Roxanne walked right behind Newt, the niffler still on her open palm. He seemed to have gotten comfortable, eyeing and sizing the fake golden bracelet carefully.
Truthfully, Roxanne did not remember when she got that bracelet or from whom, and she suspected it had been in that coat pocket for quite a while.
Her eyes went to Jacob, who seemed a little hesitant but also surprised by her approach.
Newt was not known to make friends easily since he often preferred the company of magical creatures to humans. Even the fact that he befriended Jacob was an achievement of his own and a rare occasion.
"Jacob," Newt greeted them as they came to a halt in front of him. "This is..." he stopped once he realised he had never asked the woman's name.
Roxanne was amused at his embarrassment and chose to help salvage the situation. "I am Grace. Nice to meet you," she said, giving a fake name after a few seconds of thinking about whether she should give her real one or not.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Jacob said. They shook hands while Newt took the baby niffler from her palm. "Are you also a witch?"
She nodded her head. "I am. And you?"
He shook his head faintly. "I wish, sometimes. I am a mere human, although I have learned that your people call me differently... muggles, wasn't it?" He asked Newt, who had sat down and moved the suitcase on his lap.
"Yes... in England, that's what we call them," he said, his eyes on the magical item. He was ready to open it carefully to ensure no magical creatures would jump out.
The last thing he needed was for the New York incident to be repeated and for the French Ministry to threaten him with death or imprisonment.
Roxanne offered a small but sweet smile and then noticed the scarf that Newt wore around his neck. The vibrant black and yellow colours brought back memories, and she felt nostalgic for a moment.
"You went to Hogwarts, " she pointed out, acting as if she already didn't know that part. "I was a Hufflepuff, too, when I attended it."
This drew his attention, and he switched focus from the case to her. "You were?" He asked with some childish excitement.
"I was. Proud to be in that House," she smiled at him.
Jacob seemed interested, for Newt had faintly informed him about the four houses students were put into when they joined the magical school.
"Perhaps you two were around the same time?" he asked.
They exhcnahed a look and both shook their heads a sign of negative response.
However, it was Roxanne who corrected him. "I am afraid not. I am not as young as you make me be," she said, making him blush from embarrassment. "Thank you for the compliment, though."
"I... you're welcome", he offered an awkward smile.
Newt summoned two baby nifflers from his case and held them in his palm, holding a golden coin each. The first baby niffler that had escaped was sitting comfortably on his shoulder.
Roxanne sat down slightly to observe the baby creatures, her heart warming up at the sight. She also noticed how Newt held and watched them with care, something rare to see.
"Those are the other two of his siblings... they are pretty naughty, but I have learnt how to keep them occupied. And take them out when there is nothing shiny around," he explained, and she extended one finger to scratch one baby niffler beneath its beak gently.
"They are adorable. I don't think I would ever be able to stay mad at them, no matter how much trouble they might cause me," she confessed.
Newt smiled at her words. "I never am, no matter the creatures. They follow their instincts, doing what they know best. It is not their fault but ours, tempting and accusing them."
Roxanne withdrew her finger and straightened her back, realizing his words were true. She did agree with him almost wholeheartedly.
Often, the wizarding word, much like the human one, did not understand the creatures and saw them as inferior. They should find ways to live in harmony with them since they all share the same planet.
"So, what do two gentlemen like you do in Paris?" She asked, deciding to continue with her mission and not get any more sidetracked.
"We are looking for someone that might know where Tina is" Newt explained. "And her sister Queenie."
She glanced at Jacob, seeing how his smile disappeared rather quickly and his gaze turned down.
"I guess those two are more than just friends, aren't they?" She asked, wise enough to connect the signs.
"Yeah... sort of... it's complicated," Jacob explained and passed a hand over his face. I mean, Queenie and I are in love... but laws don't let us be, and then she tried to use some love spell on me, thinking I would leave her. Then Newt freed me, but she left before I could explain, and now... well, I'm trying to find her and hope I get to talk to her."
Roxanne offered a sad smile, understanding the complications in their love life. It was a tough time for blood mixing between muggles and wizards, with laws in America far harsher than the ones in Britain.
