procuring an answer to the auror’s whereabouts had come in the form of yusuf kama, a man as mysterious as the antics it took to locate him. newt was on his guard, observing the man — his rigid facade giving way to an ulterior motive that the magizoologist wasn’t positive of yet. he was hiding something though, that was for certain.
he hadn’t bothered to explain his thoughts to jacob, best to leave him in the dark anyhow, should trouble arise, newt would do his best to maintain the safety of both of them. after all, so far they seemed to be moving through the streets of paris with a purpose. though he much hoped that purpose would bring them face to face with tina.
luckily, his hopes were brought to fruition the moment he stepped below the busy and bustling parisian streets and into its underbelly. the stench hit him first, breath almost knocked from him as jaw tensed and he made his way further into the sewer proper. sea glass hues flickered along damp stone until they came across the sleeping form of porpentina goldstein, however he wasn’t quite expecting the prompt rise to her feet and exclamation that came just a moment too late.
he hadn’t fretted however, pickett was out of his pocket and racing towards the rusting bars before the lock had even clicked into place. his head turning now to focus on kama’s voice of betrayal and his eventual drop. an eyebrow raising now before gaze returned to tina and he found his breath taken away from him for the second time since entering those sewers. his cheeks flushed with a warmth he wasn’t used to and he was about to say something before her words caught him — tripping him up in a flood of emotions. only a moment ago she had called him newt had she not?
and now suddenly, it was if they were barely acquaintances.
a sigh elicited from his lips and he could only assume the coldness was a consequence of that bloody magazine article. the incredible mishap that had bothered tina enough — apparently, to seek out a means towards a new life. an auror boyfriend that newt, thankfully, had not met yet. “well, would you believe me if i told you this was intended to be a rescue attempt?” hand swaps the case to his other and his gaze flickers from tina, to jacob briefly, and then to pickett, who was making quick work of the lock soundlessly before back to tina, taking in her new ‘re-instated auror’ look.
“Ha! You call this a rescue attempt, Mr. Scamander?” What was it with her? Why couldn’t she stop saying his name? Sucking in a breath she holds her head high and looks to Jacob, offering him a soft, crooked, smile. She was sure by now that he had heard all about her frustrations with Newt and the situation at hand – as far as she was aware he may have even heard an argument or two between herself and Queenie. No matter how hard her sister tried, Tina couldn’t let the pain go. She thought there was something there between her and Newt – something brewing under the surface and between their letters.
But all it took were a few words from Newt and his position on Auror’s to make her mood sour. It felt like an attack on her personally – the broad blanket statement made it clear to her that anything with the magizoologist wouldn’t work. The article in Spellbound was just the icing on the cake.
For Tina, she felt like a fool thinking Newt could care for her the way he cared for Leta. She was a fool to not see it sooner – maybe she had held some hope that for once she would be good enough. All on her own, just good enough for someone to love her. She wasn’t beautiful like Leta and she wouldn’t assume she had a reputable history with Newt like Leta – the only thing she could hope for, was in the end, that Newt was happy. Because despite her anger, heartbreak, and her jealousy – all she wanted was for Newt to have his happiness.
“I was doing just fine before the two of you decided to show up.”
A blatant lie – she knew it had to be more than clear with the way her tongue lashed out over her lower lip and teeth soon sunk in after. Eyes quickly divert towards the floor, unwilling to yet move closer. Her heart still pounding in her chest and with each beat it brought about a new ache. A new memory. A new thought.
What she needed was a distraction.
“So, how do you propose we get ourselves out of this mess?”
Just like that, Tina had put her Auror face on. Lips set in a line as she strides forward – lips held in a flat line in order to keep from giving herself away any further.