"To Jacob and Queenie Kowalski!"

They all raised their glasses in a toast to the newly married couple before breaking into smaller groups to celebrate. Newt drifted away from the others, finding himself in an out of the way corner. His eyes settled on Tina as he sipped his champagne. She was standing on the opposite side of the room where she was chatting with Lally. The two women clearly knew each other well.

Tina's mouth curved into a smile as she laughed at something Lally had said. Newt knew he was staring, but he couldn't help himself. He hadn't seen her in quite some time. The last time he had been in New York had been when she was promoted. He could still remember her face when she told him the news. The memory brought a small smile to his face, but he pushed it away a moment later. There were some things he didn't need to be thinking about at the moment.

"Why don't you go over there and talk to her instead of staring at her?"

Newt spared his brother a quick glance before turning his gaze back to Tina. "She's busy at the moment."

"Oh, come on, Newt. You could always cut in."

"It's not a dance, Theseus."

Theseus laughed. "Still, I don't think they'd mind."

Newt stared into his drink, watching the bubbles rise to the surface. Then he raised the glass to his lips and swallowed the last of the liquid. He shook his head slightly.

"When did you last see her?"

"It was a while ago. When she was promoted."

"Well, I'd suggest you talk to her sometime before you leave."

Newt glanced at his brother again. "I will. I just ... don't want to intrude."

Theseus chuckled. "I, on the other hand, don't mind intruding. If you'll excuse me."

Newt watched as his brother crossed the room and joined the two women. They moved to include him in their group. They laughed, and he felt a sudden pang of jealousy at how easily his brother interacted with people. He had always found it difficult, even with people he was close to.

He had just about worked up the nerve to join them when Jacob approached and pulled him over to where Queenie was talking to Bunty. Queenie slipped her arms around her new husband. It was wonderful to see her so happy again. Newt hadn't forgotten the haunted look in her eyes, but there was no trace of it now. For the first time since Jacob had stepped out into the rain, she was her usual, vibrant, cheerful self. She hadn't stopped smiling since the ceremony. None of them had.

Queenie easily drew him into the conversation. Lally joined them a few minutes later. Apparently, Tina and Theseus had begun discussing Auror business, so she had excused herself. Eventually, Queenie and Jacob drifted away, leaving Newt and Bunty to talk with Lally.

Newt had been exchanging letters with Lally ever since Dumbledore had contacted them for help. They had become quite good friends, and the three of them didn't have too much trouble finding something to talk about.

As the evening wore on and it began to get late, people began to take their leave. Theseus was the first go. He had to get back to the Ministry and would be leaving for London early the next morning. Bunty left with him after asking Newt if he was coming along. Newt had shaken his head and said he'd be staying a little longer. It wasn't long before Lally excused herself, offering her congratulations to the happy couple before leaving to return to Ilvermorney. Jacob's assistant had vanished earlier in the evening, leaving four people still in the bakery.

"You know, this is the first time the four of us is together since we met." Queenie looked around, a smile that seemed to light up the room on her face. Then the smile faded. "I'm so sorry. If I hadn't—"

"Hey, it's not your fault, honey," Jacob said. He pulled her closer and gently ran his hand up and down her arm.

"We all made mistakes, Queenie." Tina glanced at Newt and offered him a sheepish smile.

Newt smiled back and he saw Queenie's face light up once more. A mischievous light appeared in her eyes. Her arms snaked around her husband once again. "Well, I think it's time for Jacob and me to be headin' up."

Tina nodded quickly, glancing quickly at Newt before speaking. "Oh, of course. I should be going anyway. It's getting late, and I have work in the morning."

"I should be leaving too," Newt added. 

They hugged the newlyweds before leaving the bakery together. They hesitated when they reached the pavement outside. They were headed in different directions, but Newt wasn't quite ready to say goodbye. It had been a long time since he had seen Tina, and he hadn't had the chance to talk to her all evening.

"Uh— May I walk you home?" he said shyly.

She gave him a warm smile. "I'd like that."

He offered her his arm. She took it and they began walking down the street together. It had begun snowing lightly; big, fluffy flakes that drifted lazily towards the ground.

"It's, uh— It's very nice to see you again, Tina." Newt blushed. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too." She frowned slightly. "I'm so sorry I didn't write as often as I would have liked. I've just been so busy, what with the new job and all."

"It's okay. I wish I had written more myself."

"You've been travelling. Besides, the letters you did send were wonderful. I love reading all about your adventures. It helps bring some excitement to my long, dull days."

Newt smiled. "You love your job."

She laughed. The sound warmed his heart.

"I do love it, but it can get tedious. I'm sorry so many of the letters I did manage to send were just me complaining about my work."

He chuckled. "Well, you had to put up with pages of problems I was having with my creatures. I'd say we're even."

Tina glanced at him. "I enjoyed your letters, Newt."

He rested his free hand on the arm that was linked with his and gave it a squeeze. "I enjoyed your letters too."

They fell silent, content to walk arm in arm through the snowy night. They were nearing Tina's apartment when she slowed.

