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loyal-house-of-lupin · 1 month ago

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Escape in Paris

Flufftober; Lost pet meet cute

Pairing: Remus Lupin x Newt Scamander | WC: 4.167 | Tags: time travel, first meetings, fantastic beast canon divergence, flufftober day 1

Summary: Remus is on a mission in Paris. To find an Obscurial that a surprisingly large amount of people were interested in. Including Gellert Grindelwald of all people. As if fighting Voldemort wasn’t enough, he now had to deal with Grindelwald as well.

When in Paris, he stumbles across a Kappa. A Japanese water demon that should not be roaming its streets. Just when he is about to ensure the Kappas safety, he all but walks into a handsome stranger. One who seems to know what he’s doing when it comes to creatures. The unexpected meeting has piqued his interest.

A/N: I know this is a very weird pairing. But this one-shot is part of a bigger fic that I have yet to write. I'm commited to finishing my other ongoing fics first. However I love this idea so much I had to write something. Which basically means; Remus joining the cast of Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. And me rewriting most of those movies (besides the first) because I was annoyed at all the lost opportunities.

(You can also read it on AO3 if you prefer!)

Remus straightened his coat as he arrived in a changing room of a small clothing store. He'd been warned about it, yet it was a bit strange. When he'd been travelling around in his twenties, it wasn't trough official port key. Apparently, there were official ways for visiting other countries. And this shop was one of them. He left the changing room and couldn't help but glance around. It was still a bit strange to walk around in 1927, let alone in a different country.

Though there was one thing he'd noticed. While the muggle world had changed drastically between the nineteen twenties and ninety-nineties, the wizarding world hadn't. Sure, there were a few things different. His band shirts were definitely a no go, even those from magical bands. But it had been easier to fit in then he thought. It was still suits, dress shirts and robes. With a little smile he nodded at the tailor before walking towards the back door of the shop. There stood a statue. It looked like a dancing girl with flowers in her hair. But he knew that to look for. The wand in the holster. The animal that looked like a dodo but was a diricawl. The plants that looked like simple bushes but were Mallowsweet. He touched the hand of the statue and he heard, more than saw, the wall change. Carefully he moved towards it and entered the Wizarding part of Paris.

It surprised him, strolling through the streets, how much wizarding Paris looked like muggle Paris. Though looking back at history, maybe it wasn’t. Paris was an old city. And he wouldn’t be surprised if Wizards already lived here before the statute of secrecy. Which meant that Wizarding Paris and Central Paris was very much alike. Especially, he realised, since World War two hadn’t happened yet. Which was one of the strangest realisations he’d had since travelling to the past.

He passed by clothes and potions shops. A little café of sorts. One that was selling ingredients and stalling them in a way that made him quickly turn the other way. The chatter of wizards and witches around him soothed him. If he wasn’t on a mission it would’ve felt like a great vacation. Unfortunately, he wasn’t on vacation and he did have someone or well, something, to track down.

He wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly. As usual, Albus his description had been very vague. He should've been used to it by now given how long he was part of the Order. Though this time it was also his own curiosity that got the better of him. Besides, for now, he was without clear plan or direction. So, when Albus had come to him with talks about an obscurial, he'd been curious. Even more so when he realised Grindelwald was involved as well. looking for the same obscurial. It was also clear that he wasn't the only one Albus send this way. The man is brilliant in nudging and dropping hints in such a way, people sprung into action. But in this case their goals aligned.

He wanted to know more about Grindelwald. For some reason Albus wanted him here as well. And the other person Albus send this way. It was curious, being in the middle of history. He knew about the huge battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Knew Dumbledore won and Grindelwald was locked up for the rest of his life in Nurmengard, if he remembered correctly. But if he were to be honest, he didn't know much else. Most of his life the treat and fear had been about Voldemort. Not much of Grindelwald was talked about. Maybe it would've been better had they learned from past mistakes. Which wasn't something the wizarding world in general was good at. Well, he would figure it out as he went.

