Sweet As Honey

(One-Shot)

Disclaimers: I don't own anything apart from some DVD's/books for this series.

AN: This is a short standard prompt for 'The Houses Competition" based on the first two movies/script books of Fantastic Beasts (the third one along with any subsequent ones will not be included for one obvious reason: TeamDepp!)

House: Gryffindor

Class: Herbology

Category: Standard

Prompts: animal bees (any type of bee/hornet/wasp/)/weather gentle rain/greenhouse #5

Word count: 2,010 (4 pages)

Summary: Newt introduces Tina to some special bees he is trying to save.

The gentle rain pattered down onto the ground. The wind pushed the damp air sideways, whipping it through the trees. Two cloaked figures hurried through the shadows to a crevice between two large boulders from where a loud buzzing could be heard.

The cloaks flapped in the wind as one of them hunched over, holding up a wand in one hand to see better while the other hand held an old suitcase. Several large insects the size of hummingbirds buzzed around him as he slowly set a suitcase down before casting a thick smoke from the tip of his wand into the hollow.

"Do you think smoke will work on these?" A feminine voice asked.

"It should," answered the man. "Hummers bees are closely related to common honeybees, after all. That's where they get their name. Hummers. Since they are the size of most hummingbirds."

The pair stood by as the listened to the droning sound die down while the insects floated downward into the hive. Finally, everything went still. The woman moved aside to open the case while the man cast another spell.

"Alright, Tina," he said. "Hold it open so I can let them drift in. I have a whole new hive waiting for them in that case."

"Hurry up, Newt," Tina said. "We don't have much time." She made sure to keep the case in front of her so that the sleeping large bees would not come near her.

"I'm sure Dumbledore won't mind us being a bit late," Newt said as he let the whole swarm disappear into the case. Tina closed it shut while Newt added, "These bees are endangered. Most people try to kill them because they are so big. But they're harmless. They can't even sting."

"Can they make honey?" Tina asked as the pair walked along towards the road.

"Yes, actually," Newt nodded. "It's a bit different from common honeybees, but my Kelpie goes nuts for it."

"Where will you put the bees?" asked Tina.

"Well, Dumbledore has a place for them back at Hogwarts," Newt explained. "In Greenhouse Five there are some pots of flowers that only this kind of bee will pollinate, so he wants to borrow them. After that, I might just set them up near the pool for the Kelpie."

"I hope you save some of that honey for me," Tina said.

"It takes three months to set before it becomes edible for humans," said Newt. "But it is a very sweet honey once it's ready." He held out his arm for Tina to grab. "Shall we?" He asked. Once she latched on, he transported them to the grounds of Hogwarts. Unfortunately, it ended up being right in the middle of a thunderous rainstorm.

Tina groaned as she pulled up her hood. "The rain is worse here!"

"Yes, well," Newt narrowed his eyes to look ahead through the fog better. "Let's hurry to the Greenhouses. Hummers like the rain. It would be better if we get them settled in this weather so it will help them relax."

The pair scurried forward through the mists. Rain pelted down harder than ever. By the time, they reached the door of the greenhouses, both were soaked through. Newt opened the door, then stepped aside to let Tina go in first. He followed afterwards, carrying the case. After glancing around, he spotted the place Dumbledore had set aside for the new temporary hive. Close by the area were several pots of large black night flowers that sparkled as if they had stars in their petals.

Tina cast drying charms on both of them before they hurried down the garden lanes to the end where the large rocks had been set up to deposit the bees in. Newt opened the case, then used Accio to summon the bees back out. They were already starting to stir a little as he gently dropped them down the hole.

"We better get out," Newt said as he closed the case. "They will come out soon. They don't sting but a swarm of them can still be a problem if angered. They'll have to get used to the area but since those flowers are already open, the bees should settle rather quickly. It's their favourite type of flower, after all."

"The Halloween feast is halfway through," Tina said as they hurried towards the door of Greenhouse Five. The buzzing could be heard louder as the bees started coming out.

"I'm sure Dumbledore will have saved us something," Newt said as he closed the door, preventing the bees from getting out to come after them.

They entered the Great Hall a few minutest later to find it filled with all kinds of decorations. Scents of various dishes wafted up over everyone. Newt instinctively went to his old school table for Hufflepuff to sit down. He moved over a little to allow room for Tina to sit beside him before grabbing stuff to fill both their plates.

"I was in Thunderbird House back in America," Tina said as she started on a piece of turkey.

"Mm," Newt hurriedly finished a piece of potato before saying, "I stand by what I said. Hogwarts is the best school."

"Oh we are not starting that conversation again," Tina glared at him. "Besides, you know Queenie would agree with me if she were here. So it's two against one, Newt."

"I will still say Hogwarts is the best one. Nothing will convince me otherwise," Newt smugly replied before shoving his mouth full of chocolate, pointedly ignoring an eye roll as he grinned. Tina prodded his leg with her foot while she started on her own dessert. It only made Newt laugh at her again.

