So, um, remember how I said that I was no longer writing with the kids I came up with before? Well, I maybe broke that rule just for this fic. I regret nothing, to be fair.
Phoenix – June 1931 – 7
Linnet – January 1933 – 5
Leo – March 1935 – 3
Set August 1938
"Now, 'member, be quiet."
"We are being quiet, Phee – you're the one being loud!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Shhh!" Leo hushed, putting a finger to his lips and looking worriedly at the stairs. "You wake Mummy."
Phoenix huffed under his breath but continued down the hallway to the kitchen with his siblings following closely behind. As they carefully tiptoed into the kitchen, Linnet sent a meaningful look at their younger brother and took his hand; he merely pressed his mouth together, determined not to say a word in case it woke their sleeping parents upstairs, and clutched his stuffed bear close to his chest.
"Okay," Phoenix muttered once Linnet had quietly closed the kitchen door behind them. "Mummy is tired in the morning, so she drinks stuff from her mug."
"Coffee," Linnet reminded him.
Ignoring her, he continued. "Also, food…what should we make?"
"Toast?" Leo offered, tilting his head. "Mummy like toast."
"She has toast every morning though," His brother explained, furrowing his brows in thought. "It has to be special – she always makes it special for us when it's our birthdays."
"Maybe she'd like sausages and bacon," Linnet mused. "She likes hot dogs, doesn't she? That's sausage. Or maybe eggs?"
Phoenix considered this. "Maybe…"
"Mummy make pancakes for me," Leo said softly.
His sister lit up immediately. "Oh, yes!" She exclaimed, ignoring the dirty look their older brother sent them. "Pancakes would be so special – Mummy would love it!"
Agreeing on this, the three children set to work; they used the kitchen chairs to help them reach the cupboards (or, in Leo's case, just to reach the counter) and find the ingredients they needed. The bag of flour was stored on the top shelf, and Phoenix ended up spilling half of the bag down himself as he pulled it down, balancing on the very tips of his toes; meanwhile, Linnet had dropped the baking powder and sugar on the workspace, cheerfully unaware of the mess she was creating as she turned to the youngest Scamander.
"Leo, you can get the eggs and milk from the fridge," She ordered. "Be careful with the eggs though, don't break 'em."
Thumb wedged in his mouth, he clambered off of his chair and over to the fridge, placing his stuffed bear on the kitchen table as he went; he had just opened the door when Phoenix called, "Also butter – Daddy always uses butter when he does it."
"'kay," He murmured, reaching as high as he could for each of the items he had been asked for. It took two trips to bring everything back across the kitchen safely, moving slowly so that he wouldn't risk ruining anything – everything had to be perfect.
"What else do we need?" Linnet pondered once he had returned, looking down at their ingredients. "Does Mummy use salt? And she puts oil in it, doesn't she?"
"I can't remember," Phoenix admitted, frowning thoughtfully. "Maybe we don't need it? I think this is enough to make pancakes, right?" Neither of his younger siblings made any argument, and so he reached into the next cupboard to find some bowls. "Okay, I'll start – Lin, can you get me a whisk?"
His sister opened one of the drawers, searching among the utensils and humming. "We need scales too – Mummy and Daddy always measure the flour out properly."
"Well, I don't know where the scales are," He said, vaguely annoyed. "I know how much we need – it's not that hard."
"But it has to be perfect for Mummy," Linnet reminded him sternly. "Everything has to be perfect."
"It will be," Phoenix huffed, shaking his head as he poured a large amount of flour into one of the bowls. "I know what I'm doing because I've known Mummy the longest – I was here before you two."
The girl straightened up, nudging him hard with her elbow and reaching for the sugar. "That doesn't mean anything! Let me do some of it, she's my Mummy too!"
"That's too much!" He stated sharply as she turned the bag upside down. "Now I have to put more flour in to make it even!"
"Wanna help," Leo whined miserably, tugging at Linnet's nightdress. "Wanna help make Mummy brea'fast."
"You're only three, you can't help!" Linnet tutted.
His face screwed up, bottom lip trembling – he looked dangerously close to crying. "But…But… Mummy birthday…"
"You can pour the milk in," She amended hurriedly, passing him the bottle. "Here, I'll hold the bowl – pour as much as you want in."
