disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: I'm so, so sorry this is late! My computer crashed and I wasn't able to post or work on stories in any way for a couple of days. When it started working again, I started writing on my other stories and completely forgot about this one!
Thanks to everyone that has started following this story (even with the irony of the timing on that, considering we're nearing the finale!)
Enjoy!
Three days later, the world as Newt and Tina had known it for the few short months they'd been married, spun wildly out of control. Newt was coming up the stairs from feeding Tempest when he heard Tina yelp."
Tina?"
Newt hurried the rest of the way into the kitchen. He'd expected to find Tina in some sort of pain, but she was standing by the kitchen table, holding a letter in one hand. Her free hand was clamped to her mouth.
One of the windows was open, blowing in a few flurries of snow, but Tina didn't seem to notice.
"Tina?" Newt repeated, walking closer to her.
Tina looked up at him, slowly lowering her hand. Her face was drained of color and Newt couldn't think of a word to properly describe her expression, but thought it looked like she might pass out.
"What's wrong?"
Newt tried to guide her to sit down in one of the chairs, but Tina resisted him.
"They caught him, Newt." She was staring at him, as if she didn't quite believe what she was saying. "They caught him."
Shock rippled over Newt at this.
"What?" Tina held the letter out to him and Newt took it, swiftly reading it.
It was from Picquery herself and it requested Tina's prescence at the trial. Conflicting emotions were swirling through Newt as he read this, but he knew that it was nothing compared to what Tina must have been feeling.
"Do you want to attend the trial?" he asked.
It was maybe a little blunt, but Newt wasn't sure what else to say. Tina braced one of her hands against the table, cradling her swollen belly with the other. She looked scared and vaguely sick. Newt waited for her answer. He wasn't going to attempt to sway her either way. It was Tina's choice alone.
If she wanted to face her rapist, he would support her in that. If she didn't want to, he would as well. Tina's hand tightened and Newt realized what she was thinking of. If Tina went to the trial, there was no doubt the wizard would know he'd fathered her child. Newt wasn't entirely sure how much that actually mattered, considering nearly the whole of Macusa knew this.
Tina sank down into a chair, her other hand resting on her belly. Newt sat down across from her. Slowly, Tina nodded. She looked up at Newt, swallowing hard.
"I want to." Her voice was quiet, but firm.
Newt recalled what she had said, back in New York, about not being sure if she wanted Macusa to catch the wizard. But so many things had happened since then, including the baby.
"He doesn't get to think that I'm to scared to face him." Tina's voice was a little stronger now. "I want him to see me, Newt. Know what he did. And that it didn't break me."
There was a fierce expression on Tina's face and Newt took her hand, holding it tight.
"You don't have to face him alone, Tina. I'll be with you." he told her quietly.
Tina started to smile, but it died almost at once.
"You can't, Newt. You can't travel internationally."
Newt stared at her. He had briefly forgotten the ban. He had no idea what to say. It was impossible for him to go with Tina, but he didn't want her to be at that trial alone. And he didn't think she wanted to be either.
Newt swallowed.
"I'll talk to them." he promised. "I'm certain they'll make an exception."
Those words led to Newt once again sitting in the Ministry, though this time it wasn't to be interrogated.
He was alone.
Tina had offered to come, but Newt had insisted on coming alone. He felt agitated as he waited. All he could think about was the possibility that his request to accompany Tina to America would be denied. The same wizards that had interrogated Newt and Tina were waiting for Newt when he entered the room, except for Theseus.
"Mr. Scamander." Spielmen said gravely.
"Mr. Spielmen." Newt said, already feeling awkward.
He was thinking that it might have been better if Theseus had been there. His brother would have understood why he was making this request.
"Sit down."
Newt obeyed, facing the three men. Guzman and Travers were simply watching him.
"You've come before us today at your own request."
"Yes." Newt shifted, thinking that maybe he should have accepted Tina's offer. She would be much better at this than he was.
"Why, Mr. Scamander?"
Newt cleared his throat.
"I wanted to ask for you to temporarily lift my ban on international travel."
None of the wizards looked happy about this.
