Tina and Queenie had converted a small study into a bedroom with two beds in it with a wave of their wands. Newt was curled up in bed cocooned in the covers as he starred at the wall. Jacob was in the other bed set up reading a book when Tina came in holding some coco.
"I thought you might like a hot drink?" Tina offered, but Newt ignored her still starring at the wall.
"Hey, Mr. Scamander..." Jacob held up the warm drink Tina handed to him. "Look, cocoa!" Newt made no reply so Tina sat down the mug on the table between the beds a little harder than she needed to in her annoyance. "The toilets down the hall to the right."
"Thanks...very much." Jacob said making eye contact with Queenie who smiled brightly at him before Tina closed the doors.
Eloise sat on the couch in the living room sipping at her own coco in a borrowed pair of grey pin stripe pajamas that consisted of a long sleeved button up and loose pants that were a bit to long for her. Her glasses were perched on the edge of her nose as she read over a very worn blue book with faded black text on yellowing pages. The tile written in black as well on the front read 'Librum De Memoria' or as it was translated 'Book of the Forgotten'. In her free hand she held a cup of coco sipping contentedly as she read the aged text.
"Newt still pouting?" Eloise asked glancing over the top of her book as a frustrated Tina came out of the boy's room and Queenie made her way to her and Tina's room after bidding her a good night.
"He didn't even take the coco, he just stared at the wall." Tina replied with a frown. "Is he always like that?"
"Sometimes." Eloise shrugged taking off her glasses and setting them to the side along with her book.
"How do you put up with him?" Tina sighed as Eloise kicked back the last of the coco.
"Same way he puts up with me I suppose." Eloise shrugged with a soft smile. "We all have our bad days, but I'm sure he'll come around eventually." Eloise sat her mug to the side and covered up sinking into the couch. "Night Miss Goldstein."
"Night Miss Bae-Wulf." Tina nodded extinguishing the lights with a wave of her wand and stepped out of the living room to the room she shared with her sister closing the door behind her.
As soon as she was sure she was alone Eloise slipped from the couch arranging the pillows under the covers. She then took up her case glancing around until her eyes settled back on the couch. She kneeled down stuffing her case under it as far as she could casting a chameleon charm on it as well as some locking charms before padding toward the boy's room. She didn't want Tina or Queenie getting nosy and trying to get into her case while she was with the boys. She then removed her pajamas revealing her clothes still on underneath, stuffing them under the blankets with the pillows.
She was just about to make it to the door when she heard the girl's door open. With nowhere for her to hide quickly she shifted into her animagus form of a savannah cat allowing her to hide under a chair. She watched as Queenie came into the room and quickly shifted her thoughts using Occlumency to get her to believe she was sleeping. Queenie looked over to the pillows that made up a human form under the blankets before moving into the kitchen, grabbing some water, and heading back to bed.
Letting out a sigh and thanking her lucky stars that her limited ability with occlumency was enough to fool Queenie, a personal victory for her since she struggled with the skill. She moved back over to the boy's room scratching at the door until it was opened by Newt. She moved quickly into the room, Newt closing the door behind her while Jacob's eyes widened in shock.
"What are you doing in your animagus form?" Newt asked her as she shifted back into human.
"You were a cat." Jacob muttered.
"Queenie almost caught me." Eloise replied.
"You were a cat." Jacob said a little louder.
"Where's your case?" Newt asked.
"She was a cat." Jacob he said to himself.
"Under the couch camouflaged and locked up." Eloise said.
"But you were a cat." Jacob said again.
"Yes I was, I do that from time to time, completely normal for my kind I assure you." Eloise smiled to him as Newt kneeled down opening his case helping Eloise down first then following behind her.
He paused at the top of the stairs motioning for Jacob to follow with a whistle and wave of his hand. Jacob struggled to get into the case, the opening finally expanding and allowing him to slip down into the shed of the case slipping down the ladder to the grounds.
"For the love of..." Newt breathed out.
"Have a seat Mr. Kowalski." Eloise pulled out a bucket.
"Good idea." Jacob sat down heavily.
"He's sweating pretty good." Eloise commented as Newt came over checking the wound on his neck.
