Director Graves had been found a few hours after the fight in the subway, and most of the aurors were busy trying to track down any remaining signs of Grindelwald's presence.
Director Graves was in the medi-wing, in a drugged sleep. He had smiled when Tina had found him - she had been the first into the room, having demanded to help, and she had found him badly beaten and bruised, gaze disoriented. She had reached for his hand, and told him he was safe now.
He didn't argue, had been too exhausted to. So Tina had stayed by his side during the rescue, relieved that he was back. The healers had mentioned that they needed her to leave, but she didn't want to go. She remained near him. She watched her unconscious friend, memorising the injuries, questioning if she could have done more. She should have noticed. She looked up at Picquery's arrival.
The president nodded at her. "Good work today Goldstein." "Thank you Madam President." "The aurors are searching for any other infiltrators. But you are not an auror anymore. Go home and rest." There was a gentleness to her voice, almost pity. Tina nodded and got to her feet.
"Look after him." Tina said softly. "I will do all I can." She replied. "Goldstein, given what has happened... I cannot promise reinstatement. But we will investigate the circumstances leading to your dismissal." Hope blossomed, and Tina nodded. "Thank you Ma'am." She walked home, a smile on her face. She was still beaming as she pushed open the apartment door.
Queenie was in her bedroom, and the door was closed. Tina could hear whispering from inside, and realised that the antidote Newt had given Jacob had worked. Deciding not to disturb the two of them, she made her way to the back bedroom, expecting to find Newt asleep in one of the two spare beds.
Newt wasn't in bed, but his suitcase was there, open. Cautiously Tina approached, then climbed down the ladder. She'd been in the case earlier, and it was just as exciting and magical as it had been last time. The creatures were all in their habitats, but Newt was not in his shed. She walked across the case, careful not to approach any of the creatures Newt had told her to stay away from.
"Newt?" Tina called out, getting no reply. She continued to walk. "Newt?" A squeak by her feet made her jump, and she looked down to see the niffler staring up at her. Feeling more than a little foolish, Tina smiled. "Can you show me where Newt is?"
The niffler squeaked and raced off towards the occamy's nest. The occamy were not a danger, as long as they were contained safely, so Tina didn't hesitate to follow him. She wasn't sure that the niffler could understand what she had asked, but there was nothing lost by following him.
What she saw as she approached the occamy nest made her freeze. Newt was laying there, without a shirt on, occamy hatchilings tangled around him. He was facing into the nest, cuddled up to the hatchlings. The demiguise was watching Newt carefully, his long fingers stroking through Newt's hair.
Tina carefully approached, frowning at the sight of bruises criss-crossing Newt's back. It looked as though he had been pummelled, some of the bruising near black. He hadn’t mentioned being injured, but Grindelwald had had him alone for a few minutes. She carefully placed her hand on Newt's ankle, and slowly Newt's eyes opened up, seeming surprised to see her there. "Tina?" "Hey, Newt... your back looks pretty sore." "Just... got a few injuries in the fight." He looked up. "It's okay. Dougal's keeping an eye on me, aren't you Dougal?" Dougal chirped an agreement, and Tina nodded.
"Did you find him?" Newt asked after a moment, hands running over the body of the nearest occamy. "We did." Tina confirmed. "He's alright." "Good..." Newt yawned, cuddling up smaller in the nest.
"Do you always sleep there?" Tina asked, watching him. "You don't even have a blanket." "Don't need one." Newt said quickly. "I've got the occamy..." He paused. "You can sleep here too if you want. Dougal's nest is free tonight. If that's alright with you?" That question was aimed at Dougal, who chirruped helpfully.
Tina hesitated and then nodded. "Just this once." She climbed into the nest, curling up with her knees against her chest. It was a small space but strangely soothing. "Thanks. It's been a long day." She opened her mouth to ask Newt another question, and then realised his eyes were already closed, Dougal and the occamy cuddling around him protectively.
"Goodnight." She whispered, a little enchanted by how Newt slept in with his creatures. She would have to tell Queenie in the morning. She closed her own eyes, not noticing the black shadow which curled up beside Newt.
