A/N: Another update within the week? When I should be working? Par for the course at this point.

Enjoy!

Newt was the last one into the case.

New York was turning out to be considerably more exciting than any other place he's been to in the past year. And all he wanted right then was a nap. It seemed like ever since he stepped foot on American soil it was just one thing after another. Everything was piling on top and for a moment he wondered if anyone had ever asked Atlas if he was okay.

He broke his composure for a moment there, his brain reminded him. His cheeks flamed and he looked toward his feet. Perhaps yelling desperately for his creatures wasn't the most appropriate reaction. But they were taken away.

Newt avoided the three visitors in his small shack as he pushed open the door out to the rest of his case. He hoped they didn't follow. The two women seemed as if they're alpha personalities were about to get the better of them and Newt wanted no part of it. Jacob, it seemed, was just as uncomfortable. Newt did feel a little guilty leaving them for him to deal with. But only a little.

One of the women had delivered them as criminals and nearly gotten all of the creatures in his care killed or worse.

The other was a mess of contradictions and had been lying to all of them.

Creatures were simpler.

Newt walked around the case making sure all of the creatures were accounted for. The thought that Graves had been in there, had taken the obscurus… Newt wanted to make sure no one else was hurt or missing.

The jingling of coins drew his attention and he walked over to the little golden den. The niffler perked up at his presence and Newt smiled. He reached out a hand and scratched under their chin.

"Let's not cause any more trouble, yes?" Newt murmured. "Mum's still very disappointed with your behavior today."

The niffler gave a contented snuffle and turned back to its pile of galleons.

Newt took it as an agreement and left it at that.

He looked out at the expanse of his case and wondered if he could fit another enclosure in there somewhere. Once Frank was released, that space would be vacant. Newt had heard of rumors of a band of sailors in the Gulf of Mexico that were able to stop merchant ships in the water and raid them like pirates would. If the rumors were to be believed, then those sailors were likely using and abusing at least one or two ramoras. That would involve a very intricate pattern of expansion, stabilizing and water charms to be able to accommodate them if that were the case.

Thunder rumbled and Newt made his way over to the thunderbird. Rain pitter pattered around him, but he paid no mind and held up his umbrella charm. Frank flapped his wings once more before landing in front of him.

"You'll be out of here soon, I promise. Dougal's missing still, and we can't just leave him." Newt told the creature.

Raised voices sounded from the shack and the thunderbird flapped his wings agitated.

"I know, I'm not a fan of loud voices much myself."

Thunder rumbled in response.

"You're right, you're right." Newt sighed. "I'll go see what I can do."

Newt turned around and started walking back to the shack and if he drug his feet a little then no one was around to call him on it. He doubted his creatures would betray him so. He tapped his wand on his leg and sighed.

He paused in front of the wooden door and listened.

"-and this is coming from someone with false records!"

"All I'm saying is that at least I know when to question authority. Do you even know who Graves is?"

"He's my boss!"

"Is he? I thought you were fired?"

Newt heaved another sigh and pushed the door open. All three pairs of eyes snapped to him.

Jacob looked so relieved, Newt almost laughed. Tina was breathing heavy and kept shooting glares at Hermione. Hermione's hair had puffed out like a nundu's neck.

He needed to separate the two and let them calm down.

"Jacob," He called. "Perhaps Tina would like a tour of the case?"

Newt had seen the awed and happy expressions on Jacob and Hermione's faces when he led them through the case the first time. He hoped that Tina might see the same as they saw. Something wonderful and worth protecting.

"It's your case, are you sure you wouldn't…?" Jacob trailed off.

Newt smiled at him and looked away. "I'm sure you'll do just fine, Jacob."

The two of them walked past him.

"Maybe you can get answers out of her." Tina muttered to him.

He heard Hermione scoff, clearly having heard the other woman.

He heard the door open and close leaving them alone in the shack.

Hermione had her back to him. She'd taken off her coat and was stuffing it into her bag with more force than necessary. The bag, Newt noted, had an undetectable extension charm on it.

