Credence did in fact not fuss any more for the rest of the day. By the time Percival took out the cauldron and assembled the ingredients they needed - a myriad of mint and coal from the fireplace – Credence was as close to his normal healthy self as he had been in days.

They had dinner, and afterward, Percival trimmed the boy's fingernails to prevent the boy from potentially scratching himself in his sleep. Credence even had enough energy to go and play some in his room before bath time.

Percival had figured there wouldn't be more to the mood swings after that.

"Credence", he called out. Ten minutes earlier Percival had told the boy bath time was due, and now he had entered the bathroom to set the water running. He stood there for about a minute, but no patter of feet came running down the hall. He stuck his head out the door frame.

"Credence?"

He was met by silence. When he went to the boy's room Credence wasn't there. Or, he wasn't on the rug anymore anyway where he had last seen him. Anne was sitting there on her own.

He hesitated for a moment before walking a lap around the apartment, to the kitchen, his office, the bedroom, and bathroom one more time before returning to the nursery.

Was this a game?

He checked under the bed, but there was no little boy underneath it. Seeing no other place to disappear he checked the wardrobe. And sure enough, Credence was inside. His big looked up at him before he aimed them at the floor of the wardrobe.

"Come now, it's time for your bath", Percival said and made a hither motion.

To his surprise Credence gave a sharp whine and sat down. So, his suspicion had been right. This was not the coy and playful boy who was supposed to take a bath.

He mimicked the boy's move and sat down on his haunches. Once again, he waited for Credence to say what the matter was. When Credence, again, did not answer Percival reached forward and took a hold of his two little feet with each of his hands and pulled him out.

What followed was almost stuff from out of a nightmare. Black, ominous smoke poured out of the open wardrobe door. Percival couldn't help but reel back, but he immediately felt horrible for doing so and quickly sat back up.

"Credence!", the wizard said as he reached forward again to scoop up the boy into his arms. To his surprise, it didn't seem to help at all. Actually, it was the complete opposite, because it only made Credence break into a howl.

He didn't seem to want to be anywhere near the wizard. He squirmed, but it quickly turned into flailing as Percival didn't let go. The obscurus didn't seem to enjoy the contact either as it pooled and whisked around the rug.

"Credence, w-what's the matter…?!" He couldn't deny that he was scared. Truth be told the obscurus was something he had dismissed to the far back of his mind. Credence had been so good; so happy; for the last month. Now though he was trying to make sense of the sudden appearance and for a moment he became terrified that it had something to do with the Rose Rash; with the fever.

But as he sat there, trying to bundle the boy up into his arms (while Credence continued to struggle), he realized that something was very different from last time. Instead of the obscurus feeling slippery and hot it was… almost lukewarm.

And it was jabbing at him. Not painfully. It felt like aggravated nudges. Credence on the other hand was crying twice as loud as that time (Percival was surprised could keep it up with such small lungs). So much that he didn't seem to hear Percival's attempts at communication.

It didn't seem like the obscurus was about to explode, even less destroy anything! As his thoughts lingered on Credence he wondered, could the obscurial, and therefor the obscurus, be throwing a tantrum?

"Credence", he said as he tried to find a tone where he wasn't shouting but could still be heard over the wailing.

"Credence", he tried again and sat the boy upright.
"I can't help you if I can't understand what you're saying."

The boy startled at that and looked up at Percival with his big brown eyes. Still, he was still sobbing and the obscurus was nipping at the stitches in the rug. - He would need to fix that later. -

"I can't hear what you're saying when you cry like that", Percival continued, trying very hard not to glance at the obscurus.

To his relief Credence actually pursed his small lips shut and sniffled loudly a couple of times. Then he brought his sleeve up to wipe his nose and finally huffed. The obscurus wasn't completely gone, instead, it had seemed to lull itself into a wispy smoke along the floor. Still, Graves did not trust it to be completely over.

"Let's try that again", he continued in the same voice.
"What is the matter, my boy?"

Another sniffle.
"I don't wanna bathe."

How could the prospect of a bath warrant such screaming? Percival wondered. But he kept his face neutral and did not show any sign that he thought it was a ridiculous reason for a tantrum.

"And why is that?", Percival asked him.

"Because I go itchy."

Percival could see how that series of events would lead to that.

"It's because we wash off the Tingle wingle cream."

"I don't want that", Credence told him.

"We still need to wash you because you're sweaty from the fever. And sweat will make it itchy everywhere else, and you'll go even itchier."

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say because the obscurus suddenly darkened again and Credence frowned.

"Is there another way you would like better? Instead of a full-on bath", the wizard proposed.

