100

Ianto sat in his huge chair he loved, the one Jack called his throne, and pondered the problem of a Niffler in the house. These creatures were notoriously sneaky as well as bloody pirates. God. What was Hagrid thinking?

Harry and Mumble were on alert, hunting with glee as they pretended the Niffler was dangerous and they had to protect the world from it. Ianto felt a little sorry for the poor thing but also knew that if they did find it they would all shit themselves and run in different directions.

It was a good distraction on a rainy afternoon though.

Ianto was drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair, his mind going over the things missing so far. He knew the creature did not dispose of them, rather it kept them like trophies so they had to be somewhere in the house. Maybe Splat knows?

As if summoned, Splat appeared by the chair with a plate of sweets.

"Splat… tell me something…. Are you feeding a Niffler these days?" Ianto asked as he chose a sweet and watched the house elf grimace at him. Ah. Right. Omission is not a lie. "It's OK Splatty… I am not mad. Just annoyed that it is being so… good at it's job."

"Ah, he is a fast one yes. His mate is a little slower but she has… well… heavy" Splat said with his hand making a round shape out from his belly in that universal sign for pregnant. Ianto felt his blood running cold now as the elf so calmly let him know the bloody thing was not alone and it was breeding.

.

.

Hagrid was surprised, the brush half way tough his beard and his open shirt showing his undershirt was a bright pink with little unicorns on it. He stood in the middle of Ianto's living room with the brush frozen like the rest of him as he looked around with wide eyes.

"Ianto? My Lord? Did you… did you just summon me?" Hagrid finally asked softly. Straightening up and pulling the brush through the rest of the beard.

"Two? Two Nifflers and the female is about to pop?" Ianto asked in a soft sing-song voice which alerted Hagrid to the anger thrumming under the surface.

"Well they are a mated pair. I couldn't in all good faith leave them separated!" Hagrid said indignantly like it was the most logical answer.

In a weird 'Hagrid' way I guess it was.

"So, how am I supposed to accept this?"

Hagrid looked at him with confusion then said like it was another obvious thing "but you are the Lord of Light. You ARE shiny."

Ianto stared back. Not amused.

Harry and Mumble entered the room, tlkaing animatedly as they started to feel under the sofa, then Harry simply seized his friend and shoved him underneath with the little elf squeaking with surprise.

"Come on man, I am getting hungry. Here… use the torch" Harry shoved a torch under as well and then listened as the elf listed all the things under the sofa.

"Really? That's where my action man went? Huh, I bet Dad kicked it in the dark. OK… anything else?" Harry asked.

Ianto and Hagrid listened as some old Halloween candy and such got listed, Bracken's faint gasp from another room as she heard of a spot not cleaned in a while filtered back through the house. Then she was running, her eyes wide as she crouching to look under at where the little elf was and she gave a shriek of horror.

Something thumped under Ianto's chair.

Ianto froze.

Hagrid watched as Ianto slowly rose from his chair and turned to stare at it like it had caught fire, then with annoyance he frowned at it.

"Come on Mumbly, we can do this" Harry was shouting across the room, tying to push the sofa out from the wall so Ianto gave it a little shove with his mind, letting the child think he was strong enough.

Bracken was beside herself as she saw the dust and crap under there, racing to clean it along with three other elves that appeared from nowhere. They live in the walls ya see… like large cute mice.

They were all focused on the task and only Hagrid was watching Ianto as he lifted a finger and flicked it up, raising the chair into the air to reveal the nest of th eNifflers.

Inside the nest of shirts, a couple of ties and a pair of Jack's boxers, lay the female and it was too late. The little one had come recently, maybe even the day before as he lay sniffling in his mother's arms. Her face showed her fear and confusion at the sudden light as she clutched her baby to her bosom and glared at Ianto.

Aww… look. He's adorable" Hagrid crooned as he crouched over the hapless creature to peer down at her kit.

Ianto lowered the chair again and sighed deeply, lifting a hand to rub his face as he contemplated screaming but knew that it was a done deal now. No way he can send them away, not with a newborn and the Niffler newborns being so damned touchy.

Ianto sat wearily back in his chair like he had run a marathon and started to consider what his options were now, then he noticed something that he really didn't want involved but was also a done deal now.

His son stood by his chair with a look that was a mixture of glee and concern, his hands clasped together as Mumble slid under the side of the chair, squeaked and shot back out with his hand to his nose "She Bit me!"

"You OK Mumbs?" Harry asked with genuine concern, pulling the hand back to show no blood.

"She has a baby alright"

"Awww… sweet. Come on let's find some gold."

Yeah.

Ianto let his head fall back as he stared at the ceiling and started to count in his head.

Hagrid wondered if he was allowed to leave now. If Ianto would pop him back home now?

He had finally worked out that he was in a spot of bother.