10 | oh, you know, just another near death experience

THE FIVE OF them walked the streets of New York, looking through the windows of the department store, the one Gnarlack told them, carefully. Dorothy felt her mind wander for only moments as she sensed how close she was to Newt, but quickly shook the thoughts off. She didn't have time to entertain the idea that Newt could possibly like her back.

Dorothy saw Jacob stare oddly through a window, since he was ahead of them, and she knew that he found something peculiar. The four wizards quickly made their way to him, seeing a floating handbag.

"Found him," Dorothy muttered under her breath, following them inside the shop.

It was very neat, the store, decorated for Christmas with expensive jewelry on display along with their finest shoes and hats. She caught a whiff of perfume - one that she had smelt a few times while passing near the store, and she let herself close her eyes as she got lost in the amazing scent.

But, the moment was over when Tina gave her a sharp jab in the stomach with her elbow, and Dorothy rolled her eyes, continuing her way. Then, she spotted the floating purse again, accompanied by a few small grunting noises, but they were more adorable than menacing.

The group tip-toed closer, careful not to draw attention to them with large sounds. Dorothy felt her breathing stop, and had to remind herself that she could breath.

"So Demiguises are fundamentally peaceful, but they can give a nasty nip if provoked," Newt whispered, and Dorothy found herself nodding at the information.

Then, the Demiguise appeared. It was almost invisible, so light and everything behind it could be seen through the create, yet there was a fine line drawing a figure to the creature. It had a curious look on its face as it clambered over a display to reach a box of sweets.

Almost, almost, Dorothy laughed at it. She found the creature quite adorable, and she wanted so badly to go up and pinch its cheeks, but she brought her hand to her mouth to stop any noise from coming. Dorothy didn't know how the others weren't giggling with her - or, almost giggling.

"You two...head that way," Newt motioned to Queenie and Jacob, "And try hard not to be predictable."

Dorothy wondered what he meant, furrowing her eyebrows as she desperately wished to ask him a question, but knew better than to disturb the quiet for that. She could ask him when the creature was safely back in Newt's case.

But then they heard a roar in the distance. Almost immediately, their heads snapped to the direction in which the noise came. The Demiguise, though, looked up to the ceiling before continuing to gather the sweets, shoveling them in the bag as fast as he could.

"Was that the Demiguise?" Tina asked Newt, still keeping her volume low.

"No, I think it might be the reason that the Demiguise is here," Newt answered her, and more questions swarmed in Dorothy's head.

The three of them swiftly moved through the aisle, getting closer to the Demiguise as they did, which was now moving through the store again. But the creature stopped, turning slowly as it realized that it was being followed. It stared at Newt quizzically before running up a set of side stairs, Newt smiling before going after it, the others trailing behind.

Dorothy and Tina ran after Newt, going to a huge, dark attic packed with shelves full of expensive china. Dorothy felt the need to leave, since she knew that she would only cause trouble in the room, creating quite a mess with the china since she knew that she would break it one way or another.

She spotted the Demiguise carefully walking along the attic in a patch of moonlight. It glanced around before emptying out the handbag full of everything it stole.

"Its sight operates on probability, so it can foresee the most likely immediate future," Newt whispered to them, and Dorothy's mouth turned to an 'o' shape.

"So what's it doing now?" Tina asked him, her eyes trained on the creature intensely.

"It's babysitting," Newt responded simply, looking as the Demiguise held up one of the sweets as if it was an offering.

"What did you just say -?" Tina started to ask, and Dorothy couldn't help but feel the same way.

"This is my fault. I thought I had counted them all - but I must have miscounted," Newt's voice was calm, but Dorothy could tell he was panicking on the inside.

Jacob and Queenie entered quietly as Newt moved calmly forward to kneel beside the Demiguise. Dorothy moved closer to Tina, taking her hand as the Goldstein girl looked up in horror.

"It was babysitting that?" she asked in shaky breath, Dorothy glancing up in horror to only cover her mouth.

