Thirteen • Leaky Cauldron

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Walking with Newt back past the many shops and wizarding folk you stumbled and nearly fell. Catching yourself before you stumbled into someone who was trying to cross the street ahead of you. Newt instinctively reached out and caught you around your waist, as he pulled you away from the black hooded figure. Your back was pressed into his chest and his case dangled in front of you.

Without a second glace the passerby just continued on there way, yet as they passed you notably saw a glimmering crudely cut red stone that resembled that of a disembodied heart, beating on its own in the sunlight.

You stood for a moment in shock in Newt's arms as you waited for your heart to stop racing.

As you felt Newt's body relax against your own, you stepped away from his grasp. You still didn't know the man, you had to stop loosing track of your emotions.

You walked ahead of Newt to the Leaky Cauldron. You could not get over your embarrassment. Newt must have taken you for a fool by this point. You couldn't do anything right when he was near you.

You walked into the pub and immediately spotted the man you had hopped to speak to.

"Norton!" The burly man called at the sight of Newt, as he walked to your side as he entered the dimly lit tavern.

In a sudden burst of energy out of the elderly man, he stood and limped over to you and Newt. The man's massive stature and grizzled, greying beard made him look like he belonged in another world or time. His wise green eyes hidden slightly under shaggy eyebrows turned up as he smiled furiously in your direction.

"Good to see you uncle." You said to the massive man dressed in fur pelts.

"Haven't seen you since your parents wedding! How're ya? Got yourself a man, I see." The gravelly voiced man said with a hearty laugh.

"We're working together on a case for the ministry." You retorted, trying to defended yourself.

"Well either way Norton here is a good man. You would be doing yourself a favour getting with him." The man said with a joking nudge to Newt who just looked down at the dirty bar floor with a bright red hue to his cheeks that he attempted to hide with his messy hair.

"Yes. You had a huge unnecessary grin the hole time and refused to talk to anyone." You said to your uncle with a slight smile as you stole another glace at Newt.

"I told ya, I had a niece that you would like." Marty said, with a loud bellowing laugh.

"You only mentioned her a few times." Newt mumbled.

"And now look at ya!" Marty said as put one of his meaty arms around your shoulder and the other around Newt's as he guided the two of you to a table in the darkest corner of the room.

Taking a seat across from your uncle, Newt sat beside you and put his hand on your leg for an instant.

"You didn't need to know about that." He whispered as he looked up and across the table to Marty.

"How've you been Norton?" Marty asked as he flagged over the bar maid.

"It's Newt, sir. And I have been well, thanks." Newt said with a nervous tense of his entire body.

He was uncomfortable? But you were told, by Newt himself that the two men were friends.

"So what brings you to me?" Marty asked.

"Our case, it's about the recent destruction of properties by beasts." You stated as professionally as you could.

"I see. So you think you can get me to squeal to the ministry about my work? The answer, before you even ask is no." Marty said as he downed the last of his drink that the bar maid had taken him.

"Please? I'm not going to say I got information from you I swear. It's confidential. I swear upon the name of my pureblood family." You said, as you tried to convince the man of not throwing you out, like he had when he found out you had gotten a job with the Ministry.

"I can take your word for it, you are my blood. Him on the other hand..." Marty said as he shot an untrusting, almost acussing look at Newt.

"I won't, you can trust me, believe me." Newt said, at a loss of words.

"Prove it." Marty said with an amused glint in his eyes.

"How do you suggest I do that?" Newt asked.

"Does she trust you?" Marty asked the smaller man.

"Does who trust me, sir?" Newt asked.

"Poppy." He asked.

"I'm not sure? I only just met her." Newt said a bit lost.

"Then why should her sister, Norton? You shouldn't betray them. They have been through more than you will even know. Hurt them and you may not ever live to hurt someone again." Marty said, as he stood and placed a folded piece of parchment on the table.

"That should be all you need to know. Be safe." Marty said as he nodded to you and made his way out of the tavern.

Picking up the piece of parchment from the table you unfolded it and read through the contents.

"I can't read it." You stated.

It was some sort of language you couldn't understand. The writing itself was small and neat.

"Let me see it." Newt suggested as he put out his hand out as to take it.

Passing him the sheet he looked it over. Then with shock and disgust he set the page back down on the table.

"What did it say?" You asked.

"There's a beast fighting league. The culprit of these attacks are somehow related to it by the sounds of that letter." Newt said as he looked as though he had just seen someone get stabbed.

"Newt-" you began.

"Save it. We just need to help these poor terrified and abused creatures, they don't deserve this." Newt said as you could just see the hatred radiating off him.

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