He leaned against the work table next to him with his arms crossed attempting to appear calmer than he felt. Despite her blatant untruths and obvious contradictions, Newt did not feel as though she was a threat to them or his creatures. Her actions were so genuine and kind that he almost felt cheated that everything else was a lie. Which was preposterous in his mind. How could he feel so betrayed if he'd only known her for a day?

He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it more than it already was. He was so confused.

She rolled up the sleeves of her black blouse and accioed a bottle of dittany out of her bag. Newt raised his eyebrows at how prepared she was. Just another thing added to the mystery. She applied the potion to her wrists and only then did Newt remember the brilliant way she broke the handcuffs. She healed her wrists and the cut from when she dueled the aurors. Then, she conjured a mirror and pushed aside her blouse and applied the potion to a collection of fresh scars that looked like-

"A chimera bite." Newt muttered aloud.

Hermione whirled around. She closed the dittany and vanished the mirror with jerky motions. Her hair was still puffed out and Newt guessed that she still felt defensive and cornered.

"I did mention I used to work with beasts."

"Nasty business." He hedged.

"It was worth it." She looked away, sad and almost wistful.

Newt couldn't disagree. "So, why did you 'join the aurors?'"

She looked back at him with fire in her eyes and Newt looked down. He watched her fingers dance in her agitation.

"I didn't have a choice."

"So that part is true at least."

Newt watched as her fingers began gripping and ungripping. Hand balling into a fist and releasing. She seemed to have an internal war with herself. To tell him or not to tell him. She bit her lip, skin pulling between her teeth before she'd soothe it with her tongue.

She opened her mouth and Newt braced himself for a lie.

"All of it is true."

Newt let her words wash over him. Despite preparing for it, it hurt all the same.

"I asked you before not to lie to me." He said quietly. He let his arms drop and he stood to leave.

All of the fight seemed to have gone out of her. Her hair had fallen flat and she seemed like a limp crup with its neck in the jaws of something greater, just waiting for it to either release or bite down harder.

"I haven't" She whispered.

He looked at her then and forced himself to hold eye contact. He leaned against the table once more.

"Impossible."

"Not for me."

"How could it all be true? Everything about you is a contradiction. I-" He cut himself off, unsure of where to even begin.

There was no way everything was true. Her father was the same age and her own mother was a year younger than her. Paperwork that had been filed not but a few days ago. No prior experience anywhere despite claiming to work for the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And even if the Lawsons weren't a light family, no one in these times with Grindelwald stirring trouble would attack in such a way and leave that word as a scar.

"I- I was-" She cut herself off and looked away a bitter grin on her face. A tear ran down one cheek and she hastily swatted it away. "I was an experiment with the Department of Mysteries. An act of desperation. The key to winning a war."

"Wait, no, no. I don't underst-"

"Time travel." She looked at him. And Newt could see it written on her face that this was no lie.

Newt's eyebrows pulled together. He opened and closed his mouth as if to say something but the words weren't there.

"I was born a few weeks ago. The minister and a few unspeakables decided that the best way to deal with the upcoming conflict with Gindelwald was to send a baby to the future to live and to gather information and then bring them back."

"A-and that baby was you? They sent a child to the future?" Newt ran his hand through his hair. "What did the Lawsons have to say about this? Edwin and Margaret, their baby…" He trailed off.

He gave a sharp laugh and Newt looked up at her. Her expression was not kind or soft in the way he'd come to admire. It was hard like glass and could break just as easy.

"They volunteered." She whispered.

Newt couldn't fathom the concept. He understands that when he releases his creatures back where they belong that it's because it's better for them. Always because it's better for them. To use your child in such a way… This couldn't have been better.

"The unspeakables gave me enhancement potions to increase my intelligence and capacity for learning and sent me away. I came back on my twenty-fifth birthday." She wiped a few more tears away and Newt had the strangest urge to comfort her.

"Highest academic scores since Albus Dumbledore?" He asked attempting to lighten her mood while also finding out more about her.

"Seems like a lie now, to me at least. What with the potions they gave me." She gave a watery laugh.

"And you worked with creatures?"

