Everyone clapped and Newt finally left the stage. Tina waited for him at the steps to the stage's exit, and the moment he stepped down, this time genuinely smiling proudly, he pulled his arms around her small frame and kissed her deeply. Tina let her fingers linger on the nape of his neck for a moment, but only that long, knowing well that Newt's family was certainly nearby and at least two-hundred eyes were watching. Even when they broke the kiss, Newt's arms stayed around Tina's small frame, and she let her hands slide down from his neck so they rested against his firm chest.
"How was it?" He asked only half curious. His hands stayed close on Tina's lower back, and if he moved his hand only a little higher up her back, he could touch her warm, soft, skin.

"I think you did wonderfully," she smiled at him brightly, feeling an overwhelming pride for this beloved man in front of her. From behind them, the music started to pick up to a smaller, more intimate song, and couples all around the room started rising from their seats and heading towards the center of the room for a dance.

"Tina," he spoke much more softly. "Would you like to dance with me?"

Tina was a little perplexed that he even asked, but she smiled, put her hand into his and let him guide her towards the other dancing couples.

"You'll have to forgive my discoordination," he spoke hesitantly, holding her hand in his and placing his other hand on her waist. "My mother taught me to dance when I was a young boy, but I haven't had much practice since." They swayed with the music but it wasn't quite to the correct rhythm.

"As long as I'm dancing with you, it makes no difference to me." Tina spoke softly.

So they danced. They spun around the room in a manner very different than the Jazzy, upbeat American style she had witnessed in New York. This dance was much more refined, elegant, and slow than anything she'd participated in before. As they danced everyone noticed the pair, watched the way Newton Scamander, the new author, held his lovely guest close and the illuminating smile the American woman shined towards him as he guided her around the room. Tina saw Theseus and his wife dancing, and off in the corner Mrs. Scamander was watching her youngest son and companion very, very closely, a proud and knowing smile on her face.

"I have a gift for you," he spoke low and softly into her ear. Somewhere in the slow waltzing around the room, the music became softer and they had fallen out of the rhythm of the room's melody and into their own tempo. Tina found herself now so close to him that she rested her forehead against his, Newt's hand on the small of her back, his thumb fanning softly back and fourth, soft against her warm, exposed skin. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to give it to you later when there are a lot less people watching my every move. Tina laughed, and when her giggle had subsided, she rested her head against his shoulder instead, slowing down their movements even further.

"My mother seems to really have taken a liking to you." He started again in a whisper.

Tina smiled sleepily. "She's a very welcoming woman."

"Not to everyone, I promise you."

That admission made Tina think.

"It took her a while to warm up to Amelia when Theseus first introduced her. My poor brother spent months trying to get my mother warmed up to her before he could ask her hand in marriage."

Tina almost forgot to breathe for an instant.

"That was probably not the appropriate comment to make right now." Newt admitted it and Tina could feel his body go stiff and awkward. Despite it all, Tina felt herself smile and she let go of his one hand to wrap her arms around Newt's neck, lean up on his toes, and pull him down into a soft, lingering, kiss that made everything about Newt Scamander relax and want to be absorbed into her touch. He let his hands pull her closer to him, her entire body now lightly pressed against his, and it was a welcoming and comforting feeling.

"Thank you," he said it so low, his forehead now resting against hers, eyes still partially closed, that Tina barely heard him.

"For what?"

He breathed slowly, his warm and spicy breath smelling of their shared dinner still. "For everything." He opened his eyes, his green-hazel ones now meeting and locking with Tina's brown ones. "For being here today, with me. For allowing me to love you and fall in love with you, and have someone to count the days down to visit."

She smiled, feeling her heart swell in her chest.

"I love you, and that is not something I've admitted very often in my life so far, but with you it seems to be the words always lingering in my mind."

