Always

Dinner

It was early morning and the sky in the basement was barely lightening as Tina padded down each stone step as quietly as she could. Since her sister had gotten engaged, her and Jacob had been having increasingly late nights 'planning' (something Tina didn't buy one bit) making them rather touchy about her and Newt's early rising.
She's the one marrying a baker
Tina was certain the two were hiding something and she was about to continue down that train of thought when a mess of copper hair appeared from behind the Erumpent, followed by the gangly body of Newt Scamander. He didn't appear to have noticed her yet and was looking in his usual morning disarray with his suspenders hanging down, waistcoat discarded, cuffs unbuttoned and bow tie loose around his neck. Suddenly he pulled a bottle out of his pocket and applied it to both wrists as he examined what Tina now saw was a cut on the Erumpents neck, however, the surprise of the injury didn't even come close to the surprise at what Newt did next. He stooped down and placed one hand behind his back before letting out a guttural call. He paused then stamped forward with one foot, gathering the Erumpents attention, he then dragged his foot back in an almost seductive manner waiting for the answering call from the female. The female (Elsie, Tina suddenly remembered) was now giving her her full attention as he stepped forward again choosing to instead show her his rear. Now Tina was past the stunned expression and had now raised her hand to her mouth to try and prevent the rising laughter at his actions. He bounced lightly and Elsie wobbled in response
It's working whatever he's doing Tina thought in amusement as he did even more prancing and grunting. Suddenly he dropped and rolled and Elsie did the same, stopping on her back. Newt leapt into animation and rapidly got out another bottle before applying it to her neck. She couldn't hold back any longer and burst into loud laughter while clapping at the display she just watched. Newt jumped about a foot in the air at the intrusion then locked eyes with her before flushing bright red and exiting the Erumpent enclosure. He had pieces of straw and dust all over him from rolling on the floor which somehow made him look even more gangly, like a teenager again. Finally managing to control her laughter she quickly asked
"Early morning flirting? Should I be jealous?" Before dissolving into giggles yet again as he looked bashfully at his shoes but with a small grin on his face.
"Perhaps." Was the only explanation he gave with a raised eyebrow. He then suddenly pulled her towards him and trapped her in his arms so she was looking up at him while embraced. Something she wouldn't have minded if she wasn't in her auror garb and he wasn't almost certainly covered in Erumpent manure.
"Newt! You're all dirty!" Tina giggled again
Since when do I giggle so much she pondered as she pretended to try and escape to which he held her tighter
"Hmm occupational hazard of courting a magizoologist I'm afraid"
"Good job you're cute with it then" Tina watched as he was momentarily flustered again before taking a deep breath and murmuring
"Not as cute as you when you're all covered in straw"
"You'd kiss anything that was covered in straw and yelled at you" Tina joked and Newt shook his head
"Not true I have never felt a compulsion to do this with Pickett" He started leaning down to join their lips when suddenly someone thundered down the stairs and yelled
"NEWT, TEENIE YOUR THOUGHTS ARE THAT SICKLY I CAN HEAR 'EM THREE FLOORS UP"
It's technically two-
"DONTCHA START WITH ME MISSY NOT EVERYONE IS UP AT FIVE LIKE YOU PAIR. WHERE ARE YOU- NEWT I COULD NOT CARE LESS IF YOU WERE HAVING A MOMENT I NEED MY SLEEP!"

Newt mumbled under his breath and instead rested his head on Tina's letting out a sigh.
Mercy Lewis living with a full house is getting trickier
The footsteps got louder then her sister appeared. Hair still in curlers with only her slip and some fluffy pink slippers on as she glared at them both. Perfect eyebrows scrunched in annoyance.
"Look I get you two have got stuff to do but could you tone down the lovey-dovey stuff. It's sweet when I'm conscious but honestly in my dreams no thanks" Tina didn't particularly know how to respond so without removing her face from leaning against Newt's chest she mumbled
"We apologise Queenie but we didn't mean it"
"I know" she sighed "and Newt Honey I think ya right" Newt flinched in surprise at being referred to and he released her to look better at her younger sister.
"Queenie I don't mean anything by it, it's just"
"I know ya don't sweetie." Queenie soothed "Don't stop ya being right though" She gave them both a weak grin, tension leaving her eyebrows and instead her eyes became slightly sad "First of all ya invited everyone back in September and did not except everyone still staying let alone a girl livin' in ya basement. But Tee I just think-" Queenie faltered but she knew what Queenie was talking about. It was no longer comfortable to live with one another.
"I know we've lived together forever but it's just- I'm gettin' married and we're gonna want to start a family and you and Newt are gettin' to the point where you wanna sit in front of the fire all snuggled together without us lot interruptin'- Don't deny that either I hear thoughts from you lot all the time. So-"
"It's time" Tina murmured trying not to let sadness seep into her voice as she moved from Newt's arms to her sisters.
"I'm scared too" Queenie whispered into Tina's ear,still slightly smaller than her. Which Tina was glad of as she wouldn't know how to react if her baby sister was taller than her.
"We've always been together" Tina whimpered slightly
"We still will be Teen. You ain't gonna escape from me y'know"
"I know. And you better not be going anywhere either" They both chuckled but neither moved until a voice came travelling across the menagerie.

