JK is the mastermind behind Newt and Tina.
Betas are like mystical creatures of immense power.
CHAPTER SIX
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Newt slowly opened his eyes to find a Niffler curled up in the crook of his neck. He stretched his arms above his head, the sudden shift in position caused the pages to flutter to the ground as they became unstuck from the side of his face. Lines creased his skin where Newt had fallen asleep uncomfortably splayed out on the books that were scattered across his desk.
"Here, little buddy, wake up now. Big day of discovery ahead." Newt yawned as he cuddled the small creature into a hug. Newt collected the few notes he had written last night and began to climb back up into the cabin where Tina presumably still slept.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I thought you would still be sleeping," Newt said as he quickly ducked back down into the case and shielded his eyes. Tina was at the kitchenette, wearing only a lacy negligee as she prepared a kettle on the stove. She grabbed a house coat and wrapped it closed around her.
"You can open your eyes now, Newt. I'm decent." Tina giggled but appreciated the propriety.
"I'm so sorry, I should have knocked. It won't happen again." Newt spat out a slew of apologies but Tina brought up a hand to quiet his ramblings.
"Newt, I said it was alright. I'm just trying to get rid of this splitting headache and I thought some coffee might help. It must have come from all the crying." Tina rubbed small circles on her temples and squeezed her eyes shut.
"One moment! I developed a potion with some murtlap essence to affect the whole body and not just surface wounds. It was a rather simple process, very few changed ingredients, just prepared a tad differently," Newt called up from his case in between the rattling sounds of glass potion vials. "Ah, here we are, love." Newt brought up a potion which managed to be both purple and green simultaneously. "I've tested it myself so no need to worry," Newt added to halt Tina's apprehension.
"Thanks," Tina said as she tipped the vial's contents back. "Oh, wow! That works fast!" Tina looked at the empty container in surprise, as if it held the answer to the potion's swift effect.
"We've got to have you feeling right as rain if we're to begin our search." Newt flashed a wide smile at Tina.
"Oh, yeah," Tina sagged a bit, "that."
"We'll trap it again, Tina." Newt reached out to hold her hand in both of his, "I know we will."
"I need more Hufflepuffs in my life. You have an uncanny ability to cheer me up." Tina smiled softly and met Newt's gaze.
"Maybe you just need this one?" Newt gave a gentle squeeze and a pat to Tina's hand. "You go get dressed and I'll finish with the coffee. Big day ahead," Newt called out to Tina as she climbed up into the loft. "I collected some helpful notes last night that I plan to discuss with Sahale. I want to get a team together to go to the cave again. Maybe we can pick up on a trail or any clue to help point us towards finding this thing." Newt finished with Tina's coffee, dispensing it into two mugs with cream and sugar, then turned back to the room.
Tina stood at the mirror spelling her hair to form loose waves, framing her face. Her tall, slender body was appropriately clothed in tan trousers, a loose button down shirt, and completing the ensemble was a pair of hiking boots.
"Wow," Newt accidentally let slip his dreamy approval, "uh, your hair," he attempted to cover his embarrassment and handed her one of the mugs, "It's gotten longer since New York. It suits you."
"You think?" Tina subconsciously touched her locks. "Thank you." She took the mug then turned back to the mirror, giggling slightly having noticed his slip of admiration.
Newt sat on the sofa sipping the coffee while he admired the woman before him. Tina was never a properly primped bombshell like her sister, Queenie. Then again, he had never found himself in awe of that brand of beauty. Tina had acquired a certain vulnerable strength since they parted in New York that seemed to draw him in. He appreciated her down to business, hands on approach at life that Newt felt had mirrored his own. Tina was never afraid to face a problem head on and Newt wanted to stand by her through it all. Tina finished fussing with her hair and turned towards Newt, snapping him out of his daze.
"I thought we'd have breakfast in town before meeting Sahale. Sound good?" Tina asked and finished off the small mug of coffee.
"Sounds brilliant," Newt said as he got off the sofa and put on his coat. He walked over to his case and opened the lid. "Be good while I'm gone, Mummy can't take you traipsing through the woods. I'll try and bring back something tasty." He closed the case to a cacophony of excited animal noises. Newt walked over to Tina and held out his arm for her to take. "Ready, love?"
