Newt used to say that worrying means suffering twice. But that was before he met and fell in love with an auror whose sister had most unfortunately chosen the wrong side of this fight. Still, he didn’t complain when Tina got ready for yet another mission in search of Queenie.
It had been over three years since that horrible night in Paris, and two since that wonderful night that had been their wedding. Every few weeks or so, Tina found another lead to pursue. Newt didn’t like it, but he didn’t fuss and fret either. He knew his wife could never live with herself if she didn’t try absolutely everything there was to try in order to bring her sister home.
And so, when Tina announced on that cold, blustery winter evening that she once again had an idea and would be leaving in the morning, Newt did not protest. He did ask for a few details, whether she thought she’d be away for days or weeks, and, naturally, he took her to bed that night with passion and intensity. Whenever she was about to leave, he made sure to physically express the depth of his love and desire for her, so that she had something happy to remember while she was away.
Tina awoke at dawn the following morning, entwined in her husband’s loving embrace, and savored the moment. She ran her fingers through his hair, and he groaned contentedly before opening his eyes.
They shared a heated kiss and exchanged whispered I-love-yous before Tina reluctantly extricated herself to get ready for her journey. Newt did not beg her to stay or express his worry for her safety, though they both knew full well that he was thinking it.
A final kiss, a whispered farewell, and a promise from Tina that she’d be back in about a month, and then she was gone. And so began a month of waiting, uncertainty, constant worry…But he’d get through it. He always did, because she always came back.
Except this time she didn’t.
“Newt, you know I have my best people out there looking for her, you have to be patient,” Theseus sighed exasperatedly, desperately trying to hold his younger brother back from doing something rash and recklessly stupid for what seemed the hundredth time in the several weeks since Tina’s month was up and she’d failed to return.
“This is my wife we’re talking about!” Newt snapped, “and if you expect me to just sit here and do nothing…”
“Well, you bloody well can’t help her if you get yourself killed or arrested, that’s for sure!” Theseus retorted.
“I’m not going to,” Newt rolled his eyes, “I’m just looking at other avenues, that’s all. Since your ‘best people’ don’t seem to be good enough…”
“Hey now!” Theseus growled, at this insult to his team.
“Look, all I’m saying is-”
“You know Dumbledore is trouble, Newt!” Theseus warned him, “there’s always something else with him…”
“Well, my mind is made up,” Newt crossed his arms defiantly, “you’re certainly welcome to keep doing what you’re doing, but I’m finished. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with Dumbledore.”
Newt turned on his heel and strode from the room. “Hey, Newt!” Theseus called out after him, “Newt!”
With a heavy sigh, Theseus stood up and shook his head, before heading out of his office to catch up. If his brother was not to be deterred from doing this, well, the least he could do was find out what he was getting himself into.
He arrived just in time to find them leaving Dumbledore’s office. And Newt and Dumbledore were not alone either. There was Jacob the muggle, that Kama fellow from Paris, Newt’s assistant Bunty, and that Ilvermorny professor Hicks.
Newt rolled his eyes as Theseus burst into the room, but Dumbledore just smiled pleasantly. “Ah yes, I thought you might be joining us.”
“If by joining, you mean breaking up this little party and bringing Newt back home…” Theseus muttered.
“I don’t need you getting involved in my decisions!” Newt snapped.
“Come on, bud,” Jacob said, much more calmly but clearly ready to back Newt, “let’s not fight here. But Newt’s his own man and–”
“I can’t let you do this, Newt!” Theseus exclaimed, though glowering directly at Dumbledore.
“Well, now, as I seem to be the one with the problem,” Dumbledore shrugged, turning to look directly at Theseus, “may I ask, what is it that you have against Newt trying my own plan for finding his wife?”
Theseus sputtered, trying to come up with the right words. “I mean no disrespect, professor,” he held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture, “it’s just, well, you’re still quite at odds with the ministry…”
“A tale as old as time,” Dumbledore sighed.
“And, well, with Newt’s history of trouble with the law,” Theseus continued, ignoring Dumbledore’s jab at the ministry, “I just think he should work through the more official channels.”
“She was supposed to be home weeks ago!” Newt whispered painfully, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Jacob squeezed his shoulder sympathetically.
“I know, and I promise–” Theseus started, but Dumbledore raised a hand to silence him.
“Look at your brother, Theseus,” Dumbledore said in a low voice, “you, of all people, should understand what he’s going through…”
Theseus scowled but Dumbledore continued, “We are long past the time for just sitting back and letting others handle these matters. The world as we know it is coming undone. Grindelwald is pulling it apart with hate. If we’re to defeat him, you’re going to have to trust me…”
Six months. Six months of chasing leads every which way, across three continents. Splitting into groups, getting separated, but always finding their way back together in Dumbledore’s office, or at Aberforth’s pub. And today, they found themselves together again, deep inside a cavern carved into the Austrian Alps.
