Disclaimer: I don't own Rose Granger-Weasley, Newt Scamander or any other character created by J.K. Rowling. My aim is merely to entertain and play around with them a little.

Chapter twenty-seven: In which Newt smuggles himself into Paris

Newt had packed his old suitcase, taking a few of his creatures with him – unsurprisingly, the Nifflers – and pinned notes destined to Bunty all over the basement. Rose thought it wise to leave one for Theseus, because she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that what they were about to do would go back to the Ministry. And he'd be pissed.

So, as Newt took Jacob in his first of two Side-Along Apparitions to somewhere near Dover, she whirled her wand and watched as a tiny note appeared, and her scribbles turned into the word 'Theseus, I'll look after him. Rose.' That was the best she could do without telling him anything more about where or why they were leaving.

When Newt reappeared to take her to the cliffs too, she sighed, and thought of Leta, and the dinner she was supposed to go to at her and Theseus' place…

"Newt, why here?" she asked when they'd appeared on top of the white cliffs, some miles from the city. She'd been there as a child, visiting Muggle sights with her parents, but never to smuggle away to France.

"It's the easiest way. Trust me," he said before walking to Jacob, who was staring at the calm Channel before them. "Jacob, this man Tina is seeing…"

Jacob interrupted with a chuckle. "When she'd gonna see you and when she sees the five of us together, it'll be just like New-York all over again. Don't worry," he added as Newt was about to intervene.

"But he's an Auror, Queenie said."

"Yeah, he's an Auror, so what? Don't worry about him."

Rose walked a few paces behind the two friends, and smiled. Jacob was such a good friend to Newt. He was kind to him, patient, admirative, and his funny demeanour completed Newt's introverted side quite well. She was overcome with happiness over having him back with them.

"What do you think I should say to her if I see her?"

Rose chuckled. "What about 'I love you, will you marry me?'"

Jacob turned to her with a cheeky smile. "Now now, Rose, careful, you're going to make him faint." He turned back to Newt. "It's better not to plan these things. Really just say whatever comes to you in the moment."

Wise words, romantic too, Rose thought.

Newt's answer…not so much. "She really has eyes just like a salamander."

Jacob stared at him disbelievingly. "Don't say that."

Rose concurred and walked faster to catch up with them, familiarly taking Jacob's arm and linking them together. "Yeah, don't say that, Newt. I'm not sure she'd understand what you mean…"

Newt's green eyes were back to their 'battered puppy' routine, something she always found infuriatingly cute. Even Jacob was not immune, because he continued to try helping the poor smitten sod. "Look, just tell her that you've missed her, right, and then, that you came all the way to Paris just to find her. She'll love that. And then, tell her you're losing sleep at night just thinking of her and… Just don't say nothin' about those salamanders, alright?"

Newt's lost look was too much to handle for Rose, who freed Jacob and took his arm instead. "Hey, it's going to be alright."

"We're in this together, pal," continued Jacob. "I'm gonna help ya out. We'll find Tina, find Queenie, and we'll be happy again, just like old times."

Newt smiled, and Rose was satisfied.

He truly was like a fourteen-year-old faced with his first crush. Annoyingly adorable.

That was Newton Scamander in a nutshell, though: annoyingly adorable.

"Who's this guy?"

Jacob was pointing at a man standing on the edge of the cliff, dressed like some sort of weird fisherman, holding a staff and standing next to a plain metal bucket.

Rose wasn't reassured by his appearance, and grabbed her wand, just in case. Even if she had an idea about what exactly was going to take them all three to France… She was a witch, after all…

"He's the only way I can leave the country without any documentation," Newt provided, proving Rose right. "You don't suffer from motion sickness, do you?"

"I don't do well on boats, Newt."

The wizard looked amused for a second. "You'll be fine." He nodded at Rose who nodded back. She knew what this was all about. A bloody Portkey. Again.

"Hurry up, stomps. Leaves in one minute," cut the stranger with a thick Irish accent. "Fifty Galleons."

Newt groaned. "We'd said thirty."

"Thirty to go to France, twenty not to tell anyone I've seen Newt Scamander and his pretty sister leave the country illegally." He winked at Rose, who grimaced.

"You know what the pretty sister is thinking about doing right now?" she hissed. "She's thinking about a lovely hex that could see you sucking your thumb and pissing your pants like an infant."

The smuggler smirked. "You've got quite the mouth on you, lassie." He looked back at Newt. "Forty-eight, for the lady."

"So I'm worth two Galleons. Wonderful," she said, rolling her eyes and cursing the likes of men.

"Price of fame, pal." He glanced down at the bucket. "Ten seconds."

Rose sighed again, and got closer to Newt, grabbing onto the hand that was holding his case firmly. She chuckled when he outstretched the other to Jacob, who hesitated quite a bit before taking it.

And then, Newt stepped into the bucket, and something disagreeable took hold of Rose near her navel. The Portkey took them off the cliffs and into a swirl of colour, amidst Jacob's yell of surprise and fright…

When they landed, Rose had to find her footing, while Jacob took hold of the bucket and promptly vomited. She didn't think badly of him for it: she'd done the same thing the first time she'd journeyed via Portkey. Nasty things.

"Newt…" she muttered when she realised where they'd landed – thankfully, in an alley away from the buzzing street. "We're in Montmartre." And 1927 Paris was startlingly similar to 2023 Paris…

He nodded absent-mindedly, already bent on finding his way to Tina. "You know Paris? Good. I may need directions. Or someone speaking French."

