"Okay," Tina turned around and addressed Newt, Jacob and I, "before we go in, I'm not supposed to have men on the premises. So you two have to stay down, Eve could just stand behind them or something to help hide them."
We stood in front of Tina's flat building behind a truck. We quickly crossed the street and entered the building. Walking quickly but quietly, we sneaked up the steps when we heard a woman's voice.
"Is that you, Tina?!"
Newt shushed Jacob.
"Yes Mrs. Esposito!" Tina called back.
"Are you alone?" The landlady, I assumed, asked.
"Always alone, Mrs. Esposito." I made eye contact with Tina before looking away awkwardly. With that, we continued until we reached Tina's door.
Tina's apartment was clean and tidy. Some clothes floated in front of the fireplace, drying. A flatiron worked on its own, ironing a silk dress in the kitchen. I smelt the scent of food wafting from the kitchen and closed my eyes.
"Teenie." I heard a silky voice say. "You brought company."
I turned towards the kitchen to see a beautiful blonde woman in a revealing silk dress leaning on the wall.
"This is my sister." Tina introduced, placing her hat on the coat hanger. The blonde grinned and stared at her company.
"Wanna put something on, Queenie?" Tina asked.
"Oh, sure." She replied before slipping on a robe.
I saw Jacob ogling at her while Newt walked to the window to look outside. I smirked at Jacob and elbowed him softly, but he didn't look away.
"So, who are they?" Queenie asked.
"This is Mr. Scamander and Ms. Garner," Tina replied, "they've committed a serious infraction of the International Statute of Secrecy."
I rolled my eyes.
"They're criminals?" Queenie sounded curious and excited.
"Uh huh." Tina answered, cleaning up around her living room. "And this is Mr. Kowalski, he's a no-maj." Jacob waved, still staring at the blonde.
"A no-maj?" Queenie turned to her sister. "Teens, what are you up to?" I heard her whisper.
"He's sick. It's a long story." Tina replied. "Mr. Scamander has lost something, I am going to help him find it." That caught Newt's attention.
Jacob stumbled backwards and flopped on the couch behind him, overwhelmed by all the magic.
"Oh, you need to sit down, honey, you haven't eaten anything all day!" Queenie walked over to him. "And...oh, that's rough." She stared down at him. "He didn't get the money he needed for the bakery. You bake, honey?"
"Uhhh..." Jacob couldn't find the right words to answer. Queenie just grinned, "I love to cook."
"You're a legilimins," Newt stated.
"Yeah, but I always have trouble with your kind."
"Our kind?" I ask in curiosity.
"Mhm, Brits." Queenie turned to me. "It's the accent." But suddenly, Queenie frowned.
"Except...it's like you have a wall put up. I can't read your mind at all." I felt her digging around in my brain and quickly pushed her out. She took a step back, shocked.
"Y-you know how to read minds?" Jacob stuttered. Queenie reluctantly turned away from me and smiled at the muggle, having small talk with him.
I felt Newt stare at me as I pulled off my coat and hung it on the coat hanger.
"Need help with dinner?" I asked, changing the subject.
Tina, Queenie and I walked into the kitchen, pulling out our wands. Tina waved her wand and plates and napkins flew out of their cupboards and placed themselves on the table. I found the silverware and pointed my wand at them, Jacob stared as they floated daintily to the table. Queenie stood in front of the stove as all of tonight's ingredients cooked cooked themselves under her supervision.
"Mr. Scamander." Queenie said. I turned and saw Newt was a few steps from the door, his hand already on the knob. I felt a little hurt that he was going to leave without me.
"Would you like pie or strudel?" Queenie asked.
"I really don't have a preference." He answered, awkwardly moving away from the door.
"Do you mind if I use the loo? Restroom, I mean." I asked Tina.
"Yes, sure." She looked at me suspiciously. "It's the second door in the hall to your left."
I shut the door to the bathroom and quickly pulled out my wand, disapparating. I was back at my apartment. The lights were off and all I could hear was the noise of traffic outside.
"Thomas?" I whispered. I heard a growl from the living room. "Oh, crap." I walked in the room to find that Thomas was now in his true form. When I first got to America, I found some traffickers trying to sell of a baby wampus cat. I had disarmed them and raised the cat myself.
I quickly transfigured him back into a normal, socially acceptable housecat and picked him up, disapparating back to the Goldsteins' bathroom. I hid him under my shirt and discreetly walked back to the living room, sitting next to Newt at the table.
I slid Thomas out from my shirt and unlocked Newt's case which was leaned up against his chair. I dropped Thomas in there and quickly shut it. Newt gave me a wide eyed look and I shook my head subtly.
"The job ain't that glamorous." Queenie was saying. "I mean, I spend most days making coffee, unjinxing the john. Tina's the career girl." Queenie was reading Jacob's mind, answering his unspoken questions."Nah. Were orphans." The blonde continued. "Ma and Pa died of dragon pox when we were kids. Oh, you're sweet. But we got each other!" "Could you stop reading my mind for a second?" Jacob asked.
"Oh..." Queenie looked down, dejected.
"Don't get me wrong, I love it." Queenie looked at him, giggling. "This meal, its insanely good! This is what I do, I'm a cook. And this is, like, the greatest meal I have ever had in my life."
Queenie laughed loudly, completely flattered, "Oh, you slay me!" I looked at Tina to see that she and Newt were staring at each other. Newt looked away first, examining his pants now. I felt my smile fading as jealousy overcame me, but I quickly calmed down. Do not lose your temper, Eve, I thought to myself as I scarfed down more strudel to distract myself. I felt Queenie's eyes on me, she must've felt my anger.
"I aint never really talked to a No-Maj before." Queenie stated dreamily, staring at the muggle once more.
"Really?" Jacob asked.The legilimens was suddenly quiet for a few seconds before straightening herself, "I am not flirting." she said, I assumed she had read Tina's mind.
The brunette looked guilty, "I'm just saying, don't go getting attached, he's going to have to be obliviated! It's nothing personal." She says to the muggle. Jacob pales and starts to sweat.
"Hey, you okay, honey?" Queenie asks him, concerned.
" -Miss Goldstein, I think Mr. Kowalski could do with an early night." Newt said, standing from his seat.
"And besides, you and I will need to be up early tomorrow morning to find my Niffler, so..." Newt continued."What's a Niffler?" Queenie looks up to Tina for an answer, but she just sighs.
"Don't ask." Tina stands up and points to a room in the back.
"Okay, you guys can bunk in here." Newt looks about ready to argue but Tina gives him a look. Next thing we know, the 3 of us are lying down in our own beds in the Goldsteins' guest room. Tina walks in with a tray of 3 mugs. "I thought you might like a hot drink?" Jacob stares as the spoons in each mug mixed by themselves. He nodded and took a mug from Tina.
She offered one to me and I grabbed it carefully. "Thank you." She offered one to Newt but he stayed lying down in his bed. She settled to just place it on the nightstand.
"Hey, Mr. Scamander...Look, cocoa!" Jacob exclaims, but Newt ignores him.
"The toilets down the hall to the right." Tina says before leaving.
Right after she closes the door, Newt and I leap from our beds. He places the leather suitcase on the ground and opens it as I gulp down the delicious hot cocoa.
"After you." He says once I finish, holding the case open for me. I grin, "Thank you, good sir." I do a little curtsy before climbing into the case, descending down the familiar steps.
Bloody hell, it's good to be back.