Chapter Text
Porpentina Goldstein had not received a letter from Newt Scamander in almost two months.
She wasn't worried about it, she'd tell Queenie when she asked. He's busy with his book, he has more important things to do than send owls across the Atlantic. Doesn't he?
Truth be told, Tina thought about Newt and his letters more than she'd care to admit. Late at night when she couldn't sleep, she'd wonder what Newt was doing. Why he hadn't written. And yes, she'd worry.
It was for this reason that Tina hardly dared believe her eyes when she awoke one morning in August 1927 to find a familiar tawny owl perched in the window of her tiny apartment, a letter folded in its beak. She stared at the bird, silently chastising herself for the speed with which her heart began to beat until she finally sat up, not daring to take her eyes away from the owl. She got out of bed and walked to the window, and couldn't help but smile a little despite herself, as the bird seemed to perk up, hopping down from the window onto her kitchen table.
"G'morning," she said softly to the owl; it flapped its wings as if in response. She filled a saucer of water and set it down next to the bird before taking the letter and walking back to her bed, trying in vain to suppress her smile as she looked at her name printed on the envelope - Tina thought that she'd recognise the now-familiar, scrawly handwriting anywhere. It read
Miss Goldstein,
I apologise for not writing to you for some time. I've been terribly busy with the completion of my book; I've tried to finish it as soon as possible, and thought it best to put our correspondence on hold for a short time in order to dedicate myself to the task. I thought perhaps, the thought of not hearing from you until the book was completed might motivate me to finish it sooner. I do hope you haven't thought I'd forgotten about you, Tina.
So now the good news - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is finished and about to be published. I've just received the first few copies, and I really would like you to be the first to have one. I haven't forgotten my promise to give you the book in person - I've booked a passage to New York, leaving tomorrow morning.
If all goes according to plan, this letter should arrive a day or so before I do. I do apologise for the short notice - I must be terribly exasperating, I know, I'm sorry - but I hope you'll be there when I arrive in New York. If it's not improper for me to say so, I've missed you terribly, Tina.
Yours,
Newton Scamander
Tina stared at the page long after she'd finished reading. She read the letter again, and again, until she finally registered the meaning of the words. Newt was coming to New York, tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
"Queenie - wake up, Queenie," Tina hissed, practically jumping from her own bed to her sister's, shaking her awake. "Queenie, when's the next ship from England? When does it get here?"
Sleepily, Queenie sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. She looked quizzically at Tina for a moment - it was unusual to see her sister so excited. "Tina, what -" she began, but by force of habit, used her powers of Legilimency instead of finishing her question. In Tina's mind, she glanced through snippets of Newt's letter and practically squealed, "Newt wrote to you, he's - he's coming to visit!"
"When's the next ship arriving from England?" Tina repeated, moving back to sit on her own bed.
"Tonight - I think."
"Tonight? Not tomorrow? Deliverance Dane, what times's it get here?"
"I'm not sure - we should go find out," Queenie offered happily, before sensing the pang of displeasure in her sister's mind, and she understood - after all, she'd been hearing Tina's thoughts about Newt ever since he'd left her. She corrected herself, "I mean - you should go find out."
Tina nodded, again glancing at the letter in her hand. "Yeah, I - I'll do that," she said. Queenie smiled as she listened to Tina's stream of consciousness - she liked listening to her sister's thoughts about Newt. She was glad that he made Tina happy. Almost absentmindedly, she heard Tina wonder, what should I wear?
"Teenie?"
"Yeah?"
"Borrow one of my dresses when you go meet Newt."
Queenie couldn't help but laugh at the exasperated noise which Tina offered in response.