More than a Friend (A Newtina Fanfic)

Part 20

A lot changed when Tina and Queenie's parents died. A happy, normal life was thrown into chaos. Tina and Queenie were parentless. But while Queenie stayed her bright and bubbly self, for the most part, Tina changed. She had always been shy and quiet, but then she built walls. Thick walls of mental steel and concrete, impenetrable by everyone except Queenie. She surrounded herself with her schoolwork and became even more reserved, not making any friends and socializing. It was for her sister's good, she told herself. Being strong to help Queenie be strong. And those walls never failed to hold up. Until then.

"Achilles?" She asked. Well, more like whisper-croaked. She could barely get her words out, and it was as if she had swallowed a stone and it got lodged in her throat. It was really from the shock of it all, seeing the only person she thought loved her standing in front of her, wearing acolyte robes.

"Tina, I can explain this," Achilles said, stepping forward. But it was no use. She couldn't process it. Wouldn't process it. The thought running through her head? No this isn't real this can't be happening, over and over again. But it was real. And it was happening. She was frozen stiff, the walls she had built in her head just barely containing her torrent of emotions.

Queenie stepped forward.

"Tina, go." She said it softly, almost inaudible. And that's exactly what Tina did. She drew her wand and ran out of the ministry, the fact that she was abandoning criminals the least on her mind. She later found out that the minute after she left an auror managed to tie up Vinda Rosier. Queenie had disappeared.

She stumbled outside and apparated home.

Newt was running around the kitchen, chasing Pumpernickel and Pistachio (once again) when he heard a faint knocking on the door. Who could it be? he thought, rushing towards the door. It certainly cannot be Nagini and Jacob, they left for the grocers fifteen minutes ago. Maybe they came back? He opened the door. It was Tina.

"Tina? I thought you were at th-" he started to say, but then he fully processed what Tina looked like and stopped. It had just started raining outside (lovely) and she was soaked. Newt quickly ushered her inside, hung up her coat, and guided her to the loveseat. All Tina could do was sit there.

"Just stay right there," Newt said softly, though it was sort of pointless as Tina wasn't moving. As quickly as he could, he made two mugs of cocoa, and, as the household had run out of fresh baked goods, he put a plate of Chocolate Digestives on a tray along with the cocoa. He summoned a blanket and conjured fire in the fireplace. Then he walked over to the loveseat and sat down, placing the tray on the coffee table. He picked up the cocoa and handed it to Tina. She gripped it but didn't take a sip, and Newt put it back on the tray. He then wrapped the woollen blanket, worn with use, around her. And then he surrounded her body with his arms, firmly holding her, gently rocking her back and forth.

"Shhh, Tina. Everything's going to be alright," he murmured. He didn't ask about what had happened, he simply accepted the fact that she was hurting. He kept on doing that, and Tina had seemed to relax a bit, until,

The door swung open. It was Achilles. He had come to explain, be forgiven, maybe share a kiss or something along those lines. But then he saw Tina being comforted on a sofa by someone who should have never met Tina, ever, in his mind. Newt Scamander.

Achilles then said, "Tina. Come right over here to me and tell me exactly when you started cheating on me with this guy." Tina, sort of shocked out of her reverie sat up, blanket dropping to the floor.

"I haven't been cheating on you," she said, in a quiet voice Newt had never heard before.

"Of course you are! You live in his house, for one thing. And you've been so cold to me, and you keep refusing to kiss me. It all makes sense now!" Achilles exclaimed, barely reining in his anger.