"I feel better now. You don't have to try and cheer me up anymore." Tina said while linking her arm in his.
"I've grown to like it. I think I'll keep on," Newt replied as they stepped outside and disapparated into town with a loud CRACK.
oOoOoOoOo
Newt and Tina appeared at the edge of town, walking arm in arm towards the little bookstore and coffee shop, chatting about the delicious crullers Richy makes, when they spotted a crowd of people gathered outside of the Stag's Saloon. As they stepped closer to the throng, they were able to hear a few sentences that escaped the commotion.
"Gertrude's gone missin"
"Gertie's the sweetest. Tops me off without even a wave."
"Any word on our lady?"
"You get a peek inside? Blood all over the place!"
Newt steered Tina away from the bustling crowd and into the coffee shop. He sat her down at the table that they shared during their previous visit and went to grab their breakfast from Richy.
"Did you hear? That pretty bartender lady's gone missing. Her place was trashed," Richy said as he grabbed the crullers from the case at the counter. "No idea who would want to hurt Gertie, but it looked brutal in there."
"Please excuse me, I must step outside for a moment," Newt said, distracted by his thoughts. "If you could, please deliver these over to Miss Goldstein, I'll be back before you know it." Newt slipped out of the door and ducked in a nearby alley. He pulled out his wand, casting a disillusionment charm over himself and walked over to the saloon. The crowd of people were too distracted by the investigator's intense questioning to notice the door had opened slightly for a moment.
Once inside, Newt uttered a quiet "Lumos" and began to search for any sign that the Wendigo had been the cause of this destruction. He ran his wand light over the walls, under the tables, even peering inside the mouth of the massive, taxidermied moose head that adorned the mantle of the stone fireplace. The whole place was tossed about in extreme disarray. There were splatters of blood on almost every surface, overturned chairs that seemed to be thrown in self defence, and the large antler chandelier had been ripped from the ceiling by a massive force and lay in ruin all over the floor.
"Argh," Newt threw up his hands in frustration, "there's nothing here." He stormed over to the bar and angrily plopped down on one of the last stools left upright. The light from his wand reflected off of something on the floor behind the bar, catching Newt's curiosity.
"Lumos maxima" Newt said and almost dropped his wand from his discovery.
The word 'kotuhpu' shimmered in Gertrude's blood, almost hidden amongst the broken glass.
Newt leapt from the stool and ran out of the back exit, too excited to bother with a disillusionment charm. Newt slipped past the crowd still distracted by the questioning and ran across the street. He burst excitedly through the door of the coffee shop, causing Tina to spill her coffee all over her lap. Wand still out, Newt cleaned up the hot liquid before it could burn her.
"Now tell me what in the world has got you so excited." Tina demanded, upset at the wasted caffeine.
"Gertrude, it was the Wendigo," Newt said in between his gasping to catch his breath. Richy had sent over a fresh cup of coffee for Tina which she gladly took hold of, turning her body slightly to protect it from Newt.
"What's a Wendy's go?" Richy asked while chewing on the end of a straw.
"Oh, uh, nothing, Richy. Thank you for the refill." Tina called out and turned back towards Newt. "How do you know it was the Wendigo?" Tina whispered.
"Because it wrote 'kotuhpu' in her blood, just like in the cave with Elias." Tina slouched, the pallor of her face tugged at Newt's heart. "Oh, Tina, I'm sorry. This means we have a trail now." Newt bent forward to catch her gaze. "We'll catch it, I promise."
"Right," Tina straightened up with newfound determination. "Where do we start?"
"There's my girl! Let's go pay Sahale a visit and see if we can get an expedition team together. Sounds like the more the merrier against this beast." Newt stood up and held out his hand to Tina. She tossed some coins on the table, took his hand, then began to lead him out of the shop.
"Thank you, Richy," Newt waved as Tina practically dragged him outside. She dropped his hand to search her pockets for the crystal that Sahale had given them and continued walking to an apparition point. Newt lagged behind, his pace slowed as he got lost in admiration. His attraction built every moment that Tina got swept away in her willpower. Tina pulled the clear crystal from her pocket and turned towards Newt.
