"TEENIE! TEENIEEEEEEEE!" Queenie's voice screamed, slicing through the peaceful quiet of the Goldsteins' apartment.
Tina jolted and scrambled out of her room, fear pulsing through her. What could possibly have happened to make her sister shriek like that? She sped into the hallway, where she half expected to see Queenie with her head on fire or her arm chopped off.
Instead, the blond witch was running toward her, and waving her arms wildly above her head. "TEEEEEEEN!" she squealed.
Tina sighed in relief, which was followed by annoyance. "Mercy Lewis, Queenie! Don't do that!" she snapped.
Queenie skidded to a halt in front of her, and doubled over with her hands on her knees, panting. "Teenie!" she said again.
"What is it?" Tina inquired.
Her sister straightened up and fixed her hair, which was all over the place from her race down the hall. "I just walked by Newt's room, and he was having the loudest thoughts!"
Queenie paused dramatically, and drew in a deep breath. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU GUYS KISSED LAST NIGHT?" she demanded.
Tina could feel her eardrums quivering, and she winced as she rubbed her ear. She thought of Newt, and wondered with increasing horror if he had heard Queenie. Yes, he most definitely had, for her sister had yelled it at the top of her lungs. Tina tried to picture his appalled expression, and laughed to herself as his blushing face floated into her mind.
"Hey," Queenie snapped her fingers in front of her, "I'm still waiting!"
Then, without waiting for a reply, she plowed on excitedly. "I can't believe it finally happened!" she squeaked, bouncing on her feet excitedly. "YOU KISSED NEWT! NEWT KISSED YOU! AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA GET MARRIED AND HAVE TWENTY CHILDREN AND GROW OLD TOGETHER AND–"
"Queenie, shut up!" Tina hissed urgently. "Do you want Newt to hear you?"
"Oh. That's a good point," Queenie frowned, tipping her head to the side thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think I'm just gonna have to yell louder for him to hear clearly. TINA, WILL YOU AND NEWT JUST GET MARRIED ALREA–"
Tina clamped a hand over her sister's mouth, muffling the rest of her sentence. A blush heated up her face, and she glared daggers at Queenie. "That's it, we're going into my room where no one will be able to hear you. Or at least, hear you as well," the brunette muttered.
She grabbed her protesting sister by the wrist, and dragged her through her bedroom door, shutting it firmly after them. Sitting her sister down on her bed, she said, "Okay, now we can talk."
"Why didn't you tell me about you and Newt?" Queenie demanded immediately.
"Well, it only just happened last night," Tina pointed out.
"And the moment it did, you should have announced it to the world! Honestly, I think you guys are officially the last ones to know you love each other," Queenie said, shaking her head.
"Love is a strong word," Tina mumbled, blushing.
"Oh for God's sake!" Queenie said exasperatedly. "You kissed last night, didn't you? Why would you kiss someone you don't love?"
As if to emphasize her point, she jumped off Tina's bed and raced to her bedroom door, throwing it open. "NEWT AND TINA ARE IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER!" she yelled.
"FINALLY!" Jacob's voice responded, slightly muffled from behind his door.
Tina pinched the bridge if her nose. If Jacob heard it, then Newt definitely had. "Queenie. Be. Quiet." she growled, tapping her sister hard on the head between each word.
Queenie didn't look crushed at all. Instead, she threw her arms around her sister and squeezed her, hard. Tina smiled, despite her irritation.
"I'm so happy, I could go give Newt a big, fat hug right now!" Queenie beamed. "Congratulations, Teen!"
"Thanks," she replied, smiling.
"Oh, and by the way," her sister added, "we're going to The Blind Pig tonight, so get your dress out and be ready to dazzle Newt!"
"What?" Tina spluttered. "First of all, The Blind Pig is a seedy speakeasy for criminals, and second of all, no one's doing any dazzling tonight."
