Fair-Weather Friend // Theo & Vivian

[THEODORE JACOB NOTT]

Theo smirked as Vivian seemed to be offended by his question as to whether or not she got post. It was a simple question, really. Vivian Blackwell never got post. It was a simple fact. If she'd gotten post in the past seven years it wouldn't have been such a big deal... But she didn't get post!

Theo chuckled slightly, but then decided he should likely stop. They'd just ended one argument, he didn't need to start another. She tossed him the letter and told him to burn it. She didn't care what was inside. Theo furrowed his brows before glancing away from the envelope and back up to her. "You sure?" he asked even though he already knew the answer. She didn't want to read the letter and do she wouldn't. So with a shrug Theo pulled out his wand and set it aflame. He dropped it to the ground and watched it turn to ash before stepping on what remained of the flames. And when he looked back up Vivian was telling him that her mother sent letters like this all he time.

Theo smirked, somehow he highly doubted that Vivian's mother had ever sent a letter quite like this. 'oh hey I'm your long lost son!' He smirked again at the thought, not overlooking Vivian's point.

"are you sure?" he asked once more, knowing the gravity of the situation. He'd not want Vivian to get in any kind of trouble for his choices. That much he knew for sure. He inhaled once before shrugging, figuring why not. What did he have to lose, really? Well, quite a lot. The Ministry was still on high alert because it was so soon after the war. If the letter fell into the wrong hands the punishment would likely be severe, even if the letter had nothin to do with the war at all, which it didn't.

He surrendered the letter to Vivian's outstretched hand and watched as she took out her wand and began performing the spell, asking why she was doing this. He grinned at her question before shrugging.

"It's a letter to my father," he said. And that was the truth, mostly. But still, he knew shed want a little more information than that. "He's a death eater... In hiding. So if this letter goes bad... Well ya know. And if anything happens I don't want you involved. It's my situation, okay? Id rather you not get dragged in to another mess." He said, hoping that he'd properly showed the gravity of the situation and his concerns.

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[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

Vivian watched as Theo burned her letter, entranced by the flickering flames and by the way her mother and step-father's words turned to ashes in front of her, crumbling onto the floor. It seemed symbolic, somehow. Vivian had learned that most people would searched for symbolism in anything. It made them feel like there was a meaning to their life. Vivian didn't think life meant anything.

She was glad that it was Theo who had burned the letter. Despite all her convictions about not reading it, about dropping it out out the Owlery window, she wasn't sure if she'd actually do it. Theo took it out of her hands and did what she needed to be done, when maybe she wouldn't have been strong enough to do it herself. That was what friends were for, right?

"It was from my mum and step-dad." she said, offering Theo some information so he'd understand, at least in some respect, what he had just done for her.

And then Theo handed over his letter, and Vivian performed the charm she had seen her mother doing many times. Hearing the incantation rather than having read it in a book made it much easier for her to remember and learn. When she read, the letters and words jumbled themselves up. Her ears worked just fine.

Theo took her cue, and explained why the letter was so dangerous; he was sending it to his dad.
"Your real dad." said Vivian. She didn't say it as a question; she knew, and she understood. Theo had never expressly told her so, but she had picked up enough from him to have a rough idea of his family life. He didn't like to talk about it, and Vivian, having something of an undesirable family herself, understood. She knew his mum was dead, but she didn't know how. She knew that the man Theo lived with, the man who had given him the name 'Nott', was a step-dad of sorts, like Vivian's. She knew that, like Vivian, Theo hadn't met his real dad. He had left when he'd been very young.

"I'm not getting dragged in," she said, mimicking Theo's tone. "I'm walking in. There's a difference." If something went wrong, then Vivian fully intended to be involved. Theo wasn't going to be able to keep her from stopping him getting into a world of trouble, if she could help it.

She looked back to Theo, and realised that maybe she had missed some sort of emotional cue. He seemed to be really trying to impress upon her the gravity of the situation, not just in the legal sense, but in a personal sense, too. Rather awkwardly, she put a hand on Theo's arm, in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. "Nothing's going to go wrong," she said, looking at Theo and smiling. "Send the letter."

[THEODORE JACOB NOTT]

At the mention that Vivian's letter had been from her mother and step-father Theo made an 'ah' face without actually saying the word. He was too busy watching her as she performed the spell. It seemed simple enough, but he was still a little worried about what it meant, but his worries were stopped short as Vivian mentioned that he was writing to his real father. He smirked slightly as his brow furrowed in slight surprise.

"How did you...?" he didn't bother finishing his sentence. Apparently Vivian was more perceptive than he gave her credit for. Man he really was a jerk wasn't he? "Yes, to my real father," he said, nodding lightly as she said she wasn't getting dragged into his little problem, and that she was walking in. Oh wasn't she so terribly clever? It didn't matter the choice of words, she was still getting involved, and that caused Theo to worry slightly. The consequences would be grave, and while he was fine with them... he knew he didn't want the same for Vivian.

