**Contains Secrets of Dumbledore Spoilers**

The speech he gave would have been the best one he's given his whole life, if he could have just stopped staring at her.

How could he not, though? Since Paris, he hadn't laid eyes on her because she got promoted to Head Auror. He was so proud of her the day he received the news. She had sent over a photo of herself in her new position, one that he kept close to his heart, or rather, in his case. Her smile could light up even the darkest of caves he had visited, and today, it was even brighter, which he thought was not possible. Every five seconds during his speech, he would turn in her direction, allowing himself a few seconds to admire her beauty as if it would be the last time he saw her.

But today was not about her. Today was all about Jacob, one of his closest, if not best muggle friend, and his new wife, Queenie. While getting publicly married was out of the question (with the laws and all), having a secret little ceremony with their little gang was enough. Finally, after losses, after grief, after perseverance and courage, love found a way.

And also finally, Newt was glad that he found a time to slip out into the quiet night. Not because he was done with the wedding, but because Theseus has had a little too much to drink, and Newt does not want to be there. Despite being Head Auror, his older brother was rather embarrassing at times.

(In case you were wondering, Theseus had burst out into song as he usually would when he let himself loose. Newt could only thank Merlin that Lally and Jacob and Queenie and, well, basically everyone, had all equally drank enough to match his energy levels.)

Outside, the snow fell gracefully from above, just as it had when the wedding first started. Newt glanced at where Dumbledore had sat, only to find that his former professor was no longer there. No surprise that any trace of footsteps had also disappeared. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. As the sound of his brother's beautiful voice entered his ears, perfectly harmonised with the others inside the bakery, he chuckled. Everyone else probably could not hear it, but Newt has trained with creatures for years and having sharp ears was essential for the job. He inhaled, enjoying the presence of peace in the cold yet somewhat comforting winter.

"Is the best man done with his duties?"

Newt lifted his head and opened his eyes, only to come face to face with Tina.

"Yes," he said, his eyes darting back to the ground again, "I assume the maid of honour is done with hers too?"

"Well, the maid of honour decided to take a little break from..." she watched the gang inside the bakery, "...whatever that is."

Newt mimicked her actions, staring at his brother enjoying himself for the first time since Paris, "Theseus enjoys making a mockery of himself. Most of the time, I don't wish to get involved. Sometimes I forget he's Head Auror."

He quickly added, "You're a much better Head Auror than him."

His brain only registered what had come out of his mouth only seconds after. He quickly turned towards Tina, face slightly flustered, an apology ready at the tip of his tongue.

"Sorry-"

"Thank you-"

They both stopped mid-sentence and waited for the other to continue. When neither said a word, both said the same thing.

"You go first."

Exchanging a shy laugh, Newt allowed the lady to go first.

"Thank you, Newt. That's very nice to hear."

And there it was again, her smile. Whatever Newt had intended to say was swept to the back of his mind. Instead, he just had the widest grin as he turned to face the snow once again. Tina did the same, and they stood next to each other in silence.

Being less sociable around people, Newt would have thrived in this situation, one where he did not have to engage in small talk. Yet, for some reason, he was feeling slightly uncomfortable with the lack of words being exchanged between him and the love of his li-, no, his favourite Auror. His eyes scanned the area for anything interesting he could pick up to tell Tina about, perhaps commenting on some passers-by, or maybe the disorganisation of...no, this was horrible. Small talk was not his forte; it was Theseus'. Newt rubbed his thumb against the insides of his suit's pocket to calm his nerves, and he could have sworn he felt Tina's hand, albeit cold, brush against his. At that moment, Newt's ears picked up the wonderful voices of the gang inside the bakery once again, and an idea came to him.

He turned hesitantly to Tina, then back to face the snow again as he felt his courage dwindle. After debating with himself for three seconds, he silently scolded himself and looked into her eyes. Newt knew Tina noticed his internal struggle because he could see her attempt to keep a straight face was not going so well, with the ends of her lips curving upwards. Finally, Newt opened his mouth to speak.

"How would you like to go on a walk?"

"I'd like that," Tina replied almost instantly, face lighting up, "I'd like that very much."

Tina's quick side-eye and slight head turn towards the bakery did not escape Newt's eye.

"Don't worry," he said, "They'll be fine. We'll be back before they know it."

Tina hummed, "I know."

"Shall we go?"

"Yes."

And off they went. Away from the party, away from the noise. Just the two of them, down the snowy streets of New York. Newt suddenly knew how Teddy (his niffler) felt when he stole that new, golden watch Theseus had bought the other day.

As they walked, the two caught up with whatever they had missed in their lives. Just to keep each other updated and to feel somewhat closer, in a way that they had always been by each other's side, or at least that was how Newt felt. They talked about Tina's new promotion as Head Auror, Newt's recent adventures with Dumbledore and the gang, and finally, they reached the point where their pathways crossed: the wedding.

