June 1927, New York
The dock was bustling with people arriving and departing. The sound of ship whistles filled the air as Jacob pushed his way through the crowd. He anxiously surveyed the milling populous for any overt signs of danger. No one was paying him attention beyond grumbles as they made way for him. Indeed, the family to his left were busy with their crying children and spared Jacob merely an irritated glance. However, Jacob wasn’t convinced. Ever since he had regained his memories of the magical world that lived alongside the ‘ordinary’ world he had inhabited for most of his life, Jacob had learnt that rarely was anything as it seemed. Particularly when one was attempting to escape the rigid rules of MACUSA while they were on the alert for the most dangerous dark wizard for centuries: Grindelwald. As this wizard had eluded the cells of MACUSA, plus said Government’s version of police had not noticed their Director of Magical Security had been impersonated, Jacob wasn’t exactly swayed by MACUSA’s ability. However, Jacob knew from his time in the trenches that a government that was angry and embarrassed wouldn’t stop to review its actions beyond the bare minimum; most would continue throwing men and women at the problem until it stopped. So, Jacob looked out for MACUSA and Grindelwald fanatics by what was not there: a space or an area where his eyes seemed to slide off and not ‘see’, such as to his right, for example.
Inhaling sharply, Jacob kept a casual eye on that locale and pressed on, more urgent to reach his ship.
Please God, please let my Queenie reach her transport safely.
Queenie was also running, separately and by wizarding means to throw everyone off the scent. No one would stop her, for she was determined to live her life with the No-Maj she had fallen in love with, and Jacob was grateful every day for her willingness to abandon the country she knew, for Britain.
Of course, Queenie said he was doing the same with the dream of his life, what with his bakery and leaving America. Jacob didn’t feel it was the same. He would start a bakery in London; Newt had already persuaded his brother to help with procuring a wonderful spot in an area both Muggles and magical folk frequented.
Jacob smiled even as he observed that area which kept his eyes sliding away as if it didn’t exist. He was Polish American and the Poles were used to travelling and fighting all sorts; heck, they had only gained their country back after the War, so displacement was not something new. His grandma had thankfully lived to see the day Poland regained independence, which gladdened his heart. Queenie and Tina were descended from Jewish ancestors who were used to travelling, so for both Queenie and him, this was just another journey. They would reach their promised land. Jacob believed this, for he had received renewed love in the form of new friends and a woman he cared for deeply, after a War where so much death had occurred. If that was possible, anything was possible. He caught a glimpse of a woman’s long grey coat and purple hat, and his fingers were about to touch the turquoise ball in his pocket that would summon Tina, when the woman spoke.
“Your Occamy’s plumage is so vibrant—”
“—that it dazzles the eyes,” finished Jacob. “Tina,” he whispered, “the spot to my right, by that container, causes my eyes to slide right past.”
The woman nodded and clutched his elbow. “I know. I managed to catch a glimpse with badly watering eyes. Grindelwald’s lookout.”
“For us?”
“I hope not.”
“Be careful.”
The eyes under the hat went hard. “You be careful, Mr Kowalski; my sister could perish.”
Jacob swallowed and nodded. There was nothing to say because they had reached the ship, with Tina now murmuring an untraceable spell. They exchanged one long look full of silent promises and wishes.
Keep my sister safe.
I will; you stay safe, too.
I will; have a peaceful voyage.
Then Tina was gone, and Jacob went to his cabin (again secured discreetly by Theseus Scamander), which contained two small beds, a cupboard, desk, and wash basin. It was empty, apart from an innocuous suitcase on one of the beds.
It can’t be.
A sudden sharp pop and a wizard appeared, all long blue coat and freckled face. A beaming smile met his startled gaze.
“The Nundu has a cold—”
“—better duck!”
“Jacob!” The wizard seized him and embraced with a fierce hug before letting go.
