Eleanor woke up around 5am on Friday morning. She was too excited for her first adventure with Newt. She threw on a pair of plaid paper bag trousers and cinched them with a brown buckled belt, she slid her wand into its holster pocket and tucked in her blue turtleneck. She unpinned her curls and they loosely fell around her face. She heard a crack in the kitchen and walked out to see Newt standing on her dining table.
"So sorry, I must've misjudged when apparating," Newt said as he hopped off her table and wiped away the dirt left by his shoes. He looked very nice, Eleanor thought. He had on a brown suit with a yellow vest and his teal blue jacket along with a pair of brown leather boots. She noticed he had on a Hufflepuff scarf wrapped loosely around his neck.
"Newt, are you a Hufflepuff?" Eleanor asked while touching his scarf.
"I uh, well yes I am." Newt said fixing his scarf a bit.
"Really? Me too," Eleanor said while grabbing the exact same scarf as Newt and fixing it around her neck. "When did you graduate?"
"I um, actually was expelled. I never got to graduate, but I've learned everything I need to know now." Newt chuckled awkwardly while being slightly embarrassed about the topic. He didn't like explaining his past, most people looked down at him when he said he never graduated. He just thought Eleanor ought to know the truth if they were going to be working together. Instead of judging him, she laughed.
"I had a best friend get expelled from there my fourth year. She turned a muggles nose into a pigs nose and gave her a lions tail. All because she stepped on her new trainers. It was so funny and I can't believe she got expelled over it, but Hogwarts has silly rules." She gave Newt and understanding look and walked over to her trunk.
"Oh well yeah, I didn't do anything like that. Let's just say it wasn't entirely my fault, but of course I got the short end of the stick. I was lucky that Dumbledore stood up for me, otherwise I might have lost my wand." Newt said. Eleanor perked as he mentioned Dumbledore, he was one of the best professors she ever had.
"How old are you Newt?" Eleanor asked. They still had two hours before they had to be at the portkey, so she whipped up some eggs with toast and jam. She placed the plate in front of Newt and added a teacup with a spout of tea.
"Twenty seven and you?" Newt replied while helping himself to the toast.
"Nineteen, but I'll be twenty in July." She said and gleamed at him while taking a sip of tea.
"That's a ways away Eleanor," Newt laughed and looked outside. It was always raining here in London during the fall. Eleanor heard a squeak in her ear.
"Pickett! You can't just scream in my ear every time you get hungry!" Eleanor prompted and placed him on the table. "You know he likes sugar shrub leaves, but I think he might like his usual Newt."
Newt looked surprised when she mentioned him eating leaves. He never touched the leaves Newt tried giving Pickett. Newt opened his case and pulled out a single woodlice. Eleanor used to call them roly-polys because they would roll into a ball when she would touch them. Pickett munched on his bug and Newt smiled at his little friend. They finished their breakfast together and stood up at the same time.
"I think we best be leaving now." Newt said and Eleanor nodded in agreement. She cleaned the dishes up and took one last look at her flat, making sure everything was in order. They linked arms and Newt apparated them into Oxford. Eleanor had never been to this part of the country and was fascinated with everything going on. It wasn't much, but it was a very busy place to be.
"Come on this way, we need to walk the rest of the way." Newt said leading the way. Newt brought her into an alley on High Street and stopped in front of a stool with a steel kettle sitting on it.
"That's our portkey?" Eleanor asked. Newt nodded.
"Yeah, have you ever travelled by portkey before," Eleanor shook her head and Newt looked at his feet knowing this wouldn't be a nice trip for her. Those who typically travel with a portkey for the first time, tend to always puke their brains out once they get to their destination; kind of like apparating, but it's slightly different.
"No, I'm going to be sick aren't I?" Eleanor looked at Newt wearily and he just smiled at her.
"Afraid so, here take my hand. It's about to leave." Newt held his hand out and she took it quickly. He hooked his hand through the kettles handle and it began to shake. "What ever you do, Eleanor, don't let go of my hand, okay?"
"Okay Newt," She held on tightly and shut her eyes closed. She didn't dare open them and before she knew it, she was stomach down in the snow.
"Oi! El, what are you doing on the ground?" Newt laughed and helped her up to her feet.
Eleanor's face turned red and laughed with him, but suddenly her face went pale and she stopped laughing. Newt stopped laughing once he realized what was wrong. He was right about her getting sick, he just didn't want it to be on his shoes. He turned her around just as she heaved up her breakfast onto the ground.
"Oh my gosh I am so sorry, that's so embarrassing." Eleanor exclaimed will wiping her mouth on her handkerchief and tucking it back into her pocket.
"Don't be sorry, I did the same thing at first also. I actually threw up on some stranger, which I promise you is more embarrassing." Newt laughed again and brushed the snow off her jacket.
"Thank you, Newt," Eleanor said. "I think I'm okay now."
"Are you sure? We can hang out a little bit if you're not." Newt said, but he looked around anxiously. Eleanor knew they couldn't hang out around here for too long. It was well below freezing and the wind was horrid.
"No Newt, we need to get going." Eleanor said while tightening her scarf and summoning her mittens and earmuffs. She fastened her cloak around her neck and nodded to Newt to lead the way. "Is it a long walk?"
"Not at all, we just need to get over that hill over there and then we can apparate to the camp." Newt said picking up the pace a bit. Eleanor was able to keep up easily to her surprise. She was never one for going on hikes or working out much, but she was fit.
"Ah here we are." Newt said pointing the camp down below them. He hooked his arm around Eleanor's waist and apparated them down to the camp.
"Ah Newt! So good to see you my old friend! How are you?" A man came out from around a work tent. He had on a bright orange cloak with a purple suit. Eleanor thought he looked ridiculous, but who was she to judge. He looked like a nice man, he had a round face with a beard and seriously bushy eyebrows. He stuck his hand out to Newt and brought him into a hug.
"Samuel, it's a pleasure to see you, what the heck are you wearing?" Newt said while chuckling and looking over his friend. Eleanor was glad she wasn't the only one thinking that. Samuel, did however look taken aback.
"Newt you don't remember sending me this cloak? Just last year for my birthday!"He twirled around to show it off.
"Oh yeah, I suppose I did," Newt chuckled again and Samuels eyes fell onto Eleanor. Newt turned to introduce them, but Samuel beat him to it.
"You must be Newt's girlfriend! So nice to meet you! I'm Samuel, Newt told me about you in his letter he sent me! Said you would be joining him on his travels." Samuel shook her hand eagerly and patted her on the back. Newt looked like he was going to be the next one to be sick.