Wolfstar Family Snippets

Pet Shopping

February 12, 1988

"Daddy, can we go pet shopping?" Cathleen asks at random during lunch one day approaching her birthday after they had spent the past couple days asking what she wanted.

"Of course my love, what type of pet do you want?"

"A kitty," the almost eleven year old girl chorused smiling.

Remus chuckled, "I think that's a wonderful idea, I can't wait to see what your Papa thinks about this."

"I think that Marcus wants one too and Harry and Ariella want snakes."

Remus raises his eyebrows, "Huh, you guys all want pets?"

Cathleen nods.

"And you guys all decided on two of the things your dad hates most."

Cathleen frowns but nods again.

"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that darling. I think it's a wonderful idea. Your father will say yes too, you know he can't resist puppy dog eyes. I only want to see the look on his face when you ask."

And so she did, that night at dinner, after her dad had gotten home from work she asked, "Hey Papa, do you think we could go pet shopping?"

Sirius sat down his drink with a glimmer in his eyes, his response similar to Remus', "Of course love, what do you want? An owl? Perhaps something less traditional? Harry's dad had a hedgehog, cutest little budger."

"I want a kitten and so does Marcus. Ella and Harry want snakes."

Sirius' eyes looked like they were bulging out of their sockets, "Cats? And snakes?" He glances around the table at the four children smiling innocently.

Sirius smirks, "Don't look so innocent, you little manipulators."

"Please Papa," Ariella says pouting.

Sirius groans and Remus actually burst out laughing.
~~~~~
And so after Sirius agrees to give it a chance they head to a muggle pet store.

Marcus almost immediately attaches himself to a domestic calico. She was probably only a month old and she really seemed to like Marcus. Sirius rolled his eyes, annoyed because of course he was going to be proven wrong and the cats they picked were going to be lovely and friendly.

Cathleen took a little longer but then she seen the one she wanted and she just knew. He was a purebred English shorthair with the cutest purr, he was probably only a couple months old as well.

Then they went to a store specifically for snakes. They were said to have a lot of different types.

Cathleen, Marcus and Remus stayed in the car with the kittens while Sirius went in with their youngest. The workers greeted them politely at the door and told them to look around and if they found one they wanted to let them know.

Ariella was immediately infatuated with the sand boas. She was looking at all the different exhibits when a baby sand boa lifted it's head out of the sand and looked at her, then it ducked back down.

"Papa? Did you see that?" She asked excitedly.

Sirius couldn't help but smile, "Yeah, I saw it, can't help but admit the little fella is cute, and pretty small."

"Yes, well he'll grow I'm sure but I want him." She says smiling.

"Anything for you," Sirius says smiling then turning his attention to the surrounding area and trying to locate Harry.

Just then he heard, "Papa, come here. Come look, please."

Sirius followed the sound of Harry's voice which carried over from another room. Sirius and Ariella enter the room curiously.

"This snake started talking to me."

Sirius' jaw drops, he rushes to Harry's side, "Show me."

Harry looks at the snake, narrows his eyes and starts hissing at the snake, which makes the same noise back.

"He wants to come home with me, he's never met a human that could understand him."

"This is so cool, of course you can keep him."

"I wonder if you can talk to mine too," Ariella says as they walk off to get a worker.

They get list of everything they need for each snake and they find out that yes, Harry can talk to Ariella's snake.

Then their dads have a whispered conversation on the way to Petco. But Remus gives Harry a genuine smile before heading in to grab everything they'd need.