"Safe." She whispered, afraid if the word was too loud it would destroy the feelings that Newt inspired in her.
She hadn't felt safe since her eighth birthday. Mama and Poppa had taken her and Queenie to the local fair, baked her a cake and had surprised her with a junior auror set and crotched blankets from Grammie.
It had been six months since the graveyard and Queenies betrayal. She was living in London full time now, in a flat near Newt, and had been transferred to the London Ministry of Magic so they could keep a better eye on her.
These feelings had been re building up after their break up last year. Just being in his vicinity daily put her at ease and swirled the billywigs in her stomach.
She had even almost kissed him a couple of times. He had just looked so happy explaining about some new patient, his sleeves rolled up and dung on his shirt and hair. And yet she had wanted to kiss him.
But fear kept her back. She almost wanted him to initiate it because even though Jacob said he traveled halfway round the world for her (admitted after their visit to Hogwarts and a lot of Theseus's fifty year old scotch), her insecurities stopped her. She had caught him looking at her more the more time she was around, (especially her legs and butt, she had worn a dress for a function and he had outright stopped talking for a few minutes and just stared longingly at her legs before saying she looked like a freshly brushed Hippogriff).
She let herself into his house and put her work bag on the table. He had moved things around so Jacob could move in with him temporarily, so there was a dining table where the bed used to be. She took her shoes off, took off her auror coat, and headed downstairs to help Bunty with feeding. Jacob would be home in a little bit to start dinner so she didn't have to worry about that (plus her cooking equaled burnt meals for everyone so Jacob gently kicked her out of the kitchen.)
Bunty nodded to her and continued bottle feeding the newborn Mooncalves. Pest was sleeping in the Niffler enclosure, and Dougal was helping Newt in the empty Zouwu enclosure.
She finished feeding her charges, and was mucking out the last enclosure when Dougal appeared before her and hugged her legs. She set the rake aside and hugged him back, before seeing Newt lope up to her.
"Penny's closure is cleaned. Any news?" He asked. He always asked that every night.
"No. Half the day of newspapers, the other half scoping minor criminals here." She began picking hay out of his hair, another ritual they had started.
He hummed and grabbed her hand to head upstairs, they could smell Jacobs mouthwatering roast and vegetables.
The feelings bubbled and bubbled but she lost her nerve, staring at his nose instead.
She saw him smile and then he kissed her.
