Percival Graves/Newt Scamander

Pairing
Pairing:	Newt Scamander/Percival Graves
Alternative name(s):	Gramander, Percival/Newt, Original Percival Graves/Newt Scamander (on AO3, due to the need to distinguish between the real Percival Graves and Grindelwald disguised as Graves in character and relationship tags)
Gender category:	Slash
Fandom:	Fantastic Beasts
Canonical?:	No
Prevalence:	High
Archives:	Original Percival Graves/Newt Scamander works on AO3
Other:
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Percival Graves/Newt Scamander, or Gramander, is a popular non-canon slash ship in the Fantastic Beasts fandom.

On AO3, it is the second-most-popular ship by number of works, after Credence Barebone/Percival Graves, and it is the most popular slash pairing for the fandom on Fanfiction.net.

Like many popular non-canon slash pairings, Gramander is mostly made up of fanon and fan-constructed headcanons based on small hints in the films, with plenty of leeway for fans to create their own interpretations. Percival Graves in particular is a classic blank slate character, due to the fact that we only encounter Gellert Grindelwald's impersonation of him. A couple of basic canon facts about him are established, but other than this, fans are free to invent their own theories about Graves' character and backstory, and the same goes for his relationship with Newt.

Canon

Newt Scamander and Percival Graves do not interact in canon, and so technically do not have a canon relationship to speak of. However, some canon facts are established which fans have used to create theories and headcanons about the two:

• Percival Graves is the Director of Magical Security with MACUSA, the U.S. equivalent of the British Ministry of Magic.
• Newt's older brother, Theseus Scamander, is an Auror with the Ministry of Magic, and is renowned among the international wizarding community as a "war hero". Fans have therefore inferred that it is highly likely he and Graves have met or worked together in the past. Additionally, Newt did a brief stint with the Ministry of Magic in the Office for House-Elf Relocation, though this department was less likely to have interacted with MACUSA or the Auror Department.
• Graves' ancestor Gondolphus Graves was revealed by J.K. Rowling on Pottermore to have been one of the Original Twelve, the first dozen volunteers to train as Aurors in the USA under Josiah Jackson, the then-President of MACUSA, in 1693. Fans often headcanon that Newt is similarly descended from noble, possibly pure-blood wizarding lineage, making it likely that the two families would know each other.
• Newt Scamander was the person to unmask Gellert Grindelwald, disguised as Percival Graves, at the end of the first Fantastic Beasts film. While it's unknown what tipped him off about this, fans have developed numerous theories, including the possibility that Newt and Percival knew each other previously (unknown to Grindelwald, who then acted as if he didn't recognise Newt, tipping Newt off to the fact that this was an impostor) or were even in a secret relationship.

In other fanworks, this gives fans a reason to have the two interact after the events of the film - by the end of the film, the whereabouts of the original Graves are still unknown, and so fans have Newt helping to rescue Graves from captivity, or else have Graves seeking Newt out later on, wanting to get to know the wizard who saw through Grindelwald's disguise where no others had.

Fanon & Tropes

Gramander fandom has given rise to a number of popular tropes, themes and headcanons within fanworks. Some common examples are given below:

Secret Relationship

These fanworks theorise that the reason Newt could tell that the Percival Graves whom he met in the film was really an impostor was because the two were in a secret relationship - or even secretly married. Two of the "secretly married" fanworks were written as fills for the same prompt on the Fantastic Beasts kink meme, in which Graves has frequently made reference to a "husband" called "Newt" who is a magizoologist, and whom none of the other Aurors believe is really real.

Secret relationship fanworks tend to be based on the idea that either Newt and Graves are highly private about their relationship, or that Graves is private about his personal life in general, which also helps to explain why none of his colleagues noticed that Graves was being impersonated by Grindelwald.

