Til The Stars Don't Shine

Chapter 14

"Newt. Thank Merlin you made it."

"Everyone's here, as requested. What do you need us for?"

Albus summoned some extra chairs for everyone and gestured for them to sit.

"Are any of you aware of the Grindelwald undercover search team that both MACUSA and The Ministry are contributing to?"

"I haven't heard anything. How about you all?" Newt turned to his friends and girlfriend.

"I don't know what that even means," Jacob shrugged.

"Me either," Nagini answered quietly.

"You two?" Newt raised an innocently curious eyebrow at Theseus and Tina.

"We...may have been invited to join that very undercover search team," Theseus avoided eye-contact with everyone in the room but Tina, who he gave a panicked look. Which she returned.

"What? You were?" Newt looked confused.

"And we...may have decided to accept the offer," Tina added sheepishly.

"Are you two sure? Are you in the right mindsets to begin working agian?" Newt placed a concerned hand on Tina's knee.

"We discussed it earlier," Tina covered her boyfriend's hand with her own. "We both feel that we're tired of sitting around and smo-"

"Slipping into insanity," Theseus cut her off.

"If you personally believe that you can do it, who am I to stop you?" Newt smiled.

"It'll be weird not having you two around all the time, though," Jacob piped up.

Nagini agreed with a silent nod and a smile.

"I'm glad you all worked that out," Dumbledore politely cut in. "Fair warning, though. Things could get hairy. A couple of the team's scouts were discovered by some acolytes. They managed to get away unscathed, but now Gellert is onto them."

"We'll be cautious. Don't worry, professor," Theseus assured.

After some tea and cakes, Albus noticed how fascinated Tina, Jacob and Nagini were at the sights of his office.

"How 'bout a tour, then?"

Nagini lit up and Jacob gasped in excitement.

"Yes, please," Tina smiled politely.

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"And here is where I used to teach Defense Against The Dark Arts."

Nagini quietly approached the cabinet at the end of the room while the others admired the other artifacts.

"What do you teach now?" Tina asked as she picked up a Sneakoscope.

"I teach Transfiguration." Dumbledore replied. "I loved DADA, but Transfiguration is what I'm really good at. Among other things."

"You were the best DADA teacher we could have gotten. It helped me become an Auror." Theseus tilted his head gratefully.

"You did that for yourself. You always had the potential, even with Newt and Leta always pulling pranks on you."

For the first time, Theseus didn't immediately droop at the mention of Leta. Instead, he let out a small laugh.

"I remember when you stuck enchanted hair dye into my shampoo," he nudged Newt.

"That was Leta's idea," Newt held his hands up in mock surrender. "And yet I'm the one you yelled at for an hour."