Idea given to me by the beautiful, wonderful, and talented singtothesky_ (she also helped)

I'm going back to the twice a week schedule, so expect a preference Wednesday!

Summary: You and Newt are best friends, and Newt has begun zoning out more often than not, especially when he's with you...

QOTP: Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts?

Word Count: 1770

Newt Scamander is your best friend and has been since the day you met him when you were first years.

People have asked you why you're friends with him, some even going so far as to have their own theories. You always give them the same answer.

You just like hanging out with him.

Simple as that.

He always has something interesting to say — usually about a creature — and he's one of the sweetest people you've ever met. He's funny when he wants to be, and, true to his Hufflepuff nature, he's incredibly loyal, so you know he'd never go behind your back or purposefully hurt you in any way.

And, above all that, he's just your best friend. You met him at the feast in first year, so you just decided to stick together from there. And now, here you are: Fifth years, studying for your next Charms exam in the library.

"Hey, do you remember what the spell was to make a...?" you trail off, glancing up at Newt, who's sitting across from you with his chin resting on his hand, not paying attention at all — even if he is looking at you. If you didn't know any better, you'd say his expression was lovestruck; adoration is in his eyes, and he looks almost wistful. You raise a brow. "Newt?"

He jumps, his face going crimson and his eyes refusing to meet yours. "Wh-What? I-I wasn't- um..."

"Head stuck in the clouds?" you ask, chuckling as you look back to your book.

Newt nods awkwardly. "Ye-Yeah. Yeah, that's it. I just... Anyway, what were you saying?"

You ask your question, which he ends up knowing the answer to, and soon after you decide to call it a day and head to the Black Lake to just sit and chat. Newt brings along his Bowtruckle, Pickett.

"I think Pickett likes me more than you," you say jokingly, watching the Bowtruckle crawl along your hand.

Newt chuckles. "Well, you named him, so I wouldn't be surprised."

You continue to play with the creature, both of you going quiet, save you half-whispering to Pickett in the typical way one tends to talk to their pets.

Suddenly, you turn to Newt. "Do you...?" You stop for the second time that day, realizing Newt's head is completely in the clouds as he stares at you. "Newton Scamander."

He jumps. "Huh? Oh, sorry..." He blushes deeply, and yet again is unable to meet your eyes.

"What is with you today?" you ask, half-laughing.

He shrugs. "I-I don't know. Just... thinking about th-things."

Your brows furrow. "What 'things'?"

"Unimportant things," he replies with a wave of his hand.

"They don't seem unimportant."

"Well, they are," he says. You give him a pointed look, so he adds, "It's fine. I'm fine."

You're skeptical, but you don't want to push it. "Alright..." With that, you go back to talking to Pickett.

And Newt zones out again.

////

He can't help it. He really can't.

He'll just look over at you and won't be able to look away no matter how hard he tries. You're a living masterpiece — he can't help that. Eventually, he'll just stop trying, only being brought back to Earth when you snap him out of it.

The more it happens, the more his suspicion is confirmed: He likes you — as more than a friend.

////

You're in Charms, taking your exam. The study session really helped, but there's one question that you just can't remember the answer to. As you think, you look up from the exam, then look over at Newt, who's sitting behind and two seats down from you.

He's already looking at you, and he's zoned out like he was yesterday. You make eye contact, causing him to snap out of it and blush, going back to his exam.

You turn back to your own, somehow managing to figure out the answer to the question that had stumped you while also wondering about Newt.

Of course, you ask him about it after class on your way to Potions. "What's going on, Scamander?"

"Wh-What do you mean?" he asks, looking down at his feet.

"I mean, you zoned out again during the exam," you reply. "So what's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I-I've just been..."

He pauses so long that you ask, "You've been what?"

"Just... distracted lately. It's fine," he replies. By that point, you're in the Potions classroom, so he hurriedly sits down and changes the subject.

////

"Can you go grab some Gillyweed?" you ask Newt. Surprisingly, he's not zoned out, but that's mostly because you're working on a difficult potion right now.

He resolves himself to not getting distracted as he goes to get the Gillyweed. He can't do this anymore. You're gonna end up figuring out that he likes you sooner or later, and that can't happen because it'll ruin your friendship. You're his only friend — besides his creatures at Leta, though Leta's more of a casual friend.