"Why would we do that, Mr. Scamander?" Spielmen asked.
"And where do you want to go?" Guzman added with a frown.
"New York." Newt answered.
It was probably the worst place he could request to go, considering what had gotten him banned in the first place.
"Why?"
"My wife received a letter today from President Picquery. The American Aurors have caught the Dark wizard that raped her."
"And, Mr. Scamander?"
"They want her to attend the trial, you see. I wish to accompany her."
"Surely Ms. Goldstein is capable of traveling to America and witnessing a trial on her own."
"I'm certain she can, Mr. Spielmen." Newt agreed, hooking one foot around the leg of his chair.
"But I want to offer her emotional support. What the wizard did to her was..." Newt trailed off, blew out a breath. "I don't want her to have to face him alone."
There was silence.
Newt felt a little low when he ventured forth with his next statement.
"She's about nine months pregnant now. I don't want her to have more stress than necessary when she's so close to giving birth."
He let this hang. If the men wouldn't say yes simply because Newt was Newt, then perhaps they would take pity on a heavily pregnant witch that was about to face her rapist.
"How do you propose to get to America, Mr. Scamander, if we say yes?" Guzman asked.
"President Picquery's later stated that Portkeys would be arranged if Tina wished to attend. There and back." Newt said.
Spielmen narrowed his eyes at Newt. Newt didn't look away, though he wanted to. Spielman started to say something, but Guzman interrupted.
"I think we could lift the ban for let's say...thirty-six hours? Long enough for Mr. Scamander to accompany his wife through the trial and return to London. If he fails to meet the deadline, we can arrest him." Spielmen and Travers both studied Newt.
"All right. Do you agree to this, Mr. Scamander?"
"Yes. Thank you." Newt felt a huge burst of relief at the words.
"And you understand that if you fail to return to London in the appointed time, you will be arrested and sent to Azkaband?"
"Yes." Newt said at once.
He knew the trial wouldn't take long. And if it came down to it, he could return to England ahead of Tina.
"Very well. We will arrange a Portkey for you tomorrow afternoon, Mr. Scamander."
"Thank you." Newt said, standing.
He was clearly being dismissed. He walked home, thoughts swirling about what was going to happen in the next day or two.
Newt jogged up the stairs when he got home and opened the door. Tina was sitting in the kitchen, stroking Minty as the kittens played in the living room. The kneazle was sitting on the kitchen table, pressing close to Tina. Tina looked up at Newt.
"How did it go?" There was a shadow of fear in Tina's eyes.
"They said I can go with you." Newt said, sitting down beside her.
Relief entered Tina's expression.
"But when we leave, I have precisely thirty-six hours to make it back here or they will throw me into Azkaband."
Tina nodded. It was clear that she had been expecting something like that.
"How did you convince them?" she asked.
Newt bit his lip for a moment at the question.
"I may have said something about how pregnant you are. And that I didn't want you to have any more stress than necessary when you're so close to giving birth."
"Newt." Tina gave him a look.
"It's true, Tina. And I want to be there for you through this trial."
Newt gave her a small smile as she scratched Minty beneath the chin. Tina smiled slightly. Her other hand was cradling her stomach. Newt wished that there was some way that the trial could be delayed until after Tina had given birth.
Despite his intention to go with her and support her, a quick trip via Portkey to America to face the man who had raped her and then coming back again was one of the last thing Newt wanted his hugely pregnant wife to be doing. He didn't think most men would.
Of course, he wasn't going to say that to Tina. He understood that this was something that she needed to do and she would do it with or without him. All he could do was be by her side when she did.
Minty purred and reached a paw forward, patting Newt on the nose with it gently. Newt smiled at the kneazle, tapping her nose with his finger. Minty leaned into Tina. Tina took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Newt waited for her to say something but she didn't. Her eyes were distant, as if she were lost in her thoughts.
"I'm glad you're going to be there." Tina said at last.
"So am I." Newt said quietly.
Tina said nothing else and eventually Newt got up, kissing her before he went downstairs to tend to his creatures.
Author's Note: Short chapter, I know, but the trial is important enough it deserves its own!
Please review!
