Percival flinched at the sheer fright in the boy's eyes, raising his hands in an attempt to soothe him.
"Okay." He said softly. "No authorities. I told you I wouldn't hand you over to the aurors and I meant it." There was uncertainty shining in Newt's eyes, but after a couple of moments he nodded, the movement small and hesitant. Percival sighed softly, wanting to ask for more information but not knowing where to begin.
"So... its what, you and your pet bowtruckle against the world?"
"Pickett isn't a pet." Newt answered, sounding genuinely offended by the suggestion. "Pickett is a friend. He looks after me."

Percival didn't make a comment about that, not wanting to criticise the boy when it was clear that the bowtruckle was all he had. At hearing his name the bowtruckle again stuck its head out of Newt's pocket, and Newt lifted him out, letting him rest on his shoulder.
"They pick locks right?"
"They are able to, but it's not comfortable for them." Newt answered carefully. "Their fingers are used to pry into cracks in the wood and scrape out woodlice. They won't encounter a lock in the wild. Pickett here likes attempting them occasionally, and is very talented." The bowtruckle seemed to bask in Newt's words, shifting a little from side to side as though the praise were sunlight.

Percival nodded, listening to the boy. It was amazing how he came to life when he was asked about creatures. Newt looked up after a moment.
"Do you live alone?" He asked. "I didn't sense anyone else here..."
"I do." Percival answered, mind full of images of Newt on his knees the previous night, promising to do anything if the aurors were kept out of the picture. "I have a girlfriend though." That at least might keep him from assuming that Percival would want that kind of payment for his assistance. His own preferences didn't matter, not when the focus was keeping the boy calm and discovering why he was on the run. He thought through his options. There were a number of female aurors he could trust to help him with Newt, but only one whose sister was a skilled legilimens. "Her name is Tina. She and her sister are going to join me for dinner tonight."

Newt's face flickered with a number of emotions, fear chief among them. He glanced towards the door.
"You want me to leave?"
"Actually..." Percival hesitated. "You're a talented cook, if this breakfast is anything to go by. Would you be willing to prepare a meal for us? They aren't staying over, so you can stay in the guest bedroom and I’m sure she’d love to meet you."
"They aren't... they don't work for MACUSA?" Newt asked, uncertainty written across his face. Percival felt guilty for lying, but knew that telling the truth would only frighten the boy.
"Queenie is a teagirl in the office. Tina works at the Blind Pig, one of the bars, as security."

Newt nodded, seeming to relax a little at that.
"And you?"
"Disabled due to injury, and wealthy enough that I don't need to work." Percival answered calmly. "Lost my leg in a duel..."
"Oh." Newt paused. "I never did understand the point of all that pureblood..." He swallowed and blushed. "I'm sorry sir."

"It's alright." Percival answered after a moment. "I completely agree. I was young and stupid, and I made a mistake. It's alright now really. I've learned to live with it."
Newt nodded, chewing on his lip a little. Percival waited patiently for him to find the strength to ask whatever it was that was bothering him. After a few moments he was rewarded by Newt licking his lips and then speaking, voice little more than a whisper.
"What should I call you sir?"

"My name is Percival-" Percival answered, managing to cut himself off before he revealed his surname. "That would be fine."
"Thank you sir. Percival." Newt answered after a moment, a faint blush across his face. Percival fought down his realisation that the boy was attractive. Newt had already been hurt enough. Anyway, as far as Percival was aware the Ministry of Magic were not in the habit of hunting people down unless they had done something in order to deserve it.

"I will need to be going out later." Percival informed Newt. "Will you be alright on your own?"
Newt nodded, but a look of fear crossed his face once more. Percival wondered if Newt suspected that he was going to MACUSA - he was, but not in the way Newt thought. Newt was not a common name, even among wizards. It might be enough for him to find some clue as to the boy's identity, when he wouldn't bring forth the information himself.

"I just need to ensure everything is in place for tonight, and to visit a few friends. I won't be out for more than an hour or two. If you could take that time to clean the bathroom, that would be of great help. And see if we have to buy anything extra for dinner tonight." Percival suggested. The boy seemed to calm a little when given a direct order. "If you want, you can put up your own wards while I'm gone, or we can put them up together to ensure that no one other than me can come back."
"No." Newt said after a moment. "It's your house, and your lady is coming later. I can't stop her from being able to visit. It wouldn't be right."
"As you wish." Percival answered with a nod. He hoped this would at least alleviate the boy's fear a little.

Newt got to his feet, clearing the table in silence. Percival watched him for a minute before standing and glancing towards the door.
"Will you still be here when I get back?" He asked. Newt nodded, and Percival walked away, replacing the wards from the previous night. Newt wouldn't be able to access the bedroom, or take anything of Percival's from the house, but if he decided he had to leave then he would be able to.

