Newt and Eloise sat in a waiting area of the Ministry, both of them starring abstractedly into space. They had their arms entwined and Eloise was laying her head on his shoulder. Eloise wore a black dress with a soft pink draped cowl around her neck, pink sleeves that billowed slightly ending at her elbows then continuing on a fitted black sleeves, the skirt reached down to her ankles, a pair of black low heels, a pink fedora with a black feather in it and a black ribbon around it, and a pink clutch in her lap.
Newt felt something tugging on his wrist and held up his arm revealing Pickett swinging by a button from a loose thread. The thread snapped and Pickett fell to Eloise's hand who had placed it there just in case. Newt and Pickett watched as his button rolled down the corridor for a moment before both of them chased after it.
Eloise watched in amusement shaking her head as Newt got to the button first. Bending down he picked it up and noticed a pair of female feet coming into view. He could practically feel Eloise tense up as she moved over to Newt's side.
"They're ready for you." Leta said as Newt stood up stuffing Pickett and the button into his pocket.
"Leta…what are you doing here?" Newt asked reaching out taking Eloise hand in his.
"Theseus thought it would be good if I became part of the Ministry family." Leta replied glancing at their joined hands with a small smile.
"Did he actually say the words "Ministry Family"?" Newt asked dubiously causing Eloise to laugh a little as did Leta.
"That does sound like Theseus." Eloise giggled.
"It really does." Newt sighed in amusement as the vacuum passed them by, dusting off Newt's jacket as it went on.
"Theseus was disappointed you couldn't come to dinner." Leta commented as they turned down the hall. "Any of the nights we asked you both."
"Well we've been busy." Newt replied.
"He's your brother Newt, he likes spending time with you." Leta said softly glancing over at Newt. "And so do I."
Eloise tensed and feeling this Newt gave her hand a squeeze using his thumb to soothingly rub the back of her hand. She had made it no secret to Newt that she was still battling a bit of unresolved feelings when it came to Leta. Glancing down he spotted Pickett climbing up onto his lapel and held out the breast pocket of his coat.
"Oi, you! Hop in, Pick." Newt said and Pickett snuggled down.
"Why do strange creatures love you so much?" Leta questioned with a smile.
"Well there are no strange creatures…" Newt started.
"…only blinkered people." Eloise finished with him, Newt smiling down at her.
"How long did you get in detention for saying that to Prendergast?" Leta asked regaining Newt's attention.
"You know, I think it was a month that time." Newt commented wistfully.
"And I set off a Dungbomb in his classroom so I could join you, do you remember?" Leta laughed lightly as Eloise clenched her jaw. The dungbomb had actually been set under her desk and Leta had not meant to be caught by Professor Prendergast.
"No, I actually don't remember that." Newt frowned as they came within sight of scary, official doors leading to the meeting room. "I do remember Eloise taking care of some of my recues the entire time I was incarcerated."
"I never learned so much about creatures so fast in such a blind panic." Eloise smirked a bit, recalling checking out every book she could find on the creatures Newt had currently been taking care of.
"You did great." Newt assured Eloise making her blush.
Rebuffed Leta came to a halt with a sigh as Theseus came out of the room. Newt walked toward his brother taking note of their differences as he always did. Theseus was by far the more outgoing of the two and was easier in manner, but with Eloise's hand in his he didn't feel bad as he usually did at all. Eloise saw in him all the things he had thought of as faults and found them praiseworthy.
"Hello." Theseus nodded to them, winking at Leta.
"Theseus." Leta greeted him with a gentle smile. "We were just talking about Newt and Eloise coming for dinner."
"Really?" Theseus hummed. "And will you be accepting?"
"Maybe after we get things settled here." Eloise said noncommittedly knowing Newt had no such interest. "Shall we continue to the meeting?"
"Look, before we go in there I…" Theseus stopped them.
"It's our fifth attempt Theseus. We know the form." Newt said in exasperation.
"This isn't going to be like the other times." Theseus said to their confusion. "This is…just try and keep an open mind will you? And maybe a little less…" Theseus gestured to Pickett, Newt's blue coat, and his messy hair.
"Like me?" Newt said sarcastically.
"Well it can't hurt." Theseus said without affection.
"Wouldn't hurt you to be a little less…" Eloise gestured to his pressed suit, combed hair, and overall pristine look. "…uptight."
