The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

In Which Newt Collects an Arctic Fox

Newt Scamander was sitting alone in a booth at a pub when the barmaid came over and dropped a platter of food before him. He looked at the gamey rabbit meat and rice that she'd brought him and he cleared his throat for her attention. "Anything else I can get you?" she asked before she left. 

Newt smiled, "Y - yes, I was thinking of - of a nice tea, if you - you've got it?"

"Right away," the girl drawled and she walked away from the table, Newt Scamander turning in his seat quite obviously to watch her go, squinting after her.

"Was that the one?" came a whisper from the crack of the briefcase.

Newt shrugged, "I'm - I'm not s-sure."

The briefcase opened a little bit further and Tina pressed her face to the crack, her eye peering out, trying to see over Newt's leg. "Are there any other women working?" she asked.

"I ha-haven't seen any," Newt replied.

"That has to be her," Tina whispered.

"Qu-quite pretty," Newt nodded.

Tina looked up at him.

"Not that I - I noticed," Newt added, blushing. He looked down at his hands.

"She looks like she could take care of herself," Tina commented, "Like she's strong."

"Yes," Newt nodded. He sat back normally in his seat and reached over to pluck a leaf from a flower in a little vase on the table, which he sniffed and thoughtfully licked before making a face and dropping the leaf back into the vase.

Tina gave him a sharp glare. "Newt Fido - et cetera - Scamander. How many times have I told you not to lick things you don't know what they are?"

Newt looked down at her, "It might have b-been a useful h-her-herb," he explained.

Tina raised her eyebrow.

"Sorry," he said quickly.

Tina said, "Useful herb or not, stop licking things." She paused, then, "So the girl. Was she nice?"

"V-very polite."

"Do we approve?"

"D-Does it m-matter if we do?" Newt asked. "He seemed p-pretty certain th-that she wasn't - wasn't interested."

"Men don't know," Tina said dismissively.

Newt couldn't argue.

Tina sighed, "I wish I could come out there."

"Why don't you then?"

"Talk about shattering about 150 laws and statutes of secrecy," Tina said, "Appearing out of a little trunk like yours? In such a superstitious village as this seems to be?" She shook her head. "I'd end up tried and hanged in minutes for being a 'witch'." She did quotation marks in the air as she said the word witch.

"B-but you are - are a w-w-witch," Newt said.

"Yes but -- nevermind," Tina shook her head. "Just know we're coming back here on another night very soon, so I can meet her properly and see if I approve."

Newt nodded, then, "Hu-hush a - a mo', here sh-sh-she comes."

And the silver-haired girl returned, dropping a mug full of steaming tea, the leaves circling the bottom of the cup and turning the tea dark, steam rising up from the dregs. Newt cupped the mug in his palms and smiled up at her. "Anything else sir?" she asked.

Newt shook his head vigorously.

The girl walked away.

Tina's voice hissed from the briefcase the moment she was gone, "Oh she is adorable. And she called you sir. She has manners. I like her."