Making a 'Friend' [ Vivian ]

[ZEKE ANTHONY MAXWELL]

Zeke practically ran out of his Transfiguration class; he loved the subject but hated the class. He had advanced past most of the simple-minded transfigurations they were attempting to teach him when he was in his third year. So by now he just typically breezed through class and left things alone, it drove his professor nuts, but what did he care? After all, it wasn’t like they could give him anything less than an O, he was the best in his year when it came to transfiguration and in fact, he was better than most if not all of the 7th years. Zeke rushed to the common room, he was excited to get his school robes off as soon as possible, in fact he already had them off by the time he reached the common room. Granted he did dress underneath his clothes, wearing a pair of jeans and a black beater, but he still was looking forward to putting on a decent shirt before he had to go to quidditch practice.

Zeke had his robes wrapped around his left arm as he crossed the dungeon heading towards the male side of the common room, he wasn’t exactly paying attention as he already had his mind half-way to hogsmeade where he had planned on sneaking over there tonight to go to a party that he had heard about being thrown by one of the former students that still lived in town. Zeke hadn’t exactly been invited, but he knew enough people that were going that he was confident he could talk himself through the door. Zeke noticed Vivian sitting by herself at one of the tables, he of course knew Vivian but he wouldn’t exactly consider her a friend, and on some level that upset Zeke, he didn’t like the thought of someone not being his friend did not sit well with him; granted to Zeke the word ‘Friend’ was relative, and it didn’t necessarily imply that he liked you more so, that he felt that you liked him enough to do something for him if he wanted you to. And Zeke was not sure that Vivian would do something for Zeke if he required her assistance. Zeke slowed down his pace and walked over to her table and casually pulled out the chair and sat down across from Vivian, Excuse me, could you please tell me what a pretty girl like yourself is doing studying on a Friday afternoon when there is so much fun to be had? Class time is over.” Zeke flashed her a warm and charming smile, it was something that he had perfected; he’d spent many nights in the bathroom smiling to himself in the mirror waiting, debating which smile looked best, if he was showing too much teeth, or if he was showing too little teeth. By this point in time, he had it down to an art-form, giving the perfect amount of warmth for a situation without seeming too interested to the point that he seemed to be faking. Naturally, he was faking it, because he could care less, but the smile went a long way in earning him points.

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[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

Vivian had been sitting in the Slytherin common room, staring at a book, bored out of her mind. It wasn't often that Vivian allowed herself to be bored, but right now she was watching the letters seem to move around the page with a sort of morbid curiosity. Vivian was dyslexic. No one knew. She didn't do homeworks, and did badly in class, but she always said it was because homework was boring. Boring and pointless.

When someone came over she slammed the book shut, frowning. She looked up and saw Zeke trying to charm her. How amusing. Vivian couldn't be charmed. It wasn't that she was some hard core bitch who didn't like boys; she literally couldn't be charmed. Vivian didn't feel.

"Cut it out, Zeke." she said. Her voice, as always, was low and effortlessly sultry, with the same slightly bored tone she always had. Vivian always seemed slightly bored. She let her face settle back into a blank, emotionless expression, because she didn't have to pretend around Zeke. He was like her. She could sense it, and she knew he sensed it in her. They didn't have to act like they felt anything.

Usually she would have smiled at being called pretty, but with Zeke she didn't have to pretend to show happiness. But she did like to be admired. That was one of her few pleasures in life. She wrinkled her nose, as Zeke said there was fun to be had. "I'm bored." she said. Vivian was almost always bored. And when she was bored, trouble happened, because trouble was fun. So she often sought someone out, and made them entertain her. Theo was good for that, and so was Eli. But Zeke would do.

"They're so pathetic." she said, meaning the rest of the Slytherins. She knew Zeke would know what she meant. "Not my kind of fun." They were chatting away, probably about who they fancied... the word was alien to Vivian. There was sex, and there was interesting. And both should be fun. Fun was all that mattered. Getting what she wanted was all that mattered.

She looked at Zeke, with a slight pout on her face. She always pouted when she wanted something. It pretty much always worked. "Do something fun, Zeke."

