It was night. It was also 1945. The group was leaving for Austria tomorrow as planned. Once they arrived via portkey, Newt and Tina would have to split up to storm Nurmengard in their respective teams, so tonight was the last time they would be able to spend in only each other’s company. Newt had just finished taking a bath and putting on a pair of pajamas, and Tina was letting her hair air dry (Newt always said that it curled beautifully when she let it, so why not?) from her bath before him. Tina sighed, brushing through her hair, and she set the brush down on the dresser, frowning.
The Auror watched Newt come over to her in the mirror, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his head in her shoulder. He breathed in her scent, familiar and comforting, and his thumb rubbed soothing circles on her abdomen.
“Newt,” she whispered. “Are you scared?”
There was a moment of melancholy silence before he raised his head, meeting her eyes in the mirror.
“Absolutely terrified,” he answered with a ragged sigh.
“You’re worrying again…” Tina mustered up the strength to tease and smile. She had to be strong. For them. For the fate of the world.
She turned around in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, studying his eyes.
“Of course I am,” Newt replied genuinely, moving his hand from her lower back to brush his thumb along her cheek. “I love you, and I have to let you go without a guarantee that we’ll see each other again. I -- I don’t know if I could bear the pain of losing you. I’ve never -- I’ve never loved someone as I love you.”
She pressed her forehead against his and they closed their eyes, Newt moving his hand back down to the small of her back.
“I love you, too, and I don’t want to leave you, but we don’t have a choice. What kind of people would we be if we did nothing?”
“Horrible people. Bystanders,” he responded after a moment of silence.
“Exactly,” Tina sighed, burying her face in the crook of his neck, and he rested his head on her shoulder.
A comfortable silence ensued for a while before Newt broke it.
“We should dance,” he whispered.
Tina lifted up her head in surprise. “What? Just out of the blue you wanna dance?”
“Well, what better way to start the night? I have a song in mind, if I may.”
Tina cocked her eyebrow with a smile, and Newt took out his wand, giving it a little flick. After tucking it away, he laced his hands together at the small of her back before starting to slowly sway with his fiancée.
Gonna take a sentimental journey
Gonna set my heart at ease
Gonna make a sentimental journey
To renew old memories
“What’s this song called?” Tina asked with a laugh as Newt spun her in a slow circle.
“ Sentimental Journey by Doris Day. It’s a muggle song and I’ve been hearing it everywhere. It’s become an earworm of mine, actually, and I thought it would make a good song to dance to.”
“How observant of you, Mr. Scamander.”
Newt scoffed in mock offense. “I can be quite observant, thank you very much.”
Tina laughed and pressed a kiss to his lips.
Got my bag, got my reservation
Spent each dime I could afford
Like a child in wild anticipation
Long to hear that all aboard
“You know, this part reminds me of you a bit,” Tina pondered aloud. “I love the smile that traveling into the unknown puts on your face. I… we’ll have to take pictures during our honeymoon.”
“Definitely. And you know what I’m going to do the whole time?”
She groaned, rolling her head to the side. “What…?”
“I’m going to keep saying salamander eyes. I want to see how long that can go on until you hate the compliment.”
She snorted. “As if I could ever hate it! You’re too cute for that to happen. But good luck trying.”
Seven, that's the time we leave, at seven
I'll be waitin' up at heaven
Countin' every mile of railroad track
That takes me back
“Tina, if I… if I don’t come back, I’ll… I’ll be waiting up in heaven for you. Just like the song says.”
They stopped swaying and Tina’s eyes opened wide in shock.
“Don’t -- don’t say that, Newt. We’ll make it back, you have to believe that.”
She pulled him in for a hug, tangling her hand in his hair, an engagement ring on her ring finger.
“I love you. So much ,” Newt told her, holding Tina close.
She was silent for a while, debating what she should say, eventually settling.
“I love you, too.”
Never thought my heart could be so yearny
Why did I decide to roam
Gotta take that sentimental journey
Sentimental journey home
They led each other to bed as the last rays of the sun disappeared, all murmured, I love you ’s and encouragement. The couple spent the night together, waking up early in the morning to sun-kissed skin and liquid brown eyes.
Little did they know, this was the ending of a
Sentimental journey...
YOU ARE READING
A Sentimental Journey
FanfictionNewt and Tina's journey through the years. AU. TW: Major character death.