"I'm really happy for Queenie and Jacob," Tina said as they turned the corner, her hands in her coat pockets, "Queenie has been talking about the wedding non-stop since she came back."

"So am I," Newt replied, "They're really made for each other."

"You also gave a really great speech, Newt," complimented Tina, "Or should I say, fantastic."

They shared a laugh, and Newt said, "I gather you're still reading the book."

Tina only responded with a nod before shyly looking away.

"To think," Newt continued, "this all started with Teddy escaping at the bank. Do you remember?"

"Yes!" Tina exclaimed a little too loudly, before lowering her voice but keeping the same energy as before, "I can't believe this all started with Teddy!"

The stroll down New York became a trip down memory lane as Newt and Tina both started reminiscing the times they had in New York and Paris.

"Did I ever tell you Jacob hit me in the face with my case to avoid being obliviated?"

"Yeah, and he did it again to save your life, didn't he? In Bhutan."

"Well, yes. I must have told you in one of my letters."

"You did. I've read all about it."

Newt, for some reason, felt his chest become warmer, "We've really done a lot since the bank, haven't we?"

"We have," Tina replied.

"I do wish we could have done more," Newt blurted out, "together."

He stopped in his tracks, prompting Tina to stop as well. They turned to face each other.

"What do you mean?" Tina asked.

"Well," Newt started, "We first met in New York and the four of us were together most of the time. Then after I released my book, I was banned from international travel until Paris, and there was too much going on to actually spend some time with you. And after that, you had to go back to America to do your job and-"

Newt could have gone on and on, but seeing her brows furrow, he stuttered.

"Basically, what I'm trying to say is..."

He paused to gather his thoughts, and then he looked at her. She was smiling just as she did when she sent him off at the docks, when he complimented her 'salamander eyes', and when they finally saw each other today while he was practising his speech. And suddenly, the words fell into place. To his surprise, it fell out of her mouth too.

"I miss you."

Anyone walking by would have just seen two humans staring at each other in silence, yet a thousand words were being exchanged in their own little bubble. More so than the words they've exchanged in their letters to each other. Back then, they were oceans apart. Now, they were mere inches away.

Newt's mind was racing, just like his heart. While most of his thoughts became consumed in the whirlpool inside his head, one question stood out from the rest.

"You did?"

Under the dimly lit streets of New York, Newt swore he saw Tina's cheeks turn red. She bit her lip and nodded before doing what Newt did best: looking down and avoiding eye contact. As she did, a strain of her hair fell over her eyes. Noticing, Newt gestured towards it, "Oh, you've got something..."

Using his hand, the magizoologist brushed her hair to the side and then tucked it behind her ear so that it did not fall again. His touch was soft and gentle. As Newt felt Tina stare into his eyes, he couldn't help but do the same. The eyes that lit up the darkest of waters, the glimmer of hope that everyone needed, and the spark that everyone had missed during their recent adventures in Berlin and Bhutan. The spark he missed.

Newt's hand hovered near Tina's ear for a few seconds before allowing the palm of his hand to connect to Tina's cheek. As he felt Tina rest against it, he let go of the breath he had been holding in earlier, his actions becoming less tense by the moment. Then, he felt Tina's hand over his, hesitantly at first but soon firmly. She wrapped her fingers around his palm, and as she noticed the dumbfounded look on Newt's face, she laughed. Newt laughed too, after regaining his composure.

The moment, while short, lasted a very long time in Newt's opinion, and he enjoyed every second of it. As he began to lose himself in it, he blurted out, "Your face's cold."

Tina's eyes widened, "Is it?"

"Yes," Newt stroked her cheeks once with his thumb before removing his hand from her face entirely, "We should head back to the bakery."

"That's a good idea."

And what Tina didn't expect was for Newt to remove his coat so quickly. He shoved it towards her.

"Wear my coat. You'll be warmer."

As Tina's hand lingered near his coat, she asked worriedly, "Won't you be cold then?"

Newt flashed her an awkward smile, one that she simply adored, "Not to worry, I'll be fine. You're more susceptible to the cold than I am."

She took the coat and crossed her arms, "And how do you know that?"

"Well, my face is not as cold as yours," Newt cupped Tina's hand around his face, "And your hands are definitely much colder."

The American Auror looked at the man in front of her, amused. Realising what he had done, Newt let go of her hand, his ears turning pink as he apologised.

"Well, you've made your point," Tina said as she put on the coat, "Shall we head back?"

"Yes."

They walked on, the gap between them just an inch smaller than before. Close enough for their shoulders to accidentally bump, their hands to accidentally brush. And to Newt, all became right in the world when his fingers intertwined with hers.