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Fantastic Tales of Maggick (and Other Adventures)
by: Janelle Borbank
'for those that need a touch of Maggick'
Newt x OC
Chapter Eight
Janelle
I felt cold.
Numb as I walked behind Newt towards the hut we would be staying in. My mind couldn't focus, and for the most part I did everything I could to not stumble around and fall. When we arrived in the hut it dawned on me that Newt had been gently speaking the whole time. I looked at him from the threshold of the door, just stared at him, for a long time. Newt paced around the room, gently putting the suit case down. He was still talking, but it barely sounded like a murmur as I thought of all the information that had been thrust upon me earlier.
"Janelle?" Newt spoke softly, but I still jumped. My eyes focused on him, on the worry that was evident in his gaze. He glanced down shortly after, but didn't say any more. I moved quickly and shut the door swiftly. He jumped slightly, but I didn't slow down as I paced into the small room with him. The small hut was built similar to a studio flat; this gave me so much room to pace and think anxiously.
"This isn't good. Newt this is bad. So bad, I-I can't I can't let her get hurt." I muttered, shaking my head. I stopped and looked at Newt, who was still watching me with mild worry, and he waited with impressive patience for me to make sense of what I was saying. "That girl? That girl who was taken by the Chief? The Chief's daughter? She's like you. She has magic and she-and she just made it snow and the- and the Nundu was just-"
"Hold on. Hold on. Slow down, please." Newt cut in, taking a step towards me. "Maybe you should start from the beginning."
I too a breath, attempting to steady myself before I finally flopped down onto my bed. Newt's was behind a curtain that separated our beds and gave us a bit more privacy. So instead he sat at the foot of the bed away from me and waited for me to explain.
I did explain to him about how I had wondered off and found a Nundu-
"Merlin's beard! Are you alright? What did it look like? Where is it now?" Newt asked with excitement in his tone. Leave it to Newt to be more fascinated by the beast than my stories. I couldn't help but notice it was the first time he held eye contact with me though. As if reading my thoughts he dropped his gaze a wilted slightly. "Right, sorry, please continue."
So I did go on, and I explained to him all that I had seen and how Asha had made it snow. Newt's gaze became more conservative and serious as I spoke. When I finished there was a gap of silence before I tried to look Newt in the eye.
"What do we do? How can we get her out of here?" I asked. Newt pursed his lips before looking away.
"We can't." Newt answered simply. I stiffened, backing away from his slightly in my seat. Newt gazed at the floor as he spoke. "She needs her family now the most."
"They hate witches."
"But she is the daughter of the chief. He will protect her." Newt explained. I shook my head, standing up and pacing the room.
"We can't leave her here." I said strongly, the restlessness rising in me. I could hear it whispered in my ear again, my heart was thrumming. There was no way Asha would know that fear.
"There's nothing we can do Janelle. By all means we can keep an eye on her but her family will protect her-"
"Is that what you think?" I snapped, disbelieving of what Newt was saying. Newt looked up to me then with surprise. I couldn't take it, the whispers, the tension, or Newt. It was all too much.
"You think that blood really matters that much? You have no idea what blood means to them, what they could do." I said in a low voice. Newt looked at me then, right into my eyes. It was unnerving how he was practically looking into my soul he stared so hard. There was surprise there, but something deeper. I couldn't understand what he was thinking, but I saw submission after a while.
"There is a place nearby. We could have them watch over her." Newt explained. I nodded, slowly at first, then picked up the pace and encouraged him to continue. "We can head there next and explain the situation to them. But in the mean time we must explain to this child what she really is and to not be ashamed of it."
"Of course, yes. Thank you Newt, thank you." I said quickly, walking over to him. Newt nodded, but his gaze was still cast to the floor. I hesitated, taking a deep breath before continuing on.
"I'm sorry, I got a bit frazzled." I said softly. Newt smiled before peaking up at me.
