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"Hey, Newt?" Jacob called out, one arm on the rail as he stared down into Newt's surprisingly vast basement. His voice echoed throughout the space as he stood at the top of the stairs, searching for a friend. He had been desperately searching the streets aimlessly for an hour, his clothes drenched. As expected, there was no trace of Queenie. The blonde had disappeared without a trace, only vowing to return to her sister. He wasn't as angry as he thought he should be. Maybe with the fight replaying in the back of his mind, he felt guilty, like he was one who caused her all this pain.
"I'm done here, Jacob," Newt's voice reverberated back, "So, I'll be with you in a second."
Ignoring Newt's words, Jacob walked down the stairs. The rest of his basement was dimly lit, providing enough light to see the outline of each step. As the first set of stairs ended, a large archway window stood to Jacob's left. Perched on the bricks was an Augurey. The thin magical bird stared at Jacob blank, cawing mournfully at the man.
Jacob shook his head at the large creature, "I got my own problems."
At the bottom of the stairs, Newt's suitcase laid open, various papers were pinned up but a picture of Tina smiling caught Jacob's attention. He tried his best not to trip over scurrying creatures, some smaller than others. Looking up almost gave Jacob vertigo, the ceiling stretched far away. It was amazing for someone who had lived in the muggle world to see. Newt's basement seemed to never end, each creature had a large enclosure, an environment for all of them to live in.
"Incoming." Newt finally appeared, holding a small vial by his pinky.
"Hey," Jacob let out, finally able to greet his friend, soberly, "What've you got there?"
"It's a hinkypunk, it disrupts tracking charms," Newt explained, dropping it into his suitcase.
Jacob followed the object, glancing down at the fallen vial as Newt rushed to pack his case. "You're going somewhere?"
"No, we're going somewhere," Newt answered, stopping at the door, "Queenie left a postcard. Tina's in Paris looking for Credence."
"Genius," Jacob pumped the air with his fists. "Queenie's gonna go straight for Tina. Okay, we're going to France, pal! Hold on. I'll get my jacket."
"I've got it," closing his suitcase, Newt summoned Jacob's jacket. The coat flew straight towards the shorter man, arriving straight onto his arm, folded. Jacob let out a sound of amusement, before turning back to Newt. A gust of wind blew from his wand, it was warm and inviting, not too strong to pick Jacob off his feet, but it dried his wet clothes easily. As they turned to leave, they both froze at the bottom of the staircase.
Ariadne stood with her arms crossed, blocking their path as her heels clicked down the stairs. "I take it you didn't accept the offer given to you by Travers?"
Newt frowned at the mention of his hearing, "Absolutely not."
"Why do you always make my life harder?" Ariadne mused. She pointed at the both of them,"You need rest and food. Queenie made dinner that you haven't touched. I'll get to your portkey tomorrow." Newt's eyes seemed to die at the mention of waiting even longer. Ariadne rolled her eyes, falling for his soft eyes, "Be ready early."
"Come to speak of it, I am really hungry," Jacob let out, a hand to his stomach. Ariadne sweeped the air with her hands, motioning for him to pass her. He followed her command and walked up the stairs, his steps lighter than before.
Ariadne turned to Newt, "Tomorrow is the best I can do. Don't try anything, you won't get anywhere with your travelling ban." She narrowed her eyes accusingly, making sure her point got across to the impulsive and rule breaker Newt Scamander. "Plus, I'm doing this free of charge."
☆
The silence of the Ministry was welcoming as Ariadne's heels clicked softly against the marble floor. Most of the ministry workers had returned home after a long day at the office. The eerily quiet corridors were being polished, elves using machines to remove any speck of dust. The Portkey office was located on the sixth floor and as Ariadne waited for the lift, footsteps approached her. At the sound of them, she turned her head away, hoping that whoever neared her would go away. However, nothing ever seemed to go her way.
"Miss Nott?"