Finally, she kissed him again, this time longer, deeper, and warmer than before, and when they finally separated their hearts were beating quicker and they were left a little breathless and Newt looked at Tina like she truly was the most beautiful creature he would ever see in his lifetime.

"Can we step out?" Tina was a little intrigued by his proposition, thinking of many, many things Newt Scamander could possibly be thinking of at that moment that asked for more privacy. "Just for a moment. I have something for you and I'd like to give it to you now before someone else spoils it."

Tina nodded, beaming so brightly she was certainly everyone could see the glow of happiness in her. Newt held her hand and guided her towards the back corner of the room where a cleared door lead them out of the crowded room and peering eyes. As they walked through the entrance, Tina caught Mrs. Scamander watching them, a smile on her face.

The air outside was cold and biting, but before Tina could complain, a warm coat materialized over her shoulders. Newt put his wand back into his coat, pulling her close to him, pressing her body against his body and kissing her much more deeply and hungrily than he dared do inside. He released a much pent up deep breath of relief through his nose at tasting her properly this time.

She felt the need to giggle into the kiss, feeling his desire and love for her in the way he held her tightly against him.

"I didn't dare kiss you like that in front of all those people." His lips lingered just over hers, eyes still closed as he spoke.

Tina laughed again, and Newt drowned out her glee with another consuming and blood-warming kiss. She let her togue dance with his much they way they'd danced in the room earlier. Tina felt one of his hands unravel from around her waist, pulling back into his coat.

"I wanted to give you this." He pulled out a moderately sized brown-paper wrapped book from his coat pocket and presented it to her. Tina couldn't help but smile.

"My copy?" She knew the answer before he could respond. Newt was smiling widely.

"I do believe I made a promise to present to you a copy in person." He watched her take the package in her hands and undo the red string around it. "I couldn't wait to have to visit the United States again to give it to you."

Tina opened the paper wrapping and a beautifully enchanted blue and gold scroll-work writing shown brightly on the cover. She almost felt like she should tear up in pride. "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them." She was beaming, and Newt took the opportunity to very lightly kiss her neck and let his hands rest against her waist.

"The title was your idea."

Tina let her fingers run over the light gold embellishing of the cover. "It's fantastic, Newt. I'm very proud of you." She turned to Newt and he looked suddenly very nervous.

"I'd like you to give me your first impression of it, if that's alright with you." He was watching her closely, but something in his eyes and on his one hand still against her waist showed a nervousness she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Alright then…" Tina delicately opened the book and started skimming through the pages. In front of her eyes hand-drawn sketches and diagrams of magical creatures and beasts of all around the world came to life before her. She recognized some of the drawings, magically enhanced now to be animated in the book, but originating in Newt's workshop and drawn by his hands. She skimmed some of the creature's information, reading of hippogriffs, thunderbirds, kneazles, and bowtruckles, of course. She closed it, beaming at him. "It's perfect."

Newt was so nervous now, he was practically shaking. "And the 'about the author?'" He had to swallow thickly, his throat bobbing with effort. "Perhaps you can read that aloud and let me know your thoughts?" Tina looked at him for a moment, genuinely growing worried with his uneasy demeanor.

"Are you okay?"

Newt nodded vigorously, completely letting go of her now and burying his hands in his pockets, most likely from the cold. "Of course, of course…" He was watching her intently. "I'm just curious with the biography I provided. I haven't shared it with anyone else yet." The way he watched her so severely was not promising nor believable, but his eyes pleaded for her to read it and follow along with his whim, so Tina opened the book again, flipping to the last page.

"If you could read it aloud, I'd much like to hear how it sounds."

So Tina did. She cleared her throat before reading the delicate writing on the page. "About the author. Newton Artemis Fido Scamander...I like the way they embellished the 'N' in your name," she spoke the last part softly in a calming and reassuring voice, and Newt nodded quickly but he still looked slightly pale and nervous. "…was born in 1897. His interest in fabulous beasts was encouraged by his mother, who was an enthusiastic breeder of fancy Hippogriffs." Tina smiled. "I didn't know that about your mother."

