Fantastic Beasts Stories

Tina & Newt: The Butterfly of the Night Dies | "Little Fall of Rain"

Tina falls to the ground next to her little sister's motionless body, eyes wide and full of broken disbelief. They fill with tears that spill onto her cheeks mercilessly, and a strangled sob escapes her lips. Her face contorts to a visage of extraordinary pain and melancholy as she studies her sister's face through blurred vision.

"God, no..." she sobs. "God, why? God...please! Oh, Queenie, no, please, no!"

Her tears stain Queenie's pink garments as she leans over the formerly-bubbly witch's body; the Auror reaches out two shaking fingers and gently closes her little sister's glassy eyes, her bottom lip trembling as she cries.

Sobs continuously escape her lips as she slowly brings her sister's arms onto her abdomen to rest peacefully. Tina grasps her sister's hand in her own, and presses a kiss to the knuckles, holding it close to her heart for a few moments, the only sound her heartwrenching sobbing. She places Queenie's hand back and leans down to press a kiss to her sister's forehead.

"I love you," the brown-haired witch murmurs through her tears. "I love you, Queenie," she lets out a ragged sob, "with all of my heart. I miss you... I miss you... I miss you... I wish you didn't have to go..."

Newt kneels down beside her and pulls Tina into his arms without a moments hesitation. He combs his fingers through her hair soothingly and rubs her back as she cries, a truly broken woman.

He presses the occasional kiss on her head, as if desperately trying to make up for the love she's lost.

•••

Tina is sitting in Newt's lap in bed, laying on his chest. One of his hands gently combs through her hair, the other on her back, rubbing soothing circles. Her arms are looped behind his neck, and she's crying softly.

"Shhh..." Newt murmurs, pressing a kiss to her head.

This damn war should never have been fought. The death toll was high, and for Tina, had cost her Queenie. Her little sister. Her death had occurred a mere week ago, and Tina has had fits of tears at random times throughout the day and night since then.

Newt is always there for her, always scoops her up in his arms. He sometimes sings to her softly, sometimes tells her an improvised story, sometimes talks about his beasts and their mischievous ways. Sometimes, when her current bout of tears are subsiding he cracks a joke, making her laugh.

Every time one of her bouts ends, he presses a short kiss to her lips and tells her, "I love you," which always makes her smile.

"I can't believe she's gone, Newt," Tina manages between sobs.

"Neither can I."

"We--we were in it together. It was supposed to be Tina and--and Queenie against the world forever until--until the day we died."

"Shhhh... I'm right here," Newt murmurs softly.

"She--she told me that I would become the best--the best Auror MACUSA had ever seen, and that--that we would both meet guys who loved us for who we were on the inside. I--I guess she was right. But because I didn't believe her, she--she told me that one day, I would be standing at the altar on my wedding day and that--that she would tell me, 'I told you so.' Now--now she never gets to say it."

The Magizoologist holds his love close to his heart, combing his hands through her hair until her crying subsides.

"Do you know the song Little Fall of Rain, Tina?" he asks softly.

"Yes. My mother taught Queenie and I the lyrics when we were young. We sang it for Mama and Papa on their anniversary once..." she replies wistfully, lost in a memory.

"Would you like to sing it? My mother and father would sing it as a lullaby for some reason when I was a child."

"I'd like that."

"Eponine starts first, then Marius joins in," Newt explains.

"I know how it goes."

"Sorry."

Tina presses a kiss on his nose and starts singing, looking him in the eyes.

"Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius... I don't feel any pain... A little fall of rain... Can hardly hurt me now..." she sings. "You're here... That's all I need to know... And you will keep me safe... And you will keep me close... And rain will make the flowers grow..."

Newt joins in, also singing softly.

"But you will live, 'Ponine--dear God above... If I could close your wounds with words of love..."

"Just hold me now, and let it be... Shelter me, comfort me..."

Then, at the same time, Tina sings, "So don't you fret, M'sieur Marius..." while Newt sings, "Hush-a-bye, dear Eponine..."

Then, together:

"I/you don't feel any pain... A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me/you now..."

"I'm here," Newt sings, but it's so heavy with real emotion that sounds like he is simply telling Tina this information.

"That's all I need to know..." she sings.

Then, simultaneously once more, Tina sings, "And you will keep me safe... And you will keep me close..." while Newt sings, "And I will stay with you 'til you are sleeping..."

"And rain..." she sings, trailing off.

"And rain..." he repeats, and she yawns, laying on his chest once more and closing her eyes.

"Will make the flowers..." she sings softly, before drifting off to sleep.

"Will make the flowers..." Newt sings, and he notes that Tina's fallen asleep. "Grow..."

•••

"Little Fall of Rain" is sung by Eddie Redmayne and Samantha Barks in Les Misérables (2012).

This song tho... I've been listening to it on repeat a lot (with no context yesterday so I thought that Eponine and Marius were lovers, and I guess they aren't) and it made me start sobbing for some reason.

Also, this fic was inspired by a Newtina fic called "A Little Fall of Rain" by Panchali_P. I didn't wanna write this without crediting them for using the song first, so please go read it!