Of Foxes and Wolves

This is a Marauder's Era Harry Potter fanfic.  Some things you should know before you begin to read are:

-I do not own Harry Potter

-Lottie is my own original character

-Raine is my friend Cassie's original character 

-I know Harry Osborne is played by James Franco, but I wanted Harry's look for James Potter, not Franco's. 

Now you can continue!  Enjoy!

*****

“Keep up, Lottie.”  Dad said from somewhere up ahead of me.

I ignored him and kept walking at my own pace, narrowly avoiding people walking by as I continued to read the book in my hands. 

“That’s it.  No more reading for you if you can’t keep up.”  Dad said, whisking the book from my hands. 

“Daddy!  I was just getting to the good part!  Odysseus is about to blind the Cyclops!”  I protested, trying to grab for the book.

“Lottie, you’ve read this book about a thousand and one times.  I’m sure it won’t kill you to wait until we get home to continue reading.”  Dad closed the book and put it into the Flourish and Blotts bag he was currently holding.

“That’s the best part ever.”  I grumbled, walking beside Dad.

“Okay, so where’ve we been so far?”  Dad asked, ignoring my comment.

“Um, Flourish and Blotts, Madam Malkins, Potages, Scribbulus, the Apothecary, and Magical Menagerie.  I’d like to go to Obscurus Books though.”  I said softly.

“Don’t you have enough books?!”  Dad asked.

“One can never have enough books!”  I cried, throwing my hands in the air

“You know, if you stopped reading every once in awhile you might make a friend or two.”  Dad suggested.

“No…I’m too shy, Daddy.  And people don’t like me anyways.”  I said lightly, shaking my head.  I heard my dad give a small sigh, but he didn’t continue the conversation further, this isn’t the first one we’ve had like it.

We walked to Obscurus Books in silence.  All along the street I saw people I’d gone to school with for years, but never talked to.  Most of them were here in groups of friends, laughing and joking around.  Other than me, only first, second, and third years came with their parents.  Dad doesn’t like me to be alone, says I need a friend.

When we were close to the bookstore I saw, as they were known around school, The Marauders.  They were all messing around on the sidewalk.  James and Sirius were wrestling on the ground; Peter was watching them in awe, and Remus and his twin sister Raine were leaning against a wall talking. 

We continued into the book store and I browsed the shelves for about twenty minutes, finding seven books I really liked.  The queue to pay for the books was really long, so Dad told me to just wait for him at Florean Fortescue’s because he knew I preferred the outdoors.  I slyly took The Odyssey back out from the Flourish and Blotts bag when Dad wasn’t looking and began to read before I was even out of the shop.

As soon as I stepped out of the shop I ran into someone, making me drop my book and fall onto my butt on the sidewalk. 

“Sorry!  Sorry!”  The person frantically apologized, holding out their hand to me.

“That’s alright.”  I said quietly.  I was too shy to take the hand offered to me so I got up on my own, grabbing my open book beside me.  I finally looked up to see who I had walked into and saw that it was Remus Lupin.

“First you won’t help us prank Snivellus and now you’re knocking people over, Moony?  What’s gotten into you?”  James asked his friend jokingly.

“No!  I didn’t – it was an accident!”  He sputtered.  “I’m really sorry.  Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine.”  I said, my voice barely over a whisper.  “I have to leave, please excuse me.”

I walked away quickly, hugging my book to my chest and keeping my head down.  Talking to people was not my strong point.  I arrived at Florean Fortescue’s not long after the incident and waited there for Dad as I quietly read The Odyssey and sipped a Strawberry Milkshake.