Closed Everyone at Home

[Claudia Holland]

Claudia was glad to have all her daughters home for Christmas. Until recently, Diana and Alice had still lived with them, but now both girls had left the nest. Alice was living with her boyfriend and another girl, while Diana lived on her own. Phoebe lived with her partner Charlie and Rose with her friend Harley. Claudia was grateful for Lucy, without her the house would be eerily quiet. Though Lucy was growing up fast too. It wasn't long until she would turn six. The dinner tonight was going to be interesting, not only would it be the first big family gathering since Diana and Alice had moved out, but it was also the first time all four of Claudia's oldest daughters would bring home a partner. Elliot and Charlie were both seen at the house often enough, but neither Claudia nor her husband had met Rose's or Diana's new boyfriends yet. It was a few days before Christmas, as actual Christmas day was reserved for family, and the house was decorated accordingly. The weather was nice, so Claudia had set the outside table, placing a few floating lanterns above it so they would still be able to see each other and their dinner even when it got dark. She checked one last time if they had everything in order, then glanced at her husband. "Has Rose told you much about the boy she's seeing?" She asked as she knew Rose and James occasionally worked in the greenhouse together. "I only know his name." She didn't have to ask about Diana, as she already knew she hadn't told either of them much.

 

[James Holland]

James had never felt his age quite as deeply as he had at Alice's graduation. His girls had all grown into adults so fast, and though Lucy was now by far the baby of the family, there had been more than a decade when that had been Alice's position, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it had brought a tear to his eye. His older girls were all adult women now, out making their ways in the world, starting careers and moving towards the futures they wanted. And finding love, something he couldn't be happier about. James had never once understood the drive other fathers seemed to feel to defend their daughters against suitors, like some kind of dragon guarding a tower. His daughters were their own women, and all he wanted for them was to find love that would make them as happy and fulfilled as he felt with Claudia. And now Rose and Diana both had new partners they were bringing around for the first time.

He knew Charlie and Elliot plenty well at this point, quite pleased with the matches Phoebe and Alice had found in life. He had always knew Phoebe would need someone to challenge her, and though Charlie was always a quiet guest, he had gotten into enough debates with them over the years to see exactly how good a match they were for Phoebe. And for Alice all he had ever wanted was someone kind and attentive, who had her best interests at heart and made her happy, something he had worried a little about in her time at Hogwarts. James knew that Alice had had a difficult time dating at school, but it was clear that Elliot made her happy, and the more time he spent with him, the more James could see how well matched he was to Alice. So although James had never felt a need to play the protective father he knew he would be paying close attention to how these two new boys treated his daughters, making his own quiet assessments. He had spent the last few minutes doing Lucy's hair for dinner, only to immediately find it once again a mess once he got downstairs himself. "Not much." He answered Claudia as he untangled leaves from Lucy's plait, gently unweaving the hair to start over, ribbon wrapped around his wrist. "She seems happy, but I think it's.... early days, you know. She hasn't really told me any details yet." He paused as he retied Lucy's bow gently. "Do you know anything about who Diana's bringing?"

 

[Lucy Holland]

Lucy had been excited for today for what felt like forever. She got to see her big sisters more now that they had all finished school, but it wasn't often that the whole family got all together for a big party like this. She was more excited for Christmas, of course, but today was exciting all the same. She knew Charlie and Elliot were coming too, and Lucy hoped she would be able to sneak extra sweets off them when Mum and Dad weren't looking. Charlie always seemed to have a big pocket full of lollies when they visited, and Lucy liked to think that meant grown-ups liked lollies just as much as kids did, even if Dad said that wasn't true.

The one downside of a fancy dinner though, was that Dad had insisted Lucy get all dressed up. She liked wearing her nice dress and having her hair done pretty, but not being able to play properly once they were done was a pain. So once Dad had finished her hair Lucy had gone outside just for a little adventure, and only lasted five minutes before tripping over into a bush. She knew Dad wouldn't be happy, but maybe it'd be okay if she came to get it fixed quickly. So Lucy had hurried over to find Dad, waiting patiently while he undid and redid her plait quickly. She only half-listened to his conversation with Mum, quickly forgetting all about it at a sound from inside. "THAT'S THE FLOO!" Lucy announced and tore away from Dad, running inside to go greet her big sisters and see if Charlie had any lollies to spare.

