⋆ ˚｡⋆ ✧────────────✧⋆｡˚ ⋆

( chapter four. )

❝ newt ❞

⋆ ˚｡⋆ ✧────────────✧⋆｡˚ ⋆

3 months later

"I thought you and Violetta had finished... that thing!" Eviana Prewett, a best friend of mine, run after me at one of the corridors at the Auror Department. She run so fast that the paper planes that delivered our messages inside the Ministry, could barely evade her.

"Yes, Evie, you should shout a little louder indeed, so the entire bloody Ministry could hear!" I hissed back at her over my shoulder. Then, I sighed and slowed down so she could catch up with me.

"And what does Cy think of all this?" Eviana frowned as she blew out a pair of black strands of hair from her mouth, that were tangled from the running.

"You know Cygnus doesn't care," I waved as if there really was nothing to bother with. Ever since I kissed my brother's fiancée again that night, it hasn't happened again. That is, until a week ago when Violetta got home very, very upset from work and Cygnus wasn't there to comfort her. I actually needed someone to brighten my day - actually every day, so... it happened once again.

And Eviana... was in utter shock, to say the least, and expressed her concerns. As she did, every single time.

I've known the Prewett girl since I was a kid, and we've been friends ever since we were both put into House Ravenclaw by the Sorting Hat as First Years. Since her family was pureblood just like the Black family, we had met at every existing event, party, and gathering since we were children, but we weren't real friends until Hogwarts, just... acquaintances. Then we realized we had more in common than we ever thought.

Until the age of eleven, I saw Eviana as a receptive, elegant and perfect girl who sits with her back straight in her chair, says thank you for the food with a barely visible smile and doesn't slurp loudly when she is drinking tea. But the truth was that this girl had been oppressed by her parents all her life, and as an only child, she always had to live up to expectations. But every time she messed up something minor, she prayed to Merlin to forgive her sins. I have never seen a wizard or witch pray like this.

All her life she felt like she was a shame, a disgrace, but the truth is... She was really more perfect than anyone I know. And she always felt like she didn't really belong in Ravenclaw. When she lost an hour in her thoughts because she was drawing on the edge of a parchment. When she was late from the first class of the day because she stayed up all night to read a book that no one else cared about... but her.

One time, I found her in front of the Ravenclaw Common Room's door in the morning, sitting on the floor, tears already drying on her face. She couldn't get into the Common Room because she couldn't solve the riddle of the knocker. And she had to sleep outside, in the hallway, leaning against the wall of the cold tower... All because she wanted to see the stars from the Astronomy Tower.

I always looked at her like some kind of a good angel sitting on my shoulder and making sure I made good decisions. Her soft heart was as special as her paintings, which amazed me each time. And when I cried myself to sleep because something awful happened, Eviana slid into bed next to me and said, Merlin isn't playing with people, just for the sake of fun. She told me so many times that I had to act like... Like I know that I'm worthy of Merlin's love. I almost believed it.

But the truth is... I always knew that Merlin's love had long left the inhabitants of 12 Grimauld Place.

"Look, I know that we, purebloods handle this whole monogamy thing quite freely... but not this freely," Eviana grabbed my arm and stopped me before I could fasten my steps again. Eviana, although she'd spent two years on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, has been doing office work for the past few years, so she has completely suffocated from running down the corridor minutes before.

"It doesn't happen every single day, Evie," I tried to defend myself, pulling my arm away from her, articulating every word well so my friend would understand clearly. "And I doubt Cy is completely loyal to Violetta every single day."

"Yes, but you have a boyfriend too, in case you forgot! And who knows what Nash would say if it would come to light that... you were having a secret affair with Violetta!" Eviana leaned closer in the second half of what she was saying, lowering her voice as if someone were listening to our conversation. "Who knows what he would do! He is a Malfoy, you could never be sure!"

