Those Days [Newtina]

Chapter 33: Diffindo

Tina gently took his hand, and even though they were both wearing gloves, Newt felt her warmth seeping through him.

He pulled her off the bench and lead her towards the ice. She wobbled slightly, adjusting to walking in ice-skates, as they started towards the lake, but quickly gained her balance.

Jacob and Queenie were holding hands with each other to stay upright and were now gently gliding across the lake, stumbling every couple metres or so, but laughing it off before trying again.

Tina tore her gaze from them and focussed on Newt instead. His head was bowed- just slightly- and he was watching the pair laughing together at something Jacob said.

Newt sensed her eyes settle on him and felt red creeping up his neck. They reached the edge of the lake.

"Ready?"

His hand never left hers as he stepped into the ice. Tina followed suit a moment later, wobbling a little. The pair faced each other on the lake. Newt awkwardly dropped her hand.

"Well, you haven't fallen over yet."

Tina suppressed a laugh, but she wasn't able to stop herself from smiling.

"I haven't started skating yet."

"Right. Well, uhh... do you want to... um..." he trailed off.

"Yes. I'd love to," she replied, a smile spreading itself across her face.

Newt spent the next few minutes showing her how to skate properly. Tina was right- she was a slow learner, but she improved a surprising amount after just five minutes. Tina was able to, with help, complete a whole lap of the lake without falling.

"One skate in front of the other- that's it... no, don't look down, Tina. That won't help."

Newt encouraged her lap after lap, holding both her hands and skating slowly, but smoothly backwards so he could face her.

"You're almost there... for the third time... there!"

They sailed past the bench where Tina had started and continued off around the lake again.

Tina tried not to look at her skates- that wouldn't help- so she held her attention on Newt... again.

He'd taken her gloved hands in his again and pulled her gently along as he skated backwards, his pure white skates spraying chips of ice every couple turns. Newt moved so smoothly, barely faltering a step as his skates slid perfectly one after another on the ice.

She supposed that he went ice-skating often, he did live in England after all, but Newt's movements were so swift, so flawless...

Tina glanced behind her and found that their skates were leaving behind four thin lines on the ice.

As she turned round again, her right skate slipped. She wrenched her hands from Newt's hoping that would somehow save her as her feet slid from underneath. She knew she was going to fall. There was nothing she could do about it.

Tina scrunched her eyes shut and steeled every muscle, bracing for impact...

But it never came.

She carefully opened her eyes again. They had stopped skating, and Newt's strong arms were wrapped around her as she flimsily tried to regain her balance.

Tina eventually managed to stand upright, and his hands gently slid away from her as they stood facing each other, breaths mingling in the cool winter air.

"Are- are you okay?"

Despite the chill, both of them had flushed cheeks.

Tina swallowed. Twice.

"Yes. I'm fine."

Newt noticed the absence of any sound of skates on ice and looked to his right. Queenie and Jacob were sitting together on the bench, arms around each other. Jacob saw his gaze and gave him a wink.

Newt smiled meekly and turned back to Tina.

"That was the first time you fell in twenty minutes."

Tina let out a breathy laugh.

"Yes. And- Uhh, thank you."

They locked eyes.

"Don't mention it."

Tina's gaze flickered from his eyes to his freckles. Then his mouth.

And slowly, so slowly... she leaned in... just an inch.

Then she came to her senses.

What on earth are you doing, Tina?

You don't know what he wants!

And you only met him a year ago!

So instead, she watched the lake again.

"Do you think you can skate... by yourself?"

Tina turned back to face him.

"Yes. Well, I'd like to try."

So she did.

Newt skated by her side, slowing down every so often so she could catch up, and she only stumbled once, but regained her balance quickly. When they reached the bench for the fourth time, Newt cut cleanly to a stop. Tina ended in a slightly choppier manner, but managed to stay upright.

"There you are! C'mon, we need to start decorating for New Year's Eve! It's already afternoon..." Queenie grinned at them as they unlaced their skates.

She fell silent for a moment, sensing that something was on their minds. Then she gasped quietly and beamed.

"Aw, that's really cute!"

Newt and Tina froze. Then realised what she was talking about.

"QUEENIE!"

Queenie! Haha lol. Here's the last chapter for today, since I'm about to go out for dinner.

SUPER FLUFFY! YAY! If you think this was fluff, then you have a whole lot more coming your way... trust me ;)

So I was stupid and I used the ONE ice spell I could find in another chapter ;-; so this one is called Diffindo because it's a spell Harry uses to break some ice on the Deathly Hallows. And ice skating, sooo...

yeah okay.

I need to go now qwq

Cateye992, out!