Safe in Your Arms

Chapter 14

Tina made her way down the hallway towards the front door. Achilles had gone up to his room, saying he'd be back in a moment. She had been sitting there for a whole minute before deciding that she was going to go. Grabbing her coat, she pulled it on and glanced behind her. No one was there. She quietly pulled opened the door and stepped out of the house. She carefully shut the door, hoping no one had heard it but she thought she saw Newt appear at the end of the hall. She started down the steps but she hesitated. She knew that, if she had seen Newt, the door would open in a moment and he'd be asking where she was going. Somehow, that thought didn't bother her.

I'd rather have Newt ask me where I was going than Achilles, she realized.

Sure enough, the door opened.

"Tina?"

Tina turned slowly and looked up at Newt. He closed the door behind him and came down to join her.

"If you're going to ask me where I'm going--" Tina started.

"No," Newt interrupted. "I -- I just wanted to ask if you know how to get to where you're going. I mean, this is London and you've spent most of your time here in my house. You've really only left it once."

Tina smiled softly. She was touched by his concern. "I'll be fine," she assured him. "I'll be able to find my way." She remembered the way she had demanded to know where Newt was going when he had tried to leave. He was different. He was more concerned about if she'd be okay.

She looked at Newt. He was still watching her. Probably waiting for her to leave. She decided to do what she had wanted to do when he had been going to Hogwarts but he had Disapparated before she had realized what she wanted to do. Taking a step forward, she pulled Newt into a hug. He started but he hugged her back a moment later. Tina rested her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh.

"Be careful," he murmured. 

She hugged him tighter. "I want to speak to Dumbledore," she admitted, even though he hadn't asked. "Come with me. I -- I can get to Hogwarts but I'd probably get lost from there." She didn't know why she was saying this. She knew that she could always ask someone for help once she got there, that's what she had been planning to do, but she wanted Newt to come.

"I -- I don't want t-to intrude."

Tina stepped back. "No, I want you to come. Please."

Newt smiled. "Alright. Let me get my coat." He made his way back up the steps and opened the door. She followed him, watching as he grabbed his grey coat and pulled it on. He came back out of the house and offered her his hand. She took it and he Disapparated. They appeared on the bridge to the castle. Newt led her to the castle, neither of them realizing their hands were still connected.

Tina was glad she had asked Newt to come. The castle was huge and the path they were taking had so many twists and turns that she knew she wouldn't be able to remember them all. And Newt said the castle tends to change, she remembered. She was reminded of her first few days at Ilvermorny when she kept continuously getting lost.

They reached the classroom that Tina recognized as the same room they had been in the one time she was here. Dumbledore was standing by a bookshelf on the other side of the room, looking at something in a book. Newt stopped.

"Go on," he said. "I'll just wait here."

Tina rolled her eyes and tugged him forward. "You ought to say hello to your old teacher. You can leave after that."

Dumbledore looked up as they approached. His gaze slid down to their hands and he raised his eyebrows. Tina blushed and they quickly let go of each other's hands.