Title: Conundrum
Fandom: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Pairing: original Percival Graves/Newt Scamander
Rating: G
Length: 867
Summary: Percival Graves had found himself in a bit of a conundrum.
Authors Note: My first attempt at this pairing!


~*~

Percival Graves found himself in something in a state of confusion, a place that he was not used to being in (the period after his rescue from Grindelwald was not to be discussed).

It was all Newt Scamander’s fault.

The British magizoologist had swept into MACUSA and turned the whole place on its head. Percival had never met anyone like him before and, like the rest of the Woolworth Building apparently, Percival Graves was captivated. Oh, Newt was awkward, skittish as hell, a little clumsy and downright headache inducing with his suitcase of illegal and dangerous creatures but he was also brilliant, gorgeous and the only person that had realised that there was something not quite right about Grindelgraves. That in itself was enough to spark the interest of the real Graves, something which was practically unheard of.

Percival Graves had never been one to bother too much with romantic entanglements; he’d always been almost completely focused on his career and then when he had been made one of the youngest Directors of Magical Security in the history of MACUSA, well, there hadn’t really been time for anything but work. Oh, there had been nights out with his senior aurors, official events that Picquery had insisted that he escort her to and the odd very rare date but no-one where he had really felt the urge to make a real effort for.

Until now.

However, his interest in Newt did leave him with a bit of a dilemma; how precisely did he go about making his interest known? Did he opt for a fast or a slow approach?

It was Percival’s job to know everything that went on in the Woolworth Building and so he was perfectly aware of just how many witches and wizards that were interested in Newt. He was also aware that Newt was completely and utterly oblivious to the appreciative looks and whispers that followed him around the building; more often than not he was trying to recapture his escape artist of a Niffler and ensure that said beast didn’t cause even more chaos.

Going slow made sense in many respects; he would be able to make his interests know and do things properly, as expected of someone of his status – and of Newt’s. Going slow would also give him the opportunity to get to know Newt better, even though he already considered them to be friends. There was a bit of a difference between being friends and courting someone. Besides, getting to spend more time with Newt was never going to be a bad thing, even if Percival did have to share him with any number of illegal and dangerous beasts.

Then again, moving fast had its benefits as well. There was no way of knowing just how long Newt would remain in New York before haring off on another madcap chase after a dangerous creature although Percival was trying to persuade Picquery of the benefits of making Newt a MACUSA consultant, if only to ensure that he would return to New York between creature chases. If Newt was receptive to Percival’s overtures then there were two reasons for him to remain in America. If Percival moved fast, then he could hopefully get to Newt before someone else showed an interest because the last thing Percival wanted to have to do was threaten other MACUSA employees although he’d do it as a last resort.

It made his brain spin and, not for the first time since Newt had tripped into Percival’s hospital room and all but thrown a box of Fanged Puffskein’s at his head in the process, Percival was reminded why he didn’t bother with relationships; because they were too much like hard work and considering Percival’s job, that was saying a lot. But then Percival remembered the way that Newt had looked up at him through his eyelashes and that ridiculous mop of hair when Percival had handed him a stack of backdated permits for the contents of his suitcase. The way that Newt had bitten his lip and blushed endearingly as he had stuttered and stammered his way through a thank you.

No, this was worth it. Newt was worth it.

Sparing a glance at the stack of paperwork waiting for his attention – Grindelgraves had clearly thought paperwork was beneath him – Percival opted for the far more pleasurable, albeit frustrating, dilemma of just how to court Newt Scamander. Of course, he then managed to get distracted by all the things that he’d like to do to Newt, should the magizoologist accept Percival’s suit.

Of course, that was the exact moment that the younger Goldstein sister decided to waltz through the door without deigning to knock; apparently being friends with Newt automatically made Percival friends with the Goldstein’s because they never would have taken these liberties before. Graves slammed his legilimency shields up but he was too late; Queenie was already moving around the desk and chivvying him up out of his seat.

“You are in a bit of a conundrum, aren’t you honey? You just come with me and we’ll make sure that you have Newt out of his case and into your arms in no time at all.”