"Whatever you say," he said with another small shrug as she handed him back the letter. He examined the envelope carefully. There was absolutely no physical trace of the spell on the envelope, but there would be magical trace. There always was. But then Vivian was assuring him that nothing was going to go wrong and that he should send the letter. He stared at the envelope for a few moments longer before looking back up at Vivian and giving her a small smile.

"Well here goes nothin'" he said with a smirk before picking out an owl. It was black and looked to have seen better days. He picked it up with a smile, tying the letter to the owls leg before he picked it up and held it near the window.

"Rabastan Lestrange," he said quietly enough so that the owl could hear it, but not loud enough for almost anyone else. He wasn't sure what kind of precautions McGonagall had taken to protect the castle, and he wasn't particularly keen on finding out. The owl was off with a small hoot and he watched as it shrunk into the distance until finally it was gone.

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[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

Theo started to ask how she knew about his father, and Vivian rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Theo," she said "you really think that after seven years I wouldn't have figured it out?"

Theo was a year older than Vivian, but they had been friends ever since Vivian's first year. She had arrived at Hogwarts, and caused quite a stir. Even at eleven years old she had been beautiful, and it had been obvious that she was part Veela. She was sorted into Slytherin, and it didn't take long for the infamous Theodore Nott to introduce himself.

Vivian hadn't been quite as confident back then. She had just escaped from her parents house, and although during the last year or so she hadn't seen much of them, the memories of her time with them were still pretty raw. She hadn't had any friends, and spent her time alone. She was, of course, emotionless. But she wasn't quite so bold about it as she was now. She had changed a lot. Back then she had been small and slight, with a mass of silvery blonde hair, and large, bright green eyes. She had been relatively quiet, and kept to herself. She had been wary of everyone around her.

Theodore Nott had, if it was possible, been even more confident and cocky than he was now. But then, he had been young, thinking he knew everything. He had taken Vivian under his wing, no doubt expecting her to come out of her shell. Vivian wondered if he had been put off to find that it wasn't a shell that kept her emotions so hidden away. But he hadn't dropped her. Vivian and Theo had been fast friends, and all the girls in Vivian's year were practically insane with jealousy. Not only was Vivian beautiful, but she had Theodore Nott as a friend. Theo's approval had been notoriously hard to gain.

Where as at first Vivian had been bullied (not that it made much impact on her, but still) she was now respected. Being Theo's friend did that. The boys in her year had left her alone; they assumed she was Theo's.

For a few years their friendship was wholesome and innocent (well, as wholesome and innocent as Theo and Vivian were ever likely to get; even back then, Vivian liked trouble, and Theo would oblige). When they had both fully hit their teenage years, it had evolved into something more than that. She and Theo had never dated, but they had fooled around some. It was only natural that that would happen; she was beautiful, he was handsome, and their hormones were raging. Not to mention that to each of them, the other was one of the only people they could stand.

Most people thought that Vivian and Theo would end up together. They seemed close, but no one from the outside could understand their relationship. Vivian knew things about Theo he didn't tell others, like how he could play guitar, and sing. He never did the whole 'big reveal' of his life story, but he'd told her enough that she could piece it together, over the years. Theo knew that Vivian didn't feel the way others did, though he didn't know why. Both knew not to press the other about their past.

But a relationship never developed, probably because of Vivian's lack of emotion. She had never felt that giggly, butterflies in the stomach, swooning feeling of liking someone.

After all those years, the two of them had changed a lot. Theo had learned not to be quite so outwardly cocky and loud, and had become more reserved. He understood the value of observing people. He had grown taller, and much more muscular than the stringy boy of twelve Vivian had met seven years ago. Vivian herself had changed too. Around everyone else she was still the same cold, emotionless bitch. But around Theo it was almost like she had feelings. She warmed up, and wasn't so deathly afraid of letting an emotion or two past the barriers. It was as though, slowly but surely, she had melted just enough to feel human. She was no longer that small, quiet girl of eleven. She was tall, with curves to die for, and in innate confidence that nothing could take away.

But they were still friends. Theo's friendship was one of the only things Vivian had ever cared about. She knew she'd always stick by him, whatever happened. And so, Vivian didn't care what kind of trouble Theo might be getting himself into. She wasn't going to abandon him and save herself. Vivian still remembered that boy of twelve, who had taken her under his wing when everyone else had been either scared of or in awe of her.

Vivian watched as the owl vanished over the horizon, smiling slightly. Theo had burned that letter for her, when she might not have been able to do it herself. He had helped her do what she needed to do. And now she had done the same for him.

"Don't worry so much, Theo," Vivian said, standing up and walking over to the Owlery window to stand next to him. "You'll get wrinkles." She playfully flicked her thumb over the spot between Theo's thick, dark eyebrows, as though rubbing the wrinkles away, attempting to lighten the mood.

The two of them stood in the window together, Vivian looking back out over the grounds. She couldn't help but remember a young boy and girl, one dark and rough, filled with a hot temper, the other blonde and beautiful, wary and reserved, who had stood together in this same spot seven years ago.