The three children worked in much the same way as they mixed the rest of the ingredients in, quietly arguing over who was doing what and passing the bowl between themselves. In no time at all, they had a somewhat lumpy batter that Phoenix deemed acceptable, and they made their way to the stove. Leo was promptly sent to stand away from it, much to his disappointment ("you can help after," Phoenix offered as a consolation), and he watched his older siblings stand on chairs and fuss over the pan for five minutes before they finally started making their pancakes.
"They have to be golden each side," Linnet told Phoenix, eying the fire of the stove nervously. "Phee…are you sure you want to…? What if you burn yourself?"
"'m fine," He insisted, though he looked visibly nervous. "Mummy and Daddy use it all the time – must be safe…ish. You should make the coffee, these won't be long."
Linnet seemed satisfied with this, looking truly pleased with herself as she grabbed her mother's favourite mug from the draining board by the sink and made her way over to the cupboard to find the coffee beans. It didn't seem so hard, she decided, she just needed to mix the beans with some milk and hot water – she could get hot water from the tap if she ran it long enough.
Within ten minutes, everything was prepared; Leo found a tray under the sink to help them carry it up, and they quickly arranged everything so that it was ready for their mother. Linnet pondered that perhaps a flower would make it look nicer – "it's her birthday, has to be special" – and so Phoenix quickly went out into the back garden to grab a few of the tulips that their parents had been growing.
"Mummy like it?" Leo asked quietly.
"I hope so," Linnet agreed, somewhat nervous herself. "Do you wanna take it up, Phee? You know, so that the coffee doesn't spill?"
He nodded, carefully lifting it into his arms and looking at his younger siblings with great trepidation. "Okay…let's go."
There were many nice ways to wake up in the morning, but this was perhaps the best of them: her husband nuzzling at her neck, his hands roaming over her body and pulling at her slip gently.
"Mmm," She heard him breathe in her ear, voice low with desire. "Happy birthday, love."
Tina gasped out a laugh, stretching beneath him. "So it is… I'm already enjoying it."
"Oh, I think I can help you enjoy it even more," Newt chuckled, grinning to himself as his fingers rested on the hem of her lingerie. "May I?"
She nodded, unable to stop herself from smiling widely as she pressed small kisses to his face; his touch seemed to burn against her skin as he started to lift her slip up over her body, the both of them extremely eager. There were certainly worst ways to start off a birthday, that was for sure.
"Tina, love-"
"Mummy!"
Newt immediately jerked away, hurrying to get back to his side of the bed; flustered, Tina pushed herself into a sitting position, pulling at her nightwear in the hopes of covering herself. The bedroom door swung open, and immediately their children came rushing in – Leo first, clutching his teddy bear, followed by Linnet and Phoenix.
"Ah, yes," Newt managed, trying to pull himself together. "Good morning, you three-…oh."
It took Tina a moment to realize what had rendered him so speechless – and then she saw the state that their children were in, and her mouth fell open. All of them were absolutely filthy from head to toe, covered in what looked like various cooking ingredients: there was flour in Phoenix's dark hair, milk down Linnet's front, and what looked like sugar and baking powder across Leo's chubby cheeks. Even her youngest son's beloved teddy bear had not escaped, judging by the patches of food in its fur. This was certainly not how she and Newt had put the children to bed the night before, that was certain.
"Happy birthday, Mummy!" Linnet announced cheerfully, clambering onto the bed and giving her mother a big hug.
Leo struggled to get up onto the mattress for a moment, but once was there he beamed and crawled across the bedspread to get closer. "Birthday, Mummy!"
"We made you breakfast," Phoenix informed her excitedly, and his parents realized that he was holding a tray in his hands. "See? Pancakes and coffee!"
"Yeah, I see that," She said, not sure whether to gape some more or just laugh. "You…You three made this?"
As her son placed the tray on the side table so that he could get onto the bed too, her daughter nodded enthusiastically. "Uh-huh! We got up real early to do it, and we did it all by ourselves – I made the coffee myself, because you like coffee best and you always drink it out that mug."
"Made brea'fast," Leo repeated softly, burying his face into the crook of her neck.
"Sorry we didn't make you any, Daddy," Phoenix added, casting a slightly worried look at their father. "We would have but it's Mummy's birthday and we wanted it to be special."
Newt was grinning, shaking his head. "No worries, I'm not offended at all – I completely understand."
"Do you like it, Mummy?" Linnet asked, tilting her head.