"He won't find out, Eviana," I replied softly, calmly, though I shuddered for a second when I imagined the situation in my head. Many times it occurred to me that maybe Nash was not so loyal to me either, there were very pretty young girls working in the Department with whom I had often seen him talking internally. But unfortunately, if he did, it didn't mean that I could do it too. So it really was the best solution, both for me and my brother's mental health, to keep the whole thing secret and finished.

Eviana nodded contentedly and she calmed down visibly. Then... Her gaze wandered behind my back, then her eyes widened.

"Is that... Newt?"

"What?" I looked over my shoulder fast, in complete surprise. And there he was really. Newt Scamander sat on one of the benches in the ministry corridor, with dishevelled hair, brooding and pondering.

The sweet and innocent Newt Scamander. For so many years, he was only and exclusively the little brother of Theseus... the boy who had become a man in the meantime. It could be said that the relationship between the two of us was ironic. After all, it was my father who fired him from Hogwarts at the time. While I was in a relationship with his brother.

In the years that followed, we went through many things together. We reconnected when Theseus enlisted as a soldier into the Great War. We went through that period together. But we parted ways when Theseus and I broke up after he came home as a war hero. Then... when I got my first ministry job, I found him in the same office. In the Office of House Elf Relocation. We worked together for two years before he progressed to the Beast Division.

He helped me through a difficult period, even if he knew nothing about it. In those two years, I was struck by how similar Newt and Theseus are. And when I lost Theseus... Newt was right there next to me and no matter how awful it sounds, he replaced Theseus in a way.

There were days when I could only pay attention to what features of Theseus I thought I would discover in Newt. Their noses. Their mouths. Possibly each of their freckles was in the same place. But on the other hand... Theseus was the complete opposite of Newt. Theseus was the ambitious big brother, later the Head of the Auror Department, a settled, serious man who rose up the ranks quickly. Newt is the complete opposite. He is the nomad who travels the world while Theseus worries about him without speaking out. Theseus never wanted to work in the Ministry, he never wanted to belong to the company of these people, but he rose up here, but now... a crisis was approaching. We all felt the situation heat up, day by day. And as everyone would expect from their family, Theseus wanted Newt to stay close to him... to fight for him when the time comes. He wanted to protect him and not push him away.

And as I saw Newt sitting in the hallway there, anxious, a little succumbed, a picture unfolded in front of my eyes... which made me almost laugh out loud. A man who loves to embrace better than Theseus is not known. When he embraces a person, it is as if all their broken bones have coalesced, as if all their bad organs and messed up tissues in their body have been reborn and become better. And Newt always wanted to escape when someone approached him with hugging arms.

"Hey, Evie! Let's meet at lunch, okay?" I looked at my best friend as I could push myself out of my train of thoughts. "And would you please tell Lysandra to try not to be late? Someone has a limited lunch break."

"Yeah, sure," Eviana nodded, a little confused. "But we haven't finished this conversation yet! Do you understand, Lyra?"

But I didn't even hear, I wasn't by her side by then. Because I was walking fast towards Newt.

"Is Pickett misbehaving again, Newt?" I stopped beside him when I saw the little Bowtruckle, Pickett, who had been Newt's loyal companion for years, sticking out of his pocket, and when Pickett had just jumped out to the floor, Newt jumped right after him so he wouldn't run away.

Newt looked up at me as if seeing me for the first time in his life. It was like being a mirage in the desert.

"Lyra..." Newt exhaled with a trembling air, his mouth drawn to a careful smile. It was his typical grin, which meant both being happy and wanting to sink underground.

"Hi," I gestured with a stiff movement, but half giggled as Pickett crawled back into Newt's coat pocket and Newt himself stood up hesitantly, stumbling, not knowing exactly how he should greet me. I took pity on him and squeezed his arm as I spoke. To have as little physical contact as he loves. "Congratulations again on your book! I read it in one sitting, it was magnificent and incredibly well written!"

"Oh!" Newt breathed out. "Thank you, Lyra! And also... thank you for coming to the book release. It meant a lot."

