DINNER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY. In Mena's apartment, however, dinner never really ends. With this many creatures, one can never feed them all at the same time. They've all got different feeding schedules, different foods, different portions. Mealtime is when Mena is the busiest, always scrambling to get everyone fed.

That is what Mena is doing right now, because the birds are being fed now, and the dogs are going to be fed after, and she cannot forget Cherry, who is being fed constantly. She's going to have to tell her boss that she won't come in today. It isn't as if she loves her work anyway. Being a seamstress is fine and dandy until it gets in the way of her pets.

Puck begins to bark as Mena feeds worms to the flightless pigeons. She looks down at the mutt. "Hush, it'll be your turn soon."

Puck barks even louder.

"Don't be rude, Puck."

Puck begins to hop, bouncing up and down, getting closer and closer to the wall. Some other animals begin to do the same, a few birds, Josephine and Annette, chirping anxiously, one of the Kneazles, Bob, hissing.

Mena's brow furrows, trying to see a through line in the chaos. A chain reaction from Puck's barking? No, that would have set off many more of the animals if it were like that. Perhaps... perhaps it is what Puck is barking at.

Wait.

Mena had rescued these animals from men. She looks to the wall that they are all suddenly angry at—or afraid of. Tina and Queenie's apartment.

"Interesting," Mena says, cocking her head.

She quickly gets the dogs' meals ready, setting them down earlier than she initially planned. She preps the kneazles' dinners as she tucks Cherry into her little purse, made specifically by herself for when an animal needs constant attention and care. Curiosity did kill the cat, but Mena hasn't really been afraid of death since that night all those years ago, when she was only five. She knows that there are things that will keep her safe. Once you gain nature's trust, nature will reward you.

"Don't get into any tomfoolery while I'm away," Mena says to the apartment. The beetles in their crates clack their pincers.

Mena makes her way out of her own apartment to the Goldstein's door. She looks down at Cherry in her comfy little purse. The kitten meows in acknowledgement, before falling asleep before her eyes. The woman smiles, before remembering her reason to be here to begin with. Men. She knocks on the door.

There's a moment of pure silence (The Goldsteins must also use spells to keep their place quiet) before the door squeaks open, only a sliver of light escaping from the apartment. Tina's eye peeks through. "Oh, hello, Clementine."

"Hello, Tina. I've got a question for you, but if I'm correct, you have to let me in. I don't want to get you in trouble with Miss Esposito if she hears..." Mena realizes that it might sound like she's threatening the other woman, causing her to wince.

"Oh, don't worry, honey," Queenie says from further inside the room. "We trust ya. Let her in, Teenie."

The door opens more, just enough for Mena to squeak in. It locks shut behind her. The room is filled with sweetness, sweeter than usual. She spots the strudel on the dinner table.

"Wow, Queenie, that smells wonderful," Mena sighs, looking at the bronze haired woman.

"Thank you, Clemmie," Queenie grins. "What've you got in your purse there?"

"Cherry," Mena explains, opening it further so they can see her.

"No pets allowed," Tina reminds lightly.

"No men either," Mena responds, looking at the two men obviously at the table.

"Boys," Queenie says, standing up. "This is Clementine Farley. She's our neighbor and she was one of my best friends at school!"

Perhaps best friend is a little bit of an exaggeration. When Bernie graduated from Ilvermorny, Mena didn't have many people to talk to. Luckily for her, Queenie would talk to anyone, even the girl who drew pictures of moths on her papers when she was supposed to be doing homework.

"That was not an exaggeration," Queenie chides. "Jeez, this one always forgets how likable she is, don't you, honey? C'mon, I'll get ya a seat."

Tina looks over at her little sister with widened eyes, who waves her off.

"Why do you have men in your apartment anyway?" Mena wonders, walking further into the apartment. She looks closer at the bigger man, who won't stop staring at Queenie. He's sweating up a storm. She furrows her brow.

"He is very sick right now, we're... keeping him until he gets better," Tina says, oddly.

"Oh, dear, that's—" Mena then notices the bite. Her eyes widen. "Oh, Isolt and James, is that a Murtlap bite?" she exclaims, far too loud than she meant. A Murtlap! She's heard of them before, but she's never seen one. Oh, she wishes to see a Murtlap. She knows drawings and blurry pictures will not do it justice.

"Yes, it is," the other man says, reminding the woman of his presence.

"Sorry, sorry, just—Murtlaps aren't common in New York City, how—oh, is the Murtlap alright?" Mena rushes, finally looking over at Tina for some reassurance.

"The thing attacked me and you're worried about the thing itself?" the bitten man exclaims.

"Of course. You seem perfectly fine, grand scheme of things. Some sweating and the occasional twitch is miniscule in comparison to—" Mena stops herself before she can continue onto the worst of the symptoms. Besides, if he had them, he'd be close to death, not ready to eat strudel. "Well, it could be much worse."

Silence fills the apartment. Mena swallows uncomfortably. Cherry meows, breaking the quiet.

"Oh, I'll get her some milk," Queenie says, swishing her wand to open the ice box.