"Mr Selwyn," she nodded her head at the youngest Selwyn, a smile politely lifting her face. She almost forgot he existed. The ball hosted by Abbott seemed so far into the past that she couldn't quite remember their conversation. The papers had kept quiet due to his status and money, and she had never really bumped into him. Until now.
"Call me Frank," he offered his hand out, a gesture that was more than polite as his lips quirked up.
She accepted his handshake, "Ariadne to you then."
"What are you doing here so late?"
Actually, Ariadne tilted her head to the side, she could use this. Immediately, she dropped her expression, her face painted with anxiety, "I need a portkey. My sister's unwell."
His eyes seemed to soften, "I didn't know you had a sister."
"We're not blood related," she lied. A small smile on her face, making it look like her world revolved around this woman, "She's just a close friend who I consider family."
"That's sweet."
"Would you like to accompany me?" Ariadne requested coyly, biting her bottom lip as if she needed his company. The elevator arrived, the doors opening as Ariadne waited for his reply. His eyebrows lifted at the request, surprised that she would even ask. Letting his shock settle, he walked into the lift with her, pressing the button for her.
"Where does your sister live?" He wondered, curious to know more about the woman next to him.
"Paris," she said, "Have you been?"
"Only a few times."
"It is a beautiful city," she nodded. "I heard what you did in the Confederation. You must be proud." His achievement had been shadowed by Grindelwald's escape, his story only making the back page. Even so, speaking out against the Minister of Magic was always treacherous. He was supposed to be supporting him, not condemning his actions.
"Oh, thanks." He played with his fingers nervously while his eyes darted between the floor and her. She couldn't lie, the elevator was filled with awkward tension that mixed between them. Merlin, this is why his older brother was the popular one. Thankful that the doors opened again, Ariadne and Franklin stepped into the Portkey office.
Upon a tall counter, a man slouched in his chair. He had a thin moustache, brunette almost ginger. His apathetic mood was not unnoticed as he continued to stare into the abyss, unaware of the two who stood in front of him. Ariadne shared a glance with Franklin before she lightly pressed the bell. The ding rang, startling the man.
"Hi," she said with a friendly smile on her face, "I'd like to get a portkey to Paris."
"Name," his voice was void of emotions. A book flickered to the desired page and he had a quill in his hand.
"Ariadne Nott."
"Purpose of visit?"
"I'm visiting a friend, she's sick." Not once did he look at her. Ariadne pressed her lips together, "What's the earliest you can get me there?"
"A week," he answered nonchalantly.
"A week?" She feigned distress.
He rolled his eyes at her shock, boredly saying, "Both Ministries of Magic must consent to your visit."
"Is there any way to speed up the process?"
"Look, Miss Nott-"
"Actually, you said that both Ministries of Magic need to consent. Consent can be given by the French delegate, correct?" Franklin inquired hopefully, watching as the man stared down at the two of them, fed up with their antics.
"Well, yes, I suppose," his voice drawled out.
"Perfect, Delegate Charles Lévesque is currently having dinner with a friend here in London," Franklin disclosed, snatching the paper form from the counter as he folded it into his pocket. "I'll get his signature and you can have your portkey by..." He stared at Ariadne, motioning for her to continue.
"Sunrise," she answered firmly, turning to the man wishfully. Oh, this was going better than planned. She tried to suppress her smile, but even doing so wouldn't incriminate her.
"Dawn it is, Miss Nott," he nodded at the two of them, his eyes ushering them out as his lips were pressed tightly into a frown. Franklin seemed pleased with himself, thinking that he had just done the woman a favour, not knowing her true intentions. They returned back to the lift, making their way onto the ground floor of the Ministry.
"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me," Ariadne added, sharing a smile too good to be true. Because of him, she need not to blackmail the poor man behind the counter. However, it would have been amusing to dig up the apathetic man's secrets. Maybe that could be an adventure for another time.
"Well, now I'll have to go find the French Delegate," Franklin said, waving the paper in his hands. "See you around?"
Internally, she shook her head vigorously, "See you around."
[1566 words]
a/n
the return of franklin selwyn. did we miss him? remember his name, that's gonna be important later :)
kjlyds