Just A Smidge (Fantastic Beasts FanFic)

Chapter 11 - Inside The Case

Newt opens the shed door and walks through it, Octavia quick to follow although Jacob requires a little more persuading. They step out and both newcomers to the spectacle look around in awe and wonder. Octavia swivels her head wildly so as to capture everything, and Jacob just looks dumbfounded. Newt looks back on the two, and a smile spreads across his face at the sight of them. A confidence overwhelms him, being in his comfort zone, he walks over to them, reaching out for Octavia's hand. He was about to make contact but she had turned around and they were only inches apart, both quickly stepping back.

"Come on." He smiles at them and leads them to a desert looking environment.

The sounds of thunder clap and a downpour bursts from the skies as a magnificent bird soars above them. Newt and Octavia use their wands and create a basic umbrella to repel the water, Octavia offering Jacob to stand under hers so he does not get drenched.

"Come on- Come on... Down you come... Come on." Newt coaxed the bird to lower itself onto a stand.

The rain stops suddenly and is replaced with burning sunshine, so much so that Octavia almost allows herself to have more tanned skin. Her old classmate affectionately strokes the bird, grateful to see it, almost as though welcoming an old friend.

"Oh, thank Paracelsus. If you'd have got out that could have been quite catastrophic." Newt smiled, relived and hugged the birds head.

"Is that a- Is that a Thunderbird?" Octavia asked awestruck.

"Yes, you see he's the real reason I came to America. To bring Frank home." the Thunderbird looks delighted at the idea, but quickly becomes agitated as Jacob makes forward. "No, sorry... Stay there- He's a wee bit sensitive to strangers." Newt holds out a hand to stop Jacob from moving any further.

Newt then reaches for Octavia, and holds onto her lower arm and slowly brings her closer to the Thunderbird. Using his hand to guide her, making sure not to put her in any danger or harm, he slowly slides his hand to hers. Gently he brings her hand to Frank's beak, and rests it there. Octavia looks at Newt apprehensively, but he merely nods encouragingly, taking the cue Octavia begins to gently stroke Frank's beak. Octavia smiles brightly, she hadn't seen a beast of this grandiose in a long time. Newt watches her, and smiles, he had always missed this.

"He was trafficked, you see. I found him in Egypt, he was all chained up. Couldn't leave him there, had to bring him back." Newt told Jacob and Octavia, in a caring manner.

Octavia had withdrawn her hand, allowing Newt to hug him once more. He then rubbed Frank's head and held it in both his hands smiling fondly at him. "I'm going to put you back where you belong, aren't I, Frank. To the wilds of Arizona."

For a moment Octavia's heart warms at the sight of Newt. His face is so full of hope and expectation. He had obviously felt her gaze, and smiled pleasantly at them both. Quickly he threw some grubs that were in his hands high into the air, and in a swooping of gold and white feathers, Frank was in the air after them. Newt turns around and begins to walk in another direction, as Octavia and Jacob eagerly follow behind him, he brings his hands to his mouth and roars, beast-like, toward another area. As they walk, a large group of Doxys fly about their heads causing Octavia to laugh.

"You'd think you've had enough of these." She smiles brightly at Newt, holding up her hand where a small series of bite marks had scarred. There was an incident where Newt had accidentally bumped her arm into some during their fourth year.

"Ah yes... Sorry about that..." he looks down apologetically, but is glad to see that she isn't angry at him.

The three of them walk a little further, and Newt lets out another roar. Finding themselves in a sandy, moonlit territory, they are casually warmed to take care by Newt as the sound of hooves can be heard, louder and getting closer. "Ah, here they come." Newt smiles, looking back at Octavia, his face riddled with excitement.