"Come on, let's go." Theseus muttered, choosing not to comment back. Newt smiled down at Eloise in amusement at her comment while Eloise winked back up at him.
"Eloise, can I speak to you, for just a moment?" Leta asked hesitantly. Eloise glanced from her to Newt in mild surprise.
"I suppose." Eloise said cautiously.
"We'll be just inside." Newt said pressing a kiss to Eloise's forehead, Theseus doing the same to Leta, before the brothers departed into the office.
"I wanted to…" Leta took a deep breath before going on. "I wanted to apologize for our time in school." Eloise was shocked silent. "It's just Newt was so nice to me without reason and…and I was never good at sharing."
"That's all well and good, but you also hurt Newt deeply." Eloise said hesitantly. "If you liked him so much why did you treat him the way you did and get him expelled?"
"The Jarvey was my fault, but it really was an accident. When Newt took the blame…I know I acted like it didn't matter to me, but it did, it made me feel horrible so I…I just cut all ties with him, I thought it would be for the best." Leta admitted and though Eloise didn't want to admit it she found herself believing her.
Eloise knew that even though Leta was a bully at times she was also a victim herself having been the target of a group of Gryfindor girls for most of their school years. Eloise had never bothered to care just assuming that she deserved it for something she probably did to them.
"What about Theseus?" Eloise asked bluntly and was surprised when one of the sweetest smiles she had ever seen Leta give appeared on her face.
"Theseus is caring and sweet if a little stiff at times." Leta admitted. "When we met, at first I thought it was just a way to stay connected to Newt, but he treats me like a friend, a partner, and not just a leg up because of my pureblood status. I've really fallen in love with him."
"I'm glad." Eloise said softly and this time it was Leta's turn to look surprised. "I'd like to apologize as well. We both said things and did things to each other without really trying to put it to a stop." Eloise held out her hand. "It's not going to be easy, but how about we start again?"
"I'd like that." Leta smiled taking Eloise's hand in hers.
"And about the dinner invitations, I think Newt and I can make one." Eloise said, wanting to make this work and leave the past behind. If she wanted the family she always dreamed of with Newt, then she wanted the whole family including Theseus and his soon to be wife Leta.
"I look forward to it." Leta nodded before they went on their ways, Eloise trying to think of how she was going to get Newt to go to the dinner, and how she was going to let go of the past. Despite wanting to make things right it was hard to let go of the old negative feelings.
"Everything ok?" Newt asked when she came into the foyer of the office.
"Fine, I think that things between Leta and I might be taking a turn for the better." Eloise admitted. "At least I hope so."
"Really?" Newt looked surprised and Eloise gave him a rundown of the conversation she had had with Leta. "Dinner?"
"Please Newt, I really want to make everything right between all of us." Eloise said. "For the future, for our future."
"I suppose…" Newt relented albeit reluctantly. "What brought this change on anyway?"
"I had a very lovely aunt and uncle when I was growing up and spent many a happy time with them." Eloise smirked up at Newt before continuing into the meeting room, Newt looking confused for a moment before his ears went red when he realized what she was hinting at. Composing himself he quickly followed after her taking her hand in his.
They entered a room where Torquil Travers, a harsh mean spirited man, then there was Arnold Guzman, an American, and Rudolph Spielman, who was a little bruised from Grindlewalds escape, a bloody bite visible on his neck, were already seated. Three empty chairs are left which they take, Newt and Eloise eyeing the corners of the room which were in darkness, sensing a presence.
"Hearing commences." Travers announced.
A quill began to take note of what was said in the room. Travers opened a file in from of him which contained pictures of Eloise and Newt's wanted pictures and of the post obscurial devastation in New York.
"You both want an end to the bans on your traveling internationally." Travers said. "Why?"
"Because we like to travel internationally." Eloise said simply.
"Subject uncooperative and evasive on reason for last international trip." Spielman read out of his own file. "This is stated in both files."
"It was a field trip." Newt answered when they all looked to him for an answer. "I was collecting material for my books on magical beasts and Eloise was perusing her job as a Curse Breaker, it was…."
"You destroyed half of New York." Travers interrupted.
"No, that's actually factually incorrect on two counts…" Newt started to defend them.