"Just a smidge." He said, but his tone was light. I smiled back before sitting on the bed next to him and staring out to the room.
We could help Asha, and she would be alright. More than anything I wanted this child to grow up happy and healthy. No child deserved any less. Which was why I wondered if Newt and I weren't as different as I initially expected.
Newt shared traits with me such as his desire to show understanding about his creatures. He was absolutely taken by people who enjoyed his creatures as much as he did. I could see it the very first moment I spoke about Norman. The sneaky little Niffler that had a penchant for all things shiny. He wanted people to care about his creatures, and to love them all the same. I wanted that for Asha, and for her to be loved for who she was, not what she appeared to be.
I looked to the man seated quietly next to me. He bit his lip and seemed to be deep in thought about something. I glanced through his curly hair and tried to see his eyes, but it was hard with the mess of locks being in the way. I smiled at him, wondering what kind of woman had raised such a man.
Newt was a good man on many levels. I had learned this quickly from his actions. He showed saintly patience with both myself and the beasts he worked with. Along with kindness I am very certain I did not earn. The trust he had extended to me was gobsmacking. He trusted me with his creatures. Not only that, but he implored me to spend time with them. He truly was a funny man, one that I was very curious to know more about.
"How did you learn magic?" I asked. Newt glanced at me before smiling.
"Hogwarts." He said the word so fondly that I took a moment to respond.
"Hogwarts?"
"It's a school that every witch or wizard attends that are in nearby countries. It's located in Scotland but many children from England attend." Newt said with an almost gleeful voice. This place was a good place, as far as I could tell.
"Hogwarts…. Why does that sound familiar?" I questioned underneath my breath. Newt looked at me for a moment. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him studying me and did my best not to stare back. After a moment of thought I realized that Newt likely mentioned Hogwarts before, so I didn't think too hard on it.
"What is school like for muggles?" Newt asked as if it were an afterthought. I smiled, knowing it would not be nearly as entertaining. We exchanged minor stories of school and what one could learn at our respective schools. Newt explained each class carefully, filling in anything I could not understand right away with ease. I did my best to explain everything back to him as well. After a while I started to feel at ease again, no longer agitated by Asha's condition whatsoever. Newt had completely subdued me, and I settled into our talk so well that I was beginning to feel tired.
"There is one more thing I should tell you, Janelle." Newt said after a beat of silence. "It's about Asha."
I waited quietly, looking at him with a calm expression.
"When a witch or wizard attempts to hide their magic, or forcefully draw it back in…. It can have negative affects." Newt explained slowly. I nodded, waiting for him to continue. He hesitated before looking up at my eyes. It took me off guard that he stared into my eyes for a long moment without blinking. Then he turned away and shook his head. Standing up, he fixed his disheveled clothes before glancing at my feet.
"Newt?" I asked. He hesitated before shaking his head and giving me a small smile.
"It's nothing, really. I doubt we will have to worry." Newt explained before excusing himself to the door. "I'm going to alert the neighbouring community. Please stay here in the time being."
I was going to argue, but Newt glanced back at his briefcase.
"Please Janelle, I can travel faster on my own, and it is not a good idea to take my beasts with me. Will you please look after them?" Newt asked softly. I nodded, understanding his logic completely. Considering he was also doing me a favour I had to admit being compliant was probably the best course of action. Newt nodded once to me before apparating away, leaving me seated on my bed with nothing to do for the time being.
After staring at the case for a few hours and willing myself not to just jump in and cuddle with everyone inside, I managed to walk outside and get some air.
The evening air was crisp, cool to the touch of my skin. I didn't go very far, just stood outside the door quietly. Taking deep breaths, enjoying the less humid and hot air now that the sun was setting. Newt should be back soon, so I was trying my best to stay patient. However my attention and patience was far shorter than his.
A roar could be heard over the silence of the night. To the untrained ear it would sound like a lion, but I was a little too familiar with the sound of Nana crying out. My head turned to the sound, not a moment later the doors to another one of the buildings opened.