It was clear something had happened rather recently. As Remus walked across a little square, damages were visible. Though the wizards and witches seemed hardly bothered by it. Some were waving their wands around fixing debris. Others were hexing the brooms to swipe the streets. He could just make out some burn marks on the street. The next thing he did notice during his stroll worried him. There was a very obvious trace of water. Which shouldn't be there, given the temperature and sun that was out. He'd seen it before. When he'd looked after one of the creatures during his teachings in 1993. The creature had been part of the obstacle course and had once attempted to escape its habitat. He was pretty certain most people didn't recognise it or knew what to do if they encountered one. Besides from his students, who’s parents weren’t even born yet. Which was another, very strange realisation.

He quickly dashed into a little shop that sold beasts to get a cucumber before trailing the puddles of water. He turned a corner and noticed a few things. First, there was a little fountain. It was only filled with water, for now. Close by was the creature he'd expected to find. A Kappa. However, those things weren’t what surprised him. Those things he'd expected to be there. He was, however, a bit surprised by the fact there was another person there. They were standing with their back towards Remus. Most that he could see was a long blue-greyish coat, brown curly hair and a rather big, brown suitcase that was carried. Most of all, the stranger was dangerously close to the Kappa. Which could mean trouble.

"Careful there," he said, loud enough to be heard but hopefully not loud enough to scare the stranger. The stranger straightened and turned to him. Remus couldn't help but to notice the beauty of the man. It had been a while since such a thought had crossed his mind. But he couldn't help it. He also noticed that the other wasn't looking at him. He groaned and rubbed his face for a second. He was in France. The French generally refused to speak English, whether they were capable of it or not. He learned a bit of the language. But only the very, very basics. Not enough to explain that a Kappa was dangerous.

"Bloody hell, I don't even know what the word danger is in French," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He should've thought about this before going to France. How was he going to communicate? Ask questions? Get himself understood?

"It's... It's fine. I don't speak French either," came the, very British sounding, reply.

"Oh," he commented a bit stupidly. He hadn't expected that. "Well, that makes it easier. Careful with that. It's a- "

"Kappa, I know." Once again Remus was surprised by the response. He hadn't expected anyone to know. Which also changed his perspective off the situation. What was the man doing exactly? Especially with a case like that? He looked around with a bit more suspicion. Sure, Kappa's weren't friendly creatures. But he wasn't going to let someone traffic it.

"Alright. And what are your plans with it? Is it yours?" he questioned. He still had no clue what had happened out there. Or why there was even a Kappa in the middle of Paris. It was not the place for such creature to be.

"No, it isn't mine. I saw its signs and was worried why it was out here and not in the water," the stranger replied. His way of speaking was a bit odd. More as if he was explaining things to himself, words coming quickly, his sentences losing strength at the end. Yet he seemed certain of what he was saying. Even though he looked a bit nervous. He hadn't looked at Remus once and was fidgeting with his coat pocket.

"And what were you planning to do with it once you found it?" he wondered, glancing from the Kappa to the man.

"Well for now take it with me. Better than leaving it here in the middle of Paris," the reply was matter of factly but it irked Remus quite a bit. Was he dealing with a poacher here? He shifted his stance and moved his hand closer to his wand.

"In that suitcase?" he wondered, nodding towards the suitcase in the male's hand. That seemed worryingly small. The man nodded. "I don't think I'll let you."

"Excuse me?" the man still didn't look at him but sounded surprised and confused.

"Listen. I know Kappa's aren't exactly friendly. They can seriously hurt humans. But if you know how to deal with them, it should be fine. And I can take it somewhere it can live in peace," he explained. Hoping it wasn't going to end in a fight. But was prepared for it anyway. "I'm not going to let you lock it up in such a tight space." He purposely avoided making any assumptions. Maybe the other did mean well, then Remus didn't want to accuse him. But if it was a trafficker, it was of even greater importance the other didn't get a hold on the Kappa.