“Newt!” gasped Jacob with a wild grin. “I didn’t expect you to be here.” Then his eyes fell on the key Newt had placed on the desk. “That’s not one of those illegal portkeys, is it?”
Innocence bled from Newt, which alarmed Jacob considerably, as an innocent Newt usually equalled dangerous beasts somewhere, at some point.
“Don’t fret about that, Jacob; I couldn’t let you travel alone, could I?”
Jacob sighed and placed his suitcase (full of minimised items) on the free bed.
“Grindelwald?”
Worry twisted Newt’s face. “Yes, have you bumped into one of his followers?”
“Tina and I noticed one on the docks, but Tina was calling reinforcements.”
Newt relaxed, confident in Tina’s abilities. “So,” he clapped his hands, “shall we explore?”
“As long as we’re not trying to recapture any of your beasts…”
“You love it,” protested Newt.
“Yeah, but some quiet would be nice.”
Two days later, Jacob staggered into their cabin, wet and shaken after his voyage to the dark depths of the ocean, carrying under his coat a denizen of the depths.
Quiet? The good Lord clearly had no intention of granting him quiet. Shaking his head, Jacob accepted his fate as a dripping Newt led the way into the suitcase and conjured a massive saltwater pool in a new enclosure.
~ * ~
July 1927, London
Jacob kissed Queenie. Her bright, delighted eyes brimmed with tears of happiness. Behind them, Jacob could hear Newt encouraging his beasts to give a cheer, which led to a cacophony of roars, shrieks, piercing cries, hisses, and a tentacle from a temporary pool reaching out to touch Jacob’s elbow in congratulations.
“My wife,” he breathed, and he felt tears on his cheeks.
Queenie laughed, her mind spilling over with his happiness as his thoughts brushed her mind as well her own joy. “My husband,” she sighed, then she kissed him. Pulling back, still embraced, she raised their joined hands, rings glinting in the sunlight.
Tina cheered harder, with Theseus joining in with a flick of his wand; a glittery shower fell about them. Dumbledore added a jolly piece of music that had Jacob singing.
The priest (who had a brother who was a wizard), bowed to them and went to join the small congregation, his face curious as he took in Newt’s creatures. Within seconds, the poor man was listening to an avid Newt and was lost for the afternoon and evening.
Jacob just chuckled and shook hands with his sister-in- law and Theseus. He couldn’t be happier.
~ * ~
23rd December 1927, London
The smell of yeast filled Jacob’s senses as he uncovered the bowl where he had allowed the yeast to rise in the milk. Sighing happily, he carefully added it to another bowl full of an egg mixture, and beat the ingredients thoroughly. Flour followed in a small plume.
“Oh sweetie!” called a voice delightfully.
Glancing up, Jacob’s heart swelled at the vision. His beautiful Queenie, so sweet and gentle, had entered the kitchen. Her eyes sparkled with warmth, and her hair was done in her lovely curls. Clad in a pale red dress, the woman he loved so dearly touched his nose with a mischievous gleam.
Her finger came away covered in white dust. “Are you baking yourself, darling, or wishing for snow?”
Jacob laughed. “No, darling, merely getting my flour everywhere.”
His wife – and how Jacob rejoiced that he could call Queenie his wife – chuckled. “Aw, my suggestions were much more fun.”
“I hope you weren’t gonna eat me like that witch from Hansel and Gretel,” remarked Jacob, gracing the waggling, flour-sprinkled finger with a quick kiss.
Queenie giggled. “Of course not, honey. However…” (And here her wand appeared in her hands, whirling in a trail of sparks.) “…I can provide the snow.”
“As long as it doesn’t float into my babka, feel free, my sweet. The neighbours won’t notice, right?”
Jacob finished beating his mixture and covered the bowl, so the mixture could rise.
“The babka is safe,” she assured him. “After all, I love the cake, too.”
