Achilles didn't return to the house the day of the argument. He didn't return the next day either. By the third morning, Tina was wondering if he was ever coming back. His things were still in his room though so she had hope.
Later that morning, Tina was in the living room, teaching Nagini. She hadn't seen Newt since they had spoken on the stairs the evening before. She was beginning to wonder what had happened.
Does he hate me now? Did that kiss make him realize he didn't love me? Why won't he talk to me? And why was he covered in blood?
She shook these thoughts from her mind and concentrated on showing Nagini the proper wand motions. Just then, the front door opened and Achilles came into the house. He slammed the door shut behind him and strode into the room. He looked much calmer than the last time Tina had seen him and he grinned at her good-naturedly.
"Hello, Tina," he said, holding her arms open for her. She stepped forward slowly. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her deeply. She kissed him back, hoping he wasn't still upset. They finally pulled apart.
"You came back," Tina breathed.
"You said the kiss meant nothing and I decided to trust you," Achilles said. "We're going to go on a date. I'm taking you out to dinner tonight." He kissed her again and started towards the stairs. Just before he reached it, he turned and added, "Oh, and wear a dress. You're always wearing pants." He grinned and made his way up the stairs.
Tina groaned the moment he was out of sight.
"What's wrong?" Nagini asked.
"I hate dresses," Tina moaned. "I don't even have any here. I only own a few and they're all back in New York. The only clothes I have here are the ones I've made or bought just because I needed clothes."
"Why don't you ask Newt to take you somewhere you can get a dress?" Nagini suggested.
Tina shook her head. "No, I -- I can't. He's avoiding me. I could ask Bunty. She lives in London too. She'd know where I could get a dress."
Nagini laughed. "No, you can't. She's not here. She's visiting her parents and she's not coming back until tomorrow. Remember?"
Tina sighed. "Yeah. I know."
"Just go ask Newt. He'll take you. I'm sure he will," the girl insisted.
Tina ran a hand through her hair. She had given herself a haircut the day before and was still trying to readjust to the slightly shorter length. "Fine," she muttered. She slipped her wand into her pocket and started towards the door to the basement.
She descended the stairs and glanced around the basement. The door to Newt's office was closed. She grabbed the handle and twisted it. It turned and the door swung open. Newt sat at his desk. His head was bent over his work and he was writing intently. As she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, he looked up. He scrambled to his feet.
"Tina," he murmured. "What are you doing here?"
Tina looked down and blushed. "I -- I needed to ask a favor."
"Well, what is it?" he asked gently.
"Achilles came back and asked me out on a date. The thing is, he wants me to wear a dress. I don't have a dress."
"What do you want me for?"
"I need someone who knows London who can take me somewhere where I can buy a dress," Tina said sheepishly.
She thought she heard Newt sigh.
"Alright," he said. "Give me a moment."
Tina glanced up. Newt was rearranging things on his desk. He straightened everything then came around to join her. They made their way out of the basement and to the front door. Tina grabbed her coat and pulled it on. Newt did the same. Then he opened the door and motioned for her to go through. He followed after her, shutting the door behind him. Tina watched as he came down the steps. Grabbing her by the wrist, he Disapparated, releasing her the moment they appeared in an alley.
Newt started towards the street. Tina hurried to catch up.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To get you a dress," Newt mumbled. "There's a Muggle shop. It's not a very big place but it has nice clothes. We should be able to find something there for you."
They reached a shop and Newt held the door open for her. She stepped inside and he followed after her. They began wandering through the shop looking at the clothes.
"I hate dresses," Tina muttered, running her hands over the red fabric of a dress.
"Then why do you need to get one?" Newt asked.
"Because Achilles wants me to wear a dress," Tina sighed.
"And you have to do everything he wants?"
"I do not," Tina snapped. "But he wants this to be special." She was getting angry but she tried to keep herself calm.
Newt didn't reply. Instead, he kept looking at all the different dresses. Tina scowled at the back of his head.
He's ignoring me again. I wish he would stop ignoring me. She had just opened her mouth to demand his attention when Newt spoke.
"How about this one?"
"What?" Tina gasped.
"This dress," Newt said. "This one might fit you." He pulled a dress off the rack. It was made of a heavy, deep blue fabric. It was simple, the only decoration being the embroidery along the front, the sleeves, and the pockets. He offered it to Tina. "And I think you'd look lovely in it," he added.
Tina took the dress from him. The fabric was soft. Newt motioned for her to follow him. He led her to the back of the shop and indicated a room where she could try the dress on.
"Come out when you've changed," Newt said. "I'd like to see how you look in the dress."
