Traces

Percival Graves

Percival hummed a little happily for himself as he spelled his belongings back to his briefcase.

The department and thus his workload had been noticeably easier for the past couple of weeks now that Grindelwald was back in the custody of the British ministry of magic again

The Woolworth building was bustling as he took the elevator up to the first floor again and he sent a quick smile to some of his colleagues as he passed them.

“I’ll see you on monday,” he said shortly to the response of many nods and “Have a good weekend.” wishes. 

He hesitated for a short moment before flinging a pouch of coins over to Auror Yowie who despite being distracted with the parchment in front of her managed to catch it.

“Remember to drink in my stead, yeah?” He added playfully to which auror Yowie and auror Pillai grinned at happily. 

“Of course, director!” They answered in a chorus back before going back to whatever they had been discussing prior to him interacting with them.

Percival just shook his head fondly at that.

He knew that he couldn’t change overnight and that people expecting him to be friendly to everyone wasn’t really realistic, but he could still try to be nice to the people closest to him.

And surprisingly enough, it had felt good.

Percival cast a tempus looking at the time before hurrying to the apparition point, nodding politely to an elderly lady as he let her get to it before him.

He was in a bit of a rush, but as much as he just wanted to get away from his workplace in the blink of an eye, he had also promised himself in being more attentive towards the people around him.

He had afterall a few regrets to work on. 

“Thank you, my dear. I’m glad to see Newt found himself such a polite man,” she said with a wise smile before she started twirling around up into an apparition, the warmth of the residue magic lingering close to Percival.

“Huh,” Percival thought as he entered the point next, feeling the air around him swirl before he apparated away. 

Seemed like Newt knew people in the ministry even outside his department, which made sense because it was Newt.

Percival was pretty sure Newt was even on first name basis with all of the cafeteria workers too, because as much as he deemed himself to be awkward, he was also a magnet when it came to drawing people in.

Which Frankly Percival was okay with, because again it was Newt.

So, even though Percival still felt jealous at times he knew that Newt would always love him the most, or well maybe second to his beasts, but of course that was to be expected of his beloved with his bleeding heart for the vulnerable ones.

His feet hit the cobblestoned pavement outside their place and he took a moment to straighten himself out a little, brushing his slicked back hair a couple of times just in case it had turned a bit messy from the travel.

He smiled when he noticed that the lights in his house were on. It meant that Newt most likely had already arrived before him.

“I’m home!” he called as he shut the door after him, spelling his shoes off. 

Newt had been pretty adamant that they should keep their shoes off inside the house, much to Percival’s puzzlement.

Not that he had minded that change though. 

He liked the way Newt had influenced and made changes to both him and his household.

Colorful pillows and blankets adorned Percival’s many monotone and luxurious sofas and chairs now. 

There was even a persian rug in his living room now and of course Newt had taken up to turn the wine cellar into a beast sanctuary instead.

There was also the fact that they had started hosting bi-weekly dinners with friends and family, much to especially his parents' and grandmother’s potrait’s excitement.

They had been over the moon already when Percival had announced his courtship with Newt and even more so when they realized how much of a good influence said man had on their son and grandson.

A delicious smell of herbs and some kind of meat hit Percival’s nose and he found himself smiling as he moved towards the kitchen where he would most likely find Newt.

He picked up Pickett from of the pink lamp shades on the way before putting him in his coat pocket. 

“Hey, Pickett.”

The bowtruckle happily moved himself to nuzzle himself a little further inside Percival’s comfortable coatpcket while letting out a satisfied noise. 

Percival just shook his head fondly before moving to carefully place his coat on one of the hangers by their kitchen door.

He then leant in the frame of the kitchen door to observe the sight in front of him with a small smile.

Newt was dressed casually in some simple cotton pants and soft looking button up, he had his wand in his mouth and arms crossed.

His eyes were slightly squinting too as if he was concentrating on whatever stew that was puttering in the pot in front of him.

Beautiful, Percival thought before moving to place his hands on the other man’s shoulder.

Newt just looked up at him with a bit of a surprise seemingly not having noticed his husband having walked up to him.

He uncrossed his arms as his gaze softened before he gently removed his wand from his mouth.

“Percival!” he exclaimed happily, and Percival continued to smile happily at him as he tilted his head a little to which Newt responded by placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

“So this is why you didn’t hear me coming, darling? You were too busy having a staring contest with the beef stew?” Percival chuckled as Newt nudged him a bit playfully.

“I was not having a staring contest with the beef stew, Percival,” Newt said, shaking his head a little exasperatedly. 

“I was trying to determine whether or not the taste was alright.”

Percival hummed, wrapping his arms around the other man before resting his head on his shoulder, feeling the softness of the other man’s hair tickling him.

He hummed a little as he basked in the warmth radiating off from his husband’s body.

“May I have a taste?” 

Newt answered by grabbing a wooden spoon which he filled up with the brown, rich smelling stew.

“Say ahh.”

Percival made a noise of approval as he let the flavors melt on his tongue, enjoying the domesticity of their situation for a short moment.

“Delicious,” he said before blowing a puff of air in Newt’s one ear, making his husband giggle a little.

“But you always say that. How can I trust you when you’re most likely a little biased?” Newt pouted.

“I am a bit biased, yes.” Percival said as he smiled a little wolfishly down at the other man.

In fact he was very biased. Something probably the whole world could know by now.

“But if you absolutely want to do something with it, maybe add a little more rosemary?” He then suggested to which Newt obligingly listened to, the small green leaves of the herb soon after falling slowly into the pot of stew.

“My parents are going to love it either way, you know? And so will Jacob, and the goldstein sisters.” 

Newt turned around a little in Percival’s embrace to cup his cheeks a little with a small sigh.

“You’re right. It’s just that this is the first dinner we’re hosting for them as a married couple and I guess I wanted it to be perfect?” 

Percival pecked his husband’s cheek at that. He just couldn’t help himself when the other man was acting so adorable.

“Everything you do is perfect, my dear little soulmate.” Newt spluttered at that, his neck turning red a little.

It was Mr Flamel himself who had first used that term, but the others, Percival included, had soon picked up on that and now it was a common phrase used between them.

It still made Newt blush though.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Percival thought before placing another kiss on Newt’s neck, making the other man wiggle a little in his embrace.

They never really found out why Newt of all people was the only one who could see ghost Percival. 

Not that it mattered, because Percival found himself more than content with the soulmate explanation and the fact that he had managed to return back to his physical body again without further complications.

Their “connection” or the scheel traad as Flamel had called it had disappeared though, but Percival had found it to be a worthy sacrifice in order to be able to live in the “real” world with Newt again.

“If you say so, darling,” Newt answered when he eventually had managed to calm his blush down, the word darling echoing in Percival’s ears delightfully.

He placed another kiss on Newt, this time on his lips, their lips slotting together chastely.

Much had changed in a year for Percival.

His relationship with both his family and cowrokers/friends was more pleasant, he felt more confident in himself and his house had an all in all brighter mood to it whenever he came home.

And then of course there was Newt. 

The most important aspect of them all.

His beautiful and kind husband who made coming home so much easier for him.

He smiled at him softly, before leaning down to embrace him again.

“I’m home.”

Newt chuckled, but answered him regardless with a soft smile on his face.

“Welcome home, Percival.”