"How did you get into New York anyway?" The witch at Newt's side asked him. He was momentarily transfixed by the sight of the Woolworth Building, before he focused on her words. "I came to buy a birthday present."
"Couldn't you have done that in London?" Newt hesitated. There was a chance this woman could know of his love for magical creatures, but he also had to stay within the expected bounds of omega behaviour at this moment in time. An omega certainly wouldn't be dealing with a thunderbird. He thought quickly, trying to work out what script he should follow. "No, there's only one breeder of Appaloosa Puffskeins-" That was a safe choice. A child's pet really, something soft and harmless for the omega to play with. He couldn't imagine even They would have had a problem with him wanting a puffskein. He had a puffskein, Maisie, but he had left her at home to look after his brother. She got seasick.
"We shut that breeder down a year ago." She informed him. "We don't allow the breeding of magical creatures in New York."
Newt cringed slightly, thinking of the ashwinder eggs in his pocket, the baby graphhorn and occamies in the case. He clutched the handle tighter to his chest, willing to fight anyone who tried to take it from him. He would not let that happen. After a moment he was distracted by the entrance way to MACUSA itself. This place was larger than he could have imagined - garish in the way the Ministry was not. He remembered at school, he'd heard one of the Malfoy sisters make a comment about New Money trying to be noticed. He disliked the phrase but he could see what they meant when he stood here. Then they were in the elevator, and a goblin was waiting for them. Newt opened his mouth to greet him, but was silenced by a glare from the woman beside him. She spoke to the goblin instead.
Newt liked people who acknowledged goblins and house elves, didn't see them as somehow less. Theseus had sat through endless lectures about the importance of not exploiting other beings, and had listened with never ending patience, only to remind Newt at the end that a lot of people didn't even view omegas as human, that he couldn't expect too much. The next moment, Theseus would be listening to Newt and helping him plan another rescue. That was how it always worked, Newt leading the charge and Theseus the voice of reason – well, aside from when Newt had been taken away. That time, it had been Theseus leading the charge to get Newt back.
Newt was brought back to reality as the elevator sunk down into the earth. He became uncomfortably aware of the presence of strong alphas before he saw them. A pack of them crowded around a table, deep in conversation, and Newt stared at the floor, fighting every instinct which screamed at him to run. It was different if he was with his brother, but on his own he was trapped. But if these were the important alphas in MACUSA, then one of them would be Graves, the man he was here to see. Nothing else was important. He had promised Theseus. He looked down at his shoes. Looking up at the alphas could be viewed as a challenge, could provoke them, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
He heard a female voice challenge his companion. She tried to answer back, when the other woman spoke more firmly. "You are no longer an Auror." Newt blinked slightly, thinking of Theseus back home. His job meant everything to him. It meant everything to all the Aurors that Newt had been introduced to. To lose their job was devastating. He focused on the conversation only as the woman - the one from the portrait in the entrance way - ordered them from the room. If Graves had been among them, he made no attempt to stop their retreat.
The elevator was sinking now, and Newt was trembling. He wanted to go and wash, clean his skin of the smell of that group. It was a disgusting smell, sticking to him. The woman beside him seemed to notice his discomfort, and withdrew her wand, aiming at him. As he flinched back, she spoke. "Scourgify." The smell lifted, and Newt felt weak with relief. She flashed him a bright smile, and just for a second he met her eyes.
They left the elevator together, stepping into the wand permit office. "So, you got your wand permit?"
"I sent an application..." Newt mumbled. Graves was meant to have this sorted. He squirmed a little awkwardly, seeing her disbelief. She didn't trust him. "And where were you last?"
Newt swallowed. "London. With Th-With my brother. Before that, we were in Equatorial Guinea. We were looking into reports of magical creatures, I'm.... I'm helping him. He’s writing a book." To tell the truth, Newt had been researching, and Theseus had portkeyed in with bail and an annoyed expression, but a little bending of the truth in such circumstances was probably allowed. He gazed past the woman. "An extermination guide?" She asked, frowning.
Newt flinched. "No. A guide to help people understand why we should protect these creatures, instead of killing them..." If the woman had been an omega, he would have said far more. As it was, he just wanted to get away and find Graves and take Frank home. He’d do what he came here for and then he’d be back to his writing.
