D.D: Possibly a galleon c;
MonicaStartrek: Thank you!
This chapter is actually out so early thanks to the reviews and follows/favourites. We're in Switzerland at the base of the Alps. (Still 1921)
30 hours later and I felt my body slow, drifting between following Mr Scamander and actually knowing what was going on around me was a bit of a nuisance. I'd found myself holding the Niffler, not bothering to glance at the Muggles whispering around me about the rat in my hands. Mr Scamander didn't seemed at all perturbed by the whispers and odd glances, I supposed he'd been used to this for a while now.
We'd checked into a boarding house of sorts near the alps. It wasn't expensive enough to be a hotel but held that respectable quality nonetheless, though we'd been hardpressed to find this one anyways. It was old and windy, probably built in the 1830's, honestly. I felt a chill grip my bones as I turned in the covers for some amount of warmth.
It was chilly here, snow on the ground and thinner air the closer we got to these gargantuous mountains. Luckily I'd thought ahead and had saved a few heavy coats just in case, I probably had a whole house worth of items in this purse. It weighed quite a bit sometimes too. Though that was only when I forgot to reinforce the charms on it. Monthly job of mine I sometimes forgot.
"Mr Scamander?" I called out softly into the darkness of the small 4x4 room we'd wound up sharing. A second passed, leading me to believe he was asleep. I almost felt bad for possibly disturbing his sleep.
"Yes, Ara?" He called back, just as soft as always. I heard a metallic popping and quickly snapped the metal piece back down. His Niffler had apparently grown quite attached to me after I'd carried him for the last few hours of our train ride and walk about. Seemed to continuously try to get out of the case...this was going to be long night.
"Do you usually sleep inside your case?" I wondered out loud, forgetting my original question for the moment.
"I used to, but my suitcase had an uncanny way of being moved into a new area every time I woke up. Felt it might test the fates if I got comfortable doing so." He explained warily. I nodded to that answer and went quiet for another second or two.
"Oh, also. Mr Scamander, if we have any sort of long term engagements such as this one, please do remind me to reinforce my purses' charms each month if you can." I asked nicely, hoping he might do so.
"I've honestly been rather surprised that he took such a liking to you. I've chased after that guy for weeks at a time before he'd agree to go back home. Always stealing things that aren't his." Mr Scamander mumbled the last sentence to himself in a bit of a mildly annoyed tone.
"Jealous, are we?" I grinned into the dark, not even the window that sat between us brought any light into the room. He let out a mix between a scoff and a chuckle, it made my grin grow even larger if that were possible.
"Well...All I can say is that this can be your first exam then." I raised a brow at those words, did he expect me to turn around and leave? Not bloody likely.
"To get him to stop stealing things, you mean?" I checked, making sure that this was what he meant and not some strange miracle.
"Mhm." He sounded as though this was a new and nearly impossible challenge for me to take at my own risk. Such a challenge I would take anyways.
"You're on, sir." I declared with some vengeance in my voice. He let out a little chuckle with the sound of fabric rustling to let me know he'd moved. I rolled over as well, keeping an ear out for any snapping of his case's locks in the night but it'd seemed that everyone was asleep finally.
I awoke to the feeling of cold again and decided I'd get up finally. Well. Only to sit on the floor with my knees pulled up to my chest. It was at this point that I remembered just how chilled I was and tried to think of something to warm myself. I had a large glass jar was specifically kept to act as a movable fireplace in times of need and today I had such a need.
So I began to feel around my purses' interior, checking each little compartment I'd procured until I spotted the glasses and grabbed the jar itself. Placing the jar on the chilled stone floor, I pointed my wands towards it and waved it in the fashion of a flame fit for the jar itself.
"Incendio." I whispered it at first, trying to not alarm Mr Scamander or wake him. When I felt it's warmth, I allowed my wand to hang down again. A Larch wood with Dragon heartstring core and with supple flexibility at 10 ΒΌ" in length, I'd gotten along well with it.
