Merry Christmas Everyone!
Lots of mish mash in this chapter...turns out its not easy to tie up the loose ends in a fic that was supposed to be a one-shot.
Unbeta'd, so your patience is, as always, appreciated :)
Resolution
After leaving the awkwardness of the basement, Jacob and Queenie had found a kitchen stocked with fresh eggs, ham, cheese, bread and vegetables, courtesy of Dumbledore and the Hogwarts kitchens, it seemed. When they called the others upstairs for breakfast a half hour later, the table held a hearty breakfast and fresh, steaming cups of tea and coffee. Newt drew Bunty upstairs to join them, still feeling guilty for not warning her that he'd be home. The young woman soon found herself clutching a cup of Earl Grey and nibbling warm toast with melted butter and honey as she listened to Queenie gush over Newt's healing skills.
Bunty found that she rather liked the younger woman. Being of the quieter sort herself, she didn't often enjoy the company of the pretty, bubbly (and usually vapid) type that Queenie appeared to be, but the blonde was kind and warm towards her. Beyond her blonde curls and bright smile, her eyes were fiercely intelligent and she spoke to Bunty with respect for her position as Newt's assistant as if she truly understood how important Bunty was to his work. Queenie was a stark contrast to her sister, who sat beside her, subdued after the excitement of riding the kelpie with Newt (an indulgence on Newt's part of which Bunty was intensely jealous). While her sister chattered excitedly and asked Bunty about her work, the older Goldstein stayed quiet, listening attentively. With them all crowded around the small kitchen table, Newt sat beside her and Bunty noticed that their arms remained in contact, even as Newt gestured with his wand to project an image of Pinky to help Bunty explain his treatment to Jacob and Queenie.
When the meal was done, Tina offered to clean their plates to give Jacob and Queenie an opportunity to freshen up for the day ahead. Newt retreated to the basement to shower and change as well.
As she stood at the sink, absently enchanting Newt's washing brush, Bunty seized the opportunity and stood beside her to begin drying the plates as they emerged from the water.
Tina glanced over at her before saying, "I'm not a total crazy, I promise."
"And I'm not usually a simpering damsel in distress," Bunty replied with a chuckle. "Though apparently I'm not as brave as I thought."
"Sorry about that," Tina said.
"Already forgotten," Bunty said. "Better to be careful than sorry, especially with what's happened. Newt didn't explain everything, but what little he told me sounds awful. You're terribly brave."
Tina blushed and shrugged, "Thank you, but I'm just doing my job. Especially as far as Newt's concerned. Grindelwald's really got it in for him now and I can't—won't—let anything happen to him."
"You care for him." It was not a question and Tina was not going to insult her by pretending it was.
Tina paused, then nodded. "Yes. Very much." Unwilling to pretend, she added, "So do you."
Bunty nodded slowly, her eyes distant as she processed the confirmation of what she already knew. A streak of panic rushed through her – had Tina realised that she cared for Newt? Nothing for it if she had. Bunty shook it off, took a breath, put on a smile and turned to Tina.
"I should very much like to hear more about your adventures as an Auror. Especially how you and Newt met. He's been terribly secretive about it, just said you helped him recovering the creatures that escaped the case."
"He didn't tell you I arrested him?"
Bunty's eyes went wide and she giggled, "No! Though knowing Newt, I suppose I'm not terribly surprised. Tell me how it happened?"
Tina was happy to oblige and they continued to chat peacefully as they worked their way through the pile of dishes.
They'd just finished packing away the last of the plates when the front door swung open and Tina's spine went rigid. Her hand went to her chest, looking for her locket, but when Theseus and Dumbledore entered, a fierce blush of embarrassment flooded her cheeks and she let out a carefully controlled breath of relief.
"Good morning, Bunty, Miss Goldstein," Dumbledore said with a charming smile, oblivious to the brunette's sudden tension, or perhaps choosing to ignore it. "It's good to see you up; I trust your leg is healing well?"
