Chapter 8
Later, after everyone had eaten their fill, Jacob and Queenie hit it on pretty quickly. The two of them talked with each other, staring into each others eyes dreamily. Newt and Tina sat on the opposite sides, eyeing the two of them awkwardly.
“ The job ain’t that glamorous. I mean, I spend most days making coffee, unjinxing the john . . . Tina’s the career girl.” Queenie says.
She reads his mind. “Nah. We’re orphans. Ma and Pa died of dragon pox when we were kids. Aw . . . You’re sweet. But we got each other!” She leaned forwards and rested her chin on her hand.
“Could you stop reading my mind for a second? Don’t get me wrong - I love it.” Jacob asks, genuine. His eyes are still trained on her. Queenie giggled, seemingly captivated by him. The case next to him shook again and the latch flicked open. Newt bent down to close it again. Jacob did seem to look a lot better after a healthy dinnerl.
“This meal - it’s insanely good! This is what I do - I’m a cook, and this is, like, the greatest meal I have ever had in my life.” Jacob continues to rant.
Queenie laughs. “Oh, you slay me! I ain’t never really talked to a No-Maj before!”
“Really?”
Newt looks at Tina before adverting his eyes once he realizes that she was staring at him too. Queenie must have sensed something because she turned towards Tina.
“I am not flirting.” She says in a retreating tone. She looked down at the table. Tina seemed to be embarrassed at being caught.
“I’m just saying - don’t go getting attached, he’s going to have to be Obliviated.” Tina tried to explain. “Its nothing personal.” She added as an afterthought towards Jacob. Newt could tell that he didn’t understand anything she said.
Uncomfortable silence ensured. Suddenly, Remus stirred from the couch nearby. Newt was grateful for the distraction. He rushed forward and knelt next to him.
“M-Mr. Scamander?” He asked blearily. Newt slowly helped him up and looked at him carefully, looking for any signs of discomfort or wounds. Remus stared solemnly at his lap. His curly hair obscured him from Newts view. Newt watched him with affection and brushed his bangs away.
Remus looked away, ashamed. Newt was not one for physical affection but Remus made him want to hold him tightly and reassure him that everything was alright. “Come eat some dinner.” He said softly and slowly stood up. Remus shyly followed him to the table.
The other three went silent again. They were adamant on not meeting each others eyes. Remus looked miserable as he slowly picked at Newts’ leftovers.
Newt ignored them and continued to urge him to eat. Queenie was the one to break the silence.
“Remus, honey, would you like something to drink?”
Remus kept his head bowed down, refusing to meet her eyes. He grasped blindly for Newt’s coat and clung tightly to it. Newt realized that Remus was scared.
“Remus?” Newt gently probed. Queenie was not an evil person in any sense. Newt could tell that she felt incredibly guilty.
Remus shook his head. “No thanks ma’am.” He whispered. Newt watched Jacob look at him, pity evident in his eyes. Tina on the other hand stared at him with an incomprehensible expression that Newt couldn’t decipher.
Queenie poured Remus a cup of water and handed it to him, hopeful. Remus took it, murmuring a thanks and sipped it.
“Miss Goldstein, I think the three of us could co with an early night. And besides, you and I will need to be up early tomorrow morning to find my niffler, so -“ Newt said as he stood up. Jacob was sweating more profusely and Remus looked like he wanted to be anywhere else than here.
“What’s a niffler?” Queenie asked Tina. Tina rolls her eyes.
“Don’t ask.” She pointed to a back room. “You guys can bunk here.”
Newt followed her with the rest of them.
******
Newt hadn’t bothered to take off his clothes before climbing into bed. Jacob on the other hand was reading a book on the other bed. Remus sat on the edge of his bed, his legs dangling over the edge. Newt layed on his side as Tina came in with a tray of cocoa. He waited patiently for her to leave.
“I thought you might like a hot drink?” Tina handed Jacob and Remus a mug of cocoa. Newt didn’t move and pretended to sleep. Helpless, Tina put his mug on the bedside table.
“Hey, Mr. Scamander! Look, cocoa!” Jacob persuaded him. Newt ignored him and continued to feign sleep.
“The toilet’s down the hall to the right.” Tina says, irritated as she shuts the door. Jacob strained his neck to see Queenie looking their way.
The moment the door closes Newt jumps up, still very much wearing his overcoat, and places his case on the floor. Remus leapt off the bed and followed him. He had been in the case several times already. Newt hadn’t let him get too close to some of the enclosures after the hippogriff fiasco, but the animals all seemed to like him. Perhaps it was because they sensed that he wasn’t human.
Newt opened the case and walked right in. Jacob let out a small scream of alarm. Remus looked at him curiously before following Newt inside.
Newt went in and realized that the muggle hadn’t followed him in. He must still be in shock. He thought. He raised his hand through the skylight in his little cabin and beckoned him to come. Remus had taken off his coat and was hanging it on the clothes hook on the wall next to him.
