It seemed to take an eternity before Jacob finally retreated. We watched in anticipation as time went by. The silence was killing me as I watched the scene.

I was staring into her eyes which didn't contain as much as a glimmer of her past self. I gripped the edge of the bed tightly when after several minutes still nothing had happened.

''Why doesn't it work?'' I asked through gritted teeth as the frustration hit me. ''Why doesn't it work!'' I repeated angrily. Time was running out and I needed to save her!

I turned to Jacob who was watching me with fear in his eyes. ''It's you isn't it?''

''You don't love her anymore!'' I shouted at the terrified Muggle.

He shook his head as tears formed in his eyes. ''That's not true. I love her with all my heart,'' he whispered.

I took a step closer. ''You're. Lying.''

I raised my hand to slap him across the face, but Grindelwald gripped it tightly before I could do anything.

''What are you doing?'' I shouted, angry that I couldn't give Jacob what he deserved. ''He doesn't love Queenie anymore, he deserves it!''

Grindelwald held onto me and I turned to him angrily. ''Let me go!'' I yelled, trying to pull my wrist from his grasp.

''(Y/N), calm down. Now,'' he said whispered dangerously. ''You need to calm down, we can figure this out.''

He took my other wrist, just in case I was about to do something I'd regret. ''He doesn't love her anymore, and she deserves to be loved!''

''She's doing all of this for him. And he only gives up on her! He deserves to be hurt.''

Suddenly I stopped moving and my face grew expressionless.

*Flashback*

''What have you done!'' Ms. Cole shrieked angrily as she pointed at a shattered plate on the floor.

A little girl from about nine was standing next to the broken china and was looking down with tears on her face.

''I-I'm sorry,'' she said trembling.

''Look at me when I speak, child,'' Ms.Cole snapped angrily. The girl looked up at the woman with fearful eyes. ''Now, tell me how this happened.''

''I-I was just playing, and I a-accidentally knocked it over,'' she said her voice barely audible. The silence in the house was even more terrifying than hearing the furious voice of the woman. ''So, you were just innocently playing when you accidentally knocked over expensive china?''

The girl nodded and made an attempt to wipe away her tears but was grabbed by the wrist before she could.

''You're wiping your tears too soon, darling.'' She smiled while only tightening the grip on the little girl's wrist and received a squeal of pain. ''Please, no,'' the girl begged. ''I'll be good, I promise!''

''This is what happens to girls who cannot behave,'' Ms.Cole said childishly as she took a belt from one of the chairs and pulled the girl into a separate room.

As the door closed behind them, small children emerged from the hallway and from behind the furniture to listen and mourn for their fellow orphan who was about to be punished.

''She took the blame for me,'' a small six-year-old boy with greasy hair said guiltily, as a tear rolled down his cheek.

They all flinched at the first whipping sound and the little girl's screams and wails. The sharp sound filled the air and the children watched the door anxiously as they heard the woman speak.

''Bad children deserve to be hurt. And you, (Y/N), are a bad child,'' she said as another sharp whip could be heard throughout the house.

*End of flashback*

Tears had filled my eyes by now and I leaned forward against his chest. He released my wrists to embrace me tightly and looked at Jacob behind me who was now watching us confused.

He looked at Queenie and sighed.

He took her hand from the bed and kissed her knuckles which made her look at him. ''If this only works with two people who love each other, then maybe you don't love me anymore.''

Her mouth opened, but then closed again. Suddenly her eyes contained frustration and she was watching him as if she was trapped.

''Queenie?'' I asked softly. Her head snapped towards me and again, that frustrated look in her eyes made me feel excited.

''What's happening?'' I asked, looking back at Grindelwald who seemed just as confused as me.

I quickly sat down on the ground next to Jacob and looked at her with furrowed brows. ''Queenie, can you hear us?'' I asked trying to get some reaction that might indicate that it had worked, but before she had the chance to even open her mouth, her eyes had grown distant again.

Grindelwald pulled me up and away from Jacob so he could talk to me. ''We need to keep him here,'' he whispered looking over my shoulder at Jacob who was still kneeled next to the bed.

