Theseus
Grief. Theseus Scamander knew this word well. It had been his daily companion ever since Leta died. Grief was a pierce on his side. Where there had been a knot tying him to her heart, there was now emptiness. Their house did not feel like a home anymore, their bed was nothing more than furniture. All those memories of times past and hopes for their future were, not forgotten, but hidden in the places they once shared.
Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance. Though Theseus had gone through them all, he was not entirely himself as he still felt broken. After all, how does one overcome the death of a soulmate? Leta was nothing less than that. A kindred spirit now gone.
Theseus often wondered if he was destined to forever long for her presence, for the soft touch of her hands, and the burning brush of her lips. Every time the sunshine flooded his room, he closed his eyes and envisioned the uncountable mornings in which Leta had slept by his side. He missed her, his heart searched for her out of custom, still he knew she was forever gone.
Among the pain and loss, something good had happened. Theseus had found in his brother, Newt, a new source of comfort. Their relationship had been… complicated, but after that grim night in Paris something had shifted between them. After all, they both had lost Leta. War and loss changes one in unexpected ways. This was their life now. War painted itself on the horizon, while the weight of loss made them look back to happier times.
Now, Theseus and Newt were about to embark on a mission to bring down Gellert Grindelwald and his movement. The dream job for any auror such as Theseus. Though one may wonder, as he did, why would a magizoologist would agree to take part in it…
The scream of a man suddenly appearing in the train coach brought Theseus back to reality. He left his chair and approached the rest of the party to welcome the newcomer. A second person materialised right behind the man: a woman no older than he was. Theseus had recognised the man from Paris. He was Jacob, the muggle and baker. As for the woman…
“Professor Hicks and I’ve been corresponding for years, but we’d never actually met”, Newt said with his usual shyness, “her book on Advanced Charms is an obliged reading.”
Theseus looked at her with curiosity. “She seems far too young to have written a book on advanced charms”, he thought. He had always imagined that only old witches and wizards wrote about such complex topics.
For some reason, Newt had forgotten to introduce him, so he cleared his throat in an attempt to remind him of his presence.
“Oh! And this is my brother Theseus. He works for the Ministry of Magic.”
“I’m Head of the British Auror Office, in fact”, Theseus explained. He soon realised it had appeared more like bragging than he intended and instantly regretted it.
“Well, I’ll have to ensure my wand registration is up to date”, professor Hicks replied with a smile.
“That doesn’t really concern my office…”, too late he realised the hint of humour behind her words.
They all followed Newt across the compartment to listen to the carefully crafted plan, or lack of it in this case. However important this was, Theseus felt his attention drawn to the enigmatic professor. He could not dare to look at her, as she had surely stirred something within him. Perhaps it had been her smile, the openness in her way of talking or her remarkable confidence. Theseus felt a warm feeling spreading across his chest and a flutter in his stomach: hope and something entirely unexpected.