Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them...Continued.

11:Stranger Conversations

NEWT
     How could he have let Queenie see that? He should have set up his mental force field as soon as he knew she was there. Now she had made him tell Tina, which was more humiliating than he had ever dreamed. That was saying a lot, since he was dreaming.
    The worst part was, he knew he hadn't told a fake Tina. It was the real one; though how Newt knew, he wasn't sure. He could just tell by the way she talked, and walked, and looked at him; with that certain fondness and kindness that Queenie hadn't quite mastered when she made a copy of her sister.
    Now, thinking of the way she looked at him, Newt felt even more embarrassed at running from Tina. Had he stayed there, maybe even for thirty more seconds, she might have said something. But no, he had taken flight at the first sign of awkward silence. What was worse, he had made seven doors to throw Tina off if she came after him. Regrets.
     As he turned around to walk back, however, he ran straight into something soft and warm. A pair of arms wrapped around him.
"Newt!" Tina cried. Newt hugged her back with a sigh of relief. Of course Tina would find him; she was an Auror, after all. Even in dreams, she smelled faintly of peppermint.
"I'm sorry," Newt said quickly and quietly. "I was just embarrassed, and I wasn't thinking and--"
Tina stopped him by kissing his cheek. It seemed crazy to Newt that a single kiss on the cheek can rob you of your abilty to speak.
"When are you coming to America?" Tina asked, realasing him and grasping his hands, a bint of urgency behind her voice. Her eyes were filled with longing, and suddenly it occured to Newt that even though he held her hands in his own, Tina was still a thousand miles away. He squeezed them a little tighter.
"After I come back from Romania," he responded. "That trip should only take a couple days."
"Queenie and I are presenting tomorrow," Tina said. "You know. The no-maj and wizard marritial thing. We have an appointment with Madam Picquery, first thing tomorrow morning."
"I don't really know what to say," Newt said. "Except maybe 'good luck, I hope your president isn't unreasonable.'"
Tina laughed. "She shouldn't be," she said. "She's normally pretty level-headed, but I just worry that she won't take anything we say seriously because it concerns love and not law." Tina let go of his hands, and Newt had to fight the desire to reach for them again.
"Does she not have a family?" Newt asked, conjuring a couch for them to sit.
"Not anymore," Tina said. "She lost her husband and son to dragonpox about ten years ago, before she became president."
"I don't know what to say to that, either," Newt admitted. Tina laughed without humor.
"Me either," she said. There was an awkward silence, in which both Tina and Newt stood, listening to the sound of each other's breathing.
"What kinds of dragons are in Romania?" Tina asked finally, just to make conversation.
"Well," Newt sighed. "There's all kinds, really. Norwegian Ridgebacks, Common Welsh Greens, Ukranian Ironbellies. . .it's a sanctuary."
"Have you ever been...hurt by a dragon?" Tina asked hesitantly.
"Oh, definitely. There've been loads of times where everyone just narrowly escapes the stream of flame. You're bound to get a burn or two," Newt explained.
"What?" Tina said. In her voice, Newt heard something he only ever heard in his mother's voice (and it had been years since he had last heard it); worry.
"Oh," Newt paused. He never really had to think about people worrying about him before. How did he go about this? "Um, well...yes. They aren't major burns or anything, and they heal very easily with an ointment the healers make. Besides, I'm an expert. I worked with Ukranian Ironbellies during the war, on the Eastern Front. They're quite gentle, really...you just have to know how to handle them."
"Oh."
"Yes, I promise," Newt said. He searched her face for signs of relief, or disbelief, but she was good at hiding emotion.
"So, how long did you work with dragons?" Tina asked.
"For around five or six years. Then, back in '20, I began my trip around the world to examine and research the magical creatures of lots of foreign countries. The research went into my book, and...well, you know. Got into some trouble along the way, but it was all worth it."
"Quite a bit of trouble, may I add?" Tina added, laughing lightly.
"But, like I said," Newt smiled sheepishly. "It was all worth it."
"If it's that good," Tina said. "then I can't wait to read it. I'm sure you're a great writer."
"Oh," Newt said, feeling embarrassed and a bit disappointed that she hadn't realized what he meant. "Um, right. That's what I meant. The book. Yes."
"What else could you- oh," Tina caught on, finally. She blushed deeply. "Oh. . .Thank you, Newt. I. . ."
     Newt suddenly felt either stupid or brave. He wasn't sure which one, yet. He'd brought up the topic they were both too nervous to discuss, which could either go wonderously good or terribly bad. His thoughts were slowly leaning toward the stupid option.
"I'm sorry," Newt said before he could stop himself. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's quite all right, I underst-"
"Newt!" Tina interrupted him. "No, you're right. I think we should talk about it."
"Um, well, what I said earlier...it's completely true, of course, but," Newt faltered."I don't know. I like you a lot, but I haven't known you for very long, and, well..."
"I feel the same way!" Tina said, sounding thouroughly relieved. "I like you, but, like you said, we haven't known each other for very long. We have our doubts."
"We have our doubts and an ocean between us," Newt pointed out. He immediately felt stupid after he said that, but what else was new? Deciding to be honest and break the uncomfortable silence, he said, "You know that phase that most teenagers go through where they doubt what they say and think and feel? When they assume they do everything wrong in any social situation and feel awkward and shy around new people?"
