The Tribrid and Her Reflection {Book Two - - Complete}

Paper Airplanes Crash Too

Hope lay on the library floor, mentally keeping a paper airplane in flight a few feet above her face.

Albus had gone to the Ministry, where he would meet with Elijah. From what he'd told her that morning, they planned to discuss how to help Hope if the rumors were true, and they would take her to Azkaban.

The thing was, if they were going to, wouldn't they have by now?

What exactly were they waiting for?

"What exactly are you doing?" Newt asked with a coy smile from his place at one of the tables between two rows of bookcases.

Hope turned her head, smiling as the paper plane landed on her chest.

"Playing. What about you?"

Chuckling, he watched her. "Reading. About Azkaban imprisonment."

"Yeesh," Hope made a face, "I'm having much more fun than you are."

"Well, you could come read with me."

Hope bit her lower lip and rolled, so her cheek rested on her palm, her elbow on the floor. "Or you could come play with me." She arched an eyebrow, grinning as she watched his cheeks turn pink under his freckles.

"No?" She smiled. "Fine, I'll just...play with myself."

Newt gave her, are you serious right now, look that sent Hope over the edge with laughter.

"I don't want to think about horrible things that may or may not happen; I finally got my mind back, Newt. At least most of it," Hope shrugged, sending the plane back into the air, "I want to celebrate a little."

Sighing, Newt closed his massive book on the Do's and Don'ts of Azkaban and lowered himself to the ground next to her. She looked up at him as he gazed down at her.

"I know you've been through a lot, we're all still processing it," he chewed his lip and rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm just afraid for you. Afraid to lose you."

Hope nodded, observing him carefully before she took his hand and skimmed the lines in his palm. "But that's not all that's troubling you, is it." She glanced up, caught in his gaze.

"You didn't tell me," he murmured, "Albus knew. He didn't tell me either."

The Poachers.

Sighing, she shook her head. "I technically didn't tell anyone. He guessed, and I," she gritted her teeth, unable to meet his eyes now, "I couldn't tell you."

"I thought we promised no more secrets."

Guilt thrashed its way through her body like a serpent. She hadn't expected anyone to ever find out, so she'd kept it secret. Why out herself with something she'd seemingly got away with?

"I want to keep those promises, Newt, but I'm gonna fuck up," the words stung coming out of her mouth, as did her eyes, "I can't always be the person you want me to be. Sometimes, I do things out of necessity or instinct. It's not because I don't love you or value our promises, but because I don't always want you to see what I'm capable of."

Hope sat up now, boring her eyes into his.

"I can be a truly awful person who does truly awful things, and I don't want that to make you change the way you are. I'm trying to be better, but...when I heard them laughing about killing Alice," her throat tightened as she strained to continue, "I snapped. If anything, they got off easy. You don't want to know the things I would have done if it had been you or Albus in that fire."

Newt cringed a little but nodded. "They won't see you like Albus and I do, Hope." He murmured, holding her hand in his lap. "Elijah is right; if you're going to live in our world, you have to follow our laws."

Now Hope cringed, mostly because she knew he was right. At the end of the day, she had put aside her pride if she wanted to stay with them. She loved them too much to let her ego get in the way of that.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Newt smiled crookedly and squeezed her hands. "Let's go get a Butterbeer. That might help take our minds off things a bit, hm?"

Relief flooded her as she stood with him.

"That sounds amazing."

The walk to Hogsmeade was peaceful, and the fresh air really did help to cleanse some of Hope's pent-up negative stress. It was nice to tease and poke at Newt playfully as they once had, holding his hand while they walked against the breeze that ruffled his fluffy hair.

Now, sitting in the crowded Three Broomsticks, Hope was floating on cloud nine as she took a long swallow of a frothy mug of Butterbeer.

"How much does it take to actually get drunk off this?" She pondered aloud.

Newt smiled. "I wouldn't know, but the House Elves usually only take one, possibly two if they've been around long enough."

"Hm, have you ever been drunk?" She asked curiously, taking another swallow.

"No, well, not unless you count the time I was hiking and came across a plant that made me hallucinate. I still can't recall much of that afternoon."

Hope grinned and shook her head. "No, not the same thing."

"You have been then?"

"Yeah, in terms of tequila, three or four is my limit."

Nodding, Newt sipped his own mug. "Shots?"

"Bottles."

They both snorted, and Hope pressed her forehead against his shoulder as she giggled. While things weren't under the best circumstances, they were still better than they had been. At least now they could converse, and she knew where she was.

Just as she raised her half-finished mug to her lips, the doors to the Three Broomsticks opened.

"Hope." A voice called from the door, making ice crawl down her spine.

Looking around Newt from where they sat at the bar, she recognized a few faces from the Ministry of Magic. All of whom had their wands out and ready.

"Hope..." Newt started, but she touched his shoulder to help slow his erratic heart.

The place was silent as she slid off the stool. She could feel every pair of eyes on her as she walked toward the group of Aurors. Theseus among them, holding a grave expression.

It was a woman she'd never met before who spoke, her blonde hair done up in a tight bun. "You'll need to come with us."

"No offense," Hope started, "but the last time I did that, I was killed."

The blonde stepped toward her, the wand at her side held in a white-knuckled grasp. "You will either come willingly or by force. We've been instructed to bring you in by any means necessary."

Hope ground her teeth and slowly glanced over her shoulder, offering Newt a slight smile that didn't quite touch her eyes.

"It's going to be okay," she murmured, "you'll see."

His eyes swam as he stood and quickly went to her. Nobody stopped him as he took her face in his hands and captured her lips in an intensely passionate kiss that left them both breathless.

Kissing her as if it was the last time they'd ever see each other again.

It very well could be.

Newt pressed his forehead against hers as she felt an arm wrap around hers, pulling her away from him. For his sake, she let them.

I love you, she mouthed as they ushered her out the door.

Hope walked next to Theseus, who didn't look anywhere near in her direction.

"Hey," Hope frowned at him and waited until he looked, "can I ask you a favor?"

Theseus pursed his lips tightly and glanced around at the other Aurors. He didn't speak but offered a slight nod of his head.

"Make sure he doesn't waste his life trying to save mine."