Those Days [Newtina]

Chapter 13: Oppugno

Newt tiptoed into the closet and silently shut the door behind him.

Tina was right- Artemis seemed quite content, sitting on his pale blue cat bed, surrounded by toys. Yet her cold, blue eyes kept themselves trained on Newt as he entered.

"She doesn't like me either," mumbled Tina, pointing her wand at a small bowl sitting next to the cat bed.

"Aguamenti."

The bowl slowly filled itself with water and she slipped her wand back in her pocket.

Tina crouched down slowly and attempted to push the bowl closer to Artemis, but the kitten hissed violently and arched her back so it resembled a furry, black bridge.

"Maybe I should try..." offered Newt, reaching for the bowl, but Artemis bared her sharp little teeth at him, glinting in the sunlight pouring through the window.

Both of them backed away, hands going for their wands.

"In hindsight, this was a very bad idea," whispered Newt, trying not to agitate the furry menace. Tina nodded her agreement, words failing her.

They both ran out of room to walk backwards, and flattened themselves against the wall, trying not to get near the pint- sized devil with eyes like chips of ice.

"What now?" Tina finally whispered.

Newt thought for a moment.

"We don't get scratched. I've got something I'd like her to wear."

He fished around inside his trouser pocket and pulled out a thick red ribbon.

"How do you propose to get that onto her?"

"I'm still working on that bit," muttered Newt uncomfortably.

Tina sighed deeply and crossed her arms.

"I can hold her if you can put it on," she suggested after a moment.

Newt fingered the ribbon thoughtfully.

"Alright," he finally agreed.

Tina lingered next to him for a moment before creeping forward a couple steps, then lunging for the kitten. She threw out her hands in front of her, holding Artemis tightly around her middle as both Tina and the kitten fell on the floor, struggling.

Newt hastily flopped next to her and fumbled for the ribbon.

Artemis wriggled left and right, trying to slip out of Tina's iron grip.

He saw his chance and, like lightning, tied the ribbon around the tiny cat.

Artemis broke free of Tina's grip at that moment, and leaped at him, teeth bared, hissing, before landing on him and swiping her claw swiftly down the side of his face and neck.

Newt yelped and struggled to push the tiny menace off as blood welled and started sliding down the side of his face.

Tina went for Artemis and peeled her off Newt. The kitten, still slightly aggressive, slunk back into her bed in the corner of the room.

Tina and Newt sat on the carpet for a few moments, gasping for breath.

Then Tina laughed.

"It's funny how much trouble a tiny kitten can cause!"

Newt let he thought roll around his head for a minute.

They'd just spent 10 minutes trying to give a baby cat water and tie a ribbon around it, and they'd barely accomplished the task, emerging with a bleeding scratch and the two of them on the floor, struggling for breath.

Then he laughed too.

Newt and Tina got to their feet, still giggling, when Tina noticed the blood dribbling from the scratch on his neck.

"Hold on a second. Come here Newt..."

She reached for her wand again as he tried to figure out what she was doing.

"Tilt your head to the right."

Newt blinked.

"What?"

"Tilt your head to the right. You're bleeding."

Newt started, ready to argue, but on second thoughts, closed his mouth and obliged, his unkempt hair falling in his eyes.

Tina lifted her wand and delicately pointed it just near the scratch, its tip lightly pressing against his jaw.

An almost invisible, sky blue thread twirled out the tip and settled itself across the wound, covering it so he appeared to have a thick, blue line running down his face and neck.

It lingered there a second before vanishing. In the place of the scratch there lay nothing more than a pale red scar, like a zipper down his side.

Tina slowly dropped her hand and slid her wand back into her pocket.

"Thank you," said Newt softly.

Tina looked up and found him already watching her.

"Don't mention it," she replied with equal volume.

Neither of them said anything. Even Artemis had gone to sleep, for the first time since she'd been adopted, Newt realised.

Newt tore his gaze from her and found his shoes to be the most interesting thing in the world.

Then he noticed how close they were standing and suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. The only time he'd been closer to her was in the death chamber inside MACUSA. It felt like years ago.

Tina must've noticed too, because she awkwardly cleared her throat and started heading for the closet door.

Newt hesitated before following her, trying towalk quietly on the carpet as to not wake the fluffy little monster nappingquietly in the corner.

FLUFF ^^

haha, anyways, this chapter is called Oppugno because it's a spell used by Hermione in the Half-Blood Prince: it caused her little birds to attack Ron (I don't know how to explain it, but you Potterheads probs know what I'm talkin' 'bout anyways XD)

I thought that, since Artemis attacks Newt, it was pretty fitting to name the chapter after a spell that causes animals to attack. I think I used  the word 'attack' too much.

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Love u guys! <333