Fantastic Beasts Stories

Tina & Dumbledore: So... You and Newt, Yes?

“So... You and Newt, yes?” Albus inquires, sitting across from Tina in an inconspicuous restaurant.

The older wizard smirks and sips his giggle water, awaiting his companion's response. Tina is a smart young—younger, he reminds himself; she’s recently hit thirty years—woman, which is precisely the reason he pursued a professional relationship with her. He learned from his mistake; Newt would never willingly fight in a war unless it’s to end it immediately.

“What makes you say that?” the American Auror asks, rather smoothly, he might add.

Tina’s different. She understands the necessity of needing to strike against Grindelwald as soon as possible. Partly because of her sister, partly because of her Auror training.

“Oh, I don’t know. You two seem to give each other longing gazes from across the room quite often.”

Governments almost never hire people who aren’t willing to fight and follow the laws—except for Tina, it seems. She sacrificed her job, her financial well-being, all for Credence.

She raises her eyebrows at him, the tiniest of smiles on her lips as he tries to suppress his grin. “But I’m not wrong...” Albus trails off, letting his grin come to life.

And she’ll do it again in a heartbeat, as she confided in Albus one time. Since the future of her relationship with Newt is secure, she knows that she can afford to lose her job for the well-being of others. She’s learned to depend on someone for the first time in her life.

Tina sighs and tucks her hair behind her ear. There’s no getting around this, is there? “No, you’re not wrong.”

Albus grins smugly, taking a sip of his drink. “Newt should be arriving soon. Until then, I think I’ll need to keep interrogating you. As you know, I like to have fun. I’m also doing this for a real reason, though—this dinner.” By this point, he’s sobered up. “Newt knows me better than most people—except for... Grindelwald. I need someone to do for me what I can’t do for myself concerning him. I asked Newt since we already know each other but he rejected me outright.”

He sighed and Tina took a sip of her drink. “I don't know what I’ll be able to do, but I’ll try. Newt didn’t lose as much as I did to Grindelwald. He wouldn’t understand why we need to do this. I love him, but I love my sister, too. I was supposed to look out for her—keep her safe—but instead, she slipped away from me when I wasn’t looking.”

Albus is silent for a moment as he ruminates on his own failings concerning his sister. I was a fool in love.

“I know the feeling.” Tina looks up at him when he speaks. “I had a younger sister. When my mother died, I was the eldest and therefore responsible for her well-being. I was a terrible guardian. If I’d seen the person Grindelwald is, she might still be alive today.” Albus shifts forward in his seat. “You’re a good person, Tina. Don’t ever doubt that. There’s a reason I’ve turned to you. You know that protecting all the people that could be lost is why we fight. All of the sisters and brothers and sons and daughters.”

Tina swirls her drink around as she listens to Albus, and she remembers the good times she had with Queenie, but the bad too. “Newt is his own person. He chooses what to see and what not to see, just as he chooses what to learn and what not to learn. He can’t understand what we see because he’s the younger sibling. I’ve talked to Theseus. He understands our plight. I just don’t know how to explain all of this to Newt. He... he understands how important Queenie is to me, but he can’t fathom leading an attack on his forces to get to her.”

Tina sighs and downs her drink and Albus follows suit.

“Sorry I’m late,” Newt mumbles, barging into the somber moment. “Got caught up with the nifflers.”

Tina brightens when Newt sits down, causing Albus to smile. Love isn’t always perfect, but it makes life better.