She pursed her lips. "I can help with both. Thank you for making me feel like a walking road-map."

He didn't answer, and pulled them forward, and towards a flight of stairs. A bronze statue of a ballerina had been mounted on a column, and as they approached, Rose saw it move.

After Newt Confunded a policeman who was standing too close, he led Rose and Jacob through the column and into Wizarding Paris.

The sensation wasn't unlike the first time she'd stepped into Diagon Alley.

There were a few changes in scenery when they stepped into the Wizarding part of France's capital. Although Rose had visited Paris before, she didn't remember ever visiting its magical side. Her mother had been adamant in showing her family the Muggle side of it, and she hadn't strayed from her plan even once. To Rose's Dad's displeasure.

There were more colours in the façades on this side, and many more colourful shops left and right. Not to mention, of course, the attires of the people themselves: less Muggle-looking clothes, and more robes and pointy hats of all colours. At last, Rose was seeing the usual witch and wizard's clothes again. She'd begun to wonder when they'd gotten into fashion when, in her time, almost no Pureblood or Half-Blood dressed like Muggles.

Newt didn't stop to sight-see, however. He all but ran to a crossroads of sorts on the paved street, put his case on the ground, and cast a spell that Rose had never heard of.

"Appare Vestigium," he said as he blew some sort of golden smoke from his wand. The smoke, that glittered, seemed to have the power to show what had happened in that same spot several hours prior.

"Wow," she breathed, amazed. Jacob didn't say anything, but the awed look on his face said it all: he was mightily impressed as well.

Under the quizzical gazes of the many passers-by, the magizoologist then Accioed Kit the Niffler, who jumped out of the suitcase along with a handful of coins. "Get looking," the wizard said, and the creature indeed started sniffing the ground in search for…something.

Rose watched Newt hurrying to and fro, not knowing what she could do to help. She watched as the silhouette of a Kappa formed into the glittery smoke. Newt explained what it was before getting distracted by the shadow of a feminine figure. "Tina?" he asked, placing his wand in-between his teeth to chase the memory of her.

Rose stared at him, at that lost look he got when he realised that his crush wasn't really there, and was struck once more by the juvenile look on his face. He was just like one of his adorable creatures, and she was overcome with the need to protect him, as she often had since she met him. Not being used to being the youngest child, she was assuming the role of elder sister again. And Newt was definitely acting like a younger child.

"She's not here," she muttered gently, but he'd moved on, staring at Kit who was sniffing the ground like a dog.

"What have you found?"

To Rose and Jacob's astonishment, he then leaned down to lick the ground.

"Yeah, we're licking the dirt now," Jacob said, a bit miffed.

But Newt carried on ignoring both of them, and cast a Revelio that showed another, huge form in the golden smoke. That of a giant, feline-like creature that Rose didn't recognize, for once.

"Newt, what made those?" asked Jacob, still holding the Portkey bucket.

"That is a Zouwu," Newt answered, making Rose look at him quizzically. "It's a Chinese creature. They are incredibly fast and incredibly powerful. They can travel a thousand miles in a day and this one could take you to one side of Paris to the next in a single leap."

Rose tore herself from the vision of the magnificent beast, and turned back to Kit who was rolling on the pavement excitedly. "Newt?" she called, and her 'brother' hurried to the Niffler.

"Oh, good boy!" He stood in front of what looked like imprints of shoes. "Jacob, Rose, she was here. Tina stood here. She has incredibly narrow feet, have you noticed?"

Rose chuckled, Jacob looked uncomfortable. "Can't say that I have."

Newt then turned again, facing the shadow of a darker-skinned wizard who'd stood nearby. "Someone came towards her." The shadow faded, showing a single feather falling onto the ground. Newt went to pick it up at once and sniffed it. "Avensegium," he cast, and the feather flew steadily towards the end of the street.

Jacob leaned towards Rose. "I'd forgotten just how weird he was."

She patted his arm. "Me too, and I live with him…" She smiled, and watched as their ginger wizard friend Accioed Kit back into the suitcase. The Niffler didn't look too happy about it, but didn't have a choice.

"Follow that feather!" Newt told them, and Rose and Jacob hurried behind the flowing object. Newt ran past them, and called one last "Drop the bucket!" before they started chasing the mysterious feather back to its owner.

Rose didn't have more time to stare at Paris' magnificent architecture any more…

It was some time later, when it felt like they had crossed half of the city chasing that blasted feather, that it started raining. Jacob, as usual, was more concerned about getting some food in him, but Rose was honestly getting tired of running around without any results. She needed to find Tina, and Queenie, sooner rather than later.

She quickly summoned an umbrella as it started really pouring, when she heard it. "Jacob!"

She faltered, turning towards where she thought the voice came. Jacob, and Newt, hadn't seemingly heard a thing, and carried on talking and walking. "Have you heard that?" she still asked, or half-shouted.

Newt didn't even look back. "Hurry up, Rose!" he said, but she heard the call again.

"Jacob!" She knew it now. It was Queenie.

She turned to tell the boys about their friend being close, but they'd disappeared around the corner of the street, and a crowd of people was hurrying her way, bent on finding shelter.

She cursed her brother and his priorities, and went in search of her friend.

"Queenie!" she yelled, and thought she'd lost her when no one answered for a while.

Until… "Rosie!"

Rose ignored the abhorred nickname and ran towards the voice, not caring if she bumped into Muggles on her way.

There, in the rain, looking lost and terrified, was Queenie.

And Rose ran to her and pulled her into her arms, where the blonde witch started crying.