A New Beginning

△⃒⃘ _Chapter 9_△⃒⃘

Tina absentmindedly walked through the door to regroup at Flamel's house as she contemplated internally, self-assessing at the events that occurred previously. I'm in shock. The others, she's certain, presumably accepted that she was trying to be strong. Holding it in, gritting her teeth, set out to battle. However, it was far from the truth; she'd essentially shut down inside, and couldn't seem to find the will to snap out of it.

Theseus appeared to be in a similar state. Maybe it's an Auror thing, she thought, absently, as she watched him breakdown into a seat.  With adrenaline no longer supporting her, she was  scarcely mindful of her own boneless collapse onto the chaise near him. She's sure that everything should sting later, but she just felt the urge to ignore it still in shock.

It was Jacob, surprisingly who broke the silence. "So what now?" he asked, voice cracking a bit but his face the very image of determination, "what's the plan? We're going after him, right? We're gonna fight? Go get Queenie back?"

Tina felt her insides twisted even more at the mention of her sister's name. She felt betrayed by her choice.

"And Credence, and, also Nagini" she found herself talking after breaking out of her stupor and determinedly  stepped up next to Jacob. The Maledictus was quiet one and was fiercely attached to Credence and firmly on their side. Which is why it was quite a shock for her to choose to go with a stranger... But with the offer of breaking the blood curse on her, it's not  very surprising...

"We should talk to Dumbledore as soon as we can," Newt's gentle voice was a calming balm, "And tell him about the siblings- after all that woman is the soul mate of Grindelwald. And also about the images which she projected..."   After all if those images were to be true, then....

Tina had forgotten how soothing the soft timbre of Newt's voice could be, as it's been months since she'd last heard him speak- with the travel ban on him... She responded, "I'm not sure about the identity of the mysterious masked sibling but they were very powerful and dark. And not to mentioned, they seemed to opposed the muggles with what being shown by that woman.  I'm not sure even Dumbledore can take them on. If it was only Grindelwald then, he might... So long as he stopped refusing to fight him..."

Hearing them mentioning about the siblings, Theseus break away from his stupor and looked at them. Who're those siblings. We don't need another powerful people joining Grindelwald... But those images were very disturbing...

"I  also need to ask him about this," Newt held up the pendant the niffler had stolen. "It might be the key to Grindelwald's defeat."

But unknown to themselves, a seed of doubt has been silently planted in their mind. A seed which will soon grow and shake their core beliefs.

"It's late," Flamel spoke up from where he'd been silently hovering in the corner of the room like a ghost, his tone both gentle and somehow commanding. "Daylight is still hours away, and you should all rest. You are of course welcome to stay here."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Yusuf replied when nobody else did.Tina had, as a matter of fact, totally overlooked Kama. 

She didn't know why he followed them, but he'd battled alongside her- his wand dropped into the ground next to hers- and so she supposed he had earned  some sort of, at any rate, tentative trust. And, if she were to honest with herself, right now,she just truly couldn't have cared less why he was there.

Tina's head automatically spurned toward a light thump which ringed in the room and found that  Newt  has put his case down on the floor and opened it.  "I need to see to this little fellow," Newt smiled gently as he looked at the injured niffler still cradled in his coat, "I'll be in my case if, um, anyone needs me." His eyes met hers briefly before they turned away, his gaze falling and holding on his brother instead. He frowned, "Or, um, if...anyone else needs...patching up."

The echo of his steps into the case soon faded, but he had left the lid open in silent invitation. It was then that she noticed what Newt obviously had moments earlier. "Theseus," she called in a croaking whisper, "you're bleeding."

There was a bright line of crimson oozing across the other Auror's neck, a sharp contrast against the collar of his white shirt.

A bright line of crimson was oozing across the British Auror's neck making a sharp contrast against white collar of his shirt. Theseus averted his gazed away from her, "It's nothing," he insisted, "just a scratch, I'm fine."

"Maybe so," she glanced at his face, attempting to meet his eyes, "but you should let your brother patch you up anyway. I think...I think you both could use it."

Theseus finally look at her; his eyes meeting hers and looking at her for a long moment, his expression inscrutable, before wordlessly standing and descending into the suitcase. He closed the lid behind him.

Tina felt prepared to collapse from just that small amount of focused communication, until she recalled that she'd already done that. 

Tina felt the need to collapse from just that little amount of focused communication, until she remembered that she'd already done that. Right. She and Theseus hadn't even been properly introduced - it was no wonder he'd looked at her oddly, but fighting for your lives together seemed to somehow make introductions somewhat pointless. She hoped he and Newt could offer each other some sort of comfort as they grieved for the woman they'd both loved...in whatever ways they'd loved her. She bit her lips and frowned as she thought about Leta.

As if reading her thoughts about grieving (no, not grieving, she's still alive!) the same person, Jacob seemed to suddenly appear at her side out of nowhere (quite a feat considering he couldn't apparate), and collapsed down next to her. Neither spoke for a long moment.

"We're gonna get her back," Jacob broke the silence, taking her hand as he said it. His hand was warm, and it made her aware of how cold her own fingers were in contrast. Was she cold? She couldn't tell. It was so difficult to feel anything. "She's not gone for good, Tina."

Tina wonder how he could still believe that when her sister had so determinedly walked away from him and all of them (from her!) without any hesitation and looking back at them. "She made her decision, Jacob," she replied tonelessly.

Maybe if she repeated it in a clinical, detached tone, she would not be hurt as much as she'd been feeling now by her betrayal.

"No," he said, firmly. "No, see, I don't accept that. He's brainwashin' her, trickin' her! Queenie would never go along with that madman if he hadn't promised her exactly what she wanted. We have to find her, and talk to her - make her see that he's lying."

Tina had no response. The hurt was still too strong, too much. Jacob, seeming to sense this, let the subject drop and continued to sit next to her in silence.

They had no clue that as Grindelwald rose with the aid of the twins, they lives will altered significantly and their core belief will be shaken, without any turning back....