40Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing them, and no profit is gained.
School was over and on a hot summers day the Potter house was packed to celebrate James 17th birthday, a grand occasion indeed. The food had been eaten, the presents open, and all who were there, James cousins, Teddy, Tyler and Dell sat around wondering what to do.
"Quidditch? I mean, we have enough for two teams, somebody would actually have to sit out," Dominique said.
"We always do Quidditch; can we do something else for once?" Lily asked and Molly nodded in agreement.
"How 'bout hide and go seek?" Louis put in. A Weasley game of hide and go seek was always entertaining, with so many kids.
"That's a kid's game, there's a reason we haven't played that for a while," Victoire said, waving her hand in the air.
"Sounds like fun, I'm in," Teddy said with a smile, making Victoire look at him in shock.
"You serious?" When he nodded she sighed and agreed. Everyone agreed except for one.
"Well, I'm not," Roxanne said shaking her head. Everybody groaned and somebody called her a 'spoil sport'.
"Come on Roxi," Fred tried and coaxed his sister, using the nickname only he was allowed to. Eventually, she agreed.
"Fred's it," Dell and James said at the same time, not even meaning to. They looked at each other surprised, than gave each other a high five as Fred groaned.
"You'll like this Dell," James said as they all ran off in different directions and Fred began to count.
Dell ran into the shed, and pulled herself up onto a shelf hidden in the corner, hiding herself behind a few corners. Hopefully the shelf would hold her. A few seconds later somebody else came in. Dell could still hear Fred counting so knew that the red head that was easily seen in the darkness wasn't him. Though with the many red heads in the family, it didn't take long for Dell to see it was Roxanne, who unlike Dell just leaned against the wall.
Right when Fred finished counting the door opened once more and another person came in. Dell couldn't tell who it was in the dark until they spoke. The person saw Roxanne and said, "Roxanne," In shock. Dell froze knowing it was Tyler who had entered. She had a feeling it wasn't going to be pretty.
"What are you doing here Tyler?" Roxanne said harshly.
"Hiding," Tyler asked more than said, taking a few steps back from Roxanne. Thankfully it wasn't a small shed like the closet Dell had been stuck in with Fred, but it wasn't the biggest, and Dell had a feeling Tyler was wishing it was bigger.
"Well, this is my spot," Roxanne said, though she looked tired as she leaned against the wall.
Just then Fred was heard saying, "Found you James," Followed by an 'ow', and "No magic!"
They both just ignored it, Tyler saying, "I'm sorry, but...Fred," Whether he was trying to explain for the reason they were stuck together or the reason he wouldn't go out with her or tell anybody but Dell about his feelings, it was unknown.
Speaking of Dell, she had gone unseen the whole time, watching the conversation. She must have picked a good hiding place for neither to have seen her, but she wished she had picked somewhere else.
"Tyler...just don't," Roxanne said the hurt clear in her voice as she finally let her facade slip, a thing she rarely did.
Tyler held a hand out as though he was going to reach out to Roxanne before letting it drop. He let his head drop, and once more whispered, "I'm sorry," As though he knew of nothing else to say.
"I just have one thing to ask," Roxanne said the hurt still there. "Why? My brother is my brother...he may be way too over protective, I know that, but I also know he just doesn't want me to get hurt. The truth, he'd probably be madder at you now if he knew how much you were hurting me than if you went out with me. Then again, that's what I get for falling for one of my brothers best friend." Her tone turned bitter at the end. Dell agreed with Roxanne, and wished she had thought to use it. She'd just told him to forget about Fred, which was the best coming from her since Fred was also her boyfriend.
Dell was so concentrated on the conversation she was (shouldn't have been, but was) watching that she didn't hear the many more names Fred had called, nor did she hear the numerous feet coming towards the shed.
Tyler ran his hand through his hair, the hurt look on Roxanne's face killing him. Whether she was just saying that or it was the truth Tyler tried to figure out, but when Tyler saw the water come to her eyes, he broke down. Tyler walked over to Roxanne and kissed her for the second time in his life. She enthusiastically kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck.
Of course, at that moment the door had to open, for Tyler and Roxanne to see Albus, Louis, Hugo, Lily, Victoire, Teddy, Dominique with Fred and James up front, both having shocked expressions, Fred's soon turning to one of livid, James quick to follow. The other boys in the group didn't seem the happiest either, though Dominique held her brothers arm, a smile on her face, and the surprised expression never left Lily's.
Tyler swallowed and took a step back, Roxanne trying to think quickly. She could handle her brother and maybe James, but all of them at once? Roxanne had to think quickly of what she could do; besides tell Tyler to run, and with the only entrance being blocked.
Dell saw all this and at that point jumped down from the shelf. All looked back startled, though Tyler and Roxanne were definitely the most. Dell stood in front of Tyler and Roxanne and glared right back at her boyfriend, standing her ground, knowing he wouldn't do anything with her there.
"Move Dell," It was James who said it, his eyes glued to his best friend who had just kissed his cousin and other best friend's younger sister.
"No, haven't you continuously asked what's up with Tyler since Christmas? And hasn't everybody wondered what the hell is Roxanne doing since...well I can remember last summer, but it was before then," Dell said, looking at both Fred and James, though also glancing around at the others.
"You mean…" Fred trailed off as he looked between Tyler and Roxanne then at Dell, the expression turning only from livid to extremely angry, but it was getting there.
"Yes, you dimwit, if you opened your eyes once and awhile and actually looked," Dominique said stepping forward while pushing her brother back as she let go of his arm. "And it's because of you two he wouldn't ask her out," She added looking angrier then she should have been.
"So that's why Matt didn't ask you out, afraid of your family," Dell said with understanding.
"He says he'll wait till they're back at school," She said with a sour expression on her face. "After what happened with Luce's boyfriend Alex – or ex, I should say."
"Anyways," Dell said turning back to Fred and ignoring the question she knew Tyler was trying to ask – about how Dominique knew. "Wouldn't you rather your sister go out with your best friend – somebody you know you can trust – instead of somebody you don't know?" She finished and as the look of anger disappeared to realization on Fred's face. Dell knew she had gotten through.
"Hey Lily, you like any of Al's best friends?" James asked turning around to look at his baby sister who just glared at him in return.
"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Lucy came around followed by Rose, Lucy looking extremely angry and Rose annoyed at having been left so long.
"Well," Molly said and everybody in the shed exited and looked up to see Molly on the roof edging around the top so she could be seen. "Apparently you were wrong Luce."
"And exactly what was I wrong about?" Lucy asked her arms crossed as she stared up at her baby sister.
"A Slytherin and Gryffindor can wind up together."
Edited 2020-02-15