Chapter 2
Hermione smirked as she opened the door to the room where the men were staying. She'd insisted sleeping on the couch, she could transfigure it anyway. The other two witches had gone into their own room after offering up hot chocolate, whispering frantically under their breath, making Hermione grin.
It hadn't taken too long to wait. She'd heard the thump of something heavy being set on the floor minutes after Tina and her sister left for bed. The case was closed on the floor, and the men nowhere to be seen. Excitement bubbled inside her at the fact that she was going inside Newt Scamander's famed suitcase. The steps down were steep, forcing her to push her arms out to keep her balance. She wondered how Kowalski had fit in this thing. At the last few steps, she jumped, boots meeting the wooden floor.
The two men whirled back in surprise at their intruder, "I was wondering when the two of you would come down here."
She smiled, walking towards Newt, who held a few green sprigs in his hand. Hermione slapped it away quickly, "Why are you using Fluxweed? It'll only aggravate it before healing."
"Miss Avery, I told you, Dittany will only-"
Hermione wasn't listening, instead she reached down into her purse, her entire arm disappearing within it.
"Hey, Mr Scamander, it's like your case!" Kowalski said gleefully.
"Yes, though to be honest, it's just a bunch of books in here." she admitted, before pulling out a potted plant of Dittany. She swiped a mortar and pestle from Scamander's work table and summoned some honey out of her bag, mixed a handful of leaves with the yellow liquid and water and transferred the green sludge into a glass.
"There you go, dear." she said, "Drink it all up, now, it's a bit bitter, but you'll be feeling better in no time."
"Miss Avery, surely you can't just barge in here and -"
"I promise, Mr Scamander, my way is quicker." she said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Now where do you keep your mooncalves, I love those little things."
Newt and Jacob watched the witch go, disappearing through a door. The men shared a look before following, carrying along a bucket of meat each.
"Miss Avery, please don't touch anything you aren't meant to! My creatures can be a bit territorial!" called Scamander.
"Miss Avery!" he shouted again, a bit worriedly.
"I'm sure she's fine." said Kowalski, "She seems like she can handle herself."
"Yes, but witches and wizards don't exactly know how to deal with magical creatures as the should." said Newt, running off to find the witch in question.
He found her, giggling as she was surrounded by mooncalves, the beasts licking every inch of her face as she rubbed their chests with cuddles. She was giggling loudly in what could only be mirth. Her eyes sparkled when she spied him, and the witch got up hastily.
"Mr Scamander you have such a treasure with you." she said breathlessly, "Mooncalves and graphorns and erumpents, that thunderbird at the entrance, the occamies, the bowtruckle nest, even the grindylows you've suspended in the air, it's nothing like I've ever seen before!"
Newt grinned in surprise, "There's more, you know." he said, taking her wrist excitedly,"I have a hippogriff somewhere, Fangorn, let me show you."
He expected her to pull away at the mention of the intimidating beast, but instead, the young woman's eyes brightened and she quickened her pace. Gasping in surprise at the sight of the creature. It was alone, but nonetheless majestic without his pack, surrounded by pine trees not unlike the ones in the Forbidden Forest.
Before he could stop her, she was walking forward and swooping into a low bow - her posture perfect and her head held down in submission. After a few moments, she raised her head the tiniest bit, only enough to see that Fangorn had bowed to her as well. He watched her release a breath he hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"You're beautiful." she breathed out, standing slowly. "Can I touch you?"
The hippogriff preened at the praise before lowering its head so she could reach him.
"Buckbeak would have loved you." she whispered, running her hand through the soft feathers, "You would've been the best of friends."
"Who's Buckbeak?" Newt asked inquisitively.
Hermione smiled as she glanced back at him, "A hippogriff I once knew." He could hear the fondness in her voice, and in that moment, he knew he had found a kindred spirit.
"We should go find Mr Kowalski." she said after a few moments, "I'll visit you again soon, Fangorn."
Fangorn cawed sadly as he watched the two of them go.
"You seem rather at one with all the creatures." he said as they walked back.
"I'm at ease with them, to say the least." she said, "You only really have to know how to interact with them, and I've read several books about creatures like yours. And when you've faced Acromantulas and basilisks and werewolves, there isn't very much that can fright you."
"I beg your pardon?" he sputtered, "Did you say acromantulas and basilisks and werewolves?"