Once the feast was over, Dumbledore came down to join the pair as people started getting up to leave. "Your bees will certainly help those flowers," he said. "You should be able to take them back by Christmas. I doubt the time of year matters much in your case?"

"I have a hive ready for them in it," Newt said, holding the case in front of him with both hands.

Dumbledore glanced at it, "Where's your niffler?"

"I left him at home," Newt said, silently suddenly worrying about the mess he was most certainly going back to soon.

"Well good luck, then," Dumbledore teased, knowing full well the trouble Newt's pet niffler can cause. "I trust you both will enjoy your visit. We'll meet here at Christmas."

Newt nodded quickly as Dumbledore left. Tina put a hand on Newt's arm to push him forward. "Are you sure you locked that animal up before we left?"

"I have added more locks," Newt said. "But he always finds a way. We should go before he does any more damage."

The two of them hurried to the edge of the shields so that they could apparate to Newt's home. As both would have guessed, the place was once more a disaster as not only Newt's favourite niffler but also its whole family were scampering around wrecking havoc everywhere. It took a few minutes to catch them all again, but it took several hours to clean up the place.

Newt dropped into an armchair as Tina got some tea. She handed him a cup. "You've got to do something about those nifflers, Newt!"

He took the cup. "I know," he groaned before he began drinking the hot liquid. "I'll have something figured out by Christmas. You'll come visit for Christmas, won't you?"

"We are still searching for Queenie," Tina said as she sat down on the couch in front of him. "I won't leave London until we find her."

Newt looked her over. "You will stay here?"

"I am looking for a place in London," Tina admitted.

Newt put his cup aside. "I have several rooms in this house. You could stay here."

"Really?" Tina looked up at him with those salamander eyes.

"Well I ... I could use help ... with the animals," Newt stammered, once more his shy self. He was slowly getting over that with her but some moments, he still tended to get overwhelmed.

"The animals," Tina echoed.

"Yes," Newt nodded. "Especially these nifflers."

"Whatever shall we do with these bloody nifflers?"

"We could hide them in my brother's home," Newt said in one breath. Both stared at each other before turning away, laughing.

"I like that idea," Tina finally managed to say. "Then perhaps we would be left in peace for a bit."

"Until Theseus comes to complain," Newt said. "I might need help dealing with him, too."

"You want me to ... help you fend off your brother?" Tina asked in a quiet voice.

"Well ... he will probably be carrying all those nifflers again," Newt pointed out as he leaned a little closer to her. "We would have to catch them all again."

"So long as we keep them out of my room," Tina said.

Newt stared at her. "We will definitely keep ... keep them out of your room."

After a long silence, Tina asked, "So ... where would my room be?"

Newt thought about that before slowly getting up to lead her upstairs. He pointed out a large bedroom which happened to be next to his. He awkwardly stood by the door while Tina went into to inspect it. Newt glanced to the door of his own room. He had just asked a girl to live in with him for a few months. Until they got the bees back for the hive. No. Until they got Queenie back. That last one could take ages. What if Tina never left? Wait a minute. What if Tina never left? Newt's brow twitched as he thought over the predicament he had put himself in. He wondered then, maybe he should just ask her to marry him. His brother had been nagging him about it for a long time. Jacob was determined to get Queenie back. It had been the four of them. Always. Marrying the girl seemed like the next logical step. But how exactly should he approach that?

"I think the room is perfect," Tina's voice sounded right next to him, making him jump.

"You do?"

"Did I scare you?"

"I'm ... I'm fine," Newt said. "I should ... go ... finish building the hive for when the bees come home."

"They'll be home in time for Christmas," Tina said. "Coming home from Hogwarts like children."

Ohh sweet Merlin, help! "Children," Newt echoed. "Yes. Maybe some day." Wait, what did he just say? More importantly, why did he just say that?

"What?" Tina also seemed to be surprised at it.

"Like children coming home from school," Newt said slowly. "Some day." They stared at each other for a long moment. "Will you marry me?" Newt suddenly blurted out. Tina gaped at him. Newt suddenly went red in the face. "I'm I'm sorry. I ... that was not well planned. I don't have the ring on me."

"You have a ring?"

"Some ... somewhere," Newt glanced to his bedroom door. It was in there in the headboard of his bed. "I should ... try this some—"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

" ... Yes ..." Newt realized she was agreeing with him. He had just asked her to marry him. She was saying yes. What the hell was going on. Great. Now she was kissing him!

"Well, it's about bloody time," Theseus said a few days later when they told him while Tina held up her ringed hand, showing off a sparkling little diamond on one finger.

By the time the hummers bees came home for Christmas, the pair were well on their way to planning their wedding. Dumbledore had saved some honey from earlier so that the pair had some hummers honey ready in time for New Years. The Kelpie got its fair share of honey as well.

The whole affair was decidedly sweet as honey!

~the end