“Come on.” He called up. He heard some movement above him. Newt then got right to work. He was dreadfully behind his daily rounds. He quickly chopped up some pork for the graphorns.
“Remus pass me an empty vial please?” He asked. Remus shuffled towards the cabinets and rummaged for one. He ran back and handed it to him. Newt prepared some ointment for one of the sick occamies.
Suddenly with a crash, Jacob fell through the opening in the ceiling. The case shut after him and they could no longer hear anything from outside. Remus cringed as he bumped into various objects. Newt glanced at him as he continued to work.
“Will you sit down?”
Newt moved forward to check on his bite. The markings were very like those on his hand.
“Ah, that’s definitely the murtlap. You must be particularly susceptible. See, you’re a muggle. So our physiologies are subtly different.”
He then rushed back to his workplace and grabbed some plants and a couple of vials to make him a poultice. He applied in onto Jacobs neck.
“Now stay still. That should stop the sweating.” He ordered.
Remus came up to him quietly with some pills in his hand. Newt looked at him in a moment of surprise. How had he knew that they would help?
“I read your papers, sir…” He murmured quietly. “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize.” He said kindly. “You’ve been a great help.” He took the pills and handed them to Jacob and Remus beamed in delight.
“One of those should sort the twitch.” Jacob looked at them suspiciously and swallowed them. Newt handed him the bucket of pork.
“Take that.” He said. Jacob might as well help him around. He had much to do. He needed to clean and feed. Not to mention he had to take into account which other creatures have escaped.
Newt took out the Swooping Evil from his coat and he began to slowly squeeze it. He collected the venom in a vial.
“Come on…” He urged.
“What you got there?” Newt didn’t know if he was actually interested or if he was only being polite.
“Well, this - the locals call swooping evil - not the friendliest of names. It’s quite an agile fellow.” He dangled the cocoon from his finger.
“I’ve been studying him. And I am pretty sure his venom could be quite useful if properly diluted. Just to remove bad memories, you know.”
“So you could… give it to…” Jacob hinted at Remus who was playing with Maisie. Newt looked at Remus and then back at him.
“I don’t think it would be wise. He’s only a child. Their minds are fragile.” He said in a clipped tone. Jacob cowered apologetically.
“Right.”
To diffuse the tension, Newt threw the swooping evil towards Jacob. It howled in his face before Newt recalled it. He ginned to himself and Jacob gave him a weak smile.
“Probably shouldn’t let him loose in here, though.” He said. The muggle was beginning to grow on him. He wasn’t disgusted or against all that he had endured that day. Unlike some people he knew, he seemed to take it all with good nature. Newt opened the door of the shed and walked through. Remus ran to follow the two of them through.
Newt first made his way to the thunderbird, Frank. Remus seemed more collected and happy now that he wasn’t in a strangers’ apartment.
“Frank!” He said in delight, stumbling as he rushed through the rain up to the bird. Frank lowered himself and landed in front of him. Newt followed and conjured an umbrella.
“Remus you’ll catch a cold.” He called. Remus stepped back slightly put out.
“Sorry sir.” He said. Newt ruffled his hair in response. Newt could tell that he felt much better after his outburst during dinner. He would still have to talk to him about it though.
Newt fed Frank and rubbed him with his free hand. The rain slowly stopped.
“Oh thank Paracelsus. If you’d have got out that could have been quite catastrophic.” He murmured to him. He turned to Jacob. “You see, he’d the real reason I came to America. To bring Frank home.”
Jacob took a step forward and the thunderbird started to flap his wings, agitated.
“No, sorry - stay there - he’s a wee bit sensitive to strangers. He was trafficked, you see. We found him in Egypt, he was all chained up. Couldn’t leave him there, had to bring him back. I’m going to put you back where you belong, aren’t I, Frank. To the wilds of Arizona. ”
Smiling, Newt threw some more food pellets up in the air and Frank soared up after them. He turned to Remus.
“Remus do you mind feeding the Diricawls and the Fwoopers?” Remus nodded eagerly and ran back into the shed to get the feed.
“You and I will feed the rest of them.” He said with a sideway glance at Jacob. Newt walked off towards the graphorns. He roared loudly, calling for them. He let out two more roars.
“Ah - here they come.”
“Who?” Jacob stuttered.
“The graphorns.”
Several large creature comes charging into sight. A sabertoothed tiger but with slimy tentacles at its mouth, the graphorns. Jacob screams and tries to back off, but Newt grabs hold of his arm, stopping him.
“You’re all right. You’re all right.” He calmed down Jacob. He stroked the creatures fondly.
“So they’re the last breeding pair in existence. If I hadn’t managed to rescue them, that could have been the end of Graphorns—forever. “
A younger Graphorn trots straight up to Jacob and begins licking his hand, circling him curiously. He stares down at it, then gently reaches out and strokes its head. Newt watches Jacob, pleased. Newt throws a piece of meat into the enclosure, which is hastily chased and consumed by the young Graphorn.
“So what, you rescue these creatures?”
