Tina and Newt, Apparated in front of a tall apartment building.
"Queenie's gonna be hysteric when she see's you" Stated Tina, opening the door for Newt.
"Its right up here to the left" She said behind his. Newt walked up the stairs, it was dark and cramped on the stairway, and there was a smell of must. Cobwebs littered everywhere.
"Mind the second to last step" Tina warned. Newt carefully avoided the step, which was snapped in half, he looked and saw a dark room below them. Tina read the look on Newts face.
"We can't fix it on account of the landlord, he'll notice, and he wants to fix it himself."
"Uh- are you sure this is safe?"
"No. The apartment itself is much better though." Tina said, unlocking the door. Newt quickly changed back to his normal appearance and walked in behind her.
"Queenie are you home?" Tina called out. After a beat there was a response.
"Yeah hold on!"
Newt looked at the room. To his right there was the kitchen, and to his left was a door, which was probably the bathroom. Just beyond the kitchen, across the counter was a table with 4 chairs. It was very rustic, with wood floors, and paneled walls, but it felt cozy. Newt sat his case down on the floor as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
"What's going on Teen-" Queenie cut off as she saw Newt. Her face turned to pure delight.
"Mr. Scamander, what brings you back to New York?"
"Just came to visit."
"Well, make yourself at home, honey." She said, putting cups in the cupboards with her wand.
Newt suddenly realized one main thing he had to do, and it was also a huge reason he had come back .
"Oh, Tina,- I uh, I have something for you" Newt said handing her a book. It had a plain black cover. Tina stared for a second.
"You really wrote it?"
Newt smiled.
"It still needs some editing, and maybe a few more chapters."
Tina took the book and opened it, revealing a chapter about Centaurs. She looked through some pages reading bits of it.
"Wow. I've only heard of half of these creatures. You've seen these all?"
"Yes. Some were more difficult to approach than others, but yes, I've seen and studied each and every single one. The more endangered ones are the ones I keep, or ones that just need protection."
"What about the more dangerous ones?"
"Well, sometimes no matter how much research you do, or how much you know, animals can be unpredictable. Its more a live and learn type deal with some of them."
Tina imagined beasts like Swooping Evil or the Erumpent.
"Have they hurt you before?" Tina asked, curious.
"Definitely. Back at Hogwarts being me, I was sent to the hospital wing on multiple occasions, even sometimes out on the field even now. My brother has scars from battle, I have scars from doing what I love." Newt chuckled. Tina remembered his brother being mentioned before at MACUSA.
"Were you and your brother close?"
Tina let the question slip, but felt remorse after seeing Newts face change. It went from joy, most likely remembering his run ins with the creatures, to a slight sadness. He was obviously trying to hide It, but it shown through.
"Yes. Very."
Tina watched Queenie from across the room. Newt, who was facing away from her, was oblivious to her reading his mind. Queenie looked at Tina, her face was full of sadness. She shook her head and went back to work. Tina couldn't imagine what she could've read.
"I'm sorry Newt" Tina said sadly. "I shouldn't of asked you all those questions"
"Don't be, its perfectly fine. Besides, nobody really asks about my creatures, so its nice to talk a little about them. Um, were do you want my to set my things?"
Tina, who was still feeling bad, gestured to the stairs.
"Just upstairs, go a little to the left and there will be a door on front of you, its a spare room with two beds, feel free to choose one" She said giddy about having Newt back, like old times.
"Great, thank you." Newt said, walking to the stairs. Tina watched him disappear around the corner, waited a few seconds until she heard the footsteps moving around upstairs, then moved to Queenie.
"Oh, Tina" was all Queenie could say.
"What happened?" Tina asked.
"He really misses his brother. I saw a replay, I saw Newt, he was very young, wearing a robe. These boys, they were hitting him, kicking him. All of a sudden I saw another boy, he was older, he ran in and fought off the other boys. It was his brother, then a there was a quick flash to him and Newt saying goodbye, and his brother had a suitcase." Queenie said, looking incredibly sad. Tina took in what her sister had said.
