Thorns and Roses ❦ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ❦ Newtina

Chapter Five

"Queenie, I'm not sure this dress is-"

"Stop pulling it up, Teen. You're makin' it all bunched up in the back."

Tina stared at her appearance in the mirror, her arms crossed in annoyance. Queenie had gone out earlier that day, claiming she was going to the market for some "crucial spices" that the Scamander's didn't have, but had come back with a bag full of dresses, shoes, makeup... everything Tina had told her she wasn't interested in. After taking a Portkey to London, Tina and Queenie had found themselves without a place to stay. Newt, being the gentleman he was, offered them a place to stay at his family's estate. It was a rather large home, and the outside was a steady competitor for the grandness of the inside. The front yard was lined with bushes of flowers, a brick walkway leading up to a small staircase that was surrounded by white pillars that held the master bedroom's balcony up. The front doors were massive and covered with onyx swirls that moved when the door opened. Windows covered much of the outdoor interior, all of them almost as tall as Queenie. Newt had accompanied them as they ascended one of the winding staircases, blushing madly and avoiding small talk with the two sisters. The guest rooms were both the size of their apartment, large double beds in the middle of the room, massive windows behind them. Two dressers lay on the walls next to the door, cream in color to resemble the duvet cover on the beds. A grand mirror stood above the smaller of the dressers, though in the leftmost corner there was a tall, full size mirror that was taller than Tina and rimmed in gold. It was where she stood, casting a glare at her sister. "I said no, I told you I already had a dress packed. I don't see why you're trying to force me to wear something like this. You know it's not me," Tina grumbled, staring down at the black heels that lay in front of the mirror her sister had "accidentally" put in her bag. She looked at herself again. Her dress was definitely not something of tradition. It was a cream color, and the neckline plunged low enough for it to be considered very risqué. The fabric was shiny and made of silk, and the straps of the dress were only two inches wide, meaning the dress hung down from her shoulders. Queenie, who was in front of the wider mirror, merely giggled while applying a pink lipstick before dipping her fingers into a pot of cream brown eyeshadow, smudging it along her lash line before dragging it across her eyelid, creating a smoky effect. Tina huffed, grabbing her locket from the dresser Queenie stood before and putting it on before nudging her sister to move over. "I don't see why you think I need to dress up as much as you, I'm only here to represent the rest of the aurors."

"Sure you are," Queenie said smugly, turning to face her sister, a tube of rose lipstick in her hand. "And you know who's gonna be there tonight?"

"Who?" Tina inquired, dodging her sister, who was now trying to apply the lipstick to her. "Theseus Scamander? There's no need for me to impress him, we've already spoken a number of times and he's duly noted my achievements." She rolled her eyes as her sister caught her, now applying the lipstick on her lips.

"It's not Theseus who matters," Queenie said in a singsong voice, now handing a tissue to her sister. "Blot." Her eyes scanned the top of the dresser before landing on her rouge, and she dipped two fingers in before applying the color to Tina's cheeks. "He's already engaged to Leta, it's Newt who you should be worried about. Not that he needs any extra impressing." Tina narrowed her eyes at her, though she was surprised by Queenie's assertion. Her mind became a whirlwind of thoughts, and her sister chuckled. "You know what I mean, Teen,' she teased, applying the same brown shade of eyeshadow she had used on herself to her older sister. "He's very excited to be attending the ball tonight."

Tina blocked her thoughts, making Queenie scoff, and thought to herself. Could that be true? He appeared to be relatively opposed to the idea of spending the night out, especially in a crowded building filled with people he hardly knew. Tina cleared her throat as her sister set down the last of her makeup, retreating to a corner to put on her dress. "Says you. He's not attending it with us, he's going with Theseus and Leta. I daresay he'll be excited to go." Despite what she said, Tina couldn't help but see the truth in Queenie's words. Was he actually excited to go? She turned around to face her sister, who had called for help buttoning the topmost button on her gown. It was a light pink- though that was to be expected. The bottom was made of tulle, and led up to connect to a charmeuse top that was lined in lace and had intricate designs on both the front and the back. Her sleeves reached to her wrists, though the dress had somehow achieved the feat of being more revealing than Tina's. Queenie waved her wand, and her hair suddenly began to move, forming elegant ringlets. Tina's began to curl at the same time, but only the ends of her hair formed loose waves. Queenie lifted her dress, and looked to her sister.