Safe in Your Arms

Chapter 9

Newt watched as Tina steadied Nagini's hand. She had only had her wand for one day but she had already learned some basic spells. 

"Relax," Tina said. "You don't need to grip your wand so tightly." She lowered her hand slowly. "Now try again."

"Alohomora," Nagini said forcefully. The padlock levitating in front of her clicked open.

"See," Tina said encouragingly. "It's not so hard. You just can't overthink it." She pointed her wand at the lock, locking it again. 

"How do you do that?" the girl asked.

"What?"

"You just locked it without saying anything."

"Oh, it's just nonverbal magic. It's more complicated and usually isn't taught until the fourth year," Tina explained.

"We don't learn it until our sixth year," Newt said.

"Well, we start earlier. You can't pass your seventh-year exams until you've mastered nonverbal magic. I'm sure it has something to do with our strict laws. Nonverbal spells are slightly less obvious." She turned back to Nagini. "Now see if you can't do it again."

The girl nodded and raised her wand again. She repeated the spell and the lock clicked open once more.

"Well done," Tina said, offering her a smile. "Now why don't we try something else?"

They moved on to another spell and Newt made his way down to his basement.

"Bunty," he called. The red-haired witch appeared in at the base of one of the staircases. "Have all the creatures been fed?"

"If you've fed the Zouwu and the Kelpie then yes," she replied. 

Newt nodded. "Good. I've got to go out for a bit. I should be back before lunch."

"Okay," Bunty said.

Newt made his way back up to the main part of the house. He moved towards the door, grabbing his coat off the hook.

"Where're you going?" Jacob called.

"I've got to go out," Newt mumbled. He turned to face his friend. He was sitting on the couch, a book in his lap. Tina had turned away from Nagini who was struggling with another spell and was studying him intently, a slightly concerned expression on her face. "I'll be back soon; hopefully before lunch." He pulled on his coat. Jacob gave him a curious look but he shrugged and went back to his book.

Newt opened the door and stepped out of the house. Before he could shut the door behind him, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Tina, shivering slightly in the cool October breeze. She lowered her hand quickly.

"Where are you going?"

"I -- It's just -- I need --" Newt tried to speak but the words were getting mixed somewhere between his brain and his mouth. He let out a long breath through his nose. "I need to go somewhere. It's not important."

Newt glanced up at Tina. She was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed in front of her. He realized she probably wasn't going to let him leave without an answer.

"I need to talk to Dumbledore," he admitted.

Tina's eyes lit up ever so slightly and she took a small step forward. "Dumbledore? Did he send for you? Has something happened? Does he want to move against Grindelwald?"

Surprisingly, Newt found it difficult to tear his gaze away from her eyes. They fascinated him. He loved the way there seemed to be a fire dancing in their depths, a fire which burned brighter when she got excited. People said that eyes were the windows to the soul and, at least in Tina's case, he had to agree. The fire in her eyes showed the passion that fueled her, that drove her to do what she did.