(Glad you are enjoying this OP) Percival Graves felt that it was a sad reflection on his life that waking up in bed, unable to move, was hardly a new experience. Nor was the pain shooting from the arm which was still recovering from being a focal point of Grindelwald's torture. It took him a few moments to work out where he was, what was happening - his first thought was that Grindelwald had found him again. Had found him while he was drinking, or while he was asleep - his mind raced with the different ways that Grindelwald could have managed to overpower him.
Then he opened his eyes as something shifted against his arm, and the weight upon him resolved into the body of a serpent, at least fifteen feet long, laying across him. "Tiny. No." Percival tried to insist, but she showed no sign of shrinking - instead she took his voice as a sign to stretch out longer across his body. Percival attempted to push her away, and was faced with the fact he couldn't actually move her.
It was lucky that he had Newt's case resting in the corner of his room - he might have not wanted anyone in his house for now, but Newt was his best friend's little brother and Percival didn't fear him. He cleared his throat. "Newt?" He called out, before trying again, louder.
"Newt? I could do with you coming out now really, I need some help-" His calls didn't seem to be having much of an affect, so he resigned himself to being used as a pillow by an oversized occamy. He managed at least to get his injured arm out from beneath her. Her response was to flick her tongue across his face, and then go back to sleep.
Newt emerged several hours later, and took one look at the two of them on the bed before starting to laugh. Graves had been ready to feel frightened or intimidated by Newt's presence. Instead he couldn't help smiling. Newt wasn’t a threat. "A little help?"
Newt walked over to Tiny, running his hand down her scales and letting out a series of chirps. Percival tried not to look too impressed as she shrunk down - not to the size he could carry her in his sling, but to a size where she could curl up on his chest and purr. That was exactly what she did, her purring making her body vibrate loudly with the soft noise.
"I'll fix breakfast." Newt smiled. "You could do with the rest, and your arm's bad." Percival opened his mouth to complain, then thought better of it, and gently stroked Tiny under the chin.
By the time Newt returned with a plate of food, Tiny had shrunk back to almost her normal size. "Why did she do that?" “What part of it?” “Get big like that?” "They do it naturally. It's a protection method, to keep safe their young and themselves. Did anything happen to frighten her?" "I was asleep. Just thinking about...about what happened."
"She was defending you. Occamy are naturally protective of what they see as their own, and in her case, I'm willing to bet that includes you." Newt said it so simply that Percival couldn't help smiling, a little embarrassed by how happy he felt at that. He was managing to make a difference to Tiny at least. After everything that had happened, how severely he had failed the magical world, Tiny still allowed him close.
Newt paused when Tiny hissed again, her sharp teeth snapping at the air. "Hey... easy now girl... Director, maybe try and calm her down a little, she's being protective."
Percival gently picked up the occamy, feeling her shake a little in his hands. He carefully returned her to the sling, feeling her nuzzle close to his arm. "Can I make a suggestion Director?" Newt said after a moment, watching them.
"Fire away." "Maybe put the sling on your other arm while you are sleeping. She certainly seems to like your sling, and she might have size-related issues for the next month or two - adult occamy can control their sizing much better than juveniles." Newt began, looking like he was about to launch off into a three hour long rant about creature care. Percival smiled and nodded before he could continue.
"I'll try that. Thank you." At that moment, he felt the weight on his arm lessen slightly, and a glimpse into the sling revealed Tiny was currently no larger than an earthworm. He smiled at Newt. "This might be quite a long week."
A Tiny Problem (3/6)
Percival Graves felt that it was a sad reflection on his life that waking up in bed, unable to move, was hardly a new experience. Nor was the pain shooting from the arm which was still recovering from being a focal point of Grindelwald's torture. It took him a few moments to work out where he was, what was happening - his first thought was that Grindelwald had found him again. Had found him while he was drinking, or while he was asleep - his mind raced with the different ways that Grindelwald could have managed to overpower him.
Then he opened his eyes as something shifted against his arm, and the weight upon him resolved into the body of a serpent, at least fifteen feet long, laying across him.
"Tiny. No." Percival tried to insist, but she showed no sign of shrinking - instead she took his voice as a sign to stretch out longer across his body. Percival attempted to push her away, and was faced with the fact he couldn't actually move her.
It was lucky that he had Newt's case resting in the corner of his room - he might have not wanted anyone in his house for now, but Newt was his best friend's little brother and Percival didn't fear him. He cleared his throat.
"Newt?" He called out, before trying again, louder.
"Newt? I could do with you coming out now really, I need some help-" His calls didn't seem to be having much of an affect, so he resigned himself to being used as a pillow by an oversized occamy. He managed at least to get his injured arm out from beneath her. Her response was to flick her tongue across his face, and then go back to sleep.
Newt emerged several hours later, and took one look at the two of them on the bed before starting to laugh. Graves had been ready to feel frightened or intimidated by Newt's presence. Instead he couldn't help smiling. Newt wasn’t a threat.
"A little help?"
Newt walked over to Tiny, running his hand down her scales and letting out a series of chirps. Percival tried not to look too impressed as she shrunk down - not to the size he could carry her in his sling, but to a size where she could curl up on his chest and purr. That was exactly what she did, her purring making her body vibrate loudly with the soft noise.
"I'll fix breakfast." Newt smiled. "You could do with the rest, and your arm's bad."
Percival opened his mouth to complain, then thought better of it, and gently stroked Tiny under the chin.
By the time Newt returned with a plate of food, Tiny had shrunk back to almost her normal size.
"Why did she do that?"
“What part of it?”
“Get big like that?”
"They do it naturally. It's a protection method, to keep safe their young and themselves. Did anything happen to frighten her?"
"I was asleep. Just thinking about...about what happened."
"She was defending you. Occamy are naturally protective of what they see as their own, and in her case, I'm willing to bet that includes you." Newt said it so simply that Percival couldn't help smiling, a little embarrassed by how happy he felt at that. He was managing to make a difference to Tiny at least. After everything that had happened, how severely he had failed the magical world, Tiny still allowed him close.
Newt paused when Tiny hissed again, her sharp teeth snapping at the air.
"Hey... easy now girl... Director, maybe try and calm her down a little, she's being protective."
Percival gently picked up the occamy, feeling her shake a little in his hands. He carefully returned her to the sling, feeling her nuzzle close to his arm.
"Can I make a suggestion Director?" Newt said after a moment, watching them.
"Fire away."
"Maybe put the sling on your other arm while you are sleeping. She certainly seems to like your sling, and she might have size-related issues for the next month or two - adult occamy can control their sizing much better than juveniles." Newt began, looking like he was about to launch off into a three hour long rant about creature care. Percival smiled and nodded before he could continue.
"I'll try that. Thank you." At that moment, he felt the weight on his arm lessen slightly, and a glimpse into the sling revealed Tiny was currently no larger than an earthworm. He smiled at Newt.
"This might be quite a long week."