⠀      ❀᭢᜴꤬ ⠀ 𝓒𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝓣𝑾𝑶   ི᭨ᩧྀ ⠀ ⠀ ⏖

❝ If he's as insufferable as his brother, then I'm questioning your judgment. ❞

London, England
- United Kingdom
( September, 1927)

               𝓢abine's room was in a state of chaos. Clothes strewn about the room, piles of outfits stacked high as Sabine stood in front of her mirror, turning this way and that, trying on one dress after another. A soft voice floated through the door.

"Sabine, je suis rentrée du travail," (I'm home from work) Soleil called from the doorway, entering the apartment with the scent of the outside world clinging to her. There was no response. Soleil's eyes narrowed as she walked toward her sister's room, where she found Sabine buried in a sea of clothing, clearly in a frenzy.

She raised an eyebrow. "Merde," (shit) she muttered in French under her breath, before switching to English with a knowing smirk. "What are you stressing over?"

Sabine whipped around, barely looking up from the closet she was rifling through. "I have dinner with a friend," she said, voice tinged with a slight nervousness.

"A friend?" Soleil smirked, her eyes lighting up in amusement.

Sabine turned to her sister, wearing a dress that was far too tight and far too colorful. "How's this?" she asked, twirling for effect.

Before Soleil could even comment, Sabine groaned. "You're right, it's hideous! Ugh, what do you have?" She rushed past her sister and flung open Soleil's closet, scanning for a better option.

Soleil crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, watching the scene unfold with a knowing look. "Who's this friend?"

Sabine paused, glancing over her shoulder, her smirk widening. "You won't approve."

"Well, now you have to tell me," Soleil shot back, a teasing edge to her voice.

Sabine hummed, savoring the moment. "Newt," she said, drawing out his name in a sing-song manner.

The room fell into an awkward silence. Soleil blinked, processing the information. "Scamander?" she deadpanned, her tone thick with disbelief.

"Mhm," Sabine confirmed, unfazed by her sister's reaction.

"The fugitive?" Soleil's eyebrows shot up, clearly surprised.

"Hey! He's not a fugitive anymore!" Sabine defended quickly, holding up a green dress to her sister for judgment.

"If he's as insufferable as his brother, then I'm questioning your judgment," Soleil said, but there was a glint of amusement in her eyes.

Sabine grinned. "He's quite enjoyable actually." She turned back to the mirror and applied a bold swipe of red lipstick. "And for someone you hate so much, you sure do talk about him an awful lot."

Soleil's face went from disbelief to frustration. "I beg your pardon." She paused, "wait a damn minute—" She trailed off, her words faltering as she processed Sabine's words from earlier. "Enjoyable? What's that supposed to mean?" Soleil asked in her overprotective, sisterly tone, narrowing her eyes.

Sabine smirked. "I'm just saying he's easy to look at. And he's a whiskey man."

"My God, he sounds just like his damn brother," Soleil muttered, shaking her head with a smirk.

Sabine's eyes twinkled mischievously. "So you think Theseus is easy to look at?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

Soleil froze, her face going completely still for a moment. "I said nothing of the sorts!" she sputtered, clearly caught off guard. "He's insufferable. And besides, this conversation is about you, not me!"

Sabine laughed, relishing the playful banter. "Sure, sure. But you're the one who keeps bringing him up," she said, giving her sister a wink.

Soleil grumbled but couldn't hide the smile that tugged at her lips. "I still think you're mad for seeing him."

"Oh, I'm sure I am." Sabine chuckled, holding up another dress. "Now, which one do you think I should wear?"

Soliel, having leaned against the doorframe, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Well, let's see," she said with a sly grin, stepping over to the bed to start sifting through the dresses. "If you want to really impress your old friend... I'd say something with a bit more... flair. Maybe something that shows off that nice collarbone of yours."

Sabine flushed, her face turning a shade of pink that was difficult to ignore. She quickly turned to face her sister, her heart beating a little faster than usual. "Nothing of the sorts!" she stammered, flustered. "We're just two old friends catching up over dinner."