[ZEKE ANTHONY MAXWELL]

Zeke’s smile dropped into an over-dramatic frown as Vivian told him to cut it out, she had no feelings and much like Zeke, wasn’t really one to be charmed; you needed to feel in order to be charmed, and Zeke simply put… could not be charmed. But he saw Vivian as a challenge, she was the un-charmable Slytherin Girl, the one who felt nothing. Which is probably why Zeke found himself trying to charm her; but knowing himself, if he was successful, he’d probably get bored almost instantly. The chase was half the fun. Zeke once again brought a smile back to his face as he began to look around the common room as it started to fill up with fellow Slytherins, listening to Vivian complain about being bored. “They just don’t see the world the way that we do. They are so caught up in their own little worlds of emotions and relationships… for what? So that in five years at a Slytherin social event they can point to their friends and talk about how they use to date so and so? Or that in ten years they can tell their children how they lost their virginity to the head of the department for magical games and sports? Worthless.” Zeke sighed nonchalantly and then returned his stare back over to Vivian.

Zeke shot her a playful smirk, “What type of fun are you looking for tonight?” Zeke flicked his eyebrows up at her quickly before giving her a playful wink. “I’m planning on sneaking off to Hogsmeade tonight for a party if you’re interested? Tracey Nettlebed is hosting it at her new place that her Daddy just rented for her. You interested?” Zeke tilted his head as he asked the question. He normally wasn’t one for bringing people along with him, but he didn’t mind Vivian’s company, he never had to fear about her getting attached or falling for him, she was cold and emotionless. If she tried to do anything with Zeke it would simply be out of physical desire, and then she would expect him to never talk about it or bring it up again. “We’d probably need to bring a bottle of some sort as a house warming gift however. Do you have any left?”

[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

Vivian had a slight smirk on her face as Zeke talked about the Slytherin masses. There was always something so fascinating about having her own opinions spoken by someone else. And it happened so seldom. She looked around the common room as he spoke, what she was seeing confirming Zeke's words.

She looked back at Zeke excitedly as he mentioned a party. A party outside of the castle was always interesting. It was so much more fun than watching the Greengrass sisters preen and dance for the title of 'Slytherin princess', or swatting away boys and girls alike who tried to interest Vivian.

"I'm interested," she said, smiling. "I don't know that girl. Is she fun?" Vivian wanted to know if the party would be wild or boring. Vivian liked wild parties, she liked a lot going on all around her, like candy for the senses; it took a lot to keep her interested, so lots of stimuli was a good thing.

"Of course I have something," she said "what do you take me for?" She always had something. And if she didn't, someone would give her some. Theo had made her two alcoholic concoctions recently, one with a drop of liquid luck- that was for Vivian- and one with a drop of confusion draft- that was for whoever Vivian wanted to make a fool out of.

She smiled, wickedly. "I have just the thing we can share with the other party goers." She told Zeke about the second potion Theo had made her. "It will be fun."

[ZEKE ANTHONY MAXWELL]

Zeke shrugged at Vivian’s question as he pulled a galleon out of his pocket and begin rolling it between his fingers, “She’s alright, nothing too spectacular. She’ll need someone to help liven up her party if you know what I’m saying.” Zeke gave a playful grin, “That’s where I… or I guess, we come in. We can’t let her housewarming be a snooze feast like some of her other parties now can we?” Zeke flipped the Galleon into the air and watched the light reflect off of it as it spun, catching it in the palm of his hand, closing his hand tightly and then opening it to show Vivian that his palm was empty. It was a muggle “magic” trick he had learned reading about Musolini who had a fondness for Muggle Magicians. Zeke rolled his eyes, knowing it was a cheap trick where he had just dropped the galleon into his other hand during the reveal, he reached over behind her ear with his other hand and pulled the galleon out from behind her ear. He gave a snicker and tossed her the galleon as he stood up from the table. “You can keep that. I have to get ready for the party.” Zeke started to walk towards the boys dorms and then gave Vivian a quick once over. “You need to get ready to, I can’t go out with you looking like that.” Zeke shook his head, “Wear something nice, for merlin’s sake you look like a filthy mug-blood right now.” Zeke gave her a smirk, and then headed off to his dormitory.

Zeke got to his dorm and changed into a nice pair of black dress slacks with a nice white button-down shirt; he used emerald cuff-links on each cuff and then put a black sports-coat over top of it, leaving the collar open. He took a couple of moments to re-do his hair and brush his teeth once again, he couldn’t have foul breath before he went to the party. He grabbed his brown leather messenger bag and quickly tossed a bottle of peppermint mead in it, along with a couple of nose-bleed nougats he’d purchased at Diagon Alley over the summer, just in case the party turned out to be lame, that was he could at least get a couple of cheap laughs off of people. Zeke trotted down the steps in his new party faire waiting patiently for Vivian to join him.