"That's definitely the Murtlap. You must be particularly susceptible. See, you're a Muggle. So our physiologies are subtly different." Newt said as he and Eloise worked on making a paste, Eloise handing him ingredients as he worked. "Stay still. Now that should stop the sweating." Newt said applying the paste to his neck then handed him some pills. "And one of those should sort the twitch."
"Here you are." Eloise handed him a glass of water. He eyed the water and pills, glancing up at Eloise while Newt moved back to his table squeezing something that let out a blue liquid into a vial. "Take that. Come on..."
"What you got there?" Jacob asked Newt after taking the pills.
"This, the locals call Swooping Evil, not the friendliest of names." Newt told him as he held out what looked like a cocoon from a caterpillar. "It's quite an agile fellow. I've been studying him. And I am pretty sure his venom could be quite useful if properly diluted. Just to remove bad memories, you know." Newt said facing away from Jacob and Eloise suddenly throwing the cocoon back at them releasing the swooping evil which flew at them.
"Newton Artemis Fido Scamander!" Eloise yelped as she and Jacob ducked, Eloise more annoyed than frightened like Jacob was.
"Probably shouldn't let him loose in here, though." Newt snickered.
"That was not funny the first time you did it nor was it this time." Eloise made a face at him.
"Yes, and you using the Conch Shell of Triton to wake me up was a great way to use an artifact. I was soaked to the skin and my eardrums were ringing." Newt replied with a grin, while Eloise rolled her eyes with a small smile of her own. "Help me get the stuff for the feedings?"
"Alright, but you hack the meat this time." Eloise replied as they moved around the shack gathering up the supplies.
"Artifact?" Jacob questioned.
"Oh, yeah, well that's what I do. I gather up dangerous magical artifacts and keep them safe." Eloise shrugged. "Wizards and witches over the centuries imbued or cursed items giving them abilities and powers that could be used by anyone no matter if they had magic or not. It's caused quite a bit of trouble for people over the years."
"Tell him about Circe's staff." Newt commented, one of his favorite stories of her adventures.
"Ok, well you now about Cerci right, from the Odyssey? By Homer?" Eloise asked and when Jacob looked unsure she gave him a brief summary of the account. "Well a muggle man, or no-maj as you yanks say, had come into possession of the staff and used it to change people into animals which he sold to various buyers. Some he even sold off for their fur or to be eaten, horrible man really. He'd just snatch people off of the street, change them into something exotic or tasty and make a fortune."
"What happened to him?" Jacob asked, not sure if he believed her.
"I managed to get the staff from him and changed him into a small monkey then stuck him into a zoo." Eloise shrugged. "Kind of like prison in a way I suppose."
"Let's go." Newt said as he and Eloise headed out with the food, both of them setting it down when they came to the large portion of Arizona landscape that was alight with a thunderstorm. Jacob followed behind them his mouth hanging wide open as he took in all of the enclosures and strange animals going about their days around him.
"Come on. Come on." Newt and Eloise walked up to the maker of the storm, Frank their thunderbird. Newt used his wand to cast up an umbrella to protect them from the rainfall as Newt called up to the great bird which flew in the artificial sky. "Down you come. Come on." Frank finally landed in front of them and the skies cleared. "Oh, thank Paracelsus. If you'd have got out that could have been quite catastrophic."
"He didn't leave because he's a good boy." Eloise combed her fingers through the feather along Frank's neck much to Frank's enjoyment.
"You see, he's the real reason I came to America." Newt told Jacob while stroking Frank's beak. "To bring Frank home." Jacob started to walk closer and Frank reared up a bit. "No, sorry, stay there, he's a wee bit sensitive to strangers."
"It's ok Frank, Jacob is our friend, he won't harm you sweetie." Eloise cooed, calming the beautiful creature down as she stroked his neck, hugging him close.
"Here you are, here you are." Newt said to Frank gently, the creature cooing under the combined attention of Newt and Eloise. "He was trafficked, you see. We found him in Egypt, he was all chained up."
"It was horrible, he wasn't even the only creature there. They were stuffed into small cages, underfed, no water, and most of them horribly injured." Eloise shook her head. "A few of them didn't make it through recovery."
"So we couldn't leave him or the others there, had to bring him back." Newt smiled to Frank. "Eloise and I are going to put you back where you belong, aren't we, Frank?" Newt hugged Frank's beak as Eloise scratched his neck. "To the wilds of Arizona."
