Into the Newtcase

Six

"Esther?" I called, cautiously creeping into the complex. I held Newt's briefcase in one hand, knowing that Newt was in there with his animals. He was their 'mummy'. It was adorable.

"Oh, Hazel, great!" Esther said, stepping into view, drying her hands on a towel. "I-"

"Esther, I have to cancel my lease."

"What?" Esther said, the puzzled smile frozen to her face. I took one of her hands. "I'm really, truly sorry, but something's come up, and it's huge. I need to go- you understand, right?"

Esther's smile turned sad. "That's all right, Hazel. It was nice to meet you. Your room is all the same. Your cat, and your case."

"Thank you," I said, setting Newt's case down. "Whose is that?" Esther asked. I grinned. "Oh, a friend of mine- they had to duck into a shop and asked me to just carry it for them."

Esther shrugged. "I'll roll with it."

I stepped into my room. Oliver sauntered to me, purring wildly. Where've you been, Hazel? He asked in indignation. That Esther girl fed me, but she didn't give me nearly enough!

I'm sorry, Oliver, I really, but we're going back to America, I said, grabbing my suitcase and tucking it under my arm, my breath hitching when I hit the case against my day old wound. The fur along Oliver's spine raised. You said no more boats!

I know, I'm sorry, but- it's to do with magic!

Oliver's gray eyes narrowed, unimpressed. Sure. As long as you get me one of those Kowalski treats.

I sighed. You're so spoiled, I chastised him as I picked him up. I walked into the hall where Esther was waiting and dropped my keys into her palm. "I'll wire you the money I owe you," she said.

"Thank you," I said in gratitude. "I'm sorry about this, truly."

I slipped into the hallway, down the stairs, onto the street, and into a public restroom. I locked the door behind me and set the case on the floor. I knocked on the top. It unlatched, and Newt crawled out. He turned crimson upon realizing where we were.

"So... this is what a woman's lavatory looks like, then?" He said, his face reminiscent of a lobster. I rolled my green eyes. "Sure, Newt. This is my cat. Oliver, Newt. Newt, Oliver. Great, we're friends. Oliver, in you go. Play nice."

I dropped the cat into Newt's suitcase, latched it close, flipped the Muggle-Worthy switch and handed it back to Newt. "I'm going to unlock the door, and we're going to Apparate to Massachusetts."

"Why aren't we going to take a boat?"

"It takes longer. We'd have to go in via Ellis Island, then take a train up. Trust me, this is faster. Ready?"

I reached over, unlocked the door, grabbed Newt's hand, and Apparated.

A moment later, we were standing in an abandoned shed. I stumbled- evidently Apparation while healing wasn't the best thought. An idea struck me. I drew my wand and pointed it at my side. The tip glowed, and the pain faded. Stowing the wand back in my trenchcoat, I took Newt's case from him, re-magicked it, and dropped my suitcase into it. Then I closed it, NoMajed it, and gave it back to Newt. I linked my arm through the crook of his elbow. He was taken aback. "What is this for?"

"If anyone asks, we're newlyweds who share a passion for this period of history. We're honeymooning, and that's that."

Newt turned beet red, but didn't argue. We strolled out of the shed as if it were perfectly normal, only to bump into a security guard. The guard turned around. "What do you think you're doing in there? This is a restricted area!"

My mind racing, I put on my ditziest smile. "I'm sorry, sir," I giggled. "I was just having some fun with my husband. We just got married!" Playing along with the whole thing, I pecked Newt on the cheek. He froze, but played along. "R-right," he managed, snaking his arm around my waist. I leaned my head on his shoulder and laughed dreamily. The guard sighed.

"Congratulations on your happiness or whatever, but please, stay away from here? The visitor's center is down that path."

"Okie dokie," I giggled. "Come along, honey!"

I pulled Newt off in the direction the guard has pointed us to. As we walked, Newt broke the silence. "You kissed me."

I nodded. "So I did. It seemed fitting."

"Did you enjoy it?"

I glanced at him askew. "It was just a smack on the cheek- was I supposed to enjoy it?"

"No one except my mum has ever kissed me before," Newt explained. Jesus, even the tips of his ears were turning red.

I shrugged. "Newt, I do like you. Only as a friend right now, but maybe it'll turn into something stronger later, who knows? But for now, we need to focus. Think. Where would the spirits stay in their off time?"

Newt frowned, watching as Pickett crawled out from the fold of his collar. Pickett said, My guess is that they'd be staying around where they died. Like, if one burned at the stake, their disembodied spirit would be hanging around where the stake used to be.

I relayed Pickett's idea to Newt, who considered it. "It's worth a shot," he admitted. "They're probably all dispersed- we need to ask Wisely how long they can survive disembodied before they fall."

Newt halted and looked into the woods intently. "There's a creature in there," he said, and he took off. I stood for a moment, perplexed, before chasing after him.