She nodded then went in and changed into the dress. It fit her perfectly. Tina had never in her life found clothes that fit her perfectly. The problem was she was too tall. Clothes were always either too short or too loose. She had always had to magically alter her clothes to get them to fit. But this dress was perfect. The skirt was the perfect length, barely touching the ground, and the dress hugged her waist perfectly. The sleaves came perfectly to her wrists.
The dress was beautiful. For the first time in her life, she began to see herself as beautiful. Studying herself in the mirror, she couldn't resist doing what she was about to do. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at her hair, creating a slightly fancier hairstyle.
Tina was suddenly angry. She didn't know why she was angry now but she was angry at Achilles for demanding she wear clothes she wasn't comfortable wearing and angry at Newt for having ignored her since their kiss. She pushed the door opened and stepped out. Newt had taken a seat near the room but he scrambled to his feet the moment she emerged.
"I don't want to wear a dress," Tina ranted. "I hate dresses. I've always hated dresses. I'm not Queenie. I'm not the one who loves fashion. I wear pants because they're practical. You can't chase people in a dress." He realized Newt was standing motionless, looking at her through his hair. "What are you staring at?" she snapped.
Newt shook himself. "I'm sorry. I --" He began staring at the floor. "I know you don't want to wear a dress but Achilles wants you to so are you going to get this dress or do you want to look for another?"
"What do you think of this one?" Tina asked an angry edge still in her voice.
"I like this one," he murmured. "But it's ultimately your decision."
Tina sighed. "I'll get this one." She turned and went back into the room, closing the door behind her. She changed back into her clothes and left the room. As they approached the counter, Tina gasped quietly.
"How am I supposed to pay for this?" she whispered. "I don't have any No-Maj money. When we first went to Diagon Alley, I changed some of my money into British money but all of it is still magical."
"It's fine," Newt said. "I'll pay for it." He took the dress from her and stepped up to the counter. Tina watched as he handed the money to the woman. The dress was placed in a bag and they left the store.
They walked along the street, side by side. Tina longed to hold Newt's hand but she noticed that he had switched the bag to the hand on her side. She sighed softly.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked.
"You don't owe me anything," he said a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Yes I do," she insisted. "You paid for the dress."
Newt shook his head. "You don't owe me anything," he repeated. "Just think of this as my gift to you."
They reached an alley and stepped into it. Neither of them moved for a moment.
"Why were you staring at me?" Tina asked presently.
Newt shifted awkwardly. "Uh -- I -- It was the beauty of your dress and hair, and the lights behind you contrasted with the light of anger in your eyes," he mumbled.
"Wha--" Tina stammered. She was getting angry again. "Newt, I don't understand you. You say all these lovely things about me, you kiss me, and then you start ignoring me."
"I'm sorry, Tina. I shouldn't have kissed you. That was out of place. I realize you must hate me for that."
"Newt, no. I--" Tina stared at him in shock. "Kiss me," she demanded.
"Excuse me?"
"Kiss me," she repeated. "I want you to kiss me."
Newt's gaze traveled to a point behind her. "Tina, I can't. We can't."
"Why not?" she demanded. "Achilles isn't here. He won't see us."
"No, Tina. You don't understand." Newt brought his free hand up to rub his nose. "I can't. I -- I pro--" He broke off suddenly.
"Why not?"
He glanced up, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment.
"I'm sorry," he said. Before Tina could react, he Disapparated.
Tina groaned and Disapparated as well. She appeared on Newt's street just as he was pulling the door to his house open.
"Newt!" she called exasperated. She hurried up the stairs as he stopped and turned. He handed her the bag then disappeared into the house. She sighed and entered the house as well.
Tina sat on her bed, running the fabric of the dress through her hands. The dress was beautiful but she didn't want to wear it. Newt had bought the dress for her and somehow wearing it on a date with Achilles felt wrong.
I don't care what Achilles thinks, she decided. I shouldn't have to do what he says just because he says it. I'm going to wear pants to this date and I don't care if Achilles hates me for it.
She got to her feet and put the dress back in her closet. Snatching her wand off her dresser, she left the room and made her way down the stairs. Achilles was waiting in the living room. She scrambled to his feet when she appeared.
"I thought I asked you to wear a dress," he said.
"I know, but I don't like dresses," she said matter-of-factly. "Wouldn't you rather have me comfortable or is it more important for me to look fancy?"
"Of course you should be comfortable," he said. "Forget I asked you. Let's go."
They left the house and Disapparated. Achilles led her to a large restaurant. They took their seats and ordered their food. The conversation was mostly one-sided with Achilles doing most of the talking and Tina just listening quietly. He didn't seem to notice until after they had paid for the meal and were just finishing their dessert.
