Those Days [Newtina]

Chapter 31: Rictusempra

"Mina! You're back! How did it go?"

Tina could hear Lesley Mina, who recently returned from her first ever mission, chattering to a few of her fellow Aurors, including Foxton.

Everyone at MACUSA was feeling relaxed and airy. In ten minutes, she would be free for the rest of the year.

Everybody had been counting down the hours on their watches until the last day of work ended, including Tina. She loved her job, but it became more difficult even for her toward the end of the year. Queenie was constantly telling her that her work was weighing down on her and affecting her mood. Usually, by around mid-November, Tina was inclined to agree.

Smiling to herself, she slid file after file out of the shelves and placed them in a large box. Queenie was downstairs, clearing away far less clutter due to her part-time job.

Someone poked their head around her door.

"Goldstein?"

Tina flicked her gaze away from the box.

"Nancy Lima."

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" She chirped, grinning.

"Tina, we're friends," Nancy replied, her neat brown curls bouncing above her shoulders.

"I'm allowed to come visit you."

Tina placed the box back onto her, now clean, desk.

"Alright, Nancy. Hey, are you doing anything fun in the holidays?"

This seemed to snap something in her, and the young witch automatically launched into a detailed explanation, like she usually did.

"... And this morning, McClivert finally asked me out! He's taking me to dinner on the 4th. Hey, Tina, you do know that I'm two years younger than you and already in a relationship... please tell me you found someone? Oh come on! There has to be a man that takes your fancy..."

And so she continued.

Nancy only left when Tina asked if she'd finished her own packing. Coincidentally, she had not, and raced back to her own office while yelling over her shoulder that they'd talk later.

Finally, the last file was packed, and the last shelf dusted.

Tina slid her boxes into the storage room, where they would stay until the new year began.

She only looked back once before turning in her heel and striding out again, a great weight lifted off her shoulders.

That afternoon, at the bakery, Jacob handed over the keys to Hendry, his assistant, before assuring him it was just for a week and that he'd be back on the 7th.

He grabbed his coat and hurried out of the kitchen, eager to spend some time with his friends.

"Jacob! You ready, honey?"

Queenie flashed him a grin before embracing him and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Come on."

The four of them walked down the path, grinning and laughing the whole way, for it was the first time in a long while where all of them were relaxed and free.

Afternoon melted into evening, and Tina suggested that they go for a walk before returning to the apartment for dinner. The idea was fully supported by all of them, and the quartet spend the next hour or so wandering around, joking with each other and telling stories.

"... and I never talked to a no-maj until last year, when Teenie brought you guys- Mercy Lewis, it's raining!"

Queenie cut herself off and rummaged around inside her silk purse before pulling out a little pink fold-up umbrella, which she applied the Gemino hex to.

"Wow, Queenie. You really carry a whole department store around in your purse," muttered Jacob.

"That's still better than Newt," chimed in Tina, earning her an incredulous look from the Magizoologist.

"What? You carry a whole menagerie around in your suitcase!"

He rolled his eyes and opened up the copy umbrella that Queenie handed him, Tina ducking underneath it to join him in shielding themselves from the rain.

Tina and Newt lead the way home while Queenie and Jacob followed, huddled together under their own umbrella.

"We're going this way," Tina said to Newt, steering him around a corner.

"Right. Still getting used to it," he muttered.

"Well, it's pretty hard to see through the rain... here we go!"

She yanked a key out of her pocket and the four of them snuck up the stairs and through the corridor, Newt and Jacob being especially quiet as to avoid Mrs Esposito's rambling spiels about having men on the premises.

Once they were inside, Queenie took both umbrellas and folded them up again, stashing one back into her purse and the other in her wardrobe, with a remark about keeping it in case they'd need it again.

Dinner was swift- Jacob has prepared some pasta for them to share, and Queenie, much to Tina's dismay, insisted that she try making pudding for dessert. Needless to say, it didn't go as planned, and the sisters ended up cleaning bits of pudding off the floor and shelves until 7pm.

Newt and Jacob hung around-mainly because they took great amusement in watching them- and eventuallyslogged off to bed when Tina threatened to make another pudding to throw intheir faces.

Yay! Another chapter done!

I feel like this one is just something tying up any loose ends before New Year's Eve... OH BOY DO I HAVE PLANS FOR THE NEW YEAR >:333

Rictusempra is a charm that tickles someone, causing them to laugh uncontrollably. I thought, that since the mood was lifted and everyone was feeling relaxed and joking around with each other, then this fits in well? I' really scraping the bottom of the barrel here TwT

So I'm not sure if I mentioned earlier that all the characters I make have names based off something important to me or something of significance... sort of like an easter egg? Nancy Lima and Lesley Mina are no exception ;)

As some of you might know, Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima are the graphic designers of all seven Harry Potter movies and (hopefully) all five Fantastic Beasts movies. They do an awesome job on each little prop or detail, whether it be designing Newt and Tina's wanted posters, or the trophies that different houses have won for Quidditch. They're awesome, and if you haven't heard of them, check out their website or studio: The House of MinaLima in England.

FUN FACT: Mina and Lima enjoy hiding their names in little corners of the Wizarding World, and if you study some of the wanted posters in the Blind Pig closely, you can see that, on Newt's poster, it says the chief auror is Q.L.Minus and the auror commissioner is M.L.Minus. Just an example. They even designed their OWN wanted posters!

So Lesley Mina is named after Miraphora Mina and Nancy Lima is named after Eduardo Lima.

Nancy's first name is inspired by How2BanIntrovert who is my gud frend UwU

I don't think that I'm making any more of my own characters in this fanfiction. Just letting you know :)

Also, I don't think I ever apologised in case my grammar isn't correct sooo... I'm doing that now. Sorry.

Cateye992, out!