Chapter 8- Perfect
Night had approached quickly after they pitched the tent. Thankfully, Queenie had thought to bring lights, pillows, and blankets with her, which really brought a cozy feel to the camp. The tent even came with canopy, which is where they laid down the blankets and strung the lights. It was spacious too, about the size of an actual room. The four sat on the ground, all busying themselves with different things when Queenie came up with an idea.
"You know what? I forgot about somethin'!" She jumped up and disappeared into the tent, leaving everyone befuddled.
"How much stuff can you put in one suitcase?" Jacob asked, impressed at all the blankets and pillows Queenie had put out.
Newt raised his eyebrows. Jacob closed his eyes and laughed.
"Oh, right. A lot!"
Queenie emerged with a large box, which adorned a golden horn on top with an intricate pattern etched into it.
"Queenie! I told you to leave that at home," Tina gasped. Queenie chuckled.
"Oh, Teen, you know I had to bring it!"
She sat down the player and gently set a record in it. She put the needle down, and music began to play. Tina laughed.
"I knew you would bring this song."
Queenie held out her hand and pulled Tina to her feet.
"Come on, Teen, let's show the boys your dance moves!"
Tina shook her head. "You know I don't dance."
"Oh yes you do, now come on!" Queenie grabbed her sister's hands, and the two spun in a circle.
Newt couldn't help but smile as the two girls danced along to the music. Although Tina had insisted she couldn't dance, she seemed naturally light on her feet. He and Jacob clapped along as the girls spun in circles and laughed. The merriment was momentarily halted when an owl landed on the horn of the player. Everyone stared at the barn owl, which bore a small sack and note. Newt slowly approached the owl and carefully grabbed the items. As soon as he removed them, the owl flew away.
"What is it?" Jacob asked, standing up. Newt opened the note and read it out loud.
Newt,
I have heard about the case, and offer my sincerest condolences. I thought you may want something to cheer yourself up in this time. Don't drink it all at once.
Albus Dumbledore
Everyone stared in confusion. Newt smiled a bit.
"Don't drink it all at once?" Tina asked.
Newt opened the small drawstring bag and pulled out a case of butterbeer, then another, and another. He smiled fondly, pulling out the last one.
"Dumbledore works at Hogwarts, don't he?" Queenie asked. "A professor?"
"Yes," Newt said, slipping the note into his pocket.
"You're old teacher sent you alcohol?" Tina asked in awe. Newt chuckled.
"Not quite. You see, Butterbeer is a well-loved drink where I went to school. Hardly any alcohol in it. You can try some if you would like, plenty to go around."
Jacob put up a finger. "How- how did he-?"
"Undetectable extension charm," Newt explained. "It isn't confined to just suitcases. Really, you can put one on anything if you want."
He handed the girls and Jacob a bottle, which Newt wasn't even aware existed until now. He had only drunk butterbeer from glasses. While Queenie and Jacob eagerly opened them to taste it, Tina inspected the bottle carefully.
"Butterscotch?"
"Hm?" Newt hummed, taking a drink.
"Sorry, I'm just… not a huge fan of sweets," She said, frowning.
"Teen, you need to try it. It's delicious!" Queenie laughed.
Tina looked at Queenie, Newt, then the bottle. After taking a deep breath, she took a swig. Everyone waited anxiously for a response.
"That's… not that bad, actually," Tina said, surprised. Queenie and Jacob cheered.
After having a few bottles each, they resumed playing the music and talked. No, they didn't talk. They laughed. Jacob cracked jokes, causing everyone to erupt in fits of laughter. Newt told stories that everyone seemed genuinely interested in, Tina shared a few stories from on the job, and even Queenie shared a few. After they went around the circle once, Jacob told another story.
"And so the guy freaks out and hurls a can of beans at the guy!" He laughed, taking another drink. "The fella next to me is all like 'that ain't how you throw beans! Watch this!' and takes, ya follow? He takes an open can and just heaves that puppy across the factory. Hit this poor guy right in the head! Soon the entire place is just throwing beans!"
Queenie laughed, leaning on her sister as she fought to catch her breath.
"That isn't even the best part! My boss comes in, and nobody notices, right? Somebody dumps an entire bucket of beans on him. I have never seen a human madder!"
Newt laughed a bit, imagining some guy yelling while covered in beans. After Jacob had finished his story, it was Newt's turn again.
"Well, there was this one time I accidentally let another student fall out a window-"
Newt was cut off by Queenie who laughed even harder, hitting the blanket with her hand.
One too many Butterbeers? He asked telepathically.
"Maybe," She wheezed.
Newt continued, smiling.
"Well anyway, I had brought a Niffler into the dormitory. Just a baby, hurt his paw. I was making a splint when another boy, a rich boy from the city walked in. I gather he was intending to make trouble when he walked over with an interesting smirk on his face."
Newt reminisced.
"He hadn't made it to my table when about twenty Nifflers poured through the door, none that I had brought it either. Of course, the boy must've been dressed head to toe in fancy gold chains and rings. A Horrible combination, really. They all got a hold of him, and of course, he wasn't about to let them take his chains, so he fought. Eventually, the group worked together and pulled him to a nearby window where he just sort of… fell out."
"What did you do?"
Newt put his hand on his mouth in thought.
