Hope

Travel

The only sound in the clearing was the crackling of the fire, occasionally spitting and colliding with the food that was still discarded on the floor. Tina was frozen beside him, staring at the flames, and he felt as if his insides were coiling like occamies in the base of his stomach. They thought it was all over yet chances were they had only completed the first leg and he had already almost died three times at the hand of the maniac.

"What on earth are we going to do?" He heard Tina mutter to the floor and he heaved a sigh

"What we usually do I suppose"

"What, Enter chaos head first then come up with a plan as we go?"

He looked up and offered her a weak smile

"More or less"

A silence flooded between them and then Tina made a small hum before speaking again

"Newt, does he even know that you're alive?"

He pondered the question then snorted at the absurdity of the situation

"No, I suppose he doesn't, but that won't last long. The last letter your sister sent with that spellbound article attached showed that we are still very much of public interest"

"I don't think we've helped ourselves disappearing for five months" Tina muttered and Newt pulled her closer with one arm slinking its way around her waist.

"Yes, but I couldn't really care less about their interests in our love life."

"Oh yeah?" Her voice had a hint of amusement and he gave her hip a squeeze

"Well I've rather enjoyed it so far"

This was enough to prompt a burst of semi-hysterical giggles out of her and he smiled in relief, sharing a laugh himself.

When the laughter died down she looked up at him and ran her fingers through his hair. He couldn't resist the pull to lean into her touch and his eyes slipped close.

"Where's the nearest portkey office?" He asked Tina with a sigh.

"The little office here has a few that will take us Nibagan which if we cross our fingers might do international portkeys. But when I don't know"

"Could we be fast-tracked if there was say, an emergency?" He continued, letting his eyes open minutely to look into her own. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and replied

"Yeah, but the Ministry's keeping it all under wraps remember"

"I was thinking more along the lines of a family emergency"

"Newton Scamander, what are you planning?"

Her hand slipped from his hair to land on her shoulder and he gave her a crooked grin

"We could say both Leta and Cepheus have fallen ill, That my brother can't tend to them and we need to head home"

She shifted upright and began to chew her lip in thought as she weighed up the legalities in her head. She then hesitantly spoke

"I guess that could work..." She then looked onto the now dying embers of the fire.

"If we want to at least attempt to be home by tomorrow night then I believe we need to get some rest" Newt added and she nodded solemnly. They collected up the uneaten food and shoved it into a bowl to be dispersed between creatures as an additional treat the next day then descended into the case, Tina casting an 'aguamenti' as they went.

They didn't speak again until they were in bed and as Newt tucked himself around Tina she grasped hold of his hand and whispered.

"We'll be okay, right?"