Newt didn't sleep that night. His mind was filled with terror, and whenever he closed his eyes he was back on the hospital ward. He walked around the room, pacing over the floorboards and then staring at the Woolworth building. If he put a blanket out of the window, help would come. But that would also mean he would be taken back to Britain.

It would be better to endure here. Whatever lay in store for him, it didn't have the same memories attached that a hospital at home would bring. He could survive being in hospital here if he had to. The mark on his neck ached, and he could feel that fury swirling inside of his gut. It was a threat that he couldn't even begin to control.

The next morning he ate breakfast, still sat apart from the others, but watching them interact. Several of them either weren't scared, or were experts at hiding their fear. Some of them were talking, waving their hands animatedly, and another group was giggling in a corner. He nearly did a double take when he saw two of the omegas sat side by side, their hands clutched beneath the table. One darted forwards to kiss the other on the cheek, and Newt immediately looked around for any sign that they had been spotted. Even Newt knew that an omega-omega pairing was considered wrong by society.

Those two looked happy enough.

After breakfast, Sarah walked up to him and smiled.
"If you want I can show you around the building. Some of our clients are going to be playing some boardgames later, there are a few chess players and even a gobstones team if you're interested."
"That's most kind of you." Newt demured, ducking his head and hoping he was going to be giving a good impression. "But I really could do with resting for a little while longer. I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Of course. I'll fetch you for lunch. Maybe I can organise a chess match for you later, if you play?"
"Not well."
"That'll be perfect. Bethany likes winning." Sarah pointed out a delicate looking omega with her dark hair in perfect cornrows, who was bouncing a baby swaddled in orange cloth in her arms. "After lunch?"

Newt nodded, and then hurried back to his room. During the meal the anger had been building, twisting through Percival's emotions until all he could feel from the bond-site was fury. He scrambled into the case, looking for anything he could use. He tried rubbing a healing salve over the wound, but it didn't lessen, the anger still boiling within him.

He reached for another chemical, this one slightly caustic, taking off the lid before trying to remind himself how these things worked. He wouldn't get an instant response. It would be better simply to try it and leave it for a few hours. If there was no luck, he would repeat it with another mixture, then another. It was possible that some of the others here knew how to get rid of the marks, but he didn’t have the courage to ask them for advice.

He looked at the piles of research books he had stacked from floor to ceiling. He had so many words there, and yet none of them spoke of human mating systems and how to break unwanted bonds. He had never researched it, foolishly secure in the knowledge that his brother was his alpha and that meant he was safe.

No one could save him now. He laid back down in his blanket, pulling it closer around himself as he considered his options. A familiar snout poked around the corner, and he reached over to pull Niff into his arms, cuddling up around him.

"I don't know what to do Niff." He admitted after a moment. "If I destroy the bond with Graves then I..." He paused, and shook his head. "Then I go to the ministry and their hospitals.... if he finds out about Grindelwald, the same probably happens. If he doesn't know, then I... then I have to ... then I'm his."

Niff chittered up at him, nuzzling into his face. One paw dove into the niffler's pouch, and he removed the occamy shell bracelet, waving his prize in front of Newt. Newt smiled and patted him.
"I know. Don't worry. I won't let you get hurt, and I'll make sure you get everything you need..." He sighed and closed his eyes, hoping that Percival was doing well. He dreaded being the man's mate, but compared to the alternative it was the best he could hope for.

Percival would let him keep his creatures, maybe even see Theseus occasionally. It was more than he could dream of.

Newt closed his eyes, and wished he could run far away. But he knew that there was nowhere to go.

***

Percival considered himself to be a comparatively civilised wizard. Whilst he had learned how to fight with his hands and had done so on occasion, physical threats were normally viewed as beneath him. Now, as he stood before the British Minister for Magic, hearing him condemn his own family to an unwanted bond and brutal medical treatment, it was all he could do to stop himself from punching the man in the jaw. Such an action would scarcely prove to him that the original twelve were of almost as good stock as the sacred twenty eight, and that Percival would be a suitable alpha for Newt. It sickened him to talk in this way, as though all that mattered were matching bloodlines, being of the right sort. One glance at Theseus showed his emotions were shared, but they both had to remain calm for Newt’s sake and play the game. He made himself stand smartly and waited for the opportunity to speak.

“Abraxas Malfoy is a sensible man who won’t stand for any of Newton’s foolishness. He would be willing to take him to the family manor after only a month of treatment, and by this time next year you could be an uncle. He might even have another little one on the way.” The Minister was saying, addressing Theseus. “You’re lucky I’ve been able to arrange such a suitable match, and it will help with your own career.”