He made his way along the street, his leg aching slightly despite the cushioning charm applied to the top of his prosthetic. It was a challenge, learning to walk like this, and not one he had planned on taking. The past few months he had focused on recovery, dreaming of getting back to work as he walked around the house or stumbled a few blocks. Now, his mind was on Newt, on what had happened to him and who he was, and for the first time since the injury he was thinking about something else. This wasn't just filling in some paperwork for MACUSA, or advising on a case or training a junior auror. This was a man coming to him for help and leaving him with more questions than answers.

Walking into the Woolworth building, he could feel the eyes of MACUSA on him. After his injury, Seraphina had ordered him to take some time to recover, and he had been forced to hand over his role to Auror Fontane - his leg worked well enough for most days, but he would struggle to keep up in the heat of a raid. There had been rumours that he would never return. And now he was striding down the corridors as though he had never left. He made his way to an elevator, and nodded to the goblin bell boy.
"Major investigations sir?"
"Please." Percival answered, as the elevator lifted into the air. It wasn't long before the doors parted and he walked out into an office filled with aurors. They clapped and cheered to see him, as though he was a hero merely for getting up there. Several of them stepped forwards to shake his hand and ask how he was, and then Fontane walked over, a bright smile on his suntanned face.
"Hello Director."
"You're the Director now." Percival reminded softly. "How have you been in my absence? I see that the building hasn't fallen down at least"
"We've missed you." Fontane said calmly. "We were a little concerned that you weren't planning on coming back and were going to leave us to our own devices."
"I know what chaos you all get up to when left alone." Percival smirked. "I wouldn't dare."

"Is there any particular reason you are here today?" Fontane asked, and Percival thought of the letter he had received that morning.
"I need to meet with the President. Goldstein?"

Tina pushed her way through the crowd, her head down. She looked a little shy, as always, but Percival thought she seemed a fraction braver than the last time he had seen her.
"Yes sir?"
He gestured her to follow him away from the main group, talking to her in a whisper.
"I want you to research everything you can about a British wizard by the name of Newt. He is a Hufflepuff aged somewhere between eighteen and twenty five. Be discreet about it. I'll be back to discuss it with you once I have seen Madame President."
"Yes sir." She scurried away to the archives, as Percival walked along to the President's office. He had walked this way hundreds of times before, but his steps sounded different now, and that thought made his insides twist in on themselves. He knocked on the door, and pushed it open at Seraphina's voice.

She smiled when she saw him, gesturing for him to sit down. He pulled the chair out with a wave of his hand, and sat down opposite her.
"You made it in then? How's the leg?"
"It's getting there." Percival answered. "How has it been here?"
"It's a lot calmer without you around, for a start." She teased. "But you're here. Does this mean you've decided to consult?"

Percival paused. He'd been asking to be allowed back into the field, and then back into MACUSA, ever since his accident occurred. But now, he was suddenly reluctant. He hesitated and then shook his head.
"I want to consult, but I need to deal with a personal matter first. It shouldn't take more than a few days, and then I'll be back to full ability."

"No one expects you to be okay immediately Percival." Seraphina said.
"I'm not the first Graves injured in the line of duty." Percival pointed out. "And I won't be the last."
"I don't care about the other members of your family." Seraphina pointed out bluntly, the same passion on her face that she had shown when they had met at school, and he had been explaining about the pressure of the family name. "I care about my best friend. My best friend who nearly died twice as an after effect of trying to save everyone else, and I'm not losing him now. Not if I can help it."

He reached out and squeezed her hand, stunned by her show of emotion. So often during the course of their work they faced each other professionally, it was almost a shock to see Seraphina as herself, the same passionate young woman he had befriended in Ilvermorny.
"Thank you."
"I don't want to lose you."
"You won't. I just need some time so that I can work this out, and then I'll be back doing what I can. Just trust me for a little while, okay?"
"What's going on Percival?" Seraphina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know yet." Percival answered honestly. "But I am certain that I can work it out. Just... no auror visits to my house for the next few days, and only communicate via unmarked owl."
"Alright." Seraphina answered. "But I hope you know what you're doing."
Percival flashed her the brightest smile he could.
"So do I." With that, he got up and left the room.

He found Goldstein crouched over a dozen different files, several bearing the seal of the Ministry.
"I need to ask a favour of you."
"Yes sir?" Tina looked up.
"Can I ask you and your sister to join me for dinner tonight? I need to get your sister's opinion on someone, and I have told them that you are my girlfriend."

Tina blushed slightly, then swallowed.
"You tell that to Newt Scamander sir?"
"I don't know his last name." Percival answered, but glanced down to see a photograph. The boy in the image was eleven, just starting at Hogwarts, but the curly hair and inability to meet another's eyes were recognisable even at that age. "That's him though."

"Oh." She frowned. "I've found a few reports from the Ministry sir. He was expelled from Hogwarts for endangering another student's life. Since then he has been being hunted by the Ministry."
"For what he did at school?" Percival asked, trying to square her words with the frightened young man that he had left at home that morning.
"No sir. For being an associate of Gellert Grindelwald."