Newt walked down into his basement and his gaze instantly landed on his cluttered desk. He walked over to it and searched through the mess, his mind completely focused on the task.

"Newt? Hey, Newt? Newt?"

Newt snapped out of his reverie and looked up, seeing Bunty standing in front of him. She smiled slightly and adjusted her hair when she realized that she had gotten his attention.

"So sorry. Do you need something, Bunty?"

"Erm, I just finished feeding the Fwooper. Is there anything else you would like me to do? I don't mind staying later, I mean, if you need me...to."

He looked away from her, attempting to think about her question, but no other task came to his mind.

"No, no. You can leave. Thank you."

He glanced back at his workspace and returned his attention to searching for the post.

"Oh, um, I don't mind-"

"Actually, Bunty, do you know where the post is? I'm assuming you brought it down here for me?"

"Oh, yes! It's there next to your case."

Wondering how he had missed the large pile, he reached for the stack.

"Thank you. Have a good night."

He began to sort through it, only slightly aware that Bunty was still there. He wondered why she was always so hesitant to leave. There were at least a dozen fan letters, and he set those aside, wincing. He didn't like strangers writing to him even if it was to say how much he was admired for his work.

Sadly, the letter he was so eager to receive had not arrived. He sorted through the pile again to no avail. Newt sighed and jumped when Bunty spoke up suddenly.

"So, did you get permission to go back to America?"

He looked up at her briefly then glanced away.

"Er, no. Sadly not," he muttered, his tone casual, but obviously disappointed.

"Why not?"

Newt shook his head slowly, not wanting to talk about it.

"Something to do with the last time I visited."

"Oh."

He reached into his coat pocket; felt the picture there inside. He pulled it out and laid it out on the desk. Tina's face gazed up at him, and again, he was lost in searching her eyes. He had put the picture in his pocket before he had left for the Ministry earlier.

"Why are you trying to visit? Are you going to travel again to gather research for the next edition of your book?"

He looked up, distracted. He had never felt more disappointed in his life and he didn't want to talk to anyone. He wished Bunty would leave him alone.

"I want to visit my...well, I want to see someone again; give her a copy of the book."

"Oh, I see. And this woman is your...friend?"

Newt didn't answer. He opened up his suitcase and hung Tina's picture up inside of it again. A roar sounded from the inside as he closed it.

"I can help with the creatures in the case," Bunty offered quietly.

"Thank you, Bunty, but I'll manage. Although I'd like your help again with the Kelpie tomorrow. I really do appreciate all that you do around here."

He briefly glanced up and saw her smile slightly.

"Well, see you tomorrow, Newt. Goodnight."

"'Night."

She left and he went upstairs to find something to eat. Searching made him realize how desperately he needed to buy more food because he hadn't gone shopping in about a month and the cupboards were nearly completely empty. Newt made himself a sandwich and wolfed it down without even sitting at the table. He drank a glass of water, traces of sadness in his mind. He frowned, wondering why Tina was ignoring him.

Newt felt uneasy as he took the steps down to the basement. Was Tina mad at him for some reason? Had she decided she didn't want to continue their correspondence anymore?

He racked his brain for possible reasons to explain why Tina wouldn't write back to Newt, but the possibilities he thought of were disappointing and he didn't like to think about them.

Newt set his suitcase on the floor and stepped inside. He walked through the various habitats until he reached Dougal's. The Demiguise was fast asleep. He checked on the Bowtruckles and tried to convince Pickett to join the others, but Pickett wouldn't give up his pocket.

Newt decided he wasn't going to think about Tina.

That was a lie he told himself. All he could think about was Tina.

His book had been released about two weeks ago, and at the launch party, he had wished Tina could have been there to celebrate with him.

Why was it that she was the only person he longed to be with? They had no common interests. She was an Auror and he was a Magizoologist. However, she was the only genuinely compassionate Auror he had ever met. He wondered what had made her want to be an Auror. He thought about writing to ask her until he remembered that she was ignoring him.

Newt recognized that he was sitting in Frank's old habitat. For some reason, he always seemed to end up there whenever he was in the case thinking about Tina.

Newt finished feeding his creatures and went back to his shed. He began to tidy up his belongings—something he only did when he was lost in his thoughts—and came across the copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them which he had been saving to give to Tina. Every time he held the book he had worked tirelessly to produce, he felt a sense of happy accomplishment.

He flipped it open to the dedication page and read the sentence he had written and rewritten several times until he had deemed it perfect:

To the most intriguing woman I have ever met—
your eyes are as lovely as a salamander's.

Of course, he could only have dedicated it to her.

She was, by far, the most intriguing woman he had ever met.

When he had said goodbye at the docks, he had seen the tears in those brilliant salamander eyes.

Those eyes had made him pause on that gangplank and briefly contemplate what would happen if he stayed.

As he thought about it again while he stood in his shed, he realized that he probably wouldn't have been able to, considering that Madame Picquery had directly told him to get his case out of New York.

Suddenly, a terrible thought crossed his mind.

What if Tina had already seen the dedication and she had realized it was meant for her? What if she had been embarrassed to realize that Newt had feelings for her and that was why she hadn't written back to him?

Newt closed the book abruptly and went up the stairs to climb out of his case. He glanced at the picture of Tina and closed the lid.

What was the point of wondering why she hadn't written back? Wouldn't it be better just to write another letter? He pulled out parchment, ink, and a quill, and sat at his desk.

Dear Tina,

I hope you and Queenie are well and that no more trouble has occurred since I've been in London.

It has been busy here, what with the book being published and some of the creatures needing extra attention. Did I mention that the Niffler is pregnant? She should be having her babies soon. I have to say, it has been...tedious to attend events surrounding the book, but I'm just glad that by being published, it has helped to open the eyes of those who didn't understand magical creatures before.

