For as long as Remus can remember he's had a hard life. Constant monthly mutilations of his skin, a absent father, and the trepidation of his blush inducing crush on Anastasia Fox. Anastasia Fox, who flirts with everyone, has matching fainter scars...
disclaimer i think fireflies are pretty rare in the UK, but I grew up catching them in jars at night every summer and its one of my favorite memories so shhhh.
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CHAPTER 22 (part one) "My Special Girl."
The dew of the grass stuck green ribbons to her legs, running through the clover filled yard collecting four leafed ones with every step. Her hands moved as steadily as a 7-year-old's could. Trying to catch the visionary creatures in a glass jar her mother would use to store sunflower seeds in the winter, to make sunflower pumpkin seed brittle.
The loud screeching of the chipped blue painted back gate scared off her most recent target. Ana turned her head to catch the culprit of guilt to letting her fugitive of a firefly escape.
"Papa!" Her high voice screened.
"Flora, it's time for bed, it's practically the stars lunch time." Her father, Lawrence, stood by the open gate, still in his work uniform of an artistic business attire made of warm browns and whites, contrasting from the blue-collared navy and black suited office men, instead Lawrence looked more so like an aloof university professor. He had a pin on his tweed coat's lapel; it was a name engraving of the small newspaper he worked for logo.
"Just a little longer. I've only caught three." The fox crept closer to the backyard's metal swing set her father had installed for her birthday a month before.
"I guess I'll just have to come and get you, then." His daring tone and now bent knees sent waves of excited giggles into the full moon's ears.
"NO! YOU CAN'T," Ana screamed, tightly holding on to her temporary pets running through the garden barefoot, missing any rough stones or fallen branches with swollen luck like grace.
A game of tag began with her father using little of his athleticism to catch the callow girl instead, only getting close enough to graze her shoulder, setting off a fit of innocent screams, and quickening pace.
After allowing primitive play long enough, Lawrence grabbed the small fox from behind, throwing her in the air and spinning her around in his arms as she wiggled for freedom.
"Papa, No! Put me down. Put me down." Her laughter in between every word did little to convince Lawrence.
"No can do. I'm under direct orders from the queen to get the princess up for her bath before it gets cold." Lawrence held on to Ana with only one arm, trying to lock the back gate as she swung her legs into his, giving her father a limp as he walked them around to the front steps of the townhouse.
The gentleman put the jostling girl down like a delicate bow. Crouching down to her childish level. Her pouting face illuminated by the black wiry metal lantern hanging above the equally detailed door bell, next to the house's red door. "Flora, it's time to let your friends go."
