uh. apparently this was too long for the comment box.
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It’s dark and Newt is freezing.
His suitcase is clutched tightly to his chest, and at first, Newt isn’t sure why he’s holding it so tightly. Then he feels someone trying to pull it away from him. He can’t see the person but he won’t let them. Never. There’s a babbling sound, which is probably meant to be soothing, but Newt isn’t fooled. He’s going to save these animals. They won’t be used and caged again.
The hands stop and the babbling sounds pause and there’s shuffling. Newt feels himself dip as a weight is deposited on the bed. He hears muffled words and feels a gentle hand on his forehead. Newt stills. The words become more distinct as he relaxes. The voice is accented but sounds a little like his mother.
“You’re safe,” says the soft voice, “Your creatures are here. Sleep now.”
He sleeps.
Newt wakes and finds that everything is hot and blurry. He hears noises rather than words and he can’t tell if that’s because nobody is speaking or if he just can’t hear. He can also see this time, but not very well. He sees that there are wizards in the room with him- nobody wears robes like that in the Muggle world- and some of them look grim. Authoritative. They don’t have uniforms like Healers at home.
Aurors.
They’ve found him. Newt struggles to sit up despite the fact that he feels like his body is going to shake apart. He grasps blindly for his suitcase. The wizards come in closer, pressing around him. Some have their arms out. They’re going to take him to America.
Newt tries to throw his legs over the side of the bed but he can hardly move. He tries to Apparate but nothing happens. He thinks someone might be talking to him but he can’t understand it. There are hands on him. He struggles, tries to get away, but he’s so tired. His body feels so heavy.
He slides back into the dark.
Newt wakes to bright lights and purring vibrating deep in his bones. His vision is clear and the room is very quiet. Pickett the Bowtruckle is curled up on his chest. There’s a Healer- an elderly African woman with graceful hands- patting his forehead with a damp cloth. Newt blinks, turning to get a better look at the woman.
She smiles and leaves the back of her hand against his forehead. “You’re back.”
“I am?” Newt croaks, “Where?”
“Harar. We didn’t want to move you too far. We had to follow your magic from that letter you wrote to the Alliance,” she says, “First we found a burnt out poacher’s camp. We thought you'd gone until your Niffler friend stumbled into us. That was a week ago. It’s been 4 days since you last woke.”
Newt furrows his brow. The rest of him feels too numb to do anything else.
“We weren’t entirely sure we’d be able to help you. Your nundu may not be completely deadly yet, but her teeth did quite a number on your shoulder and she still has enough toxins that she gave you several diseases. When you woke last you were very agitated. You nearly made yourself relapse.”
Newt reaches slowly for the shoulder he can’t feel very well and finds that it is bandaged. His fingers brush fur. He cranes his neck. The nundu from the camp is curled up. Its head is resting on top of Newt, nose pushed into Newt’s hair.
Newt licks his lips. “The camp-” he tries around his dry throat.
“Is quite- hm- incinerated,” the woman says, bringing a glass of water to Newt’s lips and helping him drink, “Though we were surprised to see that there were no fatalities and only a few injuries, considering. We had quite a lot of Obliviating to do, but if the Muggle authorities could know, they’d thank you.”
A knock on the door of his room interrupts her. She stands and smiles, patting his hand. “Rest, yes?”
Newt sits up slowly and reaches for the envelope. The Healer turns and opens the door to leave. There are Aurors are standing outside, grim-faced. Even once the door is shut Newt can hear their voice and see their silhouettes gesturing and he knows they’re talking about him.
He hears a voice that carries an American accent and goes cold. They know who he is- they must know who he's engaged to. They must be here to bring him to America. Newt gathers his belongings, gets Pickett into his coat, gets the nundu back into his suitcase.
He has slipped out by the back steps by the time the Healer returns.
FILL [6.5/?]: Newt/other, eventual Gramander; arranged marriage, past abuse, h/c, learning to trust
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It’s dark and Newt is freezing.
His suitcase is clutched tightly to his chest, and at first, Newt isn’t sure why he’s holding it so tightly. Then he feels someone trying to pull it away from him. He can’t see the person but he won’t let them. Never. There’s a babbling sound, which is probably meant to be soothing, but Newt isn’t fooled. He’s going to save these animals. They won’t be used and caged again.
The hands stop and the babbling sounds pause and there’s shuffling. Newt feels himself dip as a weight is deposited on the bed. He hears muffled words and feels a gentle hand on his forehead. Newt stills. The words become more distinct as he relaxes. The voice is accented but sounds a little like his mother.
“You’re safe,” says the soft voice, “Your creatures are here. Sleep now.”
He sleeps.
Newt wakes and finds that everything is hot and blurry. He hears noises rather than words and he can’t tell if that’s because nobody is speaking or if he just can’t hear. He can also see this time, but not very well. He sees that there are wizards in the room with him- nobody wears robes like that in the Muggle world- and some of them look grim. Authoritative. They don’t have uniforms like Healers at home.
Aurors.
They’ve found him. Newt struggles to sit up despite the fact that he feels like his body is going to shake apart. He grasps blindly for his suitcase. The wizards come in closer, pressing around him. Some have their arms out. They’re going to take him to America.
Newt tries to throw his legs over the side of the bed but he can hardly move. He tries to Apparate but nothing happens. He thinks someone might be talking to him but he can’t understand it. There are hands on him. He struggles, tries to get away, but he’s so tired. His body feels so heavy.
He slides back into the dark.
Newt wakes to bright lights and purring vibrating deep in his bones. His vision is clear and the room is very quiet. Pickett the Bowtruckle is curled up on his chest. There’s a Healer- an elderly African woman with graceful hands- patting his forehead with a damp cloth. Newt blinks, turning to get a better look at the woman.
She smiles and leaves the back of her hand against his forehead. “You’re back.”
“I am?” Newt croaks, “Where?”
“Harar. We didn’t want to move you too far. We had to follow your magic from that letter you wrote to the Alliance,” she says, “First we found a burnt out poacher’s camp. We thought you'd gone until your Niffler friend stumbled into us. That was a week ago. It’s been 4 days since you last woke.”
Newt furrows his brow. The rest of him feels too numb to do anything else.
“We weren’t entirely sure we’d be able to help you. Your nundu may not be completely deadly yet, but her teeth did quite a number on your shoulder and she still has enough toxins that she gave you several diseases. When you woke last you were very agitated. You nearly made yourself relapse.”
Newt reaches slowly for the shoulder he can’t feel very well and finds that it is bandaged. His fingers brush fur. He cranes his neck. The nundu from the camp is curled up. Its head is resting on top of Newt, nose pushed into Newt’s hair.
Newt licks his lips. “The camp-” he tries around his dry throat.
“Is quite- hm- incinerated,” the woman says, bringing a glass of water to Newt’s lips and helping him drink, “Though we were surprised to see that there were no fatalities and only a few injuries, considering. We had quite a lot of Obliviating to do, but if the Muggle authorities could know, they’d thank you.”
A knock on the door of his room interrupts her. She stands and smiles, patting his hand. “Rest, yes?”
Newt sits up slowly and reaches for the envelope. The Healer turns and opens the door to leave. There are Aurors are standing outside, grim-faced. Even once the door is shut Newt can hear their voice and see their silhouettes gesturing and he knows they’re talking about him.
He hears a voice that carries an American accent and goes cold. They know who he is- they must know who he's engaged to. They must be here to bring him to America. Newt gathers his belongings, gets Pickett into his coat, gets the nundu back into his suitcase.
He has slipped out by the back steps by the time the Healer returns.