Hearing his words and seeing how his face lightened up when he talked about her, it was evident that he truly loved her, and she felt touched by it. She knew someone who loved with the same passion, ironically, the same person for whom she was in all this trouble.
"I am sorry to hear that," she said honestly. I hope you both succeed in finding them and solving whatever misunderstandings and obstacles stand in your way."
Jacob smiled at her words. "Thank you. We will keep trying. We are getting close, I like to believe, right Newt?" He asked his friend, who had gone rather quiet at the mention of Tina.
"Right..." he exclaimed, putting back each of the baby Nifflers.
One, the very same that had stolen the bracelet from Roxanne, had snuck up into his pocket for some solitude. While he tried to take him out, he pulled out a small piece of paper... or card, better say.
It flew gently on the wind and landed on the ground, too close to Roxanne's feet.
The witch bent to pick up the card and felt the tingling sensation of magic on it. But it wasn't just magic on it—it was familiar magic that belonged to only one person.
Albus, she thought and realised that Newt was not in Paris just for Tina.
She offered the card back at Newt as he finished closing the suitcase, and he thanked her silently as he placed the magic card back in his pocket.
"It is getting late and I have to return to my hotel" she lied, once she concluded that she had taken more than enough information about them.
"Already? Time sure flies fast," Jacob commented and offered his hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Grace. Hope we meet again."
She shook his hand. "Likewise"
Under better circumstances and on the same side, she added in her mind as she withdrew her hand.
"Take good care, you two, and I wish you the best of luck," she said with a gentle smile. Then, she started walking towards the park exit, leaving the two men behind.
After Roxanne had put enough distance between herself and the men, she teleported back to the safe house, specifically to her temporary quarters.
She should have gone directly to Grindelwald, but she hesitated and instead spent most of her time just walking up and down the room.
She had gotten enough information, but the question was, how much should she tell Gellert? She could tell him Newt was in Paris because of Tina, but would he believe her?
Gellert was not someone who accepted things to be that simple. He often withheld how much information he knew on a topic just to test the other person.
However, if Albus had sent Newt to Paris, it meant that he had a plan in mind. If Roxanne were to spill everything, would she ruin those plans and maybe even endanger the kind mazoologist?
She did not even realise how fast the time had passed until there was a knock on her closed door. She took a moment to control her thoughts before she opened the door, surprised to find Vinda there.
"Master Grindelwald has requested your presence in his office for dinner," she said, not hiding the annoyance and disdain in her voice.
She had been a very loyal and long-time follower of Gellert, yet Roxanne, who had barely been with them for a few weeks, seemed to be getting extra treatment.
Honestly, Vinda had almost cracked her head open in an attempt to find out what he saw in her and why he was so attentive to her. She was not sure, and while a part of her thought that maybe there was some sexual or romantic relationship between them, she had yet to notice any signs of it.
"Thank you," Roxanne said, but the French witch did not reply. She simply walked away, unhappy with being a messenger.
Roxanne had chosen to change. A dark maroon dress covered her form, and her straight black hair was let down. Satisfied that she looked decent enough, she chose to go meet Grindelwald.
She knocked a few times before entering his office, only to notice the atmosphere in the room. Two plates with warm dinner were placed on the desk, two glasses filled with red wine, and quite a few candles to give a different mood to the whole idea.
"Roxanne, you are right on time," Gellert said as he lit the last candles with his wand. "Please, take a seat", he continued, and she silently obeyed.
He pulled back the chair for her, and she smiled at his sweet manners before sitting down. "Thank you," she said and watched him take a seat across from her.
"A beautiful choice for a dress," he complimented her and offered her one glass, the red wine swirling faintly inside.
She took a few bites of the food, and she could not help but savour the taste. As she finished swallowing, she grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth. "The food is amazing."
He could not help but smirk faintly as he watched her, all this time in silence. "I am pleased you approve," he said, taking a moment longer of silent watching before continuing. "How was your mission? What did you find about Newt Scamander and his purpose in Paris?"
Roxanne took a moment to chew the piece of meat and then wash it down with some wine, her mind racing. She was still debating what to say to him, and for a moment, she truly thought of hiding some facts.
But a more rational part of her brain told her not to risk it, for there was a good chance that Gellert was testing her. He used to do it when they were younger, and there was no promise that he would outgrow that habit.
