Traces

Olga Oleander

“Did you hear that the director we’ve been working with was actually an imposter and not just any imposter, but Grindelwald of all people,”  Sarah hysterically screeched in Olga’s ear as she was about to sit down for a much needed lunch.

Sarah’s statements however made her almost lose her tray as she snapped her head to look towards her in shock.

“What?! Is that why you and Nila haven’t been answering any of the inquiries I’ve sent to you this morning?” 

Her friend nodded her head up and down quickly, making her brown haired pony tail bounce around a little.

“Yeah. Today has been crazy busy. I can’t even imagine what yesterday must have looked like.” 

Olga nodded sympathetically at that. 

“Although, rumor has it that they still haven’t found the director’s body, and that he apparently now is a ghost that only Newt Scamander can see.”

“That’s absurd, Sarah. There’s no way that’s true,” Olga shook her head at her friend’s words. 

They did rightfully live in a world of magic, but being a ghost meant that everyone could see you rather than one person.. Right?

“Except for that it is! But the director has assigned the case of the director’s missing body and the research into soul magic with someone else, and the director, Goldstein sisters and Scamander onto some other case because she doesn’t want his emotions to cloud his mind amongst other things.” 

The part about most ghosts turning into possible wraiths or fading over time because of emotional stress was left unsaid.

Olga hummed a little at that as she tried processing what she had just been told. 

“Say this was true. Why do you think the president has assigned him a case. I mean he’s a ghost?” 

“Yeah, but apparently that was the only compromise they could land on in order to keep him away from his own case seeing as he needed something to distract him.” 

And Olga found herself believing her friend’s story much more after that. 

It did, after all, sound like something Sera would do. 

She should probably still try to ask her about it afterwards though, if they had time to meet up after work. 

Although, with her girlfriend’s recent schedule she doubted that.

“Alright, but who got the soul magic part assigned? Hornbeam? Dumbledore?" Olga twirled the pasta on her plate around a little before taking a bite. 

Lunchtime had almost been over when she had arrived, but luckily there had been some seafood pasta left, something she really appreciated as she munched the food down.

“Apparently, none other than the famous Mr. Nicholas Flamel!” 

“I mean it makes sense as it is a part of a high profile case involving Grindelwald, but still that’s amazing news. I haven’t heard from him or Perenelle in the news in a good while though.”

“They probably just like to keep a low profile after centuries of being in the spotlight. I doubt even the future generation will know them the same way we do with the way it’s going,” Sarah said as stole a shrimp off Olga's plate with the flick of her wand.

“You owe me dessert for that,” Olga said with a bit of an amused voice, knowing that her friend would buy her that either way.

“But what then about the case of finding his body? Who’s assigned to that?” 

Her friend opened her mouth to answer, before paling a little at the sight of something behind Olga. 

She quickly stood up, stuttering out a little “Afternoon, sir.” making Olga blink at her a bit owlishly.

“I see you’ve been briefed about the case then. Excellent,” a sleazy voice said behind her, making Olga sigh a little.

“Afternoon, Abernathy,” she sent a small smile towards the auror as she spelled her tray over to the cleaning station, knowing that her lunch was over and that she was probably going to cancel the plans she had with her girlfriend later that evening either way.

“Afternoon, Auror Oleander.” he sent a stiff nod towards her before moving to take out some files to wave in front of her.

“And to answer your question; I’m in charge of finding the director’s body so you and another team of aurors are coming with me.”

----------

Percival Graves

“Darling,” Newt’s voice gently said after having leant in to plant a soft kiss on fake Percival’s face, making Percival’s stomach flutter a little. 

He was the one who had suggested the whole “wedding anniversary” scheme in order to alert Seraphina as well as distract the impostor at the same time so he shouldn’t really have been so shocked to see the act play out in front of him.

Mentioning the tattoo Percival had on his back had seemed to do the trick in convincing Grindelwald that Newt and the real Percival had been in an intimate relationship, and distracted the evil dark lord good enough.

It made sense.

Percival too would have been distracted in a situation where he found out that the person he had stolen his identity had an unexpected close relationship to someone that could easily reveal him.

It also had helped that his impostor had seemed a bit flustered by someone as pretty faced as Newt. Percival just hadn’t expected himself to get flustered as well.

The plan had been somewhat risky and hastily planned out with much room for error, yet it had worked. 

Grindelwald had been caught, the president had been informed of the circumstances and a team had been made to look into the matter.

There was still this hope that Percival could be alive according to one of the workers they had consulted from the department of mysteries before Piqquery had set her foot down to not involve Percival in any further in his own case.

He knew she had his best intentions at heart and maybe he still should have been upset about it, but he still couldn’t shake his mind away from the way sight of Newt calling him- well, Grindelwald to be exact- darling and kissing his cheek.

In a way he was glad that not anyone had witnessed the way his mouth had hung open and his expression being all flushed at the fake anniversary party.