It remained silent for a surprisingly long time. Or maybe it just felt that way to him. His hand drifted towards his wand as his eyes roamed over his opponent. He hadn't moved much. Just shifted his stance a bit to hold his suitcase with both hands. Eyes were on Remus his face but never really looking at him. There was also a little frown there.

"You're protecting the Kappa," came the question. Remus opened his mouth but closed it again. That wasn’t the response he'd expected. He expected a defence or even a shot back at him. Not this.

"I-yes, of course. It might be a creature but that's not a reason to treat it horribly," he scoffed. Even when he was teaching, he tried to keep the creatures in a good environment. And maybe a part of it was also wishful thinking. If other beasts and creatures could be treated better. Then, maybe, one day, werewolves could too.

"I just. Hadn't expected that," the man replied, hand carefully touching his breast pocket. "Not the normal reaction. But I promise it isn't a small space in my suitcase. There is a lot of room in there. I look after several beasts. They all have their own place and environment they thrive in. I’m making sure they are well enough to be released. And if they can't, I'll keep them safe." Remus wished he could believe that. But besides Hagrid and Charlie Weasley, who would look after them like this? Or was he just being too suspicious? Especially since there was, seemingly, nothing threatening about the man in front of him.

"I-I can show you. I mean I have this little pond inside the case. I do have better access to a beautiful lake at home. But it would be better to get the Kappa back to Japan as soon as possible. Take it back to its kind. I don't know when I have the opportunity though. But I can make it comfortable until then," the man continued to talk. He shifted his suitcase around and eventually placed it on the ground. As if he was ready to show Remus. Curiously, and a bit weary he looked at the suitcase. Then something else that drew his attention from the corner of his eye.

"Watch it!' he let out. Quickly reaching out and grabbing a handful of blue-greyish coat. Heart beating in his throat as he yanked the man closer. Just in time that the Kappa missed him.

"You alright?"

"What-yes?" Came the confused reply. Remus carefully moved the stranger a bit to the side before letting go. Eyes on the Kappa that was now partly bowing and moving with great difficulty.

"Sorry. It just reached for you, remarkably quickly considering how much water he already lost," he tried to explain his actions.

"As long as there is water in his cap, he'll be fine and able to move. A bit slower than usual though. The moment it dries out is when it's stuck. It is the reason why it usually lives in large bodies of water and doesn't come out of it often. It was cruel the way it was kept. From what I understood from onlookers it was kept in a little bath. That's no place for it. No wonder it is looking for a bigger body of water," the man replied and Remus turned to look at him slightly fascinated. Compared to a lot of the previous professors, he thought he knew quite a bit about creatures and such. They weren't they highest priorities of people. To hear someone this knowledgeable was... refreshing.

"So, you... Have a body of water for it. In there?" He wondered, nodding towards the briefcase that was still secured despite the scuffle. Maybe he shouldn’t trust a stranger this quickly. Though on the other hand, the suitcase sounded like a better option than dragging a Kappa around himself.

"Oh yeah, let me just." The man mumbled a bit as he moved a step away and placed the case on the ground. Curiously Remus watched as it opened and... it looked like there was just a big hole in it. It was a bit dark, difficult to see what was happening. He glanced at the Kappa, it was still at the same spot, before looking back. He couldn't help but be a bit nosy. The lid of the suitcase was fully pinned with pictures and news articles. He wasn't able to see them clearly or ready what was on it. But the main picture was clearly of the man with three other people. One slightly stout but broad smiling man, a beautiful woman who knew how to present herself, a confident looking woman more dressed to not stand out, and the handsome man who was currently taking the stairs down into the suitcase? Remus blinked a few times as he stared at the hole the other had just disappeared into. At least he hadn't lied when talking about it being not small on the inside. He just hoped that they were looked after well and not locked up in there.