Bottom line: He can't lose you.

He sits back down, handing you the Gillyweed. You read the next step in the book while he looks at you, waiting for instruction. "After I put this in, I have to chop up some..."

Your words begin to fall on deaf ears as Newt becomes distracted again. He hears something about stirring, but he's too busy focusing on you to register it.

You're the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. No wonder he can't take his eyes off you.

He's brought back to reality by a loud boom, which disorients him for a few moments, especially paired with your shouting. "Newt! I told you to stir it! What are you doing?!"

"I-I don't-"

"Are you two okay?" Slughorn asks. Luckily, you are, though the potion isn't. You tell him that, then he says, "Well, get this cleaned up. You won't have time to try it again today, I'm afraid."

You clean up the mess silently, not even speaking to Newt.

You're mad at him — you must be. Fear and dread fill him all at once. He screwed up.

After Potions, it's lunch, but instead of going to the Great Hall, you pull him unceremoniously into an abandoned classroom.

////

"Ow," he mutters, rubbing his arm as you close the door behind you.

You cross your arms, leaning against a table a few feet away from him. "Alright, Scamander, spill — what's going on with you?"

"N-Nothing," he replies. His face is beet red, and he won't look at you. "I'm fine..."

"Obviously not." You take a step closer to him. "Something's wrong, so just tell me. Out with it." He doesn't say anything, nervously picking at his robes. Finally, you sigh. "I'm not mad at you, Newt. I want to help you. But I can't if I don't know what's going on."

"You can't help me with this, Y/N," he replies quietly. "In fact, you'll just make it worse."

That last sentence hurts you, but you soldier on anyway. "Then tell me how to not make it worse-"

"There's no way for you to not make it worse," Newt interrupts, his voice raising. "You can't help it, and neither can I."

"Newt, just tell me what it is-"

"I'll lose you if I do."

You stop for a moment. "Newt, you'll never lose me."

He shakes his head. "You don't know that."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Bad enough for you to stop being friends with me? Yes."

"Newt, I'll never stop being friends with you — no matter what it is. I promise."

He goes quiet at that, thinking. You stand there, waiting patiently, trying to figure out what it is. Finally, he sighs. "Y/N, I... I've been... staring at you because I... because I like you — as more than a friend..." With that, he beelines for the door, practically running past you. You reach out and grab him by the arm, stopping him before he can turn the door handle. He turns. His eyes are sad and desperate, and it takes you a second to notice that he's crying. "Y/N, don't. Please."

"Newt..." you trail off, not letting go of his arm. You can't think of the words to say, so you pull him to you, hugging him. He hesitantly hugs back.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly.

"You don't have to be sorry," you reply, though your mind is somewhere else.

Newt likes you.

You have to admit that you've thought about him like that before — how cute he is, and, once, even wondering what it'd be like to kiss him — but you've always dismissed the thought. You thought he'd never feel that way about you, that it would just ruin your friendship.

But you were wrong.

You pull back enough to look at him. "Newt..."

He doesn't reply, just waiting for you to say the words he always thought you'd say. Waiting for rejection, to lose your friendship.

So he's very surprised when you press your lips to his.

He doesn't know how to react for a few moments, but eventually he relaxes and pulls you closer, all of his nerves melting away.

You pull away for air a few moments later, deciding that that was much better than what you'd thought it be like.

"So... So does that mean you like me, too?" he asks unsurely.

You laugh. "Yes, it does."

////

"This may be the cutest creature I've ever seen," you say, petting the Crup you're studying in Care of Magical Creatures. "No offense to Pickett."

Newt only hums in response, causing you to look over at him.

He's staring at you again.

"Newton Artemis Fido Scamander," you say, causing him to jump. "Pay attention."

He laughs, his cheeks red. "Sorry. Just amazed as to how I got you to be my girlfriend."

"By being cute and adorable, like Oliver, here," you reply, "which is why it's unnecessary for you to continue to do so, seeing as you've already got me."

His brows furrow. "Oliver?"

"Yes, that's what I've named him," you say, referring to the Crup. "I think it suits him."

"Didn't he already have a name?"

You stop, though Oliver continues to lick your hand. "That's... unimportant."