"Oh, lighten up," Queenie chided. "It's New Year's Eve!"
"I've arrested half of the people in The Blind Pig, it's a place for criminals. We can't go there!" she objected.
"Jacob's all for it, he wants to try Gigglewater again. And I bet Newt will want to have fun tonight. I mean, he stayed in New York for you, Teen! It's the least you can do," Queenie persuaded.
Tina groaned. She knew that Newt would definitely not be thrilled to at the prospect of going to The Blind Pig. After all, it was a low, underground speakeasy, their mugshots had once adorned the walls, and both of them had experienced quite a nasty encounter with Gnarlak there.
Queenie seemed to take her silence as a yes. "Wonderful! Jacob's gonna be delighted," she beamed. She tugged on Tina's arm, leading her over to her closet that stood by the wall. "Now, we need to pick out an outfit for you that will blow Newt's socks off!"
Tina wrestled her arm out of her sister's grip. "I'm not wearing anything that will 'blow Newt's socks off,'" she said impatiently. "And don't you think we should tell Newt first?"
"Oh, fine," Queenie sighed theatrically.
She marched out of the room, Tina following her, and stopped at the door to Newt's room. Without permission, she grasped the handle and pushed it open, poking her head in.
"You have to knock!" Tina said exasperatedly.
She peered into the room, too, and saw Newt sitting at his desk, looking throughly startled at the intrusion.
"I'm sorry," the Auror began. "Queenie apparently doesn't know how to knock."
Newt grinned at her, his eyes twinkling. "That's all right. I don't mind," he said quickly.
Tina smiled at this, but it was followed by a grimace as she saw Queenie swoon pointedly, while throwing not so subtle glances at the other two. The older Goldstein sighed, and shoved her sister out of the way, stepping in front of her to shield both her and Newt's dignity.
"We're going to The Blind Pig tonight," Tina informed.
Queenie indignantly stuck her head out from behind her sister. "And be ready to be blown away by Tina's gorgeous outfit!" she added cheerfully.
Tina blushed, and saw that Newt was rather pink in the face, too. He seemed to be struggling for something to say, blinking rapidly and biting nervously on his lip.
"Well, that's all," Tina said awkwardly. "See you later."
She pulled Queenie away, who shouted, "Be ready in half an hour!"
Tina stepped out of Newt's room, and caught one last glimpse of his embarrassed face before she closed the door. As soon as it was shut, she spin around the face Queenie.
"What was that for?" she whisper-shouted as they walked down the hall.
"Just to prepare him," Queenie giggled. "Now come on, we're going right to my room. You need to borrow a dress, and you can't wear that boring black one you have."
"What's wrong with my black one?" Tina said, drawing herself up, offended.
"I just meant that you need something with a little more pizazz, Teen," Queenie said. "Now, come on, we only have half an hour!"
The two sisters entered Queenie's bright bedroom, and the blond hurried over to her closet, throwing the doors open. Tina followed her more slowly.
"My black dress is fine," she said dismissively. "I'll just wear that."
Queenie looked at her and propped her hands on her hips, suddenly appearing very stern. "You are wearing another dress, and if you refuse, I'm telling Newt that you're already planing your wedding," she threatened.
Tina took a wary step backward. "You wouldn't," she said, aghast.
"Oh, yes I would!" Queenie confirmed, waving a warning finger at her. "So that's why you'll get over here and pick out a dress!"
Tina gulped and reluctantly approached the closet, making her way forward with tiny, deliberate steps. "Fine," she sighed.
She looked over the contents of the closet. Most of Queenie's clothes were a shade of pink, but set off to the side was a smaller selection of other colors. Tina watched as her sister pulled out a crimson red dress, and herded her in front of the mirror to hold it up.
Tina frowned at her reflection. "No, it's not me. Why don't you let me choose?" she suggested.
"What, you don't trust me?" Queenie pouted, a mock look of hurt on her face.
