Crescendo: A Fantastic Beasts Newtina Fanfiction

Chapter 3

       Tina nervously tugged her overcoat tighter around her body. She was at the docks, waiting for Newt's ferry to arrive. It was raining gently, and if you concentrated on something in the distance, the rain almost looked like a fine layer of mist. A chilly November wind pulled at her hair, blowing it into her face. As Tina reached up to push her hair away, an image of Newt popped into her mind. They were standing in this very spot, his hand extended to hook a strand of her hair behind her ear. She shook herself. Now was not the time to take an unplanned trip somewhere down the memory lane.

       A ferry was pulling up along the choppy New York waters. Tina bounced on the balls of her feet, her stomach knotted up into a tangle of nerves. The ferry was docking. People began pouring down the ramp. She swallowed and scanned the crowd for a messy crop of hair, or a battered leather case. Suddenly, at the top of the ramp, a flash of peacock blue appeared. Tina's breath momentarily hitched as Newt walked down the ramp. For a second, he stood amidst the crowd, looking lost.

      Tina called out to him. "Newt! Over here!" She waved her arms. 

       His head jerked up at the sound of his name, and catching sight of her, he began to make his way through the crowd, his case in tow. Tina chewed her lip nervously, a habit she had picked up from Queenie. Newt was wearing his usual outfit, a white undershirt with a burnt orange waistcoat, a gray jacket, and his defining peacock blue overcoat, finishing it all off with a Hufflepuff scarf wrapped around his neck. He was nearing her now, and at any moment one of them would have to call out a greeting.

       She opened her mouth but no sound came out. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "H-hey, Newt".

       The Magizoologist looked as awkward as ever. "Hello, Miss Goldstein," 

       Tina was surprised by the formality of his tone. Perhaps he'd realized his mistake, for he cleared his throat and mumbled, "Er, hi, Tina,". The tips of his ears turned red.

       "So," Tina began timidly, "How've you been for the past, erm, year?" God, that had sounded so lame. She cursed herself under her breath. Why couldn't she just act normally for once?

       "I've mainly been working on my book, um, adding details here and there, getting it published," he paused, hesitating, then took something out of the inside pocket of his overcoat. "Er–here's your promised copy..."

       He handed her a red book embossed with golden letter reading, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Newt Scamander. 

       Tina took it, speechless. She flipped through the pages, and glimpsed detailed illustrations of various beasts. "Wow, Newt...it's–"

       He cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "I know it's not the best," he rambled, "and the illustrations could use some work, but–"

       "Newt, it's beautiful."

       Newt stopped mid sentence, and stared at her. His expression was one of total shock, with his mouth slightly open and eyebrows raised. He blinked, and blushed faintly, illuminating his freckles. Tina found herself staring at them, and hastily looked away, meeting his eyes instead. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noted unhelpfully that they were a brilliant shade of green.

       "Th-thank you," he finally stuttered. 

       Tina tucked the book safely into the pocket of her overcoat. A heavy silence fell between them. After a moment, Tina broke it. "Well, uh, if you need a place to stay, we can go to my place right now,". They hadn't discussed where he'd be staying when he arrived in New York. Thinking about it, Tina realized she didn't even know how long he was going to stay.