"Oh, my God," she breathed, moving back slightly, her heart beating faster as she looked at it.

It was an Occamy. She remembered that much - but they were much smaller in the case, in their little nest area. But this wasn't, this snake-like bird was huge, filling up all of the space the ceiling had to offer. It reminded her of a giant snake - and Dorothy didn't enjoy the slithering reptilians, and she shuddered at the thought of them.

The Occamy moved slowly down toward Newt as she Demiguise continued to offer the candy. Newt remained still.

"Occamies are choranaptyxic," Newt said and Dorothy shot him a glare, "So they - grow - to fill - available - space."

Finally, the large creature saw Newt, and the man gently brought a hand up, "Mummy's here."

Queenie moved slowly forward, her eyes trained on the Occamy as her foot accidentally kicked a tiny glass bauble on the floor, causing it to jingle as it rolled. In response to the sound, the Occamy reared up, screeching as Newt tried to calm it down. Dorothy took another step back, tugging Tina with her as she felt fear inside.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Newt called to the creature. Jacob and Queenie, too, staggered backwards to find the cover, the Demiguise running and leaping onto Jacob's arms. The Occamy swooped, scooping Newt onto his back as it violently thrashed through the attic, sending shelves flying.

"Right, we need an insect, any kind of insect - and a teapot! Find a teapot!" Newt yelled, commanding them as Dorothy rummaged through the boxes for a teapot.

The first box she looked through only had plates, causing her to huff, throwing the box to the ground, not caring about the noise it would create. There was already enough chaos surrounding them. Dorothy went through another box. Nothing. Only cups. And another; this time it was silverware.

She gave a noise of distress and annoyance, moving across to look in another box. "Dorothy!" she heard from Newt, turning around to see the Occamy going right for her.

With wide eyes, she quickly rolled out of the way, looking at Newt before going back to the boxes. She had to find that teapot. Now more than ever. She heard a scream from Queenie, but she knew that it would only be a waste of time to look in the direction that the scream came from. The only way to make sure they would all be safe would be finding the teapot.

Dorothy threw another box to the ground. She tore off the tape as fast as she could, looking only to see more cups and plates. And then she heard the magical word:

"Teapot!" it came from Tina, and Dorothy turned to her friend. The cry caused the Occamy to turn towards her, pinning Jacob to the wall with the Demiguise. Thankfully, Dorothy had a little wiggle room between her and the large creature.

Then, Dorothy saw the Occamy turn quickly, its face only inches from Jacob's. She gasped slightly, holding her mouth as she calmed her breathing, looking at the cockroach in Jacob's hand.

Newt peered from behind the Occamy, seeing the cockroach in his hand, "Roach in teapot..." he whispered.

Jacob gulped nervously, trying not to meet the gaze of the Occamy. "Shh!" he tried to sooth the creature as he widened his gaze to Tina, warning her as he threw the cockroach towards her.

It soared through the air as the Occamy raced towards it, allowing Jacob to be freed from its weight. Newt, too, jumped from the creature's back, going over to Dorothy quickly, shielding her from what was happening. The action made her heart skip a beat.

Tina ran towards the cockroach, stretching out the teapot as far as she could. She lands on her knees in the middle of the room as the cockroach perfectly fell into the teapot, the Occamy following afterward. It shrank, turning so small inside as Tina lowered her eyes and Dorothy let herself have a breath again.

Newt leaps away from the strawberry blonde and jams a lid on top of the teapot. And everyone lets out a sigh of one thing; relief.

"Choranaptyxic. They also shrink to fit the available space," Newt smiled slightly, letting out a breathy laugh.

"Tell me the truth - was that everything that came out of the case?" Tina asked, looking at him intensely.

"That's everything - and that's the truth," Newt said, and Dorothy hadn't felt more relieved in her life.

__________

"Here she comes," Newt said as Jacob lifted the Demiguise up and into its nest, "Happy to be home? Bet you're exhausted, buddy. Come on - there you go - that's right."

