The unintentional Crimes of Grindelwald

Chapter 17 - You just died in my arms

Hello everybody, hope you enjoy!

xoxo Leviosa

Chapter 17

"Hey Newt", Leta said. Newt was trying to decide if he should ignore her or hug her. Maybe both? Why did his life have to be this way? It was clear to him that Tina was lying about something and that everyone around him did not want him to know. But what could it be and why would they do that to him? "Hey... umm... Leta. What do you want?" "I want... nothing" Newt did not care about the rain, about his wet hair and that he couldn't see Leta right because of the rain drops. It did not make him happier, it did not make him sad that she was here now. He hated this emptiness, as if something (or someone) had been taken out of his life. And now he was sure that this someone was Leta. "I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry. For everything. I did not want you to — to go through all of this. You might think that I left you, forgot you. I didn't. It hurts every day, it hurts today and I know it will hurt until the end of my days, but it would make me feel better if you knew. I know I can't do anything to make up for my mistakes" Newt did not want to look at her. He would have gone into Flamels house again, but he knew that they were currently all preparing breakfast and there were just enough rooms in this house so everyone could sleep somewhere — not to mention that Jacob was still sleeping. Jacob and Newt shared a room, probably because Jacob was the only one that tolerated that Newt woke up in the middle of the night to look for his creatures. "I'm okay with it, as long as you don't feed me to a dragon. I know, these little guys need some help sometimes. If you need someone to feed your occamies — I'm your man", he had said. Newt was grateful to have Jacob, he was one of the reasons why Grindelwald was wrong. Jacob was the most tolerant muggle, (and the nicest), that he knew. Leta began to speak again, but Newt did not want to listen. He did not want to be thrown into that cauldron with all the hurt and these damn memories. Newt had done too much for her, but he had realized by now that she did not need him. Leta had Theseus. And Newt had other friends, and he would give his life up for them. Friends who would do the same things for him. "I just want you to be happy, just like I try to be, because you deserve it more than anyone. More than I do for sure", she smiled sadly. Newt had the feeling that he had seen to many people in his life be sad and smile at the same time. It did not hurt him anymore. He had begun to let go Leta, and he realized that there was a future for both of them. Just not together. "It's good to know that we have the same opinion. For the first time" Letting go did not hurt that much after all.

"Come on, don't be a coward. You said you would come if I needed you, but now you're not here. You don't dare to mess with me, do you? You are scared of me. You believe that I am better now", nothing happened. Credence stood in the cold, Malena was nowhere to be seen. He was all alone or so it seemed. There was no one except him on the streets of Paris. Credence leaned against the wall of a white house at the end of a lane. He had chosen the place randomly, he had never been here before. But he wasn't ready to tell Grindelwald where he was living now. Malena told him that Skender had lived for a short time period in there and that it was abandoned now. It was quite beautiful, one of the kind of houses where everyone wanted to live. Beautiful, big, near the city center. Credence imagined himself living in this house, a normal life, with a normal job. Or at least as a normal wizard, a happy wizard. It seemed so strange, he could not see himself in another place, and he realized that he would become mad if he had to be stuck in such a boring life. He didn't want his life, but nothing else? Why did his life have to be so complicated? Credence did not hesitate, as he touched the chain around his neck. It really felt like a chain, it remembered him of Grindelwald and that there was no escape, that he would always be this monster. Why didn't he come? But on the other hand, Credence wouldn't come either if he was in Grindelwalds place. He did not want to be caught. He was about to leave, but waited a second. Stupid intuition, he told himself. "Hello, Corvus", the same soft, low voice as always, tinted from behind him. Why did Grindelwald always have to apparate behind him? Probably because it brought him more attention, and he could show the drama queen inside. "Don't call me Corvus, that's not my name" Credence actually did not plan to turn around, he did not want to take part in Grindelwalds games, but a second later he had enough. Newt had explained the whole transfiguration thing to him, and really, Grindelwald was the same as in the newspapers that he had showed him. Just his beard and hair had grown a bit longer, probably because of the months in prison. "Don't try to boss me around. I could leave any moment, you know" It was strange, that he said these words playfully but was actually serious. "I'm not here to follow your orders, I'm here to talk to you" Grindelwald wrinkled his nose, he didn't like the idea of not having the control. "Talk about what?", the dark wizard said. "About me and you" "You and me? I thought you now feel all grown-up and believe that you follow the right way and that stupid nonsense? Didn't Albus taught you how to talk to me? Did he make you learn your text? Well, I don't know what's your next line, but I also don't think I want to hear it" "Wait.", Credence whispered. Grindelwald lifted one eyebrow, he was about to say something, but didn't. "I just want you to know... You try to get equality but do the wrong thing instead", the boy said. Gellert almost laughed. As he began to speak again, his voice kind of sounded broken, not broken from the quality of his voice, but broken, as if something inside him had been broken. "You're too deep into thinking he's the good one. He is doing the same thing as I do. He tells you that he will cure you, he promises you things. You don't know if he will ever succeed, if he will ever be able to give you what you want. I may tell you: he doesn't know either. I and Dumbledore, we aren't all that different. He will play you like a toy, Credence. And then there will be a point when he will throw you onto the floor, either because you lost your ability or because he doesn't believe in your use anymore. And when you fall, there will be no Newt there to catch you. You will just have the choice: me or being broken for eternity" And with Grindelwalds words, Credece confidence shrank. What was right and what was evil? What was good and what was wrong? He certainly did not know anymore.