"I'll miss him." Eloise sighed as Newt threw Frank's snack up into the air, the bird gracefully flying up to catch it.
"We both will." Newt agreed taking hold of her hand briefly and squeezing it comfortingly. After that Newt and Eloise went on their way through the case with Jacob following behind them, eyes wide in amazement as his mouth hung open slightly.
"Here they come." Eloise commented as they came to a sandy landscape lit by a full moon.
"Here who comes?" Jacob asked as almost lion like scaly creatures with tentacles for mouths ran up to them onto an out cropping of rocks.
"The Graphorns." Newt said as they stopped in front of them, lovingly nuzzling against Newt and Eloise with their tentacles. "You're all right. You're all right. Hello, hello!"
"Oh look how you've grown." Eloise said as she patted the cubs on their backs and scratching behind their ears.
"You see they're the last breeding pair in existence." Newt told Jacob.
"If Newt hadn't managed to rescue them that could have been the end of Graphorns, forever." Eloise said with a proud smile causing Newt to duck his head with a small smile of his own. "He saved them."
"What, you rescue these creatures?" Jacob asked as they finished feeding the Graphorns and moved on through the habitats.
"Yes, that's right." Newt nodded.
"Newt not only rescues them, he nurtures and protects them as well." Eloise picked up causing Newt's cheeks to flush. "He's doing amazing things for them, a voice for the voiceless."
"I'm gently trying to educate my fellow wizards about them. Come on." Newt said as they continued up to a tree filled with Bowtruckles. "Titus? Finn? Poppy, Marlow, Tom?" Newt named off each one as they came out, taking Pickett from his breast pocket. "He had a cold. He needed some body warmth." Newt held Pickett out to the tree as Eloise watched in amusement. "Right, on you hop." Pickett refused to leave his hand. "See, he has some attachment issues."
"Just a few." Eloise giggled causing Newt to shoot her an exasperated look.
"Now, come on, Pickett. Pickett." Newt tried, but he clung to his hand refusing to let it go. "No, they're not going to bully you. Now, come on. Pickett!" Pickett remained stubborn until Newt placed him back in his pocket. "All right. But that is exactly why they accuse me of favoritism."
"I wonder where Dougal's gone?" Eloise wondered as they came up to the Demiguise's nest, but they were distracted by the frantic calls of the Occamy babies.
"All right, I'm coming, I'm coming, Mums here. Mums here." Newt kneeled down next to the round nest that held the Occamy babies. "Hello, you, let me take a look at you."
"I know these guys." Jacob smiled at them.
"Your Occamy." Newt held up one of them to Jacob.
"What do you mean? My Occamy?" Jacob asked.
"At the bank, this is the one that hatched from that egg you returned to us." Eloise said with a bright smile.
"Yes, do you want to...?" Newt held him out to Jacob.
"Yeah, sure. Okay. Hey." Jacob held him carefully, his face a mask of wonder as he tried to pet it only to get a nip from the creature.
"No, sorry, don't pet them." Eloise said as Jacob still held the creature making sure to keep his fingers from its mouth, still amazed by the creature in his hands. "Learned that the hard way myself."
"They learn to defend themselves early. See, their shells are made of silver so they're incredibly valuable." Newt explained as he took the Occamy from Jacob and returned him to his next.
"Okay." Jacob nodded.
"Their nests tend to get ransacked by hunters." Newt lamented.
"Mr. Scamander? Miss Bae-Wulf?" Jacob started.
"Call me Newt." Newt replied.
"And call me Eloise." Eloise added.
"Newt, Eloise I don't think I'm dreaming." Jacob looked around him at the wonderful world he found himself in.
"What gave it away?" Newt asked in amusement.
"I ain't got the brains to make this up." Jacob replied shaking his head, then his eyes settled on the large ornate doors. "Where do those go to?"
"That would be my area, it's my study and where I keep all of the artifacts I gather." Eloise replied.
"Can I see it?" Jacob asked in interest.
"Actually Jacob, would you mind throwing some of those pellets in with the Mooncalves over there?" Eloise asked handing him the pale. "When we have more time I will give you a personal tour of my vaults."
"Yeah, sure." Jacob took the pale with a nod.
"Just over there..." Eloise nudged him in the right direction before she and Newt made their way through the rest of their chores.