"Yes...I went through that phase. Queenie's always been the outgoing one," Tina said, crossing her legs and looking at her knees.
"My whole life has been that phase. It was never a phase for me, it's just how I am," Newt tried to explain. "I can't say what I feel, and doubt whatever I do say in situations like this. I stutter and...oh, it's really embarrassing. I can't even have a straight conversation with you! Sorry." He looked away, hating himself for being so cowardly.
    Tina put her hand on his shoulder. "Well, I think it's pretty cute," she said. He looked back at her. "Don't you think that's one of the things that make you you?"
"I know it makes me me," Newt said. "But it's just a quality about myself I would rather not have."
"If I like you, then I like you for all your characteristics. Your shyness is one of them," Tina said kindly. She took his hand.
"Thank you, Tina," Newt said sincerely. "And Leta and my family would always pressure me to look at them when I was talking..."
"That sounds horrible," Tina said quietly. "My whole life I've been allowed to be who I wanted. I can't imagine being forced to be someone other than me. Unless it was for a disguise, of course. I do that all the time." Newt was very aware of her thumb running over the back of his hand.
"I never really thought about it before," Newt admitted. "It was never something that bothered me that much."
"Yeah...oh, I have a question," Tina said suddenly. "Oh, I can't believe I forgot about this!"
"What is it?" Newt asked, curious. Tina took his other hand, looking excited.
"Okay, there's a gala at work for certain MACUSA employees, and I was invited. We're allowed to being a guest, so...could you come with me?" She looked at him, her brown eyes pleading.
"Um...as your friend?" He asked, secretly hoping she'd say no. Tina laughed, which gave Newt a warm feeling.
"No, Newt. As my date," Tina said. "It's in a couple weeks. You'll be in America, and we can get to know each other better."
"Oh, all right, then," Newt said, smiling, feeling completely giddy with happiness. "Yes, Tina, I'll be your date." He chuckled. "That's so fun to say."
"Oh, really?" Tina smiled with a wink. She made a fireplace in the room, and set out a rug, and a small tray in front of them floated up with steaming mugs of tea. They each took one as lamps lit the room, the walls of which were turning to warm red brick. A window displayed a flurry of snow outside, which made their tea seem much warmer. Together they made the room feel comfortable, and they settled in, drinking their tea.
"I like the rug," Newt complimented.
"Thanks. It's called a Navajo rug," Tina said. "We learned to make them with magic in Ilvermorny. It's something the Navajo Indians made."
"Navajo? What an interesting name," Newt said. "It's vaguely familiar....ah, they're from Arizona, right?"
"Yes," Tina said.
"Well, that's where thunderbirds live. No wonder it sounded familiar," Newt grinned and thought of Frank. Then something struck him. "Hey, Tina?"
"Yes?"
"You were a Thunderbird in school, right?" He asked, and she nodded in confirmation.
"Why?" Tina asked him. She stretched out on the couch and put her feet in Newt's lap, crossing her ankles.
"Well," Newt tried not to get distracted. "I think it's sort of poetic, don't you, that that I went to America to set one Thunderbird free and I happened to find another Thunderbird that would be just as good."
Tina laughed. "I wish I could say something poetic about Hufflepuffs, but I can't think of anything."
"I don't even know how I thought of that," Newt said, trying not to blush. "But it seems obvious, now that I did." Newt sqirmed slightly, and Tina moved her feet.
"I'm sorry, I feel like I was making you uncomfortable," Tina said. Newt looked away, embarrassed, and she added, "My shoes were probably digging into your legs; I should have kicked them off first."
    That was it. That was the moment Newt knew he was hopelessly infatuated. She hadn't made him feel uncomfortable for being shy or shamed him for feeling awkward; she covered it all up with a comment about her shoes. That had nothing to do with the reason he was squirming, and she no doubt knew it; but the way she made it seem like it was just an accident on her part to make him feel less embarrassed...it seeled the deal. Leta was never like that. She would've kicked her feet up, and asked what was wrong over and over again.
"Are you shy, Newt? We've been friends for so long! It's no big deal. Just relax. Be calm," she would say.   
    Suddenly, Queenie appeared.
"Tina, I'm going to the front room. The dream is about to dissapate, because Newt's about to wake up, so you guys need to wrap things up," she Disapparated without another word.
"Oh...." Tina was at a loss for words.
"I'll write you a letter the night before I leave Romania," Newt said quickly. "Once it arrives, I'll be on my way. When you open it, I should be only two or three days away by sea."
"See you soon, then," Tina said. She hugged him again, but it wasn't awkward this time. It was just sort of sad.
"Hey, you're right," Newt said. "See you soon."
    When he pulled away and tucked Tina's hair behind her ear, he had a sudden, crazy idea. It was only a dream, after all, he reminded himself. He had to do something daring in his life now and then... Newt leaned forward toward Tina, and she leaned, too; but just as their lips were about to touch, Tina dissolved into silver, peppermint-scented mist. Newt opened his eyes wearily, lying in his bed in his cottage, haunted by the ghost of what almost was.