Upstairs
Newt stood at the top of the stairs, not moving. He had heard Queenie talking to Tina about him and his brother. He remembered his brother always fighting off the boys who liked to beat him up. Newt reached and touched the side of his head where there was a scar only few knew about. It was the same scar he got from being thrown into a desk before his brother came in. Newt would never forget the look on his brothers face when he saw him on the floor. Never had he seen him so angry. His brother was suspended for a few weeks after what he did to those boys. Newt closed his eyes. He was so heartbroken after his brother had left to go on the front lines, and so terrified something would happen to him. Newt shook of the memories and sat down on the top step. He couldn't believe she had read his mind. Queenie's voice floated through his head.
"People are easier to read when their hurting."
Hadn't he told her before not to do that? Newt couldn't help but feel a little angry and embarrassed she had shared it with Tina. He really didn't know what to do. He didn't want to just leave or anything, but he also didn't want to go down and face them now that they probably felt so bad for him. He heard Queenie speak again, but couldn't make it out since it was in a hushed voice. He didn't have time to get up when Tina peeked her head around the corner. Her eyes went wide slightly.
"Oh Newt! How long have you been sitting there?"
Newt tried coming up with something in the moment.
"Oh sorry, I was just thinking." Newt could tell Tina was worried he had heard them talking. After all, he didn't answer her question.
"Well come on down, were just about to have lunch."
"Alright, just give me one minute I need to check on them." Newt said, standing. Tina nodded her head and walked back downstairs. She walked out of the living room.
"What happened?" Queenie asked. Tina shook her head. She immediately knew.
"He heard me? Oh no.." she said, putting a hand to her mouth.
"Its fine Queenie, you didn't mean any harm-"
"No it ain't Tina, it wasn't any of my business."
"No this is my fault, I shouldn'ta asked."
Both girls stood there feeling guilty. Footsteps sounded from upstairs and started coming down the stairs. Queenie straightaway started making sandwiches, and Tina went to the fridge and got a pitcher of water and ice. Newt came around the corner, seeing both girls working all of a sudden. Tina tried making conversation.
"So, are all the beasts accounted for?"
"Yes."
Tina thought of what else to say.
"How's Pickett?"
"He's good. Finally convinced him to say with the other Bowtruckles. Felt bad, but it needed to be done."
Newt said. There was an obvious tension in the air, making it slightly uncomfortable. Tina tilted her head, slightly, looking at something on Newts shoulder, Newt looked to where she was pointed and groaned.
"Pickett, really? We've talked about this." Newt whispered, picking up Pickett in his fingers.
"Terribly sorry" Newt said to Tina and Queenie. "I'll go put him back real quick". Newt walked back to the stairs, rejoicing in his head he could go back upstairs for a second.
"Pickett, this cant go on forever, you know you can't do this."Newt said, walking up the stairs slowly. Pickett chirped and scrambled up Newts arm to the back of his head into his hair.
"Ah! Pickett!" Newt exclaimed, reaching for the small creature as it moved out of the way down the back of his head, and crawled down the back of his shirt. Newt gasped at the sensation.
"Okay, this is not funny!"
Pickett, who was still eager to not be caught by Newt scrambled under his clothes. Newt furiously thrashed about trying to get Pickett out of his undershirt, and didn't notice Tina at the bottom of the stairs watching, engaged in what was happening.
"Newt?"
Newt froze, and slowly turned to Tina completely embarrassed.
"Is everything okay?"
"Oh-yes, just...uh.." Newt, still frozen, looked down as Pickett popped his head out from his shirt.
"Gotchya!"
Newt grabbed the tiny animal and held him in the air.
"Little brute" Newt mumbled, keeping a firm grip on him.
"Excuse me." He said sprinting up the stairs. Tina stared after him. She slowly walked back down the stairs. She laughed and rolled her eyes replaying what she had seen in her head.
"What was that all bout?
"Oh nothing" Tina chuckled.
........................