"Youngest Head of the Department." She smiled proudly. His eyebrows shot up.

"And the scar?" He tried to sound casual, but he'd never been good at such things.

Her smile fell and she rubbed her hand across the word on her arm.

"I was Hermione Granger." She whispered. "Muggleborn friend of the 'Chosen One'. There was a war when I was a teenager. We were captured," She looked down and traced the letters with her finger. "And I was taken for questioning."

Newt didn't know how far into the future she was from. He didn't know when that war would take place. But now that it had been mentioned he could see it. Newt had been lucky, he worked on the Eastern Front with dragons. He didn't truly see much of the actual war itself. Theseus, however, was a war hero. Newt never thought Theseus came back from the war alright. It took a long time for Theseus to heal and Newt was sure he was the only one that saw it. And he can see it in Hermione. She hadn't fully healed yet.

And now they'd pulled her back to fight again. Just like Theseus will have to fight as well.

Newt still wanted no part in the fight with Grindelwald, but perhaps he could help her. He was good with that sort of thing. With creatures at least.

"You're still Hermione Granger." He said quietly. "Even if you're also Hermione Lawson. They don't have to be so different."

Hermione's eyes jumped to his and he fought to keep eye contact. He tried to convey his certainty but he didn't think it came across well because she looked away and wiped her eyes again. She seemed to debate with herself for a moment and Newt was about to take back everything he said. But then she flew across the room and wrapped her arms around him.

He didn't quite know what to do. It was customary to wrap your own arms around them in return, but Newt didn't want to. Theseus was a hugger. Theseus hugged him all the time. Theseus never seemed to mind when he didn't wrap his arms around him in return. Should he? Surely she felt how stiff he was. Maybe it would deter her from hugging him again. It never worked with Theseus though.

She released him and he was strangely disappointed. He tried not to let his breath of relief be too audible. He didn't look at her much, but he caught her wiping her eyes again with a smile on her face.

A knock sounded through the case, a noise that was becoming familiar at this point.

The door to the shack opened just as Hermione was hastily climbing the steps to exit the case. Newt hadn't moved.

Jacob looked at him with a frowning expression that was questioning at the same time as accusing. Newt trusted Jacob with matters such as this so he decided to ask him about it later.

Jacob went up the steps and Tina followed. Newt looked around for a minute then followed the rest up as well.

Hermione stepped up on the ledge of the roof and tried not to look down.

The city before them was beautiful in the dying light of the sunset. The sound of pigeons chirping and preening came from the coop behind her along with Queenie and Jacob speaking softly to one another.

Newt stood beside her, backlit with a golden glow that set his auburn hair on fire. She thought him a very handsome man, but it didn't do to dwell on such things. They still needed to find the last of Newt's creatures and the obscurus. The wind blew and Hermione shivered. She cursed herself for leaving her coat in her bag in Newt's case.

"When I was on the investigation team, Graves" It amused her using the name of the man Grindelwald was impersonating. "kept insisting that the disturbances were a beast. He would even back up my own claims of it being a beast- even though I knew better." Newt nodded along. "Of course now he would most likely try to use your beasts as a scapegoat, so we need to find them before that can happen."

"There's only one still missing. Dougal, he's my demiguise."

"Ah, no trouble at all then." Sarcasm laced Hermione's tone. Newt smiled, and his eyes crinkled with the motion.

"Dougal?" Tina asked stepping closer to them.

Hermione recalled their argument earlier and cringed. It got out of hand fast. But Tina wouldn't stop pushing and Hermione could admit that she only stoked the fire so to speak. She hoped they were alright now. She has no doubt that Tina would never trust her despite any assurance Newt could say to her.

"He's invisible." Newt explained as he turned around and stepped down.

Hermione followed at a slower pace, overly careful so she doesn't fall back. Jacob and Queenie joined them.

"Invisible?" Tina asked smiling.

"Yes, most of the time… he does… um..." Newt looked away from their group and out toward the city again.

"So, basically, it will be immensely difficult to catch him." Hermione tells the rest of the group.