"The—the Murtlap is just fine," the non-bitten man says, finally looking up from his dinner. His light brown fringe covers most of his eyes. Mena recognizes the blue coat. She bumped into him hours before.

Mena breathes a soft sigh of relief. "Good, good."

Queenie sits Mena to the left of herself before getting back to the conversation with the sweaty man—if you could even call it a conversation, since half of it is happening solely in his mind. Mena switches between eating her own dinner and feeding Cherry, who sits in between her and the blue coated mystery man. She should probably ask for his name, but it's already pretty awkward having to sit next to a stranger and she probably should have asked at first, because now it would seem as if she's trying to use him as a way to escape the odd eavesdropping that she is experiencing with Queenie and... that sweaty man—God, Mena needs to find out their names.

Mena clears her throat, leaning over the kitten to whisper, "I'm Clementine Farley, by the way—"

She is, of course, swiftly interrupted by the man that Queenie has been conversing with—if that is even the right word. "Could you stop reading my mind for a second? Don't get me wrong—I love it."

Queenie giggles and Mena feels like she is intruding on a date.

"This meal," the man continues, "it's insanely good! This is what I do—I'm a cook and this is, like, the greatest meal I have ever had in my life."

Queenie laughs, almost squealing. "Oh you slay me!" She rests her head in her hands. "I ain't never really talked to a No-Maj before."

Mena's eyes grow comically wide as she whips her head to face Tina.

The man mirrors Queenie and responds. "Really?"

The curly haired girl suddenly stops, looking down at her food. "I am not flirting."

Tina sighs, awkward. "I'm just saying—don't go getting attached, he's going to have to be obliviated." She looks at the No-Maj. "It's nothing personal."

Mena looks back at the man, the N0-Maj, who shouldn't be here for more reasons than she initially thought. He's obviously exhibiting the symptoms of a mild Murtlap bite. Mena really wishes she could have seen the Murtlap. She believes the other man when he says that the animal is fine—oh dear, is he also a No-Maj?—but she just wishes to see it face to face.

"Oh, hey, you okay, honey?" Queenie asks the No-Maj, concerned.

The other man gets up, choosing to stand stilted behind his chair. "Miss Goldstein, I think Mr. Kowalski could do with an early night. And besides, you and I will need to be up and early tomorrow morning to find my Niffler so—"

"Niffler?" Mena exclaims.

"What's a Niffler?" Queenie asks Mena.

"Don't ask," Tina responds. She begins to walk to the back room. "Okay, you guys can bunk in here."

Mena watches from her chair as the men filter into the other room. Cherry meows to regain the woman's attention, startling her from her concentration. She sets the kitten down next to the plate of milk, waiting impatiently for the eldest Goldstein to finally close the door.

Tina turns, eyes locking with Mena's. She lets out a sigh, walking quickly back to the two women.

"A No-Maj?" Mena hisses. "Are you insane? I understand breaking certain rules made by certain people, but Miss Esposito does not have the power to put you in jail. MACUSA does!"

Tina presses a hand to her brow, tired and exasperated. "I would have obliviated him the second I saw him, he was just bitten by one of Mr. Scamander's animals—"

"Someone has magical animals?" Mena gasped.

"Yes, the blue coated man in our bedroom!" Queenie explains, a smile upon her face. "He's got a whole case of 'em!"

Mena stares at the two girls, struck dumb. A whole case of magical creatures?

"Oh, sweetie, don't pass out, now," Queenie says, rubbing the woman's shoulder.

"The whole reason Mr. Scamander is here as well is because some of his creatures got out," Tina continues. "I'm going out to help him find them tomorrow."

"What sort of have gotten out?" Mena asks. "Can I go with you? I'm very good with animals."

"We know, Clem, but this is a serious issue. Some of his beasts can be really dangerous."

Mena folds her arms together indignantly. "Tina, the first time I got Puck, she tried to gnaw Bernie's hand off and when I separated them, she went for my neck. I've got scars to prove it. She was a mean puppy."

Queenie giggles, nodding along to whatever Tina's thinking. She then claps in happiness. "Oh, yay! Clemmie, it'll be just like when we were in Ilvermorny together!"

Mena grins, looking at the eldest Goldstein. "Then, is that a yes?"

Tina sighs but still smiles. "Yes, okay, but I'm going to take him to MACUSA myself. I don't think I'm allowed to bring Seamstresses to the head of the Auror department."

Mena suppresses a yawn, causing Queenie to twist up her mouth. The bronze-haired woman tuts. "Oh, go back to your apartment to sleep."

Mena nods, slightly embarrassed. "Yes, I shall do that. Knock on my door when we have to head out, alright? I'll probably already be up." Breakfast starts at four in the morning most days.

Mena takes Cherry and her coat on the way out, giving the back room one final glance. Behind those doors is someone who doesn't just have a Murtlap, but also a Niffler. She wants to talk to Mr. Scamander, desperately. She gives the Goldsteins one final wave, before leaving the apartment for the night.

author's note

puck is the #1 man hater and we love to see it

i hope y'all like the nena crumbs  because i literally could not imagine a world where they could easily strike up a conversation out of the blue 😭 this is what i get for writing mena as awkward as newt ig

i hope y'all liked it! vote if you can please <3