"Bugger, Nifflers gone. Of course he has, little bugger. Any chance to get his hands on something shiny." Newt grumbled as Eloise came back over to him handing him a bottle.
"Rosie's gone as well." Eloise said in regards to the Erumpmant.
"Bugger." Newt ran his hand through his hair as they went over to their Marmite.
"There's our little Michael." Eloise cooed as Newt cradled him in his arms as he fed him. She then turned her attention to Jacob with their Mooncalves "I like Jacob."
"What did you do today, Jacob? I was inside a suitcase." Jacob talked to himself before making his way into the mooncalves environment and was immediately beset by them. "Hey. Hello, fellas. All right, all right." Jacob laughed as he started to feed them the floating pellets from the pale. "Take it easy, take it easy. Cutie. There it is."
"Yes, I do as well." Newt agreed as Michael finished up his meal.
Newt handed him over to Eloise who began to burp him while Newt made up his nest for him. He glanced up at Eloise as she paced back and forth humming while she gently patted Michael on his back. He always loved watching her like this, with his creatures, how she cared for them….cared for them like he did, like a parent. An image flashed before his eyes that had his ears burning and quickly looking away as he tried to push it to the back of his head.
"There we go." Eloise said once the marmite's stomach was settled and with Newt they tucked him in for some sleep. "He's growing so fast."
"Yes, it won't be long before he's full grown." Newt agreed as Eloise glanced around.
"Newt, where did Jacob go?" Eloise searched, but did not see him in the mooncalves habitat.
"Oh dear." Newt said when he noticed the snow drifting through the open flap of another environment. They quickly rushed in just as Jacob was reaching out to a black mass in a clear bubble. "Step back."
"Jeez..." Jacob jumped at Newt's sudden voice.
"Step back." Newt ordered again.
"What's the matter with this?" Jacob asked as they came over to him.
"I said step away." Newt said as Eloise gently pulled Jacob away from the angry blackness, her eyes pained and clearly making an effort not to look at the mass.
"Yeah. What the hell is this thing?" Jacob asked them.
"It's an Obscurus." Newt answered stiffly before leading them out back into the main part of the case. "We need to get going, find everyone who's escaped before they get hurt."
"Before they could get hurt?" Jacob echoed.
"Yes, Mr. Kowalski. They're currently in alien terrain, surrounded by millions of the most vicious creatures on the planet." Newt paused for a moment. "Humans."
"We should probably go after Rosie first considering her condition." Eloise commented.
"Right, so where would you say that a medium-sized creature that likes broad, open plains, trees, water holes, that kind of thing, where might she go?" Newt looked to Jacob.
"In New York City?" Jacob eyed him.
"Yes." Newt nodded.
"Plains?" Jacob said and Newt nodded again. "Central Park?"
"And where is that exactly?" Newt asked.
"Where is Central Park?" Jacob echoed uncertainly. "Well, look, I would come and show you, but don't you think it's kind of a double cross? The girls take us in, they make us hot cocoa."
"You do realize that when they see you've stopped sweating, they'll obliviate you in a heartbeat." Eloise told him with a raised eyebrow and her hands clasped behind her back.
"What does Bliviate mean?" Jacob asked.
"It'll be like you wake up and all memory of magic is gone." Eloise told him with a snap of her fingers.
"I won't remember any of this?" Jacob gestured to the contents of the case.
"No." Elise shook her head. Jacob looked around at all of the wonders around him, the different animals, the pieces of environment laid next to each other like puzzle pieces, and the fact that it was all in a suitcase.
"All right, yeah, okay, I'll help you." Jacob nodded.
"Come on, then." Newt smiled and led them back to his shack.
"You two wait here and I'll sneak the case out. It'll be easier if just one of us is making a break for it." Eloise said. "Not to mention that nosey landlady."
"Be careful." Newt said as she started up the ladder.
"Careful is ever so boring though." Eloise winked at him before slipping out of the case.
"I really do wish she'd be a bit more cautious." Newt stared up at the lid of the case, Jacob looking between him and the lid.
"Are you two a thing?" Jacob asked him causing Newt to stutter.
"A thing?!" His face went red. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."
"Like are you two dating or something." Jacob went on.
"Uh…no…no we're not…we're not dating." Newt ducked his head then quickly started to talk about his creatures before Jacob could push the subject any further.