 

[Rose Holland]

Rose was definitely looking forward to being together with her family again. She didn't see her sisters as much as she liked, though she supposed that was part of growing up. Even Alice had now graduated, and she was already more successful in her chosen career than Rose and Diana combined, which wasn't a big surprise to her. She was proud of all her sisters and was happy to get to introduce them to Avery. She had given him the basic rundown of them all, aware that four sisters were probably pretty overwhelming. "Okay so, Phoebe is smart and unpredictable," she recapped before they stepped into the floo. "She's likely to test you in some way, but it'll be harmless. Her partner's name is Charlie. Diana is pretty mean but you should just ignore her, we all do when she is nasty. She is bringing her new boyfriend too. Alice is very sweet, I think you'll love her. Her boyfriend is Elliot. And Lucy is six, so y'know, at least easy to recognize. She's the short one" She took a deep breath, then laughed. Maybe she was a bit more nervous than she had thought.

Rose stepped into the fireplace, clearly stating the name so Avery could follow after. With a burst of green flame, she then appeared in her childhood home. Rose beamed at the sight of Lucy who was running up to meet her. She quickly stepped out of the fireplace to make room for Avery, then beamed and scooped her youngest sister up in a hug. "Hi Lucy! You've gotten so big!" She said, which was true, even if she said it every time she saw her youngest sister. Small children grew at an alarming rate.

 

[Avery Fox]

Avery had felt a strange kind of satisfaction when Rose had asked him along to meet up with her parents a few days before Christmas. They hadn’t been dating long and being invited home felt like a big deal. Especially when he did his best to share as little about his family as he could, knowing if he opened up to her about that he wouldn’t be able to stop until everything was out on the table. And it wasn’t time for that. He knew she had a large family but now as he was trying to remember all their names and their partners names he truly grasped what he was truly in for. “Phoebe.” he repeated and felt a little unease at the mention of being tested but he acted neutral. “And she’s in the middle?” he asked, feeling slightly hopeless as the names and facts kept coming. “Glad I won’t be the only newbie.” he said under his breath with an endearing smile before they stepped through the fireplace and landed in a cozy looking home.

Avery quickly made sure his hair and the rest of his appearance hadn’t gotten disheveled and put on what he hoped was a charming smile. But he froze for a moment as Lucy came running towards him. Involuntarily he thought of his own sister who hadn't been that much older the last time he saw her. He took a deep breath and centered himself, and tried to put all of that out of his mind. He didn't need any distractions tonight. "I hear your the one I really have to impress." he said conspiratorially as he leaned down to be closer to her level.

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe had been busy with work, and any free time she had she spent with Charlie. So it had been a while since she had seen any of her sisters. It was exciting to see them all at the same time. Phoebe had actually brushed her hair and put on some nice clothes, then waited for Charlie to be ready too. She grinned at them, holding out her arm so they could apparate together. "Alright, bets on what Rose's and Diana's boyfriends will be like." She told Charlie. "I'm going for a sweet, polite, nerdy guy for Rose, bit like Elliot. For Diana it has to be the most preppy and insufferable guy, right?" She asked, grinning slightly.

When they apparated, Phoebe made sure they would appear in the backyard. From experience, she knew they were likely to spend most of the evening there. She grinned at the familiar sight of the table set outside and the lanterns hanging above it. Her parents were out there as well, though Phoebe saw Lucy had run inside to greet whoever had arrived at the floo. Probably Rose, since she was the only one of them who didn't apparate. Phoebe was curious about the boy her older sister had brought but knew she would see him soon enough. "Hey." She said, giving both her parents a brief hug.

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie had felt so much lighter ever since coming out, in ways they hadn't even expected. Work was easier, talking to people was easier, they had found themself chatting and laughing more freely than ever before. They had always assumed that their past was the reason they felt a need to push people away, but now... now everything was different. The feeling of wrongness they had carried for so long had contributed to the walls they had built, and now those walls were all coming down, one by one.

