Their Life

Fugitive Part 2

Tina woke to the sound of her cell being opened. She looked up to see Conrad pushing the door open.

"Come on, Scamander," he said. "President Picquery and Hardin want to see you."

Tina got to her feet wordlessly and started towards Conrad. When she reached him, he grabbed her by the upper arm and escorted her up to one of the interrogation chambers. President Picquery and Hardin were both behind the desk and off to one side was . . . 

"Newt," she breathed.

Conrad released her and she ran over to her husband. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her. She kissed him back desperately. Part of her wondered how this was possible. She was a prisoner and had been, she assumed, brought here for questioning. Newt didn't work as an Auror and only Aurors questioned prisoners. Besides, even if he was an Auror, as her husband, it would be illegal for him to question her.

Hundreds of questions swam around her mind. She finally decided to ask what was going on but when she pulled away what she said was, "Are you still going to England?"

"Yes, Tina, but--"

"I thought so," she mumbled. "I had hoped you'd be here for the trial."

Newt pushed her hair out of her face. "No, Tina. You're coming with me."

"What?" she gasped staring at her husband.

"Ms. Goldstei-- Mrs. Scamander," President Picquery said. Tina turned, still clinging to Newt. "Many of us know you're innocent but it will be safer for you if you're out of the country. It will be easier for us to work on proving your innocence if you're not here. You're going to have to escape."

"But if I escape it will just make me look guilty," Tina pointed out.

"That's true, but with you in England they can't do anything about it and it will buy us the time we need to prove your innocence."

"How am I supposed to escape?" Tina asked sounding slightly resigned.

"Conrad will explain the plan since he came up with it."

Conrad stepped forward. "We've scheduled your trial to take place tomorrow, just when the boat for England leaves. Two Aurors -- myself and one other -- will be escorting you. When we reach the main entrance to MACUSA, you are to seize my wand and stun both the other Auror and me."

"You?" Tina frowned.

"Yes, it has to look convincing. Once you've stunned us, you need to run out of MACUSA, stunning anyone who tries to stop you. The guard at the door will hopefully be someone on our side but you'll probably have to stun him anyway.

"Once you're out of MACUSA, you'll Apparate to the docks. Mr. Scamander will be waiting for you there."

"Where exactly will you be?" Tina asked her husband.

"The same corner we Disapparated from when I returned to New York."

Tina nodded and smiled. Resisting the urge to kiss Newt again, she turned back to Conrad. "But what about your wand? How will you get that back?"

"I won't be holding my wand." The Auror pulled a wand out of his pocket. "I'll have this wand. It's one that belonged to a criminal who was executed several years ago. Nobody will notice if it's missing." Conrad offered the wand to Tina. She took it gingerly. Gripping the handle, she brought the wand down through the air, red sparks trailing from the tip. She shuddered and handed it back. She hated the feeling of the wand but she knew she could use it.

"How morbid," she murmured.

"It is, a bit. Feel free to snap it in half and chuck it in the ocean once you're on the boat."