Written for:
Mother's Day Event at Hogwarts: Mrs Scamander and Newton Scamander
If You Dare Challenge: 168. Rest, Relax, Refresh and Renew
Chocolate Frog Cards Challenge: Hestia Carrow Prompts - Domestic, Family, Mighty, Love
Valentine-Making Challenge: Lollipop – Write about a child
200 Characters in 200 Days: Newton Scamander
Words: 731
A New Chapter
Florence was tired. The day had been long, and her dear husband had been absent for most of it. His job at the Ministry was taking up a lot of his time at the moment, what with the mighty trouble they were having with a vampire in Yorkshire, so Florence had to take on more of the domestic than she usually would. This would have been fine, of course, if not for the four-year-old boy who insisted on helping, and thus made every job take twice as long.
But Florence was a patient woman, particularly where her son was concerned, and the wonder and excitement in Newton's eyes was comfort enough. He'd helped her as she pottered around the garden pruning the Snargaluffs by watering the mandrakes and fanged geraniums. He'd also come with her to feed the hippogriffs. That was always Newton's favourite job. He had such an affinity with the beasts, he reminded her of herself when she was nine years old, staring up at one of them for the first time in her life at the hippogriff sanctuary in Romania. Newton always bowed so low his nose almost touched the ground, and he loved to sink his head into the feathers of their neck once they'd eaten and settled down to rest.
Florence had two pregnant hippogriffs at the moment, which was wonderful news for revenue, but they were troublesome beasts when carrying young as they could be very temperamental – changing their minds over whether they appreciated your presence or not in a matter of seconds. Florence had needed to check on them today, which took a lot of flattery and gentle coaxing, but within an hour Florence was content with the knowledge that both sets of mother and young were strong and well.
She'd made dinner for the three humans – herself and her family – at around half past six. Her husband had made it home to eat, but he'd head out again straight afterwards for a private meeting with the Minister himself.
But now, Florence was able to rest, all her work complete until tomorrow.
She was sat in the chair in the living room, her son on her knee. He'd brought a book through from his father's study, one he wasn't allowed to read on his own because it was very expensive. It was actually never intended as a children's book at all, but Newton was fascinated by it. It was a collection, as much as anything. On each double page spread, there was an illustration of a magical creature, and on the other page was all the known facts about it. Florence and her husband had annotated the pages with additional information they'd uncovered, and one day they hoped to publish a new edition of the book.
Florence opened the book to the first creature.
"What's that, then?" she asked her son.
"That's a phoenix!" Newton exclaimed, fascinated by the colours in the illustration.
"And what's special about phoenixes?" she asked him.
"When they die, they erupt into flames and come back alive as a baby bird all over again! Some people think they can live forever," Newton told her excitedly.
"Well done. And what's this one?" she asked, turning the page.
"Hippogriff!" Newton shouted.
"Not so loud, Newt!" Florence scolded with a smile.
"They're special because they live in our back garden," he giggled.
Florence laughed, her eyes full of motherly love. "That they do!" she agreed.
She flicked through the pages, and Newton was able to tell her about every one, bright eyed and eager. It wasn't the best bedtime tale, Florence considered, as she saw how much it made her son come alive at the magical creatures. She couldn't help but indulge him, however, knowing how the book was his firm favourite.
As she sat with him, she found herself being caught up in his wonder, remembering her own childhood of travel with her parents, which seemed like such a long time ago already. She'd been tired and worn down by the hard day, but something about Newton invigorated her again, filling her with the youth she'd forgotten she still possessed.
She'd thought having a child was the end of her adventure, and the start of his, but she was starting to see she might have been wrong. Newton hadn't ended her adventure at all; he'd only made himself the next chapter.