Traces

Claude Otton

It was long past closing time when Claude Otton’s client finally arrived. 

By then the shop owner had managed to sort through the new deliveries of quills and parchment several times as well as making sure for the umpteenth time that the package was secure.

The bell hanging above the door made a chiming sound as the man entered his shop. Although, because of the now dark and empty alleyways outside the sound sounded more eerie than anything else.

Almost like a warning for what was about to come.

Claude cleared his throat as he uttered the rehearsed phrase to the tall man in front of him, his hands shaking ever so slightly while doing so.

“Good evening, Sir. Unfortunately we’re closed for today. If you return in the morning I shall be more than happy to tend to your requests though.”

The man in front of him finally met his eyes. He was clad in dark attire and something about him made the shop owner feel a bit anxious. 

“I have a delivery,” the man answered curtly with a stiff smile on his face, his eyes cold as he took in his surroundings.

“Ah, but of course.” 

Claude scrambled to get the wrapped up package to his client, turning his back to his client for a small moment as he picked the package up.

It was oddly shaped, small and didn’t weigh much. 

“How peculiar,” Claude thought to himself as he turned back around again and handed the package over.

The shop owner felt his own curiosity gnawing at him, but after 74 years of living the man knew better than to ask.

This whole ordeal was simply just a business he had taken on in order to earn some more money. All he had to do was just write the package off books as something else and then deliver it. 

That was it. 

And in the end, all that mattered was that the money would be his afterwards. Perhaps he could finally help his granddaughter with buying that apartment she had been looking at once his debt had been cleared. 

As much as she said she loved staying with him, he was sure that a 26 year old would like to have a little space of their own, rather than staying with their old grandfather in a run down apartment. 

He wasn’t stupid though, or that’s at least what he liked to think. He knew he was involved in some kind of shady business and that it most likely came with its own risks. 

“For the money, remember,” he murmured quietly to himself as he tried not to let his eyes fall down to the scorpion pin the dark clad man was wearing on the collar of his suit so that he could at least avoid eye contact with his client.

The man in front of him opened the package with careful hands as he inspected it shortly. He sent a quick nod to the man in front of him before pushing up a pouch of coins on the counter. 

“Pleasure doing business with you,” his client said before turning to leave the shop, the door shutting itself quietly after him.

The expression on his client’s face had been excited and somehow a little dark as well, making the shop owner shudder a little before breathing out a little in relief as the client disappeared around the corner of a closed creature shop.

Claude Otton could only stare at the now empty streets while shaking his head.

The package hadn’t stayed unwrapped for long before his client had spelled it back wrapped up again, but as much as he liked to feign his disinterest he couldn’t help but wonder why someone would go through all of this secrecy just for a pair of silver scissors.

“Perhaps, it was an artifact?,” he then thought to himself as he closed up the store. 

As he was leaving he suddenly noticed that the bell above the entrance didn’t make its usual chiming sound which made him sigh a little. 

“But it just worked fine moments ago,” he thought dejectedly, as he cast a nox to turn off all the lights in his small shop.

He then made a mental note to have the bell fixed as soon as he had cleared everything up with his debt collectors.

He sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes.

His mood had already been a little low after the transaction business and the issue about the bell didn’t make it any better.

It had been a trustworthy bell, one that his grandfather had bought when he first had opened their quill and parchment shop. 

He didn’t like how it had stopped all of a sudden, but then again he knew that all things had to come to an end at some point.

 “Not just living creatures, but also non-living objects as well,” he thought.

----------

Percival Graves

Percival Graves knew that he had lucked out in life. 

At the age of 41 he had become one of the most prominent figures in MACUSA, maybe only second to Picquery. Something that Seraphina still liked to remind him of, and perhaps rightfully so.

His family too came from one of the most respectable lines of purebloods in America.

It was therefore only given that he had his wealth and powerful connections with both his familiar ties and position as the director of magical security. 

“The perfect son.”, “The most eligible bachelor.” or “The next in line to become the president.” as the Spellbound liked to call him whenever they mentioned him.

However, Percival knew that these titles couldn’t have been further from the truth than what they already were, at least in his opinion.

He couldn’t even remember the last time he had sent an owl to his parents, and his work life was far too time consuming for him to be thinking about settling down. 

Then there was his work reputation…

“The iron fist ruler.”, “The tyrant.” or “ The drill sergeant.” were amongst the most popular nicknames he had accumulated over his career. 

Percival didn’t think that there was anything bad with being strict and determined though within his line of work, but okay, perhaps some friendliness towards his colleagues would be nice from him once in a while.

