Chapter 4: More Than a Wee Bit Different
Tina found herself unable to linger very long in her enormous bedroom, feeling it grow colder the moment Newt left her there alone. No amount of luxurious amenity made the space feel warm like he did so she took to introducing herself to the rest of the home. The Tina ambled silently up and down the pristine halls to marvel at the fine furnishings (without moseying into any of the other rooms, of course). Her feet carried her over rich patterned rugs, and her keen senses detected the faintest tickle of charms emitting from all the closed doors in the long corridor. Suddenly, the eerily quiet air of the estate made sense for a home supposedly overflowing with guests.
Silencing charms? How clever. Tina smirked to herself approvingly.
Eventually, the savory and decadent aroma of dinner drifting through the air pulled Tina down into the lower-level dining room. There she found a number of new faces she had yet to put names with, all women of various ages. Each of them were yammering in an overly enthusiastic chorus about the next day's activities as Tina placed herself at the long table next to Lillian. The meal was fresh and delicious, but still incomparable to Queenie's cooking (a thought Tina kept to herself). Each course was hearty, and the dark-haired witch was beyond full when dessert rolled around. Before long, tea and cakes turned into a seemingly endless supply of vintage wine and champagne as Lillian's Hen Party seized the evening. Conversation grew increasingly louder with every emptied flute and wine glass, as well as more inappropriate. Even less appropriate were some of the gifts Lillian was given by her friends: brightly colored undergarments, netted stockings, as well as sheer slips. Tina had to fight a blush as she watched the bride-to-be open her intimate packages, and in her sober state appeared to be the only one to have such a reaction. She was certain that no silencing charm was strong enough to contain everyone's jovial alcohol induced laughter.
Tina yawned despite the excitement, and finished her single glass of celebratory liquor before deciding it was time to turn in. She didn't dare to take away from anyone's fun, and stealthily slipped away from the busy dining room unnoticed. Another yawn, longer and more fervent, parted her lips as she drew her bedroom door shut behind her. Tina felt utterly drained as she struggled against her tired body to put on her pajamas. She changed without care in the middle of the room, her eyelids heavy as the lethargic effects of international Flooing finally caught up with her. The sheets dressing the oversized bed were soft and thick as she wormed herself beneath them with a contented smile. Even with the weight of the duvet tucked around her, a chill rattled through her body as she laid with lazy eyes searching the ceiling. With a yank, she covered herself to her shoulder and shifted onto her side, begging for sleep to take her. Nevertheless, it still eluded her. The empty side of the bed was almost taunting, and as her tired eyes glanced at the undisturbed sheets - the chill in the room worsened.
Be it the teasing of the alcohol she had indulged in at dinner or her subconscious attempting to snake her, she imagined Newt laying there beside her. His body would be warm pressed to her, his arm slung over her waist protectively while their fingers were interlaced. She could almost feel the soft puffs of his hot breath kissing goosebumps onto the icy skin of her neck as he held her against his chest. The only sound in the room; their synchronized beating hearts…
An embarrassed chuckle resonated in the empty room, and Tina was suddenly very glad Queenie was nowhere near her. There was no doubt her Legilimens sister would make a point of not letting her forget thinking indecent thoughts about their friend the Magizoologist.
Tina rolled over again, fighting a smile. Silvery moonlight spilled wistfully into the room, cascading onto the rug and side table, elongating the shadows. She was tired. She felt tired, and still sleep escaped her. The witch's mind was racing with an overflowing mixture of thoughts that she was struggling to force into submission just to find some peace to rest. She could hear the ticking of a clock, and with each sound, Tina grew more irritated at her inability to sleep. With a snarl, she sat up, grinding her teeth in frustration. Deep breaths filled her lungs as she tried to calm herself, and she glanced about the room in search of any kind of distraction that would dispel her frenzy of thoughts.
It wasn't until she discovered the framed picture on the side table that the racing in her mind came to a screeching halt. She quickly pulled the chain of the lamp, filling the space with yellow light so she could better see the image. The magical image bewitched her; a little boy – no older than ten – with a bushy head of unruly locks and a smattering of freckles, sat in a pasture cuddling a baby hippogriff. The creature was hardly bigger than he was, and it lovingly nuzzled the boy, drawing a toothy grin on his full lips.
Tina couldn't resist the urge to pull the frame into her hands so she could watch the infinite loop more closely. Her heart swelled and the chill in the room vanished as she beamed at the photo of little Newt.
There was a sudden squeak from the doorway, and it caused Tina to jump and throw a startled glance over her shoulder.