Fill: Newt's Habitat (3/6)
Director Graves was in the medi-wing, in a drugged sleep. He had smiled when Tina had found him - she had been the first into the room, having demanded to help, and she had found him badly beaten and bruised, gaze disoriented. She had reached for his hand, and told him he was safe now.
He didn't argue, had been too exhausted to. So Tina had stayed by his side during the rescue, relieved that he was back. The healers had mentioned that they needed her to leave, but she didn't want to go. She remained near him. She watched her unconscious friend, memorising the injuries, questioning if she could have done more. She should have noticed. She looked up at Picquery's arrival.
The president nodded at her.
"Good work today Goldstein."
"Thank you Madam President."
"The aurors are searching for any other infiltrators. But you are not an auror anymore. Go home and rest." There was a gentleness to her voice, almost pity. Tina nodded and got to her feet.
"Look after him." Tina said softly.
"I will do all I can." She replied. "Goldstein, given what has happened... I cannot promise reinstatement. But we will investigate the circumstances leading to your dismissal."
Hope blossomed, and Tina nodded.
"Thank you Ma'am." She walked home, a smile on her face. She was still beaming as she pushed open the apartment door.
Queenie was in her bedroom, and the door was closed. Tina could hear whispering from inside, and realised that the antidote Newt had given Jacob had worked. Deciding not to disturb the two of them, she made her way to the back bedroom, expecting to find Newt asleep in one of the two spare beds.
Newt wasn't in bed, but his suitcase was there, open. Cautiously Tina approached, then climbed down the ladder. She'd been in the case earlier, and it was just as exciting and magical as it had been last time. The creatures were all in their habitats, but Newt was not in his shed. She walked across the case, careful not to approach any of the creatures Newt had told her to stay away from.
"Newt?" Tina called out, getting no reply. She continued to walk. "Newt?"
A squeak by her feet made her jump, and she looked down to see the niffler staring up at her. Feeling more than a little foolish, Tina smiled. "Can you show me where Newt is?"
The niffler squeaked and raced off towards the occamy's nest. The occamy were not a danger, as long as they were contained safely, so Tina didn't hesitate to follow him. She wasn't sure that the niffler could understand what she had asked, but there was nothing lost by following him.
What she saw as she approached the occamy nest made her freeze. Newt was laying there, without a shirt on, occamy hatchilings tangled around him. He was facing into the nest, cuddled up to the hatchlings. The demiguise was watching Newt carefully, his long fingers stroking through Newt's hair.
Tina carefully approached, frowning at the sight of bruises criss-crossing Newt's back. It looked as though he had been pummelled, some of the bruising near black. He hadn’t mentioned being injured, but Grindelwald had had him alone for a few minutes. She carefully placed her hand on Newt's ankle, and slowly Newt's eyes opened up, seeming surprised to see her there.
"Tina?"
"Hey, Newt... your back looks pretty sore."
"Just... got a few injuries in the fight." He looked up. "It's okay. Dougal's keeping an eye on me, aren't you Dougal?"
Dougal chirped an agreement, and Tina nodded.
"Did you find him?" Newt asked after a moment, hands running over the body of the nearest occamy.
"We did." Tina confirmed. "He's alright."
"Good..." Newt yawned, cuddling up smaller in the nest.
"Do you always sleep there?" Tina asked, watching him. "You don't even have a blanket."
"Don't need one." Newt said quickly. "I've got the occamy..." He paused. "You can sleep here too if you want. Dougal's nest is free tonight. If that's alright with you?" That question was aimed at Dougal, who chirruped helpfully.
Tina hesitated and then nodded.
"Just this once." She climbed into the nest, curling up with her knees against her chest. It was a small space but strangely soothing. "Thanks. It's been a long day." She opened her mouth to ask Newt another question, and then realised his eyes were already closed, Dougal and the occamy cuddling around him protectively.
"Goodnight." She whispered, a little enchanted by how Newt slept in with his creatures. She would have to tell Queenie in the morning. She closed her own eyes, not noticing the black shadow which curled up beside Newt.