Twirling in a circle of perfumed air, Queenie murmured words too low for Jacob to
distinguish, and suddenly flakes of ivory began to descend around them. Jacob watched in awe as the flakes settled on the surfaces of his kitchen, somehow not melting nor cold. Yet a feeling of winter suffused the air as an ivory blanket transformed his kitchen to drifts of snow, minor hills rising from kitchen counters or chairs crystallising with ice that felt warm to the touch, yet resembled diamonds glittering in the rising winter sunlight that filtered in through their windows.
Jacob grinned widely at Queenie as his eyes darted to the window. Outside, the street was quiet, people slowly coming awake. No snow had yet fallen, though the temperature had dropped significantly. Jacob suspected that there would be snow by midday. Inside however, the warmth of magical fires enveloped their home. The snow that gathered in Queenie’s hair was golden or white depending on the light, and Jacob could feel the flakes sticking to his moustache.
“I love magic!” cried Jacob in joy as he swept a laughing Queenie into his arms.
Queenie nodded, eyes bright. “I am so happy you remembered, Jacob; I never felt so hopeless when I first visited your bakery until I saw you remember me.”
Jacob nodded sombrely, for those days were still vivid in his memories. “I know, Queenie, but I remembered, didn’t I? I understood then and now why it had to be done.”
Squeezing his wife close, Jacob whispered in her ear, his snowy-white moustache brushing her cheeks and her earlobe, causing Queenie to gasp delightfully. “We’re together now and have a chance of a new life,” he said, “so let’s not dwell on the past that hurt us, eh?”
Queenie was quiet, then nodded. Pulling away, she smiled, though there was a shadow of pain in her face. “Okay honey, I’ll try.” Tucking her wand away, she said more cheerfully, “I’ll pop over to check if Tina and Newt are still coming for Wigilia.”
Jacob nodded, worried over the shadow he had seen settle on his wife. “I hope so. I know they’re not religious, but the birth of Christ is a symbol of hope and love for our world, and well…seems we need it even more so, now.” He ran a hand over his glistening moustache, dislodging a bit of snow. “And I have a lot of hope and love in our new life together to give thanks for and celebrate.”
Queenie’s gaze was too full of wonder for Jacob to be comfortable. Queenie was a natural Legilimens, and while Jacob still (mostly) loved it when she read his mind, Queenie maintained a delicate shield so he could still have his privacy. Yet, even though Queenie could glimpse his thoughts, she remained firm in believing him to be the nicest, kindest man she had ever known. Such wonder at his simple statements about being happy confounded Jacob. Surely any decent person would say such things?
However, Queenie disagreed, and his dear friend Newt was no help in discouraging the sentiment. Newt…another once friendless soul who thought Jacob was special, and so many months back had introduced him to his marvellous world of magical life that the sensitive British wizard was trying to save and protect. Then his new friend had given him the means for his bakery, because they were friends even if Jacob might never remember their friendship. Then he had remembered, and Newt, once returned to America, was as insatiable as Queenie, as courageous and foolish in seeking his companionship and dragging him all over America to save magical creatures in danger from destruction from poorly educated, frightened, and sometimes cruel humans.
Jacob commemorated the creatures in his pastries, doughnuts, and bread, filled with the vigour of rekindled love for Queenie and a fast friendship with Newt. All the time, Newt was overwhelmed by how Jacob accepted him, liked him just as he was, and admired his wish to save these misunderstood creatures, including the Niffler, which while cute was a bit of a pain.
That said, he couldn’t let anything bad happen to the jewel thief, so he simply made all manner of candied decorations and collected any scrap metal that he then shined to perfection. These he scattered in his storage room, so the Niffler spent ages searching and glorifying over its finds in its treasure trove in the suitcase. This apparently convinced Newt that his friend was the best thing since moving pictures.
Yeah, he would get no help from Newt in dissuading Queenie from believing him to be a great man. Queenie broke his quiet contemplation by kissing him on the forehead.”
“Newt is right,” she whispered.