Pickett has been troublesome as usual. He's taken to pulling at the buttons on my coat which I hope is only a brief phase since I can't continue to constantly replace them. Today, Leta noticed that Pickett had pulled off nearly all of my coat buttons and dropped them to the floor when I wasn't paying attention.

I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but there has also been a proposal of engagement in the Scamander family.

By the way, I do not know if my last letter was ever delivered although it should have been by the middle of February.

I apologize if you have received it already, making this letter redundant or boring. I do hope you would still like me to deliver your copy of Fantastic Beasts in person.

Sincerely,

Newt

Newt scanned through what he had written and frowned. He left the letter where it was and decided not to send it. If she wanted to write to him, she would have by then, wouldn't she?

"You're saying that my post is being searched?" Newt asked.

He was sitting in the hearing room with Torquil Travers staring him down. The man nodded, answering Newt's question.

"Why?"

Mr. Travers sighed for a long time. Newt tried to keep his composure agreeable.

"Mr. Scamander, you must know why. Your ties with America aren't...looked upon without suspicion."

"I don't see how sending letters to a friend is suspicious."

"This...Miss…"

"Goldstein. Tina Goldstein," Newt helped. Mr. Travers narrowed his eyes.

"You and Miss Goldstein were on wanted posters in New York for infraction of the international statute of secrecy. Considering the goals of Gellert Grindelwald, you don't see how that could be considered suspicious?"

Newt frowned slightly, confused.

"That was a mistake. Tina and I helped to capture Grindelwald."

Mr. Travers sighed again. Newt wished he would stop doing it.

"That doesn't matter to the Ministry. You're connected to him and that makes you suspicious."

"But why are they being intercepted now? We were corresponding regularly with each other until February."

Mr. Travers glanced down, consulting a folder.

"Well, we didn't know about your letters until February. Now, Mr. Scamander, I think we're finished here."

"No, sir, I-I need to travel to America."

"For what reason?"

Newt's mouth evolved into a thin, angry line. He looked away from Travers' wilting gaze.

"For personal matters."

"That's it? Personal matters?"

"Yes."

"That's not going to lift your travel ban, Mr. Scamander."

Newt glared at the surface of the table in front of him.

"I don't see why I can't be allowed to see my letters if they've already been searched. How many have I not received?"

"Two."

"Can I please have them?" Newt pleaded. His gaze drifted up to see Travers nod slowly, serious. Newt's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"This doesn't mean that the Ministry isn't keeping a close eye on you, Mr. Scamander. However, you may have your letters."

"And the travel ban?"

"For now, it won't be lifted."

Newt walked out into the hallway with the letters in hand; he didn't leave the Ministry before he read them, but stood in the hallway outside of the hearing room he had just vacated.

In the first note, Tina had wished him a happy birthday and eagerly asked several questions about his time spent traveling in other countries. Imagining her voice asking the questions made him feel a sort of homesickness.

He was homesick for a person who lived over three thousand miles away in a city he had visited once. It was a strange realization.

Her words were warm and inviting. Newt carefully folded it back up, unable to stop beaming. He wondered what Tina was doing at that exact moment. He wished he could see her again.

He opened the other letter.

Dear Mr. Scamander,

Newt frowned at the words and began to worry. In her last letter, she had begun with "Dear Newt,".

It has been a while since you last wrote to me. However, I know you have probably been too busy to write lately, and I want you to know that I completely understand. You are a bit of a celebrity now and I wouldn't want to distract you from your important engagements. I congratulate you on the success of your book; I knew it would turn out amazingly.

I hope that your creatures are well and that you are happy. Really, all that I wish for is your happiness.

I have been so busy myself, I feel as if all I do is work. I'm so grateful to be back on the investigative team, and I'd like to thank you for that again. I will never forget the kind words you said to Madam Picquery about me.

I hope we will be able to write more often in the future, but for now, it seems that the craziness of life is preventing us from doing so. Anyway, I wish you luck and I hope that we will meet again sometime in the future. Until then, I will happily read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them again and again, never ceasing to be amazed by the magical creatures that you care for.

Sincerely,

Tina Goldstein

"Newt?"

Newt was startled as he looked up from Tina's handwriting to see Leta standing in front of him, a small smile on her face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Newt fumbled with the papers in his hands. He put them inside his pocket where the picture of Tina already was.

"Oh, just an interview about a travel ban."

Leta's eyebrows raised and it seemed like she wanted to ask him about it, but Newt shook his head slightly.

"Would you like to have dinner with me and Theseus tonight?"

Newt focused his eyes on the ground, still upset by Tina's letter.

"I'm sorry, I can't tonight. The Nifflers could be having babies any day now and I can't leave Bunty to manage the delivery on her own."

"I understand. Another time."

He wanted to leave.

"Yes, another time."

There was an awkward pause. Newt didn't look up. He wished he had brought his case with him. The urge to disappear inside of it had never been stronger.

"Well, I was going to go see Theseus, so have a good night."

"You too," Newt responded.

He practically ran away from her, his thoughts a jumbled mess. What he had understood from Tina's note was that she no longer wished for them to continue writing to each other. It was one of the hypothetical situations he had predicted before reading her letter.

She didn't want him to bring her his book in person.

Newt felt tears stinging his eyes as he left the Ministry. He didn't understand how or why Tina's attitude toward him had changed so drastically.

Newt didn't feel like going home, but he didn't want to go anywhere public. He wanted to see Tina again.

He walked into his house anyway and hid in his suitcase for a few hours. He spent time with his creatures as he tried his best not to think about Tina Goldstein.

He wouldn't let himself think about her salamander eyes.