He had attended plenty of debates and negotiations to know that this sort of middle ground was usually the key to get out of a disagreement. To make the party who objected decide the compromise. Or be made to think they choose they decided when, in reality, they were just picking from another set of choices.

"We could use the shower, or a sponge", Percival suggested when the child stayed quiet.

"Can't we use magic?", Credence asked then.

"I think you'll like a cleaning spell even less, my boy", he answered, truthfully. Then he waited as Credence considered his choices.

The little boy made a frustrated little kick of his legs, but finally, he announced:
"Sponge!" And, to Percival's relief, the obscurus faded away.

"You like that?", the wizard asked as he continued sponging the child's back. He had taken to doing it by hand after realizing that it was his lack of checking Credence's skin that had led to him not finding the rashes when they first appeared.

And he had to say that he regretted not doing it earlier since it provided a moment to calm down both of them.

He was being extra careful now as he washed away the layer of residing cream.

"...yes", Credence mumbled.

He did indeed seem to be enjoying himself, despite the lack of warm bubbly water. He was resting his little elbows on the edge of the tub; looking like he could pass out any second. Percival figured it would be straight into pajamas and then into bed.

He thought too soon.

Apparently, he took too long drying the boy off - all of twenty seconds with a drying spell - because suddenly there was black smoke pouring down the side of the wizard's leg and Credence was kicking his legs in fatigued impatience as he sat in his towel on Percival's knee.

"Credence…", Percival said, trying to stay calm but the bathroom was only so big and Credence's whines echoed very well in there.

There was a voice in his head chanting Just get the cream on, but he knew to try to rush things would not end well.

"Moving around does not make me put it on faster", he told him as he summoned the little jar they kept the cream in.
"Actually, it makes it harder", he added, more to himself.

Credence must have heard him, however, because suddenly he became very intent on getting off the lap. Percival didn't stop him, as trying to restrain him again would surely aggravate the obscurus. Once he got down the child glared up at him, a light pant in his voice, before he exclaimed:
"You're doing it wrong!"

Then, Credence took the jar from Percival's hand and proceeded to march out of the bathroom, still naked as the day he was born, obscurus draping behind him like a wedding trail.

And Percival just sat stunned.

By Merlin's beard, what is happening? He wondered.

He did follow, of course. There was an obscurus in the apartment. And it was bedtime.

He placed himself in the doorway of the nursery and watched how the boy smeared cream on his rashes. He wasn't doing a very good job, Percival noted. But he refrained from offering any assistance, as Credence had not been content with his previous attempt. It must have made the trick, however, because the obscurus started to fade away. And once Credence had dressed in his underpants and climbed into his bed it seemed to be completely gone.

"I'm going to bed now", Credence told him. He would have been cute if he hadn't worn such a fierce scowl.

"Alright", Percival nodded.

"Do you want to read a book?", he wondered.

"No!"

"…do you want to be tucked in?" He asked, clinging onto one last hope of an intact nightly routine.

There was a pause.

"Yes!"

The wizard dutifully went up and tucked in the child underneath the cover. He couldn't help but notice that Credence hadn't smeared the cream out properly, leaving streaks of cream in some places; but he suppressed the urge to even it out since it looked like the boy had at least overcompensated.

"Goodnight", he said and kissed him on the head.

"Goodnight", Credence mumbled.

And Percival hoped that that would be the last of it so that the two of them would have better tomorrow with the help of a good night's sleep.

It was Percival's bedtime when Credence came walking into the living room. Face streaked with tears, red scratch marks on his sides, and black smoke pooling around his feet.

Of course, you had to bloody jinx it! Percival berated himself as he stood up.

As he picked up the crying child he felt that the boy's temperature had risen again, and he realized to his horror that in midst of the previous tantrum he had managed to forget the Feverfew.

"We can fix this", he murmured and went into the kitchen where they kept the potion.

He set Credence down on the countertop and branded his wand; already summoning the bottle from the cabinet.

"I'm itchy…", Credence cried when he realized that it wasn't the cream. The obscurus seemed to reach up to try and beat the bottle out of his hand, but Percival merely waved it off.

"We will deal with one thing at a time, my boy…"

Then with a spiraling motion of his wand he pulled out four drops of Feverfew, leaving them to float in the air.

"Say Aa", he prompted.

Credence did. Not to oblige but to utter another protest, but the auror nonetheless used the opportunity to send the drops into the child's mouth. Credence swallowed and coughed, then resumed his sobbing.

While he did that the wizard aimed his attention at the skin. As he had feared the skin had broken in places. He frowned and caught one of Credence's hands.

"Didn't we cut these?", he asked.

Credence sniffled.

"We did…"

Yet the small nails had plenty of white on the tips. Percival shook his head. There were more important things at hand. Like ushering away the obscurus.