I looked back and saw many people come rushing out and calling loudly. My brows furrowed as I watched the men speak rapidly to each other in a language I did not understand. One word stuck out amongst them though, a name.
"Asha."
I turned back at where the roar had come from and bit my lip.
When I returned to where the noise had come from I could hear the soft voice of Asha trying to soothe Nana even before I got close.
"Asha, it's me." I announced as I broke into the small clearing. Nana raised her head, but made no move to attack this time once she saw me. I held my hands up to show I had no weapons, and the Nundu settled back.
Asha turned to look at me with worry in her eyes.
"Nana keeps getting restless and I am not sure why." Asha said. I stepped closer as slowly as I could and knelt beside Asha to look at the beast. She was definitely restless, looking this way and that every for moments.
"Has she done this before?" I asked, checking over the creature for wounds, though I was highly doubtful of wounds considering how thick a Nundu's hide was. The Nundu's only real threat was another Nundu.
"No, she has always stayed away from the village." Asha said, getting more anxious. I looked from Nana to Asha. The little girl was getting worked up, and glancing back at the Nundu I saw the same level of anxiety. Were they feeding off of each other?
"Asha, you need to settle down." I said quickly before looking to the little girl. She looked up at me with confusion. I glanced back at the Nundu before gently touching Asha's shoulder. "I think Nana is feeding off your emotions. Try and take a deep breath and we shall see."
Asha swallowed before nodding. She closed her eyes and breathed as I instructed her to. After a few minutes she seemed to settle down and I glanced over the Nundu to see she too had settled. It was quite an interesting thing to see the big cat lower her head. I smiled to Asha, who returned it tenfold.
"There, that's better, but what got you so worked up in the first place?" I asked, but the moment I saw her face I knew I didn't need an actual answer. The chief likely worked her up with talks of witchcraft, and so I simply settled. "It's alright, I understand."
"Thank you, Jay." Asha said before petting her beast. I watched, marvelling at how the spines of the Nundu receded just for Asha to pet the cat. I watched, curious as Asha glanced over to me. "Would you like to pet her?"
I looked to her with surprise, but Asha just smiled at my excitement.
"She'll let you. I think she likes you." Asha said. Nana snorted as though against Asha's words, but I wasn't going to waste this opportunity.
Slowly and carefully, I raised my hand to touch the beast's neck. Nana's eyes bore into mine as I glanced at her, but she made no move so I continued to reach out and touch her. The spines on her neck could not recede as far as the others, but I was still able to gently touch her neck. A giddiness ran through me as I felt the soft fur beneath the spines. The big cat definitely took care of her coat well, and as I stroked her neck Nana stopped watching me and laid closed her eyes. A soft purr could be heard from the beast as I nearly laughed from joy. Asha giggled next to me as I continued to pet the beast.
I was petting a Nundu. One of the most dangerous creatures to ever walk the Earth….
And I was petting it like a house cat.
Nana's eyes snapped open suddenly, and she sat up so quickly that Asha and I had to shift back. The cat glared behind us, a low and menacing growl coming from her throat. Even though it wasn't directed at me I felt a chill run through my core. Turning around I expected to see one of the villagers, however instead I was greeted with my travel companion.
Nana made to jump up, my eyes widened as I realized she would strike.
"Nana no!" I said, jumping to my feet and backing over to Newt. Standing in front of him as Nana raised to her full height. Asha watched the exchange as I turned to Newt and gently took his hand. Newt, who had been staring at the beast with not fear, but fascination, only broke his gaze when he felt my hand slip into his.
"He's my friend Nana." I explained. The big cat walked up to us, Newt remaining perfectly still as I gripped his hand tighter. Nana looked at us, standing protectively in front of Asha, but made no move to get closer.
"Merlin's beard." Newt murmured under his breath. I couldn't help the smile at the awe in his voice. Asha said something to Nana in her language, and the big cat snorted at Newt before turning to circle back and sit in her spot.
