oblivioni traditæ

Salamandra

Tina rolled over, raising a hand to rub her eyes. She stifled a yawn and pushed herself up, leaning against the headboard.

Something happened last night, she thought sleepily. She let herself slide back under the covers, burying her nose in the fabric. Suddenly, she pulled away, startled. It smells like Newt, she realized. Newt was here last night. I had a nightmare and he came to comfort me.

Then the dream came back to her and she buried her face in her pillow, trying not to think about it. Just then, a knock came from the door. 

Newt shuffled his feet as he waited for a response.

"Tina?" he called softly.

Her muffled voice came through the door a moment later.

"Come in."

Newt breathed a sigh of relief as he pushed the door open. Tina sat up again and turned to look at him. He noticed the haunted look in her eyes.

"Good morning, Tina. How are you?"

She managed a smile. "I'm okay."

He moved over to her and carefully to a seat on the edge of her bed. Raising a hand, he gently touched her jaw with the back of his index finger. She watched him, wide-eyed.

"Your eyes say otherwise," he murmured.

She lowered her gaze to the blankets, quickly raising her own hands to rub her eyes. He moved his second hand up to join his first, taking her face in his hands. Then he shifted closer to her, gently pressing their foreheads together.

"It was just a dream," he whispered.

"But it wasn't, was it?" she asked, pulling away slightly. "It actually happened, didn't it?"

"Not really," Newt said. "I mean, some of it did. You were in Paris, looking for Credence--"

"Credence?"

"The Obsurial."

"Oh, right," she muttered. She leaned forward again, resting her forehead against his and letting out a quiet sigh.

"Well, you were in Paris and you were in the Mausoleum. There was a lot of blue fire but it didn't touch you. I promise it didn't swallow you." Newt lowered his hands to her shoulders. "You're still here, aren't you?"

Tina nodded slightly. "I suppose." She hesitated. "Then who did it get?"

Newt sighed. "A lot of Aurors -- British and French Aurors."

"Oh."

The two of them fell silent. Closing their eyes, they sat motionless for several minutes. Then Newt pulled away.

"Get up and get dressed. Then come downstairs and have your breakfast. You slept in this morning and there's someone here to see you."

Tina looked up, surprise written across her face. "Who?"

Newt offered her a smile. "You'll see."

He left the room. Shoving the covers off of herself, she slipped out of bed and changed into her regular clothes. She tugged on her shoes and left her room, making her way down to the kitchen.

"Queenie!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, Teen," her sister replied. She grinned up at her sister from her seat at the table. Newt set some food in front of the chair beside her. Tina took a seat and began to eat her breakfast.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Newt called me. He said you had a nightmare last night."