Salamander's Eyes

Part eleven

As nobody told me otherwise, here's the new chapter with Tina meeting the Scamander family and Leta for the first time.

Hope you enjoy it..

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Knock. Newt and Tina stood in a sort of tensed anticipation, both of them unsure about what was to happen, albeit for different reasons. A woman opened the door and Tina could tell at first sight that she had to be Newt's mother.

She was less freckled than Newt, only a few around her nose, but she had exactly the same green eyes. They sparkled with joy when she saw her son and a broad smile appeared on her face, a smile that Tina recognized as the one she loved but had only seen on a few occasions, when Newt was comfortable and really happy. Her red hair was pinned up loosely and streaked with grey, but it suited her very well, as did the simple but pretty dress that she wore, of which the colour matched her eyes.

"Mum", Newt said and smiled at her guardedly.

"Oh, come here!", his mother exclaimed and immediately pulled him into a warm hug.

"Mum, Mum it's alright, let me go, Mum", Tina heard Newt mutter, after what seemed like hours, when she showed no sign at all to release him again.
"..Mum, please", he continued and Tina couldn't suppress an amused smile as she saw his face and ears turning red when his mother finally let him go.

"Oh don't pretend my dear!", Mrs Scamander scolded him,
"It's all your fault that I'm in such need of affection and you know it, Newton Scamander! If you're uncomfortable with it, you should visit more often..", she said as she hit him playfully on the shoulder.
"But you know I'm only kidding...", she continued warmly, and turned to face Tina who was only half successful in trying to hide the broad grin on her face.

"Don't you want to introduce me to this beautiful lady?", Mrs Scamander asked friendly, causing Tina to blush herself now.

"Oh yes, of course", Newt stuttered,
"Tina, as you could hardly fail to see, that's my mother. Mum, that's my-....that's....Tina..."

Tina watched him as he turned his eyes down in embarrassment.
I'm his...what? What was he about to say?, Tina asked herself. Distracting herself from that thought, Tina turned towards his mother.

"Mrs Scamander", she smiled at the other woman,
"I'm delighted to meet you. I-I hope I'm not..intruding in anything but..I just couldn't refuse when Newt offered me the possibility to accompany him..", Tina added slightly nervous.

"Oh my dear, not at all, not at all", Newt's mother contradicted her immediately.
"It's lovely to make your acquaintance..and call me Camille, please....you are the auror Newt met in New York last year, if I remember correctly?", she added then to Tina's surprise. It had never occurred to her that Newt could have mentioned her to anybody before, let alone to his mother.

"Yes, yes I am..", she replied therefore a little absent-minded, "I'm Newt's....-" The words were out before she knew how she should finish the sentence, so she broke off, but before she had come to a conclusion, Newt finished for her.

"-girlfriend, she is-...my..I mean..-", he started hastily and trailed off then, bowing his head to the ground as he blushed, but smiling shyly.

"Emm, yes..", Tina could only mutter, astonished, but utterly happy.

"Oh really?!", Camille exclaimed, who seemed neither less surprised nor blissful than Tina herself.
"You can't imagine how delighted I am to hear that! Come in, come in, the rest of the family is waiting to see you two as well", she said excitedly as she led them into the house.

They entered a small but beautiful entrance hall, but Tina had no time to take a look at the room around her, for they were immediately greeted by a good-looking man in middle-age who turned out to be Newt's father. George Scamander was calmer and more reserved than his wife, but no less friendly as he hugged his son and shook hands with Tina afterwards as Camille introduced her.

"That's Tina", she explained to everyone.
"She's Newt's girlfriend from America!", a clear accentuation on the word "girlfriend".

George raised his eyebrows at Newt and smiled at Tina, remaining far calmer than his wife at this message, but showing that he was delighted as well.

"A girlfriend, little brother?", a handsome young man exclaimed as he made his way past Newt's parents to hug him. He was very similar to Newt, only a bit taller and of a broader statue, but his voice and behaviour were completely different- upright and self-confident.

"Theseus", Newt said unemotionally, not reciprocating as his brother hugged him, but not fighting him off either.

"It's good to see you", Theseus said after he had let go.
"And what kind of magical beast do you have to be obsessed with in your job?", he asked Tina, sounding a bit immodest.

"I'm indeed very impressed by everything Newt has invested in his case and his job, the occamys are my favourites, but I'm actually working for MACUSA", Tina replied as friendly as possible - she didn't like how little respect Theseus showed towards his brother and his work.

"For MACUSA?", Theseus asked surprised.

"Yes", Tina said shortly. She wasn't sure why she didn't tell him what exactly she worked as, maybe only to make the most of his suddenly uncertain expression.

"She's an auror!", Camille told Theseus excitedly as Tina apparently wasn't going to do so.

"Really??", Theseus asked, his eyebrows raised at his mother, then at Newt and finally at Tina herself, pure astonishment on his face.

"She is", Newt answered calmly as Tina stayed silent. Theseus seemed to have lost his words, unable to believe that Newt could be able to have an auror, the job he considered the most valuable, as his girlfriend.

"I am, yes", Tina finally said.
"Is that so hard to believe?"

"No, no of course not", Theseus murmured, the turn of the conversation obviously awkward for him.

Newt for his part was fascinated by the view in front of him. His big brother Theseus, the war hero, the absolute image of pride and confidence, had been reprimanded by Tina in only a couple of minutes after their first meeting.
She really is incredible, he thought by himself.
My Tina..., he smiled silently.

Theseus cleared his throat to gain back his usual confidence and pointed with his hand across the room, where someone stood in the background, silent and unnoticed until now, when she stepped forward to stand by Theseus' side. The woman was young and remarkably beautiful, her shiny brown hair flooded in waves to her shoulders and her big dark eyes were fixed on Newt, insecure, but determined. Tina grabbed Newt's hand as she felt him tense next to her, his smile wiped away.

"Leta..", he whispered expressionlessly.