"Newt." Theseus said quietly, but sternly causing his brother to stop with a frown, Eloise casting a glare at Theseus.
"I'm sorry, are we not allowed to defend ourselves? You cannot blame us for the fault of others." Eloise raised her chin. "Those events would have happened with us there or not." Eloise leveled them with a dark glare. "More than likely they would have been worse without us or did you forget who captured Grindelwald and who lost him?"
"Mr. Scamander, Lady Baewulf, it's clear you're both frustrated and, frankly, so are we." Guzman tried to sympathize. "In the spirit of compromise, we'd like to make a proposition."
"What kind of proposition?" Eloise asked suspiciously while Newt cast a wary glance toward Theseus.
"The committee will agree to lift your travel band under one condition." Travers paused for a moment as they waited with baited breath.
"You both join the Ministry." Spielman leaned forward. "Specifically, your brothers department."
"No, I…" Newt digested their offer and it left a bad taste. "…that isn't my kind of…Theseus is the Auror. I think my talents lie elsewhere…"
"Surely Lady Baewulf…" Spielman tried.
"No thank you." Eloise shook her head. "I'm a curse breaker not a curse thrower." She leveled another look at them. "Unless pressed."
"Mr. Scamander, Lady Baewulf. The wizarding and non-wizarding worlds have been at peace for over a century. Grindelwald wants to see that peace destroyed, and for certain members of our community his message is very seductive. Many purebloods believe it is there birthright to rule not only our world, but the non-magic world as well." Guzman said causing them to frown until Credence's face emerged in the surface of the water on the table. "They see Grindelwald as their hero, and Grindelwald sees this boy as a means to make this come true."
"I'm sorry." Newt spoke first as Eloise gripped his hand tightly. "You're talking about Credence as if he were still here."
"He survived." Theseus told them causing them both to stop cold, their eyes fixed on the elder Scamander who nodded to them.
"Impossible." Eloise shook her head.
"He's still alive." Theseus insisted. "He left New York months ago. He's somewhere in Europe. Where exactly, we don't know, but…"
"And you want us to hunt Credence down? To kill him?" Newt frowned then out of the shadows in the corner comes a deep nasty, laughter.
"Same old Scamander." The voice of Grimmson causing Newt and Eloise to react rather negatively.
"What's he doing here?" Newt questioned, furious.
"Taking on the job you're too soft to do." Grimmson grinned walking toward them eyeing the image of Credence.
"They would call in a thug like you." Eloise glared at Grimmson then at the members of the board. "Simple minded answer for simple minded people."
"Feisty." Grimmson winked at her before starring at Credence's picture. "Is that it?"
Newt rose followed by Eloise, storming out of the room without a backwards glance.
"Travel documentation denied!" Travers called after them. Theseus stared at the door as it was slammed shut behind them. The Committee looked unsurprised, turning their gaze toward the smirking Grimmson.
"The nerve of those ignorant, moronic, power abusing…." Eloise was seething as they walked down the hall. "What are we going to do?"
"Newt!" Theseus's voice called out before Newt could answer her. Theseus ran over to them taking them aside as he glanced around to see if anyone was nearby. "You think I like the idea of Grimmson any more than you do?"
"Didn't exactly hear you speaking up against him in there." Eloise pointed out.
"We don't want to hear how the ends justify the means, Theseus." Newt commented.
"I think you're gonna have to pull your head out of the sand!" Theseus told them.
"Okay, right, here we go." Newt said in exasperation. "What a selfish…irresponsible…"
"You know, the time is coming when everyone's going to have to pick a side." Theseus looked between the two of them. "Even you two."
"We don't do sides." Newt replied as Eloise nodded in agreement with Newt.
"Newt…" Theseus tried, but Newt turned to leave pulling Eloise along with him. Theseus ran after them, grabbing hold o Newt's arms holding him back. The two stared at each other for a moment, Newt waiting for Theseus to make the first move. "C'mere." Theseus pulled Newt into a hug which Newt didn't reciprocate, but didn't fight him off either. Eloise watched the exchange both surprised and a bit saddened when she heard Theseus speak. "They're watching you both."
"We know." Eloise said softly as he and Newt stepped back from one another. "Have a good evening."
Newt and Eloise quickly left the Ministry hand in hand apparating away.