"I finished putting the splint on the baby, then walked over to the window. He was alright, landed in a snowbank taller than him. He didn't look so hot then, considering all I could see was a human imprint of where he went in. He, of course, blamed it on me and got me detention, but it was well worth it."
"He never did find those chains." He added, smiling. Everyone laughed.
They went around the circle a few more times, then, after nobody could think of anything else, they turned the music back on. Jacob had joined the dancing now while Newt continued to gladly watch. The night was peaceful. The sky housed a million stars, all trapped within shades of purple and some pink in a line of stars stretching across the night sky. It had cooled off a bit as opposed to the heat from earlier. Jacob suddenly appeared in front of him, offering a hand.
"Come on buddy, a little dancing won't kill ya."
"Oh, no, that's quite alright, I-I don't dance," Newt said quickly.
Jacob raised his eyebrows.
"Really."
"Come on Newt," Jacob insisted. "You's the only one not dancing, now come on!"
Newt sighed and grudgingly was pulled to his feet. At first, he didn't like it, but Tina had kindly shown him some dance moves. After a while, he had gotten the hang of it. Sometimes he even twirled Tina around, laughing. Granted he fell a few times, but all in good fun. In no time, the four all danced, never seeming to catch their breath from all the laughing. Queenie put a song on that Newt knew, a seemingly popular song, Ain't She Sweet? He danced along with Tina, humming along with the tune.
Ain't she sweet? See her walking down that street.
Yes I ask you very confidentially, ain't she sweet?
Ain't she nice? Look her over once or twice.
Yes I ask you very confidentially, ain't she nice?
Just cast an eye in her direction, oh me oh my, ain't that perfection?
Oh I repeat, well, don't you think that's kinda neat?
Yes I ask you very confidentially, ain't she sweet?
He smiled as Tina laughed, singing along. Queenie and Jacob were singing along as well. Although Newt didn't sing, he gladly continued to hum. They danced and sang to a few songs before Queenie and Jacob decided they wanted to get some sleep. Newt and Tina glanced at each other.
"Are you tired Newt?" She asked. Newt shook his head.
"Not really, no. You can sleep if you want, Tina."
Tina looked to consider it a moment, then shook her head.
"I would rather stay out here."
After Queenie and Jacob went into the tent, the two settled back down on the blanket, the music still playing. Both of them had taken their shoes off, with no intention of going back out beyond canopy.
"It's gorgeous out here," Tina whispered. "I've never seen anything like this."
"Really?" Newt asked. Tina nodded her head.
"The closest thing New York has is Central Park."
"Look up."
Tina looked upward, her mouth dropping in awe. Newt smiled.
"Oh my… it's…" She trailed off, completely transfixed.
"Beautiful." He finished for her.
The record cut out, which seemed to tear Tina from her daze. She walked over, going through the small pile of records. After a minute or so, she found one and put it in, smiling. A song played that Newt could not have expected.
"You like this song?" He asked. Tina nodded her head, sitting down.
"I love it. It's my favorite. A bit old, but…"
Newt smiled fondly.
"Would you believe me if I said it was my favorite as well?"
Tina looked at him, an expression of surprise and happiness on her face.
"Really? I thought nobody else did. Queenie hates it, so I can't put it on when she's around," Tina laughed. At that moment, Newt had another idea. He stood up, holding out his hand.
"May… may I have this dance?" He asked. Tina smiled, taking the offer.
He held her hands in his, swaying to the beat of the song. She leaned in close and rested her head on his shoulder as they danced. Newt smiled, making sure to pull her just a bit closer.
"I probably look like a mess right now," Tina laughed.
"I think you look perfect," Newt whispered, only intending for himself to hear.
Tina leaned back and looked at him, tilting her head.
"What?" She asked, smiling. Newt stared.
"Oh- I- erm," He stuttered, not knowing she had heard him say that.
Tina laughed, putting her head back onto his shoulder.
"Newt, tonight has been absolutely wonderful," She whispered.
Newt nodded his head, "This may have been one the best nights of my life."
As the song came near to its end, Tina leaned back again, looking at Newt. Her eyes were soft but almost glowed in the pale, golden lights. He couldn't help but look back.
"Tina.. I…"
He didn't know what he was going to say, and quite frankly it didn't matter. As he gazed into her eyes, his mind and heart ran away with him. He thought about the way the little creases in her eyes formed when she smiled, and how her eyes filled with a delight that reminded him of a million stars in a darkened sky. He thought of those little strands of hair that would fall in front of her face, and how she would sometimes just leave them.
And her smile. Gosh… her smile. As he thought about these things, he realized just how close she was. Take a chance, he told himself. Don't run. It that moment, he made a decision. He leaned in, taking a chance he never thought he could.
Then, in the pale starlight, kissed her.
A/N- 11-18-18 I HAVE BEEN WAITING YEARS TO WRITE THIS AND A FEW OF YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR ME TO WRITE THIS! I was sort of screaming, not gonna lie. The ending was sort of hard to write, but gosh, I love this chapter. No angst! ALL. HAPPY! I'm going to wait to post this because it's 11 PM and I'm gonna revise to make it better. I really hope you guys liked it, though. Also, if you didn't know or have never heard this song, the song it Perfect by Ed Sheeran. Listen to it and get some feels my dudes!