"Of course I do," Tina said as she swatted affectionately at her sister.
She went back to the closet again, and examined the dresses. One that was shoved into the corner caught her eye. Tina reached in and plucked it out. It was a dark, midnight blue, and rather simple. Small beads decorated the neckline, and the fabric was smooth and cool against her fingers. The skirt was embossed with a collection of thin, silvery leaves, but it wasn't too elaborate, either.
Tina headed back to the full-length mirror with it. She held it in front of her, and made her decision. "This is the one," she said to Queenie.
"Perfect!" her sister exclaimed, clapping her hands jubilantly. "I forgot I had that."
Tina changed into it. The dress was sleeveless, though she didn't mind. It lithely framed her body, but it was modest at the same time. It suited her, giving off an air of elegance and grace, but also simplicity. Tina smiled at her reflection, feeling refreshed.
"Oh Teenie, you look stunning!" Queenie said. "Newt's gonna drop dead when he sees you."
Tina flushed. "No, he's not," she murmured.
"Just you wait, Teen, just you wait," her sister repeated, smirking.
"Well, that's it then," Tina said. "You get dressed, and then we'll get Newt and Jacob, the leave."
"Hold on! What about makeup?" Queenie asked, suddenly holding up several brushes and an eyeshadow palette.
"No makeup," Tina said firmly.
"Then at least wear some heels?" she gestured hopefully at a variety of shoes.
"Okay," Tina sighed.
Queenie went over and picked out a pair of silver high heels. "Here," she said as she handed them other sister.
Tina slipped them on and waited for Queenie to get dressed. Once she was ready, the pair headed off to find Newt and Jacob, but they were already in the living room, waiting. The brunette dropped back to let Queenie enter first, suddenly feeling self conscious in her attire. Her sister turned around, and waved her toward insistently.
"Come on," Queenie whispered.
Tina hesitated, then stepped forward from the shadowed hallway into the living room. Her gaze instinctively flew to Newt, who was staring at her with his mouth open. She swallowed embarrassedly as his eyes took her in. She sensed Queenie smirking beside her, but was too nervous to make her stop.
Newt was rooted to the spot, his green eyes wide. Jacob nudged him, and he snapped out of his reverie, clearing his throat. "You um, you look great," Newt mumbled to Tina.
Tina felt her face warm considerably. "Thanks," she murmured.
"We're Apparating there," Queenie announced, still smirking cheekily.
The group spun on the spot and disappeared, with Jacob clinging to Quennie's arm. Tina materialized next to Newt in The Blind Pig, Queenie and Jacob behind them. The lights were low and dim, and the brick walls were damp and grimy. A throng of witches and wizards were seated at various spots, and house elves scurried about, precariously carrying platters of drinks. The speakeasy was buzzing with the excitement of New Year's Eve, and a goblin was singing her heart out in the middle of the room, a jazz band behind her.
"This really wasn't one of your best ideas," Tina muttered as she looked around.
"It's fine!" Queenie assured.
"I hope so," Newt said. "Last time we were here, we nearly got arrested by MACUSA."
The foursome seated themselves around a round table. A house elf hurried up to them, scowling and clearly in a bad mood. "What do you want?" he said aggressively.
"Gigglewater," Jacob immediately piped up.
"And a Lobe Blaster, please," Queenie requested.
"Dragon's Fire," Newt said.
"And I'll have Firewhiskey," Tina finished.
She waited until the house elf had walked away before turning to Newt, and amused smile playing on her lips. "Dragon's Fire? Really?" Tina asked, laughing slightly.
"It's what we had last time," Newt defended.
"Yes, because the last time we came here, it was after we'd just narrowly escaped from the Death Cells at MACUSA, so we needed a pick-me-up," Tina said, shaking her head. "You do know you just ordered the strongest thing on the menu, right?"
Newt looked unnerved at this piece of information. "I'll manage. But thank you for your concern," he teased, grinning at her.
