twenty

9.8K 378 29
                                    

A few specks of rain were hitting the ground, but it wasn't pouring yet

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

A few specks of rain were hitting the ground, but it wasn't pouring yet.

Newt and Neeki walked up the front steps to their apartment. He stared at the lights flashing on and off in his sitting room, then looked behind him to see Neeki's narrowed eyes. Her back was straight as she looked around the street for any predators. She lightly pushed Newt away from the door, then opened it.

Inside, a baby Niffler was swinging from the brass cord on the lamp in an attempt to steal it. It was causing the light to flicker on and off. Then, it succeeded in stealing the brass cord before spotting Newt and Neeki. It scampered away, knocking objects to the floor.

They spotted a second baby Niffler sitting on a set of weighing scales, pinned down by gold-colored weights. As the first baby made it to the dining table, Newt dropped a saucepan on top of it, who continued moving across the table, dragging the saucepan along with it. Newt grabbed an apple and tossed it into the opposite weighing scale, sending the baby Niffler flying into the air. Neeki transformed and caught the Niffler's coat with her teeth. It wiggled around before Newt grabbed it and put it in his pocket.

Newt caught the baby Niffler under the saucepan before it could fall, then tucked it into his pocket. Newt and Neeki walked toward the door to his basement but turned at the last moment to see a third escaped baby Niffler climbing onto a bottle of champagne on the counter. With a sense of inevitability, the champagne bottle popped and the baby Niffler zoomed toward the couple on top of the cork, soaring past them and down the stairs to the basement.

Newt looked down at Neeki in astonishment before scurrying down the basement. Neeki leaped over his head and landed a couple of steps in front of him. She kept sliding down the stairs on her paws.

"Bunty! Bunty! Bunty, the baby Nifflers are loose again!" Newt shouted.

Bunty, their assistant, hurried into view. She was a plain girl who was crazy about creatures and had a small crush on Newt. She didn't hide it very well. Although, Newt was oblivious when it came to love, but Neeki knew well of Bunty's crush. She never liked it when Bunty got near Newt.

Bunty grabbed a glove with a gold necklace attached to it. She tempted the last baby Niffler - the champagne cork rider - with the gold necklace, then tucked them into a cage filled with sparkling objects, and locked the cage.

"Well done," Newt praised.

"I'm so sorry. They must have picked the lock while I was cleaning out the Augureys - "

"What's the status?" Newt asked as he scratched the top of Neeki's head.

She purred and thwacked his leg repeatedly with her tail.

"I've fed nearly everyone, Pinky's had his nose drops, and - "

" - and Elsie?" Newt asked.

"Elsie's droppings are nearly normal again."

"Wonderful. You can clock off now - " Newt stopped once he saw the bloody bandages around her fingers. "I told you to leave the Kelpie to me."

"That wound needs more ointment - "

"I don't want you losing fingers over it," he replied. Newt marched toward a patch of black water. "Seriously, you go home now, Bunty. You must be exhausted."

"I'm never exhausted with these creatures!" Bunty exclaimed.

The trio approached the water. Newt unhooked a bridle hanging beside the pond and stripped his coat off. Bunty walked forward to take it, but Neeki narrowed her eyes at her and walked closer to Newt. He put his coat on top of Neeki's slick body.

"Thank you, Neeki."

Then, Newt dove into the water with perfect form. The Kelpie erupted out of nowhere, spiraling toward Newt with the intent of drowning him, but he grabbed the Kelpie around the neck and climbed onto his back. The Kelpie burst out of the surface of the water before he dove back into the water. The Kelpie came back up by the wood clearing, now bridled. He was docile now. He shook his mane. Bunty gave the ointment to Newt. Still mounted, Newt applied the ointment to a wound on the Kelpie's neck.

"Bite Bunty again and there'll be trouble, Mister," Newt threatened.

Newt slid off the Kelpie with a chuckle at Newt's threat. Suddenly, there was a crash from overhead. The trio immediately looked up. Neeki growled and rushed upstairs.

"Oh - Neeki, don't! I want you to go home now, Bunty," Newt ordered.

"Shall I call the Ministry?" she asked.

"No, I want you to go home. Please."

BLACK PANTHER. ❪ Newt Scamander ❫ ✓Where stories live. Discover now