Ethereal ━ Newt Scamander

vii. never knew why a mating dance was needed

07 | never knew why a mating dance was needed

THE THREE OF them tiptoed out of the apartment, careful not to wake anyone else. Dorothy, even though she knew that it was the right thing to do, still felt guilt creep into her for betraying three of her friends by smuggling the two out and onto the streets of New York.

Dorothy knew the reactions everyone would give. Tina would be disappointed and distraught, Diana angry, and Queenie would look at her, see into her mind, and hold her hand in comfort. She liked Queenie because the woman understood. Even if she wasn't able to read someone's thoughts, Queenie would still have the ability to understand people. It's who she was.

The two men and Dorothy continued to walk along a deserted street of the city, heading to Central Park. There were many shops around them with expensive jewelry, diamonds, many more luscious jewels. Dorothy looked at the windows, her eyes filling with sadness as she knew that she would never be able to afford such jewels.

Still, she sighed, moving her head away from the enticing jewels. While she didn't have money, she would always have friends and a place to work. Maybe that would be enough.

"I was watching you at dinner," Newt broke the silence, his head slightly turned to Jacob.

"Yeah," the No-Maj replied, not really knowing how to respond to the sentence.

"People like you, don't they, Mr. Kowalski?" Newt asked, looking at the No-Maj while letting his eyes sometimes go to the shadows.

"Oh - well, I'm - I'm sure people like you too - huh?" Jacob sputtered, startled by the somewhat compliment.

"No, not really. I annoy people," Newt shrugged, not too concerned by the fact.

"If it's any consolation, you don't annoy me, Newt," Dorothy spoke, not looking at the British man.

Newt smiled, but he didn't know how to answer. Instead, he continued talking to Jacob, that was much easier.

"Why did you decide to be a baker?" Newt asked him, gripping onto his case.

"Ah well, um - because I'm dying - in that canning factory," Jacob sighed, "Everyone there's dying. It just crushes the life outta you. You like canned food?"

"No," Newt answered shortly before Dorothy took to saying, "Not really."

"Me neither. That's why I want to make pastries, you know. It makes people happy," Jacob finished before pointing somewhere, "We're going this way."

Jacob headed off right with the two others following him. While Dorothy had lived in the city all her life, she was never good at navigating it. Though, that might have been because she never needed to as a child, she always had a servant with her to help.

"So did you get your loan?" Newt continued with the conversation, inching the slightest bit closer to Dorothy.

"Er, no - I ain't got no collateral. Stayed in the army too long, apparently - I don't know," Jacob said uncomfortably.

"What, you fought in the war?" Newt asked, a little hint surprise in his voice. By looking at the No-Maj, no one could ever tell that he used to be in the army. Even Dorothy was surprised.

"Of course I fought in the war, everyone fought in the war - you didn't fight in the war?" Jacob asked, going off on a rant before realizing it.

"I worked mostly with dragons, Ukrainian Ironbellies - Eastern Front," Newt answered.

"That must have been amazing," Dorothy marveled, "I've never seen a dragon before."