(Newt and Tina are the same age in this one. They are in their fourth year and Tina is an exchange student. Hogwarts AU)

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"Uh, hi? Is...is this seat taken?"

Newt Scamander looked up to see a witch maybe the same age as he was, looking flustered and shy. She was fiddling with a golden locket around her neck. This end of the Hufflepuff was usually quiet, and all the other spaces were occupied.

"Oh, you can- you can sit here if you'd like. I'm Newt."

She smiled at him and for a moment he was captivated by how breathtaking her smile was.

"Thank you. I'm Tina." She sat beside him.

"Hogwarts is considerable more interesting than I thought." She said to him.

He smiled. "It can be a bit confusing at times. So, uh, what house are you staying in?"

"I think I'm staying with the...Hufflepuffs? There are only a few of us." She pondered. "I think I have the same classes as them."

In Newt's head an entire full blown celebration erupted.

"That's cool. I can help you get around, because I'm in Hufflepuff. I mean, if you would like that-"

She laughed. "I'd like that. Very much."

The first class they had was defence against the dark arts, where they were learning about boggarts.

"Boggarts are really fun and absolutely terrifying at the same time. I think you'd like it." Newt leaned in to whisper in Tina's ear.

"We don't learn stuff like this at Ilvermorny." She said back.

"That's because Hogwarts is better!"

Tina looked at him in mock offence.

"No, it isn't!"

Dumbledore strode to their table, amused. "Now, what are you two talking about that's so interesting you haven't opened the book you're supposed to yet?"

A flustered Newt and Tina hurriedly opened their books, making the other children laugh. Tina was reading quickly, absorbing information while Newt was struggling to process the first few words. Within a while Tina finished reading the passage on boggarts, and she sat and watched as he tried to read. After a while he gave up.

"Do you want me to tell you about it, then?" She said, giggling.

Newt sighed. "Yes, please, I can't read."

Newt listened to Tina talk about boggarts, her voice filling his head.

"Alright then, now for the actual boggart." Professor Dumbledore announced. "First I think we can have... how about one of the exchange students?" Both Tina and the other guy, Thomas Wheaton, both looked at each other. Tina mouthed 'you go' at him and he rolled his eyes and stepped forward.

"Now, on the count of three...three, two, one and go!" And he let the boggart loose. At first it morphed into a werewolf, and Thomas stood on the spot, frozen in fear.

"Go! Riddikulus, remember!" Dumbledore tried to tell him. Slowly, he raised his wand and said, "Riddikulus!" The werewolf then suddenly had a kilt and was Irish dancing with a top hat, and all of the class laughed.

"Tina Goldstein? You want to have a turn?" He looked at Tina. She sucked in a huge breath and nodded.

The boggart was released.

A bed.

Two people.

A small girl clutching an even smaller girl. Crying. The stench of death lingering in the air.

Tina stood still. Watching the scene, brink of tears, trying so hard to be brave. She raised her shaking arm and firmly but shakily said, "Riddikulus!" The girls and the parents became llamas who started to throw a party. Tina lowered her wand. Dumbledore stood in a corner, surveying her. She walked back to her spot next to Newt, and he put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

The bell rang.

"We can do everyone else tomorrow. You're dismissed."

Tina gathered her things and got ready to go, but Dumbledore stopped her.

"Can I see you for a second, Tina? And Newt." He added to Newt, who was hovering at the entrance to the classroom waiting for her. They nodded.

"Tina, you're a brave girl. I'm going to say this. I know it's hard, with your sister, but I'm going to offer you something."

He took a deep breath. "I have an understanding that you and your younger sister stay at Ilvermorny during all holidays and school breaks, yes?"

She nodded.

"I'm going to offer you to stay over at Hogwarts during holidays, and if anything happens to Ilvermorny, I'm happy to let you stay here as well. I can fund you and your sister for boat tickets easily."

Tina smiled at him. "Thank you, Professor. That would be nice."

