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“Where are they?” She demanded. Uncle Tree gave her a shrug. Ellie glared up at him. He’d been giving her that shrug all day. She’d been asking when her mommy and daddy would be home and Uncle Tree could only manage a shrug. Ellie heard Grandad let out a laugh. She turned her glare to him which only made him laugh harder. Her grandfather was across the room and picking her up in seconds then.
“Oh come on Elliphant, don’t look at Grandad like that. Mummy and Daddy will be home soon.”
“With da baby?” She looked at him skeptically. That’s why Mommy and Daddy were gone. The baby growing in Mommy’s tummy was finally ready to be here. At least that was what Daddy told her when he visited her over the last week. Mommy had been stuck at the hospital while Daddy came home to check on Ellie, Nan, Grandad, Uncle Tree, and the creatures everyday.
“Yes, they’ll be coming home with the baby.” Nan said with a mischievous smile as she came to stand beside Grandad. She reached out and pinched Ellie’s cheek causing the little girl to giggle. As her grandparents went to entertain the 2 year old Ellie more, the whole family heard the front door open. Ellie started to squirm. She wanted to go see her parents. She wanted to go see her mommy.
Grandad shifted though keeping her in his arms while they heard her father yell, “Thee! Can you come help us?” Uncle Tree got up immediately from his armchair and headed over to the door. Ellie tried to move around her grandad’s head to see, but he just kept moving.
“Ellie, give them a minute, sweetheart.” He whispered only for Ellie to finally find the weak spot and drop down. Nan blocked her though.
“Eleanor Ruth.” Ellie just looked up at Nan. Her grandmother had a stern look on her face despite there being amusement in her eyes.
“I just want Mommy.” Ellie said. Her grandparents both shot her an empathetic look when a new voice spoke. A voice Ellie had been waiting to hear all week.
“I’m right here, niffler.” Ellie looked around Nan’s legs to see her mother standing in the doorway to the living room. She looked tired, but happy to be home. Normally Ellie would sprint up to her, but even at two, she could recognize something was up with her mother. She hesitantly started to move towards her causing all the adults to chuckle. “It’s okay, Elle Belle. I’m okay.” Mommy knelt down and spread her arms wide, causing Ellie to smile and jog the last couple of feet to her mother.
“Tina! You’ve just spent a week and a half in the hospital recovering! The healer said to take it easy!” Ellie heard Daddy as she buried her head into her mother’s neck. She felt her mother stand and turn towards her father.
“I’m aware, Newt. But I think holding our two year old daughter is okay.” Ellie looked up in time to see her mother cutting her father a glare as she carried Ellie over to the couch. “How have we been, Ellie?” Ellie just shrugged, still burrowing into her mother. She heard Mommy wince causing her to pull back in concern. “I’m okay, I’m okay. Just a little sore. We’ve got to be careful for a little bit, okay?” Ellie nodded and her mother smiled as she turned back to call for Daddy. “Newt, I think it’s time we introduce them.”
“Hmmm.” Ellie heard Daddy say in amusement. She tried to sit up and turn around, but Mommy put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.
“No, Ellie. Can you do something for Mommy?” Ellie nodded quite seriously. Of course she’d do something for Mommy. It’s Mommy. “Close your eyes and scoot a little closer to me again.” Ellie scooted over and closed her eyes. She heard shuffling and felt someone sit next to her on the couch. She also felt someone walk in front of her. Once the person handed whatever over to Mommy, they reached out and ruffled her hair. Ellie kept her eyes closed, but a pout now sat on her face causing all the adults in the room to laugh. Finally though, her mother whispered, “alright sweetie, open your eyes.” Ellie did so and looked over at her mother to see the small baby in her arms. Ellie was fascinated immediately and tentatively reached out a finger the way Mommy had taught her weeks ago. As soon as it was within reach the baby gripped it tightly. Ellie looked up at her mother in shock. Mummy was laughing lightly as she wrapped an arm around Ellie. “Ellie, this is your little brother, Jackson David Scamander. We’re going to call him Jack.”