He did after all have a good team of aurors whom he was more proud of than what he ever let on so perhaps taking the time to get to know them a little, ask how their day has been or just joke around a little wouldn’t be so wasteful?

Building personal relationships always seemed a bit unnecessary to him so he didn’t really bother with it before, but he can’t help but think that meeting up with friends once in a while would have been a nice thing.

Then there is this whole matter of a significant other, a partner, someone he could eventually settle down with and spend the rest of his life with.

Percival wouldn’t exactly call himself a romanticist, but going home to someone who he looked forward to seeing sounded nice from time to time. 

He definitely felt more pulled towards that idea as he grew older and became tired of coming home to his empty, dark and too big mansion.

“Ugh…”

The shackles made a rattling sound as he tried fruitlessly once again to make himself comfortable.

He was thirsty, tired and hurt. Most of all confused as to what had happened.

He had been on his way home to said empty, dark and big mansion when he had felt a blunt force of all things to the back of his head.

Then pain, and just a lot of darkness.

When he had woken up his vision had been quite blurry, but for a moment he thought he  faintly made out the sight of a few barrels before his head turned foggy and dark again.

“Is this how I die?” he thought to himself, feeling anger starting to boil inside of him. Anger felt afterall more natural to him than sadness at the moment. 

He refused to think that his time had come. He still had so much to live for, so many regrets and most importantly of all, wishes to fulfill.

Then again, was someone ever prepared to die when they did?

Percival remembered for a brief moment all the victims whom he had to inform in relation to a loved one’s parting.

Among them there had been parents, spouses, children and friends. Occasionally, the ones who didn’t have any close relations with anyone at all. 

He wondered which one of these groups he would belong to.

Would his family mourn him even though he had practically become a stranger to them over the last couple of years with what little contact he have had with them?

Would his coworkers feel sad, or would they rejoice in joy over getting a new superior who could be better to them than what he had been?

The sound of steps made their way forward to where he was sitting, but Percival was too tired to even have the energy to lift his head.

Cold fingers grasped his chin as the person who had entered made a chuckling sound. The laughter sounding cold and mocking as their fingers let go off Percival’s chin.

“Percy, Percy, Percy,” his kidnapper tutted at him, the tone sounding a bit disappointed.

Percival felt his eyes closing as the man leant closer to him. Then he waited for the pain to take him. 

After all, what else could his kidnapper intend by getting so close to him?

“At least, I don’t have someone waiting for me at home..,” Percival thought as the darkness once again consumed him, his head throbbing dully in the background.

Although, somehow the thought of that didn't feel as comforting as it should have been.

----------

Porpentina “Tina” Esther Goldstein

“Glad to see you made it out of the sergeant’s drill exercises.”

Tina rolled her eyes a little playfully at her sister’s words. 

“I’ll have you know that the director is more human than what people think. After all, he did give me permission to leave earlier today.” Tina threw her coat on to an armchair before walking up to inspect her sister’s cooking.

The golden brown pastry smelled delicious and looked as if it had just come out from the oven.

“Strudel, again?” 

Queenie swatted her hands away from the sugar coated pastry in front of her, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly in the process of doing so.

“Teen, I don’t have to be a legilimens to know what you’re thinking. And, yes it is for Jacob.” 

“And, Newt?” Tina raised an eyebrow when her sister sent her a bit of a blank look.

“You know our friend who is coming to visit us from overseas today? Also the whole reason why I took the afternoon off today?”

Queenie sent her a bit of a sheepish smile as she averted her eyes a bit. 

“I mean, of course, I knew that he was coming, but-”

“But you totally forgot because your mind has been in the gutters about Jacob?”

“Teen!,” Queenie turned completely tomato red as she started chasing her smirking sister around the apartment.

“Okay, okay. I surrender,” Tina eventually said as found herself trapped between the couch and the sitting room, a grin coating her face at her sister’s still embarrassed expression.

“Fine, so I may have been a little distracted and may have forgotten for a moment, but I really do have everything prepared!”

Queenie made a quick flip with her wand and sent a couple of brochures flying to their coffee table. Tina lazily picked one of them up to inspect before plopping down on the couch behind her.

“You think Newt would want to go to the zoo?” She raised an eyebrow at her sister, trying to come up with a stream of thoughts in her mind to portray to her sister exactly why that may be a bad idea.

Not that she needed to though. 

Newt had stayed with them for almost two months back when he had first met Tina on one of his many unlucky adventures. So, Queenie of all people should have understood the amount of chaos Newt would bring with him.

“Oh, hush you. I’m sure he would be interested to see the animals more common in the no-maj world.I mean it’s not like he would break them free or anything?”