In the end, she chose to come clean and wasted no detail.
She talked about Jacob, Tina, and Queenie, the two men who wished to find them, and, lastly, the letter.
"...I am not entirely sure, but I do suspect that Albus had been in contact with him, most likely having been an extra reason for him to come to Paris..." she confessed. "From what I got, his primary focus is to find an American witch named Tina and her sister, who are here."
Grindelwald took a moment to answer, the names familiar. He remembered Tina from when he was undercover in the American Ministry of Magic and how her help was what Newt needed to be even a bigger obstacle in his mission.
However, his thoughts went to her sister, Queenie. He had read about her abilities to read minds and her rather innocent view of the world—always searching for love. He could use some of her skills in his army, and he knew it would not be that hard to manipulate her into joining.
He focused fully on Roxanne, the captivating woman sitting across from him. She had been silent, observing his reaction, but he picked up the faintest of stiff muscle movements, a sign that she was nervous.
He could answer her directly, but there was this pleasure in seeing her so focused on him, hanging from his next words as if he were about to hand her the secrets to immortal life. Gellert drank some of his wine and wiped his mouth with a napkin before letting her out of her temporary misery.
"I had suspected as much. It would be a new thing for Albus to use someone passively to get what he wants," he said, and if Roxanne wanted to argue, she didn't. "However, I am pleased you were honest with me and did not hold back any information."
Roxanne parted her lips in surprise once she realised he was testing her. A part of her was relieved that she did not fail the test and ruin whatever she had been trying to build so hard all those weeks.
Another part, though, could not help but wonder.
Why?
"Why test me?" She found the courage to ask.
She had agreed to join him and followed every one of his orders and plans to the letter. It should have been more than obvious to him where her loyalties were. They had a past they shared, equally romantic and friendly.
Another reason why he should not question her trust is
"It has been years, Roxanne," he said, answering her mental questions as if he could read her mind. "People change as you have come to know them personally. I must ensure what kind of people I have by my side."
She did not reply or comment on his words because she knew he made a valid point. After all, here she was, working for Albus in secret and participating in a big plan that she didn't even know where it would lead.
"I see," she said, just to close the topic. She focused back on her food; her original appetite was not so strong after the confession.
Gellert did not join her but merely studied her, observing how she tried hard not to react to his sharp gaze on her body and every move.
Eventually, he grabbed his glass again and took a sip. "Since you have proved worthy of my trust, I believe it is time you learn of the full plan that will take place tomorrow night."
She gently let her fork and knife by the edges of her plate and washed down the food with the red wine. Once again, her amber eyes looked at him, and her posture changed, passively passing him the message that he now had her full attention.
This pleased him.
"We are to have a rally at the Le Strange Masoleum tomorrow night" he started and something clicked in her mind.
"That's why you had Abernathy also sent with me", she concluded, making him arch an eyebrow. "I took notice of the flyers he passed around and the low-toned talks he had to the sides while I was pretending to be you."
Gellert smirked in all his charm, his tempting lips drawing her attention the most but she quickly averted her gaze to his eyes.
"You are quick to catch, as always. Good," he complimented her and leaned back on the chair. "What I want from you, Roxanne is to be at my side tomorrow night when it takes place."
Roxanne smiled at him, her expression sweet. "I will always be by your side," she said without much thought, placing her hand on his.
Perhaps her words were said too quickly; perhaps they were too rational, but they felt right at that moment.
She knew that Gellert's path was wrong, but his mission was not, not entirely. His beliefs stood on something, and they were not selfish, not entirely at least.
And what she said, she truly meant it. One way or another, she would be by his side just as she had promised when they were teenagers. She would stand by him, even if it meant acting against his wishes to protect him from dying at the hands of Albus or other wizards.
His gaze fell to her hand, which was placed on top of his, a size contrast to their palm sizes. Her hands were soft despite the words she often used in her little cottage, and they were warmer than his, yet the sensation was welcoming.
He did not have as much physical contact with her as he did in the past, not anymore and definitely not as much as he did in the past. Things had changed, but he yearned for certain things, one of them truly being her presence and her touch.
He graced her with his famous charming smirk, one that he had had since teenagehood and that had the same temping, enchanting effect no matter the passing years.