"Ready, Scamander?" Tina asked.
"For you? Always." Newt approached Tina and placed his hand on the crystal. With a soft 'olibamkanni', the duo faded away into nothing.
oOoOoOoOo
"That is always so pleasant," Newt happily sighed as they materialized in front of Sahale's house. Tina raised her head slightly, sniffing the air.
"Something smells heavenly." Tina continued to sniff in an attempt to locate the source of the mouthwatering scent.
"Tina? Newt? We're inside, don't be shy," Pules called from within the house.
As they walked in, the room instantly expanded to accommodate the extra bodies. Two chairs appeared as the table lengthened slightly.
"Did that just-?" Tina stammered questioningly.
"Oh, just a simple command I asked of the house. That way, when it's just the three of us, there is less to clean." Pules winked at Tina and set back to chopping a variety of vegetables laid out on the counter.
"I still can't overcome how beautiful your magic is, even with what you think is a simple task." Newt gushed.
"Mom's great at any household command. The woman is the best cook they say this village has ever had!" Chogan said as he carried two extra plates and silverware to the table.
"So how does it work? You don't say any spells and I haven't seen anybody with a wand, unless you count Eluwilussit's staff." Tina asked while sitting in the chair next to Sahale at the table.
"I've told you about how Eluwilussit connects us to our spirit but he also connects us to our magic. He is the one that aids us in finding out our proper channel. During the ritual where our spirit finds us, our spirit is also guided to our channel," Sahale explained as he held up his wrist that was adorned with a leather cuff holding a murky green stone. "Our channel," he pointed to the stone, "allows us to command our magic. We are connected to a specific stone or element that coincides harmoniously with our spirit."
"Like wands with all the different woods and cores!" Tina said excitedly as she reached out to examine the stone still on the cuff attached to Sahale's wrist.
Sahale laughed "Exactly, except we just think it into being. We don't point and command like you do. Some of the more complicated commands require contact with the stone but most just need your channel to be close by."
"This is absolutely brilliant," Newt smiled, leaning his chin into his hand as he propped his elbow on the table.
"I assumed you knew, what with that necklace that you have. It seems to be connected to your magic." Sahale pointed to the simple ruby pendant on a silver chain around Tina's neck.
"Oh, my parents gave this to me right before they - um, for my birthday" Tina swiftly distracted herself from remembering the sadness of her parent's passing.
"The ruby grounds your magic. Gives you energy and keeps you courageous." Chogan told Tina.
"Watch," Pules instructed as she stroked the beads entwined in her long plait. A red ball of light emerged from the ruby that hung from Tina's neck. She leapt up from her chair in surprise, looking at the tiny orb as it floated out in front of her. The ball of light grew rapidly until it encompassed her entire body.
"What is this?" Tina said with a hint of fear in her voice.
"Keep watching," Pules closed her eyes in concentration.
The red light began to seep into Tina's stomach right below her navel, causing her torso to glow slightly. Suddenly, the light emerged again in the form of a horse and began to gallop around the room. A small sound of surprise escaped Tina's lips as she stared in awe at the ethereal creature.
"That is your spirit, my dear," Pules said while flashing a broad smile towards Tina. "The ruby is your channel to the depths of your magic.
"Now you can watch," Tina said then brought out her wand to utter "Expecto Patronum."
A shimmering wisp emerged from her wand and formed another horse that ran alongside the red one to playfully gallop through the room together.
"Magnificent!" Newt exclaimed, delighted at the merging of magic before him. He took out his wand and produced a patronus in the form of a floppy eared Basset hound that began to bound happily around the space with the other ghostly creatures.
"How beautiful," Tina said as she stared in awe at the shimmering animals.
"Extremely beautiful," Newt agreed but he wasn't looking at the apparitions anymore, his attention captured by the wonder reflected in Tina's eyes.
"Ahem" Sahale brought the two back to focus at the table. Pules had set out their lunch and Chogan was already fervently devouring his.
"This is lovely, thank you for accommodating us on such short notice." Newt bowed his head slightly in gratitude.
