Love is Patient

Chapter 10

"Nothing could have kept me away." Newt blushed and looked at his shoes.

Tina felt the color rise to her own cheeks. 

Minty jumped from Newt's shoulder to Tina's. Newt looked up and smiled at the kneazle then he slipped past Tina and into the shed. 

Tina turned and watched as Newt tidied his workbench. A shiver went down her spine as Newt scooped up the letters. She wondered if he was going to say anything about them but the expression on his face told her that he didn't even realize what he was holding. He set the papers off to one side of the workbench and continued putting things away.

When he had finished he turned around and spotted Tina's sketchbook. It was opened to the drawing of Minty. Tina blushed as Newt picked it up. He looked through the book then turned to Tina.

"Did you draw these?"

Tina studied his shoes. "Yeah. I -- uh, I know they're not any good but I was bored and--"

"Tina," Newt interrupted, "They're beautiful. Much better than the ones I did."

"Newt, you don't have to--"

"I mean it, Tina," Newt interrupted again. "In fact . . ." This time Newt blushed slightly. "Do you think you could draw the rest of the creatures so I could, maybe, use them for my book?"

"But your book's already been published," Tina said, confused.

"Well, I'm going to be working on a second edition that will have more creatures and will fix any mistakes that I find in this edition. I could use your drawings in that one instead of mine."

"Of course," Tina said, frowning. "If you want." She was still a bit unsure. I'm not that good.

"I don't have to be a Legilimens to know what you're thinking. These are really beautiful."

Tina felt her blush intensify. "Thank you." 

They were silent for a minute. Come on, Tina. He only said your drawings looked nice.

"Mercy Lewis, I just realized. You haven't eaten anything, have you?" Tina exclaimed.

"No, but--"

"Come on, I'll get you something to eat." Tina started climbing up the ladder. She climbed out of the case and walked to the kitchen. She pulled out the leftovers from her and Queenie's breakfast, heated them up, and set them on the table in front of Newt. While he ate she made tea for him and coffee for herself.

Tina took the two mugs and sat down on the couch. Newt finished eating. He flicked his wand and the dishes flew to the sink where they were scrubbed, dried, and put away. 

"Newt, you didn't have to," Tina said.

"Tina, I performed one spell," Newt said smiling. "It's not like I actually went and washed them by hand." He sat down next to her. She handed him the tea and he took a sip. "This is really good."

"Newt --"

"I mean, British tea is better but I've never found anything this good outside of England," he explained.

"It's Queenie's recipe. It would be better if she had made it."

"I take it that Queenie is at Jacob's bakery," Newt said.

"Yeah."

Tina sipped her coffee and reached for the newspaper. She frowned when she read the headline on the front page.

CHANGE OF PLANS AFTER GRINDELWALD'S NEAR BREAKOUT

"What's that about?" Newt asked.

Tina read:

Grindelwald, the most wanted wizard in all the world was supposed to be moved to a high-security prison in England. Nearly one hundred Aurors, both American and British, were going to be escorting him from his cell in MACUSA, across the ocean, and safely into his cell in Azkaban. 

This operation did not go as planned. The group made it only as far as the docks before Grindelwald seized a wand and began to attack. Seventeen Aurors were killed and Grindelwald would surely have escaped if there hadn't been as many Aurors escorting him.

The British Minister for Magic, Hector Fawley, and the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, Seraphina Picquery, have decided that it would be best if Grindelwald stayed in his cell at MACUSA where he will be less likely to escape. He is under guard by ten Aurors who have been well trained in wandless magic so that there will be no wands for Grindelwald to steal.

Tina's frown intensified. "I was hoping he'd be out of the country. It's nerve-wracking having him here. I hate working when I know that the man who tried to kill us is a few miles below me." She shivered.

"Well, at least he's locked up in a cell where he can't be killing anyone. That's better than him wandering around America or Europe or any other continent."

"Yeah, I guess."

They were silent for a moment then Newt asked, "Don't you have to go to work?"

"No, Queenie and I have the day off which is a good thing because I've been so tired lately."

Newt asked Tina how her work was doing and Tina started explaining all about the different problems MACUSA was having and how she sometimes suspected that President Picquery was still having people keep an eye on her. They spent the rest of the morning just sitting together and talking.

It's so good to have him back, Tina thought. I hope he doesn't have to leave for a long time.