A door slammed, and a beta walked in, staring straight at Newt who backed away. The man snorted, and Newt realised he was a familiar kind - a beta who liked having power over others. Especially alphas who were of lower status. Newt felt a feeling of pity towards the woman. She had been surprisingly kind, given everything. "Did you just butt in on the investigative team again?" He paused for a second then continued. "Where have you been?"
The woman didn't reply, so he turned to Newt, smirking a little. Newt backed away again, bumping into a stack of books which wobbled precariously. "Where'd she pick you up?" "Me?" Newt whispered, tongue tied. He looked towards the woman who shook her head, looking at him with pleading eyes. He said nothing, even as the beta man became more aggressive. "Were you tracking those Second Sale-"
The elevator door opened again, and out stepped a man wearing a sharp black coat trimmed with white. His face was familiar, one Newt had seen from photographs for as long as he could remember. Graves.
The beta bowed slightly, then slipped away, leaving Newt and the other woman alone. Newt could understand his reasoning - Newt had grown up with Theseus, was used to teasing the other man, but to someone unused to it - well, Graves was an imposing sight. "Mr. Graves, Sir." The woman had stepped forwards. "This is Mister Scamander, he's interested in claiming asylum but he has some kind of creature in his case and it got out and caused chaos in a No-Maj bank sir."
Graves arched an eyebrow towards Newt, and flashed him a momentary smile of recognition. Newt relaxed a little at that. He could ask Graves to send a message to Theseus, telling him he was alright, and that would be another weight off his chest. "Well, let’s see the little guy."
Tina threw the case up onto the table with slightly more force than was warranted - Newt knew the cushioning charms in place were strong, but he still worried about the occamy. They were almost finished hatching, it wasn't good for them to be shaken. Newt opened his mouth to protest as she went for the lid. He wasn't sure how much Graves knew about his case but he certainly didn't want anyone else getting into it. Especially one who disliked creatures as much as she did. None of his creatures would become an exhibit in an extermination guide.
She slammed open the lid, revealing two rows of sweet pastries. The muggle in the bank had mentioned a bakery. The cases- He realised what had happened as Graves smirked.
"Tina..." Graves reached in and took a pastry, taking a bite before shaking his head and walking away. Tina turned to stare at Newt, and Newt stared down at his feet.
Fill: A Gilded Cage is Still A Cage (2/?)
"I came to buy a birthday present."
"Couldn't you have done that in London?"
Newt hesitated. There was a chance this woman could know of his love for magical creatures, but he also had to stay within the expected bounds of omega behaviour at this moment in time. An omega certainly wouldn't be dealing with a thunderbird. He thought quickly, trying to work out what script he should follow.
"No, there's only one breeder of Appaloosa Puffskeins-" That was a safe choice. A child's pet really, something soft and harmless for the omega to play with. He couldn't imagine even They would have had a problem with him wanting a puffskein. He had a puffskein, Maisie, but he had left her at home to look after his brother. She got seasick.
"We shut that breeder down a year ago." She informed him. "We don't allow the breeding of magical creatures in New York."
Newt cringed slightly, thinking of the ashwinder eggs in his pocket, the baby graphhorn and occamies in the case. He clutched the handle tighter to his chest, willing to fight anyone who tried to take it from him. He would not let that happen. After a moment he was distracted by the entrance way to MACUSA itself. This place was larger than he could have imagined - garish in the way the Ministry was not. He remembered at school, he'd heard one of the Malfoy sisters make a comment about New Money trying to be noticed. He disliked the phrase but he could see what they meant when he stood here. Then they were in the elevator, and a goblin was waiting for them. Newt opened his mouth to greet him, but was silenced by a glare from the woman beside him. She spoke to the goblin instead.
Newt liked people who acknowledged goblins and house elves, didn't see them as somehow less. Theseus had sat through endless lectures about the importance of not exploiting other beings, and had listened with never ending patience, only to remind Newt at the end that a lot of people didn't even view omegas as human, that he couldn't expect too much. The next moment, Theseus would be listening to Newt and helping him plan another rescue. That was how it always worked, Newt leading the charge and Theseus the voice of reason – well, aside from when Newt had been taken away. That time, it had been Theseus leading the charge to get Newt back.
