Chapter 1
Tina
It’s been 12 days since he saw her, looking into her deep brown salamander eyes, since he tucked her raven hair behind her ears just like he once had at the docks however this time he can’t resist the urge to pull her into his chest to hold her close. He knows that whatever Dumbledore’s asked of her is risky and dangerous, but when is it not. As much as he fears for her, he knows she is more than capable of looking after herself, she is strong and very skilled at duelling, he got to witness this numerous times when some of Grindelwald’s followers attempted to ambush them in the streets yet they should have known better, in no more than 3 second they was left tied up on the floor, it reminded Newt of a fateful day back in the French ministry of magic when his brother underestimated her abilities. She fascinates him, long before that day but watching his brother reduced to twisting and struggling in a chair was quite humorous and his affection for her grew more and more. He thinks about that day often, that even through many misunderstandings they were able to find each other again, which is why he is afraid of letting her go.
“Newt, I’m gonna be okay” she says pulling back to look at him after noticing he’s gone quiet, yet her hold on his hands are firm. “Dumbledore has a plan, and for now we have to trust him”
“I know it’s just there’s so many unknowns, what if something goes wrong, or you get attacked and they hurt you and there won’t be any way to…” his rambling was cut off by her soft glance and hurried comforting words.
“Newt… I am an auror, I have trained and taken down many of Grindelwald’s misguided followers, you have to trust me”
“I do,” he says quickly yet still he still seems to hesitate, “I just, we only just got Queenie back and I just don’t want to… I just wish I knew where you were in case…”
“Newt, you remember what Dumbledore said, the less people that know where I’m going the lower the risk that Grindelwald hears word of it” she tried to reassure him “I’ll be back before you know besides, you also have a job to do,” she smiles at him.
It’s true Dumbledore has also given him a task to hunt down a piece of a map from this abandoned castle with his brother, the purpose of this map he does not know but he knows that in time Dumbledore will fill him in. At this precise moment Tina caught Pickett poking his little head out of Newt’s pocket making her smile.
“And you Pick, you look after him” Pickett salutes at this as if taking orders from a captain, making both her and Newt laugh.
“Glad to see I’ll be in good hands” Newt says once again staring into her eyes, /like fire in dark water/. They stay like that for a moment before the sound of someone clearing their throat echoes about the room, and sure enough Theseus stands leaning against the doorway.
“This is all well dear brother but we need to head out.” At this Theseus receives a very annoyed glare from his brother, yet it makes Tina laugh quickly wiping the annoyance off his features. The two drop their hands and head to the door toward a smug looking Theseus.
“Couldn’t you have waited another minute” Newt whispers to his brother once Tina quickened her pace and is now out of earshot ahead of them.
“Like you had the guts to make a move,” Earning him another annoyed glare from Newt but before he could defend himself they arrive into a study, Dumbledore waiting patiently before a table of items, portkeys no less.
“Ah, there you are, I was afraid you’d wondered off” Dumbledore begins quite amused.
“Apologies professor, those stairs gave us quite the trouble” says Tina, to her this castle is completely different from Ilvermorny, but it was no less fascinating.
“It’s alright, now we better hurry as the porkeys are about to leave and I’d better hurry to place the anti-apparation spells back on the grounds before my students get any ideas” Dumbledore states, and with a few more simple instructions everyone gathers one of the items laying on the table, Tina holds onto an old teapot, while Newt and Theseus grab onto a lamp. Before they twist out of the castle Newt turns catching Tina’s eyes for a quick moment, they smile before twisting into thin air.
That was 12 long agonising days ago , but a plan’s a plan.