"Episkey", he murmured as he used his wand to target the areas, and as he did he heard Credence a small sigh of relief. The small moment of peace did not last long, however, because Percival had to catch the boy's hand as he went to scratch his sides.

"I'm itchy!", the boy yelled and flailed around some.

"I know." Percival raised his hand to summon the jar and hoped to Merlin that there was still enough to cover the entire area.

"The cream is bad…!", Credence suddenly exclaimed.
"You need to make a new one…!"

"There is nothing wrong with the cream", Percival said and caught the jar.

"It is…!"

It was obvious the boy was just tired and angry, much like the drunks the auror had encountered in his youthful days as a street patroller. When Percival just ignored him, though, Credence tried to make his way off the counter.

"Stop that!", Percival snapped and set the boy back. As he did the obscurus darkened.

"It's bad!"

And then Credence screamed at the top of his lungs. The obscurus clawed a mark in the counter top.

This isn't fair, Percival thought. I want to sit and cry, too, but then the kitchen is going to be smashed to bits…!

As he thought about this while trying to wrestle child, cream and obscurus a noise suddenly rang out through the apartment. Percival looked up. Credence, too, was so surprised that his wailing stopped. Even the obscurus stopped clawing at the tiles above the sink.

It was the doorbell.

Who could be visiting now? The wizard wondered.

They looked at each other. First sane interaction they had had in the last, what was it? half an hour.

"Who is it?", Credence asked.

"I don't know", the wizard replied.

"Maybe it's Tina and Queenie", Credence suggested and sniffled.

Percival severely doubted that. Unless the combination of his and Credence's frustration had carried across Central park all the way to the Goldstein's apartment and the witches were there to rescue the evening.

His imagination was interrupted as Credence tried to get off the counter again.

"You stay in here", the wizard instructed.

Credence whined, but Percival merely hushed him. By some miracle the boy actually quieted at that and Percival was able to spread out the last of the cream (which was much easier now that Credence sat still) then set the child down on the floor.

Now that the cream was finally on, properly this time, the obscurus seemed harmless enough that he could go and see who it was. It was gradually losing color and mostly floated about around the boy.

"That's much better, isn't it?", he asked the child as he grabbed a towel to wipe his hands.

Credence nodded in agreement despite the pout still on his lips.

Percival went to answer the door. He figured the boy would be able to calm himself down the rest of the way now that the cream was on.

When he opened the door, it took him a moment to recognize his neighbor.

"Mr. Graves!", the elderly woman greeted.

"I was just coming home from an evening play with my friends", she told him.
"And I was wondering, are you potting mandrakes?"

The suggestion was so absurd he was momentarily stunned.

"Mandrakes…?", he said, and at once he realized what she must have assumed.

What else would warrant such noise to seep through the ceiling than a screeching beast?

"Oh no! No, that's just, er… my son...", he explained motioning back into the apartment as he ran a hand through his hair; which must have been disheveled from the struggle in the kitchen.

"Oh!"

The witch leaned in to catch a look of the child. Following her gaze, Percival could see Credence peeking out into the hall from around the corner. Red and puffy eyes on full display. The obscurus was nowhere in sight.

"Does he have a tummy ache?", she wondered.

"No. But he's sick."

"Oh! What could that be?"

"Rose rash", he replied.

She frowned in pity.

That seemed to somehow trigger the boy again as he quickly ran across the hall.

Percival felt his breath catch, but the obscurus seemed to have suddenly gone away. Moments later the door to the nursery slammed. Percival cringed at the noise but shook it off before turning back to his neighbor.

"I am extremely sorry if the noise disturbed you, ma'am. This hasn't happened before, and I never imagined it would sound through the ceiling…"

"Oh, no, it didn't!", she assured him.
"It's only in the stairwell."

That did not make it much better, but it surely would be easier to soundproof the door than the entire ceiling of the apartment.

"Thank you for your concern, and for telling me the noise was leaking. I will see to it immediately", he promised.

He bid the witch goodnight before closing the door.

He allowed himself to lean back on the front door as he took a deep breath. He ran his hands over his face.

He wanted to go to bed.

What on earth had just happened? Credence, Credence, had just screamed bloody murder about an itch. Had kicked, fought, and slammed a door when there was a guest at the front door.

It felt physically hard to connect the two concepts.

He was no stranger to disciplinary action. He had spent a large chunk of his career as head auror and had dealt with more unruly aurors than he could count.

However, this was a child. This was Credence! Percival didn't have any experience except the one from his own childhood on how you dealt with children. Was he supposed to discipline the child now? Was he supposed do discipline him at all…?! Even if he thought it was justified, he didn't know how he'd go about it. The boy was sick, so he couldn't be grounded. He was too small for chores. And anything corporal was out of the question.