"You guys all down here?" Jacob called from somewhere in the basement and Newt replied
"Over here Jacob!". Jacob rounded the corner and took one look at the dower moods before asking
"Hey what's up?"
"We've decided what we were talkin' about yesterday that-" Queenie began but hesitated
"That it just ain't quite working anymore" Tina supplied quietly.
"Oh." Jacob murmured as he sat on one of the hay bales "Are you guys okay?"
"Yes. It was gonna happen eventually"
"Quite"
They had lulled into silence then Jacob began
"There's a free apartment a few doors down from the bakery. Affordable rent and it's a real nice house" He trailed off and Newt asked
"Have you already bought it?"
"Sort of-" Jacob replied with a grimace
"We don't mind Jacob. Not at all" the grimace relaxed into a grin and he nodded
"We're growing up I suppose" Newt mumbled
"Newt you're thirty" Queenie commented drily
"Don't remind me"
"I suppose it's packing this weekend then?" Tina asked trying to move the conversation on 
"Yup!"
"Joy." Newt sighed. They remained in silence until Tina realised she was bordering late to work and took off to work.

They packed over the weekend but thankfully there wasn't a lot to pack, most of it still sealed away from when she moved everything from New York. So by midday Sunday, everything was boxed up and inside of a pouch with one of Newts modified extension charms and the Quartet were sat in the living room looking rather solemn.
"We're all a bit grey today" Queenie commented idly and Newt responded just as lazily
"I suppose" before the room sank back into the contemplative silence they had been submerged in for over an hour now. Eventually, Jacob asked
"Should we do something tonight"
"I don't wanna go out" Tina replied, wrinkling her nose at the idea of having to dance and socialise. Queenie took one look at her sister and shook her head before broaching
"How 'bout we have a dinner?"
"Like the first one?"
"Well I mean, not quite like the first one. You ain't demoted, Jakie ain't sick and Newt ain't looking for exits but yeah. Sort of bookend the past year" Tina pondered the idea for a second then moved her head from leaning on Newts shoulder to share a look with him. He nodded so Tina replied with as much excitement as she could muster.
"Sounds great Queenie"
"Jacob! Let's go!" Suddenly the solemn room leapt into life and the two New Yorkers hurried out of the room and didn't stop until several hours later. In the time they had been running around making and baking things Newt and Tina had been leaning against each other as they read separate books. Tina had just got to the climax of her book when suddenly plates of food floated from the kitchen onto the formal dining table that they only used once in a blue moon, quickly followed by Jacob and Queenie.
"It's what I made that first night" Queenie supplied, gesturing to the table and pulling out Jacobs chair before her own on the opposite side of the table. Tina sat down wordlessly at the head of the table and Newt sat opposite.
"Been quite a change from the last time we were sat like this" Jacob chuckled as he drank a long sip of water
"Just a smidge" Newt replied in a similar jovial tone. And just like that, all solemn pretences were forgotten (especially when Newt pulled out a dusty bottle of Elf Wine he was given but didn't dare touch alone) and even Newt had a small glass. Although Tina did make sure it was nothing more than two sips they laughed and reminisced and soon they were waving the couple off as they apparated away, leaving them to an empty house.

"It's quiet with them gone" She murmured as the door swung shut.
"I suppose we'll grow used to it just like we grew used to having a full house" they began to walk to the basement and Tina commented
"Doesn't it feel like forever since it was that week after Paris"
"It certainly does."
"I suppose it's just us now. We're living together" they had reached the top of the staircase and Newt hummed in agreement as they descended to the platform that looked out onto the entire menagerie. He took her hands so they were facing one another and he said with a secretive smile
"It is finally just us"  she hadn't noticed his expression as she was looking out onto the star-studded sky until his hand gently positioned itself on her cheek and made her look at his grin.
"Which means I can do this without your sister to complain" he caught her in a sweet kiss and they just stood there without moving. Savouring the fact they now had all the time in the world. Well, they did until an owl came swooping in and landed on Newt's head. They separated abruptly and Newt exclaimed sounding thoroughly exasperated.
"I cannot catch a break"

Hey! Galaxy here and I'm sorry for the slow uploads the past couple of weeks. I'm a bit stuck on how to continue the story but I think I'm going to slowly make progress. I've also got a couple of other projects which are honestly a distraction but I wanted to write stuff for FB week and get a headstart on Newtina week.