"You thought I was lying?" I asked Newt, but the man was still gawking at the beast, his brain turning a hundred miles an hour in his brain.
"She's beautiful." Newt said to Asha. The little girl seemed to puff up at this admittance. I grinned as I looked between the two.
"Asha, this is the friend I told you about. The wizard." I said, watching as awe broke out across Asha's face.
"You-you mean you can do things too?" Asha asked. Newt looked down at the little girl and smiled before nodding. Without speaking, he took out his wand and gave it a soft whirl. Soft lights swirled around us, forming into butterflies as they floated in between us. I let go of Newt's hand to turn and gaze at them. It was beautiful what he could do, and I looked down to see Asha in awe as well.
"I'm a person that can do magic Asha, much like Janelle tells me you can." Newt explained. Asha nodded and it began to snow softly. Newt looked up before looking down to the little girl and smiling. I grinned, watching the two create such things about us.
"I thought I was alone until Jay told me! I was so alone…." Asha trailed off, and it broke my heart to hear such an admission. Newt knelt in front of the little girl.
"You are definitely not alone Asha, and you must remember that. Now I have spoken with a nearby witch that will help keep an eye on you, but you need to stay careful. Do you understand?" Newt asked. Asha nodded quickly. "Good, but no matter what, you cannot let anyone know of this Nundu."
"What? But I thought witches and wizards know about her?" Asha asked, her eyes wide. I gently stepped forward and knelt next to Newt.
"Not all wizards are like Newt, sweetheart. These creatures are misunderstood most of the time." I explained, gently petting Nana. Asha looked to her before back to Newt.
"Will you come back?" She asked before turning to me. "Nana likes you, I like you too. Will you come back?"
I hesitated before looking to Newt. He was already looking at me with a softness to his eyes. I smiled before looking back to Asha.
"I will definitely come back." I said, earning a huge grin from the child.
Newt explained to Asha what she needed to do in order to protect herself and Nana, the fatigue heavy against my eyes as I watched Asha grow more and more tired. Once the little girl was finished hearing the explanation she was practically dead on her feet. Ever so gently I hoisted her onto my back, Newt carrying her crutch. I looked to Nana, who was lazily snoozing, before gently petting her once more. The Nundu looked to me before closing her eyes again.
"We'll be back, Nana." I said softly. Newt stood waiting for me, and together we walked back to the village. Not a moment too soon either, as villagers were beginning to make their way over to where we had been. They saw us and ushered us back to the village.
Once there we handed Asha off to her father's waiting arms. He gave us a suspicious look, but still nodded in thanks before returning to his hut. I watched Newt hand the crutches off before we both turned in for the night.
I laid in bed, my eyes wide open despite my fatigue.
"Newt?"
I heard him shift in his bed on the other side of the sheet. He hummed a reply, and all I could do was smile.
"Thank you."
There was a moment of silence before I heard him say softly.
"Goodnight, Janelle."
"Goodnight Newt."
AYYYYY Look at who updated?!
I am actually sorry I took so long, because I have really startde to love this story and have no excuse for why it took forever. I really love Janelle, she has a special spot in my heart truly.
So I bet nobody thought it was gunna be a happy ending, right? Don't worry, we will see more of Asha and how she grows! I also really love Nana. There are a lot of creatures in Newt's suitcase that don't have a story behind how they got there, and I'm gearing up with stories as fast as I can.
Somebody mentioned Newt going crazy trying to find all the creatures, but in this story I'm under the presumption he already knows the majority of creatures in existence, save for a few.
Also as for romance, there are going to be some flips on gender norms, considering how unorthodo Newt is, I'm gearing up for some really cute stuff later. In the net chapter someone is making an appearance! One of my favourite characters of all time to write to be honest (right behind Wade Wilson).
Again, a big thank you for dropping by, and apologies for such a long wait.
Iland Girl