Newt and Tina's conversation was interrupted by a sharp tap on the window. They both turned to look. Tina stood up and walked over to it. She unlatched it and slid it up. An owl fluttered in and landed on Newt's shoulder. Newt took the letter it was carrying and pulled a treat out of his pocket. The owl snatched it up then flew off.
"Who's it for?" Tina asked as she came back to the couch.
Newt turned the letter over. He paled slightly. "It's for me."
Why now? Why couldn't it have gotten to me yesterday, Newt thought as he opened it slowly and began to read it.
Dear Newt,
I hope you're still in the country. I was wondering if we could get lunch or dinner so we could catch up. I enjoyed seeing you in London and I hope you'll write this time.
Love,
Leta Lestrange
"What's wrong?" Tina asked.
"Nothing," Newt lied.
He folded up the letter and slipped it back into its envelope. He moved to put it in his pocket but it flew out of his hands.
"Tina, please . . ." Newt started but Tina had already pulled the letter out and was reading it. She frowned.
"I saw Leta at my book signing. She wanted me to sign a book and, well, she asked if we could find time to chat," Newt said. "I haven't seen her since then." Why am I telling Tina this? It's not like she cares if I see Leta or not. Does she?
"Well," Tina said, "are you going to write?"
"No," Newt sighed. "I haven't written a single letter to her in years."
"It's rude not to write back."
Newt looked up at Tina. She can't really love me if she's encouraging me to write to Leta. Does she really care so little for me that she wants me to be with another woman?
"Well?" Tina asked.
"I'm not writing to her."
Newt noticed Tina's frown vanish slowly. Maybe she was hoping that I'd refuse to write. Maybe she does love me, or at least care for me a bit.
"I have an idea," Tina said grinning. She jumped up and moved to the other side of the room where she pulled out some parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink.
She sat back down and began to write. When she was done she handed it to Newt who read it through.
Ms. Lestrange
I regret to inform you that Mr. Scamander is currently out of the country. I do not know his current whereabouts so I will be unable to deliver your letter to him. I do not know when he will return, either. I will notify you when he returns. Until then, please do not write back as I have a lot of letters to deal with.
Sincerely,
Porpentina Goldstein
Newt Scamander's secretary
Newt couldn't help laughing. Maybe she does care for me after all. "I wonder what she'll think when she figures out that Porpentina Goldstein is the same Tina Goldstein that my book wouldn't exist without."
"So you're going to send it?"
"Of course," Newt laughed. "I only wish I could see her reaction."
"Did she ask about me?"
"Well, she asked about the dedication and I told her that you three had helped me get information for the book."
Tina smiled but her smile slowly turned to a frown.
"What is it?"
"I really hate encouraging Queenie's legilimency but she told me . . ."
"Yes?" Newt frowned.
"Well, she said that whenever you think of Leta you hurt and I was wondering, well -- I was wondering what she did to you," Tina managed.
Oh. I can't tell her. I don't want to talk about it. . . . But you can trust her. She deserves to know.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"No, it's fine," said Newt. "Queenie probably already knows and I'd rather tell you myself than have her tell you. Besides, you deserve to know."
Newt paused to gather his thoughts. "There's a reason I was --"
Just then the door to the apartment slid open and Queenie waltzed in. She spotted Newt.
"Newt! You're back," she squealed. "When did you get here? Right after I left? I just missed you. Oh well, I'm seeing you now and you two needed the time to talk so that's alright. Oh!"
"What?" Tina and Newt said together.
"Newt, you can come to see Jacob's bakery today. We can go after lunch. Teen and I are free so we can take you although Tina hasn't actually been there yet."
"You haven't been?" Newt asked Tina.
"No, I've never gotten around to it."
"Why?"
"I've been very busy since I got my job back I've never really had the time. Either I was working or I was so tired that I fell asleep as soon as I got home."
Newt whistled when he saw how busy Kowalski's Bakery was. "He's got a lot of customers," he said.
"You know how good his pastries are: the best in the country, if not the world," Queenie said fondly.
Newt chuckled. "Well, I guess I made a good investment by giving him those shells."
"Let's go inside." Queenie grabbed them both by the hand and pulled them in. She pulled them past all the people who were looking at the pastries and right up to the counter.
"Hi, Jacob," she said. "I've brought friends."
"Hey," he said. He brushed off his hands and extended one towards Tina. "You must but Queenie's sister, Tina. She's told me a lot about you."
"Hello, Jacob."
He turned to Newt. "And you are?"
"Newt Scamander," Newt said shaking Jacob's hand.
"Right, Queenie did mention that name once or twice. Newt, as in the animal?"
"It's short for Newton."
"Ah-- hang on, I know you," Jacob exclaimed.
Newt started. He turned to Tina who looked just as surprised. She shrugged. Queenie shook her head sadly.
"You do?" Newt asked cautiously.
"Turn around."
Newt was confused but he did what Jacob asked.
"I thought I recognized that coat and the voice. You're the one who gave me the silver Occamy shell thingies to start my bakery," he said. "I only got a good look at you from behind but the hair is the same."
"Yes, I did."
"Well, thanks," Jacob said.
"You're welcome."
"By the way, what's an Occamy?"
Newt glanced at Tina who looked worried.
"Occamy eggs are an Asian decoration. A thin sheet of silver is shaped to look like a large egg. The ones I gave you were old and broken but the silver was still valuable," Newt said without blinking.
"OK, thanks. Look, Mr. Scamander."
"Call me Newt."
"Newt. Since you're the reason I've got this bakery I insist that you don't pay for anything. If you want something then just take it."
"Jacob --"
"I insist. And you too, Miss Goldstein."
"Tina," she said.
"You see, I feel like I should know you somehow and I feel like if I did know you then we should be friends so I'm going to treat you like I'd treat my friends."
"Thank you, Jacob." Newt and Tina smiled sadly.
"Hey, I've gotta get back to work. Feel free to take something with you and come back another time."
"Goodbye."
Queenie grabbed a box and picked out a pastry shaped like a Demiguise. Newt chose a Niffler and Tina took one of the Occamies. They waved to Jacob and left the shop.
Tina turned to Newt. "How did you come up with that Occamy story so quick?"
Newt grinned. "Occamy egg shells are very rare but not impossible to find. Occasionally, Asian Muggles, No-majs, would find one and take it home. They would tell tales of having to fight huge dragons first, that's why the Asian No-maj version of dragons are shaped a bit like Occamies. They're a mix of an Occamy and a Chinese Fireball. No-majs believed that the gods would lay the eggs out for them and would send the dragon to test them. Unfortunately, many Occamies would die because people would go looking for the eggs. However, people eventually began making replicas of the eggs and they stopped hunting for them. The name Occamy is used because some wizards began making replicas as well and called them Occamy eggshells since that was what they were supposed to look like. They were, naturally, more convincing than the No-maj ones and so they became the 'original' so to speak and the name was adopted for all of them."
"Oh, so you didn't make that up?" Tina asked.
"Of course not, I wasn't going to lie to my friend. Even if he is a No-maj."
"I'm going to go home," Queenie said. "Then I'm going to go shopping."
"Alright," Tina said. "I was thinking of taking Newt on a walk so I can show him more of New York."
"Be back for supper and don't get into trouble," Queenie called as she slipped into an alley and apparated back to the house.
Tina grabbed Newt's hand. "First we're going to apparate to a certain part of New York and then we'll walk from there."
"I can't wait," said Newt. He smiled. I love this woman.
Tina dragged him into the alley and they disapparated.
Note: I hope everyone is clear that I made the Occamy egg thing up.