Him and Newt were currently rooming together in the Goldstein sister’s guest bedroom. 

As a ghost Percival didn’t really need sleep, but he appreciated that he could still be close to the only person that could see him.

Newt on the other hand was currently in the process of busying himself with the latches of his case while Percival was staring on the wall beside him.

He had found himself doing that more often lately.

“What are you doing?” he eventually managed to ask after tearing his gaze away from the hall and snapping out of whatever daze he had found himself in.

Something in his stomach was twisting. His skin felt itchy as well for some reason.

“I was thinking of feeding my beasts. Want to come with? Pickett here - Newt gestured to the small head of the green bowtuckle that was hiding in his front coat pocket- needs to get back to his family and friends too.” 

Pickett, the bowtruckle, made a dissatisifed noise at that to which Newt answered fondly.

“No, Pickett. They will not be bullying you.” 

And just like that something inside Percival switched. He felt angry all of a sudden, furious and griefstrucken about everything that had happened. 

Thinking back at it he couldn’t pinpoint what exactly had triggered it either. It all had just happened so fast.

He hadn’t really had time to process everything that had happened and of course his outburst just so had to happen as he was hanging out with Newt, a man that had gone lengths to help a man that had been a stranger to him, a man that have had the bravery to face his imposter and selflessly accepted to help Percival out.

“Are you serious?” 

Newt looked up for a moment to look him in the eyes, his hands hovering on the handles of his briefcase.

“What do you mean?” 

The look on his face was confused and Percival didn’t want to do this, but for some reason he couldn’t control himself. 

He felt the anger consume him and knew that something was wrong. This didn’t feel like an ordinary outburst. 

This was different. More powerful and, he gulped, dangerous.

“You’re just going to go on with life, take care of your beasts while I’m stuck like this?! Are you even aware of what I’m going through right now?,” his voice grew higher and he could see a darkness starting to cover his hands and up through his arms.

He had to stop, but he couldn't.

His mind was screaming at him.

It was like someone had taken over his body.

He could feel the connection between him and Newt start to shake too as if they were trembling and Percival had to tight his hands into fists in order to try to will himself back to normal from whatever this was.

His face must have been scary because Newt immediately sprang up, concern painted on his face.

“Director Graves, what’s wrong?” 

And sweet, sweet Newt was still trying to look for ways to help him as Graves started to back away.

“No! Stay away.” he managed to say before groaning even louder in agony. 

His body was starting to hurt and his vision had turned blurry. 

He faintly thought he could see some water on the floor, before the pain eventually stopped and the darkness on his arms and hands retracted back from where they came from.

He panted as he stared at his hands, in disbelief.

What had just happened? It couldn’t be..

“Director..” Newt’s hesitant voice sounded in front of him, his body once again having moved closer to him, his eyes filled with concern rather than fear.

“You need to stay away, Newt” Percival said, Newt’s first name coming out naturally from him. 

“Can’t you see?!”

“See what?”

“THAT I’M TURNING INTO A WRAITH, GODDAMMIT,” Percival screamed, regretting it immediately, seeing as Newt flinched back a little.

He panted a little for a moment, as he tried to calm himself down, regret filling him immediately.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you,” he started to say before to his great horror he felt himself choking on a sob, covering his face with his hands as he tried to quickly dry his tears.

“It’s okay, Percival,” Newt said, making Percival’s heart stutter a little at the use of his name. 

“It’s not, Newt..”

“Maybe not now, but it will be,” Newt shifted himself closer to him as he slowly raised his hands, as if approaching a wounded animal, and maybe at the end of the day was what Percival was.

“Look at me,” Newt gently grasped his chin to bring his eyes to look at him, and Percival let him.

He was so exhausted and emotionally drained, and Newt’s hands felt so impossibly soft on his slightly rougher skin.

“I promise that I’ll do everything I can in order to help you, okay?” Newt smiled at him, and somehow that made everything better for Percival.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, thanks, Newt. I feel much better now.”

“No, problem. Now, I know exactly what will take your minds off things a little.” Newt gestured a little towards his suitcase, making Percival laugh a little.

“As long as you have the right permits,” Percival smiled back, wiping his tears as he stood to follow Newt.

“Yeah, well about that…”

“NEWT!” And somehow Newt and his amazing briefcase full of creatures was all that took for Percival to feel better again. 

Instead of all the worries and fears that previously crowded his mind, it was now full of occamies coiling themselves around Newt, Pickett refusing to detach himself from his coat, the amazing sparking chest of gold and much more.

But really what was the best part of it all was that Percival could see that brilliant smile of Newt’s as he tended to his beasts lovingly. It made Percival’s heart surge in love.

He knew that he eventually either would fade or become a wraith unless they found a way to return him to his body so he didn’t want to have his hopes up, but how could he not seeing as he was stuck so close with the man he had fallen for so fast.