"It starts again. It starts like last time", she said. "Lally", Modesty shouted, while she tried to wake up the only person that could count as a mother figure for her. "Lally, wake up, I need you. Stop it! I AM HERE!", Modesty had never shouted as loud as she did now. Eulalie sat in her armchair, in front of her table full of books and homework from student, as always, her beautiful hair piled to a crown. Something was wrong. While she screamed, Modesty couldn't hear anything but her own voice, even though the only thing she wanted to hear was Eulalies voice. Her real voice. But no matter how loud she cried, Eulalie Hicks did not wake up, instead she was possessed by this strange voice, that made Modesty want to run away. She was a stubborn human, she wouldn't run away, this voice was not stronger than she was, and even if, the voice had to prove that first. Still, she felt cold and she was afraid. "One of them will fail. One of them will lose everything to save another. And one will be able to keep the other four from dying. But everything, everything, everything is too late. The blood! DEATH! He will kill to get what he wants! No one is safe", the broken, high but deep voice seemed to freeze everything around her. But that couldn't be, then why couldn't Modesty move? She was scared, more than scared. But her heart stood still for a moment, as the scratching voice screamed her name. "MODESTY! Modesty, get away from them. No. What did you do to my sister, you beast! TELL ME YOUR NAME!" The worst of it all was that Eulalie didn't move. She was sitting on her armchair in her office, as every Friday night. There was just this demon-thing against her. "You won't get it. I won't tell you. NO! LEAVE ME!", the silence made Modesty calm down, but just a moment later, Eulalie began to speak again. "It began like every time. But it ended differently", she whispered the last words. Modesty blinked, as her new adoptive mother smiled at her. "Sorry, I was a bit tired. Good that you woke me up. Do you want some milk?" Modesty listened to Lallys words, and she realized that she would not tell anyone about what she had heard.

No one knew anymore, who was saying anything. Their voices melted to a giant mess, but no one could care about that anymore. "Are you okay?" "Can you hear me?" And from far away, someone pushed himself through the crowd of people standing around, some crying, some casting spells. "Get out of my way! I said get out of my way! How long do you want me to sit here, for ages? I have waited for too long, I have sat by too long. You all believe that it is easy. My life isn't easy, neither is his. He knew what could happen, I knew. Next time someone is getting attacked, while you look, ask yourselves what is wrong with you. Believe me, he isn't the cursed one in here. It is people that don't understand that you have to fight to get what you want and that nothing will happen if you just sit by and watch until everything happens by itself. I am looking at you, Mr. Flamel. You promised to keep him alive! He's dying inside, just like everyone of us, and I won't let that happen!" Malena didn't care if someone was standing in her way, without caution, she pushed everybody aside, until she sat next to his body. The others could have sworn to have heard her hissing the last sentence like a snake. But Malena did not care about other peoples opinion. She had lost too much in her life listening to others that wouldn't help her. "Stop staring at me like I am to pity. It could have been everybody. You could be next. It's war, people! Don't look at me like I wouldn't have known that something could happen. You all know that. And if your loved ones die, then you wouldn't want a crowd of people staring at them" She wrapped her arms around Credence neck and closed her eyes. "And if you want to know, without me he wouldn't be alive. Which is more than anyone of you has ever done for him", Malena hated saying these things. She hated being mean to people, but it was the only way for her to pretend that she wasn't actually crying right now. "Credence...", she whispered and tried to ignore the darkness that almost devoured his hands and his hair. "I am there for you. In death and in live" As she kissed him, it did not feel as the last time, probably because she was still crying. There was nothing she had wanted more in her life than kissing him. And she hated that he was almost every time when she kissed him. Was she cursed or why did she had to love someone that was pure darkness? But a second later she realized that this was more of a parody of her life. Of course, she was cursed. She had always been. Credence was the only one that made her feel less cursed. And now he was gone. As she didn't touch his warm lips anymore, as she realized that it had not worked, she looked up, she did not try to hide her tears. In the first line stood Tina, Newt and Leta. The only people in his life that had really cared about him, they all were in this room. Malena did not want to say the words, as if it would change anything. She had never felt as lost as today. And she had thought that he could control it. "Credence is dead." The curtain fell and with him, Malena got lost in the darkness. Everything that was left for her now.