Hi all! So a few things to note.
1.) Thank you all so much for the hopeful reviews, follows, and favourites!
2.) I have begun to try my hand at writing a novel of my own on Inkitt (we'll see how this goes, eh?)
3.) I am in uni and I'm approaching my junior year which means I'll be incredibly slow to update.
4.) Do YOU have a suggestion for the Niffler's name?
D.D: I'm glad you like it so far! I'm honestly not sure where I'm going with this anyways.
TheWonderfulShoe: The werewolves and unicorns and Yeti's was taken from the little wheel prop from the movie but I think I'll expand on that later with my own ideas. As for her past, that'll be expanded on as well in the coming chapters! c:
I awoke to the feeling of something warm laying on my right hip with my left laid on the floor itself. I blinked a few times, trying to understand what the noise was and found it to be a mixture between the Niffler and possibly the owner of the arm that hung down in front of my face. It was covered in soft looking blonde hairs, a tanned skin, and a few freckles.
I followed the limb back up to it's owner to take in the wide open mouth and dribble slowly falling from the corner of his mouth with a bit of amusement. He drooled in his sleep. I watched him sleep for a moment longer, interested in his even expression and deep breathing and felt a sense of peace radiating from him. Interesting.
My stomach growled as I rolled over onto my back slowly, with the Niffler finding his place on my stomach again. I figured it was time to stop staring at him so creepily anyways. Might be a good plan, huh, Ara?
I sat up slowly, catching the Niffler as he fell down. He eyed me with a bit of annoyance but allowed me space to get up from the floor and dirty blankets I'd been asleep on. I'd have to think up a name for the little guy at some point, it was like having a baby and just calling it "The baby" for the rest of it's life. Maybe Richard.
I grabbed my purse from it's place, and began searching for something to cook and what to cook in as I stood in the doorway of his little shack. I wasn't sure if he'd have any dietary issues so I went for a simple breakfast (was it even morning?) of eggs and ham over a fire I'd gotten contained in my little glass jar.
I'd spent about 10 minutes making it and grabbing ingredients from my bag before I felt huffs of air drift over my shoulder. Why did I continue to turn my back to the creatures in his case? I'd gotten the attention of one too many it seemed.
Attempting to be covert I ever so slowly turned my head to look to my right and saw shiny golden beak, reminding me of a hippogriff only much larger and scarier. It's the Thunderbird, THIS IS NOT A DRILL, BE CALM. CALM. Okay. Calm. I sucked in a breath before stopping myself from panicking and turned ever so slowly back to face the ham I'd been cooking. This is fine. I just have a beast leering over my shoulder that could shred me in half with just one of his talons. 10/10. Best plan ever, Ara.
"Ara?" A tired voice called my name from behind me, but I did not turn around. I didn't even flinch when the beak roughly nudged my nearly healed shoulder.
"Frank. She's still healing, you mustn't push her about like that." The voice tsked, coming closer to my back. It was now that I recognized it as Mr Scamander's voice. Was Frank the Thunderbird? I should have known better than to cook food next to a meat eating bird. Merlin's Beard. Where did your head go, Ara?
I heard another set of huffs in my ear and swallowed hard, this may just be where I keel over out of panic. I stared forwards, trying to not move, to not startle him whatsoever. I had a feeling that Scamander would mourn more for the bird being harmed than my body being shreded to bits and pieces. I was roughly nudged again by this Frank and closed my eyes accepting my fate.
"Frank. I just told you, your meal is up in about an hour, young man." Scamander tsked him again as though he were talking to a son. I heard rustling before gusts of wind swept over my body leaving me with nothing but the sound of Mr Scamander's feet hitting the ground as he came closer and some scuttling.
I peeked an eye open as Mr Scamander took a plate from the ground and shoveled half of everything made so far onto it, he was casual but quiet. I tensed slightly as the Niffler climbed it's way onto my lap.
"How are you feeling, Ara?" His voice was crackly despite how clear he'd sounded not a minute ago when he was chastising Frank. I shrugged, taking note that while my skin felt tightly stretched over my frame, it didn't hurt.
He nodded in response, focusing on taking the spatula from me and cooking an egg and a few slices of ham. I pursed my lips, trying not to get grumpy over the fact that he'd taken the helm on this cooking endeavor despite having food himself. I waited quietly and patiently, only to find that he'd taken my own plate to push food onto it.
With a raised brow, I watched as he handed me the plate with robotic movements. My own eyes were trained on his but I'd found he was not quite meeting my eyes, instead he chose to look over to the side again. Just to the left of my eyes. He just decided to cook food for me.
"Thank you." I muttered it as he gave me a half nod and looked back quickly to his own food after I'd taken the plate from him gingerly. This was odd feeling. I let the plate sink down to the Niffler's height and allowed him to grab himself some food as well. He'd seemed incredibly interested in it, standing on his hind-legs with his webbed hands hanging on the edge of the plate.
"So..." I started slowly, trying to not drag Scamander into conversation so early after he'd gotten up and who know's how long he'd been awake the night before. I'd gotten his attention, I knew I had by the fact that he'd stopped eating with his eyes glancing at me every few seconds.
"I was thinking of the name ideas for this little guy, like we talked about on the train, remember?" I raised a brow, waiting for his response while I motioned to the furry creature currently eating strips of my ham.
"Mhm." He nodded slowly.
"I was thinking about possibly Richard. Or Badger..." I trailed off with my head tilted to the side, waiting on a response from either guy. I glanced down at the Niffler. He shrugged, seemingly uncaring about which one I picked so I turned my gaze to Mr Scamander entirely.
"I uh-um. I have a feeling he wouldn't care what you called him as long as you're the one that named him." Scamander shrugged, half-smiling at me before he turned back to his eggs. He seemed proud almost, like I'd done well with asking the question and getting a half-assed answer from a wizard and a Niffler.
"Well then, that was helpful, Mr Scamander." I mumbled to myself, going around the Niffler to grab some eggs that were left over.
"You can call me Newt." I didn't process what he'd said at first, not responding to him and watching for a hint at what he'd told me. It took about a second for his expression to change from a blank slate to one that was calm yet nervous which keyed my brain in somehow.
"Oh! Okay. Good, good." I replied quickly, a little embarrassed that I hadn't caught what he'd said at first and dragged it out to this awkward length of time. Just...stellar job, Ara. Stellar.
We'd gotten all dressed up again, heading towards leaving the case as soon as we'd made the rounds for specific feeding times. The Niffler insisted on hanging out inside my furry jacket and I wasn't disinclined to tell him no. Honestly, I was just hoping he'd keep me warmer than I was before.
Mr Scamander went out first, popping his head out slowly while I waited on the ladder below him to go up. He gave me a slight nod and climbed out. I waited a second before I followed him out. I was about half way out of the case and on the last step of the ladder when Mr Scamander offered me his hand to balance me slightly. I took it with a small smile, feeling quite nervous and quickly climbed out just so I wouldn't have to hold his hand much longer.
While the logical part of me told me that I wasn't actually touching him, we're both wearing gloves and all...it was just the other side of me felt like my skin was on fire from the thought of it. Merlin, I'm weird and kinda creepy.
I waited until he'd dusted the ice off the case that had found it's way there over the last night or two and snapped it shut to follow him. It was dawn, I think. The sun was slowly rising and it seemed we were heading back to the boarding house for a bit. I could only guess that by the way the air kept getting a little warmer and lights in the distance were closer and closer. Possibly to get a fresh head start on our search for the Graphorn tomorrow morning if we didn't try again today.