Newt Scamander and the Werewolf Pup

You Are A Traitor, Mr. Veigler

You Are A Traitor, Mr. Veigler

"Alohamora!"

Tina and Newt ran about to the cages, unlocking them, letting the children out. Tina counted them, touching their heads, making sure they had thirty-seven accounted for - thirty-eight, counting Bradley - and when they were absolutely certain they were all there, Newt put the briefcase onto the floor and unbuckled the locks. "Hurry; hurry. Off - off you go." Newt looked up, "One of us needs to go with them," he said. What he meant was for Tina to get into the briefcase.

"It should be you," Tina said.

"M-me?" Newt asked, his face folding in disapproval, "Why - why would it be me?"

"Because these children need medical care some of them, you're better at that than I am," Tina said.

"But we've got to - to get away from a pack of dangerous werewolves and --"

"And I'm just as qualified to duel as you are," Tina reminded him, "I was an auror, after all."

Newt stared at her.

"Go. Take care of these children, Newt. They need you."

"But - but you - you might need me, too."

Tina reached out and put her hand on Newt's cheek and he closed his eyes at her touch, then opened them up to look at her. She was the only person on the planet that could have put her hand on his face - anyone else and he would've folded into a quivering mass of anxiety. His eyes were watery as he looked up at her.

"Teeny..."

"Go."

Newt hesitated.

"Go."

He turned to the briefcase - the children were almost all inside now. He beckoned for Bradley, "Here you, uh, you are, Mr. Baker," he said and he held out his hand to help Bradley climb down into the briefcase. He turned and stepped in himself, and just before he disappeared within, he stared at Tina for a long moment. "Prom-promise me you'll - you'll be okay."

"I promise."

He stared at her, his eyes moist and lower lip trembling against his teeth a moment, then he said, "Teeny, I love you."

"I love you, too, Mr. Scamander."

His throat ached and he ducked into the case.

Tina shut it fast and clicked the hinges and stood up, lifting it with her. She drew a deep breath, then promptly choked on the filth in the air and hurried out of the dungeon, back into the main part of the house. She hurried through the kitchen, her eyes flickering to a horrible portrait of the man, Tom Riddle - Voldemort - which hung on the wall. She made a face at it and ran for the door.

There was no telling where the Gorgon had gone, where the Centaurs and Giants and Goblins had gone. The dementors hissed and seethed as Tina ran past them, holding her wand high, the glowing patronus filling the air above her as she went, ducking past the bones and back into the trees. She needed to get back to the village, where she could apparate, and get them out of there...

She bolted down the path that led away from the house, figuring it was clear so it was faster to run and the wolves were somewhere among the trees, and so she could see if they were ahead of her this way, could see what was behind her. It felt safer. So she ran as hard as she could.

Until she heard a yelping cry through the trees.

One she recognized.

"Ned," she whispered, and she paused in her running, staring in the direction it had come from.