"It's Tina, please. And yes, it's healed very well, Professor," Tina replied. She looked to Theseus. The older Auror had dark moons bordering his eyes, clearly tired and wrung out. She wondered how much sleep, if any, he'd had after Newt had woken him to deal with Abernathy. She pulled out a chair and nodded to him. "Sit, Theseus. I'll make tea."
"Newt's just downstairs," Bunty said, making for the basement stairs.
With a sigh, Theseus slumped into the chair, while Dumbledore followed Bunty down to the menagerie.
"You look like you need sleep," Tina said as she spooned leaves into the freshly washed teapot. She flicked her wand at the kettle on the stove to set it heating.
"Newt's created a proper dung storm this time," Theseus said, rubbing at screwed up eyes. "The good news is that the Ministry wants to offer Jacob asylum from MACUSA—and possibly a reward for his actions last night. They know he'll be obliviated as soon as he sets foot on American soil and after the blow he dealt to Grindelwald, they don't want to see that happen. The bad news is that Newt is in serious trouble for defying his travel ban."
"Travel ban?" Tina frowned.
"He didn't tell you?"
Tina looked down, embarrassed. "We… haven't corresponded for a few months. Not since his book launch."
"Oh, right. I assumed you knew. He's had five travel applications denied. After the events in New York, the Ministry didn't want him involved in another international incident." He gave a bitter laugh. "Fat lot of good that did."
"Is it very serious?" Tina asked. Her mind was spinning at finally knowing why Newt hadn't delivered her copy of his book as promised. After she'd seen the magazine article, she'd given up hope of seeing him again. But he clearly hadn't given up on her; even after she stopped returning his letters, he'd been fighting to visit her again. Her heart swelled with warmth at the thought. The kettle on the stove began to whistle and she turned to pour the boiling water into the waiting teapot.
"He's under house arrest, effective immediately, until they can haul him in to explain himself. If he can't offer a decent reason, it'll be time in Azkaban as punishment." He shuddered at the thought of his kind-hearted brother in that hell. "But it'll have to wait until after we've dealt with your Mr Abernathy. Which reminds me: they want to interrogate him more thoroughly before he goes to Azkaban to await extradition to America – assuming MACUSA want to deal with him. And naturally, they want Queenie involved, both because of her ability and their history and so I suggested you attend as well, for similar reasons."
"Thank you for that," she set the teapot and a clean cup on the table in front of him and went to retrieve the milk and sugar.
"It's planned for this afternoon," Theseus said, masking a yawn. "I'm meant to return to the office with you and Queenie as soon as Newt and Dumbledore are finished shielding the house." He scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed.
"Theseus," Tina put the milk jug and sugar bowl down a little too loudly and sat across from him. "Forgive me for saying it, but you look like hell. Did you get any sleep last night?"
The other Auror sighed. "I'm not sure any of us did."
Tina rolled her eyes. "You weren't upstairs for very long before they arrived; you can't have got much rest. And you've been at the Ministry since then. Surely you need some sleep by now?" She poured his tea and slid it across the table.
Theseus ignored the milk and sugar and took a sip. He closed his eyes in pleasure as the warmth of the tea seeped into his bones and when he opened them again, he felt some of his energy returning.
Theseus sighed and looked across the table at her. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if assessing whether he could trust her. With a sigh, he shrugged, "I've not been sleeping anyway."
There was a beat of silence and then Tina said, "You know...She wouldn't want you to stop taking care of yourself. The wound will heal, eventually. You need to still be intact when it does." She recalled the gaping chasm that'd opened in her chest when her parents died and how it'd slowly knit back together over time; never the same, but no longer raw.
Theseus swallowed, "What if…what if I don't want it to? Heal, I mean."