Jacob rolled his eyes. “Legilimens and wizards are bad combinations; they believe all this fanciful stuff.”
Queenie summoned her warm pink coat and smirked as she strolled to the kitchen fire, gathering the Floo powder in her hand. She cast one look over her shoulder, eyebrow arched and voice sweet as honey and sharp as a bee sting. “We all have our beliefs which are truths, honey. You prepare for yours, dear, while I fetch Newt to confirm mine. Tina can sit and be merry with the vodka, watching us.”
Then in a flash of green fire, his wife was gone.
Sweet, thought Jacob as he pulled the fluted babka pan over and greased it in preparation for the yeasty mixture rising away in the bowl. Jacob hoped the babka and the rest would be sufficient for their guests both human and beast.
…I better increase quantities for Newt’s suitcase…
~ * ~
24th December 1927
The first star had risen in the sky when Jacob, Queenie, Tina, and Newt broke bread before they sat for their evening meal. After an exchange of good wishes and health, the little family sat at the table. A seat had a picture of his grandma and Queenie and Tina’s parents. Jacob nodded to the trio as he sat.
As per tradition, a spare place sat to Queenie’s right in case a visitor arrived. Jacob half-wondered if it would be a magical guest who might be blown in on a cold wind this night, or whether another No-Maj or Muggle like him might stumble their way here,
guided by a cold silver star high in the heavens, just like the wise men so many centuries ago. At this point in his life, Jacob wouldn’t be surprised if the guest was one of those Ukrainian Ironbellys Newt had served with on the Eastern Front, or one his war pals, borne across the Atlantic for some reason or another.
Candles bobbed above the festive table, casting a warm yellow glow over the proceedings. In the fireplace, a flickering fire heated the small dining room. The table was laden with vegetarian dishes, twelve to be exact, as a reminder of the twelve apostles. The table was covered with a cotton cloth, under which a thin layer of hay represented the hay Christ had lain upon in the manager.
Queenie flicked her wand, and a few dishes floated through the air while Newt passed a dish by hand to Jacob. Amused by the combination of No-Maj and magical efforts going on, Jacob helped himself to śledzie and bread.
“Are your creatures happy with the food I prepared for them?” Jacob asked as he watched Newt cautiously try some pickled herring.
Newt beamed and nodded. “Yes, thank you, Jacob. The Niffler especially was wild for the tinsel decorations for his nest, and the festive supper you put on has been a real treat. I just hope the spiced wine isn’t a mistake.”
Jacob snorted. “As long as we don’t have to put out any fires, Newt. Once was enough. That dragon was a menace. I’ll never complain about stomach problems again!”
Chewing on the śledzie with enthusiasm, Newt swallowed and said happily, “But we learnt so much!”
“Yeah, Newt, we did, especially how not to feed my pączki to a Ukrainian Ironbelly.”
Newt merely grinned unrepentantly with a gleam that informed Jacob that more trouble lay ahead.
“You love Newt’s trouble, honey,” teased his wife from where she had been gossiping with her sister.
Jacob rolled his eyes and shot a helpless look at Tina, who shared his woe.
“I’m afraid Queenie’s right, Jacob,” said Tina with a sigh.
“Yeah, well, got to try to project an image of respectability when you run a bakery.”
Newt raised a glass of wine. “You manage that quite well, Jacob.”
“And at night you run about like a criminal with Newt,” added Tina cheerfully – far too cheerfully for an Auror.
Jacob gave up in the face of such affectionate teasing, deciding to check whether his Occamy was pleased with its meal of insects. His vibrantly coloured blue and silver friend was coiled about the Christmas tree with Pickett lounging on a particularly bushy bough. Orange eyes blinked at him before uncoiling to slither down to the splendid bowl with a tiny hole in the lid. Scaling down to a mere wisp, his Occamy disappeared to eat. His sea monster in a magicked pool (in a corner somehow bigger inside than out), was peering at him and waved a long tentacle before resuming its meal of carp.
