Til Death Do Us Part

Moment

A/N

The song is to listen to while reading. It is vital you do so.

***

"Have you seen that photo on Professor Scamander's desk?"

"What photo?" Clara Revlar scrunched her nose in confusion.

"The one of that lady with brown hair? She's laughing in it."

"Lisa, I'm sorry, I have not seen that photo."

"Come on, you've been his favourite student for almost seven years! You've spent more summers helping him with his creatures than you've spent at home."

"I don't know, maybe he puts it away when I swing by his office."

"But you're always in his office!"

Clara rolled her eyes. "There's no point in this conversation anyway."

"Well, me and the other girls think it's his girlfriend or wife. Do you know if he's seeing anybody?"

 Professor Scamander was not really considered young anymore, but he looked it. He had a spring in his step and a smile that made everyone swoon. It wasn't a surprise that the other seventh-year girls were speculating about him now that they were almost adults.

"He's never talked about his love life. He only tells me about his life of when he was young."

"Has he mentioned anyone special-sounding?" Lisa leaned forward.

"Actually..." Clara thought back to all the stories that Professor Scamander told her about. When he fought the both World Muggle Wars AND the Wizarding World War with his best friends and brother by his side.

"What? Is there actually someone?!"

"He mentioned a woman once. That he fought with during the wars. He says they were friends but his eyes changed when he talked about her."

"Yes! Go talk to him right now! Ask about the photograph and that woman. I have a betting pool running on this!"

Clara rolled her eyes as Lisa pulled her into the Hogwarts castle.

***

So. There was actually a photo.

It was of a woman with short brown hair and chopped bangs. She was laughing at the camera and her joy was very evident.

Honestly, Clara paid more attention to Newt Scamander and his creatures than his office.

Since her parents obviously didn't care enough to have her back for any of the holidays since she was 11, she spent more time with Professor Scamander than anyone, and he truly became a father figure to her.

"Clara, what a delightful surprise!" A voice came from the door.

"Hello, sir," Clara took her usual seat across from the desk.

"I feel like I haven't seen you all week," Professor Scamander sat down as well and immediately passed her a chocolate biscuit.

"I've been a bit busy with schoolwork, sir. But I've got a question."

"You know that I will give you any information you want, Clara. As long as it's legal, of course."

Clara laughed a little and continued. "I've just got to ask sir. Who's that in your photograph there?"

Professor Scamander looked startled for a moment. He slowly picked up the framed photograph and had a good look at it.

"I've got to say Clara, you're more than a student to me. You're more my daughter than anything. I suppose I could tell you anything about myself."

Clara could only nod. Professor Scamander's face had never looked troubled yet also at peace before.

"Her name was Tina Goldstein. I fought the wars with her in my heart, and I in hers."

Clara bit back a gasp. Lisa was right. But it felt like more than what Lisa was whispering about.

"I lost her in 1930. Though it took a few years to reach the muggles, World War 2 was truly a wizarding matter. And she was the best of them all. I loved her as if time stopped when I held her. In some ways it did."

"Oh, Newt... I'm so sorry." Clara murmured. "Do you regret anything, though?"

"Yes, we all were sorry. Actually, I feel like I have many regrets because I never truly got to tell her how I felt. Neither did she. I only kissed her once."

"What? Why not?"

"Well, we were both shy when it came to romance. We both knew we loved each other but couldn't find the courage to say it out loud."

"But then how did you know?" Clara shifted on the edge of her seat, biscuit completely forgotten. 

"There was this moment forever ago. It was a normal night, everyone in the house, and she put one hand on my chest and laced the other through my fingers." Professor Scamander's fingers twitched, as if trying to remember how his lover's hand felt on his own.

"Then she just rested her head on my shoulder with her eyes closed," he went on. "No one stopped what they were doing, they all just acted as if it were the most normal thing in the world. And it was."

Clara's heart squeezed. She couldn't imagine loving someone like that, especially with her own parents being how they were.

"The night I kissed her was the night I lost her. I could feel that this one battle was going to be different. There was a specific feeling of dread in the air. So, as we waited for Grindlewald to take our bait, I kissed her."

"Please tell me she kissed you back," Clara practically begged. She almost didn't know what she would do if Tina Goldstein hadn't kissed him back.

"Yes, she did." Professor Scamander smiled, closing his eyes. "She threw her arms around me and said it was about time."

Clara heaved out a huge sigh. "Thank Merlin."

"Merely minutes after, Grindelwald and his acolytes appeared and covered the whole place with smoke. Tina chased someone into the smoke and lights flashed. That was the last time I saw her."

Professor Scamander opened his eyes and softened when he saw Clara crying.

"Oh, Clara, please don't cry," he handed her a handkerchief.

"Sorry, I can't help it," Clara sniffed.

"Look, here's what I do when I feel sad about it. I just think about that moment forever ago." He reached out and took Clara's hand. "I loved Tina Goldstein, and she loved me. One night, she fell asleep with her hand on my heart. That's what I focus on."

"You're not moving on, though. I can tell," Clara dabbed at her eyes with the hankie. "The way you still talk about her."

"No, I've already had the love of my life. I may have only known her a short time, and it will never be enough, but it was all I truly needed to know."

"Won't you get lonely, Newt?"

"Not when I have you with me." He squeezed Clara's hand gently. "How about we finally send that letter to your parents about me adopting you now? That way we can bug each other all our lives."

Clara smiled. "Yeah, I would like that."

A/N

So, I've been obsessed with this song from the Apple TV original show, Central Park.

I have never seen the show, but the lyrics are so sweet and never fail to make me cry. Then, I was struck with inspiration.

Who played it while they read? Did it make it sadder? 

(If you didn't, go back and do it properly. Play the song dude.)

- Fangurl_700