“Jack.” She whispered back as she watched her little brother in amazement. “Hi, Jack.” Jack let go of her finger and raised his hands up around his face and Ellie looked a little concerned when he almost hit himself.
“He’s okay, Elle. He won’t hit himself and if he does it’ll be okay.” Mummy whispered as she dropped a kiss to Ellie’s head. “Now I think Daddy has a surprise for you.” Ellie looked up in confusion as her mother nodded behind Ellie, towards the other side of the couch. When she turned her braids hit her in the face and she needed to reorient herself for a moment when she saw the second baby. Ellie quickly crawled out of her mother’s embrace to her father who was laughing at Ellie’s shocked look.
“Careful, little love.” He said as he lifted his arm to pull Ellie to him. She nestled up and peered at the baby. “This is your other baby brother, Ellie.”
“Other baby brother?” She asked. Ellie was confused. Mommy had gone to the hospital because the baby was ready to come out. Baby, singular. One. Not two. Now there are two babies. What was going on?
“Yes, honey.” Mommy was scoring closer to them with Jack. “Mommy had twins that means-“
“Two babies.” Ellie said. She knew about twins. Daddy had shown her pictures of the hippogriff twins that had been born a few weeks ago at Grandad and Nan’s. Ellie looked up at her mother then. “You had two babies in your tummy?”
“Mhmm.” Mommy said as she kissed Ellie’s forehead again.
“You’re exactly right, little love.” Ellie turned back to Daddy then. He was giving her a smile she knew was only saved for her and Mommy as he two leaned down to kiss her head. “Would you like to know your brother’s name?” She nodded as she reached a finger out for the baby like she had with Jack. “This is Joseph Alexander Scamander.”
“That rhymes.” She said.
“It does.” Daddy grinned down at her. “It’s just like Uncle Tree. His name rhymes too.”
“We don’t need to talk about it.” Ellie looked up at her Uncle Tree who was glaring from across the room. “Newt, does Joseph here have a nickname or-“
“Joe or Joey is what we decided.” Her mom spoke. “Whichever one will be fine and when he’s older he can choose what he wants to be called.” Ellie was watching her mom when a hand grabbed her finger and she was shell shocked out of her head. She looked over to see Joe had grabbed her finger and opened his eyes just a little. He was staring at her. “We’ll look at that. I think he might like you, Elle Belle.” Mommy spoke behind her. Daddy was chuckling as Ellie stared in amazement.
“Why don’t we get a picture of you five?” Ellie heard her Nan call, but her eyes were stuck on her brother. She knew in that moment know matter how much they fought, Jack and Joe would be her best friends. Something about the look in his eyes and Jack’s original grip on her hand told Ellie they would be an unstoppable trio if they wanted to be. Ellie didn’t look away as the first picture was snapped. She made a deal with herself to always protect her baby brothers in that moment. A deal to protect any other siblings they may one day have.
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It was June 18, 1931 when she was two years old Ellie made that promise. She had been thinking about it when she snuck into her father’s case on this last mission. The photo of her staring at Joe while her parents smiled holding the twins up always hung on the wall outside the work shed forcing it into her brain. She and the boys had dubbed it the picture wall since Dad had various photos of them, Mom, Oliver, and Estelle hanging on it. But that photo was one of her all time favorites. One she’d actually convinced her mother to give her a copy of. The twins had each asked for one too. It was kept in their school cases with the other photos of their family, just like their dad.
Outside of the photo though, Ellie had been thinking about her promise to protect her siblings. Especially when she learned Estelle was in danger due to her legilimency. That Grindelwald was tracking them more closely due to Estelle. Ellie had been damned if she was going to let the bastard get her little sister.
That’s who she found herself here. Kneeling in front of the madman with her brothers at her side, his acolytes pointing wands at her back. She heard her mother and father screaming in the distance. But Ellie just kept her eyes on Gellert Grindelwald. The grin on his face slowly disappeared as she slipped into his mind.
“You’re-“
“A legilimens? Yeah. I am.” She smirked as he stepped back. “And you messed with the wrong siblings.”