Those Days [Newtina]

Chapter 27: Finite

For the next couple hours, Newt didn't move an inch.

He was clearly breathing, but wasn't showing any signs of life beyond the rapid but steady rise and fall of his chest. Tina had gotten up several times for food or water, and moved her things to his room so she could work while watching over Newt.

Jacob and Queenie had already gone to bed, so she worked very quietly, illuminating her wand tip for light.

Her younger sister had attempted numerous times to drag her away to sleep, but Tina had resisted, insisting that she needed to catch up on her work, though Queenie could tell that she also wanted to be there when Newt woke up.

Tina had just finished filling out a sheet of parchment, which she sent floating across the room to join one of the several haphazard piles on the carpet, when Newt inhaled sharply and made a sound as if he were choking. It was quickly replaced with a violent coughing fit followed by his ragged breathing.

She instantly sprang to life, dropping her quill back into the ink pot and darting to his side.

"Newt! You're awake!" Tina was grinning down at him, then her expression turned serious. "How are you feeling?"

He glanced up at her curiously, then shoved off the bed covers and propped himself up against the pillow.

"I'm fine. What happened?"

She frowned down at him.

"You don't remember anything?" She asked carefully, slightly thankful.

Newt frowned back. Then thought a bit.

"Now, I can remember when I was hexed..." he muttered.

"Hexed! Who did it?" She whispered angrily.

Who would hex him?

Why would they do it?

How long ago did it happen?

Questions swirled around Tina's head like waves crashing in the ocean.

Newt leaned back onto the pillow sleepily. He paused a beat before saying anything else, scanning the room in bewilderment and confusion. Then-

"Tina, what time is it?" He almost sighed.

Now sitting up again, he trained his half-glare, half-bemusement kind of expression on her face, looking irritable, but being replaced slowly by guilt. Tina didn't give in.

"What happened."

"What is the time."

The pair glared at each other, then she finally succumbed and checked the clock just visible on the wall hanging round the door, in the corridor.

"10:56 pm," she muttered, knowing full well how Newt would react.

"Then why aren't you asleep?"

Tina sighed, but didn't move an inch. She wasn't going anywhere. And she suspected that Newt would want her to.

Sure enough, the inanimate statue watching her from the bed sprang to life and strode across the room, firmly but gently taking her wrist on the way. Newt didn't even give her a backwards glance before leading her just outside her bedroom and dropping her hand.

"I don't need to rest, Newt... I'm fine," she objected, scowling, but when Newt put his mind to something, it was never left unfinished. So he very quietly opened the door and, not wanting to disturb Queenie, held it open for her.

Tina still didn't move.

"Tell me what happened first."

Newt was staring at his socks. He still hadn't changed into his pyjamas, though he doubted that he'd have the will to once he coaxed Tina to go to sleep.

"It was just an accidental Confundus Charm," he gave in.

Then a vile thought hit him like a freight train.

"Did I say anything rash?" He added, a note of panic in his voice.

Tina opened, then closed her mouth. It was probably better that he didn't know the truth.

"No," she lied, guilt roiling in her stomach like a ship in a storm, but the sheer look of relief on his face told her it was worth it.

And it might've been her fatigue.

It might've been his suddenly relieved expression.

Or it might've been her realisation that she had to get up early to go to work the next day, but Tina didn't ask him anything else.

Instead, to his surprise, she silently obeyed him, walked across the room and slipped under the covers of her bed.

She could've sworn she saw Newt blushing, but he turned around too fast for her to catch it. As he started making his way back to his and Jacob's room, she whispered softly to him.

"Thank you."

This seemed to catch him unawares, though he turned back and offered her a shy smile.

"Thank you, too."

Tina felt herself beaming, and eventually he spun round again and went back to his room.

Tina internally slapped herself. He hadn't told her the full story, and she hadn't asked him. She'd ask him again at breakfast tomorrow, when they were all a lot more refreshed.

For now, she let herself be annoyed by it, but couldn't bring her brain to think properly. Tina gingerly checked Queenie's bedside clock.

11:06 pm. No wonder.

She rolled over again and snuggled deeper into the warmth of the covers.

For now, Tina was happy.

And as for tomorrow...

Well, tomorrow could wait, for Merlin's sake.

Anyone notice she thought "Merlin"? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Ok, so I think I owe everyone an apology for not posting for a whole week. It's getting kinda hard to stick to my "every couple days" schedule, especially with school on now, so it might be a while until I release the next few chapters after Sunday. Well it's Sunday for me.

*inhales* for those of you who are wondering how Newt was confunded, I'll tell you the truth...

I don't know.

Yeah, I just wanted him to be placed under a confundus charm and I did it without thinking... so there's going to be a super unrealistic explanation for it... and I'm stalling because I haven't thought of one yet ;-; send help

It's called Finite because it's a spell for lifting a charm (confusing, I know (confundus!!!! (sorry, that wasn't funny))) and Newt finally gets the confundus charm lifted off him so... lol haha

Ok um eat some cookies