《 Skip a Beat 》

On your side

"Geeks."

Tina dutifully raised her hand and gave Theseus another vulgar gesture without peeling her eyes away from the page she was studying.

"Calm down. We're just bringing up sandwiches," he defended meekly. From behind him, Leta snorted, then pushed past her husband and into the room, clutching a brown paper bag.

Promptly after placing the bag on the ever-present wooden bedside, she patted Tina on the back and wryly told her, "That was hilarious."

The woman in question inclined her head slightly in thanks, not bothering to mask her grin at Theseus' miffed expression.

"Indulge yourselves," he murmured, gesturing towards the bag, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Leta's carefree smile began to fade as she realised what they were doing.

"Any luck, so far?"

Both Newt and Tina shook their heads. No, they hadn't found a seer with the initials J.D.V. yet. The stack of books Tina had brought in the previous day had divided in size- they only had a few more to read through.

Absorb any tidbits of relevant information they could- that was their plan. Day in, day out. Hearing the prophecy made them more determined to find out who made it, and realising Dumbledore's potential connection only fuelled them further.

Even after only one day of researching, it already felt like a routine. On occasion, Leta or Theo would pop in and help them for a bit. The latter had informed Leta, Queenie and Jacob of everything they found in the ministry, so all six of them were on the same page.

It was mostly with their help that Tina's stockpile of books was beginning to dwindle so quickly.

On Newt's left, Leta had firmly parked herself in a cushioned chair, already blazing through a copy of The Oracle of Palombo.

Newt yawned and set his book down on his lap, stretching his arms. Nick had spared him the small mercy of being able to keep his white shirt, vest and pants, instead of changing back into the white hospital gown. Newt was already beginning to feel more comfortable and at home, though it would be a little while longer before he could leave the hospital for good.

"Newt? Leta?" Tina mumbled, still refusing to tear her eyes from the page she was on.

"Mm?"

"Check this one out." She held the book open for them, and Leta leaned a twinge closer to squint at it. "Judith Voyce. Born in 1907."

Newt and Leta considered it for a moment, then glanced at each other, then back at Tina. Newt bit his lip in concentration.

"Wouldn't she have been... say, ten, when the prophecy was made? That's awfully young..." mused Newt finally, running a hand through his auburn hair to push his fringe back.

He'd found himself doing this a lot lately, he noticed absentmindedly. Six and a half months had taken its toll on him- he needed a haircut.

Leta indicated toward him.

"You're right," she agreed. "I found a 'Jerome Daphne' born in 1888, but-"

"- But he doesn't have a 'V' in his name," Tina finished for her. Leta gave her a nod.

"Exactly. This is getting frustrating." Leta rested her head on a fist. "Anyone want a sandwich? They're fresh," she enquired half-heartedly, trying to refresh the topic.

Tina and Newt each took a sandwich filled with crunchy lettuce and cheese, and the trio continued poring over their respective books.

There was a considerable amount of seers whose names began with 'J', Newt recognised subconsciously. More than he'd expected. Flipping through the yellowing pages, he wondered if they'd ever find J.D.V.