Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, I'm just borrowing them, and no profit is gained.
"Bye mom, bye dad!" Dell gave her goodbyes to her parents before she slid through the barrier and walked onto Platform 9 ¾ with ease. She smiled as all came into view getting ready for a new, (most likely) better year.
As she paused for a second in her walk through the crowd she felt arms wrap themselves around her from behind. Dell smiled as she looked up to see the smiling face of her boyfriend, Fred.
"You two aren't going to be one of those mushy couples, are you?" Her cousin asked coming up a look on his face, her best friend showing up right behind him.
"As if," Dell said, pulling herself out of Fred's hold and putting an arm around each of the two new arrivals hugging them closely.
James made a face of disgust and he quickly squirmed his way out of Dells hold while Tyler just rolled his eyes. Fred took up the place of James, slipping his arm around her waist, as Tyler let her arm slip from his shoulders. Dell smiled at the three, happy to see, as she referred to them, 'her boys' again.
"So, why didn't you visit all summer?" Fred asked her which made Dell roll her eyes.
"Mom and dad thought since I didn't go home for Christmas I couldn't go anywhere during the summer. I think it was mostly dad though, and the fact that I had a boyfriend." Dell said, looking up at Fred who ducked his head as he recalled the encounter his father had told them the two had had.
"So, what did I miss? After all, you can only tell so much in a letter," Dell said, looking at the three. Fred perked up as he seemed to remember something and smiled.
"Well the Jordan's came over a week ago, and you'll never believe it, but Hailey and Kailey were actually getting along!" Fred said mentioning his father's best friend, and Dell's two roommates, one of who pestered her all the previous year.
"No," Dell said, as Fred had said, not believing it. She'd shared a room with the twins since her first year, and they had never gotten along, always having argued.
"Yes, I was there, I saw it," Tyler spoke up, agreeing with Fred's statement.
Dell shook her head, thinking she had to have been there to see it and they walked on talking to the train. They made their way on, and quickly found a compartment together.
"So, how about…." Dell started as they sat in their seats but saw Tyler's and James' hand movements telling her to stop. Ignoring them she decided to just slightly change her question, "….did Roxanne become Prefect?" Dell highly doubted it, but by the looks of James and Tyler it was a dangerous topic (neither of the three having made Gryffindor prefect the previous year, unsurprisingly.)
"Of course not, but I swear she's been acting real…and I bet you she's just doing it because of me, I bet you," Fred said, going off at the mere mention of his sisters name.
"I doubt that's the reason, and yeah she's been acting a bit odd, but nothing too big," James said trying to calm his cousin down to no avail, while Tyler just sat back pinching the bridge of his nose. The train gave a jerk and started moving.
"Do you not recall what she basically spent the whole summer doing?" Fred said, deep anger appearing on his face, but a look of protectiveness in his eyes.
"Did it have something to do with Lysander?" Dell asked, fearful of mentioning the Scamander's name. She was stepping on dangerous grounds.
"Yes. Not only did she spend the whole train ride home flirting with him, but basically the whole summer. He never flirted back, looked absolutely confused by it and Lorcan well, it was always the three of them hanging out, and suddenly Roxanne was flirting with his brother?" Dell was shocked, but relieved to find that Fred had no ill will towards the boy, since he had done nothing. "Then, last week she finally asked him out, and he said no, and she went back to as if nothing happened, as if she hadn't flirted with him all summer, and nothing was awkward. The twins were pretty confused but they easily fell into it. I mean, seriously, I doubt she even liked him as more than a friend to begin with!"
They all watched as Fred finished his rant, and explaining to Dell, his breathing heavy. Dell thought about what he said, trying to think.
"What is it Dell?" Tyler asked, being able to read her so easily. Dell looked at him, before looking out the train window.
"Roxanne's obviously going through something…" Dell said before hesitating. She wasn't sure what the hard exterior girl was going through, but she did have a thought that could be possible, but she wasn't sure if it was the best to tell the others.