His gaze turned to the Kappa again and he noticed that it had finally managed to right its head. It was clear that, for now, it wouldn't pose much of a thread. Though he still preferred it if it was off the street. He was about to reach in his pocket when he heard a sound akin to meowing. Quickly he glanced around, worried that there was another creature running around. Instead, he was able to just get a glimpse of something jumping out of the case. At least it confirmed that there were other creatures in there and they were, obviously, not locked up. Though he hoped it wasn't a natural occurrence for them to escape because that could be troublesome.

"Well, hello there," he said softly, crouching down to look at the animal. It was easy to recognise what it was, a kneazle. It looked like a cat but had the tail of a lion. They were brilliant beast and said to be able to recognise if someone was trustworthy. He'd always teased Sirius about it after Crookshanks helped him in 1993. Stating that it was obvious that Crookshanks was only half a kneazle if it considered Sirius trustworthy. Though he had to admit, the animal had been right to trust Sirius and distrust Ron's rat. Something practically the whole wizarding world, including him unfortunately, had been wrong about.

His soft smile turned a bit into a grimace. Sirius. He'd been dead for almost a year now but it still hurt to think about him. After everything they'd gone through, to lose him so quickly after they reunited. It left a huge hole in his heart.

A wet, rough feeling against his hand turned his attention back to the present. The kneazle was licking his hand, clearly not happy it wasn't having his undivided attention.

"Oh, my apologies. I should've known not to be distracted," he chuckled and patiently waited for the kneazle to continue licking him. Once it was done, he carefully reached out and started to pet it. Apparently, it was the right decision as it calmly sat there to enjoy the pets. Once in a while he glanced up, keeping an eye on the Kappa. But it seemed as if moving was too hard to do. It was staring at the fountain almost longingly.

"I do have a pond that it can stay in. It's not perfectly fitted for a Kappa but once I got a moment, I can give it some attention and improve it. But I do believe it's better than leaving it-Milly!" The man had started to talk. First it sounded far away but eventually his head stuck out of the case again. There he'd spotted Milly, what he assumed was the kneazle laying there as if they were royalty. He chuckled softly as he continued his petting duty. The man looked at the kneazle with an exasperated expression and he had to bite his lip not to laugh. Last thing he wanted was make it seem as if he was laughing at the man.

"Really now? First Teddy keeps getting out, now I have to worry about you too?" The man commented and held what looked like a staring contest with the kneazle. He had no idea who or what teddy was. But the image of the other running after all different type of creatures was an adorable one.

"Need some help with the Kappa? I got a cucumber? I can use a part to lure it towards the suitcase and you can lure it further in to it?" He asked, turning the attention back to the problem at hand. He noticed the surprised look he received but it quickly morphed into a smile and a nod.

"I think that's a good plan. Though we might need to add some water to his head, otherwise it won't be able to move. I think." Remus completely agreed with that sentiment. With a soft apology he stopped petting Milly and got the cucumber out of his jacket. He grabbed his wand and wrote his name on half of the cucumber.

"Why are you doing that?" Remus looked back at the question and found the other staring at his name. He shrugged a little.

"Well, the Kappa is originally from Japan. It is believed that if you write the name of a family member on a cucumber before sending it afloat, it will protect them from harm while swimming," he explained. He knew he was looking a bit embarrassed, cheeks heating up as he looked back at the cucumber. "Though right now I think we're the ones in need of protect so, I theorized, why not put my own name on it? Maybe it does nothing but, hey, what's the harm in it?"

He broke the cucumber in half and handed the part without a name to the stranger. He seemed to hesitate for a second before taking it. To his surprise, the other reached for his wand as well, following Remus his example. If nothing else came from it or if it did nothing at all, at least Remus learned the man's name. Newt. For some reason it suited him.

"Alright. Let me add some water to it then lure him towards you. Be ready," he said with a little nod and a last pet of Milly.