"Well, somebody around here needs to watched after you," Tina smiled.
She was aware of Queenie giggling with Jacob out of the corner of her eye, but she ignored them.
"And that someone just so happens to be you?" Newt asked.
"Uh-huh," she responded.
"I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have watching over me," Newt said, his grin widening.
The house elf returned and handed them each of their drinks before storming grumpily away. The group talked amongst themselves, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Their conversation was occasionally interjected by Jacob's raucous giggles, which was a result of his drink. Tina sipped her Firewhiskey, and it left a burning trail down her throat as she swallowed. Wondering how Newt was dealing with his drink, she glanced over to check on him.
To her immense shock, he was smiling in a dazed sort of way, and his messy hair was draped across his face. His glass of Dragon's Fore was almost empty, and a feeling of trepidation squirmed in Tina's stomach.
"Newt?" she called out tentatively.
"H'llo, Tinaaaa," Newt chirped loudly.
"Newt, are you drunk?!" Tina exclaimed, standing up.
"Drunk? Me is no drunk, Tinaaaa," he mumbled.
Tina sighed and made her way over to him. She brushed his hair out of his eyes and tipped his chin up. "Newt–"
"Why are there two of you, Tinaaaa?" Newt slurred. "Haha, it doubles in your prettiness, then. Two beautiful Tinaaaas."
Tina didn't know whether to laugh or blush. "Alright," she said to Queenie and Jacob. "I'm taking him home. You two continue on."
After much protest, Tina won the argument by saying that she hadn't even wanted to come in the first place. "You guys have fun, okay?"
"Bye, Teen!" Queenie called out, and Jacob echoed a similar goodbye.
"Byeeeee," Newt warbled.
Tina lifted Newt up by grabbing heaving him out of his chair from under his elbows. She draped on of his arms around her shoulder, and Disapparated. Once they were back in the apartment, Tina lowered him gently onto the couch.
"Tinaaaa, hiiiiiiiii," Newt sing-songed.
"Hi yourself," Tina muttered fondly.
"I really like youuu, Tinaaaa."
Tina blushed. "You don't know what you're saying Newt, you're drunk. As in tipsy."
Newt's brow creased, and his lower lip jutted out in a pout. "I is not tipsyyyy. Your beautiful brown eyes are making me tipsyyyy, Tinaaaa."
Tina shook her head, her blush increasing. "Shhh, Newt. Sleep."
"Tinaaaa, I really, really like you," Newt said.
She smiled softly. "I really, really like you too, Newt," she murmured.
"Yaaay, Tinaaa likes me," he beamed at no one in particular. "Tinaaa is my giver."
"You're kind of adorable when you're drunk, you know that?"
"Tinaaaa, I always knew you were differeeeent. You're my giveeer," Newt said again. "I liiiike yoooouuu."
"Shh, Newt. You're drunk, you have no idea what you're saying," Tina shushed gently. "Sleep."
"Okay, Tinaaaa."
Tina watched as Newt's eyes flickered closed, and before she knew it, he was asleep. His chest was rising and falling steadily with each breath. She gazed at his freckled face and swept his hair away from his face once again. He looked so peaceful, so innocent, and Tina wanted to scoop him up in her arms and cradle him forever. Instead, she contended herself to watching him, to taking in every single detail of his face and etching it into her mind.
She got up and quickly went to retrieve her blanket from her bed, then returned to envelope Newt with it. He snuffled softly in his sleep and nuzzled his face into the blanket, cuddling it around him. Somewhere in the house, a clock chimed midnight.
Tina settled herself into a nearby armchair. "Happy New Year, Newt," she whispered tenderly.
Longest chapter yet! How many more chapters in this fanfiction do you guys want? I was thinking of maybe going to the mid 40's, but what do you all think? School is starting soon for me, so I might not be able to update daily, but I'll do my best. Thanks for reading! :)