Chapter 1

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       Tina sighed and glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand. It read 1:24. She turned over onto her side, hoping that it would be more comfortable. Within minutes she had flopped over onto her back again, sighing once more. The American witch just couldn't sleep tonight. It wasn't that she wasn't tired. It had been an exhausting day at work, and all she wanted to do was shut her hers and be transported off to another world. But no, sleep just wouldn't come for her. She stared at the ceiling, playing with the hem of her pajamas abesent mindedly. Then she grunted decisively and tossed her blankets away onto the floor, and heaved her tired self out of bed.

       Tina stepped into the kitchen, and turned a lamp on, without magic, since she had left her wand on her nightstand, and a mundane task such as that didn't require magic anyway. She headed over to a cabinet and opened it, taking out a box of cocoa powder. She then proceeded to boil a pot of water. If it had been Queenie, her sister would have insisted in making hot chocolate from scratch, but in Tina's opinion, this way was much more simple and easy, and the results were still the same: delicious, comforting hot chocolate. She grabbed a mug, and checked on the pot of hot water. It was bubbling by now. Tina quickly tuned the stove off, and poured some steaming water into the mug. After rummaging around the kitchen to find a spoon, she transferred some cocoa powder into her mug, and swirled it around. Breathing in the warm scent of her drink, she let out a contented sigh. She sat down at the polished kitchen table and gazed around. 

       The Goldsteins' kitchen was a modest place, with a Victorian vibe to some of the furnishings. Along one wall was the stove, sink, and various cabinets both up high and down low. In the middle of the room sat the table, which was seated for four. Tina sat at one end of the table, which was her usual spot. The opposite wall held several paintings, and the below the paintings was a dresser, on which a complete volume of Chadwick's Charms currently rested. Tina had bought those. It was easy to distinguish which sister had done which bit of decorating. Queenie, for example, cared much more about her appearance, and to demonstrate this, several of her beauty magazines had been left face-down on the table. Tina, on the other hand, opted for more practical things, such as books with knowledge on how to improve spell work.

       Tina wrapped her cold hands around the mug, and took another sip of her hot chocolate. She hadn't added whipped cream, or peppermint sticks, or even marshmallows. She preferred her drinks the same way she was. Simple. Tina had never minded being simple. Simplicity meant practicality, and those were two things she loved. Almost every thing she owned was simple, from her wardrobe to her wand to her personal items. And she was happy that way. But every now and then, she wondered if she should try to be more like Queenie, more beautiful, more social, and with more flair. 

       The brunette witch was separated from her thoughts as she heard a sound. She looked up to see an owl at the window, impatiently tapping on the window with a claw. Tap, tap, tap. A letter was tied to its leg. Tina hurried out of her chair and towards the window. 

       Who could it possibly be?  She rarely received letters. As she carefully opened the window, the owl fluttered in and perched on the windowsill, holding out its leg. Tina fumbled with the string, and the letter fell loose. She took it and spread it flat on the kitchen counter.

       Tina,

       I wanted to let you know that I've finished my book. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I'll be coming to America on November 20th, by ferry, to deliver your promised book. I hope to see you at the docks.

                                                                                                                                Newt

       Tina glanced up excitedly, her heart pounding. Newt was coming to America. She was going to see Newt again. It had been a year since his departure, and their goodbye at the docks. Neither of them had been in contact with the other since then. She looked down at the letter again. His handwriting was slightly messy, but it had a neat, composed aura to it. He'd only written four sentences. Tina felt a stab of unexplainable dissapointment, but she shook it off. Why did she care about the amount that he wrote? In fact, why was even looking forward to the prospect of seeing him again? Tina swallowed hard, trying to sort out her thoughts. She hoped that Newt didn't write more lengthy letters to Leta Lestrange. 

       Leta Lestrange?!  Where had that thought come from? All Tina knew about the mysterious girl was that she had been something more of a friend to Newt at Hogwarts, and that Newt carried a framed photograph of her around in his case. An unknown, burning feeling welled up inside her stomach, one that she'd never felt before. Was it jealousy? No, it couldn't be. Why would she be jealous? After all, she and Newt were only acquaintances, having only spent a few days together. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't even sure he wrote to Leta. Tina was sure that Queenie knew more about the topic, being a Legilimens and all, but she didn't want to press. 

       A hoot brought her back to reality. The owl was still perched on the windowsill, and it ruffled it's feathers importantly, reminding Tina that she still had to give Newt her response. She hurried over to the dresser and pulled out a drawer, where the parchment was kept. A quill sat next to her volume of Chadwick's Charms, along with a ceramic inkwell. Collecting up the necessary items, she walked back over to the table and sat down.

       Newt,

       That's wonderful news! I'll meet you by the docks on the 20th, then. I look forward to reading your new book. 

                                                                                                                                    Tina

       She hesitated, then added, how long are you planning to stay in New York? The owl fluttered over to land in front of her. Tina rolled up her letter and tied it to the owl's leg. Her letter was just as short as his, but she didn't know what else to right. Hopefully she wouldn't come off as abrupt and unwelcoming. She sighed. The owl blinked at her. 

       Stroking its feathers, she murmured to herself, "I just don't know what to think..."

       She was sure there had been something more the day Newt left to go back to Britain. Their goodbye had meant something more than two people who had bonded over a disaster, reluctant to see the other leave. Tina remembered the sharp ache that pierced her chest as Newt walked up the ramp. When he had paused, her heart had leapt into her throat, only to fall back into its rightful place once she saw him continue on. She'd had so many mixed emotions and thoughts on that day, but what about him? What did he think? Could he have possibly felt anything? Reliving that day in her memory, Tina had remembered the silent plea that had marched through her mind. She had wanted him to stay. Looking back on it, she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was just because of their similarities. Yes, that sounded about right. That was all it was.

       Feeling slightly more assured and confident, Tina carried the owl over to the open window, and gave it a boost on its way out. She watched as its bobbing, dark shape disappeared into the starless night sky.




Well, that's my first fanfiction that I've written in a while. It's also my first Fantasitc Beasts one. Kind of bad, but I'd like to think my writing's improved. Leave a comment or a star if you feel up to it! This chapter was 1,337 words, not bad, but I'll try to make them longer. I'll update every day or two days. Thanks for reading!

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