Fantastic Beasts {Charlie Weasley}

Prologue

The disgusting smell of wet Kneazle was what woke Tanin the morning of her departure. Tanin's eyes snapped open to see dark brown orbs staring back down at her.

"Oi, Madelyn!" the girl gasped with her thick Irish accent, sitting up and looking at the cat-like creature. "You smell horrendous. Were you splashing in puddles again?" The Kneazle bowed her head in apology. "Without me, Made?" Tanin huffed. "So unfair."

Just as Tanin stood up from her bed, there was a knock on her door, followed immediately by her father entering.

"Oh, good. You're up," Nigel Scamander said, smiling down at his only child. "I was getting ready to get your mother to wake you up."

Tanin scrunched up her nose. "Mam either pours water over my head or jumps on my bed to wake me up. I swear, that woman is a raving lunatic."

Nigel grinned. "That's why I love her. And, that's probably where you get your crazy side from, Tan." The man sat on his daughter's bed as the jealous Kneazle sulked out of the brightly colored room, her head hanging low.

"No, Dad," Tanin shook her head, her currently blue hair flying all over the place, before sitting down next to her father. "I'm pretty sure I get that from you and Papi. The two of you are obsessed with animals, and I must say, between you and him, I'm hooked as well."

Nigel laughed heartily. "Good to hear that, sweetheart. You're going to work with beasts someday, I just know it. You've got natural talent with animals, so I wouldn't be surprised if you became the head magizoologist at the ministry. You have a knack for this kind of thing."

"It runs in the Scamander blood, I suppose," Tanin looked up at her father with hopeful eyes. "You really think I would be a good magizoologist? It's my second dream job."

"Second?" Nigel asked, intrigued as to why Tanin said that. He could only ever recall her talking about that, and that only, and Nigel Scamander paid very close attention to his daughter.

Tanin nodded happily. "My first dream job would to work at that dragon sanctuary in Romania. When Papi took me to see his friends there, and they told me stories and showed me pictures of the dragons, that's when I decided that's what I want to do with my life. That's what I'm going to do with my life. I just know it."

"That's a long way away, Tan," Nigel told his daughter, eyes slightly wide at the idea of his little princess handling a dragon. "And, it's extremely dangerous. I know you like to work on the field, but perhaps something safer, baby girl. Clabberts are a decent choice, hon. Nice and safe."

Tanin gaped at Nigel. "Clabberts?" she demanded. "The ministry only rates them at a level of two danger, and they're incredibly boring. Way too nice, and way too safe. And besides, Dad. I don't want to study Clabberts, I want to work with dragons."

Nigel sighed, and opened his mouth to say more before a voice screeched from downstairs.

"TANIN! NIGEL! GET YOUR SORRY BUTTS DOWN HERE FOR BREAKFAST!" Adiba Scamander called from the kitchen.

"COMING, MAM!" Tanin yelled back, equally as loud. Nigel flinched at the volume of his daughter's voice. Tanin stood up. "Well, come along, Dad. Mam's waiting."

Nigel smiled lopsidedly at her. "Race you," he challenged.

"Good luck, old man," Tanin ginned. "You're gonna need it."

Tanin and her father ran downstairs, both nearly tripping on the final stair, before regaining themselves and running into the kitchen where Adiba stood waiting, hands on her hips.

"What have I told you two about running indoors?" the woman with bright pink hair demanded, before smiling at her husband and daughter. "Always let me race with you!"