"Of course!" I motioned dismissingly. A couple of weeks ago there was a release party of the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them at Flourish and Blotts. Quite a crowd came together in the bookshop. The Spellbound magazine published this week's issue on it, and the cover showed Newt, Theseus, Leta... and me as I wandered around the edge of the picture, not finding my place in the colourful company. What should I have done? Small talk with my ex-boyfriend's new astonishing and wonderful fiancee? No. It was better to take myself out of the equation. Especially since I could have been in trouble with Nash, only for being on Theseus' side on the picture, which appeared in a national newspaper. "Perhaps now that my father is no longer on the scene, it may be accepted at Hogwarts as a textbook! That would be utterly brilliant!"

It has become a truly, fantastically successful book in which Newt lists the creatures he has researched and discovered and does not treat them like... ordinary monsters and beasts. He ranked them according to danger, with an accurate description of their place of origin and characteristics. He discovered a lot when we worked together, so it was no news to me.

"I didn't even... I couldn't... express my condolences for your father," Newt continued gently, softly. And even with all his flustered voice, I felt his sincerity.

"Oh, you don't have to!" I shook my head right away, knowing their past. "He treated you terribly, you don't have to be sorry. I doubt anyone would be sorry."

I was his daughter, and even I wondered many times if I was really sorry for dear old Papa, or I was just grieving because of custom and expectation. Less than two years ago, at my father's funeral, I stood next to my siblings in the cemetery, in the Black family crypt, embracing Belvina, who was shaking and crying. And with my other hand, I was holding my little brother, Arcturus, who, like me, did not know what to think of the situation. My oldest brother, Sirius struck us down with a stern and austere gaze (which he inherited from Phineas Nigellus Black himself) when Cygnus and I snorted while they were listing our father's virtues.

"But... he was your father. And our headmaster," Newt continued.

"Who threw you out of the most amazing place in the world!" I paused for a moment. As if I had any right to be outraged instead of Newt.

"Well ... I wouldn't say my life turned out so badly," he smiled guardedly. Well, you lost Leta Lestrange. She was the reason you were thrown out at all.

Who knows what would have happened if Newt had stayed at Hogwarts! Maybe now he would marry Leta and not Theseus.

But there were too many what-ifs in my life for me to ponder on them. Maybe I would have gone crazy if I would find myself caught up in the thoughts of it.

Newt adjusted the edge of his jacket in disarray. I think Pickett started squirming in his inside pocket again.

"What are those wounds on your hands?" I immediately noticed the scratch marks and purple spots running down his palm. "Did you fall into a rose bush or what in Merlin's sake?"

"Oh, I ..." Newt followed my gaze as if he just realized for the first time that he was actually injured. Maybe he really didn't even notice them until that very moment. "I have a... wounded Kelpie. But he's really pious. Honestly is. You just have to know how to deal with it.

"I bet!" I approved, half impressed, half proud. "And who could treat him better than the one and only Newt Artemis Fido Scamander?"

And we laughed as if we were not chatting in a Ministry passage. It's like there was nothing wrong with life.

But it lasted only a minute...

"They're ready for you, Newt!" we both raised our heads to the sudden, soft voice. In a nutshell... Leta Lestrange appeared. With her delicate, beautiful shoes, her graceful posture, her immaculate, wrinkle-free dress - which was more of an art piece than a simple rag or work uniform - with her perfectly combed, shiny hair.

It was hard to hate my ex-boyfriend's fiancée when everything was perfect about her. Not only her manners or attitude but also her personality and appearance. Leta's smile widened for a moment as Newt uttered her name tremblingly.

And other than the fact that I couldn't hate her... was just one thing worse. Much, much worse. That she didn't hate me either. She would have had every right to it, but still not. Because Leta was so perfect.

"What are you doing here?" Newt asked the young woman without looking her in the eye. Maybe Theseus and Leta could surprise and trigger one person more with their upcoming wedding than me and it was none other than... Newt himself.