"How long are you staying in New York?" she asked cautiously.

Newt frowned. "Theseus and Bunty are returning to London in the morning. They probably expect I'll be going with them."

"I see." She said it simply, but there was something in her voice that sounded ... was it disappointed?

He pulled her to a stop and turned to look at her. "I didn't say I would be going with them."

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Oh?"

Newt's gaze dropped to his shoes. "It's been quite a while since I was last able to visit you. I was hoping we would have a chance to spend some time together before I leave."

"I'd like that a lot, Newt. I was— I was hoping the same thing."

He looked up at her. "You were? I mean, are you sure you won't be too busy?"

Now it was Tina's turn to look at her shoes. "I'd never be too busy for you." He thought he saw her blush, but her cheeks were already pink from the cold so it was difficult to tell. "Besides, I think I've finally settled into my new position, so I should have more free time than I did."

"Ah."

They lapsed into an awkward silence. It was a few moments before Newt realised Tina was shivering.

"You're cold."

She grinned sheepishly. "A little."

He laughed. "Your teeth are chattering. You should probably go up."

She glanced up at her apartment. "Would you like to come in? For a hot drink ... or something?"

Newt hesitated before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so. Thank you, but I should probably be going. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow?"

She smiled. "I look forward to it." She hesitated for a moment before leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "Good night, Newt."

"Good night, Tina." He watched as she turned and hurried up the stairs. She vanished into the building, but he continued standing outside until he saw the lights in her apartment come on. Only then did he begin making his way back to the rooms that Lally had arranged for them.

Theseus was still up when he arrived. 

"You're back late."

Newt avoided his brother's gaze. "And you're up late. I thought you'd be in bed. Don't you need to be up early tomorrow?"

Theseus grinned. "I was just making sure my little brother made it home safely."

Newt rolled his eyes. "Well, as you can see, I did."

"Actually, I wanted to know if you were heading back to London with us tomorrow or not."

Newt felt the tips of his ears grow warm. "I, uh— I'll be staying in New York for a few days."

"Good for you. I assume that means you got a chance to talk to Tina?"

He nodded. "I— The four of us talked for a little after everyone else left. Then I— I walked Tina home." He blushed.

"Ah. So that's why you're so late." Theseus smirked at him. "She's a fascinating woman, and she seems to be a brilliant Auror. I hope to get a chance to work alongside her someday. You're a lucky man, Newt."

Newt's blush deepened. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be going to bed."

He slipped past his brother and vanished into his room. He quickly got ready for bed. Then he switched out the light and slipped under the covers.

He still felt a bit giddy. It had been such a long time since he had seen Tina, yet there she had been, standing in front of him, as large as life. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. He wished he had told her as much, but he knew the words would never have come out. Somehow, being around her turned him into an even more awkward and clumsy man than he already was. On the other hand, there were times he found himself more at ease in her presence than anywhere else. Walking arm in arm through the streets of New York had felt like the most natural thing in the world. However, there were other times when he felt that every time he opened his mouth, he put his foot in it.

She never seemed to mind. She would smile almost fondly when he stumbled over his words or would blush shyly when he tried to offer her a compliment. He took that as a good sign.

Ever since her promotion, their relationship had shifted. He believed it was changing for the better, and hoped she thought so too. They hadn't ever talked about it, but there had been subtle changes. Little things that Newt either overanalysed or didn't notice at all.

He wasn't sure when touching her had become natural. There had been a time when even tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention required a lot of effort and a silent pep talk. Now, he would touch her arms, her hands, her shoulders without giving it a second thought. Thinking back, he realised that earlier in the evening, his hand had settled on her waist without his noticing it. And he wasn't the only one. She had begun touching him more frequently as well. It took everything in his power not to obsess over what every little touch could mean.

Part of him wondered if they had only been getting closer because she was alone. Now that Queenie and Jacob were back, would things change? Of course, he knew things wouldn't really remain the same. Tina was clearly overjoyed by her sister's return and marriage, but Newt knew her too well to think there wasn't more to it. He knew how deeply Queenie's betrayal had cut. No matter how happy she was at her return, it would take time for the hurt to heal. He knew Queenie would be aware of this, and he was confident things would work out. It would just take time.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Newt pushed these thoughts out of his head. There would be plenty of time to think about them later. For now, he should get some sleep. He would get to see Tina again the next day. That thought left a smile on his lips as he drifted off to sleep.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to vote and comment!

I'm actually quite excited by this book. It's a little different than either of the other post-film stories I've written before because the film gave me so little to go on. I was actually hoping to get this done a lot sooner (but I got a bit distracted by Star Trek). Also, I was having trouble getting the chapter to my minimum of 2000 words. Hence the rambling towards the end. I'm quite happy with it overall. I hope the next one won't take as long to write. (It will, of course. Probably even longer.)

Anyway, it's late here, so I should emulate Newt and get myself in bed. 

Have a great day!

Bye!

Published: 19 May 2022