“I am not whoring out my little brother for my own advancement.” Theseus muttered, and the Minister regarded him coldly.
“I am hardly suggesting you whoring him. We’re trying to find him an appropriate match, and a tie to the Malfoy’s would be good for our family. If he behaves well and provides an heir, Abraxas is even open to him keeping a puffskein.”
Percival might have been an American, but he had heard of the Malfoy family. He couldn’t imagine Newt fitting in with them.
“It’s not that simple.” Theseus said softly. “He’s bonded-“
“So I heard.” The Minister rolled his eyes in despair. “Did he really need to go out of his way to make himself less desirable?”

“The Graves family are well respected across America.” Percival said softly. “And I will take care of Newt.”
“I do hope you’ll encourage him to use his given name.” The Minister commented coldly, and Percival took another deep breath, reminding himself that murder was inappropriate even if the Minister was asking for it.
“I will. And I will ensure he abides by my nation’s omega laws.” Percival promised. That was the truth – America had ditched at least some of Europe’s views of omegas, and Percival planned to get rid of any remaining prejudice as soon as he could. Seraphina would listen to him.

“If this fails, I doubt we will be able to find him another alpha of such good standing. He might end up in hospital permanently, and we both know it wouldn’t be good for him to have that.” The Minister said, and even Percival could hear the tenderness in those words.
“I won’t let it fail.” Percival said softly, and after a few moments the Minister nodded.

***

Newt emerged from his suitcase, and from his room, when lunch rolled around. He agreed to one game of wizarding chess with Bethany, before again retreating to the shelter of his case. He checked the spells on each of the enclosures, and gave everyone food before starting to improve the swampland habitat. He didn’t have any creatures who needed it currently, but in time he might and he had to have a project. With no creature in this area, it wouldn’t matter if a spell went wrong.

He could still feel the tangle of emotions through the bond. There was a fire-like anger which he recognised as Grindelwald’s, but there was also a cold fury which bubbled beneath it. The man that Newt was expected to mate with was angry as well, and that frightened him.

There was a knock on the door to his room, and he clambered out from the case, opening the door to find Sarah stood there.
“Hey…” She greeted him gently. “Mister Graves is back, and he’s waiting in a side room, if you are willing to meet him?”

For one foolish moment Newt imagined saying no, but he nodded and headed down the stairs with her. The side room where Graves was waiting was pastel-coloured, full of comfy chairs. Newt stood awkwardly, looking between his brother and his mate.
“It worked.” Theseus said softly, and Newt tried to smile as his brother walked forwards, wrapping his arms around Newt’s body. Newt cuddled up against him and Theseus pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.
“Newt, you’re safe.”

Newt made himself nod, not trusting himself to speak. He swallowed after a moment as Theseus continued.
“You can go back to Percival’s house. I need to go back to England, Hector insisted. But I’ll come back as soon as I can. You’ll write to me?”
Newt nodded, embracing his brother tightly. Theseus rubbed his back.

“You’ll be safe.” Theseus promised, and Newt nodded because he didn’t want his brother to worry.
“If you go and fetch your suitcase?” Graves said softly, and Newt tensed but stepped away from Theseus. “I’ll arrange for you to be able to return here at any time if you’re unhappy at mine.”

Graves offered that softly, as though it wasn’t a threat, but Newt couldn’t interpret it any other way. He returned to his room with Sarah at his side.
“Are you sure you want to leave?” She asked gently, and he made himself nod as he picked up his case and returned to Graves.

Theseus hugged him closely.
“Would you like me to come with you to his house before I leave?”
Newt nodded, and let Graves lead them home. He kept his eyes down, gripping his suitcase tightly.

When they reached the door, Graves opened it then stood back so Newt could enter first. He was relieved to see Queenie and Jacob in the kitchen, both covered with a faint dusting of flour.

“Oh sweetie…” Queenie murmured, walking over and hugging him tightly. “If Mister Graves tries anything like that, I’ll hurt him myself.”
Newt swallowed and nodded, while Graves cleared his throat.
“I thought you could take the spare room.”
“Thank you.” Newt murmured, staying in the doorway for a moment.

“I’ll see you as soon as I can.” Theseus promised, wrapping his arms around Newt for a moment before stepping back and heading away. Newt watched him go in silence, turning to see Graves smiling at him. There was no sense of threat, which startled him.
“I can show you to your room, and then I wondered if you’d like to show me what’s in that case of yours?”
Reluctantly, Newt nodded.

“I’ve already met Pickett.” Graves continued. “But I’d love to meet the rest.”
Newt was relieved that Graves had remembered Pickett’s name. It eased his fear a little, and let him gather up his strength to talk to Graves more sincerely.
“You can, but you need to listen to me, some of the creatures are… need to be shown respect.”
“You’re the expert.” Graves said, and Newt felt a small swirl of confidence and pride, sensing through the bond that Graves meant what he was saying.
“Come with me…” He murmured, walking towards the spare room, gripping his case tightly and trying to be brave.