“Yes, that’s right. Rescue, nurture, and protect them, and I’m gently trying to educate my fellow wizards about them.”
A bright pink fwooper flies past and Remus runs after it giggling. He hands it pellets and waves as it flies off again. Jacob looks where Remus is.
“What about him? You - you said you rescued him too? From an orphanage?” Jacob enquired. Newt decided to tell him. Jacob seemed like a good man.
“He’s a different case.” He said as they walked through a bamboo wood. “Remus is a werewolf. He’s perfectly human other than the full moons.” He looked at Jacob nervously to see his reaction.
“A-a werewolf?”
“Yes.”
“Wait - wait. He had to be bitten right? What is he? Five?” Jacob stammered.
“He’s six.” Newt replied shortly.
The pity was back in his expressions. “Poor guy.” Jacob whispered.
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell the Goldsteins. The wizarding world is not kind to werewolves. It’s not something they can control but people still seem to think the destruction caused is their fault.”
“Oh - I of course.”
Newt gave him a tight lipped smile and they continued to walk in silence. Newt took out Pickett and shook him awake as they approached a small tree. There were a small clan of Bowtruckles scurrying around.
“Titus? Finn? Poppy, Marlow, Tom?” He told Jacob about Pickett. “He had a cold. He needed some body warmth.”
“Aww.”
“Right, on you hop.”
Pickett backed up on his hand and refused to leave.
“See, he has some attachment issues.” He urged the little bowtruckle to leave. Pickett ran around and ended up dangling from his hand.
“Now, come on, Pickett. Pickett. No, they’re not going to bully you… Now, come on. Pickett!” Newt let out a resigned sigh.
“All right. But that is exactly why they accuse me of favouritism.” He let Pickett on his shoulder. Suddenly Remus came rushing forward.
“Mr. Scamander! Dougal’s gone!”
Newt looked at the empty demiguise nest. He sighed, concerned. Jacob looked away guiltily. Newt shook himself and instead made his way towards the occamy nests. He took out the previous ointment and began to apply it to one of them who had several red scales.
“All right, I’m coming… I’m here, Mum’s here - mum’s here.” He hushed them.
“Hey I know these guys!” Jacob exclaimed in awe. Newt smiled and picked up the newborn occamy from the nest and held it out for Jacob.
“Your occamy.”
“What do you mean? M-my occamy?” Jacob stammered. Newt waited for the realization to pass.
“Yes, do you want to…” He offered.
“Yeah, sure. Okay.” Jacob held his hands out and Newt let the occamy slither into his palms. Jacob watched it with reverence. Newt went back to tend to the other occamies while Jacob hung out with his occamy. Remus stood by silently.
“Mr. Scamander?” He said softly. Newt turned towards him. “I finished feeding the creatures sir.”
Before Newt could reply to him he heard Jacob yelp. “Oh- No sorry, don’t pet them.” He said hurriedly. Jacob immediately retracted his hand. “There learn to defend themselves early. See, their shells are made of silver so they’re incredibly valuable.”
“Okay.” Jacob said breathlessly.
“Their nests tend to get ransacked by hunters.” Newt continued to say. Jacob gently handed the occamy back to Newt. “Thank you.” Jacob seemed to glow with delight.
“Mr. Scamander?” He said.
“Call me Newt.” Newt thought it was rather silly for two grown men to be calling each other by their last names. But since Newt was often told that he sometimes had no tact, he continued to address people by their family names lest he insulted them. That didn’t mean that he wanted others to do the same for him though.
“Newt I don’t think I’m dreaming.”
“What gave it away?” Newt asked, highly amused. Remus giggled.
“I ain’t got the brains to make this up.”
Newt stood up, stretching his back. He looked around and took into account of how many more creatures he had to feed and take care of. Jacob could easily manage some of the tamer creatures, he thought.
“Actually, would you mind throwing some of those pellets in with the mooncalves over there?” He asked.
“Yeah, sure!” Jacob seemed to be eager to help out.
“Just over there.” He pointed out the direction. As he did he took notice of the empty nifflers nest. He rolled his eyes. “Bugger, nifflers gone. Of course he has, little bugger. Any change to get his hands on something shiny…” He grumbled. While Jacob wandered off to feed the mooncalves, Newt turned to Remus.
“You alright?” He asked gently. Remus shifted his eyes away.
“Ms Goldstein doesn’t mean it. She’s a legilimens, I presume she’s never gotten a full hold of her powers.” He said. Remus looked up at him.
“I-it’s fine sir. It’s not her fault.” Remus mumbled. Remus didn’t say anymore and Newt didn’t probe anymore. The two of them fed the rest of the creatures in a peaceful silence. Remus seemed quite content after they had finished. Newt looked around for Jacob, he noticed the flaps of the area in the corner were loose. Dread filled him. That was where he was keeping the obscurial force. Of course, if Jacob didn’t touch it, it would be fine but Newt didn’t like the idea of having him close to it. He put down the bucket he was holding.
“Stay right here.” He told Remus before going off.