"Theseus thought it would be good if I became part of the Ministry family," Leta had only worked as an auror for a few short years. That didn't mean she was an amateur. For example... she was in a higher status than me. Despite her raw voice, Leta's words revealed care. She was the kind of woman who could confess her love with an unshakable face and was not considered cold for it.

"Did he actually say the words Ministry family?" Newt asked back in disbelief. Of course, he did. "That sounds like my brother."

They both chuckled, quite softly. And for a moment, Leta's poker face looked happy.

And they didn't even notice I was there.

"Oh... hi, Lyra!" I had to jinx it.

"Hello, Leta!" I forced a smile on my face that I felt looked fake, without a doubt.

Suddenly, with a noisy sound, the licensed, ministry cleaning machine passed us, so we quickly jumped into the two edges of the hallway so it couldn't sweep our feet.

Leta then nodded and directed us toward the hearing room. I decided to stay with them. Maybe for masochistic reasons. Self-pity was my trademark. I had to surrender to it.

"Theseus was disappointed you couldn't come to dinner," Leta began carefully, not looking into the younger Scamander's eyes. Apparently what Theseus told me three months ago was still standing. Newt still didn't get himself to visit them. It was then that I realized that it wasn't just me who felt uncomfortable in this conversation. The other two did too. They had so much history that it could not be nullified. "Any of the nights we asked you."

"Well, I've been busy." Newt tried to pull himself out, in a rather amateurish way, in a penitential voice.

"He's your brother, Newt, he'd like spending time with you," I almost whimpered loudly, so I started to stare upwards, glancing at the house elves cleaning the windows above, feeling pity for the poor little creatures. "And so do I."

I almost fell over my own legs when I heard this, and as I knew him, Newt reacted similarly, deep inside.

Leta slowed her pace and looked back at Newt for the first time in many minutes. With a loving look.

I started to feel embarrassed for not stepping down.

Newt noticed and found it embarrassing that Pickett had slipped out of his jacket pocket again to look around the hallway. With an experienced magizoologist touch, he helped the little Bowtruckle back to place with a gentle stroke and cute exclamation that made me smile. Maybe for the first time sincerely that day.

"Why do strange creatures love you so much?" Leta chuckled. I knew the answer already, and I think she did too before Newt could speak.

"Well, there are no strange creatures... only blinkered people." the second half of the sentence was already said by Leta in sync with Newt, and I had heard it so many times that I simply had to yawn with them the words I knew so well.

"How long did you get in detention for saying that to Prendergast?" Oh, good old Prendergast. He was one of the professors who had always paid close attention to Newt to punish him, as he did a single semi-bad move. Prendergast hated Newt and Leta as much as he helped Theseus and my development.

"You know, I think it was a month at that time." the punishment was far greater than the act would have required. But of course... if anyone had resented this, they would have been in the Headmaster's right away. And since my father wasn't one of Newt's fans either, he certainly would have extended the penal work.

"And I set off a Dungbomb under his desk so I could join you, do you remember?" Leta's face looked really happy from the old memories. And in the meantime, we reached the room where Newt was scheduled to be heard. And Theseus was just approaching us. Newt followed my gaze to his brother and then... as if he hadn't heard Leta's words anymore. With the appearance of Theseus, the benevolent nostalgia was filled with disappointment.

"No, I... actually don't remember that" Newt squeezed as Leta noticed her approaching fiance. Newt glanced at me, watching my reaction, but I just blew out my breath and stepped back so that Theseus could fit into our circles as well. Leta overcame her emotions, her smile fading and she seemed to be blowing a retreat.

The elder Scamander tried to hide his astonishment that he saw me next to his brother, not just Leta. I would have preferred to run away. Lately, I've been trying to avoid him as much as one can manage to avoid the person from whom she gets her daily duties. But I really didn't want to see Theseus wink at Leta with a delicate, almost mysterious smile, barely looking at me. I, on the other hand, couldn't take my eyes off him.

