So here's chapter 3, thank you to all of you who have shown such and interest in this story. Thank you to Pick me as your beta for betaing and helping me write this chapter. Please let me know what you think. without further ado, here's chapter 3.
I really hadn't meant for this to happen, Tina thinks as she stands in the doorway with a tray of hot cocoa Queenie had insisted she bring Newt. She's going to see Jacob, the magizoologist's name still on her lips, to tell him he was officially all healed up and could leave. not that I wanted him to, she thinks quickly.
Newt is still standing there, shirt on one arm but otherwise completely naked from the waist up. way to go, freak! How long can she be this nice to you now? You've just blown it, he thinks. All the worries he's had the past nine days since he met her are coming true, and he just stands there as she seems to look him over him for a second. Instead of turning back and walking away she opens her mouth to speak, taking a few steps toward him. He takes a step away from her without thinking about it, hitting the table behind him.
Before he can back up away from her any further she grabs his hand, not unkindly or roughly, but firmly, flipping it over to reveal his forearm with its plethora of scars. Just a quick glance at the rest of his body tells Tina that it's not even close to being the worst area. With her finger, she traces a set of old scars from a little above his wrist.
"Where are these ones from?" she asks, seemingly calm, waiting quietly for his answer.
He hesitates. Why does she want to know, why isn't she leaving? No, come one, you know her better than that… don't you? "Leta," he begins"brought a Jarvey to school sixth year. Things got out of control rather fast, and he got some of his claws in when I was getting him away from a first year, before…." Before I was expelled, he thinks, but he doesn't finish the sentence.
"Before?" she asks him, hoping to learn a bit more about the man with the suitcase full of creatures.
"Before nothing. It's nothing." She already knows, he thinks as he looks down frowning. Now's your chance to explain. Just do it. But he shakes his head, deciding that this isn't the time.
"Okay," she agrees, moving her hand upwards to a burn scar on his shoulder that's almost too close to his neck.
She doesn't get a chance to ask about that one as he almost automatically explains "A young dragon in Argentina, things got a bit close when I was trying to help a young child who got too near her without realize it. Missed the girl, thankfully, didn't realize til later that she had hit me." It's his only injury from a dragon, despite all his traveling. If you give them some distance most dragons aren't innately dangerous, and many aren't much longer than a few yards long. They don't deserve the reputation they have, honestly, most of his beasts don't.
Tina moves her hand down to a set of scars nearly directly above his heart. This one had been a rather ragged cut, or at least that's what it looked like to Tina. As she looks over his chest she sees about half a dozen more faded scars quite similar to that one. "Where'd you get these?" she asks carefully, frowning when he tenses back up and breaks any semblance of eye contact they had previously had.
"M-my father." He says it with a unhideable stutter, and she looks at him to explain further, hoping he was just wording it poorly and it wasn't what it sounded like. "Whe-when I was expelled," he continues, and he feels Tina's hands drop away from his chest down to her sides, "He-he wasn't happy when I came home… his pun- his punishments for ruining our family's good name." He doesn't say anymore, looking at Tina only out of the corner of his eyes. Well, what did you expect, really, he thinks. Even someone as kind as Tina has her limits. She must be disgusted Newt can't help but wonder if he should've lied as she stands.
Tina stands up feeling too much, sadness, anger, outrage and dozens more, they all mix within her making her feel physically sick. Who in Mercy Lewis's name could do that to their family, to their child, to Newt? You just don't hurt the people you're supposed to love, she fumes as she grabs the two cups of cocoa, long gone cold to the point that now they don't deserve the name hot chocolate. Her hands shake as she hands him his cup. He seems surprised at her action but takes the mug gratefully as she sits back down staring at the drink, unsure what to say.
After a few moments Newt's voice breaks through her thoughts.
"That was the only time he hurt me that badly, the only time it left any marks." His voice still sounds shaken, but just a little more sure of itself.
That's not good enough. Good people, people like Newt, shouldn't be hurt like that, she thinks, setting her cup down on the table a little too hard.
"Newt... I'm so sorry," she says, unsure what else to say.
The words are their own kind of magic, Newt hearing the strain in her words jumps up, deciding not to tell her any more, especially if it makes her feel that bad. As if suddenly, realizing that he was still shirtless, Newt grabs his button-down and pulls it on quickly.
"It doesn't matter anymore anyway, Tina. I've long since made my peace with it; his punishments stopped when my expulsion was overturned." He stops for a moment. "You were coming in to tell me something. Am I incorrect to presume that it was to tell me I have the all clear to leave?" he asks, knowing if he didn't get out of there soon he'd lose anything he had even remotely built up with the girls, specifically Tina, in the last few days.
She nods mutely. He grabs his jacket, deciding to leave his case until he knows what he's going to do for the night. He leave quickly, the door closing on Tina's "Mr. Scamander..." with a resounding thud, as Newt leaves the building, being careful not to be seen by Mrs. Esposito.
You've really screwed up this time, Scamander, he thinks as he goes to to buy a ticket back to London and a hotel to stay in until the ship leaves; he really doubts Tina will want him to stay any longer.
When Jacob and Queenie come in, looking for the other two, they only find Tina. Her head is in her hands, and she's shaking a bit.
I really messed up, she thinks knowing Queenie is reading her mind. I didn't mean to. Queenie sees in her mind what happened with Newt. Gently, she puts a hand on her sister's shoulder.
"Teenie, I think you're either giving yourself too much credit, or Newt too little. I'm sure it will be fine, honey." She sits down next to her older sister, motioning for Jacob to do the same. They sit there for a while, quietly waiting for the magizoologist to return to the apartment, though Tina doubts that he'll stay any longer than it takes to grab his case and then apparate back out of their lives, never to be seen again.