Tina nodded in understanding. The guilt of moving on had been a familiar companion of hers, but the emotional fallout of her parents' deaths had stretched beyond a pressing desire to keep them alive in her heart. The crippling anxiety about her and Queenie's future - how'd they'd survive as orphans - had left Tina anxious and hyperaware of her surroundings, filled with nervous energy that left her jittery and unable to sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes, she'd seen her parents' pox-covered skin, heard their rasped final words to care for her baby sister. The horror of it and the sadness-drenched loss that inevitably followed any thought of them sparked fresh anxiety about how she'd care for Queenie alone, leaving her in a nasty cycle of being unable to rest, to stop and properly grieve, but also constantly keeping herself busy and exhausted by a constant lack of sleep. The upside of sleeping very little and worrying about an uncertain future was that she'd spent the extra hours studying, which put her a step ahead when selection for advanced classes rolled around. In the end, it'd fast-tracked her for the Auror program and the much-needed income that she feared being without. She'd also found herself in the Ilvermorny san repeatedly, drained and stressed from too much work and not enough food, until the head of Thunderbird house had cornered her and forced her to pull back, start eating properly and talk about her grief. At the time, a teenaged Tina had been furious, convinced that the only way to manage her anxiety was to keep moving, but as an adult, she recognised that the woman had probably saved her life.
Now, as she scrutinised the haggard man across the table, she recognised that same compulsive need to avoid the crippling anxiety of loss and channel the energy into something useful. "You may think you're fine now, but you'll have to stop eventually. You have to rest, to grieve. To keep yourself strong...and that won't mean that you love her any less. It won't mean that you've forgotten her. You know you can't live like this forever."
"I'm fine." It was a bald-faced lie and they both knew it.
"You're running on grief."
"I'm taking action to do what needs to be done."
"You're avoiding your pain."
She'd hit the bullseye and Theseus scowled. He slammed his teacup down onto the table, spilling tea.
"She didn't die in vain! She gave her life to save us from Grindelwald and I won't have that forgotten!" His eyes blazed, "No, I will not slump in some corner to nurse my loss while that bastard is still out there! I'll use every shred of energy I have to pursue him to the end of this Earth to make him pay for what he's done!"
His face was red and he was breathing fast when he finished. The air in the kitchen was tense and for a moment, Tina said nothing. Then, she reached across the table and gently took his hands in hers, hoping that she wasn't being too forward. Yes, he was technically her boss, but they'd been something close to partners as they worked together over the past week and she knew the wonders a little human contact could do. She squeezed his hands and met his eyes.
"He will pay, Theseus," she said, her voice steady and filled with steel. "We will find him and bring him to justice for every life he's taken, for every person he's hurt. I promise you. For Leta. For Queenie. We'll bring him down."
She spoke with such certainly, as if it was already set in stone, that Theseus wondered if she'd somehow travelled to the future and seen it all happen.
"We need you with us, Newt and me," she continued. "He couldn't bear to lose you too. I know it's awful. It's hard. But you're also strong Theseus. And you have us. Please, you aren't in this alone. Let us help you. Rest, grieve. Keep your body strong... you're going to need it before this is all over."
Theseus felt as if he was seeing Tina, really seeing her, for the first time since they'd met. She looked through him from across the table, clearly recognising his pain. It was clear that she understood, that she knew what it was to lose someone and suddenly have no idea of how to deal with the hideous emotions that followed. But while he saw his pain reflected in her dark eyes, they were also filled with determination. While her body was tense, she held herself with the confidence that Theseus recognised as a choice to be brave in spite of all there was to fear. She had suffered too, had felt the agony of the Cruciatus curse in the name of his brother, but it had not broken her. Indeed, it seemed to have left her all the more determined to bring the dark wizard to justice. They wanted the same thing and were equally hell-bent on getting it. Theseus Scamander was not stupid; he knew that it was foolish to not take care of himself, to plough headlong into his work, but his pain made him angry, reckless and he'd convinced himself that he'd deal with it all after Grindelwald was destroyed. Now, he was being called out by someone who clearly understood, who knew the excuses, the justifications, the righteous anger of loss; someone who'd been through this and survived. Her steady determination to bring down the dark wizard was surprisingly comforting; if she wanted this as badly as him, perhaps it was okay to take a moment to himself because she'd be there to pick up the slack. He wasn't alone. Tina was there. So was Newt. And they had as much of a stake in this as he did. At this realisation, Theseus felt one of the knots around his heart loosen and slip away and found that he could suddenly breathe more easily.
