Dine and Dash
Newt leads the others back through the twisting hallways and up into the dining room.
“So, how do you plan on keeping the Kelpie from the ministry Newt?”
“W-well, technically she’s not mine. She’s a wild creature, and lives in Loch Ness. She just needed care, as she has some old injuries, and she lets me take care of them.”
Leta rolls her eyes fondly, but Theseus stares at Newt. “We went all the way to Loch Ness? I thought that was just an expansion charm!”
“It is, I just connected my tunnels to the area surrounding Loch Ness. Like a fairy wood.”
“But fairy’s haven’t had the ability to conjure fairy woods in centuries, if they ever could in the first place!”
“Of course they could, how else would we know of them? The fairies let me into their wood once, as I had protected it before and was escaping a disgruntled, and quite violent, wizard. They had some old books, written centuries and centuries ago by the fairies before they declined, and so I replicated them for myself. They’ve come in handy.” As Newt talked, he moved around the kitchen, collecting plates, silverware, and glasses. He set the table for them and moved all the food to the center. “Dig in.”
But Theseus and Leta were just staring at him, open mouthed. “And what trip was that on?” Theseus asks weakly.
“Oh, that was in Uganda, around nine years ago.”
Theseus nods, taking a bite of his food to stall long enough to come up with a response. All thoughts immediately flew out of his head, however, when a bang came from right outside Newt’s house.
He jumped to his feet, wand already out. The chair fell over behind him, but none of them paid any attention to it. They all creep towards the front door, wands out. They hear giggling out on the street, and Newt stiffens, lowering his wand.
“That’s Queenie,” he says softly.
“The legilimens from America?” Leta asks.
Newt nods, peeking through the curtains. “Yeah, that’s her.”
Theseus sighs. “I don’t want to know what you guys get up to. I suppose we’ll leave then.”
“Yeah…” Newt nods distractedly. “Sorry to cut our dinner short. Take some leftovers with you, I can’t eat it all by myself anyway.”
Theseus sighs, smiling tiredly. “Yeah, alright.” He pulls Newt into a hug before walking back to the kitchen. Leta, however, waits until Theseus is out of earshot before turning to Newt.
“Newt,” She hisses. He doesn’t notice. “Newt!” He whips around, startled, as though just realizing she’s there.
“Y-yes, Leta?”
“I have a favor to ask you.” Leta fidgets with her wand, looking between where Theseus disappeared into the kitchen to Newt right in front of her.
“Is everything alright-?”
“Yes, yes of course.” Leta looks directly at him, staring deep into his soul. “I need you to go after Credence. Not,” she holds up a hand to stop him from objecting. “For the ministry. As a personal favor. Please, Newt.”
He stares back at her for a moment before nodding slowly. She sighs in relief. She pulls him into a quick hug before Theseus walks back out of the kitchen.
They wave, and with a pop, they apparate away.
Newt opens the door, coming face to face with Jacob and Queenie. “Newt!” They cry happily.
“Hello,” he mumbles, letting them in. “T-Tina?” He calls out of the door, looking for the fourth member of their group.
“It’s just us, honey,” Queenie says absentmindedly as she takes off Jacob's coat and then her own.
“Tina too busy?”
“Always,” Queenie giggles. “She’s in Paris, I believe. New mission.”
“Ah.” Newt turns back to her, closing the door behind him. “So how have you two…” He trails off, taking in the scene before him. Before he can even process what he’s looking at, he recognizes that something’s wrong. “Queenie, what-”
Before he can even finish his sentence her face crumples. “I know,” she whispers. “I’m so sorry Newt, I needed to get him here because he wouldn’t listen to me, I thought maybe you could help us.”
He cuts her off. “Queenie, it’s alright. You know what you have to do.”
“Yeah.” She nods, wiping under her eyes. She sits Jacob down and sighs before pointing her wand at him. She focuses sharply before gently flicking her wand. A soft blue mist is pulled out and dissipates into the air.
“Hello, Jacob.”
“...Newt?”
Queenie flees.