Return to New York

Back to New York

Tina pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket. Smoothing it out on her desk she read it for the seventh time that afternoon. A shiver went down her spine.

He's coming today, she thought. He's actually coming today!

Tina folded the note and shoved it back in her pocket. She knew she had work to do. She would be getting the next week and a half off, except for the 29th, so she knew she needed to get at least some of her work done. She wanted to leave early so she could be at the dock at 5:00 to meet Newt but, looking at the stack of papers on her desk, she knew she couldn't. She would have to wait until 5:00 before she could leave.

Reaching for her quill, she slowly began trying to get some work done. She managed to finish a few papers before 5:00 but not nearly as many as she normally would have done because her mind kept wandering to the note in her pocket and the man she would soon be seeing.

When the clock in her office finally struck 5:00, Tina scrambled to her feet and waved her wand, the papers on her desk organizing themselves slightly. Then she bolted from her office, quickly making her way to the elevator. One of her fellow Aurors, a man named Alton Harper, was already in the elevator.

"Hello, Goldstein," he said.

"Hello, Harper," she replied breathlessly.

Harper gave her a curious glance. "Where are you going?"

"To -- uh -- to meet a friend of mine."

"A friend?" Harper raised his eyebrows.

Tina swatted at him playfully.

"It's just someone I haven't seen in a few weeks and I didn't expect to see for quite some time," she explained.

"But it is a man."

Tina gave him a sideways look. "I never said that."

"Well, you clearly knew what I was implying and, if it wasn't a man, you would have said so instead of defending yourself," he pointed out.

Tina laughed. "Harper, you're impossible."

"But I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yes, you're right."

The elevator came to a halt and the door slid open.

"This is my stop," Harper said. "See you next year, Goldstein. Have a Happy New Year!"

"You too," Tina called as Harper left the elevator. The doors closed and they began moving again. When they stopped, Tina made her way out of MACUSA and found a hidden corner where she Disapparated.

Newt slowly made his way down the gangplank. He was one of the last people off the ship and the wharf was almost clear. Having made his way through customs, he looked around, searching for Tina. There were a few people still waiting, but none of them were her.

What if she doesn't come? I know she invited me so maybe she just expects me to go straight to her apartment since I do know where she lives. . . . I had hoped she'd come meet me. Newt shook himself slightly. She's probably busy. She did say she always has quite a lot of paperwork to deal with.

Newt started forward, keeping his head down and gripping the handle of his case tightly. He bumped into a few people, murmuring apologies to each one of them. Eventually, he glanced up.

A figure appeared from around a corner at the end of the dock. Her dark hair framed her familiar face. A look of recognition formed on her features. She ran forward, flinging her arms around Newt. He started, then quickly set down his case and returned the hug.