Which was a big part of why Charlie was excited to be seeing some of their favourite people tonight. Though it was still a very strange feeling, being on first-name terms with the Minister of Magic, Charlie had learned to see the Hollands as they were, a normal family, and one that had brought them their favourite person in the world. They were looking forward to the dinner, though the thought that Rose and Diana were both bringing new people into the family Charlie had long felt integrated into was definitely a strange one. They laughed at Phoebe's predictions, considering what they knew about the two women for a moment. "I dunno, remember the guys Rose has dated in the past? I bet he'll be a super jock, muscles for brains. Nice about it, though. Diana's guy is definitely gonna be an awful snob though. I'm betting one of those purebloods who never shut up about it." They grinned back at Phoebe before apparating to the Holland house with her, looking around the garden as they landed. The table outdoors was a welcome sight, and they could hear voices of someone else arriving inside the house. Charlie followed Phoebe over to Claudia and James, only hesitating a moment before hugging them each in greeting as well. "Thanks for having us." They smiled, feeling a rush of gratitude to be part of days like today. Going from having no family to two loving ones was an indescribably wonderful feeling.

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana applied one last coat of lipstick and glanced in the mirror before apparating to her parent's house. She was so glad she no longer lived there, it simply hadn't been acceptable the moment Alice moved out. As if Diana would let her take that step before she did. Sure, she had a tiny apartment and her parents helped her out with the rent, but at least she could do whatever she pleased. She didn't even have roommates like Alice. She still couldn't believe her sister let another girl live with her and her boyfriend. That was just asking for trouble. She was glad she had invited Delaney to come, even if they had argued a bit about what was appropriate to wear to dinner with her family. She would have loathed being the only one to come alone.

Diana appeared in the backyard and gave her parents a quick smile and wave. She spotted Rose inside, but didn't see Alice yet. She ran her hand through her hair and looked around, ignoring Phoebe and Charlie for now as they were busy talking to her parents. She wanted Delaney to show up now so she could show him off, especially since Rose seemed to have her boyfriend with her already.

 

[Alice Holland]

Alice squeezed Elliot's hand. "Ready?" She asked him, kissing his cheek before apparating alongside him to her parent's house. She was excited about tonight, as it would be great to see everyone again. She beamed at the sight of the backyard, decorated for the night but still familiar. It seemed like everyone had arrived already, and Alice waved at Phoebe who was with their parents. Then she smiled at Diana. "Hey, where's the boyfriend?" She asked her with a grin, glancing around. Alice was very curious what sort of boy Diana had started dating, as she had been very mysterious about it. She glanced at the house. "Is Rose inside?" She asked no one in particular.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot gave Alice a quick nod, smiling as she pecked his cheek right before they apparated out the Holland house. He wouldn't have thought a couple years ago that going over to the minister's house was such a regular occurrence in his life, but here he was. Though, even if he wouldn't admit it to Alice, he was still definitely low key terrified of Alice's mom. Though he had a suspicion she knew as much without him saying as much. Thankfully, he was a lot better with Alice's dad, and Lucy was a delight when she wasn't offering him food or things from the garden of mysterious origin. Really, the only thing Elliot really had to worry about tonight were Alice's sisters. Elliot already knew he got along with Rose, and while Phoebe was a little scary, she was nothing on Diana. He just hoped there were enough people around for the evening that he wouldn't get stuck in any one on one conversations with her.

He cleared his throat when they arrived and Alice immediately engaged Diana about her new boyfriend, giving Diana an awkward hello and glancing around the garden, not wanting to get caught in any sister-y crossfire straight off the bat. "Hey, Diana... Nice night?"

 

[Delaney Hollis]

Delaney was late. There was no way he wasn't late. He hadn't even been trying to be late. He'd gotten all worked up first arguing with Diana about what sort of clothes he was supposedly allowed to wear tonight, and then about meeting her parents, and then about the clothes again for a bit, and then just thinking about Diana in general and before he knew he'd been up half the night throwing clothes around his room in frustration. He was basically a rockstar already for Merlin's sake. It went against everything he stood for to dress up and wear a tie. Or go to bed before 5am.