Tina looked around at the three of them; they were all gazing at her hopefully, waiting for her verdict on the breakfast they had prepared. The pancakes smelt somewhat burnt, the coffee in her mug had splashed over the side and onto the tray, and the tulips they had left were crumpled – but she was unable to keep the smile from her face, the love for them swelling within her.
"I love it," She said sincerely, wrapping her arms around the three of them. "Thank you."
"I knew you'd like it!" Phoenix exclaimed happily. "It was my idea…but they helped." He added at his sister's affronted look.
Her husband chuckled, gazing at them all fondly. "Look how clever you all are, making Mummy breakfast by yourselves – isn't she lucky to have you three?"
"Lucky to have Mummy," Leo murmured, wrapping his arms around her neck and wriggling into her lap. "Love Mummy."
As Phoenix and Linnet agreed, giving their own sentiments of love and joining the hug, Tina couldn't help but close her eyes and beam to herself, joyful and overcome with emotion. Across the bed, she saw Newt watching them with a growing smile, eyes glazed over and filled with love and adoration for their family. Her alone time with her husband could wait until that night, when the children were with their Uncle Theseus – for now, however, she was more than content to spend the first part of her birthday cuddled up in bed with her family.
Theseus had been in a rather jovial mood when he came to collect the children that evening, greeting his brother and sister-in-law with a cheerful expression; his niece and nephews were thrilled to see him, running to hug and attach themselves to him immediately. He took it into his stride, much to their delight, listening to each of their stories patiently and laughing at their light-hearted bickering.
When the children were sent to collect their things, he turned to his brother and sister-in-law, pulling a relatively small package from inside a coat pocket; Tina was surprised as she took it, raising her brows at him. "You shouldn't have-"
"Tina, you're family," Theseus chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Besides, I think you and my little brother will find it…rather useful. With that said, don't open it while the kids are here," He added quickly. "Wait until we're gone…you'll understand later."
Perplexed, she had put it down on the table in the kitchen and merely thanked him; Newt was equally puzzled, casting his brother a curious glance before the children came running back down the stairs, chattering loudly.
"Alright," Theseus said, clapping his hands together with a rather knowing grin. "Let's get going, you lot – let Mummy and Daddy have some alone time."
Tina shot him a slightly stern look, cheeks growing pink; Newt coughed, his own face starting to heat up. "Yes, well…you three behave for your Uncle Theseus," He managed, turning to the children. "Don't cause too much trouble for him, even if he does deserve it sometimes."
"We won't, Daddy!" Linnet promised chirpily, already tugging at her uncle's sleeve and trying to drag him to the door. "We're angels!"
"Something like that," Tina joked, bending down to kiss each of them goodbye. "We'll see you tomorrow; have fun."
Leo was somewhat more apprehensive about leaving than his siblings, burying his face into his mother's side one last time and looking somewhat miserable about being separated from her. She merely smiled knowingly, giving him a couple of extra kisses on his cherub cheeks and promising again that he would be home the next day, and that she would be missing him just as much as he would miss her.
"They'll be fine, love," Newt reassured her gently as they waved goodbye to Theseus and the children, and he slipped an arm around her waist. "We'll see them all tomorrow – tonight, however, you're mine."
"Possessive much, Mr Scamander?" Tina teased good-naturedly, leaning into him.
He grinned, slowly closing the front door to their home. "Oh, very… You have that effect on me, dear."
She laughed quietly as his lips brushed against her ear lobe, already feeling her body start to grow warm underneath her clothes. "Well, I think we've waited long enough for today, especially given that our morning was…interrupted," She said coyly. "First, though, I'm gonna see what in the name of Deliverance Dane your brother got me."
"I'm rather curious too," He admitted with a chuckle, pulling away from her. "Alright, let's see what he thought was so 'useful' then."
They went back to the kitchen and Tina picked up the parcel, feeling the weight of it in her hands; it was rectangular in shape and somewhat light, just like a book. Unwrapping it carefully, she found herself wondering why her brother-in-law had been so insistent on not opening a book in front of her children, or why he had looked rather smugly at herself and her husband as he'd handed it to her.
As the paper came away and she caught a glimpse of the title, however, it became immediately obvious.
"Mercy Lewis," She managed, wide-eyed and shocked.
Newt groaned, running a hand over his face. "The bastard… I'm going to kill him."
"I'm glad I didn't open it in front of the kids," Tina muttered, gesturing to the copy of Kama Sutra in her hand. "Why did he get me a copy of this? What was he thinking?"