Soliel raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Oh, sure, catching up," she drawled, giving Sabine an exaggerated look. "Just two old friends talking about old times, hmm?"

Sabine swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure. "Sol, please—it's not like that. We've known each other for years, and—"

"Right, right," Soliel interrupted with a teasing glint in her eye. "Just catching up... But listen, I've seen the way you're getting all dressed up. You're not fooling anyone." She tossed a casual hand in the air.

Sabine groaned, now seriously regretting her choice to involve her sister in this. She quickly grabbed another dress from the pile, an emerald green one that seemed bold but still elegant. "You're impossible. I'm just trying to look presentable, alright?"

"Presentable?" Soliel repeated in mock disbelief. "Ange, that's definitely more than just presentable." She glanced at Sabine with a teasing smirk. "You're definitely trying to get his attention."

Sabine flushed again, fiddling with the zipper on the dress. "I—I'm not trying to get anything!" She looked up at Soliel, her voice quieter now. "We're just friends. Really."

"Uh-huh," Soliel said skeptically, narrowing her eyes as she picked up a red lipstick. "Sure. But if it's just dinner, why are you so nervous about choosing the perfect outfit?" She turned to Sabine with a mischievous grin.

Sabine stared at her sister in horror, her cheeks turning a deeper red. "Soliel, you're going to get me all worked up. Now I'm nervous."

"You're already worked up!" Soliel laughed, walking over to the vanity. "But fine, I'll stop teasing... for now." She paused, considering her sister's wardrobe. "But if you want my honest opinion," she said after a moment, "I think you should wear the green dress. It's daring, but it's you. Well actually it's me considering it's mine, but I'm feeling awfully generous tonight."

Sabine hesitated, staring at the green dress in her hands, still unsure if it was the right choice. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, then back at her sister. With a resigned sigh, she finally nodded. "Green it is, then." Her voice was soft, a mixture of determination and disbelief. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to smooth away the anxiety building in her chest. "I still can't believe I'm doing this."

Soliel didn't miss the uncertainty in her sister's voice. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, standing in the doorway with an air of playful concern. "And I can't believe I'm letting you. Seriously, Sabine, if you aren't home by midnight, I'm busting into his home. Mark my words," she said, her tone half-joking, half-serious.

Sabine turned towards her, her cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and amusement. "Won't be any need, I promise you that. Newt is a perfect gentleman." She tried to sound confident, though there was a slight tremor in her voice that betrayed her nerves.

"Ha!" Soliel burst out laughing, shaking her head in disbelief. "A gentleman? A Scamander?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Come on, Sabine. I mean, the Scamander brothers... please, the way Theseus carries on, I can only imagine what kind of chaos his little brother's capable of. That and may I remind you he was-"

"A criminal yes. You've mentioned it." Sabine rolled her eyes, the heat in her cheeks still present. "You're impossible, Sol. I'm not worried about Newt being any danger to me." She sighed, dropping the dress onto her bed and turning to face her sister, her expression serious now. "I know Newt, okay? He's kind, considerate, and I promise you, he's not the sort to cause trouble."

"He was a /wanted/ criminal. . On the run." Soliel deadpanned, giving her a skeptical look, eyeing her sister up and down. After a long pause, she finally shrugged. "I'm just saying, if anything happens, you know I'm coming for you."

Sabine shot her a mischievous grin, rolling her eyes. "I'll be fine, Sol. I've been on my own for years, and I can handle a dinner with an old friend without needing a rescue mission. Plus, you know I turn into a giant wolf right?"

"Yeah yeah. But remember, if he pulls anything stupid, I'm not above a good old-fashioned hexing. And I'll start with that brother of his." Sol smirked at the thought.

Sabine raised an eyebrow at her. "I'll keep that in mind. Now, if you're done interrogating me, I'm going to finish getting ready."

As Soliel left the room, Sabine exhaled slowly, shaking her head with a smile. Her sister meant well, but sometimes it felt overbearing. Still, she couldn't deny the flutter of excitement in her chest as she adjusted the dress one last time.