Dorothy stood by Newt, wishing to take his hand, but knowing that it wasn't the right time. Still, she stood by his side as she heard him say, "Ouch!"

She looked at him confused before seeing him pull out Pickett from his pocket, a smile instantly going to her face.

"Right...I think we need to talk. See, I wouldn't have let him keep you, Pickett. Pick, I would rather chop off my hand than get rid of you...after everything you have done for me - now come on," Newt said to Pickett while Dorothy adored him, "Pick - we've talked about sulking before, haven't we. Pickett - come on, give me a smile. Pickett, give me a..."

Dorothy saw Pickett stick out his tiny tongue, blowing a raspberry at Newt. She laughed at the sight of it.

"All right - now, that is beneath you," Newt scolded the Bowtruckle slightly as Dorothy moved closer.

"If it makes you feel any better, Pickett, I would have never even entertained the thought of letting that mean old goblin take you," she told him, seeing Newt roll his eyes out of the corner of her eyes. Immediately, she saw Pickett brighten up at her statement as Newt placed the Bowtruckle on his shoulder.

Dorothy moved away from them, going over to Tina as Newt went to help his other creatures. Queenie looked at a picture inside Newt's shed of a beautiful young lady, turning to him as she read his mind slightly.

"Hey, Newt. Who is she?" Queenie asked, motioning to the picture, seeing all the memories that he desperately wished to forget.

"Ah...that's no one," he chose to answer, hoping to leave the topic at rest.

But Queenie continued, reading his mind, "Leta Lestrange? I've heard of that family. Aren't they kinda - you know?"

"Please don't read my mind," Newt commented defensively, thoughts of her and how graceful and peaceful she was flooding his mind.

Queenie doesn't talk as she continued to look through his mind, getting all of the information she could about Leta. She was intrigued by it, thinking her so wonderful, but also saddened by some of the memories that Newt had of her. Newt continued to work as though she wasn't reading his mind as Queenie stepped closer.

"Sorry, I asked you not to," Newt apologized, both angry at her still and embarrassed by his previous tone.

"I know, I'm sorry, I can't help it. People are easiest to read when they're hurting," she said honestly.

"I'm not hurting," Newt denied the truth, "Anyway, it was a long time ago."

"That was a real close friendship you had at school," Queenie commented, a little sadness creeping in as she realized that she never had that sort of friendship.

"Yes, well, neither of us really fitted in at school, so we -" Newt tried to be dismissive.

"- became real close. For years," Queenie finished, adding a little concern to her next sentence, "She was a taker. You need a giver."

Queenie saw Newt glance over to Dorothy, seeing his thoughts of the girl, making her smile slightly. "Dorothy," she giggled slightly.

Newt looked taken back, hating the way Queenie was using her gift at the moment, "Pardon me?"

"You like Dorothy," Queenie pieced together, "She's a giver. It's a little bit of a problem of how much she would give for the people she loves, but it's just in her nature. She's good for you."

The said girl started to walk over to them, seeing them talking. "What are you two talking about?" she asked.

"Ah - nothing," Newt dismissed the question before Queenie answered, "School."

"School," repeated Newt, hoping that she wouldn't ask any further questions. His mind was still on the words that Queenie told him.

Jacob put on his jacket, "Did you say school? Is there a school? A wizarding school here? In America?"

Queenie brightened at that, "Of course - Ilvermorny! It's only the best wizard school in the whole world!"

"I think you'll find the best wizarding school in the world is Hogwarts!" Newt spoke up, defending his school.

Queenie gave a look of disgust that he would ever think his school was better, "Hogwash."

Before anything else could be said, there was a gigantic crack of thunder. The Thunderbird rose up into the sky, screeching, wailing, flapping his wings vigorously. Its body turning black and gold, its eyes flashing lightning.

Newt stood as Dorothy took a step back, knowing that all her relief would soon be gone once Newt spoke:

"Danger. He senses danger."

only two more chapters until the epilogue :(