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[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

Vivian scowled as Zeke said that she looked like a mudblood, but it was really for show; she knew that she should react as such to being disrespected, and so she did. But Vivian had no problem with muggle borns. She really didn't care who someone's parents were. What did it mean to her? She had stayed neutral in the war, because it wouldn't serve her to pick a side.

When Zeke left Vivian got up, and went upstairs to the girls dormitories. She glanced through her wardrobe, before grabbing a dress. She looked good in everything, so there was no point in taking her time. All of her outfits were nice. That was why she had bought them in the first place! Vivian was baffled by girls who went over their own clothes and said they looked bad. She couldn't understand why someone would buy something that didn't make them look phenomenal. What purpose could not looking good serve?

The dress she picked was black, short, and shiny. She paired it with some black heels that made her legs look a mile long. After a quick look in the mirror she topped up her make-up, added some red-lipstick, and ran a brush through her hair, which today was gently curled.

Despite popular belief, Vivian was exceptionally low maintenance. Sky high self-esteem and zero concept of insecurities would do that to a person. Vivian didn't need make-up to look good; she didn't need styled hair to act as a distraction from her perfect face. Her Veela genes worked for her, and damn, she knew it.

Vivian's Outfit

After about ten minutes she walked back down the stairs to the common room, ignoring the stares and looking for Zeke.

[ZEKE ANTHONY MAXWELL]

Zeke smiled as Vivian came down the stairs, she was stunning. Zeke knew she would look that way, after all he was planning on using her as a backup plan just in case he wasn’t able to charm his way into the party. He had still forgot to tell Vivian that they hadn’t exactly been invited to this housewarming party, but to Zeke that was simply a minor detail. “You look lovely Vivian.” Zeke gave a polite nod as he extended his hand to her in the very traditional escorting way. Zeke came from a high-society pure-blood family, so he was well versed in all of the formalities of manners and proper escorting procedures. “Are you ready for some fun my dear?” He gave her a wicked grin before giving a deep bow before returning to her side and setting off towards the exit.

Zeke checked his watch and then smiled, ”Perfect, by the time we reach the main entrance Filch will be in the astronomy tower chasing a Gryffindork Firstie he thinks is responsible for all of the graffiti in Gryffindor tower.” Of course the first year was not responsible, Zeke had set up the first-year with the help of peeves who Zeke practically had on payroll. Zeke had struck up a deal with him in his fourth year, making arraignments to supply him with a surplus of supplies from Zonkos and a steady diet of firsties to use them on. In exchange, Peeves would look out for Zeke and prevent Filch from catching him roaming the halls at night.

As they strolled through the open doors they broke into the cool night air, it was still fall but the temperature had definitely started to drop, especially at night, they made their way towards the path to head down to Hogsmeade, “I’m assuming you brought that potion you were talking about? I’d hate to have to leave you out in the cold my dear.” Zeke chided her playfully, he obviously would never do that to her, he may not have feelings but he still needed to keep up his reputation of being a gentlemen which was essential for his future political career. Plus, if he could keep a beautiful Veela on his side, that would go a very long way for his male voters.

[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

Vivian laughed out loud as Zeke told her about the Gryffindor he had set up as a distraction. Funny and practical. Two birds with one stone. Of course, it wasn't quite as difficult to leave the castle now as it had been during the war. Then it had been down right impossible. Which had been annoying. Now the normal security measures were back in place, and it was easier. But only if you planned it. Well, seventh years had more freedom than the rest of the school, being adults who came back to Hogwarts voluntarily. But even they would be questioned it they tried to leave at night. And either way, Vivian was a 6th year.

The night was cool, but not cold. Soon that would change, but right now Vivian was ok with not having a jacket. She rolled her eyes as Zeke asked her if she had the potion. "Of course I have it," she said, "you think I'd forget?" She had that potion, plus a little something for herself. But she wasn't going to tell Zeke that, because then he might ask to share.

Vivian wouldn't share what was hers with anyone, unless she felt like it, or unless it served some purpose. But the only purpose sharing her alcohol with Zeke would serve would be to leave her with less alcohol. Let him find his own.