With a sigh, he nodded in agreement, "Very well. I'll rest while Newt and the professor are working. Is there any breakfast left?"
xxx
The afternoon found Newt, Jacob and Bunty in the menagerie. Theseus, Tina and Queenie had returned to the Ministry for Abernathy's interrogation and since he was housebound, Newt busied himself preparing a new habitat for the zhouwu. Bunty and Jacob were more than happy to help. Many hands made light work and it was completed by the time Bunty went home in the late afternoon. Newt and Jacob found themselves seated on a rock in a bamboo forest bordering a mountainous plain, watching the huge cat roll gleefully in the verdant grass.
Jacob reclined with his head on his hands and gave a contented sigh. Theseus's news of the Ministry's protection had lifted a weight from his heart and while he'd have to make plans for the bakery, it was a relief to know that MACUSA would not be able to wipe his memory; he'd never forget Queenie again and now that they were in a country will more liberal views on the interaction of the magical and non-magical worlds, his thoughts returned to the argument in Newt's street that'd started their whirlwind trip to Paris. After the previous night's events, he was feeling more confident about his ability to survive in the magical world and if Queenie were offered the same protection as him, having a public relationship would no longer put her at risk of jail time.
"Hey Newt," Jacob asked. "What's the deal here with marriage?"
Beside him, Newt looked over with wide eyes, "Jacob, do you mean to propose?"
The baker paused, struck for a moment by the gravity of his intentions, then nodded. "Well, yeah, maybe. You said the authorities here aren't as backwards about wizards and non-magical folks associatin' and I was just thinking that after all that's happened, I wanna make this thing between Queenie an' me official."
"Jacob, that's wonderful!" Newt's eyes lit up.
"So, she won't go to prison if she marries me here?"
"No, no, definitely not," Newt confirmed. "We have no laws forbidding it, as long as the muggle involved keeps our world secret. When do mean to ask her?" Newt sat up and glanced out of the habitat, seeking the clock mounted on the wall in his main work area.
"I dunno yet. I'm not exactly carrying a ring or nothin'. Not yet."
"Oh," there was a note of disappointment in Newt's response. "I'm afraid that I won't be much help to you in that regard, at least, not until this nonsense is sorted out and I'm able to leave the house."
"'s okay, pal," Jacob smiled. "I haven't got any money here anyways, not with how we left New York."
"We'll have to see about fixing that."
"Yeah, your brother mentioned the Ministry might be able to arrange somethin' in a few days...as some sort of thank you for what I did to Grindelwald. An' I'll have to hire an agent in New York to see about the bakery. Until then-"
"Until then, you're my guest and you need not worry about a thing," Newt interrupted with a broad smile and a wink. "Though, if you happen to need a best man, I know a willing candidate."
xxx
"I won' tell you nothin'!" Abernathy crossed his arms and sat back in his chair.
He was in one of the Ministry's interrogation rooms: four white walls, one of which was enchanted to allow those in the next room to watch the proceedings. The door appeared when summoned by one of the Aurors and there was nothing in the room beyond a dark wood table and three chairs, leaving little opportunity for escape and nothing to distract those under examination.
Theseus was seated across the table from Abernathy and at this declaration, he sighed and shared a look with Tina, who was leaning against the wall behind him. Abernathy glared at her and Tina raised an eyebrow, immune to his disdain.
"You understand, Mr Abernathy, that this is most likely a one-way trip you're on?" she said.
He huffed and fixed his eyes on the table.
"After what you've done, it'll be straight to Azkaban for you," she continued. "Unless MACUSA want a piece of you."
"Nah," Theseus shook his head and looked over his shoulder at her. "I spoke with Mr Graves. President Picquery wants him tried with the rest. America will not protect him from European justice."