"Oh, I think it's rather obvious what he was thinking," Her husband sighed, now a bright shade of red. "Bloody Pervert."
As she turned the book over gingerly, trying not to flush at the sudden realisation of what her brother-in-law had been implying, she noticed a scrap of paper tucked between the front pages; bracing herself, she carefully pulled it free and started to read the note that had been scribbled.
Tina,
Happy Birthday! I know we usually don't do gifts, but I saw this whilst in a rather charming bookshop in London a few weeks ago and immediately thought that it might be handy for yourself and Newt. While you may not need much instruction in thatarea of things, given that you have three children, I imagine that this might help spice things up a bit for you – I can imagine that kids have made the fire go out somewhat. Just try not to break each other tonight, I don't intend on keeping your children forever.
Anyhow, enjoy!
Theseus
"You won't have to kill him," Tina huffed to her husband, resisting the urge to crumple the note in her hand and gritting her teeth together. "Because I'm going to murder him as soon as he brings our children back tomorrow."
Newt peered over her shoulder at the note and made a noise somewhere between a choke and a laugh. "Well, don't let me stop you tomorrow – I think he deserves it. Tonight, however…" His arms were sliding around her waist again, and she could feel his firm body behind her. "I intend to ravish you several times before he brings the children back…and I'll do it without the help of us his ridiculous gift."
"You're right," She murmured, and she dropped the book onto the table carelessly. "Alright, Mr Scamander – take me to bed."
They had barely made it up the stairs and into their bedroom before their lips clashed together, hands roaming and pulling at each other's clothes with a sudden desperation; Newt's fingers deftly unbuttoned her blouse with an ease that came from many years practice, his kisses hard and bruising against her mouth as he groaned against her. Tina could feel that he was hard already, erection straining to get free from his trousers, and she felt her stomach flip at the thought: somehow, the idea that she of all people was able to make him so aroused was still exciting and strange, in the best way possible.
"This is like unwrapping a present," He joked, peeling the blouse from her shoulders and immediately lowering his head to kiss her skin. "No bra today?"
She laughed breathlessly, running a hand through his mussed hair. "Figured it would just be in the way…wanted you as quickly as possible."
"Well, I'm not complaining," He said, voice slightly muffled as he started to mark a trail down towards her breasts.
Tina sighed contently, tilting her head back; when his lips found her nipple, biting and suckling, she whimpered and tried to press herself closer to him. "Fuck."
Already he was starting to fiddle with the fastening on her trousers, pulling them down over her hips along with her underwear and sending her a wide grin as he released the nipple from his mouth. "I'm feeling dreadfully overdressed, dear."
She huffed, cupping his face and urging him back up to kiss her; as their lips met once more, she immediately began unbuttoning his waistcoat, throwing it aside with little care. The remaining buttons of his shirt were easy to coax open, and she wasted no time in running her hands over his bare skin; every scar under her fingertips felt so familiar, like they were a part of her too now – he was a part of her, just as she was a part of him when they came together so intimately.
The rest of his clothes joined the floor in almost no time at all, and somehow they managed to stumble their way over to the bed; Newt was breathless as they separated for air, pupils blown with lust. "Tell me, Tina, how you want me – I'm yours."
Tina bit back a groan at his words, feeling the heat between her legs grow. "Mercy Lewis, Newt…"
"I'm here," He chuckled, running a hand over her side. "Anything you want, love, and I'll be more than happy to comply."
"Well…" She gnawed on her lower lip, suddenly somewhat unsure. "Maybe…Maybe if I was on my hands and knees? You know, and you were behind…"
Her husband's jaw dropped at her request, clearly surprised – but she could see the flicker of arousal in his eyes too. "Oh?"
"Yeah," She agreed, and she reached down to take his cock in hand. "If that's okay?"
"That's more than okay," Newt assured her immediately, wrapping her arms around her; she felt him harden in her hand as she stroked him, and felt a thrill run through her. "Alright, love, get on your hands and knees then."
It only took a moment or so for them to get themselves into position, her husband making sure that she was comfortable as he lined himself up behind her. Tina whined as the head of his cock nudged against her opening, body thrumming and alive with anticipation.
"You're sure?" He checked one final time, voice husky with desire.
"Yeah," She breathed, readying herself. "Fuck me, Newt."