"You're very quiet tonight," he said. "Is something wrong?"
Tina shook her head. "I'm fine. I'm just . . . tired."
Achilles set his fork down and got to his feet. He came around the table and crouched by her chair, taking her hands in his.
"Are you sure?" he asked, looking up at her. "Is there something I can do?"
"No," Tina said, smiling. "Thank you, though."
He was still looking up at her.
"Tina, I know I accused you of cheating on me but trust you and I trust that you didn't." He shifted slightly and let go of her hands. He was now on one knee, digging in his pocket. "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He pulled out a small box and opened it to reveal a ring. "Will you marry me?"
Tina gasped, staring at the ring. Her gaze shifted up to Achilles's face. Two months ago she would have said yes immediately. Two months ago she had thought Newt was getting married and was dating Achilles because of it. But now there was something keeping her from accepting his proposal.
"I--" She broke off before she could say anything she regretted. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing her coat off the back of her chair, and ran from the restaurant. She pulled on her coat as she made her way down the street. Achilles caught up with her.
"Tina, wait," he called. "Why are you leaving?"
Tina stopped and turned. "I -- I can't. I--"
"You don't want to marry me?"
"I -- I don't know what I want," she admitted.
Achilles's gaze darkened. "This is because of Scamander, isn't it?" he said. His voice was getting dangerously low.
"Achilles, I--"
"I see how it is. You go off to Paris, meet this guy, and fall in love with him. Then I show up and you don't have the guts to tell me so you just continue pretending you're in love with me, even though you're cheating on me the whole time. I should have realized sooner considering you were living in his house," he spat.
"No, Achilles," Tina insisted. "It's not like that at all. I met Newt last December, in New York. We worked together. He found me in Paris and helped me try to find Credence. Then he offered me a place to stay because I didn't have one."
Achilles snorted. "You're lying. I saw the way you two behaved around each other, the way you were always clinging to him, the way the two of you were kissing."
"That was our first kiss," she protested. "We had never kissed before and we haven't since. We--"
Tina was interrupted by Achilles's palm coming in sharp contact with her cheek. She gasped as the pain shot through her jaw. Raising her hand to her face, she realized she couldn't open her mouth. Her jaw was broken.
"Tina, I'm sorry," Achilles said. "I lost my temper. I'm sorry."
Tina stared at him in hurt shock. Shaking her head she took a stumbling step backward. Tears welled up in her eyes and she Disapparated.
She appeared in a different part of London. She couldn't go back to the house now. Newt would be there and she didn't want to talk to him. Besides, Achilles could easily follow her there.
Tina walked quickly through the streets of London, not noticing or caring where she was going. The pain in her jaw was enormous. She knew she could heal it but she was still in too much shock. Tears ran down her cheeks and she brushed them away furiously, careful not to move her jaw. She walked for hours, wandering aimlessly, trying not to focus on the pain.
Eventually, she heard a clock striking one and she knew she needed to go home. Sighing, she slipped into an alley and Disapparated. The force of Apparating sent more pain shooting through her jaw but she ignored it. She hurried up the steps and grabbed the doorknob. Praying that Newt wasn't awake, she pushed the door open.
A/N: This is BY FAR the longest chapter in the book so far. I'm sorry it took so long to finish but I started kinda slow and it is very long. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Please vote and comment.
Now, I need your help. I need your opinion on something for a story I'm working on. If you want to have an impact on my decision, then head over to my book My Random Life and go to the chapter titled "Vote". The details will be in that chapter. But before you do that, read the next paragraph because I think it's interesting.
The line that Newt says to explain why he was staring at Tina is actually something one of my best friends said to me once. I know that sounds weird but let me explain. We were at a banquet and I was mad at her, really mad at her, for no good reason. I was refusing to talk to her and we ended up having a whole long conversation in the notes app on my phone, handing the phone back and forth. (I didn't have her number so we couldn't be texting each other.) We were about halfway through a conversation when she decided to try and take my picture. I got really mad because I don't like having my picture taken to start with and I was already mad. I demanded, still on the phone, to know why she had tried to take my picture since she knew I didn't like it. She said it was because it was artistic. I demanded to know how and she responded with, "It was the beauty of your dress and hair and the lights behind you contrasted with the light of anger in your eyes." Anyway, I was reading through the conversation the other day, questioning the sanity of my Sophomore self, and I saw the line. I immediately knew I wanted Newt to say it to Tina. I think I had already decided the dress part of this chapter so it fits here perfectly.
I almost forgot the dress. I found a picture that I based the description of Tina's dress on. Here it is.
Anyway, I'm done and this whole part (including the author's note) is over 3000 words long.
Have a good day!
Bye!