BLACK PANTHER. ❪ Newt Scamander ❫ ✓

thirty-nine

"What's...your relationship with Grindelwald?" Aurelius asked hesitantly, treading carefully as he sat on the couch on the other side of Neeki's room.

"Well, what's your relationship with him?" she cheekily retorted from her seated position on the bed.

He looked away from, choosing to stare out the window. "I asked first."

Neeki scowled. " I've known him since I was a baby. He held me as a baby, even rocked me to sleep once. He would join my family for dinner at times when he wasn't busy."

"You're close?" Aurelius asked.

Neeki shrugged. "In a sense, yes. I haven't seen him in over ten years - until recently, of course. I don't know what exactly our relationship is. I'm not sure if I should call him uncle or master."

Aurelius shrugged in response. "I call him neither."

"Fitting."

Neeki looked down at Newt, who suddenly stirred awake and began viciously moving around on the blankets. He curled up into a ball and rocked back and forth as he fell back asleep. She smiled and rubbed her finger down his back.

"How are you doing?" Neeki asked Aurelius. "You found out you're not a Squib."

"How - "

"I may have been an animal in my time with Newt, but it didn't mean the information wasn't stored in my mind. I remember a lot and I understand now. I can form coherent sentences and express how I'm feeling without growling or nudging against someone."

"I'm a little angry," he answered.

"You don't seem angry," she stated.

"Oh, I am. I'm angry that I lived more than twenty years of life without knowing who I was. When I learned of this world, I was told I would be a Squib, but then I wasn't. I was an Obscurial - I still am. I can feel it inside of me and I don't know what to do with it. I don't know what I want anymore. I'm still looking for answers. What about you? You have your memories now."

"I'm still looking for answers too. You were an orphan, right?" Neeki asked.

Aurelius nodded. "I was adopted by this woman. She was horrible, but I'm here now. I think that's all that matters."

She nodded thoughtfully. "And that woman you were with at the theater?"

"Nagini," he muttered. "I don't think she likes me anymore - not after what I did."

She nodded. "I understand. I don't think Newt likes me very much after the stunt I pulled, but I don't regret it," she muttered sadly. "I appreciate everything he's done for me, but I wasn't going to get my memories back if I hadn't gone with Grindelwald."

"Did you love him?" Aurelius curiously asked.

"I still do," she whispered. "But I think he has someone else now. She'll be good for him. There's no need for him to remember me. It might be best if he forgets of me completely."

"But that would be horrible. He would forget what makes his life special. Isn't that like you? You never knew who you were, so you always felt incomplete."

"I suppose, but...Newt is surrounded by lovely people. He sees the good in everyone, no matter what. He's chosen his side and I've chosen mine. Even if I may not agree completely with Grindelwald's acts, I understand why he's doing them. Sometimes, even the most insane have the best ideas no sane person could ever think of nor accomplish," Neeki said.

"Are you one of Grindelwald's fanatics?" Aurelius asked.

"I'm not sure," she answered. "After all, he is my uncle - whether we're bound by blood or not. He's taken care of me as a child. I can only assume he had good intentions, but my assumptions are only assumptions. However, I feel as if he's hiding one more thing from me."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure. When my memories returned, I feel like there were some blanks spots. For instance, I was having dinner with my parents and Grindelwald, but there was another empty seat at the table. Why would we have an empty seat out in the open?" Neeki asked.

"Maybe someone couldn't make it," he suggested.