Newt looked over at her and smiled. She couldn't help but return it. She felt better now that she'd told Newt about what had brought her here to this time. It felt good to tell someone herself and not have someone just know what had happened. It felt good to trust someone. She hoped she could count this awkward man as one of her friends. She felt a pang thinking of Harry and Ron.

She saw Queenie's expression turn sad, but Hermione didn't say anything. Queenie did give her a reassuring smile. Hermione smiled back. Maybe she'll have another friend in Queenie. Hermione laughed as Queenie nodded her head. The rest of the group looked puzzled at the silent conversation taking place. The wind blew and Hermione reached her hand up to run through her mass of curls.

"Mudblood?" Tina whispered.

Hermione's smile fell. She was definitely regretting not putting her coat on. Or at least rolling down her sleeves. What was is about people thinking they could ask about that particular scar? Bellatrix's cackles filled her mind.

She cleared her throat. "It's a derogatory term for witches and wizards born to parents with no magic."

I'm going to have a little chat with this one! Girl to girl!

"Lestrange." Queenie said quietly, horrified by the memory.

"That's not a train of thought you want to go down, Queenie." Hermione warned.

Newt looked like someone had punched him in the stomach. Hermione frowned wondering what that was about.

"People are easiest to read when they're hurting." Queenie said with a sad smile.

"Yes, well." Hermione cleared her throat and avoided looking at anyone. "How can we find an invisible creature in New York?"

They walked down a back alley filled with bins and trash and other discarded things. Hermione didn't know why she was surprised. They were fugitives now and this Gnarlak was also a criminal. It made sense that they'd have to meet in the underbelly of wizarding New York. It reminded Hermione of the various times she had to visit Knockturn Alley. But that was usually under an invisibility cloak with Harry and Ron at her side.

Tina led them down a small set of stairs that seemed to dead end at a brick wall. A poster of a beautiful woman in an evening gown gazing at herself in the mirror hung on the bricks.

Tina and Queenie stopped in front of the poster and turned to face each other. They raised their wands in unison and transfigured their work clothes into beautiful flapper party dresses. Queenie gave Jacob a teasing look while Tina looked slightly embarrassed.

Hermione raised her own wand and thought of all the 20s style dresses she'd seen and hoped she'd get it right. Her clothes transfigured into a modest gold dress that looked more yellow in the current light. Hermione noticed that most of her scars from the war and her work with creatures were on display. She didn't mind, but she hoped it was socially acceptable in this time. She didn't want any unwanted attention to give them away.

"Hufflepuff." Newt guessed looking at her dress. His voice quiet as he leaned closer to her, his breath disturbing her curls.

Hermione gave a laugh. "Gryffindor." She corrected raising her wand up to conjure him a red bowtie.

Jacob looked a bit put out that he was the only one without magic attire. As Tina knocked and gained them an entrance, Hermione laughed and conjured Jacob a bowtie that matched the color of Queenie's dress.

Hermione was quite taken by the atmosphere of the seedy bar. The criminals and the wanted posters she could do without, but she loved jazz music. Her dad used to play old jazz records all the time, and sometimes, they'd dance around the kitchen in their socks and annoy her mother. The bar was crowded, and the goblin crooned and conjured smoky imagery to go along with the song she sang. Hermione smiled at it all.

Queenie and Jacob spilt off to the bar to be lookouts. Tina led Hermione and Newt through the crowd looking for the designated meeting place.

"I've arrested half of the people in here." Tina said once they found the table.

Looking around at the people, Hermione could believe it.

"You can tell me to mind my own business, but I saw something in that death potion back there. I saw you hugging that Second Salem boy." Newt said.

"His names Credence. His mother beats him. She beats all those kids she adopted, but she seems to hate him the most."

Hermione thought about this. A mother who runs an organization called Second Salem, she beats her kids, but she beats one more than the others.

"And she was the No-Maj you attacked?" Newt asked.

"That's how I lost my job. I went for her in front of a meeting of her crazy followers. They all had to be obliviated. It was a big scandal."

Hermione had to respect the reason she lost her job, even if she hadn't been very subtle about it.