Sleeping in till the evening didn't usually mess with Delaney's schedule, but tonight was definitely not the night for it. He'd scrambled out of bed, thrown on the first thing he'd pulled up off the floor and stumbled over to the fireplace, relieved when it spat him out in a place that looked appropriately fancy to be Diana's parent's place and not some strangers' house, so he was counting it as a win. "Ah, hey," he said, scrubbing some soot from his hair as he stepped into the room proper, raising a hand in hello to the gathered people there, craning his head to try and spot Diana. "Is Diana here?" Delaney made a vague attempt at straightening his shirt, distinctly aware he'd managed to grab one of his old black t-shirts with a hole at the collar. Diana was going to be furious.

 

[Rose Holland]

It was nice to be in her parent's house again, Rose squeezed Lucy tightly before letting go of her. She smiled fondly at the sight of Avery talk to Lucy, laughing softly at his words. "I think everyone is in the backyard." She said, peering through the bit of the back door she could see. "I guess they apparated." She said, feeling mildly embarrassed still about being the only one of their sisters who couldn't do that. Besides Lucy, obviously. "Shall we go outside?" She asked, directing the question at both Lucy and Avery. But before she could start heading to the door, the flames flashed green again and someone else stumbled out. Rose's first thought was that someone had made a mistake and had gotten out at the wrong house, though their house was supposed to be warded against that. The boy who stumbled out looked vaguely familiar and sort of scruffy. Rose was very surprised when he asked about Diana, realizing who this had to be. "Oh, I think I just heard her out there." Rose said, gesturing vaguely to the backyard as she continued taking in this stranger. He was handsome enough, but still so far removed from what she had thought was Diana's type that she couldn't help staring a bit. "Are you her date?" Rose asked, eyes moving to the hole in his shirt before returning to his face. She put on an extra friendly smile. "I'm Rose, her sister. And this is Avery, my boyfriend."

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe looked up when her younger sisters also joined them outside. Alice was with Elliot, but Diana was conspicuously on her own. Phoebe couldn't help smiling a bit as Alice asked about it. Alice had a talent for sounding completely innocent and casual even when she was needling someone, though Diana was used to it by now and clearly not amused. Phoebe couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire. "Don't tell me he couldn't make it, we've been so curious." She said with a grin. Though her grin faded a bit at the look her mother gave her. She knew their mum hated it when they fought, but Diana made it too easy.

 

[Lucy Holland]

Lucy was excited to see Rose, but before long she could hear more people outside! Wiggling insistently, she squirmed out of Rose's arms and ran outside, beaming at the sight of the rest of her sisters. "ALICE!" She yelled, flinging herself at the nearest sister and wrapping herself around her waist excitedly. There were two strange men she didn't recognise in the living room with Rose, and Lucy hadn't stuck around long enough to figure out who they were. But out here she could also see Charlie and Elliot, beaming again at the sight of them. Once she was done hugging all her sisters, Lucy knew she had to see if Charlie had any lollies, and she quickly moved on to hug Diana and Phoebe, doing the rounds as fast as possible now that there was the possibility of being slipped secret sweets.

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie was surprised when Diana arrived alone, giving Phoebe a quiet look, though they had to keep themself from laughing out loud when Alice just outright asked where he was. It was a relief to have Lucy's arrival as a distraction from their almost-laugh, and Charlie smiled warmly as Lucy charged out to deliver hugs, hoping Diana wouldn't use this as an excuse to dodge the question.

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana tapped her foot impatiently as she looked around, more and more people arrived and there was no Delaney to be seen. Diana glared at Alice and then at Phoebe as they asked about it. "He'll be here." She snapped. "He's just a busy person." She added. Diana was grateful for the distraction in the form of Lucy, who came rushing out to greet them. She hugged her sister briefly, before heading to the backdoor. She could hear voices, and wondered if Delaney had used the floo. That would probably make sense, considering he hadn't been here before. "Delaney?" She called.