Hermione winced at her slip, "I got lost in a magical forest with my friends once - it resulted in a rather terrifying experience with an acromantula horde, and well, the basilisk was an old one, stumbled on it while exploring an old castle - it was there to protect the ruins. And I had a professor who was a werewolf, and I made the mistake of roaming about the school on a full moon. He didn't get to bite me, which was a relief. I know for sure he would've blamed himself."
"Wouldn't you have blamed him?" Newt asked.
"Of course not!" she exclaimed, surprising him with her vigor, "He couldn't control it! Why would I blame him for something he can't prevent? It was my fault for being so careless. Really, Werewolf rights should be reinforced, the laws now are terrible - no medical care, no sanctuaries, nothing! The same for house elves and mermaids and – I'm babbling aren't I?"
He laughed loudly at her quickly reddening cheeks, "No! Do go on! It's quite refreshing hearing these things from someone other than myself."
"It's a bit of a passion of mine, I must admit." she said, ducking her head in embarrassment, "In my third year, I made an organization for the protection of house elves - the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare, or S.P.E.W. I'd seen the way some pureblood households treated them, and decided to take a stand, by myself."
"Spew?" Newt asked, trying not to grin.
"Not you too!" she groaned, "It was a lapse in judgement and the name stuck! Anyway, if I weren't an Auror, I'd probably be holed up in the Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures."
"Not a hands on type?" the man asked in challenge.
"I've had more than enough experience with that, besides, it's all well and good, Mr Scamander, to go off exploring and finding your creatures, but what we truly need is a public understanding that those creatures are meant to be protected, not feared or seen as pests. You can't do that when you're out in the wild."
"I must admit, Miss Avery, I think I've misjudged you quite a bit." said Newt, looking rather apologetic.
"How so, sir?" she asked, brows rising in question.
"Well, when I first met you, you said you were an Avery – and they're quite a notorious family, I suppose I presumed the worst, and well, you're an Auror, and I've not had very good experiences with them, my brother included."
"You're forgiven. It isn't really your fault. All of us make snap judgements. If I were to judge you based alone on what I knew of you Scamanders, I'd have avoided this like Fiendfyre. Your brother hasn't made a good impression. And yes, being an Avery has its downs, but my father separated himself from the family when he married my mother, and I'm a clean Auror, secret missions for Albus Dumbledore aside." she joked, making the man smile.
"Why is it that he sent you? Didn't you say you were new? And being from Beauxbatons, how did the Professor know you?" This Scamander really was just as inquisitive as his brother.
"Yes, I'm new, though I'm proud to say I've made quite a name for myself as a rookie, and my parents know Albus, we were introduced soon after I returned from France. He took a liking to me, you can say."
"Well, all the more reason to like you, then." Newt announced, catching his words only after he'd said them. Both witch and wizard turned away, cheeks tinged the lightest pink. "Er, we should find Mr Kowalski."
"Yes," she coughed, "We should."
Deeper into the suitcase they went, until they happened upon a section that was blindingly white and ice cold. She shivered at the chill, not realizing that it wasn't just a simple drop in climate.
"Step away, Mr Kowalski." Newt said sharply as he stood a foot deep in powdery snow, just a few steps in front of her. She peered over her shoulder and her jaw hit the floor. The muggle was standing dangerously close to a floating dark mass, tendrils of shadow were hovering in the air like wisps of smoke. Hermione had never seen one in real life before, but the danger they presented was legend.
"You brought an Obscurus to America?" she hissed in horror at the magizoologist, "Do you know how foolish that is? Are you trying to make me lose my job?"
"Not now, Miss Avery." Newt replied in a tone of warning, "Mr Kowalski, I said step away."
"Why, what the hell is this thing?" asked the man curiously, oblivious of the fact that one false move would possibly kill him.
"Jacob." Hermione snapped, "Do as he says. Quickly."
Sensing the urgency in both of their voices, he followed, and once he was within range, Newt immediately grabbed him by the sleeve, pushing him towards her.
"Come now, Mr Kowalski." she chided, not looking back as Newt closed up the flap behind them. "That's been enough magic for you today I think."
"I need to get going, find everyone who's escaped before they get hurt." said Newt, hurrying in front of them.
"Before they get hurt?" Kowalski whispered to her in disbelief.
"Yes, they're currently in alien terrain, surrounded by their worst predators - humans." Hermione said softly, "Don't think you're going anywhere without me, Mr Scamander."
"Might as well." he said, not bothering to glance her way.
a/n: SORRY I'VE BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG PLS DONT HURT ME