~A few years ago~
Growing up was difficult. It was hard to leave behind everything that had happened and just move on. Newt and Tina watched as their children - Janus and Cordelia grew up to become successful members of the wizarding community. Janus aspired to become an Auror, just like his mother and Cordelia had her eye on working in the Beast Division, as she grew fond of creatures whilst helping her father feed them.
Now, they were in Hogwarts for their new academic term. Janus was a year older than his sister and he was a fourth year student who was in Hufflepuff. Cordelia, however was a Gryffindor.
Queenie and Jacob had twin sons named Atticus and Julius. They were inseperable and were a bit older than Janus. They were sixth year students, both of whom sorted into Gryffindor. Queenie loved the twins so much that she just couldn't discipline them, since she could read their minds and put herself in their shoes. Luckily Jacob came to the rescue, yet, even he kept rewarding the twins with baked treats whenever they behaved better. Both of them were scheming thieves who would go to any lengths to play unnecessary tricks on people, even lodging a rubber rat inside the Christmas pudding. Things didn't go so well for them, after.
Dakota and Theseus soon got married after a lot of delusion, debate and discussion. The proposal went kind of awkward after Theseus almost choked Dakota as he placed the ring inside the champagne glass. Who knew Dakota was a very fervent drinker? However, they were beyond happy with their decision and had a wonderful daughter named Lydia Anne Scamander ; her middle name kept in honor of Dakota's sister Anna, by Theseus himself. Lydia inherited a lot of qualities from her parents, such as the sassy tendencies from her mother and the love for food from her father. She was a lot younger than all of her cousins and had just started Hogwarts that year and Theseus remembered the letter he got back from his daughter, that she was sorted into Slytherin.
Credence and Nagini were in New York, with Modesty, who was all grown up. The young witch had gotten a job in the Magical Congress of the USA. The Barebones were reunited back together. Dumbledore was quite concerned about their safety, but after Yusuf Kama decided to pop by more often, the weight of the world loosened up a bit on Albus's shoulders.
Nate and Achilles realized the fact that they needed each other after losing their loved ones and decided to move back to New York, together. There, they started a new life with Achilles becoming the Head of the Auror Department and procuring a job for Nate in the law enforcement team. Soon, Nate and Achilles worked together, over the period of a few years to bring in new laws to recruit lycanthropes into MACUSA rather than discriminate them. After that, Darlene Edwards joined the team.
Tina did not expect the fact that Nate and Achilles became more than just best friends when she heard about their courtship. However she was more than happy for them both. She received loads of letters from the two of them, updating about every single thing that happened in their lives, to the point that Tina would receive so many letters, that had the capacity to fill a room. She also heard that Nate and Achilles were planning to adopt a child, so they could become parents, since all of their friends were.
Bridget and Harold eventually married. The wedding was extravagant and everyone happened to attend. Soon enough, the newlyweds returned back to South America to work as part of the Law Enforcement team in the Rio Ministry. They had a very happy ending in terms of their love, career and a new life away from everything.
Everything seemed to go well, when suddenly something hit them like a ton of bricks. A little something called middle age.
~ Now~
"You must be a bit cold, my dear".
Tina saw Newt sitting on the front porch, looking at the setting sun from their cottage. Dorset was such a happy place to be, yet it didn't feel like it. Cordelia and Janus were leaving the nest and mingling in the real world that Newt didn't know how to comprehend change. Hence, he spent cold evenings outside the house, admiring the sunset and the new days to come.
"Honey, I'm fine" Newt gave her not a very reassuring answer. Nevertheless, Tina knew better. She took out her coat from the rack and draped it on Newt's shoulder. She sat next to him, holding his hands. Newt held onto the coat, with the smell of coffee, parchment and mint and he rested his head on her shoulder.
"The sunset is beautiful" Tina began a less saddening topic.
"Indeed" Newt mumbled, "The hues of light look marvelous".