 

[Alice Holland]

Alice squeezed Elliot's hand reassuringly. She didn't want to drag him into a sibling fight, she had just been trying to tease Diana a bit. Of course, she should have expected Phoebe to pile up on her too. "Alright." Was all she said at Diana's explanation. She didn't have time to smooth things over more, because at that point Lucy launched herself at her. Alice laughed and hugged her tightly. "Lucy! Hi sweetheart." She said, letting her go so she could hug her other sisters as well.

 

[Claudia Holland]

Claudia laughed softly when James asked about Diana, shaking her head. "No, she only dropped the news she would be bringing someone too. I fear she may feel compelled to do so because her sisters are." Claudia said, remembering how competitive Diana has always been. Their youngest heard the sound of the floo, which Claudia guessed would be Rose. She had never learned to apparate and had never enjoyed apparating side-along with someone either. Claudia left Lucy to greet their guests who arrived with the floo because at that moment Phoebe and Charlie appeared in the backyard. Claudia greeted them both warmly, hugging them both. It didn't take long for Diana, Alice, and Elliot to join them. Claudia noted Diana showed up alone as well but decided not to comment on it. Unfortunately, her two daughters didn't have the same line of thought. Claudia gave them a mildly disapproving look. She moved over to greet Diana, then Alice and Elliot as well. "Welcome." She said with a smile. "Lucy, did Rose arrive?" She asked her youngest daughter, who had come racing back into the yard. Diana went over to the house, and Claudia followed. She put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Please join us outside!" She called to the people who were in the house. She heard unfamiliar voices, so guessed Rose had brought her boyfriend along. Maybe Diana's guest had arrived through the floo as well.

 

[James Holland]

James nodded when Claudia spoke, though their conversation was ended quickly by a flurry of arrivals. He greeted Phoebe and Charlie and returned their hugs, pleased to see both of them. Phoebe had filled the family in on Charlie's news, but it was the first time he had seen them since, and James had to resist the impulse to gush about how proud he was. He knew Charlie well enough by now to know how uncomfortable it would make them. He was glad that Diana, Alice, and Elliot arrived quickly to distract him, greeting them as they arrived as well. He had to bite back a small smile at Phoebe and Alice's ribbing, torn between feeling bad for Diana and enjoying seeing his family all together again, bickering lovingly like nobody had ever left home. "Come have a seat everyone." He said as Claudia and Diana went to retrieve the people from inside, hoping to change the subject. "We've got plenty of food just about ready."

 

[Delaney Hollis]

Delaney didn't get nervous, he'd done away with that sort of thing after his first few shows with Ashes, but he did feel distinctly out of place as he stepped further into the Holland's living room. "Oh, cool, thanks," he said vaguely to the girl who mentioned Diana should be outside. He wasn't sure if he'd be relieved to see a familiar face after finding Diana or if he should drag out letting her see that he'd forgone dressing up even after they'd gotten into a fight about it. But it was whatever, if Diana couldn't handle Delaney's clothes than she shouldn't be with him, he reasoned, nodding with a grin when the girl, Rose, introduced herself and her boyfriend. "Yeah, kind of a whirlwind romance with Diana and I. I'm Delaney," he said nonchalantly, moving to follow Rose and Avery out into the yard where the rest of the family was gathering.

"Hey, gorgeous. Sorry, had to be fashionably late," he said as he stepped outside, almost directly into Diana. He moved to press a kiss to her cheek before stepping back and raising his eyebrows at her, almost daring her to comment on his clothes. She had to admit showing up the minister's house dressed like this was pretty punk and despite his earlier hesitations about upsetting her, Delaney was feeling pretty pleased.

 

[Avery Fox]

Avery was quickly overwhelmed as he heard more and more people arriving. He had done his best to study names beforehand so he’d be ready for this. He needed to make a good first impression or at least not a horrible one. Lucy didn’t seem to be all that interested in him and he was surprisingly grateful for that. “Sure.” he said agreeably when Rose suggested they go outside. But he was equally caught off guard when someone else appeared behind them. Avery had to bite his lip to keep from grinning. If this was the other new boyfriend he could relax at least a little bit. Compared to this guy he was looking pretty good. “Nice to meet you.” he said to the other guy, Delaney apparently, before he following them outside where he finally got to meet the rest of Rose's family and their partners. He waved and smiled politely. “Thank you for having me. You have a lovely home.” he said earnestly and hoped he didn’t sound like he was trying too hard.

