Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Imagines

20. Patronus

Long time, no see! I'll admit I got quite busy with school, but now I have more free time- which means more content! I'm happy and very excited to be back, especially in time for The Crimes of Grindelwald! Votes and comments are incredibly appreciated <3
Alternative Title: Salamander Eyes

The archives of the French Ministry were quiet except for the intrusive echoes of two pairs of footsteps against the marble flooring. Tina was ahead of Newt by at least a few metres, and she broadened her stride as the sound his footsteps got louder. She knew what he was doing. Ever since he'd arrived at the Flamel's home claiming Dumbledore had sent him on a mission to take down Grindelwald, he'd been accompanying her on her missions. He'd tried speaking to her on multiple occasions, yet his subtle requests for chatter were terminated when she turned away from him. However, here, in the dark, lonely archives of the ministry, Tina was unable to avoid his conversation. Her evasive strategies would be ineffective if he dared to speak. Which she prayed he wouldn't. His voice, the way he looked at her, his continuous insistence on just being with her was unbearable after everything that'd happened. Tina couldn't allow herself to fall victim to her emotions again, emotions even she didn't fully understand. A chill ran through the hall, and she tensed to stop herself from shivering. Wintery, frigid air reminded her of the cold nights the previous winter, bent over a desk and scribbling pointless words on parchment that would never be acknowledged, her sister in a disconsolate slump behind her. The memories were bittersweet, and she pushed them to the back of her mind, instead focusing on the task at hand... until Newt was beside her, his pace finally matched with her own.

Tina apparated ten feet away.

She could feel Newt's eyes on her as she walked even faster, her steps loud and clear in the empty hall. Over the sound of her hurried footsteps, she could hear Newt's sigh at her dereliction before he muttered something incomprehensible. Tina balled her hands in a fist, hoping to God he wouldn't try to come near her again. It would only remind her of the countless nights she'd spent wondering where he went, of the day she saw that wretched photograph she still didn't understand in the newspaper. The air grew small around her as he apparated next to her, turning to face her while still walking toward the doors. "Tin-"

Before Newt could finish his sentence, the world around Tina shrunk and expanded at the same time as she forced herself away from him again, the only indication of her defiance a heavy snap! within the room. She couldn't speak to him. Not after everything he'd done to her, not after he'd lied. His promises were empty. He hadn't come back to New York, he hadn't written back to her, he hadn't delivered her copy in person. There were so many promises he'd made that proved themselves unfulfillable. Tina could feel hot, angry tears beginning to burn at the back of her eyes as the now-familiar snap of apparition sounded once again, and Newt wobbled beside her, his pace relentless. She snapped away again, desperate to get away from Newt. He was quick, though, and was successful at apparating to the same place at the same time as her. Tina was about to turn around and give him a piece of her mind before she focused her attention on the more pressing matter. They were at the repository doors now, and Tina busied herself with charming the locks on the handle to give way. They opened with a click, metal grating on metal as the doors slid open, revealing the tables, shelves, and cabinets within the archive. It was a deep room; the ceiling could be miles above the two, the air was dusty and brightened by the dim sunlight that shone through the windows, and piles upon piles of artifacts and pieces of parchment were piled onto the mahogany furniture that lay in the room. Tina shut the door as quietly as she could, casting the most powerful spells she could think of to keep from being discovered. She pushed the thought that she was alone with Newt away. She used their new location as an excuse to distance herself from him, finding a lone row of shelves to browse through, Credence's surname running through her mind like a piece of thread on a spinning wheel. Her fingers traced through the array of papers, all the while noting the names of wanted wizards she recognized and would investigate at a later time. Tina winced as she heard a loud clatter behind her followed by the sound of Newt cursing and willed herself not to turn around and tell him to control himself. Tina refocused on the files and continued looking through them, until a particular surname caught her attention.