Crescendo: A Fantastic Beasts Newtina Fanfiction

Chapter 7

       Tina gently ran the tip of her wand over the Demiguise's wound, feeling Newt's gaze burning into her. She shifted uncomfortably, but continued her work. Her wand reached the end of the wound, and she took a step back, put her hands in her hips and looked on with satisfaction at her healing. Then she frowned slightly as a thought came across her mind. 

       "What's a Demiguise doing in a place like New York? We aren't far east enough, surely?", she asked Newt. The Magizoologist appeared to be in some kind of daze, his blue-green eyes focused hazily on something that only existed his mind. "Newt?"

       He snapped out of his trance, jerking his head backwards. He simply stared at her for a moment through his messy auburn hair before blinking and resting his gaze on the crates besides her instead. "So sorry, what was that?"

       Tina sighed irritably. First it was Apparating in a street chock-full of No-Majs, now this. Frustration surged through her. "Honestly, Newt! You of all people should know better than to Apparate on a street that's overflowing with No-Majs!". This was definitely not what she had said earlier, but her annoyance was bubbling to the surface. The last time he'd been to New York, he had gotten into trouble with MACUSA. She didn't want this time to be the same. "Do you know anything about the wizarding community in America?", she inquired icily. 

       "Teen," a voice behind her spoke. It was Queenie. "Go easy on him."  

       But Newt did not seem the slightest bit bothered. In fact, the corners of his lips were curving up faintly. Tina realized that those were almost the exact same words she had said to him last time, when his Murtlap had bitten Jacob. Evidently, he remembered, too. 

       "Well, I do know a few things, actually," he replied, grinning now. "I know that you have rather backwards laws on relationships with Muggles, you can't befriend them, you can't marry them, which seems mildly absurd to me..."

       Tina couldn't help but laugh. Those were the same words he had responded with last time, too. "Well, we might as well get going," she said after her laughter had faded away. 

       Newt set his case down on the ground, and flipped open the lid. The Demiguise drifted over, curious. Tina gave it a gentle nudge, and it seemed to know what to do. Descending into the magical case, it slipped out of sight. Newt closed the lid with a snap. 

       The foursome linked arms and Apparated, taking advantage of the empty alleyway. They appeared in front of the brownstones. Tina heard a familiar, squeaky chattering, and discovered the source of the noise to be Pickett. He was perched on Newt's raised wrist, head cocked at an arrogant angle and jabbering away angrily. 

       Newt sighed, although his eyes gleamed affectionately. "Pickett, I know you don't like Aparrating, but you're just going to have to get used to it, alright?" 

       This was met by more indignant chittering, and Newt, ignoring him, stowed him away back into the breast pocket of his peacock blue overcoat. They climbed the steps to the Goldstein sisters' home, and Queenie pushed open the door after inserting her key and twisting it. 

       Upon entrance, Jacob immediately collapsed on the couch. "Never again!", he wheezed, his face tinged green. Apparently Pickett wasn't the only one who disliked Apparition. 

       Newt set his case down on the floor. "I need to go down to check on the new Demiguise and feed the creatures. Does anybody want to join me? A tour for a tour?", his gaze met Tina's which were sparkling with excitement, and something else. Everyone wanted to go and see the creatures again, and they all  eagerly  said yes. They stepped down into the enlarged case, led by Newt. 

       When it was Tina's turn to go down the ladder, she found it rather rickety and unstable. Midway down, her footing slipped, and she fell backwards with a yelp. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact, but it never came. Instead, she found herself being steadied by a pair of gentle but firm arms. 

       Oh, no. This cannot be happening. Mercy Lewis, please tell me this isn't happening. 

       Tina opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Newt's face. He was inches away from her, so close she could have counted all his freckles if she wanted to. Which, she inexplicably, did want to do. Heart pounding wildly, she swallowed nervously. The air between them was thick with electricity. He was blushing furiously, and she was sure she was no different. Newt hastily let her go, and she took a step back, now leaving a foot of space between them. Her face was flushing, and both groped around in their minds for words to say. 

       Queenie and Jacob, who had gone down the ladder behind Newt, were standing nearby. "Well," Queenie said slyly, "Jacob has been wanting to see Dougal since forever, so we'll just be over there...", she winked at Tina, making her blush even harder, and grabbed Jacob's hand, hurrying both of them out the door of the shed.

       Tina and Newt were left alone in awkward silence. Their gazes flickered everywhere across the room, both avoiding the other. Finally, Newt spoke. "I er- need to feed the creatures," he muttered as he walked over to a counter by the wall. Tugging down a large hunk of raw meat that was hanging from a hook attached to the ceiling, he pulled out a large rectangular knife and began to chop it up into smaller pieces. He dumped them into a bucket, then held it out toward her. "Would you like to feed the Graphorns?", he asked nervously. "I mean-I'd understand if you'd rather not..." After all, most people didn't fancy tossing bits of raw meat to humongous, almost menacing, creatures. 

       "No, I'd love to," Tina replied awkwardly. Her response surprised him slightly. He hadn't been expecting her to accept his offer. She followed him out the door, and he paused briefly to stoop down and pick up another bucket on the way. 

       "For the Occamies," Newt explained. 

       The went their separate ways after they stepped outside of his shed, Tina heading for the Graphorns and Newt for the Occamies. As she approached the three creatures, she tried not to be intimidated. Even the baby Graphorn was taller than she was. Tina took a deep breath as they ran towards her. One of them tangled its tentacles around her neck. At first, she panicked, because she thought it was strangling her. But then she realized that it's hold was gentle, and that this must be a greeting. She reached out a wary hand, and patted its head. Then, Tina grabbed a piece of meat, and tossed it. The other two Graphorns scuffled playfully over it. She continued to feed them, until the bucket was empty.

       She looked over to where Newt was. As she watched him patiently feed the Occamies little bits of food, one at a time, a warm, aching tingle spread from a place deep inside her chest, to the tips of her fingers. Her mind felt clearer than it had ever been, and she suddenly realized. She realized what all the previously unknown feeling she'd experienced around Newt meant. She realized why she couldn't act like herself around him. She realized that she had begun to fall in love.