Newt made a very nervous smile. "Yes, she bred the best hippogriffs in the continent of Europe and Asia for a while." He breathed out shakily. "Keep going."

"Upon leaving Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Mr. Scamander joined the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. After two years at the Office for House-Elf Relocation, years he described as 'tedious in the extreme,' he was transferred to the Beast Division, where his prodigious knowledge of bizarre magical animals ensured his rapid promotion.

By the mid 1920's, Mr. Scamander was commissioned by the Ministry of Magic to write his first guide to magical and fantastic creatures that would later be titled 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.' Mr. Scamander would spend the next four years traveling the world researching and cataloging all learned information on creatures and beasts from six different continents around the world."

Tina paused to smile at Newt who had an entirely different expression on his face now. It was one that made her own breath catch and her blood race because she wasn't sure what the significance of it was.

"Keep reading." It was all he could manage.

Tina had to swallow herself before she could continue and she didn't even notice Newt fidget in his coat pockets. "Today Mr. Scamander can be found traveling the world in further research and search of magical creatures for future editions of his book with his wife, Porpentina Scamander…" She stopped, unable to finish the sentence and completely frozen in her spot. Tina's ears started to ring loudly, her eye's went fuzzy and her skin froze over and everything was frozen still.

And finally, when she managed to remember to breathe, and look up at Newt, he was looking down at her with a very tiny item in the center of his palm.

Tina starred at the beautiful gold ring in his hands, the colorful stone in the center seeming to glow and twinkle in the light. It was definitely more than just a rock found in the desert this time.

"Newt," she felt like she couldn't breathe. "Are you…?" She couldn't finish her thoughts because the look that Newt had in his eyes and the way he had behaved the entire night, and the reason she was in this dress, and what Newt's mother had whispered to him earlier all suddenly made sense. The puzzle of her entire evening was coming into focus and she now realized what everyone else in her life had known that she had not.

"Tina," his voice wasn't shaking any longer. "I love you with all of my being, and even if I met you under the worst of pretenses, I would do it again to spend another day with you." He picked up the ring with his thumb and forefinger and Tina was fairly certain it was going to be a perfect fit.

"I may just die of happiness if you give me the honor of calling you my wife."

This was a proposal, and an entirely different one than the last.

"Tina Goldstein, would you please do me the honor of marrying me?"

She starred at the ring, watching it glow and glisten in the low light, completely oblivious to the time passing by.

Newt didn't dare speak again, but with every instant that passed he felt the air get hotter and his breath get shaky and his skin grow paler. Please say yes.

"Marry you…" It was all Tina could muster and Newt could barely hear it at all. She moved finally, just a half step closer to him. "You…." She opened her mouth to speak. "I…" it dawned her that she was only going to be able to muster single syllable words then, so she finally let out the one word he wanted to hear most.

"Yes."

And at first Newt couldn't even imagine he had heard it, because he'd been thinking of hearing those words since he left New York in December and thought he was crazy for thinking of his despite Queenie's blessing to do so. But Tina had said them. In fact, she was going to say it again.

"Yes," she was beaming now and she felt her skin warm, and her spirits lift, and everything around her except for this amazing man in front of her just faded away into obscurity. "Yes!"

"Yes?" Newt had to question it again.

"Yes, Newt. Yes!" Tina started laughing and Newt finally bridged the gap between them to muffle her laughter in a heartfelt kiss.

When they finally separated, still breathless and dizzy, Newt finally took Tina's hand in his and she held her breath while he slid the ring in place. It fit perfectly.

"Porpentina Scamander." She beamed with gleam starring at her finger, now encrusted with the brilliant yellow stone. "You don't think that name sounds a little strange?"

No one could deny the expression on Newton Scamander's face, and he answered the question with a kiss before speaking. "I think it sounds lovely."