Abernathy kept his eyes fixed on the table and remained silent, but Tina noticed his cheek dimple as he chewed the inside.
"Oh well, nothing for it then," Tina said, giving her former boss a shrug. The tables had well and truly turned between them and she'd be lying if she didn't admit that she was enjoying this just a little, especially after how he'd treated her following her demotion.
"Mr Abernathy, your case could be helped if you willingly shared information," Theseus stated, leaning forwards. "We know that Grindelwald has someone inside the Ministry. And I'm sure an associate of your position would know who. I'm sure you understand how sharing their name would benefit you."
"I ain't tellin' you nothin'," the man repeated stoically. He looked at Tina and scoffed, "An' the likes o' you don't scare me." He crossed his arms as far as the invisible restraints binding his hands to the table would allow.
Tina was unfussed and blinked at him calmly.
"You know, I heard Grindelwald wasn't too kind to folks who wouldn't give him information. Had my sister do a number on their minds." She paused and went to sit beside Theseus. "You ever see her doin' it, Mr Abernathy? You ever get to watch Queenie tear into someone's brain and dig out what your boss wanted?"
His eyes darted up to meet hers and Tina caught a hint of fear that told her he'd watched it happen – and that it was as terrible as Queenie said.
"I heard it's somethin' to see," she said slowly, idly scratching at a crack in the table. "Heard she can dig up your worst memories and force you to relive them; can pick her way through your biggest mistakes...the things you're most ashamed of...all those little secrets you hide, naked for everyone to see." She punctuated her words with a scrape of her nail along the table and sat back in her chair. She cocked her head to the side and asked, "Do you have secrets, Mr Abernathy?"
Again, he scoffed and rolled his eyes, but his tongue darted out to nervously wet his lips. Its forked tip induced a wave of revulsion in Tina and she fought to stop her lip from creeping up in disgust.
"Your sister's soft," Abernathy retorted arrogantly. "She ain't got the stones to hurt me."
"My sister's also angry, Mr Abernathy," Tina said. "She's disappointed. She's had her heart broken and her hopes for a better future dashed by a group of genocidal fanatics. And you, well, you were a problem for Queenie long before Grindelwald. Lingering in doorways watching her, drinking extra coffee so she'd have to fetch it for you, brushing up against her in the office. You were always just polite enough that she couldn't say anything, couldn't prove what you were up to without looking crazy. She put up with your remarks, all those 'accidental' touches for years and said nothin' because she was scared, because she didn't wanna make trouble, my dear, sweetheart of a sister. But if you've realised anything about Queenie, it should be that she protects the people she loves. She fights for them – hell, that's why she joined Grindelwald in the first place – but, most important, she will destroy anyone who hurts them. When we were kids, she set my first fella's robes on fire when she caught him with another girl," she let her eyes wander the room as she recounted the memory and a small smile drifted over her face at her sister's protectiveness. "Put him in the san for a week, the blisters were so bad." Her smile changed into a troubled frown as she continued. "We all knew his mother was dead. But only Queenie knew that she'd died in a fire that nearly killed him and his father too. She couldn't help herself back then; reading thoughts was what she did and when he hurt me, she used what she knew to hurt him back." She shivered and met his eyes. "But we're not at school anymore, and our Queenie's learned a few new tricks since then."
Across the table, Abernathy's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. Not taking her eyes off him, Tina continued.
"Now, Queenie doesn't know what happened between you and me that day in the stacks. But I'd wager she'll rip it from you if we let her into your mind ... and I don't think she'll appreciate it, what you tried to do," she ran her eyes up and down his body and fixed him with a meaningful glare. "Queenie's sensitive, you see. She knew something was wrong when I got home that night, but being the sweetheart that she is, she didn't force it outta me. She thought I was just blue, it being so soon after losing my badge, and she let it slide ... but I dunno if she'd let it go now, after all that's happened. And after what you've done."