Carefully he moved towards the Kappa, half of the cucumber in his outstretched hand. It was clear that he got its full attention. The movements were slow but its head turned towards Remus. He raised his wand and softly whispered 'aguament'. He made sure he used small movements and as little force as possible. Not wanting the hit the creature with a water jet, but just a tiny sprinkle of water. Enough to make it move again.

He breathed out slowly as he watched it succeed. It was interesting to see the Kappa slowly becoming livelier. Getting up with clear movement towards the cucumber. Remus shuffled back until his shoe hit the suitcase. There he held the cucumber and waited patiently. Waited until the Kappa followed. Slowly moving it until it was above the suitcase. Once it got close enough, he let the creature have it. Carefully moving away to the other side of the suitcase as the Kappa devoured the snack. Once it was gone it looked up again. For a moment Remus was worried it would come after him. But then it seemed something distracted it. It was difficult to interpreted the movements of the creature. The movement of its head, the stalking slow steps it was taking. He wasn't certain what it meant. He held his breath, waited and watched. The Kappa moved forward and... Slowly entered the suitcase.

He released his breath and sat down on the ground, posture sagging in relieve. It worked! They managed to get the Kappa safe and away from the streets of Paris. It felt like a little win, even if it was pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. A soft yelp left his lips as Milly decided she'd been patient enough. She'd jumped on his lap and if she had a face, she would've impatiently glared at him. He reached out and carefully started to pet her again.

He had no idea how long he sat there. But if he were to be honest, he didn't mind it one bit. After the hectic time he had the last while it was nice to take a moment to breath. Even if it was, literally, on the streets in Paris, of all places. He heard sounds coming from the suitcase. He couldn't place most of them, but it didn't sound as if Newt needed his help. It felt... intrusive to just enter the suitcase without permission. So, for now he stayed where he was.

Not long after, Milly jumped from his lap and stretched herself. Her huge, fluffy tail wacked softly against his leg a few times, making him chuckle. She took a few steps around the suitcase before entering it. He was intrigued by the kneazle. He knew they were considered smart. Had she heard Newt call out for her and agreed to come back? Had she decided to come back in on her own terms?

It wasn't long after that Newt reappeared.

"It will do! It seemed as if it was content being in the pond for now. Luckily, I got enough food to keep it calm and Dougal will keep an eye out for it," Newt explained as he was climbing out of his suitcase. Remus had no clue who, or maybe even what, a Dougal was but decided against asking for now. With a little groan he got up from the ground. Shivering a little as finally the cold that had seeped in through his clothes caught up with him. He watched Newt crouch down and close his suitcase again.

"Uhm, yeah. Well. So," Newt commented and it sounded like he wasn't the only one who didn't know how to proceed from here. He hesitated. But eventually decided to just quench his curiosity.

"I'm sorry I have to ask. Wh-"

"Newt! Your animal - creature - thing!" Suddenly a voice shouted from the entrance of the street they were standing in. He turned around and saw a man standing there. Hands on his knees, breathing heavily, pointing towards their left. The man looked remarkable like the man from the picture from Newt's suitcase. "Freddy? I think? It went that way!"

Before Remus had really a moment to register what was happening, he was almost pushed to the side. Frowning he turned around just in time to see Newt sprint at a surprising high speed by him. He couldn't help but to shake his head and chuckle. Newt apparently knew his creatures well and Freddy? Or was it Teddy? Had, in fact, escaped. Within moments Newt was around the corner and out of sight. Attention fully on the escaped creature.

"Hi! So sorry about that. That animal is a cutie but is really good at nicking all the gold and silver around! I've seen him do it!" The other man told him, between heavy puffs of breath. “Sorry, got to go or I'll lose them! Nice to meet you!"

Before Remus had a chance to reply the man had picked up speed again. He rushed forward and halted at the entrance of the street. To his left he saw the man disappear into another street. For a second, he hesitated. Should he follow? He didn't know either of them. Had nothing to do with their reasons of being in Paris. He sighed and decided against it. Maybe it was time he continued his own search as well.

@flufftober :)

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