare drag this girl into it.
"Theseus stop this."
The gryffindor stared directly back into his eyes, sensing Newt's rising temper and practically licking his lips.
"It's just one weekend Newton." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I won't hurt her or anything."
Newt moved to stand up in anger, damn it all, but, surprising both Scamander boys with her speed, Felicity beat him there and had slapped his brother across the face without hesitation.
"How dare you." Felicity's voice shook a little with seemingly barely contained anger. Like she was holding back still.
The shock on Theseus' face, no doubt mirrored on Newt's own, quickly morphed into a familiarly dangerous expression.
"You bitch." He spat.
Newt gripped his wand beneath his robes, a well-practiced disarming charm on his tongue, as he saw Theseus begin to draw his. He kept in mind to avoid any bodily attacks as he was still carrying the egg with him under his shirt. To anyone else, the bulge would appear as a few extra pounds around Newt's middle and if bumped accidentally in the hallway it would be no big deal. But a direct blast from Theseus' expert stunning spell would crush the thing like a dried leaf. He hesitated at the last second as Dumbledore appeared out of the corner of his eye.
"What seems to be the problem here?"
"Professor Dumbledore sir, I was just trying to have a friendly conversation with my brother when the American girl just stood and slapped me for no reason! Honestly sir, I don't understand." Newt could count on one hand how many times he'd heard Theseus refer to him as 'Professor Dumbledore sir' and each time was directly related to attempting to get out of trouble. Sometimes Newt seriously wondered how his brother managed to avoid being sorted into Slytherin.
"You liar!" Felicity's words dripped disbelief and poison.
Newt saw Dumbledore's eyes calmly regard the five-fingered mark plainly situated on the elder Scamander's face, flit to Felicity's fiery eyes and back to Newt. He met his gaze, and seemed to contemplate what he saw there briefly before saying: "Hm… I apologize Theseus but I seriously doubt your allegation that Miss Franklin would slap anyone without cause. 10 points will be taken from Gryffindor House for such false accusations. Nevertheless Felicity, I'm sorry but we do not under any circumstances tolerate any sort of violence against peers and I must ask you to join Mr. Scamander on Saturday evening for detention."
"What? Ten points and detention? That's hardly fair professor!" Theseus raised his arms at Dumbledore and his voice dropped the polite pretense, which would've been funny in any other situation. Imagine Theseus trying to take on Dumbledore.
Newt caught a small, private smirk from Dumbledore, as if he found this humorous as well. "I apologize for the misunderstanding but I was talking about young Newton."
To his surprise, Felicity turned to Dumbledore as well, although with a smidgen more respect in her tone than Theseus. "But Newt didn't do anything professor. He was more polite than any of us sir." Newt bit his lip at that, feeling guilty for allowing her to think he wasn't just as ready to fight his brother for her as she had been for him.
He turned her back to him. "Don't be angry with Dumbledore. I actually already had detention on Saturday." He glanced at Dumbledore who was eyeing him and his hand on Felicity's arm. He always seemed to read right through Newt.
"well, since I don't know what happened, and I doubt any of you will tell me the truth, I'll be on my way. See you on Saturday." Dumbledore kept smiling even as he walked away, some thought in his head obviously amusing him.
"Detention again Newt. Mum will for sure be hearing about this. What was it for this time?" He turned back to his brother who stood triumphantly sneering at having found out about Newt's apparent delinquency.
"I'll take worse than detention if it means getting you to walk away." Felicity's tone was just as fierce as the moment after she'd slapped him.
Theseus, the most cowardly Gryffindor Newt had ever met, received her warning and walked away.
Newt watched her as she sat back down beside him, closer than before.
"What's his problem?" She asked, somewhat seriously, as though she actually wanted to know.
"Ah…" He wondered how to put this. "Theseus has always been a little aggressive." Understatement. "You didn't have to do that you know." He was still upset she'd gotten in trouble over something that wasn't really her problem in the first place.
"Well, it seemed like he deserved it." She put her hand on his arm the same way he was with her other arm. "Besides, we're Hufflepuff's yeah? We watch out for each other."
His heart warmed unexpectedly. He'd heard words similar to that his whole time at Hogwarts: Hardworking, patient, just, loyal, true. "Well, I guess I'll be glad of the company in the Forbidden Forest."
"What?"
Oh yeah. Felicity had not spent as much time at Hogwarts as he. This was likely her first detention.
"Oh, no need to worry. It's not nearly as bad as it sounds." He turned back to their food. Their lunch was rapidly coming to it's end, and Newt only just remembered to eat something, as well as pull out some bags to pocket some of the extra meat on the table. Felicity eyed his actions curiously, but to his relief, didn't question him.
"Then why do they call it 'Forbidden'?" She sipped from a goblet thoughtfully.
"Because it is. Technically, students aren't allowed to go in without the proper supervision. It can be dangerous I supposed if you're unprepared."
Newt couldn't honestly remember how long it'd been since he'd had such a lengthy conversation with anyone who wasn't his brother, Dumbledore or Professor Kettleburn.
"But you're not nervous?" Something about her tone made him turn. Her eyes met his easily.
"I've spent the better part of 6 years in that forest." He found himself answering.
She smiled, apparently satisfied with his answer.
"Then I won't be either."
