Lost and Found [Newt Scamander]

One

The Magical Congress of the United States of America was just as pristine as he remembered it. Tall marbled pillars reached skyward until they met the arcing roof of the building. He ascended a wide set of stairs that stretched far in both directions to allow for a continuous flow of ministry workers without disruption or the chance of crashing into someone should one be in such haste.

Kel tugged at his scrappy and lopsided tie self-consciously, well aware that he was underdressed or rather, looked like he had just lost a fight to a pack of wolves.

A group of men all in clean white suits and pristine jackets walked by him, suitcases in hand as they talked about what each of them was planning on doing for the rest of their evenings. Kel squared his shoulders, standing tall and ignoring the off looks he was being given. He molded his lips to resemble something akin to melodic content and started forward, tugging at his hair as he went, attempting to tame the black curls. He shrugged off his coat as he turned the corner and walked past the attending desks, already knowing where he was needed.

The button-up he wore underneath was thankfully not scorched so badly that a hole resided anywhere in the depths of the fabrics and he rolled his sleeves up until they hung at his elbows and then held a hand up to his mouth as if he were about to wipe his brow but muttered an incantation instead.

"Aguamenti." He said quickly and lowly, guiding the water that now flowed from his wand onto his hands before disbanding the charm and tucking his wand in the clasps of his mouth.

He cleaned himself up as he reached the lifts or, elevators— rickety old things manned by Elves and Goblins that shook as they moved.

"Where to." The Goblin asked, lifting a brow and looking at Kel disdainfully as he haphazardly wiped the dirt and grime from his bronze skin. There was nothing he could do about his breath but call upon enough bravado to mask his state of self.

"International Magical Office of Law," Kel said, the words garbling as he held his wand in his mouth. He had his badge open for the Goblin to see. He didn't know what level the office was on despite the number of times he had been in America. He simply hadn't bothered to keep track. So long as he knew which department he needed to report to, someone always knew which direction to point him in.

The Goblin grunted and pressed a button regardless. It was one of the higher ones and Kel forced himself not to stare as the Goblin had to stand on its toes and then jump indignantly just to reach it before crossing his arms across his body in a way that conveyed Kel's tongue would be cut if he tried anything. He didn't want to be rude.

The doors clambered shut slowly. Kel could still see through them, the coppery gaps of the bars that acted as the doors sealing shut.

Across from him in the lobby maze of lifts waiting to be utilized, the one opposing descending, its own coppery doors bustling open. Kel watched as his own lift began to move. He saw two people emerge, one a presently angered female that for a moment, looked familiar, the other a guilt-ridden male with a head of messy golden curls that Kel remembered all to well.

"Wait," Kel said, wand falling from his lips as he caught it in one hand, brain working as he held out a hand but he was moving up.

The guilty-looking male's head snapped up from where it had been pointedly looking at his shoes and Newt Scamander's eyes latched onto Kel's.

But then Newt went out of sight, the lift sliding up too far toward the next level. The only thing he could see now was the dim golden hue of the old light stationed in the lift.

✧ ✧ ✧

Kel wanted to follow Newt and the woman after he had first seen him but they would have been too far gone by the time Kel reached the front entrance anyway. He still had to register his arrival with the International office and to get briefed on the whole case. The letter he had received before it went up in flames only relayed so much information and while he knew it concerned animals, he didn't know to what extent. And why Newt had been the prime name listed. It didn't make sense. The Hufflepuff would hardly hurt a worm let alone do something so drastic to garner the attention of the President herself. In America no less, across the ocean, hours away from Europe.