disclaimer: I own nothing
Author's Note: Late again, I'm sorry. Life got in the way, as well as my other stories. I promise the next chapter is longer and more interesting. This one was had to be in here on its own.
Enjoy!
London was chilly and promising rain the next morning when Newt and Tina made it home. There was still some snow drifted here and there, but Newt felt that was the last they would see of it for a while. Fog coming off the river made things even chillier.
"We'd better get home before the Ministry comes to arrest you." Tina said as they walked down the street.
"I still have a few hours." Newt reminded her.
"I don't think they'll care about that." Tina said.
Newt had to agree with that, but didn't say so.
When he opened the front door, Minty was sitting in the front hall, waiting for them with her tail twitching. Newt had barely shut the door behind Tina when the kneazle leapt at Tina, springing off of Tina's prominent front to her shoulder. Tina staggered slightly in surprise as the golden kneazle rubbed her cheek against hers.
"Hello, Minty." she said with a smile, rubbing Minty's head.
Newt smiled and kissed Tina on the other cheek as he hung his coat.
"I'm going to relieve Bunty." he told her.
Tina went with him to check on Tempest. The Tadfoal was delighted to see both of them and Newt laughed.
"You would think we'd been gone more than a day and a half."
None of the other creatures seemed to care one way or another, but Tempest viewed Newt and Tina as her parents and Minty was Minty.
When they went back upstairs, Newt found their bedroom destroyed. He sighed in exasperation and went to find niffler. It took nearly hour to find everything the niffler had stolen and return them to their proper places.
When Newt was done, he found Tina sitting at the kitchen table, writing a letter.
Newt peeked over her shoulder to try and read the neat cursive.
"What are you doing?"
"Writing a letter to Queenie. And you should ask before you try reading it."
Newt smiled and, having nothing better to do, made a pot of cup. Tina ignored the mug he placed by her as she continued to write. Once she had finished, she sealed it in an envelope and wrote Queenie's name on the front.
"You don't happen to have an owl in the basement, do you?" she asked, looking up at Newt.
"Unfortunately, no. But there's a post office in Diagon Alley." Newt said, smiling slightly at the question.
A little while later there was a knock that was closer to pounding on the door. Newt was preparing a bottle for Tempest in the kitchen and Tina opened the door.
"Mr. Travers." He heard Tina say.
"Ms. Goldstein."
Newt set the bottle in the sink and turned as Tina led Travers into the living room.
"Mr. Travers." Newt greeted, wiping his hands on a dish towel. "I assume you're here to make sure I came back within the time limit? I think I still have an hour or two."
"Yes, Mr. Scamander, you do. But President Picquery contacted the Ministry to say that she sent the two of you home today." Travers did not seem to be happy to see him.
"She did."
"You are aware that your travel ban is once more in place, now that you have returned to England?" Travers said.
"Yes." Newt said.
He still wasn't sure why exactly Travers had shown up himself, but Newt had a feeling. The Ministry wanted to get him on something. Travers stared hard at him, then nodded.
"Well, good to you, Mr. Scamander. Ms. Goldstein."
Travers let himself out, leaving Newt and Tina looking at each other.
"That was strange." Tina said after a few moments.
"Indeed." Newt agreed, turning his attention back to the bottle he had set in the sink.
"They're looking to arrest you on anything they can." Tina said, turning her head to look towards the front door with a small frown.
"I'm not entirely sure why they think I'm so important." Newt said.
He pulled the rubber nipple over the neck of the bottle and turned towards the stairs.
"Do you want to feed Tempest or should I?" he asked.
Tina shook her head at him for some reason.
"I will."
She took the bottle from him and proceeded down the basement stairs. Newt followed her. Tempest was eager for her bottle and zipped around her pool with high pitcheed whinnies until Tina knelt on the edge of the pool. The Tadfoal immediately swam to her and latched on to the bottle so suddenly and eagerly that Tina almost lost her grip on it.
"Slow down, Tempest. It's not going anywhere." Tina said, readjusting her grip on the bottle.
Newt crouched beside her. Tina was eyeing the way the little hippocampus was suckling, yanking on the nipple and sucking very hard, every now and then worrying it between her small teeth when the milk didn't come as fast as she wanted.
"I hope human babies aren't like that." she said.
Newt chuckled at the look on her face as she continued to watch Tempest.
"I shouldn't think so." he said with a small smile.
"I hope you're right." Tina said, stroking Tempest's cheek with her free hand.
Newt had to laugh again at this. "I don't think the baby is going to maul you, if that's what you're worried about."
Tina laughed herself at this.
Tempest drained the bottle, sucked hard for a few moments longer, then nuzzled Tina's knee and swam to her rock, laying down on it and closing her eyes.
"Though babies of any species seem to be similar in many aspects." Newt added.
Tina looked at him at this. He gave her a small smile and Tina stood, staggering slightly as she did so. Once they were certain that Tempest was asleep, they headed back upstairs.
Tina picked up the envelope she had left sitting on the table.
"I think I'll walk to the post office." she announced.
"Now?" Newt asked.
"Why not? I have nothing better to do. Do you want to come with me?" Tina said, walking towards the front hall.
Newt considered as he followed her.
"No." Tina smiled as she pulled her coat on, not even bothering to try and close it. "I'll see you later, then." she said, walking out the front door.
Newt turned and headed back to the basement. He had to clean the kelpie's water, which while he could do with magic, was an extremely difficult and long process that Newt did not particularly enjoy. The kelpie, used to the spell, frisked around as Newt did so, splashing water everywhere. Newt was soaked by the time he was finished. Tina wasn't home yet and he went upstairs to get a new shirt, which smelled vaguely fishy now.
Newt sighed as he opened the door to his and Tina's bedroom to find the niffler about to go on another raid.
"Out." Newt ordered.
The niffler glared, but slunk out. As he was changing, Newt heard the front door open. Once he finished buttoning his shirt, Newt turned to join Tina downstairs.
Author's Note: I'll post the next one sooner, I promise!
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