"I've got everything under control" - Newt/Tina
“I’ve got everything under control.”
“Under control?!” Tina repeated, eyes wide as she looked at her husband. “The Nundu has your arm in his mouth - but, yeah, you’ve obviously got everything under control!”
Newt just forced a smile onto his face that looked to be more of a grimace. “There’s absolutely nothing to worry about, Tina, dear…I’m just…checking his teeth. You know I have to keep an eye on his teeth, make sure he has good oral hygiene and all that. Absolutely nothing to worry about.”
She narrowed her eyes now, absolutely incredulous. “Newt, he’s biting you - you’re bleeding.”
“Biting?” He gave a somewhat weak chuckle. “No, we’re just…playing. Yes, we’re playing. He likes to play like this, don’t you?”
The Nundu gave a growl and sunk its teeth deeper into Newt’s arm; the Magizoologist tried not to wince, gritting his teeth together.
“Yeah, he looks like he’s playing,” Tina muttered dryly, though she still looked rather terrified.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” He repeated, shaking his head. “He’ll let me go soon, I’m sure. Alright,” He murmured quietly to the creature, careful not to alarm him as he raised his other hand in a calming gesture. “I know, I know it’s very warm in here today because I haven’t altered the temperatures, and I’m sorry I interrupted you when you were resting-”
“You didn’t,” Tina groaned under her breath.
Newt ignored this. “I was only checking your teeth…there now, there’s no need to feel threatened. I won’t hurt you, I promise…”
For a moment the creature didn’t move, eying the man in front of him as if debating to himself - but then he snarled and started to pull at the Magizoologist’s arm, as if to rip it off.
“Mercy Lewis!” Tina exclaimed, hurriedly reaching for the wand in her pocket.
“No, don’t frighten him!” Newt warned, though it was obvious now that he was in a great deal of pain. “He’s just…Bugger!”
He gave a moan of pain as the Nundu pulled even harder; Tina’s grip on her wand tightened, her hand shaking. “I don’t…I don’t know what to do, Newt, what the hell am I supposed to do?!”
Her husband didn’t answer, and she felt her blood grow cold - she didn’t have long to do something, she knew, and her Auror instincts began to kick in. Careful to keep her eyes on the Nundu, she slowly began to edge around his enclosure as silently as she could; the creature’s eyes were focused on Newt completely, paying her no heed as it held onto him. She moved until she was directly behind it before raising her wand to point at the Nundu; verbally casting would be sure to alert it to her intentions, she decided, and so she silently readied herself to cast a non-verbal spell.
A Stunning spell burst out of the tip of her wand and hit the Nundu on the back of the head; the creature yowled, jaws wrenching apart and releasing her husband’s arm so that he dropped to the floor. She quickly cast another Stunning spell at it, somewhat more anxiously, and was relieved when it finally flopped onto the floor of its den.
“Is it…”
“It’s knocked out,” She heard Newt’s voice weakly affirm as he struggled to stand; to her horror, his arm was drenched in blood. “He won’t stay that way for long…I’ll have to put a few wards around his enclosure, just in case he wakes in a bad mood.”
Tina eyed his arm and tried not to gag at the sight. “I’ll do it - you need to do something about your arm.”
“Oh, it’s fi-”
“It’s not fine!” She snapped suddenly, glaring at him; her eyes were glistening.
Newt swallowed but gave a small nod; he knew better than to argue with her. “Alright. I…I suppose I'll be in the shed then.”
When Tina entered the shed ten minutes later, her husband was attempting to wrap his shoulder and upper arm with a bandage; he had stripped himself of his waistcoat and shirt as he did so, and she felt her stomach drop involuntarily at the sight of his scars - this incident would be sure to leave more scars on his body.
“Let me help,” She found herself muttering, moving closer to stand beside him; he said nothing as she carefully wrapped the gauze around his bicep or when she finished and turned away.
Neither of them said a word as he hazardly buttoned his shirt and slipped the waistcoat over his shoulders; she seemed to be avoiding his eye, he noticed, and he wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about that. Finally, just as the silence seemed unbearable, Newt cleared his throat.
“Tina-”
But before he could say anything else, she had suddenly crossed the enclosed space of the shed and thrown her arms around him; he was so taken aback that he couldn’t move or speak.
“Don’t ever do that again!” She breathed, clinging to him as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. “I mean it, Newt Scamander, don’t ever give me a heart attack like that again!”
“I’m sorry, Tina, really-”
“Did you even think about me when you went into that enclosure?” She continued, sounding close to tears - he was slightly taken aback by her reaction, surprised at just how much this had affected her. “Did you think of how I’d feel if you got hurt?!”
Newt swallowed the lump in his throat. “Tina, love, I’m so sorry… I am. I wasn’t thinking, you’re right. I thought that I would be able to handle things but…”
Tina’s shoulders were shaking as he embraced her with his good arm, fingers tight on the fabric of his waistcoat; he could feel her tears soaking through the material of his shirt, and he was overwhelmed with a sense of guilt at what he’d put her through. After a few minutes she started to calm, her crying turning into heavy breaths and her body ceasing to shudder and tremble; he moved his hand over her back, trying to think of the words he could say that could perhaps make this situation any better.
“Tina-”
“I’m pregnant,” She blurted.
Newt felt his jaw drop as he looked at her, unsure if he had heard correctly. “You’re…and you’re certain?”
She nodded, pulling away to look up at him. “Yeah. My monthly didn’t turn up, and I went to a Healer to be on the safe side…she said I’m a couple of months along.” She gnawed on her lip, and he could see tear tracks glistening on her cheeks. “I know this wasn’t the best time to announce it, but…”
“Merlin.” Before she could say anything, he had sunk to the floor in front of her and was staring at her midsection in wonderment. “Just…Merlin’s beard.”
Tina looked rather relieved. “So…so you’re pleased? You’re not disappointed or…?”
“Disappointed?” Newt frowned, almost confused by such an idea. “Of course not…I’m ecstatic, Tina.” He placed his good hand on her stomach, smoothing out the wrinkles of her blouse, and exhaled shakily. “A baby…a baby.”
“It’s been a day, huh?” She joked, looking close to tears of joy.
Newt couldn’t help but laugh softly in agreement. “Yes…yes it has.”