catching Up
Bunty Broadacre looked up from her paperwork in the Centaur Liaison Office as she heard a familiar voice. It was a man shouting and pointing at paperwork. She frowned wondering why Newt Scamander was so annoyed. He was a gentle person who she had rarely, if ever heard raise his voice.
“The Centaurs at Hogwarts were not to be tagged. The herd is under the care of Hogwarts and within their boundary of protection.” Newt shook the papers that were gripped in his fist in front of her manager’s face.
Whatever continued next she did not hear as Newt followed her manager into his office and the door closed firmly behind them. She then got a memo to look for a file in the records department that took her away from her own desk for over two hours. By the time she returned Newt had already departed and those working next to her were tight lipped on the subject. She suspected they had been Magically stopped from speaking about it and she had missed being obliviated.
She left for home and on arriving at her desk on the following Monday discovered that Newt Scamander had left the Ministry Of Magic. She was devastated. She burst into tears and ran for the ladies room. She could not help but weep. She loved her job, mainly because she got to see Newt regularly and got to speak to him on occasion. She began to wonder if he ever noticed her at all.
When she had got the post six months earlier, she had been delighted that her crush was in the same department. He had remembered her from school, he of course was older, but had recalled her from Hufflepuff House. He had often helped her with her Magical Creatures homework. He had left school just as she finished her second year.
Her love of Magical Creatures stemmed from him and how he had shown her some of his own little creatures he had been looking after at Hogwarts.
Her work became more tedious as she was not allowed to go out with anyone on any field work that had been promised as they were now short staffed. Her field training would need to wait.
Rumours were going around the Ministry about newt, some not very nice at all. she stuck up for him but often her voice went unheard. She then was shocked to read in the Witch Weekly that Newt Scamander was overseas gathering information in order to write a book about Magical creatures.
She could not afford to give up her work at the Ministry, she needed it to keep a roof over her head and food in her belly. She was on her own but she had kept quiet about that.
+++
It was a cold wet January day as Bunty waited for the Magical bookshop to open. She had been surprised to see a variety of witches and Wizards already queuing when she walked around the corner. They obviously had seen the article in the Daily Prophet too.
Newt Scamander was more than a little agitated. He had not signed up to make personal appearances at bookshops, or if he had he must have forgotten.
His agent wandered around the bookshop ensuring the book displays of ‘Fantastic Beasts And where To Find Them',’ were displayed correctly. She had got Newt to sign some copies in advance. She was sure the queue outside would want more personalised signatures too for an extra fee of course.
“Stop worrying, you will be fantastic,” she tittered as she puffed on her cigarette through its long silver holder. “I have done many of such signings my darling, you will be amazing.” “
Newt did not feel confident at all. This was his first book signing, it was to be his first in a long line of bookshops to be visited to promote his new book.
The door to the shop was unbolted, the doorbell tinkled its first customers of the day. Newt plastered on a fake smile as a crowd surged inside.
Bunty got shoved up against a display and to her horror watched as a pile of Newt’s books fell onto the floor. She was glad to see that they rearranged themselves magically back up onto the stand.
She got jostled into a corner but managed to pick up a copy of Newt’s book. The crowd surged around the area where Newt sat behind a desk and she waited for the space to clear a bit before going up to get her book signed. First she. began to. read the index and began to smile. She had read a few chapters when she glanced up to see the way to the desk clear.
Newt's arm ached and his agent had insisted he write his own signature and not magically sign his books. He felt tired, his throat was dry from talking and he was hungry.
The crowd had thinned out and he hoped to get a break soon. He had his head down and had not even looked up as he signed books for customers who clearly had not got a clue to what his book was about. Some thought he had written a romance, others thought it a history and one thought it a travel book.
His agent decided it was time for lunch as the crowd had dispersed and the shop was nearly empty.
“Mister Scamander is now on a break for lunch so he will only sign one more book.”
Bunty was next and at the agent’s announcement a rather large person shoved her out of the way in order to get their book signed in time.
“I am a huge fan of your books Mister Salamander, can you sign it with love from you to Titan, that is me,” The large witch gushed.”
Annoyed with this witch Bunty instantly on hearing her name thought of a stinky flower and snickered and added rather boldly, “Titan Arum?”
Newt had begun to write the comment and on overhearing the voice from behind the witch he began to smirk. In his head he saw the large flower, the Corpse Flower. He then glanced up then frowned. Whoever had spoken had clearly known about flowers.
“Is your surname Arum?” he asked.
“No!” she barked out, clearly ruffled, paid swiftly and left.
It was then that Newt noticed a familiar face hiding behind a book, his book. He broke into a real smile for the first time that day.
“I heard you Bunty Broadacre, “he laughed as he stepped past his stunned agent to pluck the book out of the witch’s hands. “only you could come up with a flower name to suit that witch.”
Bunty wiped tears of laughter from her face, she also suspected they were tears of joy too as Newt clearly did remember her.
“Well, she did not exactly smell of lavender. I knew you would get the reference.”
“I did, thanks,” he chuckled and shook his head. “What are you doing here?”
“To buy your book of course, I do love the forward and love the chapter about Bowtruckels, they sound rather cute.”
At that point a little green leafed creature poked its head up out of Newt’s pocket.. Pickett made a rather nice cooing sound towards Bunty and waved at her.
Bunty's eyes grew wide and she sighed with pleasure at the little creature that had instantly captured her heart.
“This book,” Newt said as he took it from her and proceeded to sign it with his back to her. He slammed the book firmly closed. “it is a gift from me to you.” He then had it gift wrapped and sent by Owl to her home.
“How are you doing? Newt smiled.
“Fine,” Bunty said with a blush, “still at the ministry.”
“As I am now officially on a lunch break, how about you and I cross the road to that lovely bakery that sells fresh coffee and have lunch, I’m famished.”
“I would love too.” Bunty beamed.
“Good.” He nodded and offered her his arm as they headed out of the bookshop door.
His agent waved him away noting that his smile was genuine for the very first time in days. She rubbed her hands together and knew the sales this afternoon would be even better. Aall due to Wendy, or was it Bindy?