**Contains COG spoilers**

The door creaked open, allowing the light from outside to shine in. The room was dark. It felt empty despite the presence of a human, a bed and a table.

"Theseus?"

No sound or movement was made. Your eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and you found the desk in the room. There was no paper or quill on it. You set the cups down.

The curtains were drawn and a long, black coat was abandoned on the floor. You stepped over it, one step closer to the bed. There he was, lying down, looking like a lump under the covers. Carefully, you sat down next to him.

"Theseus," you whispered, "I know you're not asleep."

He didn't move.

"If you were," you continued, "you would be snoring away."

"Go away (Y/N)," his voice was muffled for he had the blanket over his face.

Without any argument from you, you got up and headed for the door that was still open. As you were about to step out though, the door shut itself. You turned to Theseus who hadn't moved an inch. Sighing, you went back to him.

This trick always worked on him and Newt. You didn't know why, but it works, so you're not complaining.

You took out your wand and muttered a few words. The blanket that had been covering Theseus flew off of him and levitated in the air. At the same time, the table and chair were moved towards either side of the bed. The blanket fell on top of them, and over you and Theseus. A few pillows appeared from nowhere, blocking out the gaps.

"Lumos minima."

The tip of your wand lit up, producing a small ball of light. It pinched off from your wand and hovered to the top of the blanket fort. You could finally see Theseus' face properly. He was squinting, getting used to the light, but the redness in his eyes were obvious.

His tie was undone and hanging loosely around his neck. He got up from his lying position, shoulders drooping like a withered plant. The auror that once had an aura of confidence around him was no longer there. Instead, it was just a chrysalis. Hollow, like a vacuum, no, dementor had sucked the living soul out of him.

The vacuum seemed to have sucked the words in your head out. You didn't know what to say, so you did what he did best. You threw your arms around him and let him bury himself in your shoulder.

He reciprocated, hugging you so tight you were struggling for breath, but you didn't mind. His constant sniffing as though he was resisting the tears screamed for your presence, so you didn't let go. You stroked his back, hoping to calm him down.

"Theseus, do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, a soft whimper escaping his mouth. The two of you stayed in that position for a few more minutes, his breathing becoming steadier. When he was calm enough, he let go and lay on your lap.

"What's there to talk about?" He said through choked sobs.

You ran your hand through his hair, "Whatever's that on your chest. The words that have been locked away when you're with everyone else. The words that are crying to be let out but you won't let them. That's something to talk about."

Theseus didn't respond. You knew he was trying to keep a straight face after that breakdown.

"Look, Theseus," you said softly, "I know you're trying to look alright because you think we expect you to."

"I am alright," he muttered, but you weren't buying it.

"We don't, you know," you continued, choosing not to call him out on his lie, "Me and Newt. We don't expect you to be fine. Just because you're the older one, you are still allowed to express your feelings. You don't just have to listen and comfort us like what older siblings do. I know you feel that you have to act strong for us, but you don't have to. You should learn from Newt. He's worried for you."

"You're older than Newt," he pointed out while rubbing his eye, "Did you talk to him?"

Pausing, your mind wandered back to the conversation you and Newt had earlier.

"We did, Newt told me about how he felt about this whole thing."

"Did you tell him?"

The silence portrayed your guilt very well. Theseus shifted a little.

"You and I both know that I don't know Leta and Queenie very well."

You could hear his voice break, "True."

"Let me be the older one, Theseus, just this once."

Only the sound of the never-ending rain outside could be heard until Theseus repositioned himself to face you. He was still lying down, and his bottom lip quivered.

"We were going to get married," he said at last, "Leta and I were going to get married. In the church, just as the sun sets. It was going to be beautiful."

"Then I'd take her to her favourite garden for our honeymoon. You and Newt were going to help me enchant it, make it seem like a fairytale in the night. Then there would be those mooncalves that I would borrow from Newt. Under the moonlight, I'd kiss her. I'll let her know she was loved, so much, just so much, by me. But that's never going to happen anymore."

He chewed on his lower lip and you saw the tears well up in his eyes. Blinking rapidly, he said in a voice much softer than before, "The last kiss I've ever gotten from her was in Paris."

That was when he broke off again. You looked at him through misty eyes as he let the tears flow freely onto you.

"I just...just want to hold her again, could she come home now?" His eyes were closed now, but he spoke slightly louder.

At a loss for words, you could only wipe the tear on your own cheek. Leta didn't deserve it. She deserved her happiness with Theseus. And so did he.

"How do you deal with this, (Y/N)?" He opened his swollen eyes to look into yours, "How do you deal with such loss?"

Your heart felt as though there was an anchor tied to it, and it just sank to the bottom of the ocean, dragging you along with it.

"I uh..." you started, ignoring the shaking in your voice and the memories that tried to force their way back into your mind, "I imagine them in their favourite place, watching over me. They're...they're happy there."

"So Leta's okay?" Theseus asked, and in that moment, he transformed into the twelve year old boy, the one you first met.

"She's in the garden now," you tried to comfort him, "Under the moonlight by the swings. She's watching over you, Theseus. She's alright."

Theseus let out a small, shaky laugh. You laughed too. It was nice to see him happy, even for a second, because you know he won't be for a while.

"Thank you, (Y/N)."

"Thanks for letting me be the older one," you smiled, and he put his thumb on your cheek, like how you did to Newt.

"I miss her smile."

"So do I."

Someone had entered the room. Both you and Theseus stared through the blanket at the shadowed figure who moved towards you. It opened the blanket like a curtain, and a head popped in.

"Sorry," Newt said, "Whose smile are we talking about?"

"Leta's," you and Theseus replied at the same time.

"Oh," Newt closed the blanket slightly but his face was still visible, "Yes she does."

You pulled the younger Scamander in, to his surprise, causing him to fall on top of Theseus.

"(Y/N), how old are you? You're acting like a child," Newt commented while he got off his brother, sitting cross-legged beside you.

"Older than you, thank you very much."

"You've built a blanket fort that you and Theseus are hiding in. I assume the conversation went well?"

Theseus nodded, much to your delight. That's one good thing that went well tonight.

"How's Tina?" You asked.

"Sleeping," Newt's gaze shifted to anywhere but you. In the small glow of the light, Newt's face was tinted pink. It wasn't the best time to continue, so you dropped the subject.

"We swapped roles," the older Scamander said suddenly, "(Y/N) became the older one."

Newt raised his brows at the sound of that and looked at you, seeming surprised at his brother's slightly uplifted spirit, "Do I get to be the oldest next time, then?"

Ruffling his hair, you replied, "Yup. And Theseus can be the youngest."

All three of you laughed quietly, and Theseus snuggled closer to you.

"Could you two sleep here tonight?" He asked innocently, "It reminds me of when we were kids."

"When life was less complicated?" You lay down beside him, making yourself comfortable.

"Yeah. C'mon, Newt."

The youngest among you three started to make his way out, "I-I actually got other, uh, creatures to tend to."

You pulled him down again, and he lay down flat in a stiff and awkward position. You watched as he blinked and turned towards you. The two words you mouthed to him made him stay.

"Alright," he mumbled.

The ball of light disappeared and it was just the three of you. Safe and protected in the blanket fort, a wave of nostalgia washed over you. Tomorrow, the grief and sorrow would come back, but for tonight, it was comfort. Just comfort, for the war that was to come soon, for the many obstacles that you would have to face to get the ones you loved back, and make the ones you've lost proud.

"Thank you both."