ATLAS || N. SCAMANDER

{sixteen}

ROOFTOP

Atlas sits on the edge of the rooftop, overlooking the city that never sleeps. Her thoughts buzz around her head, growing louder and louder. The doubt that she would ever be done running from MACUSA after all this - whatever it was - was done and over with. Maybe everything would be fine. She would go and live in a nice, small house with Maeve, resign from her job, and live off her mother's inheritance. Yeah, that sounded nice. To just get away from it all and just - no. She couldn't. Even if she could, Atlas knew she wouldn't be happy. But she had to do it. It'd be torture to not be able to travel as freely as she did, but it'd be worth it. Maeve would be safe and that's all that really matters.

"Gnarlak!" Tina's shout shakes Atlas from her reverie, making her grasp onto the ledge she sat on in fear. "Tina!" Atlas exclaims, backing away from the edge. "What the heck was that?"

Tina grows excited, looking back and forth from Atlas to Newt in a frantic manner. "Gnarlak - he was an informant of mine when I was an Auror! He used to trade in magical creatures on the side-"

Newt cuts her off, looking at her in curiosity, "He wouldn't happen to have an interest in paw prints, would he?" Tina looks directly at him, "He's interested in anything he can sell."

THE BLIND PIG
OUTSIDE

Tina leads the group down a back alley that's littered with bins, crates, rubbish, and discarded objects. She walks down a set of steps leading to a basement apartment and motions them to follow her. Atlas spares Tina a look of confusion. The stairs led to a dead end.

"You brought us to a dead end?" Atlas questions, raising an eyebrow. Queenie winks at her before turning to face her sister. They raise their wands and their work clothes are replaced by flapper party dresses. Atlas drops her head to the side as the sisters turn toward the poster. She leans against the banister, studying the wall carefully. The eyes of the woman move upward, following Tina's every move. She slowly knocks on the door four times. An impressed sound makes its way out of Atlas' mouth and her eyes flick towards Newt, who magics a small bow tie on his neck.

A hatch opens and the painted eyes are ripped back, revealing a suspicious guard. Atlas rolls her eyes, raising her wand and changing her outfit.

THE BLIND PIG
INSIDE

Atlas steps into the establishment, her pale pink dress brushing up against her thighs. "I knew I should've opted for the tights," she mumbles, kicking up dust as she walks. She turns her head slightly and squints at the posters on the walls.

GELLERT GRINDWALD: WANTED FOR NO-MAJ SLAYINGS IN EUROPE

When Atlas looks back at the group, they've already gone ahead. She jogs to catch up, dodging servers with trays and others, mainly goblins. "How do I get a drink in this joint?" Jacob asks, looking around. A thin bottle of a brown liquid flies toward him. He catches it, seemingly stunned. A house-elf gives him a look, questioning him. "What? Ain't you ever seen a house-elf before?"

"Oh, no, yeah, of course, I have," Jacob stutters while trying to appear nonchalant. "I love house-elves."

"My uncle's a house-elf."

The elf gives Jacob an unimpressed look. Before Queenie interjects, "Eight shots of gigglewater and a lobe blaster, please." The elf shuffles off to get her order and a few minutes later, the drinks she requested are on a tray in front of her. Jacob reaches out to take a shot, but Queenie asks him a question before he can drink. "Are all No-Majs like you?" Atlas downs a shot of giggle water, giggling, then moving away from the pair, opting to give them whatever privacy they could get in the crowded place. She spots Newt and Tina at a table, so she swiftly moves over to them.