Beside her, she sensed Theseus shift. He'd allowed her to take point because she knew her former supervisor and she hoped dearly that he wouldn't ask her to explain the event she was referring to later.
"Of course, if you were to help us out here, Queenie wouldn't have to be involved at all," Tina said.
"And the tribunal would certainly take your assistance into account when deciding your sentence," Theseus added. He watched the man's eyes dart around the room as he considered his options.
"You should also know that Grindelwald was severely wounded in your little assault on my brother's house. Not that you were awake to see it," Theseus scoffed, "but judging from the amount of blood left on the floor, the Ministry is wondering if he even survived the encounter. He's not going to help you this time."
He was embellishing the story a little, but it seemed to be working and Abernathy licked his lips again. The acolyte looked between the two Aurors.
"You're lying," his voice rose slightly at the end and he shifted in his seat.
"Mr Abernathy, if I were going to lie to you, I'd tell you that the bastard is dead," Theseus said flatly. "As it is, Auror Goldstein and I are trying to work with you. Azkaban is a …difficult place. And as we are well aware of the younger Ms Goldstein's capabilities and their effects on a weak mind, we're offering you an opportunity to save yourself from what we all know will be a most unpleasant experience, especially given your apparent history with the Goldsteins."
Abernathy's eyes darted between them and settled on Tina. She could tell he was fuming at being cornered and threatened, but it seemed that his wily nature and slippery habit of attaching himself to the most powerful figure on the playing field to save himself had won yet again. His shoulders slumped slightly and he chewed the inside of his cheek.
She smiled. "So tell us Charles: who's been passing Ministry information to your boss?"
xxx
It was sundown when Queenie returned to the house. As she stepped out of the hearth, having travelled home via floo, she found Newt and Jacob in the kitchen, Newt writing at the table, while the baker stirred a steaming pot on the stove. The room smelled of garlic, oregano and rich tomato sauce, which reminded Queenie of home and induced a sudden twinge of homesickness.
"You're back!" Jacob called happily as she hung up her coat.
"How did it go?" Newt asked, looking up from his work. Queenie noticed him lean slightly to check if anyone else had followed her in and muffled a giggle at his thoughts of her sister.
"They got the mole's name outta him; I didn't have to do a thing. Turns out he's really scared of me after watching what I did for Grindelwald. He's also been keeping a secret about somethin' he did to Teen and really don't want me to find out, 'cause he knows it'll make me mad. Of course, I'm not s'posed to know bout it but Teen didn't know I was already listening in when she talked about it in the interrogation."
"Did Tina ever tell you about it?" Jacob asked, holding an arm out to her. Queenie slid into his embrace and pecked his cheek.
"Not a peep," she said. She scowled and slid into the chair beside Newt.
"He used to be a real creep around the office. Pretended to be the shy nice guy but I heard what he was thinkin' and learned to stay outta his mind real quick." She shivered. "All the girls in the office avoided him. He treated Teenie really bad after she got demoted but I thought he was just playin' power games … never thought he'd try anythin' with her like he did with the rest o' us."
"I can't imagine he would have gotten very far," Newt said, his brow creased with concern.
"I think I remember the night it happened— wasn't long after Teen lost her Auror job. She missed dinner and came home drunk. It ain't like her and I knew somethin' was wrong but I thought she was just sad about work. She didn't wanna talk about it and I left her alone… but now if he's so scared o' me knowing, I think I shoulda asked her."
Queenie's anger grew as her mind raced with possibilities. She'd been distracted earlier at the Ministry but now that she was thinking about it, the suggestion that her former boss's wandering hands may have extended to her sister disgusted and infuriated her.
Her scowl deepened, "I swear, if he did what I'm thinkin'..."
I'll kill him, Newt thought. It was so unlike the magizoologist that Queenie's head snapped sideways to look at him. His eyes widened in surprise and then, realising the reason for her reaction, his expression softened and he nodded.
"Me too," Queenie whispered.
Behind her, Jacob turned from the stove.
