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"Uhm... it's kind of hard to explain," Davina mumbled, not sure what to say as she watched Newt rub his head.

"Bugger," he muttered quietly, his gaze fixed on the alley where Kowalski had just disappeared.

She glanced down the street and saw Tina Goldstein approaching them. Without thinking, Davina grabbed Newt's arm, pulling him in the opposite direction.

"Newt, we've got to go," she urged, her grip tightening on his arm. Newt's stomach fluttered at her touch, but he looked down at her in concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked, halting in his tracks. They both froze as they realized they had reached a dead end.

"You've got to be kidding me," Davina groaned just as a hand gripped her arm sharply from behind. The next moment, they were both yanked away and apparated into a narrow alley.

Tina appeared in front of them, breathing heavily, clearly rattled. She took a moment to compose herself, narrowing her eyes at Davina.

"What are you doing here, Dumbledore?" she demanded, frustration seeping into her voice. Newt watched the exchange with a quiet curiosity.

"I have a letter from Picquery," Davina explained quickly, omitting the details about Newt entirely. "She said they needed me."

Tina shot a glance at Newt, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "And who's that?" she asked, pointing a finger at him.

"I'm sorry," Newt muttered, apologizing for the chaos he had unknowingly caused. Tina's expression shifted from suspicion to bewilderment as she studied him.

"Who are you?" she pressed.

Before Davina could respond, Tina cut in, her eyes darting to Newt's case. "What's that thing in your case?" she asked, clearly more interested in the mysterious object than in the conversation.

Newt exhaled slowly, his lips curling into a slight smile as he looked at his case. "That's my Niffler," he explained casually, still leaning against the alley wall.

Davina noticed a streak of mustard on Tina's left cheek but didn't mention it at first. Tina ignored the observation as she focused entirely on Newt.

"Why in the name of Deliverance Dane did you let that thing loose?" she snapped, her voice sharp and accusing.

Newt glanced nervously at Davina, and she stepped in, trying to smooth things over. "I bet he didn't mean to," she said with a small apologetic smile. "He's incorrigible, you see..."

Newt hesitated but continued for her, "Anything shiny, he's all over..."

But Tina was already cutting him off. "He didn't mean to?" she asked, turning back to Davina, her frustration growing.

"No," Davina breathed, looking at Tina with a sincerity that made her words sound more genuine. "I'm sure he didn't."

Tina shook her head, exasperated. "You two couldn't have picked a worse time to let that creature loose," she said. "We're in the middle of something here."

Davina knew exactly what was coming next.

"I'm taking you in," Tina declared, pulling out her identification card.

Newt's eyes widened in alarm. "Taking us where?"

Tina held up her card, letting the words sink in. "Magical Congress of the United States of America," she read aloud, her tone making it clear she wasn't joking.

"So, you work for MACUSA?" Newt asked, his curiosity piqued as he glanced between Tina and Davina. The latter nodded at him, confirming her role.

Newt tilted his head, looking from one woman to the other. "What are you, some kind of investigator?" he asked.

Tina's face faltered slightly at the question, her eyes briefly clouded with memories of the past, of the auror position she had lost.

Davina noticed the shift and quickly intervened. "Something like that," she said, offering a subtle explanation to Newt, who was clearly overwhelmed by the situation.

Tina shot a sharp look at her friend. "At least tell me you took care of the No-Maj," she said, her voice laced with rising panic.

Newt, still trying to keep up, looked at Davina. "The what?"

Tina's eyes widened, her worry deepening. "Davina, tell me you wiped his memory, right?" she pressed, her gaze desperate.

Newt frowned. "What is a No-Maj?" he asked again, his confusion growing.

Davina gave him an amused smile. "A Muggle, Newt," she explained, her voice light but serious.

Davina gave him a small, apologetic look before turning to Tina. "I... we didn't exactly wipe his memory," she muttered, clearly uncomfortable under Tina's piercing gaze.

Tina's expression dropped in shock. "You didn't? You know the rules," she said, voice trembling with frustration. "This is a Section 3-A violation, both of you."

Newt's stomach dropped. "Uh... sorry," he stammered.

Tina took a deep breath, her face now a mask of determination. "I'm taking you both in," she repeated, and before they could protest, she apparated them across the street.

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"Come on," Tina urged, tugging at Newt's sleeve to keep him from slipping away.

Newt shot her an irritated glance, glancing down at her from the corner of his eye.

"Sorry, but I actually have things to do," he said, trying to brush her off.

"Well..." Tina scoffed as she marched across the street. "You'll have to rearrange them."

"Tina, this is really unnecessary," Davina chimed in from beside them, earning a sharp glare from Tina.

"What are you doing in New York anyway?" Tina asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she eyed Newt.

Newt hesitated, clearly fumbling for an excuse. "I-I came to buy a birthday present," he said quickly, a nervous smile tugging at his lips.

Davina smiled slightly at his transparent excuse, though Tina remained unimpressed.

She gave him a pointed look. "Couldn't you have done that in London?"

Newt and Davina scrambled to keep up as Tina quickened her pace.

"No, there's only one breeder of Appaloosa Puffskeins in the world, and he lives in New York," Newt explained, adding a quick "So, no" for good measure.

Tina came to an abrupt stop in front of a golden entrance, where a man stood he looked like a security guard as he greeted her.

"I've got a Section 3-A," Tina muttered to him, and he opened a side door for them to pass through.

"By the way," Tina added with a slight edge to her voice, "we don't allow the breeding of magical creatures in New York."

As they stepped through the door, the size of the building took Newt and Davina by surprise. The hallway was bustling with witches and wizards, and a grand staircase loomed ahead of them.

Tina led the way with determination, but both Newt and Davina found themselves momentarily distracted by the grandeur of the place.

"We shut that guy down years ago," Tina said, her voice casual but cutting as she tore apart Newt's excuse.

Davina was too busy taking in the impressive surroundings to respond, her eyes wide with awe. She hadn't remembered MACUSA's headquarters being this massive. Tina noticed and smiled briefly at the younger woman's wonder.

Newt, too, couldn't help but glance up in surprise, his mouth slightly agape. The ceiling stretched far above them, and fast-moving elevators whizzed up and down.

They stopped in front of one of these elevators, where a goblin in a suit stood waiting, ushering people inside.

"Hey, Goldstein," the goblin greeted cheerfully. Davina smiled at the small creature, offering a wave as he recognized her.

"Miss Dumbledore, you were expected a bit earlier," the goblin said to Davina, who stepped into the elevator first.

"Hey, Red," Tina added, following Davina in with Newt trailing behind them.

Tina cleared her throat, standing straight and folding her hands in front of herself. "Major Investigation Department," she said, her voice a little too stiff. The goblin looked up at her curiously.

"I thought you were—" he started, but Tina cut him off, her tone sharp.

"Major Investigation Department! I've got a Section 3-A," she repeated, her patience wearing thin.

"Please," Davina added kindly, giving the elf a reassuring smile.

With a small nod, the goblin pressed the button to the elevator, sending them on their way.

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𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: I'm so sorry that there's only one chapter for today but I got ill over night.

Larah :)