"No problem at all," Pules smiled, "Our village has been blessed with abundance this season."
The group happily ate and talked about the similarities and differences between their magic. Pules and Sahale discussed how to find the proper gemstone to channel your magic as Chogan barely found time to breathe in between bites.
"Chogan has his obsidian ring," Chogan held up the hand not currently in possession of any utensil, showing them the copper band holding a jet black stone on his finger, "you've seen my labradorite cuff and our mother has moonstone beads in her hair." Pules brought her long plait over her shoulder to show the white beads braided in. Sahale went on to describe the type of magic that flourished with each different stone. Tina went on to discuss the importance of wand woods and cores for the specific magic needed.
"Newt, I bet you have a Chestnut wand, they're wonderful for those with an affinity for caring for magical creatures. It's the type I've been collecting here in Maine." Tina said.
"Actually, mine is Ash. I happened to be in desperate need while off the coast of Portugal and was fortunate enough to find one that seemed to take a liking to me. Do you have any Chestnut wands I may try out?" Newt asked.
"Sure, back at the cabin. Elias kept the completed wands in a trunk on the loft. Who knows, you might like one that I made better than this little beauty." Tina said while gently touching Newt's wand that lie on the table in front of him.
"I'd love to try one," Newt smiled, happy at the chance to experience Tina's craftsmanship.
Sahale had been looking over the notes that Newt had taken the previous night, adding his own knowledge of the tattoo binding that his tribe performed.
"Newt, what is this part here about the soul and a hicrux?" Sahale pointed to a line on the parchment.
"Oh, a horcrux, don't even worry about that one. You'd have to be an absolute nutter to even attempt that rubbish." Newt said as he scribbled through that particular note. Sahale and Newt began debating on the efficacy of the specific ink used in the Abenaki tattoos as opposed to the middle eastern variety that had a mixture composed with scarab shells and kohl.
Chogan finished his meal and cleaned up his dishes, turning towards Pules to say "I'm meeting Hassun in the amphitheatre. Going to go over some offensive moves."
"Okay, be safe and have fun!" Pules waved as Chogan left to help his friend.
"Sahale, I was wondering if you wanted to bring a team of sorts to go see the Wendigo's cave. There was another attack in town on the bartender.
"Gertie?" Sahale wore a look of absolute shock. "She was always a wonderfully sweet woman." His shoulders sagged with grief. He suddenly brought his gaze back up, a flicker of determination behind his eyes. "I'll get a few people right away. Meet at the amphitheatre?" Sahale asked while standing from the table.
"Sure, we'll clean up real quick and see you there." Tina said as she began to stack the plates.
"No need, go on ahead." Pules said as the dishes began to float over to the wash basin.
The three of them exited the house, Newt turning back to watch the room shrink to it's original size and the extra chairs disappear.
"I'll be there as soon as I get some people interested in hunting the beast down." Sahale said and leapt into the air, turning into a falcon that soared away over the rooftops.
"Magnificent!" Newt smiled broadly.
"These people are amazing. I can't believe MACUSA is trying to push them out." Tina kicked at a small rock on the ground.
"We'll have to show them that the Abenaki have more to learn from than to be feared." Newt slipped his hand into Tina's. "Now, let's get to the amphitheatre and come up with a plan." Newt began to lead her towards the center of the village but Tina pulled back on his arm. He turned around to see if she was alright and was met with a surprising and gentle kiss. Newt blushed a deep red and asked "What was that for? N-not that it wasn't appreciated, because it was, I just certainly wasn't expecting-" Tina put a stop to his ramblings with another slight brush of their connecting lips.
"That was a thank you. For helping me, for believing me when the town's DMLE refused to help, and for comforting me when I needed it the most." Newt smiled and was about to reply when Tina cut him off, echoing his words back to him. "Now let's get to the amphitheatre and come up with a plan." Tina grabbed Newt's hand and began to lead him to the center of the village. Newt followed along in astonishment, the feel of her lips still fresh in his mind.
o0o0o
A/N: I don't know if I mentioned that olibamkanni means travel well. Well, there you go. And finally some more cutesy pootsey stuff for our quirky babes. Thank you for reading!