"Tina's a strong lady. I'm sure she handled…whatever it was. If it was real serious, she woulda told you," he said.
Queenie nodded slowly, "I hope you're right, honey."
"Will you ask her about it now that you know?" Newt asked.
"I dunno yet," Queenie shrugged. "I don't wanna upset her any more right now. She's still hurtin' from... before."
"Where is she?" Jacob asked.
"Still at work," Queenie said. "Theseus doesn't want to wait until morning to arrest the mole, in case someone tips her off, so they're heading out tonight to arrest her."
"Her?" Jacob asked.
Queenie nodded. "Yeah, it's one o' the Aurors. She's the one who got the three o' them into London so fast last night."
At Newt's thoughts, she replied, "Oh don't worry honey, they've got backup. Theseus and Teen'll be just fine." She smiled but Newt noticed that it didn't reach her eyes.
Queenie noticed that he'd not bought her feigned optimism and went for a rapid change of topic.
"So, what did you boys do today?"
"Got the zhouwu settled," Newt said.
Decided to marry you, Jacob thought.
Queenie's mouth dropped open and her head snapped towards the baker. Jacob froze, wooden spoon in hand and then his face scrunched in frustration, "Aah damn, you heard that, didn't you?"
Queenie bit her lip to suppress the smile trying to burst across her face. She nodded cheekily, her eyes alight with excitement. Between them, Newt was frowning and looking from one to the other. Jacob put the spoon down and went to her side.
"I wanted to surprise you," he said, "But now that you know..." He lowered himself to one knee and Queenie gasped when he took her hands. "I love you so much, baby. I wanted nothing more than to marry you before any o' this happened and now that we're here...now that you'll be safe... I ain't got a ring yet, but Queenie, baby, will you marry me?"
"Oh Jacob!" Queenie gushed, her heart exploding with joy. "Of course! Of course I will! I don't need a ring. You're all I want!"
She threw her arms around his neck and peppered his face with kisses. Across the table, Newt found himself grinning madly. His thoughts strayed to Tina and he wondered if they'd ever find themselves in a similar situation.
xxx
By 10 pm, Newt was beside himself with worry. He'd done all be could with the beasts for the night. The kitchen was spotless, except for the leftovers waiting to be reheated when Theseus and Tina returned. Queenie and Jacob had retreated downstairs to enjoy some quiet time together under the moon (in the mooncalves' habitat) and wanting to give them space, Newt found himself pacing in front of the hearth in the upstairs sitting room, unable to concentrate on the book revisions he was meant to be working on. By 10:30, it'd begun to rain and he'd sent a late-night owl to Dumbledore to enquire about his progress with the blood pact. By 11 pm, he was considering violating his house arrest. At 11:17, he was pulling on his coat to depart when a crash of thunder announced the activation of the floo network. Moments later, Theseus stumbled from the hearth in a cloud of ash and green light.
"Finally!" Newt rushed forward to grip his brother's arms. The senior Auror was still clad in his long leather jacket. One side of his face was red and scratched and his left arm was bandaged and cradled in a sling.
"Newt! Newt, we found him!" he gasped, gripping his brother's elbow to steady himself.
"Who?" Newt asked as he pulled his brother to the nearest chair.
"Grindelwald," Theseus answered as he dropped into the seat. "Newt, we bloody got him!"
"You what?! Wait, Theseus, where is Tina?"
The fire in the hearth flared green again and the woman in question appeared, leaning heavily on a set of crutches but otherwise unharmed. Newt rushed to her and pulled her to him without a word. She allowed the crutches to fall and snaked her arms around him to return the hug. With a small sniffle, Tina turned her face into his neck and Newt felt the tickle of her eye lashes on his skin as she breathed in the scent of him.
"Tina," Newt breathed. "You're limping."
"Bitch went for my leg again," she groused. "Right before I knocked her through a wall." She added the last part with a soft chuckle.
