Chapter Text
On the first day of Christmas,
my True Love gave to me
An Erumpet blowing up her tree.
Tina woke up that morning to an empty bed and the sheets draped in such a way that suggested Newt had quit it in a hurry. She glanced around their small room at the Leaky Cauldron and saw that their suitcase was resting on its side, clasps fastened.
She pushed the covers back quickly, pulling her robe on over her fleece pyjamas and picking her wand up, before she opened the case and descended into what could only be termed chaos.
Dougal was at her side in the potting shed before she had even reached the floor, tugging on her hand and pulling her out into the case and towards the Erumpet’s cage.
She was in season, and not dealing well with the lack of a mate. This wasn’t the first time Tina had seen the great beast in season, but it was the first time she saw Newt looking panicked about it.
Bertha had her great horn pumping explosive into the base of the tree, Newt himself sat at the top of it wondering how he was going to get down.
Tina rolled her eyes, lifting her hand to call to Bertha, as she had seen Newt do. The Erumpet female looked up and to the side, looking extremely hopeful. Newt used the distraction to hop down from the tree, landing in a sprawling mess before scrambling out of the enclosure.
Bertha watching him cross the boundary sadly, slumping down in her enclosure and emitting a mournful bellow. Newt skirted round the outside of the enclosure and back to Tina.
“Well, that went badly,” he admitted, “Thank you dear.”
“What were you trying to do?” Tina asked in amusement. Usually she would care for the erumpet when in season, to avoid exactly this sort of scenario.
“Dougal came to get me ten minutes ago, Bertha was getting agitated. I didn’t think she was in season for another week, and I went in to sooth her. Bit of a mistake…” Newt rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Add this to the number of times being married to you has saved me.”
Behind them, the tree exploded, shockwaves agitating the other creatures, raising a cacophony on the other side of the case.
Tina turned to look at him, eyebrows raised.
“Just remember you love me,” He raised his hands in mock defence as the tree thudded to the ground behind them. “Merry Christmas love?”