Work Text:
“Is it ‘Bring your kid to work day’? Did I not get the memo?” Abernathy looked at the other aurors beside him. “Why do I never get these memos? I’m staring to feel discriminated against! It’s just no-“
“Shut up, Leonhard.” Goldstein hissed and Abernathy had enough sense of self-preservation to snap back to attention, even if it was with a pout on his face.
“Good morning.” Percival repeated, hands linked behind his back and a file hovering next to him. “Before we go over today’s assignments I wanted to inform you that we have a junior auror visiting our department today. Say hello, Credence.”
Credence held onto Pericval’s jacket with one hand and waved with the other, smiling shyly. “Hello.”
The group of aurors mumbled a greeting back and Percival nodded. “I expect all of you to be on your best behaviour around him.”
“Hello, Tina.” Credence added with much more excitement, having found a familiar face. Tina waved back at him and Credence’s smile widened.
Maggie Barton looked like she was about to coo at Credence and Percival shot her a glare that had her quickly looking up at the wall.
He read out today’s assignments and cases that had come in but weren’t pressing. A tug on his jacket interrupted him and Percival looked down at Credence. HIs son’s eyes were wide and he had pushed up onto his tiptoes, practically vibrating with excitement.
“And me, papa?”
This time Maggie Barton did coo.
“You.” Percival looked down at his notes as he thought about it. “You are going to be my personal assistant today and help me keep an eye on this bunch, alright?”
“Yes.” Credence beamed and leaned against Percival’s leg.
“Good. Any further questions?” Percival asked, his gaze wandering over his team. They all shook their heads and Percival’s file snapped close, floating back to his office. “Get to work then and stay safe.”
He turned and walked back to his office, Credence running ahead. Percival couldn’t help but smile, happy that he’d be able to spend the entire day with Credence. And really, the boy could do with a break from Mindy’s Magic Nursery. Not that Newt, who was in New Zealand, never needed to know. He’d just purse his lips and pin Percival down with a look again, like Percival was behaving irrationally or something.
In the corner of his office Percival had already set up the toys Credence had decided to bring along –his niffler plushie, his building blocks, his little broomstick, his magic crayons and one of his favourite picture books about dragons. Instead of going to his toys though Credence climbed onto Percival’s chair, grinning widely at him. For a boy his age he was small, but the large chair made him look even tinier and Percival’s chest tightened.
“Maybe I should just go home and leave you in charge here, it seems you’ve got it all under control.”
Credence giggled and twisted in the chair, reaching out for Percival. “Noooo.” His giggles turned into laughter when Percival lifted him up into the air before sitting down in the chair himself and settling Credence down in his lap. The files and memos on his desk were piling high and Percival sighed.
“I’ve actually got some work to do, darling. Why don’t you read your book in the meantime?” He had the book zooming over from the table with a twitch of his hand and Credence grabbed it happily.
“Okay.” He shifted and leaned back against Percival’s chest, pulling his knees up and resting the book against them. “Can Nifi read too?”
“Sure.” Percival floated the stuffed toy over and Credence hugged it and arranged it so it was looking with him at the book. He’d always been a rather quiet child, unlike Percival if his mother was to be believed, and entertained himself with the book quietly for the better part of an hour while Percival worked. With Credence’s weight leaned against him and his son’s occasional humming or giggling breaking the silence Percival found the morning’s paperwork to be far less tedious than it usually was.
***
“Director.”
“Madam President.” Percival looked up from the case file he’d been studying, reading over it again and again looking for clues he might’v missed.
“Stupefy!”
Both adults turned their heads to find Credence standing with his little toy wand pointed at Picquery, who raised an eyebrow.
“The poachers have stollen the occamy eggs and Credence is trying to get them back.” Percival explained and leaned back in his chair, quite enjoying the confusion on Seraphina’s face. It melted away quickly though and her lips quirked into a smile.
“I can assure you, I’m not a poacher.”
Credence pursed his lips and regarded her for a few more seconds before he nodded and lowered his wand. “Okay.” Since she was not part of the game Credence quickly lost interest in Seraphina and crawled back into the fort Percival had built for him with a spare chair and a cup he’d transfigured into a blanket.
When Seraphina looked back at Percival with both eyebrows raised he put on his best smile. “Was there something you wanted, Madam President?”
***
“I brought you guys lunch.” Tina said as she stepped into the office, two paperbags in hand. She stopped short when she observed the state of Percival’s office, turning concerned eyes on him. “Uhm.”
“Mh?” Percival looked over his shoulder to find Credence drawing a dragon on the wall of his office. “Don’t sweat it, Goldstein. They’re magic crayons, they come off easily enough.” Though maybe Percival should return his office to its usual state, least his aurors started to think of him as less intimidating if they found his walls decorated with flowers, stars and magical beasts.
Tina merely shook her head and put the bags down on Percival’s desk. “Credence, Jacob made your favourite sandwich.”
That got Credence’s attention and he abandoned his art project in favour of clambering up into Percival’s lap, nearly kneeing him in the groin.
“Wif cheese?”
“Extra cheese.” Tina smiled and unwrapped Credence’s sandwich and put it down in front of him. Jacob had already cut it into child appropriate slices. Credence grabbed one of them and took a large bite that made him look like a hamster with its cheeks bulging out.
“Thank you, Tina.” Percival took the sandwich she handed him, only now realising that his stomach was grumbling. While he had supplied Credence with snacks he hadn’t thought to eat himself all day.
“I assume Newt doesn’t know about this?” Tina asked innocently.
“No and he’s not going to hear a word about it.” Percival replied, not even bothering to glare at her. Tina was here as a friend and Percival trusted her to keep her mouth shut.
They talked about some of the week’s more tricky cases while eating, Credence dropping back more and more against Percival.
“I think that one’s tuckered out.” Tina nodded at Credence who’d fallen back against Percival’s chest, his eyes blinking sluggishly.
Percival smiled and brushed strands of Credence’s hair back from the boy’s face. “I think it’s nap time.”
“No.” Credence sighed. Contrary to his protest he curled up against Percival’s chest, his eyes already closed.
“I’ll make sure nobody comes in for the next half hour.” Tina winked and gathered the remains of their lunch.
“Thanks, Tina, I appreciate it.”
Percival transfigured Tina’s now vacated chair into a small bed and carefully tucked Credence in with his niffler plushie.
***
“Bye!” Credence waved to the aurors as they left, happily skipping along next to Percival as they walked to the apparation point.
“Papa? Can we visit the occamies?” Credence asked, tilting his head back to look up at Percival.
“Mhm, sure. After dinner. You can tell them that you saved the occamy eggs today.” Percival suggested and was rewarded with one of Credence’s beaming smiles. Some days Percival thought he lived just to see those smiles.
“Oh and Credence? Don’t tell your daddy what we did today, alright?”
***
“Now, this is going to remain our little secret Credence, alright? No need to tell your papa about it.” Newt said once they’d apparated to a forest outside of New York.
Credence nodded and looked around with wide eyes, holding onto Newt’s hand as they walked deeper into the woods. There was no need for Percival to know that Newt had kept Credence home from Mindy’s Magic Nursery today and taken him along to gather some food for the bowtruckles and graphorns. While Newt didn’t share Percival’s aversion to leaving Credence in Mindy’s care, he also thought that a day out in the fresh air every now and then was important.
And as long as they were home before five, Percival never had to know.