The rest of the week passed and soon, they were on their last night together.
And Newt clearly had a question as Albus tucked him in.
"Go on… ask it." Albus whispered, smiling gently at the stunned look on his son's face.
"… What does it feel like when you find your… mate?" Newt's voice was barely above a whisper, fingers twisting nervously in the blankets.
Albus was taken aback for a moment, before taking a deep breath.
"It… feels like you've found your best friend, but more. They are the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else… and they are supposed to make you a better person."
"Sometimes?"
"Sometimes… sometimes personal greed can over-take any feelings you may have." Albus sighed, "But there are perks to it. They are someone who you will carry with you forever."
That was technically a con for him, but for most mates…
"They will know you, accept you and believe in you, even when no one else will. And no matter what happens, you will always love that… nothing can ever change that."
"…. And if, they're not a nice person?"
Albus paused, trying not to give his son a suspicious look. How much did Newt actually know about his parentage?
Had the Scamanders been discussing it and Newt had over-heard?
Did Theseus hear rumours and passed them on?
There were so many possibilities as to how Newt might have found out, and all of them horrifying.
"If they're not a nice person… then you should think about what's best for you and you only." Albus stated diplomatically, "Even if that means leaving them."
He'd left… he let Gellert impregnate him, but he had left.
That was what matters, right?
"I'm sure you will find a nice person." Albus reassured his son, "I can't imagine you finding anyone else."
Newt didn't look overly sure.
As Albus headed over to the bedroom door, preparing to dim the lights, Newt spoke up again.
"Would you forgive… him. If he said sorry."
Albus froze.
How much did Newt really know?
"I'm… no." He concluded, "No, I would not."
He dimmed the lights and forced a smile onto his face, "Goodnight Newt."
"… Goodnight."
…
That night, Albus avoided looking at his drink's cabinet.
He couldn't be hungover when Mrs Scamander came to pick Newt up.
….
"You know it's only a couple of years before you can stay here for almost the whole year." Mrs Scamander told her son warmly, as they prepared to leave, "Won't that be nice?"
Newt, much to Albus's relief, nodded eagerly.
"What house do you want to be in?"
"Gryffindor! Like Theseus!"
'And himself', Albus thought, keeping it inside though, not wanting to interrupt.
Of course, Newt would want to be like his brother, blood relation or not.
"Now, say goodbye to… Professor Dumbledore."
That hurt a little, but Albus was a master of smiling when he didn't feel like it.
"Goodbye Newt." He kept his voice warm, "I will hopefully see you again soon."
"Goodbye."
It was sort of painful seeing Newt leaving, but he shook himself off.
Newt might have been his biological son, but he was a Scamander now.
It would be wrong to keep him from that.
…
It was months later when Albus next heard from the Scamander family.
"My wife wishes to invite you over for tea." Mister Scamander sounded tense over the fire chat, "Will next Wednesday be alright for you?"
"Ummm, I believe so. Is everything- "
"- we'll see you there."
The face disappeared and Albus leaned back in his chair.
This did not bode well.
…
"So…" Albus lowered his cup of tea, "… this has all been very lovely, but I sense you have another reason for inviting me round."
Mr and Mrs Scamander looked over at each other, before Mrs Scamander sighed, pushing herself away from the table and leaving the room. When she came back, she had a newspaper in her hands, carefully placing it on the table in front of Albus.
At the sight of the front page's picture, Albus felt his heart sink to his stomach.
Gellert.
"His eyes…" Mrs Scamander whispered, "… they're just like Newts."
"… I know."
"We need to know the truth."
Albus continued to stare at the newspaper for a moment, before shaking his head. "He wasn't always a dark wizard." He whispered, "There was a time when we were friends."
"And more than friends?"
"Yes… more than friends." Albus cleared his throat, "Newt was… unplanned, and I knew that if Gellert- if Grindelward ever knew about him, he would stop at nothing to have him by his side."
"So, you put him up for adoption."
"Yes." Albus placed his cup on the table, "If Grindelward ever heard that I suddenly had a child with me, he would come looking for us both, and I couldn't allow that. As much as it pains me to say it… you are the last family on Earth he would pay attention to."
"But what if he does?!"
"He won't, he has no reason to." Albus sighed, "And if he does, then I'll be there."
"He was your mate."
"And Newt is my son." Albus's grip tightened around his cup, "I will always protect my son above everything else."
The couple seemed to have a silent conversation together, before Mr Scamander turned to Albus. "We trust that you'll do the right thing if the time comes." He sighed, "But… you understand our reluctance."
"I do."
"… If we asked you to stay away from our family… from Newt, would you."
Albus's grip tightened further, "It would hurt… but I would respect your decision."
There was another silent conversation between the pair.
"Alright." Mrs Scamander sighed wearily, "I-I can't in good faith, separate you from Newt, not after you've bonded the way that you have, but should Grindelward suspect that he's his son- "
"- I will leave you and your family alone." Albus assured her, ignoring how his heart broke at the thought.
Hopefully, it would never come to that.