Adults had a career and income hanging over their heads. It was easy to motivate them to follow the rules. The closest thing Credence had to that was his toys, but he wasn't well enough to play with them anyway.

He sighed again. He didn't actually have to do it right this minute. It could technically wait until tomorrow. What he had to do now was to make sure his boy was well enough to sleep.

He waited a few more minutes, just to make sure the boy had calmed himself down before he went to the bedroom and knocked.

"I'm coming inside", he called gently when no invitation came.

There was a heap of blankets on the bed. With a pang to his heart, he realized that Credence was hiding. Percival walked up and squatted down by the bedside.

"My boy?"

If anything, the pile seemed to be pulled tighter. Knowing that he'd get nowhere by waiting he reached out and gently peeled away a piece of the blanket. It revealed an ear.

"Would you please come out?", he asked.

He saw the ear move as Credence shook his head.

"I'm not angry you threw a fit, or tore the rug", Percival said after a moment, sensing that the child needed affirmation that his behavior, albeit awful, was redeemable.

"But we do not yell or kick, and we do not slam doors. Because it is not nice. Do you understand?"

The pile was still for a moment before it was overturned to reveal a puffy-eyed Credence.

"I'm sorry!"

"That's very nice Credence, but I asked you a question, do you understand?", the auror insisted, despite wanting nothing more than to bundle the child up in his arms.

"Yessir", Credence confirmed.

"And tomorrow you will apologize to our neighbor for slamming the door."

"Yessir", the boy nodded.

Percival wasted no time to bundle the boy up in his arms. To his relief Credence seemed to melt against him. Nothing was left of the anger, and he was just a tired and comfort-craving little boy.

"It's been a long day, hasn't it?", he murmured into the bowl cut.

Credence hummed.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, my dear boy. I was a little riled up", the wizard continued.

Credence shifted a little and looked up at him in confusion. Perhaps the boy hadn't noticed the man's temper slipping, but Percival still felt bad for snapping at him.

"I'm sorry, too", Credence said.

"You're forgiven", the man assured.

With that the last of the tension in the little boy disappeared, and he allowed himself to rest against the man. He rested his little head on his shoulder. He seemed ready to slip into sleep any minute.

"What do you say about sleeping in my bed?",

Credence hummed in the positive.

"How is the obscurial?"

"You are allowed to use his name, Madam President", he told her. They were in her office for a private briefing between the two after his near week-long absence.

"Have there been any advancements concerning his abilities?", the president continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"He's had his first tantrum", he informed her.
"Or, three", he corrected himself.

She looked up, which surprised him since she had never had much interest in the domestic on goings of the Graves house.

"Did the obscurus appear?"

He nodded.

"Twice. It was very different though…" And he proceeded in telling her about his observations in the obscurus' behavior.

"Has there been any developments concerning ordinary magical behavior?", she asked.

He was about to tell her that they couldn't rush those things if Scamander's theory was even correct, but he had to stop himself.

"Actually…", he said. "I'm pretty sure he grew his fingernails. To soothe the itch", he told her.

He could see her eyebrows lift ever so slightly in impression at the small feat.

"Speaking of our obscurial…", Picquery continued, completely ignoring his previous correction.

"Word has traveled over the Atlantic and back", she said.

He nodded. It made sense, the holidays had just passed with enough travel back and forth to spread the news of the momentary destruction of their city. This surely meant the President would commence forming the proposals to strengthen the tracking of neglected wizarding children.

"A French wizarding family is claiming they gave up a baby eighteen or so years ago."

He blinked, not understanding that she was still talking about Credence and that he hadn't suddenly zoned out between topics. Then his eyes widened. He straightened in his seat.

"French wizarding family?"

If he had paid attention, he'd realize his tone was far too sharp to address the President. Lucky for him, all she did was nod in confirmation.

"Where did you hear this?"

"From Tolliver, who heard it from Blishen, who heard it from her mother who had been to England for the holidays", she told him conversationally.

She looked him up and down as he processed this information.

"Don't scowl like that, Graves, it's just a rumor. I just wanted you to be aware. Since you've been out of office", she added.

I know that was very anti climactic. But I just wanted to write a tantruming Credence! xD

Now, reading this over I'm thinking maybe Percival handled it a bit too well. My only experience with small children having tantrums is through watching Supernanny, so I don't actually know how these things work. So if you have any ideas how it could have been more believable (or dramatic) please leave your suggestions in the comments!

Or if you just want to leave a comment telling me what you liked that's fine, too.

Oh, and if you want to be ahead of this small cliff hanger, go read Ch.1 of 4+1 Times Credence woke up Percival in the middle of the night. I'm planning to do a small time skip.