Grinning happily, Jacob rose from the table. Clearing his throat, he glanced at each of the people sharing this celebration with him. Queenie grasped his hand and gazed at him with love, but still tainted with that shadow from yesterday. Tina straightened her back, and Newt merely observed silently, frame shivering with suppressed nervous excitement. They all sensed the air of seriousness that had fallen.
Into the quiet, Jacob spoke with all the sincerity he felt. “I don’t like speeches, and I’m not good at them. However, I have to say this because it’s important.”
His wife squeezed his fingers, voice low and gentle. “Go ahead, sweetie.”
“First, thank you for coming here to share Wigilia with me and Queenie. I know I’m the only Christian here, so it means an awful lot to be able to share this day with you. To share the birth of Jesus with this meal, in your presence by the Christmas tree and Nativity scene you magicked, Tina, so the animals make noise and the angels sing ‘Silent Night’.”
Jacob breathed deeply and continued as Tina blushed and mumbled, “It was nothing.”
“Hope and Love was born, and laid in a manger so many years past. Christ is love, hope, and salvation.”
Jacob caught Queenie’s gaze and said quickly, words tumbling out, “A few months ago hope was rekindled in my life when you walked back into it, and hope was reborn with the love you offered me, dear. I know you feel bad that I had to abandon my bakery in America to escape to Britain, but…” He drew Queenie to him, engulfing his wife in an embrace so fierce that the air nearly went from their lungs for a moment.
Releasing a trembling Queenie, Jacob swallowed past his tears. “I couldn’t be happy with you giving up your magic for me or having to hide my friendship with Newt and the risks both entailed. A new life in Britain was the only place we could be ourselves. And now we have our bakery, Newt can be friends with me, and Tina isn’t in trouble with MACUSA.”
Jacob cupped Queenie’s face, smiling at the tears forming in those beautiful wells he was lost in daily. “Queenie Kowalski, I love you more than I thought possible. Don’t you see, darling? Our lives are full of a new hope and love that can prosper here. I can’t be unhappy or regretful, so put that nonsense away and let the light chase away the shadow.”
He dropped his hands, and a crying Queenie put her head on his shoulder as he faced Tina and Newt. Tina was smiling through her own tears, and Newt was flushed, eyes bright, lips quivering.
Picking up his glass, Jacob gave a toast. “So, bless you all my friends and wife for this new, crazy life you have given me. I know that Grindelwald guy is growing in power and
spreading his evil, but we came through a dark period before.”
Newt nodded, and by the shadow that had fallen over Newt’s face, Jacob could see the Great War reflected. Together they shuddered and briefly clasped their free hands.
“Even if there is another terrible war, we’ll get through it. I mean, we bested him once so he’s not infallible, right?” Jacob grinned and as he let his gaze fall from Tina’s pensive expression to the Nativity set that was currently showing the scene where the shepherds had arrived and were gazing at the Christ Child. The hovering star cast by Queenie glowed silver and cast a beautiful silver gleam over the scene.
Dougal rested nearby, visible, with calm eyes observing them all.
“So, no more shadows tonight. Tonight, we have light, love and hope and laughter. Merry Christmas and God bless you all!”
“Merry Christmas!” cried his companions, and they fell on the food with renewed vigour, eyes all slightly tearful, but for this night at least, they were at peace.
Jacob sat with Queenie closer than ever, her bright smile no longer tainted with darkness. She smiled at him, and Jacob knew he could never persuade her that, despite his faults, he wasn’t the kindest man she had ever met. He found that he didn’t mind anymore. After all, he loved Queenie and thought the same about her, didn’t he?
Ducking his head, Jacob finished his herring, soul lighter than a feather as he thought quietly, And thank you, Jesus, for bringing light into my world and blessing me with renewed hope and love. I think we are going to need a lot more hope and love in the years to come.