Transfiguration went by like a blur. It wasn't either Tina nor Newt's strong point, and having to turn a bunny into chocolate resulted in Tina's still squeaking and Newt's still fluffy, and then having extra homework. They had a free period to study and do homework in, so Newt pulled her by the hand to the common room. The room was nice and warm and inviting, with a couple of students milling around. Tina chose an armchair near the fireplace, and Newt sat on the floor beside it. He opened his journal.

"What's in there?" Tina asked. She was reading the potions book.

"Oh, it's a book I write about magical creatures." He replied. She was interested.

"What type?"

"Well, all of them. Come to think of it, follow me!" And he left the common room with Tina behind him.

"They can be a bit grumpy sometimes, but I dare say they'd like you. If not, they would try to gouge your eyes out but there's absolutely nothing for you to worry about-"

Tina laughed. "How many people believe you when you tell them not to worry?"

He met her eyes. "My philosophy is that worrying means you suffer twice,"

He held out his hand. She looked at him and took it. He led her to a small, white tree standing further from the others.

"Leo! Nila, Alex, Bobbin!" Newt called. Five small green twig creatures emerged from the leaves, curious.

"Bowtruckles," Tina breathed.

Newt chuckled. "Yeah. There's a new baby. I haven't named her yet."

He picked up two of them, a smaller one and a normal sized one.

"Do you, uh, want to hold one?" He offered the smaller one to her and she held her hand out, which the small bowtruckle clambered onto. She giggled as it ran onto her shoulder.

"You should name her." Newt told Tina.

"Okay, then...how about Lilo?" She said to the bowtruckle, who chirped happily. "I think she likes it."

They spent half an hour at the tree, where Tina played with Lilo and Newt watched her (she has eyes like a salamander, have you noticed?). They took a small walk around the lake, until Newt remembered they needed to get to care of magical creatures. The bell rang the second they reached the edge of the forbidden forest. Professor Crankle stood at the head of the class.

"Gather round, children. Today we will be learning about thestrals." She spread her arms to show three beautiful black horse-like things with wings. The middle was a baby.

"Now, now- don't be shy. Tell me the truth- who can see them?"

Tina glanced around. Everyone looked at confused as she felt. Slowly, she raised her hand. Everyone turned to stare at her, and she felt insecure.

"Come here, Goldstein." Tina walked closer to the thestrals. The youngest one ran over to her and rubbed against her leg.

"Hello there. You're very friendly," she laughed. Professor Crankle smiled and patted the other two.

"I can see them, too." She said. "People who have seen death are able to see the thestrals. There's barely anyone who can see them."

Tina hugged the little thestral. To everyone else it looked like she was clutching air. Newt came a bit closer, and Tina took his hand and guided it to the smaller thestral's head. He gasped.

"It's so weird, being able to touch and feel something but not being able to see it." He said. She nodded. The rest of the class moved in closer and both Professor Crankle and Tina helped them to feel the thestrals.

It turns out that after a few weeks of knowing someone, you can develop some feelings for them. Newt Scamander has learnt that the hard way. The train station wasn't as full as it usually is when the new school year ticks about, but there were all the Ilvermorny students and a few Hogwarts students saying goodbye. Newt's parents stood near the back. Newt walked with Tina to the train which was waiting to go back to America (ya so there's this special thing with the school trains that they can move really fast through portals or whatnot). He had his Hufflepuff scarf flung around his neck. Finally they arrived at the front of the train.

"Well it's been..." Newt started, trailing off.

"Hasn't it!" Tina smiled. "I guess... I'll see you at Christmas?"

Newt grinned. "Yes. Definitely. Will you write?"

"Every week."

They just stood awkwardly there for a while, until Tina stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. He blushed.

"Bye, Newt."

"Bye, Tina."

He held up his hand to the place Tina had kissed him, while she looked back at him one last time. He trudged back to his parents droopily.

"Now, now, Newton, she'll come back." His father assured him. His mother rested her hands on his shoulders.

"She will come back." She said.

And he waved and waved until the train disappeared into the tunnel, never wanting to lose sight of that radiant smile. 

There will most definitely be a sequel to this. When? ...I don't know.

Hope ya liked it!

-mêøw