Newt was brought back to reality as the elevator sunk down into the earth. He became uncomfortably aware of the presence of strong alphas before he saw them. A pack of them crowded around a table, deep in conversation, and Newt stared at the floor, fighting every instinct which screamed at him to run. It was different if he was with his brother, but on his own he was trapped. But if these were the important alphas in MACUSA, then one of them would be Graves, the man he was here to see. Nothing else was important. He had promised Theseus. He looked down at his shoes. Looking up at the alphas could be viewed as a challenge, could provoke them, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
He heard a female voice challenge his companion. She tried to answer back, when the other woman spoke more firmly.
"You are no longer an Auror." Newt blinked slightly, thinking of Theseus back home. His job meant everything to him. It meant everything to all the Aurors that Newt had been introduced to. To lose their job was devastating. He focused on the conversation only as the woman - the one from the portrait in the entrance way - ordered them from the room. If Graves had been among them, he made no attempt to stop their retreat.
The elevator was sinking now, and Newt was trembling. He wanted to go and wash, clean his skin of the smell of that group. It was a disgusting smell, sticking to him. The woman beside him seemed to notice his discomfort, and withdrew her wand, aiming at him. As he flinched back, she spoke.
"Scourgify." The smell lifted, and Newt felt weak with relief. She flashed him a bright smile, and just for a second he met her eyes.
They left the elevator together, stepping into the wand permit office.
"So, you got your wand permit?"
"I sent an application..." Newt mumbled. Graves was meant to have this sorted. He squirmed a little awkwardly, seeing her disbelief. She didn't trust him.
"And where were you last?"
Newt swallowed.
"London. With Th-With my brother. Before that, we were in Equatorial Guinea. We were looking into reports of magical creatures, I'm.... I'm helping him. He’s writing a book." To tell the truth, Newt had been researching, and Theseus had portkeyed in with bail and an annoyed expression, but a little bending of the truth in such circumstances was probably allowed. He gazed past the woman.
"An extermination guide?" She asked, frowning.
Newt flinched.
"No. A guide to help people understand why we should protect these creatures, instead of killing them..." If the woman had been an omega, he would have said far more. As it was, he just wanted to get away and find Graves and take Frank home. He’d do what he came here for and then he’d be back to his writing.
A door slammed, and a beta walked in, staring straight at Newt who backed away. The man snorted, and Newt realised he was a familiar kind - a beta who liked having power over others. Especially alphas who were of lower status. Newt felt a feeling of pity towards the woman. She had been surprisingly kind, given everything.
"Did you just butt in on the investigative team again?" He paused for a second then continued. "Where have you been?"
The woman didn't reply, so he turned to Newt, smirking a little. Newt backed away again, bumping into a stack of books which wobbled precariously.
"Where'd she pick you up?"
"Me?" Newt whispered, tongue tied. He looked towards the woman who shook her head, looking at him with pleading eyes. He said nothing, even as the beta man became more aggressive.
"Were you tracking those Second Sale-"
The elevator door opened again, and out stepped a man wearing a sharp black coat trimmed with white. His face was familiar, one Newt had seen from photographs for as long as he could remember. Graves.
The beta bowed slightly, then slipped away, leaving Newt and the other woman alone. Newt could understand his reasoning - Newt had grown up with Theseus, was used to teasing the other man, but to someone unused to it - well, Graves was an imposing sight.
"Mr. Graves, Sir." The woman had stepped forwards. "This is Mister Scamander, he's interested in claiming asylum but he has some kind of creature in his case and it got out and caused chaos in a No-Maj bank sir."
Graves arched an eyebrow towards Newt, and flashed him a momentary smile of recognition. Newt relaxed a little at that. He could ask Graves to send a message to Theseus, telling him he was alright, and that would be another weight off his chest.
"Well, let’s see the little guy."
Tina threw the case up onto the table with slightly more force than was warranted - Newt knew the cushioning charms in place were strong, but he still worried about the occamy. They were almost finished hatching, it wasn't good for them to be shaken. Newt opened his mouth to protest as she went for the lid. He wasn't sure how much Graves knew about his case but he certainly didn't want anyone else getting into it. Especially one who disliked creatures as much as she did. None of his creatures would become an exhibit in an extermination guide.
She slammed open the lid, revealing two rows of sweet pastries. The muggle in the bank had mentioned a bakery. The cases- He realised what had happened as Graves smirked.
"Tina..."
Graves reached in and took a pastry, taking a bite before shaking his head and walking away. Tina turned to stare at Newt, and Newt stared down at his feet.
This was a slight complication.