Fanwork Examples

• In Phony Matrimony by SolarMorrigan. So Graves has been a little stingy with his personal life around the workplace- but the lack of faith his aurors have in his relationship status is a little insulting. Or; five times no one believed Graves was married and one time they realized he was telling the truth.
• Dearly Beloved by prosodiical. When Director Graves starts elaborating on his supposed husband, the entire department is even more certain he doesn't exist - an author and a dragon tamer, who's somehow captured a creature that can kill a hundred wizards at a time? And what sort of name is Newt, anyway?

Tina's one of them - at least, until Newt Scamander, magizoologist, shows up in New York and lets a Niffler loose. And when he realises Graves has been replaced by an imposter, things only get more complicated from there.

• Menagerie by prosodiical. Newt comes to New York with only one purpose in mind: find out what happened to the real Percival Graves. They've tried it the hard way; Theseus has been pressing MACUSA for weeks, but they won't do anything against the word of Graves himself. Newt's approach is a last-resort, but he'll do anything to save the man he loves, and so - he opens his case.

Graves & Newt's Beasts

Many Gramander fanworks, most of them humorous, revolve around Graves' interactions with Newt's creatures - whether voluntary or involuntary. One or two of these fanworks even have Graves interacting with Newt's beasts in animal form, e.g. while trapped in his animagus form. Others feature Newt's menagerie in the role of matchmaker, determined to help their "mummy" find a good mate.

Fanwork Examples

• For Science by sunshineglow118. Recognizing that their mummy is lonely, Newt's creatures spend their time trying to get him a mate. When Percival Graves, recently rescued by their mummy, is nursed back to health by him, they all decide that he is the mate for their mummy. Annie the Nundu educates them all on human mating and courting habits while the mooncalves decide to speed the courting up a bit with their own secret weapon.
• Take Your Creatures to Work Day by flightinflame. With Newt spending time in the medical wing to recover from injuries inflicted by Grindelwald's supporters, Percival finds himself babysiting
• Interacting With Unusual Creatures by Lily_Vipers. Graves keeps encountering Newt’s creatures. He’s not sure what to make of it.
• Roar by Elenothar. After Graves' fourth escape attempt Grindelwald decides that turning the man into a magical creature - a process thought to be impossible to reverse - will take care of the problem quite nicely. Too bad he didn't anticipate Newt Scamander.
• Attachment Issues by Elenothar. Five times one of Newt’s creatures hitched a ride to work with Graves, and one time he took them along on purpose.

Overprotective!Theseus

Many Gramander fanworks feature Theseus Scamander as a friend of Graves', sometimes even his best friend, due to the fact that the two have likely worked together as Aurors with their respective magical governments. A number of these works characterise Theseus as an extremely overprotective big brother to Newt, who is shy, awkward and a cinnamon roll. Graves then has to prove the purity of his intentions towards Newt, who is often completely oblivious to any romantic interest in him.

Fanwork Examples

• comes with the job by raumschiffe. No, Percival Graves is not afraid of Newt’s overprotective brother.
• The Life and Times of Percival Graves, Alpha in Courting by CptVimes (ongoing). After a lot of soul searching and questioning of his sanity, alpha Percival Graves decided to court the British omega, Newt Scamander. He was pretty sure this would be a lot easier if it weren't for the fact that a) Newt had developed obliviousness into a goddamn art form and b) Newt's big brother had an over-protective drive that rivaled the zealotry of a religious fanatic. Speaking of over-protective brothers, Graves regretted ever giving Theseus his address.

No, the courtship wasn't going well. Why do you ask?

• Where home is by silverynight. Newt returns to England and Theseus is determined to keep him there where he can protect him. But then a month passes and Newt misses his friends in New York and one day Percival Graves appears on Theseus' doorstep wanting to meet the man that was able to realize it was Grindelwald the whole time.

So Graves meets Newt and suddenly the man, his old 'friend', wants to take his baby brother back to New York? No, Theseus won't let that happen.

• You Told Me Fortunes In American Slang by kopperblaze. Fill for this prompt on the kink meme. (Rest of the summary has been truncated for length)