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe smiled fondly as Lucy came barrelling outside and gave them hugs. It eased the tension a bit, though Phoebe still wanted to tease her sister. Unfortunately, Diana walked away before she could ask her more questions. Phoebe headed over to the table, taking Charlie's hand as they headed over there. But as she took her seat, the boy who Diana had been waiting on stepped outside. Phoebe's eyes widened as she took him in, he looked nothing like what she had expected. She wondered for a moment if she had mixed up Rose's boyfriend with Diana's, but the way he was looking at Diana made it clear he knew her. It also made it clear he was daring her to say something about his outfit, and Phoebe decided immediately that she liked him. "I can't believe that's who Diana is dating," Phoebe said under her breath to Charlie, leaning into them slightly. "She actually found someone likable. Though I don't know if mum will agree."

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot was relieved when Lucy ran over, helping diffuse the Diana situation rather handily. "Hey, Lucy," he said, giving her a little wave, fully aware her attention would likely be on her older sisters first. Out of all of Alice's family, Lucy and Rose were easily the ones Elliot felt like he couldn't handle the most. Phoebe and Diana still intimidated him, as did Alice's mum (for understandable reasons). With the family all starting to gather out on the lawn for dinner though, Elliot was more hopeful there'd be enough distractions with all the people tonight that he wouldn't have to carry a conversation too much on his own, though the addition of all the sister's partners was a bit daunting too.

Elliot grabbed a seat as Claudia and James called them all for dinner, trying not to overthink where he was sitting too hard and instead giving James a quick smile as he scooted his chair forward. "Hey, Mr Holland. Thanks for having us all. Pretty big turnout, huh," he said, glancing around the gathered crowd. "Anything new in the garden lately?" Herbology with Mr Holland was always as safe subject and Elliot hoped it would help him stay out of whatever discussion was going on about Rose and Diana's dates this evening.

 

[Rose Holland]

Rose didn't have much of a chance to chat with Diana's boyfriend, as people from outside were calling them to come join. She heard Diana's voice, as well as her mother. Rose smiled at Avery encouragingly and took his hand, glad he already seemed to be a bit more at ease. She smiled at Diana as she passed her on the way out into the yard, squeezing Avery's hand. He was very polite, which Rose appreciated. "Hi everyone!" Rose said brightly, waving at her sisters and their partners. It was pretty crowded. She led Avery over to the table, taking a seat next to Alice and Elliot, leaving space for Avery next to her. She was looking forward to this, she hoped Avery fit well with her family, but she couldn't see how he wouldn't. "I'm glad you're here." She told him quietly.

 

[Diana Hollis]

It frustrated Diana that she already felt like the laughing stock of the family. She wished Phoebe would just for once be impressed by anything she did. She waited impatiently by the backdoor, resisting the urge to tap her foot. As Delaney appeared, she first felt relief to see him, but then she realized what he was wearing. She looked him up and down and then flashed him a dangerous look, widening her eyes slightly in a silent question. After their argument, how could he turn up like this? And late as well? She noticed that there was a hole in his shirt and she felt the sudden urge to rip it up. But she couldn't seem bothered, not with everyone there to watch. Diana narrowed her eyes as Delaney kissed her cheek, noticing the way he was looking at her. He was daring her to say something about his awful clothes, and she wanted to. But they both knew she didn't want to fight with him around her family. Especially not with all her sisters and their perfect relationships being around. Diana took a deep breath. "It's alright, you weren't that late." She said, forcing her lips into a smile. She hooked her arm through his. "I'll introduce you to my mum. We can sit next to her." She said, hoping it would at least make him a little nervous to be face to face with the minister right away. It was the only revenge she could take right now, and Diana was going to grab her chance while she could.