It started out as a rocky relationship, one that I'd fought with time and time again, but I'd won it's respect. The only issue I'd found so far was that the dragon heartstrings were so temperamental. There was good chance that I'd have an accident from time to time, a spell would go arse over tit once or twice until we'd had a meeting of the minds and hearts.
I felt something sharp crawling over my back, possibly going for my shoulder and froze. His bloody case had opened again. There could be anything trying to get onto my shoulder right now...wait. He said everything was harmless in there. It can't be that bad. It'd found whatever place it'd wanted and had stopped on my shoulder. I turned my head slowly, as to not startle whatever it was.
Little beady and black eyes greeted me with a touch of glee. "Can I help you, little sir?" I peered at what seemed to the Niffler I'd had to fall over for yesterday. I felt my earrings to find that he hadn't taken them.
He reached into his belly's pouch to pull out a shiny, gold Galleon. I watched as he shook it towards me, both of his hands holding it up near my cheek. I raised a brow as I slowly reached towards him, wondering if I was meant to take it out of his little webbed claw like hands. He seemed to think I should, considering he kept shaking it at me with a happy sounding purring.
When I took it, I flipped it over in my hands to eye the dragon and the wizard I'd never placed. The weight of it told me that it was truly a galleon. I sighed as I looked back to see the Niffler looking rather proud of himself.
"Is this yours?" I murmured, watching him slowly shake his head.
"Then you need to put it back. Can you go put it back for me, love?" I raised a brow, holding the coin just above where he balanced on my shoulder. He seemed to huff (Grumpy perhaps?) but nodded nonetheless. He leaned forward, snatching the coin back out of my hand and hopping off my shoulder. Looking back, I watched as he climbed up the cot I'd been sleeping on to slip the galleon back into my purse.
Good grief, I didn't carry any of those in my purse. They were usually kept on my body somehow. Sometimes a jacket, or a pant's pocket. So where did he even get that from?
"Let me just get this straight, we're about to climb up that mountain in search of a Graphorn..." I recounted slowly, watching Mr Scamander nod slowly at me from under his fleece lined hood and jacket.
"And this is all because the locals claimed to have seen some large, horned beast with a humped back?" I raised a brow now, a little incredulous as he continued to nod. Like there was absolutely nothing wrong with his plan.
"I would try to track them but...its rather difficult with the snow." He looked a little apologetic, he knew this was a bit of a wild chase but was willing to try it.
"Fine." I sighed, nodding to myself. I tried to remember if I had everything, the fire was out, we had some food in both my bag and his own, the niffler was back in the suit case...wait.
"Where's the Niffler?" I called out, standing near the door with him waiting on me as I rechecked what I had inside my purse. I felt a tug on my pants leg and looked down to see the little thing waving up at me.
"Why didn't you go back into the case?" I raised a brow, kneeling down to be closer to his level. I felt like if I were being yelled at by a giant, it'd be easier if it were on my level. He shrugged, starting to go towards my purse, tugging on the red and purple bunched fabric that lined the whole accessory.
"I think you'd be much more comfortable in his." I remarked with a nod of my head towards Mr Scamander's direction while I slid a hand under his feet to hold him up nearer to my face.
"It's much warmer there, I'd say. And you'd have company." I pursed my lips as he seemed to think about it, putting a webbed hand under his bill.
I wouldn't know honestly, I'd never been in his suitcase but I was imagining that it'd have all the needed necessities to feed and water all his creatures and house them in their most well-suited habitats. Despite Nifflers originating in Britain, I always felt like they'd enjoy the warmth more so than a wet cold. I know I did.
He nodded finally, holding onto my thumb as I stood again and went to allow him passage into the suitcase. Mr Scamander opened it and held it up to the Niffler. I felt a little squeeze on my thumb until he let go and jumped from my hand into the case. Mr Scamander shut it rather quickly, seemingly worried that he'd slip back out in the last second.
"...I think that was the easiest time I've ever had with that little guy and this suitcase." Mr Scamander announced. He sounded surprised yet also a touch impressed in his announcement, both of which made me almost preen. I'd always loved praise, a bookworm and student at heart, this felt a little like it.