"Ní mhaireann solas na maidine don lá." // "No morning sun lasts all day."

Close to an hour had passed after the group's initial introductions, and they were still a significant ways out from their final destination. 

The group inside the carriage had each separately busied themselves with different ways to pass the time; Jacob had fully resolved to take a nap (evidently apparation had taken quite the toll on his body) and Lally had her nose buried in a book. Newt, Bunty, and Kama had all disappeared off and into the rest of the locomotive at various different times, some of them heading for the dining car, others just wanting to stretch their legs.

Tara had been standing in a far corner of the train car, staring out of one of the windows and lulling herself into an almost trance-like state as she watched the countryside roll on by. She had chosen her position purposefully, for it was on the complete opposite end of the carriage from the Head of the British Auror Office. Who, inconveniently, hadn’t taken his eyes off of her since the larger group had dispersed. 

Theseus seemingly grew tired of being ignored, and promptly crossed the car in order to mirror her position at the window.

“What’s wrong?” he asked in a low whisper. He had since turned his body slightly so that he could speak to her while effectively hiding his voice better from the other ears still within the car with them, distracted as they might be.

“Nothing.”

Theseus scoffed.

“Oh ‘nothing’ is it?” he pressed, watching as the scowl slowly began to appear on her face. “Come on. No secrets, remember?”

Tara took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling with the effort. She then set her spine as much as she could, before turning to face him head on.

“What was that about?” she asked from behind gritted teeth.

“What was what about?”

“Oh, so we’re playing dumb now?”

“Tara, I don’t know what-”

“Seems like you got pretty flustered back there.”

“Flustered? I was not-”

“You think she’s cute or something? Is that it?” Tara continued to whisper-rant, no longer taking the time to choose her words carefully.

Theseus paused in surprise, his eyes tracing over her expression for a long moment. Then, slowly, a smirk began to play at the corners of his lips.

“Are you…are you jealous?” he whispered.

“Jealous?” Tara spat back, as if the word were poison. But by then, her skin had already betrayed her. Her face flushing a hot-red color. “Please. Don’t try to turn this around on me, you’re the one that-”

At that moment, the train suddenly thundered over a change in the tracks, causing the cars to lurch to the side slightly. Those who had chosen to stand found themselves stumbling due to the dramatic change in momentum.

In order to catch himself, Theseus had been forced to brace his hands up against the wall of the carriage, lest he fall forward completely.

Tara, with her back now flushed against the wall, could only stare, wide-eyed, up at the wizard now looming over her. The sudden change in proximity had silenced all of her desire to fight in an instant.

After overcoming his own momentary surprise, and easily reading the expression on her face, Theseus smirked.

“This is nice.”

Flushing again, Tara scowled.

“Don’t be crass.” she hissed.

Theseus briefly glanced back over his shoulder, his eyes quickly scanning the rest of the cabin. Newt, Bunty, and Kama still had yet to return, and Jacob was snoring up a storm over at the bar. Lally on the other hand appeared fully enraptured by her book.

The Auror turned back around, and in a flash of movement he had leaned down to press a quick kiss onto Tara’s lips. Not even giving her so much as a second to react. All she could do was continue to stare back up at him incredulously. 

“I wasn’t flustered.” Theseus finally whispered, a small smile on his face. “I was just overwhelmed. You know I’m not exactly the best at making small talk in a regular situation, let alone something like that.”

He was right. Tara did know that. Theseus had a fairly Olympic knack for being blunt and straightforward, a trait that easily got underneath people’s skin. Her own more than included.

“And for the record-” the wizard quietly continued. “You’re the only one I think is cute.”

Tara rolled her eyes in a desperate attempt to hide the way that his words clearly had an effect on her.

“Yeah. Whatever.”

Theseus hummed in response before once more leaning down to kiss her. Again, it was a quick action. He was clearly making the effort to be as secretive about it as he could manage. 

And because of that, when he pulled himself back up to his full height this time, he was greeted with the smallest of smiles in return.

Matching it, the Auror carefully pushed himself off of the wall.

“I’m going to head to the dining car. Grab some food.” he said quietly. “Want anything?”

Tara just shook her head in response.

Theseus stared back down at her for just a moment longer before quietly slipping out of the carriage.

Taking a slow breath in, Tara shook out and re-set her shoulders. But as she managed to pick her head back up, absentmindedly glancing about the rest of the train car, she somehow found herself making immediate eye-contact with Lally.

The professor simply gave her an imperceptible, but knowing smile before turning back to the pages of her book.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* : ｡☆ﾟ.･ ───

It was early evening when they finally pulled into the German train station. Outside their car, the wheels screeched at a horrible decibel, smoke billowing up from them as they came to a slow stop.

Emerging from inside his case, after taking a moment to feed the Qilin hidden inside, Newt carefully clicked the locks shut behind him.

“Berlin…Wonderful.” Lally muttered from where she was standing, staring out a window at the bustling train platform outside. 

Tara appeared at the woman’s side, also taking a moment to scan the station. As she did, her eyes almost instantly fell upon a tall, dark-cloaked man standing out amongst the other every-day patrons. And not just because of his immense height, but also because of the particularly deep scowl painted on his face as he scanned the crowds flowing around him.

He was clearly an Auror. And if Tara knew anything about Auror’s in Germany those days, it was that their allegiance more or less teetered on the edge of being Grindelwald’s minions.

A memory suddenly flashed to the front of her mind’s eye. It was of a day, now long in her past, where a wizard had been sent to blow up her apartment back in London. She had taken it upon herself to steal the file on the incident shortly after it had happened and had seen the photo of the wizard that they had charged with committing the attack.

And he looked eerily similar to the one standing out on the train platform now.

“Kama, stay safe.” Theseus had said to the man who was patiently waiting for the doors to open. The French wizard had silently nodded his head in response before eventually disappearing outside and onto the platform.

Bunty materialized at Newt’s side, both of them standing where the Magizoologist had placed himself to the left of the now-open doors of the carriage.

“I must be going too now, Newt.” she stated quietly.

Newt had moved to respond, when suddenly his attention shot downwards. Instantly taking note of the way that his assistant was attempting to remove his case from the tight hold he had on it. His head tilted back up, staring at the smaller witch with panicked confusion.

“No one can know everything. Not even you.” she answered apologetically.

There was a long, pointed silence before Newt begrudgingly released the handle.

Those who momentarily remained inside the bar car, watched through the windows as Kama and Bunty began to walk off in two different directions, not even sparing each other so much as a glance as they went.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* : ｡☆ﾟ.･ ───