Although, Queenie’ voice sounded a bit doubtful as she spoke and when Tina later moved the brochure away from the pile she did not protest.

“Oh, would you look at the time? I need to go now! Jacob will get here on his own later, right?”

Queenie’s grin was all the confirmation she needed before she made to leave the apartment again. 

“Perhaps, I should have just left straight from work?,” Tina thought as she hurried down the streets, the automobiles honking at her as she ran in between them in a hurry. 

The streets were bustling with people on their way home from work, and the different sounds and smells of New York hit her as she maneuvered herself carefully through the chaos. 

Queenie had a point with Percival being a bit stuck up though. 

Despite the fact that Tina had requested an early leave weeks ago, he had still managed to keep her in the office up until the last minute before Tina had gained the courage to remind him. 

It wasn’t like she was afraid of him, but she was definitely hesitant to interact with him more than what was needed, which was a bit ironic of her to say when she worked in the same department as the man.

Although, something had seemed a bit different about him more so than lately. Tina just couldn’t put her finger on what exactly though.

Maybe she was just imagining it? Perhaps it was just a stress thing?

She was aware that the director had a lot on his plate now that Grindelwald’s followers had been spotted more frequently in the American wizarding community.

She shuddered as she recalled what she had read in the papers about the dark wizard.

It was scary to think that a man like that could have so much power. Tina could only imagine what it would have been like to stand face to face with him. 

The mere thought of it sent chills up her spine so she was glad to take her mind off it as soon as she spotted a familiar redhead waving at her from the docks, a large boat honking in the background as it stood anchored by the harbor.  

The fresh smell of salty water hit her nose as she leapt to engulf the man in a hug.

“Newt!” Tina grinned as she stepped a bit back to have a better look at him.

He still looked very much the same as he had been some months ago.

His reddish-brown hair was admittedly a bit more ruffled and curly, but he was still the same Newt Tina had grown so fond of during their last adventures.

“Tina.” Newt smiled at her, his dimples showing as he looked a bit bashful.

“You look well.” And Newt did look well indeed. His cheeks were a bit rosy from the wind and his attire was different too, more casual with how he had forgone his usual bowtie and waistcoat, probably in order to travel more comfortably.

“So do you. How have you been?” 

She gestured towards the streets again as she pondered on her answer while Newt quickly made a move to follow her. It was best for them to not stay in sight with no-maj’s for too long if they were going to catch up.

“Fine, a little stressed, but that’s not unusual,” she sighed as she took the one of the two cases Newt had been carrying around. 

She knew he preferred to take his beast case with him himself, but that didn’t mean she could help him with his other stuff. Queenie would have shook her head at Tina if she had done that.

Despite the fact that she was younger than Tina she was definitely the more caring one, always reminding her sister to eat and rest. While Tina was the more responsible one in terms of managing their finances and the house itself.

They each had their different strengths like that. 

Newt hummed. 

“Graves, again?” He sent a quick amused glance at her before he moved to avert his eyes again towards the streets.

Tina sighed. She may have had a bit more complaints about the director than what she let on with Queenie, and unfortunately Newt may have been at the end of that sometimes.

Newt let out a reassuring huff of laughter at the expression on her face before raising his eyes to meet hers for a brief moment.

“You know I don’t mind lending an ear, right?”

“I know, Newt. You’re too good of a friend, but you’re here on vacation so I’ll try to keep it to a minimum for now, but enough about me. Tell me about your book.”

The conversation turned much more jolly after that and Tina was glad that her friend was back to visit them again. 

Hopefully, work would not be too stressful so that she, Queenie, Jacob and Newt could have loads of time relaxing and having fun. 

“No chaos this time, eh?” Tina playfully bumped her shoulder towards Newt’s as they made their way into Tina and Queenie’s apartment complex, voices a bit lowered so that their landlord wouldn’t hear them.

“That was one time, Tina! You know Frank gets sad if he doesn’t get to explore enough,” Newt pouted.

“Although, both Theseus and you sure like to remind me of that incident,” Newt groaned a bit hopelessly, shaking his head.

Tina just snorted out a laugh in answer. “Just promise you won̈́t let out any firebirds on a walk in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world.”

“I can definitely promise you the part about firebirds, but not so sure about the chaos part though.” Newt sheepishly smiled as he scratched his head a little.

“You know how chaos just seems to follow me everywhere.”

Tina smiled at her friend, feeling already much more relaxed after her stressful work day. 

“Yeah, Newt. I know. I wouldn’t expect anything else."

The chaos Newt brought was after all just a one of his many charms.