"Come sit down," Newt helped her towards a loveseat besides Theseus's chair. Once she was settled, he looked between them. "Tell me what happened."
"We went to arrest the rogue Auror who was feeding Grindelwald information."
"Who…?"
"Do you remember Imelda Brightwater, that leggy blonde from Austria?" Theseus asked. "Formerly of the Austrian Magical Law Bureau, until she married Freddy Brightwater from the Department of Magical Regulation last year and got transferred to the Ministry here. She's been working in-house under one of my deputies for more than six months, which is likely how Grindelwald knew so much."
"Was she expecting you?" Newt asked, noting their injuries.
"No, today's interrogation was a closed affair—need-to-know only—and it's just as well. Woman's a damn good dueller and if she'd had any warning, we'd never have found Grindelwald and Rosier hiding in her house."
"And she might've had time to call reinforcements," Tina added.
Theseus nodded in agreement. "She's the one who got the three of them into London to pursue you yesterday. Seems they didn't expect much opposition from you and didn't bring any reinforcements. From what we learned from Abernathy, it seems they were planning to meet the rest of Grindelwald's forces in Austria after a brief detour here—"
"—but thanks to Jacob, he's in such bad shape that he can't travel. So they couldn't leave the country last night like they'd planned," Tina finished.
"So Grindelwald is still alive," Newt said, slightly deflated.
"For now," Tina said, turning in her seat to shrug off her jacket. "Turns out Rosier isn't nearly as good a medic as you are." She reached for Newt and he slid into the loveseat beside her, gently gripping her hand. Unsatisfied, Tina pulled his arm around her shoulders. Her eyes briefly met his in a quick confirmation that he was okay with her invading his space, before she leaned into him and sighed contentedly.
"Grindelwald was bedridden and only half conscious through the whole fight. Didn't even manage to raise his wand. It was almost unbelievable how easily Barker managed to knock him out to take him in to the Ministry."
At Newt's raised eyebrow, Tina added, "It's definitely him. We checked twice. No identity mistakes this time."
"What about Rosier and Brightwater?" Newt asked.
"They put up a good fight," Theseus indicated his arm, "But we're better." He and Tina shared matching conspiratorial smiles.
"She won't be leaving any more messages on mirrors," Tina declared with satisfaction.
"Excellent," Newt looked between them, grinning. "This is wonderful!"
"It's not the end," Theseus said with a sigh. "His organisation of fanatics is still out there and we can no doubt expect retaliation, but, for now, at least until they realise what's happened, I suspect we may actually have some peace."
There was a moment of contented silence before Theseus pushed himself out of the chair. "Anything left to eat around here?" he asked, heading for the kitchen.
"On the stove," Newt called after him.
"Be there in a minute," Tina added.
"It's good to see him eating," Newt said.
Tina hummed in agreement, "I have a feeling he's going to be okay."
Newt lightly placed his hand on her left knee and gestured to her leg. "Is it bad?"
"Not really," Tina said. "Rosier obviously didn't expect me to be fully recovered, so she went for the same area. It needed a bunch of new stitches that'll be unnecessary within a day or so…though I may need you to take a look at it to be sure." She winked up at him and Newt blushed beet red from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. Tina giggled in response. The sound was music to Newt, whose throat clenched with emotion. He pulled her closer to him and put his other arm around her
"I'm glad to have you home safe," Newt said into her hair.
"Mmmmm," Tina responded by tilting her head up for a kiss. It was gentle and all too brief, but held the promise of things to come.
The smell of tomatoes began to drift from the kitchen and Tina's stomach growled in response. They broke apart and Newt helped her up and to the kitchen. As she settled at the table, Jacob and Queenie emerged from the basement and for the next half hour, the kitchen was filled with excitement as Queenie broke the news of their engagement and the sisters gushed over the plans to be made.
A/N If you're still reading this after my long absence, thank you for sticking with it!
I've written a short epilogue for this story; not yet sure whether to post or not as it still needs refinement. If you have thoughts - good or bad - I'd love to hear them :)