"What, there's more," Tyler said, the boy being able to read her too well.
"I…it's just an idea, probably not why, but, I mean, she's going through relationships, first her best friend, then one of her oldest friends." Dell shook her head, "Never mind, it's a stupid thought. I'll tell you when there's an actual chance," She finished looking up.
All three boys scowled at her, Fred looking the most upset. Her boyfriend looked as though he was about to try and persuade her to tell them her thoughts, and she knew it was time to get out of there.
"Bathroom," Dell said quickly standing up and leaving the compartment before any could answer.
Dell walked down the train, returning to her compartment, avoiding those few out of their compartments when a door beside her opened and somebody walked out saying, "Hey."
Dell looked up to be looking at Lysander Scamander. She looked behind him through the glassed window of the compartment door he just closed, seeing his twins face along with a few others, her only recognizing Frank Longbottom from Gryffindor.
"Yeah?" She asked, stopping and looking back at Lysander wondering what he could want.
Lysander hesitated, looking back behind him, all others conversing, only his brother looking back. Lorcan nodded his head and Lysander looked back. "I'm sure you already heard what went on this summer."
"Why do you think I'm out of my compartment?" Dell said, and a nervous look came over his face. "Don't worry, he's not mad at you, just confused, and a little upset at his sister," She said quickly.
"That's what I wanted to talk about, Roxanne. I….you're friends with her, right? Close to her, hang out." Dell nodded wondering where he was going with it. "You'd say, besides those in Slytherin, and me and Lorcan, you're probably the closest?"
Dell was about to say no but she hesitated, thinking. Whenever Roxanne wasn't seen hanging out with her Slytherin friend, or the Scamander twins, it was the Marauders, or sometimes Dominique and Lucy. But, out of them, Dell would say it was her that Roxanne hung with, they'd even done so by themselves, and they didn't even do so that much. She nodded.
"Can you keep an eye on her, for me and Lor? We're both worried about her; there's something up, and we'd like a girl friend to keep an eye on her. We've both hung out with her Slytherin friends, and it's best if someone else does." Lysander said, his eyes flashing to both ends of the hallway as he finished.
Dell was a bit shocked; then again, after how she'd acted towards him the summer, it wasn't so much a surprise. Dell swiftly nodded her head and gave him a smile. "I'll try my best."
"Thanks Dell," Lysander said and the Ravenclaw swiftly gave her a hug, but pulled away quickly, his eyes wide as he stared at something down the hall before he went back into the compartment he'd come out of.
Dell wondered what caused his abrupt departure, but with merely looking the way he had she saw. There stood Tyler, his eyes wide, having just seen Lysander hug her and nothing previous.
"Don't go over thinking it," Dell said passing him and he quickly turned to follow.
"What was that?" Tyler asked, the shock, and hurt clear in his voice. She knew what he was hurt about, and he did as she had told him not to; over thought it.
"A hug," Dell answered simply, holding back her comment about just how she hugged him and James. Even her best friend would be suspicious; worried that she was betraying Fred after such a short while.
"Since when did you hug Lysander Scamander? Why were you hugging Scamander? Dell-" Dell decided to cut him off there, knowing where the rest of the sentence was going.
"He asked me to keep an eye on Roxanne," Dell said, having not planned on telling anyone but knowing she wouldn't get out of it if she didn't tell him. Tyler stopped dead. "You really shouldn't assume things Tyler."
Tyler looked down. "Sorry Dell," He mumbled and she just smiled at him. He returned the smile before saying, "He must really be worried if he asked you to do that." Dell nodded in reply.
"Please don't tell James or especially Fred, Tyler; I wasn't planning on telling anyone." Dell asked, and he nodded his head in agreement before they entered to James words of, "So you found her!"
Dell sat down to a much calmer Fred and as she looked out the window she thought of how it seemed that year yet another girl was having troubles; acting weird. Except this time it would be Dell watching her, and she wouldn't be obvious like Hailey, because Roxanne's emotions were always on the edge.
Edited 2020-02-15