"Newt. . " Tina began, cutting right to the chase. She hated seeing her husband sad, "I know this has been hard for the both of us. We weren't accustomed to change at all. Now that 'Dilia and Jan are all grown up, it makes us feel a bit insecure about ourselves, that they're leaving home".
"We have two wonderful children, Tina. I just hoped I could get a second chance to teach them right from wrong. I'm already messed up and I haven't been doing well" Newt held back a tear, "I didn't set them a good example at all". It was obvious that Newt had fell into an endless black hole of self-deprication.
"Newt, you've done so much that you have been a great inspiration and a supporting father. Take a look at 'Dilia. She is now going to work in the Beast Division because of you" Tina patted his shoulder, softly, "And you can't forget what's on the mantel".
Newt turned to see the Order of Merlin : Second Class badge hanging on the wall above the fireplace. Tina couldn't stop gloating to her co-workers when Newt had won the coveted award for his contributions to magizoology. It was adorable that way, when Newt would say, "I didn't deserve it" and Tina would counter it with a swift punch on his arm. She was immensely proud of him.
"Can you stop bringing it up?"
"Can you stop being so modest?"
Newt chuckled, "Besides, we're getting off topic here. I'm just. . so. . sad that our children . . whom we raised for nearly twenty years, are leaving. . "
"Newt, you'd know that feeling" Tina pointed out, "When you set Frank free, remember?"
"Yes, that was a saddening moment but I know that Frank deserved the freedom. He would want to be let out into the real world. Besides, I've found another Thunderbird" - Newt looked lovingly into Tina's eyes and softly kissed her lips.
"Aw, Newt" Tina grinned, "I love you so much".
"I love you too" Newt said, "I'm sorry if I've been acting kind of odd. This is really bothering me and I don't know how to react to change. We lived a nice quiet life for a couple of years before middle age hit us hard".
"Talk to me about it" Tina offered, "I know you don't want to bring it up, but you are welcome to vent it all out to me. But it's nature, Newt. You know you can't explain change. They just sort of happen".
"True".
Newt and Tina watched in silence as they saw two birds emerge from the skies and swooped and perched themselves on a tree branch. They had bought a few worms for the baby bird to feast on, from a faraway place. Soon enough, the little baby bird, after much consideration and thought, flapped it's tiny wings and tried to fly to procure food on their own. Newt and Tina could make out the distinct silhouettes of the birds as the three of them flew from branch to branch.
"Look at those birds, Tina. They're free. They're contended. They're happy. They have nothing to worry about" Newt whispered, "I wish I didn't have anything to worry about".
"I thought you said worrying meant you'd suffer twice?" Tina used his words against him.
"I don't know. . I just feel I need to get an awful lot out of my chest" Newt turned to her, placing his hand on her cheek, "Tina. . I. . .worry about you. I worry about us".
"Why? Newt, you know that our relationship is built on trust and confidence. Why do you need to worry about us? We've been happily married for over twenty years. . right?" Tina's voice slowly became a bit more serious. She wondered if Newt liked her at all.
"I know, but it feels so surreal" Newt tucked in a strand of her hair, "I've never met someone as kind and as loving as you. It all feels like it's a dream and I'll wake up sooner or later. . . You seem too good to be real, Tina and all these adventures we've had for the past years seem so blissful that I. . sometimes would have to pinch myself to make sure I'm fully awake".
"Newt. . why would you think that?" Tina asked, holding back her tears, "You know that all of this did happen and it wasn't a dream".
"I haven't met anyone who felt the same way" Newt looked up at her, biting the corner of his lip, "I've had a complicated history with everyone I've met and. . . now this horrible realisation of this all being a dream just . . shattered my confidence".
"Newt. . I will always love you. You will never have to doubt that and you're such a wonderful man! You've done so much for me, for the kids, for our family and you've done a lot for your creatures. And everything that happened is all true" Tina pulled him into a hug.
