Written for Assignment #1 on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry forum: Mythology, Task #9 – Write about someone going through the motions of trying to become pregnant. Word count: 525.

Mating Habits

"Two years, Teenie! You've been married for over two years, and people are beginning to talk, you know," Queenie insisted. "And I wouldn't mind becoming an auntie myself…"

"People should mind their own business, Queenie," retorted Tina. She was already tired of people suggesting that they should try for a child, quickly. Newt was too occupied with his creatures to even think about children, and she… She had never imagined herself as a mother. They were happy with their life: Newt's research expeditions, her job at the British Ministry of Magic. Why change it? "Oh, well. Because people are beginning to talk," she thought.

She spent a lot of time thinking about it and she still didn't feel convinced. But maybe they should talk about it? That couldn't hurt. In the evening, when they cuddled on the sitting room sofa, she decided to touch the uncomfortable topic.

"Do you… Do you think we should try for a child?" she asked, looking at the glass of elven wine in her hand.

"A child?" repeated Newt, his eyebrows furrowed. "Would you like to?"

He sounded surprised. Of course he did; Tina herself was surprised that she had even started this conversation.

"I don't know," she admitted with a complete honesty. "I've never thought about it."

They stayed silent after this, snuggled comfortably. Tina sipped on her wine from time to time, seemingly pensive. Would she like to? Newt stroked her hair gently, focused on his own thought.

"We could, you know," he said finally. "That is, if you want."

"We could," Tina agreed, half-heartedly.

"Pawooo!"

"Wha – " Tina seemed startled at the sudden noise. She looked up.

Newt stood there, feet a bit more than width apart, knees slightly bend; one arm curved in front of him like an elephant's trunk and the other hooked behind him. "Pawooo!"

"What are you doing?" she asked, half-confused, half-amused with his antics.

"Demiguises' mating habits," he explained quickly. "The males try to –"

Tina's facial expression made him stop mid-sentence. "People don't to this, right?" he realised, blushing. She couldn't keep herself from laughing anymore. For someone who knew an awful lot about magical creatures, Newt could be incredibly unaware of human habits. But she was less and less surprised with it.

The had not been intimate before. They cuddled a lot, caressed each other in a non-erotic way, but neither of them initiated anything more. Tina – because she had had two rather unpleasant encounters in the past. And Newt – well, Newt was just being himself. But she didn't expect he had never.

"Teenie…"

"We are… working on it," Tina said hesitantly. "It's not so easy, Queenie."

"Shall we, Mr Scamander?"

"Tina, I –"

"Shhh," she silenced him gently. "Just relax, Newt."

She traced his jawline with the tips of her fingers, and then went lower, across his torso, to the edge of his trousers. "Just relax."

"It was… quite nice," said Newt quietly.

They were peacefully laying in bed, Tina's head on his arm.

"It was," she smiled.

"But… We could wait some more with this baby thing."

"We could. If you want to…"