His movement, his attire, was confident, spotless, like... a destined Head Auror. And who didn't know him, did not even notice the dark circles under his eyes. 

"Hello," he greeted us, almost happily, and instead of me, he fixed his eyes on Newt.

"Theseus," Leta turned to him. "We were just talking about Newt coming for dinner."

That didn't seem like that to me. But who am I to have a say?

"Really? Well..." Theseus received Leta's remark almost uninterestingly. As if he, too, knew that no matter what he discussed with Leta, Newt would not go over to them for dinner. Ever. Probably exactly why Theseus would never enter my apartment in his life. "Look, before we go in there I- "

Theseus stepped closer to his brother, perhaps hoping he would be somehow different now than in previous interviews.

"It's my fifth attempt, Theseus. I know the form." Newt objected gently, not looking into his brother's eyes. That indicated that he is not seeking help from the Theseus Scamander.

"This isn't going to be like the other times." this was when Newt finally looked Theseus in the eye. "This is... Just try and keep an open mind, will you?"

Merlin, Thes, what have you done? - I hoped my thoughts are so loud that he can hear them.

"And maybe a little less..." If he heard my voice in his head, he didn't react to it.

"Like me?" Newt finished the clean line of thought, and I almost snorted up.

"Well, it can't hurt." Theseus, even I know your brother as much to know, it's a lost cause. "Come on, let's go!"

And with that, they both moved toward the huge, formidable door that led to the courtroom. And Leta turned around to continue with her duties. Due to my sudden, impulsive decision ... I also headed for the door.

"Oh, ace, stop!" Theseus paused as he let Newt in, in front of him, and turned around to stare at me. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going in," I replied simply, looking into the room next to his head, avoiding his gaze. But Theseus didn't move, hearing my determined voice, just stared at me, thoughtfully, waiting for a more detailed answer. I grumbled at that. "What? I'm also curious about what's going on. And Travers is always too lazy to write drafts himself. He definitely needs a draftsman."

I tried to set off again, but sadly, I just bounced off Theseus.

"What are you scheming on, Lulu?" He... my boss stared at me still, and I raised my head with my arms folded because that was the only way I could look into his eyes.

"Why would I scheme on anything, sir?" I pressed the last word, hoping to let him know that he has no right to call me under my old nickname - which, by the way, he invented and only he used - because we're just ... a boss and a subordinate. Not more.

And that day, after meeting Leta... I felt I had to make him feel that... we had nothing to do with each other. It would be time to accept that. Because this... situation just confused my head. And my heart.

When he called me Lulu, even in the middle of a meeting, all memories unfolded before my eyes when... he whispered that name in my ear in intimate circumstances.

"Because even if you weren't a Slytherin, everyone you've lived with was, so..." Theseus's face tensed a bit as if he would be offended by my words. Squeezing my lips, I waited for what he wanted to get out of it. "I guarantee that you're more cunning than anyone would think. You're always plotting something... Miss Drafter."

I heated up when I heard my title out of his mouth. It hurt me more than I expected. But my face remained expressionless. Another thing I managed to master during my years in the Black household. We learned to pick up the poker face as a child.

But not how to take it down for the rest of our lives.

"Just so you know, I'm very interested in Newt's future. More than you think," I straightened myself out a little. Maybe just because of my self-esteem. He was more than twenty-five centimetres taller than me. I had to tilt my head completely back so I could look into his eyes.

This height difference was cute when we were together. As I leaned my head to his chest, I heard his heart pound without effort. He always lifted me up so he would not hurt his neck while kissing.

I had to chase away those memories as soon as possible. Just facing each other had a bad effect on my heart.

"Why?" he asked back, almost suffering, and the line between his two eyebrows deepened, making his confusion visible.

"Because I care about Newt, for Merlin's sake!" I hissed indignantly.

"Are you as curious as you were three months ago about the Grindelwald escape? Belvina's reports don't get this far?" Bloody hell, I didn't think he could figure out like that my sister had sent me to him before. Which was only half true. I was curious. But my sister was... even more.

