Shades of Denial
11 | In Which a Party is Spoiled
July 5, 2017
For the first time in her life, Victoire had looked forward to a party.
Not because she was growing to enjoy them (Godric, they made her skin crawl), but because she hadn't been out of the house in five days and she felt like she was going to go crazy. It was Dominique's fifteenth birthday party and it was being held at Shell Cottage, so she still wouldn't be able to leave, but at least she'd see different people – namely Teddy.
When Teddy arrived, she greeted him like everybody else and then excused herself to go upstairs. Then Teddy said he forgot Dom's present at his house, like they'd planned, and left, but just went around to the side of the house. Victoire opened her window and he pulled his broom out of the bushes where he'd stashed it earlier. He flew up and she clambered onto his broom and together they flew off along the shoreline until they were far enough away that they wouldn't be seen or walked in on.
"Have you talked to Molly?" Teddy asked first.
"I haven't talked to her, but she was glaring at me from across the room," she answered despairingly.
Teddy hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry about it, Toire."
"How can I not?!" she asked, pulling away. "She's really mad at me, Teddy."
"She'll forgive you."
"How do you know?"
"Because that's what families do: forgive each other."
She looked at him and smiled, and then pulled him down for a kiss.
"So you think the clan will forgive us for keeping this a secret from them?" she asked hopefully.
He nodded and smiled. "They'll have to."
"When are we going to tell them?" she asked.
"I don't know," he replied. "We said we'd tell them once we knew it was going to work out."
She peered at him, trying to gauge his feelings. "Well at our date you said you thought we had a shot. Do you still think so? Is this going to work out?"
"I really hope so, Toire," he said, bending down to kiss her on the nose. "I really, really hope so."
"Then we just need to find the right time to tell them!" she said happily, taking his hand and interlacing their fingers. "And then it won't be a secret anymore and we won't have to sneak around!"
"We should probably tell your parents first," he told her.
"Why not Harry and Ginny first?" she asked. "Or your grandmother?"
"Because I know they'll be thrilled, the whole lot of them," he answered, thinking of Lily's pestering when he had dinner at the Potters'. "And my grandmother adores you. It's your dad I'm worried about."
She laughed. "Okay, we'll tell my parents first."
"But probably not at Dom's party."
She gasped. "The party! We have to get back!"
"I have to get Dom's present!" he exclaimed.
She quirked an eyebrow. "You mean you actually forgot it?"
He shrugged and grinned. "I thought it'd make my story more convincing."
Victoire laughed and kissed him, and then they took off on his broom back to the cottage. She climbed back through her window and Teddy landed before Disapparating back to his flat.
"Victoire, come get a slice of ze cake!" her mother called when she got downstairs.
"Cake already?" she asked. "Don't we have to sing first?"
"We already did."
The steely voice came from behind her, and Victoire turned around to see Dominique's pale blue eyes narrowed and focused on her.
"What?" Victoire asked, heart sinking. "But – "
"We called for you," Dom continued, her tone vicious. "We looked upstairs. You weren't there."
"We…we must've missed each other," Victoire said feebly. "It's pretty loud, I guess I didn't hear you."
Dominique shook her head with disgust and turned away. Fleur shoved a plate with a slice of cake into Victoire's hands, but her stomach was churning with guilt so she didn't have much of an appetite. She turned and gave the cake to the nearest person, which happened to be Hugo returning with his empty plate. The nine year old's eyes lit up like it was Christmas, and he ran off happily with his second slice.
"Sorry I took so long, I must've misplaced it," Teddy said as he came through the door, catching Dominique before she could escape upstairs. "Happy birthday, Dommie!"
Dom flinched at the hated nickname. "Thanks Teddy. Just put it with the others." And then she disappeared up the stairs.
Teddy gave Victoire a confused look and Victoire just shook her head before going upstairs to talk to her sister.
"Dom?" Victoire asked as she gently pushed open her sister's door. "Can I talk to you?"
Dom made no protest so she entered the bedroom.
"Listen, I'm sorry I missed singing – "
"You think that's why I'm mad?" Dominique asked quietly.
Vic was confused. "Well – "
"It's just a stupid song, Vicky, one that you've sung to me fourteen years in a row already," Dom snapped as she turned around to face her. "I'm mad because you were nowhere to be found!"
Victoire searched for an excuse but couldn't find one.
"You've been so absent lately!" Dom exclaimed. "Always running off and disappearing with Teddy! I don't care what you two are doing, but I care when it affects the rest of us!"
Victoire frowned. "Teddy and I aren't – "
Dom silenced her with a look.
"Anyway, I'm sorry I was gone so long. You know I hate parties," Victoire said. "I was getting some air."
"But even when you're with us you're not with us," Dom countered. "You've been grounded for five days already, but you hole up inside your room writing letters the whole time. You don't talk to any of our cousins or family friends or even your own friends!"
"So?" Victoire asked.
"Lily lost her last baby tooth," Dom told her. "Molly's going to dye her hair again. Uncle George has been getting on Freddie lately. Roxy's scared she won't make the Quidditch team. Al and Rosie are nervous about starting school. Did you know that?"
"No," she admitted grudgingly.
"And did you know that Ginger - one of your best friends - is having trouble with her boyfriend?"
Victoire's eyes widened at the mention of one of her best friends.
"Yeah, she's been trying to talk to you about it in person but you've always run off after saying hello."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry! I'll try to be more present."
"I'll believe that when I see it," Dominique snapped, then left her room and returned to her party.
Victoire felt ashamed of herself. What Dominique said was true. Her relationship with Teddy was getting in the way of her family, which was exactly what she didn't want to happen.
Something had to change.