Their moans mingled in the air around them as he slowly sank forward, filling her completely; she was snug around him, tight and warm, and it was all he could do not to finish early like an embarrassed schoolboy. "Merlin, you're wonderful," He managed, gripping her hips. "Happy Birthday, love."
She managed a small laugh before pushing back against him, making sure he was buried to the hilt. "You can move – please."
He didn't need any further encouragement; pressing one hand firm into her back, he pulled back and started to thrust slowly into her. Her breathing hitched at the feeling, fingers clenching onto the bedsheets as her head dropped. "Fuck, you're tight," He crooned, unable to keep himself from gazing down her. "Look at you…so perfect…"
"Please, faster," Tina whimpered, almost as if she were in pain. "I need you to go faster, Newt, I can't…I need…"
"Whatever you need," Newt agreed, and he angled his hips so that he could drive into her harder; he felt her body trembling as he picked up the speed, the way she quivered for him. "Merlin's balls…"
She cried out loudly, breasts bouncing with the intensity of his thrusts. "Fuck, yes, just like that," She panted, trying to push herself back against him in an attempt to meet his thrusts.
"It's been far too long," He moaned, feeling the sweat start to bead on his forehead. "Mine, all mine…aren't you, Tina? You're mine."
"You know I am," She agreed, and her voice sounded close to breaking. "All yours…"
Newt leaned down over her, pressing his chest to her bare back and covering her as he continued to move; she seemed so vulnerable like this, he thought to himself, bent over on her hands and knees – and yet there was a trust there, a comfortable closeness between the two of them. It was borne of love, from many years of being married and having children together. It made his love for her swell in his chest.
"Are you close?" He rasped, lowering his mouth to her ear. "Tell me what you need, Tina."
"I need…." She whimpered, breath coming out hard and fast. "Shit…"
"Let me try something?" Newt requested gently. He waited for her to nod her consent before wrapping his arms around her and sitting back on his haunches, bringing her with him; his wife groaned at the new angle, shifting her hips to get more comfortable in this position. "Is this okay? We can go back to what we were doing before if you want-"
"This is fantastic," Tina interrupted, arching back against him. "Please, I need to cum, Newt!"
He gave a small laugh, kissing her shoulders as he started to thrust again; her walls were clenching tightly around him, her body taut like a bowstring. She wasn't far from her edge now, he knew, and he could feel his own finish approaching rapidly. Gritting his teeth together determinedly, he brushed one hand over her stomach and down to the small nub between her legs that he knew would drive her crazy.
His wife cried out, her movements growing frantic as his fingers rubbed expertly at her clit. "Fuck, fuck, fuck…I'm…Newt…shit…"
"I know," He told her, pressing his fingers even harder. "Cum for me, love…please, I want to see you…"
Within seconds, Tina reached her climax; she threw her head back, moaning and crying out his name in ecstasy as she attempted to press herself further back into him. It was this that was his undoing; he swore hoarsely as her body milked him and he emptied himself into her, burying his face into her shoulder.
It took a few minutes for them both to recover enough to separate, Newt gently easing himself out of his wife before they collapsed onto the bedsheets in each other's arms. She could feel her husband's heartbeat, almost completely in-sync with her own, as he held her to him, his warm breath rushing over her bare skin.
"That," Newt muttered quietly, "was bloody wonderful."
She laughed softly, tracing a path over his chest with her finger. "Yeah, it was. And that was just the first round…how're we going to top that before the kids come home?"
"Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something," He chuckled, gazing at her; his eyes were so full of warmth and love, of adoration even, that she felt her heart skip a beat. "We've got until tomorrow afternoon, after all – and I don't really intend on doing much sleeping in that time."
Tina couldn't help but beam back at him, leaning closer so that their noses were nuzzling. "I love you, you know that?"
"Yes, I love you too," Newt murmured, pressing a small lazy kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Happy Birthday, Tina, love."
As they lay there on the bed, curled up together and basking in the blissful aftermath of their love-making, Tina couldn't help but reflect that, as birthdays went, this one was definitely one of her favourites yet.
Even better, she thought happily, was that there were so many still to come.
So I'm not dissing the Kama Sutra at all, please don't think I am – it's more the humour of Theseus deciding to buy it for Tina for her birthday XD
Also, apologies if the smut feels a little rushed – I'm doing my best but smut isn't something I'm always completely comfortable with. I added it in more as an afterthought, to be honest.
Again, Happy Birthday to Tina Scamander (nee Goldstein)!