But sadly, Theseus knew well not only me... but my brothers and sister too.

"Married life can be quite boring," the sentence ran out of me faster than I thought. Not only did I try to defend the reasons for Belvina's gossiping... I also stabbed Theseus and Leta's relationship in the heart. What I've never done in my life, until that minute. I had to defend myself, as quickly and deftly as possible. "According to some. It's not quite recommended."

"You're all maniacs," Theseus shook his head in disbelief, looking at me like a stranger. Which could have hurt me at least as much as my speech before hurt him. "You, Belvina, Cygnus, Archie."

"Hey!" I lifted one of my hands in protest. My youngest brother, Arcturus - nicknamed Archie - was still quite young when Theseus last saw him, just starting Hogwarts. But even then, it was visible that my brother was not an innocent kind of boy. A real Black, he was. The cunning genes run deep inside all of us. In fact... he had even more... than I did. "Archie is no longer the little kid you remember him to be! Cy brought him to work for the Gringotts with him, he is quite mature. And not a maniac at all."

"But you are a little."

"You know..." I was already running wild and mad. I had to strike back. "A lot has changed in me in the past years! Why would the best curse breaker in the class be an auror assistant if she hadn't changed completely?"

"Second best curse breaker," he riposted because he always thought he was number one. Hah, you wish!

"Suck it!"

"You've surrendered to me before," the statement hit hard when I heard it. Sweet Merlin, calm down, Lyra! But it didn't work. Theseus Scamander never used to say a word about our old memories... our private memories... Never. Especially not this way.

"Can we not talk about this? Your brother will just have a hearing if you haven't noticed!" I gestured fiercely with my hands, indicating that I was not quite in control of the situation. Theseus just swallowed. It was as if he only realized what he was saying.

And he was immediately ashamed of himself.

"Sure..." he nodded tensely, and the previous redness of his face turned to... paleness. I could see in his eyes that he... switched. To bury our memories in himself and... move back into the present. Where he is the Head Auror and I am the Assistant. The way we had to exist. "By the way. All aurors were called to a meeting in the afternoon. I think Travers wants to give demands."

"And you're telling me this because...?" I usually only attended large meetings when Travers, the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement, specifically asked for it. To take notes of events, and nothing else. So surprise that Theseus brought it up ... was a mild expression.

"Oh, didn't you just express how you find your role too... amateur? Because there must exist some good little fieldwork for the best curse breaker of the class!" I expected the mockery to flow from his words. But... no. As if he had admitted, for the first time in our lives, that he considered me the better curse breaker.

"Travers wouldn't give a good little fieldwork to a... girl. Especially not to a Black girl!" I objected tensely. I had to comply with a lot of things and I had to defy a lot of prejudice just because I was a woman. And even more, because I was a pureblood.

"He knows you're good."

"This is not surprising. Everyone knows that!" the compliment was so embarrassing that I could only defend against it with arrogance.

"Lulu," Theseus took my arm gently. "It's really time for you ... to rise higher. You're worth more than this. Than this... drafting. Don't waste your talents, your brains! Come to the meeting! I'm the Head Auror, so this is an order. And your duty."

I swallowed.

"You can safely tell Nash that, too."

This, mentioning Nash ruined and destroyed my day more than... I had to breathe a breath with Leta.

hello, sweet witches, wizards and muggles!

i felt a little dull with translating but i'm here finally 😍😍

the ministry scene was key in the movie too, from the side of newt's and leta's past, and here too. i copied the sentences from the screenplay BUT we finally got to see newt and leta in this story too 😍😍

and this chapter is extra special because i got my brand new cover from TaurusLeBlanc which is AH-MAZING, i love it so much i can't fathom into words. thank you again ❤❤

p.s. remember arcturus black

p.s. 2. i'm sure there are grammatical and other mistakes in this chapter, as english is still not my mother tongue but im trying to be as correct as possible