"Is it possible that this boy, Credence, has magic?" Hermione asked her.

"You think he might be the obscurus?" Newt asked starting to come to the same conclusions she had.

Tina was about to answer, but she stopped. "It's him."

A smartly-dressed goblin weaved his way through the crowd and sat down in the only other empty chair at the table. He reclined back perfectly at ease, confidence and power in every motion. A house elf scrambled to bring him a drink.

"So... You're the guy with the case full of monsters, huh?" He said biting his cigar.

"News travels fast." Newt said, lowly. "I was hoping you'd be able to tell me if there have been any sightings. Tracks. That sort of thing."

Gnarlak finished his drink and another house elf brought him a document to sign. He pinned his signature after barely looking at it.

"You've got a big price on your head, Mr. Scamander. Why should I help you instead of turnin' you in?"

"I take it I'll have to make it worth your while?"

The house elf scurried away.

"Let's consider it a cover charge."

Newt reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stack of gold. He placed it on the table and slid it across. If the situation wasn't so serious, Hermione would have laughed at the dramatics. Gnarlak didn't even look at it.

"MACUSA's offerin' more'n that."

Newt pulled out a beautiful instrument and placed it on the table. It reminded Hermione of a sneakascope.

"Lunascope? I got five." He bit his cigar and Hermione tried not to cringe.

Once more, Newt reached into his pocket and pulled out another item of interest. A glowing, frozen, ruby egg.

"Frozen Ashwinder egg!" Gnarlak was finally interested. "You see, now were... Wait a minute." He paused looking at Newt. "That's Bow... That's a Bowtruckle, right?"

Hermione's eyes widened.

"No." Newt placed a hand over his pocket.

"Come on. They pick locks, am I right?"

"You're not having him."

"Well, good luck getting' back alive, Mr. Scamander, what with the whole of MACUSA on your back." Gnarlak got up ready to leave.

Newt seemed to debate with himself. And Hermione couldn't believe it, he was actually considering it.

"All right." Newt said, pained.

"Newt, no! You can't!" Hermione told him, completely ignoring Gnarlak.

Her brows pulled together in worry. She watched him pull the poor creature out of his pocket and hand him over.

"Pickett..."

The bowtruckle reached back, clicking and begging Newt. Hermione couldn't believe it. She couldn't look at Newt.

"Somethin' invisible's been wreakin' havoc around Fifth Avenue. You may wanna check out Macy's department store. Might help with what you're looking for." Gnarlak said, satisfied with Pickett in his grasp.

"Dougal..."Newt murmured. "One last thing. There's a Mr. Graves who works at MACUSA- I was wondering what you knew of his background." Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Newt glance at her. Perhaps he picked up more than she thought in their interrogation.

Gnarlak looked at them a moment and Hermione got the feeling he knew a lot more than he was willing to say.

"You ask too many questions, Mr. Scamander. That can get you killed." He stood.

"So, you know who Mr. Graves is then?" Hermione asked.

Gnarlak paused and looked at her for a moment. "Yeah, 'nd so do you. I'd watch your back, girly, or you're already dead."

"MACUSA are coming!" A house elf shouted.

The three of them stood up. Jacob and Queenie tried to make their way over to them.

"You tipped them off!" Tina accused.

Aurors started apperating in. Gnarlak stood there laughing. Hermione sent a stinging hex at his hand making Pickett fall out of his grasp. Newt scrambled to the floor trying to find him.

Jacob walked over to the goblin. "Sorry, Mr. Gnarlak-" He punched him.

Queenie looked delighted. Hermione laughed trying to find Newt. Criminals all around them were being apprehended. Others were apperating away.

"Reminded me of my foreman." Jacob said. He reached for another shot of gigglewater.

Newt ran over to them, Pickett in hand. They grasped everyone's shoulders. Jacob laughed and they spun away.

A/N: What'd you guys think? You think I did Newt alright?

We're like a long way through the first movie, that's crazy. And then we've got an interlude and then the second movie. And I heard filming for the third is set to keep filming on schedule despite Coronavirus social distancing.