'I quite fancy you, Newt.'
'I quite fancy you, too.'
Grace Alinac, Slytherin best friend of Newt Scamander since their days at Hogwarts, joins him on his travels around the world to write his book, 'Fantastic Beasts and...
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Grace Alinac never really fitted in at Hogwarts, there was no reason for it. She just didn't. Nor did Newt Scamander and Leta Lestrange. I guess perhaps people labelled her weird, or unworthy by association after they had secured what she thought was a strong friendship. A Slytherin with a golden heart, it's no wonder she was an outcast. Who said you couldn't have ambitions and not be a complete nonce about it?
"Penny for your thoughts?" Grace heard the all too familiar voice of Newt Scamander. His hands hard at work separating nuts from shells for the various creatures within his case.
"I'm not thinking about much, besides we both know it's not smart to carry around pennies," she crosses her legs, leaning back against her chair. The comment had earnt a chuckle from Newt as he glanced over briefly.
Oh, how she was lying. It had been hot on her mind for years and years. How could it not be after finding that Newt still carries a picture of Leta in his case? Given he does carry one that features both Newt and Grace with bright smiles on their face at Hogsmeade. But she had never found one of just her, like she had of Leta. There was something intimate about it, something that made her skin crawl. Something that made her blood boil and her frustrations swell. It almost made her act like the stereotypical Slytherin. Jealousy, it was a powerful emotion. It could best even the strongest of soldiers.
Leta had almost gotten Newt killed, and worse yet, got him expelled. She supposes she could blame Newt for the expulsion; he did choose by himself to take the blame. His heart was far too large, and she knew she could never fill the space, because Leta already had. The anger that coursed through her veins even thinking about the way Leta had ghosted Newt after he was expelled. No owls, no second thought, Merlin, she never even spoke about him to Grace after the events took place. Grace would bring up his name and Leta would shut her down. A coward. That was what Leta was in Grace's mind. A selfish individual that could never take the blame for something she did.
"Nothing? The scowl on your face says otherwise," Newt finishes the last of his preparations.
"Nothing important," Grace sighs, standing from her seat.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Newt. You worry too much for somebody that has a philosophy on not worrying." She walks over to stand beside the lanky magizoologist. Grace grabs some of the small bowls filled with nuts, ready to help Newt make the rounds.
"There are certain things I can't help but to worry about," Newt glances into Grace's eyes before quickly diverting his attention.
"Well, how about you start worrying about the wand permit you still haven't sent to the US."
"I'll get it done," Newt whines, grabbing the leftover bowls and making his way to his first stop.
"Mhmm," Grace laughs. "That's what you said a week ago, and the week before that. We're going soon." Newt mumbles some words that she can't understand as he bends, tending to his creatures.
-
There was one thing Grace could be thankful for when it came to being a witch: mass storage. She had never been a light packer. Her and Newt weren't set to leave for another week or so, but she had already started her luggage endeavours. It's funny, because she packs things she doesn't normally use, but the sight of them while packing makes her think 'maybe, just maybe I might.' It was something that made Newt laugh on every trip they went on that required her to pack for more than one night.
"You'll never learn will you?" He had said, signature lopsided grin on his face. Grace smiled fondly at the memory; he had grabbed her case suggesting that the weight may give her a sore shoulder as if it hadn't been charmed to remain practically weightless. Such a gentleman. Another reason for her to fall deeper.
"You're literally going to pack all of that?" Elsie, Grace's long-time roommate asks, leaning on the door frame.
"Never know what I might need," Grace responds as she folds up a nightgown.
"Surely not all that."
"You don't know that."
"You're going to the desert, no? Explain why you need the fanciest dress you own," the blonde ex-Ravenclaw walks forward, grabbing the dress from the array of folded clothes.
"You never know-"
"I know you want to impress Mr. Salamander, or whatever his name is," Elsie sighs. "But you're going to a desert... and you're human. If you want to impress him so bad, become a beast."
"It's Scamander and you know that. We were all in the same potions class. You know there is more to him than liking magical creatures, right?" Grace snatches the dress back, re-folding it nicely.
"So, when are you going to bring him over?" Elsie raises a brow, a smirk rests naturally on her face.
"I'm not," responds Grace with a roll of her eyes.
"Why not?"
"You'll say something and make it awkward. Besides, if I invite him over for something other than work, he might start getting suspicious."
"Haven't you been friends since 3rd year? How is it weird?"
"It just is, okay!" Grace slams the lid to her case down in a hurried manner.
"Alright, alright." Elsie holds her hands high in surrender. "But if you don't tell him eventually, you'll regret it."
"He's hung up on Leta, Elsie. We've spoken about this."
"I highly doubt that Grace. You know Newt, he's just a nice person. He would've taken the blame for you too."
"He's too kind for his own good. Leta never should've done what she did, and she's always been smart enough to know that. But she still did it and endangered so many people. And he forgives her plain and simple," Grace chuckles. "It's almost laughable."
"He got sorted into Hufflepuff for a reason," Elsie sighs. "Stop thinking for the night and get off of your arse. I bought a bottle of wine."