And there was Tina, whether unconscious or in an enchanted sleep they couldn’t tell. She was obscured by some sort of spell that seemed to encase her in a sort of frosted glass. So close, Newt thought, if he could just get through…
And then, Grindelwald himself stood before them, sneering and taunting. The Scamander brothers and Kama raised their wands, ready to fight to the death. Jacob raised his wand as well, though he knew it was pre-charged and would only shoot off a finite number of spells. Bunty and Lally took defensive positions in front of him. Grindelwald sneered once more…
And then, they descended into the usual chaos that accompanies battle, the kind where it’s sometimes hard to tell who’s shooting at whom. Newt had but one goal in his mind. He could see the flashes lighting up Tina’s enchanted enclosure. He had to get to her, he just had to…
And then suddenly Vinda Rosier was there too, but wait, she was not joining the fight! No, she whispered something in his ear and his expression darkened. With a howl of rage, he let out a blasting, deafening spell, shaking the walls of the cavern as though an earthquake had hit, and disapparated, leaving the team fighting off falling debris.
They shielded their faces, and each other, the best they could until the tremors stopped and they could take a moment to assess their surroundings. There wasn’t time to think too hard about how Grindelwald had slipped away yet again, nor why he had so suddenly abandoned the fight. The war would go on, but for now, there was reprieve. There would be time later to regroup and figure out next steps. And Newt, of course, had but one thing on his mind.
“Tina!” he cried out, as he raced over her. When Grindelwald had disappeared, the enchantment had broken, and he could now, finally, reach her.
She lay on the ground, still seemingly unconscious. Newt scooped her up in his arms and peppered her face with kisses. “Tina, love,” he said softly, just as she began to stir.
Her eyes fluttered open and she let out a soft groan, then reached up to stroke her husband’s cheek. “Newt,” she whispered hoarsely, as her face lit up radiantly, “you…found me.”
“Yes, love,” he smiled through the happy tears trickling down his face, “I’m sorry it took so long, oh Tina…” he gently brushed his nose against hers, and they softly pressed their lips together.
Soon their kisses grew deeper and more desperate. After over eight months apart, they certainly had quite a lot to make up for. As Newt drew his wife closer into his embrace, he suddenly noticed and froze.
She didn’t fit in his arms quite the way he remembered. He tore his glance away from her eyes for a moment, just to confirm, and his pupils grew wide as he took in the sight of her swollen belly.
“Love?” He questioned her and she nodded in confirmation.
“I didn’t even know yet the day I left,” Tina sighed, “and of course, once I did know, I had no way…”
“Of course I understand,” Newt nodded, “if anything, I’m sorry I haven’t been with you all this time while you…you…” Overcome, his eyes teared up again.
“Oh honey, it’s not your fault,” Tina assured him.
“If only I’d done more, sooner, faster-”
Tina cut him off with a kiss. “You’re here now,” she whispered against his lips, “that’s all that matters.”
He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear before tenderly touching her belly in awe. Tina placed a hand over his and they smiled together.
“Are you well?” Newt asked, his brow creasing with worry, “have they hurt you? The baby…is the baby alright?”
“I’m alright,” Tina assured him, nuzzling against his shoulder and breathing in his comforting earthy scent, “and I’m fairly sure the baby’s good. I certainly feel it kicking and moving around lots, and–” she stopped for a moment as the baby picked that precise moment to kick. Newt’s hand froze on her belly, his eyes growing wide with astonishment and wonder.
“Merlin’s beard,” he whispered, before tenderly kissing his wife once more, then, as they broke apart, “so how far along…how soon…?” By the size of her, he guessed fairly soon.
“I’m not sure,” Tina shook her head, “see, I haven’t seen a healer–”
“Ruddy bastards,” Newt muttered under his breath.
“Well,” Tina continued, preferring not to dwell on everything that had happened in the last eight months, “see, what I don’t know is, did it happen the night before I left? Or was it even earlier than that?”
“So at least eight months, possibly even nine, in which case…” Newt bit his lip endearingly. Sweet Morrigan, Tina had missed him!
“Yeah,” Tina murmured, clinging to his shoulders as he continued to stroke her bump, “it could be any day now. Or still a few weeks to go…”
“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Newt pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and sighed deeply, “We need to get you home.”
He stood up and gave Tina a hand to help her up, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her. At just that moment, Theseus and Jacob came limping over as fast as they could, trailed by Bunty, Lally, and Kama still trying to patch them up.
“Tina, thank Merlin, we’ve got you back!” Theseus exclaimed.
“Don’t you scare us like that again!” Jacob chided her, but with a big smile, that only widened as he noticed her new shape, “well, then…” he stammered, not knowing what else to say.
“Merlin’s beard!” Theseus whispered, in shock, turning to Newt with a questioning look.
“We didn’t know before she left,” Newt explained, protectively tightening his grip around Tina as she nodded in confirmation, “but thank Parcelsus, she-I mean, they-well, everyone seems to be alright.”
“You’re going to need to see a healer right away,” Theseus said sternly, as everyone assembled nodded in agreement.
“Don’t worry, that is indeed the plan,” Tina smiled reassuringly, “but, can we focus on getting home first?”
Nobody could disagree with that. And with the enchantments surrounding the cavern now broken, in the wink of an eye, they all disapparated to the local village. As London was not in apparition range, there was still some traveling to do, but soon enough, they were on their way.
The crew, plus their rescued member laughed and joked along the train ride, a stark contrast from the general mood when they’d first ridden out together on this mission. Tina sighed contentedly and rested her head on Newt’s shoulder. He held her close and gently placed a hand on her belly, sweetly kissing her temple as he did so.
It was still a great shock to Newt, who would have to adjust and prepare for the impending arrival rather quickly indeed. But he knew they’d figure it out somehow, as they always did. He had her back, that was the most important thing. And they were finally coming home.