''He caused her to react, we need to keep him here he might be useful.''

I looked at him in disbelief. He wanted to keep a Muggle inside Nurmengard. The Muggle that was befriended with two people who were dangerous for the movement.

''Are you sure?'' I asked uncertainly, glancing back at Jacob who was only staring at Queenie with tears in his eyes.

''You want to help Queenie, don't you?''

I nodded hesitantly.

''This might be the way.''

Maybe this Muggle was the key to cure Queenie and to sent him away might be the biggest mistake I'd make in my life.

I sighed and looked at him. ''How are we supposed to do that? He's never going to stay here, and if he is, someone needs to be with him every second of every day because he might try to contact Scamander.''

He nodded in agreement and walked past me. ''Kowalski,'' he said beckoning for him to come. Jacob looked at him distrustingly and slowly got up. ''What do you want?'' he asked harshly.

''I see that what you and Queenie have is very special,'' he said softly, glancing at Queenie. ''It would be a shame to break something as beautiful as that up, wouldn't it?''

Jacob didn't seem convinced and the mistrust stayed on his face. ''What are you trying to say,'' he snapped.

I noticed Grindelwald didn't like it when a Muggle snapped at him. ''Tell you what. You'll stay here until Queenie is healthy again. Just so you know she's still alive when you leave her because I can imagine how terrible you must feel when you'll leave here. The guilt. The loneliness.''

Jacob glared at him but did seem to consider his proposal. ''I'll just stay here with Queenie, it has nothing to do with that crazy Greater Good thing, right?'' he asked looking at Grindelwald.

''You'll just stay and it will not have anything to do with the Greater Good. You have my word,'' he said. "Although, we do have to take precautions and we have to place a spell on you, just so you won't try anything."

Jacob looked at us from one to the other. He seemed to be a little uncertain about the bewitching part, but besides that he seemed to be on board. After several seconds he sighed and nodded. He returned to Queenie and sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her.

''I love you, Queenie,'' he said. Grindelwald toom out his wand and when he turned to us, he placed the imperius curse on him.

I looked up at Grindelwald. ''How did you do that?'' I asked amazed. He smirked. ''I have a way with words.''

We went down to the kitchens and talked to Knobbs on my request and asked if he could keep an eye on Jacob while he was here. He and Vinda would make sure he wouldn't do anything that hurt the movement or anyone when the curse might wear off.

The first few hours I was worrying a lot, and went to check on Knobbs. But soon I was starting to believe that Jacob couldn't do anything and it lessened my worries.

I was relieved that finally Queenie had shown some improvement and I was glad that we might have found the answer to cure her.

''What happened that changed your mind so suddenly about Kowalski deserving to be hurt?'' Grindelwald asked.

We lay in bed and the moon wasn't visible so there was no light. ''I don't know.''

That was a lie. I did know.

''You don't want to talk about it?'' he asked as he placed his arm around my waist. I shook my head, but then remembered that he couldn't see that. ''No.''

''Does it have anything to do with your scars?''

He knew my scars were the consequence of Ms.Cole's abuse I had told him about that.

''Yes,'' I mumbled. ''But I still don't want to talk about it.''

He sighed. ''I think you do, you're just afraid to feel when you talk about it.''

I felt like he had just read my mind but I kept quiet. ''It reminded you of what she'd done to you when you were a child,'' he whispered holding me tightly.

The conversation brought tears to my eyes and I supposed it didn't matter if they'd fall because it was too dark for him to see.

''I. I just. I was afraid I was becoming just like her. And I don't want that. She's a terrible woman.''

He nodded. ''But you're nothing like her. You're sweet, kind and caring. She might've been there in your childhood but you decide what person you become.''

''I know that, but I know how terrible it felt and I can't help thinking I might become just like her.''

He sighed. ''She was someone who let the past guide her to what she became, but you don't have to do that. Focus on the present. The present is all that matters right now.''

He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

''Then there's only one thing I want to focus on right now,'' I whispered.

He raised his eyebrow. ''And what's that?''

I smiled. ''Us.''