The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Giraffe Smut

Tina Scamander looked up from the parchment she'd just finished reading with a sigh. Beside her, Queenie was giggling and kissing baby Rolf's face. "Such a funny lit'le thing," she cooed, "Such a funny boy already, yes." She paused and looked up at Tina then, one eyebrow raised. "Of course he wants to come home, Teeny, he loves you loads and no giraffes would make up for you and Newt!"

Bradley Scamander had written a long and excited letter, complete with drawn pictures illustrating the words he wrote, telling Newt and Tina all about the summer he was having with Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. The letter had talked about the comic book he was writing and pick-up quidditch at the Potter house, how he'd made friends with Nate and Michael - the boys the Odairs had adopted (just like he was adopted!). He'd spent nearly six inches of parchment talking about Nymphadora Tonks, too, who Tina had the sinking suspicion may just be Bradley's first crush for the way he talked about her. Then he'd launched into a story about Mike the Giraffe Keeper at the London Zoo and how Lily Evans had brought him there three times since and how he'd gotten to feed the giraffe twice now. He asked if Newt and Tina would consider going to Africa, to the Serengeti, and collecting a giraffe for Bradley to keep in the suitcase ("I swear I'll take good care of it and take it for walks!"). He talked about dance parties listening to Sirius's record player, hot chocolate, bacon, and his adoration for James Potter's mum and how she'd taught him how to knit and he'd knit a scarf for Newt, which was included.

Tina unrolled the scarf. It was wonky, several stitches missed and very uneven in parts, but it was knitted from mustard-yellow yarn and had fringe, and she was certain that Mr. Scamander was sure to adore that scarf and count it as one of his most precious possessions. 

"He certainly will," Queenie agreed outloud to Tina's silent thought. "If it's one thing Newt loves, it's something wonky."

Never had a truer statement ever been told about Mr. Scamander.

"I know, right?" Queenie laughed. Then, "But don't worry, I'm sure Bradley misses you, too, Teeny."

Newt came into the room, then, ducking in through the door, the tiny red heart dragon, Pox, curled on his shoulder, long tail wrapped about Newt's beck. Pickett, the bowtruckle, peered out of Newt's pocket at the dragon on his opposite shoulder. Behind him came Jacob, limping slightly, his hips bothering him quite a deal these days. Jacob lowered himself onto the couch beside Queenie and smiled, leaning over to tickle Rolf's belly. The baby squealed and kicked.

"'ey there, Little Feller," Jacob said, voice croaky and thick with accent. He smiled, then, tired, leaned back into the couch cushions with a sigh of relief.

"We - we w-went for a w-walk," Newt said, "L-Lovely day - l-lovely d-day out there." He spotted the parchment in Tina's hand as he sat in one of the chairs. "Wh-what's th-that?"

"A letter from Bradley," Tina answered.

Newt took the letter and read it through.

"You need to lay off the sweets, darling," Queenie said, looking at Jacob. "It's darling you went for a walk but it only half counts if it's a walk to fetch jelly doughnuts for yourselves!"

Jacob flushed.

"A-a g-gir-giraffe!" Newt exclaimed, looking at Tina. "The b-boy wants a g-gir-giraffe?!" He was looking at the illustration of how Bradley pictured a giraffe's habitat to look, which was very similar to the towers in the London Zoo and included a high overlook to feed the giraffe's from. He'd even drawn a detailed picture of a giraffe, labelling all the various parts of the creature, just the way Mr. Scamander did in the graphs of creatures in Fantastic Beasts, which included showing that he even knew the word for the horns at the top of a giraffe's head: ossicones.