"Sometimes, I think that I'm trapped in some kind of trance and I'm covered in this blanket of bliss and nothing else. It all feels like a dream, Tina. You're a dream come true" Newt kissed her cheek, "I don't know what to say. Everyone whom I had taken a liking to, in the past, felt that I was a freak. An outcast. After I was expelled, when I began working in the Ministry, everyone . ".
"Newt. . shut up. Anyone who thinks that you're a freak deserves to get their eyes checked up by a Basilisk" Tina spat angrily, "And let me know if anyone calls you those awful names, because I will literally strangle them".
"Tina, you don't have to. . " Newt chuckled, through the tears, "I don't know what I did to deserve you".
"Well, you did cause a havoc in New York that caught my attention" Tina merely shrugged, "Either way, we've met and here I am".
"When did you realize that you liked me back?" Newt asked her.
"Well, it was when you left New York. I couldn't wait to see you again because you were an interesting person. You really did shed some light into my life, telling me that it's the little things that matter and working yourself to the ends of the Earth would lead you nowhere. You taught me how to appreciate things in the simplest way" Tina explained, "And then, when the magazine article came out, I was pretty pissed because you never mentioned that in your letters. . the rest is, well, you know".
Newt grinned, "Well, I began developing feelings for you when you sang your Illvermorny School song. Your voice was so angelic at and I couldn't help but just. . admire you. The admiration turned into feelings. After everything was cleared up via our interaction in the records' room, I really wanted to kiss you. . really. But I couldn't. I stood there, transfixed because you ---"
"--- finished the compliment" Tina said, laughing, "Perhaps, you could make it up to me--"
Newt didn't wait for her to finish her request. He leaned and kissed her, while cupping her face. Tina placed her arms on Newt's shoulder and returned the kiss.Even though they were trapped in a bubble of worry and doubt, with all the changes taking place around them, they had each other.
In the end, the one thing that mattered the most was family, just like those birds.
A/N : AND THATS A WRAP! WE DID IT FOLKS, WE ARE TRULY DONE! ANNNNND CUT! WE'RE DONE! FINISHED! KAPUT!
Yes, this is truly the end of the story and I'm so sorry for the crappy ending. Like, I could've done so much better and yet, I was like, "Hmm, let's cook up some random shizz and see how it simmers!"
Either way, I'm sure you've got questions. And I've tried my best to answer two of them, down below :-
1. What happens to Nate and Achilles?
They bond from their past love experiences and that grew into love. A few years later after the Newtina wedding, they decided to adopt a child because they decided that it'd be great to be parents.
And yes, they are courting. And I've received a bunch of comments saying that people liked the Nate x Achilles ship, so here you go!
2. What is up with Dumbly dorr?
Dumbledore becomes headmaster right around the time when Newtina's children are in their. . . fourth term, I guess? I'm not sure, but he becomes headmaster of Hogwarts. It wasn't mentioned in this chapter because I wanted to gift y'all a nice Newtina ending instead.
If y'all have any questions about the messed up ending, comment here and I'll try my best to answer them ---->
And this chapter is titled "Aves", which means "birds" or "living beings with wings" jk jk. I thought it would be a nice end to the book and I sure hope it was.
And now, a word from Forrelz *cue the sappy-mode*
I wanted to thank every single one of you who've read my books, even though it was a bunch of cringe, to be honest. Honestly you guys are amazing readers and writers and I'm glad you stuck with me until the very end.
I worked on these two books for nearly nine months, I think? and I can't believe that people actually found it enjoying to read. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!
Here is a virtual high five ✋ because you guys are amazing and I really appreciate those funny comments and reactions from y'all. And here are a few cookies 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪
Wow. This is so surreal.
Anyway, thank you so much for reading this chapter and I'd be grateful if you stay tuned for my Newtina AU book which would be published during the course of this week. I've been working on the first chapter and it's gonna be loooooonnnnngg and thicccc
Stay safe and stay healthy! And don't drink bleach.
See yah!