"Ah, I just wanted ter check on ya, dearie." Newt's mother poked her head inside, the red curls on her head pulled back. "I didn't mean to frighten ya…I didn't think you'd be awake.."
"Can't sleep." Tina shrugged with an inviting nod of her head. She was growing rather fond of the Irish woman's company and was eager for another taste of her.
"I suspect not." She mused, moving across the room with delicate strides until she sat next to Tina on the bed. "Considerin' 'ow tiny doh's New York flats must be, dis room is more than a wee bit different, aye?"
She wasn't wrong, and perhaps the woman was onto something. The thought of how different the room was compared to her apartment was something she had not considered for the reason sleep was lost to her.
"I see yer were admirin' young Newton." Louise grinned fondly, her grey eyes glazing over with nostalgia. The look was one only mothers had, one forged from memories of their young – now grown – children. There was a bittersweet gleam to it as well.
"I take it you knew he was going to love magical creatures from a young age." Tina tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she spoke.
"Mmm." Louise's head bobbed up and down slowly, her eyes never moving from the frame in Tina's grip. The corners of her mouth pulled upward slightly in a loving smirk. "I never really worried 'bout Theseus, 'e's too much like 'is father…" She paused and the smile grew, "Newton certainly get's 'is stubbornness from me, Merlin help 'im, but 'is personality 'is all 'is own."
Tina found herself suddenly on the verge of tears, not on account of Louise's musing, but because all at once she was missing her own mother. Louise Scamander was stealing her heart by making her remember what it was like to have a mother, someone so full of love and wisdom and compassion.
"It wasn't just the stubbornness he got from you." Tina told her when she'd successfully fought back her tears. "He also got his kind heart from you." The dark haired-witch paused and smiled, thinking of the more obvious trait. "As well as his love for creatures."
Louise beamed at her, grey eyes shimmering silver in the light of the moon. The woman gently caressed her cheek. "So he did."
The two witches held each other in their gaze for a moment that seemed to stretch into many more. There was nothing awkward or forced about the look, it was instead a silent exchange of adoration given between a mother and daughter, and Tina didn't want it to end.
"Newton tould me your sister is gettin' married ter a Muggle as well."
Tina could hear the question lying in the subtext of the woman's announcement, and she slouched slightly from the abrupt shift it caused to her mood.
"Yeah…" she mumbled. "His name is Jacob…he's a baker."
Thankfully, Newt's mother was sharp enough to pick up on the touchiness of the subject and patted Tina's knee gently. "I'm sure it'll work out in der favor. Don' fret o'er it dearie." She offered another endearing, motherly smile before she glanced at the clock. "I best be gettin' ter bed." She stood readjusting her robe. "Big day tomorra. You shud try an' get some shut eye too."
Tina almost frowned at the notion of fighting to fall asleep again, but nonetheless promised Louise she would.
"Is Newt back yet?" She asked before his mother left the room.
Louise shook her head. "Not yet. I sent der father wid'em to keep an eye on 'em. 'E should be bringin' 'em back soon."
Tina felt a twinge of disappointment prod her heart. "Oh," she murmured, trying to hide the let down on her face. "Well, goodnight, then."
"Goodnight, Tina."
Louise softly shut the door behind her as she left, and Tina tucked herself back under her blanket in hopes that she could find rest. The room was quiet again – cold too – and it was all she could do to keep from staying awake long enough to see Newt safely returned. Her eyes were stuck on the ceiling again, reading the ornate designs embedded there as if the swirls and adornment told a grand story. Still Tina found little solace in the intricacies of the brocaded tiles above her, and let her gaze drift back to the image of the little boy and his hippogriff. The image was just visible in the darkened room but her night-adjusted eyes could still make out the sweet and gentle gestures. She smiled once more at the photo, wide enough she could feel the impression of the dimple hidden in her cheek. Absently, Tina reached her arm out from the warmth of the heavy blanket and pulled the photo close to her – tight over her chest. A strange calmness swept over her, and all at once, her eyes were heavy lidded. Sleep finally came to her – tucked under the thick duvet and the picture close to her heart.
A/N: I know this chapter was really short, but I promise the next one will be longer. I'm hoping to have chapter 5 up on the 11th, but I haven't gotten the next part of this story back from my beta. So fingers crossed! I'll keep you guys updated on tumblr when it looks like chapter will be posted!
as always shout out to my awesome beta onebethatatime and katiehavok for making some awesome suggestions!
You can follow me on Tumblr fandom-non-sense
that's where I post progress and links to my fics if you guys are interested.