telling tall tales | vivian

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

feb 20th, 2021

THE CROWD PULSED WITH NOISE AND ALBUS refrained from covering his ears as the players flew onto the pitch in front of him, a sea of red and yellow. He was in the Hufflepuff stands, his robes wrapped high on his neck, pushing his scarf over his mouth as he scowled at the pitch, squinting without his glasses. It was not his idea of a thrilling Saturday morning, in fact he could barely hold his tired head up. Why was it necessary to host a sports game right after breakfast on a Saturday? It didn't feel right to Albus.

Craning his neck over a wave of chattering pupils, all bundled up in Hufflepuff regalia he was looking for somebody. He'd only come to keep Rosie company, and for the possibility that he'd get to witness the demise of his sibling's combined egos. Speaking of, the Hufflepuff's all clapped excitedly as the opposing Gryffindor team flew onto the pitch in a sweeping motion. Al turned back just in time to glimpse his brother's hulking figure stretched across his disgustingly expensive broom, a great big slab of an arm charming both crowds with a wave. A Hufflepuff behind his head wolf whistled as James passed, and Al turned viciously to glare at her. 'Talk about House pride', he thought meanly. Followed shortly by, 'where the bloody hell is Rosie?'.

Al slumped into his bench, gripping the wooden edge until his cold knuckles hurt. He hadn't worn his gloves, and he was beginning to regret this. Lifting his hands, he rubbed them together and blew hot air between them, thinking of all the wandless spells he intended to learn. Chiefly, how convenient a wandless warming spell would be at that moment. For Al, he felt it mortifying to unsheathe his wand for something as trivial as a warming spell. Especially among a House he didn't even belong to.

Al watched the players organise accordingly, in a formation he never quite cared to understand. Lily's miniscule figure draped over the same make of broom as their brother. She and James high fiving as they passed one and other, forcing Albus to audibly scoff an "Yugh," in responding disgust. Chin lifted, he heard the warbling sound of the commentator carry from somewhere to his right, but it did not sound like Vivian Jordan - which was a blessing, as far as Albus was concerned. Rumour had it, Vivian had shredded her vocal cords after Ravenclaw beat Slytherin in an absolutely brutal game the week before. He'd been avoiding her ever since, as he had known intimately the scope of Vivian Jordan's smug triumph first hand. The sooner she graduated the better.

A body thumped down beside Albus then and he tensed in relief, "Did you get lost-" Albus' voice died in his throat as he turned his head and realised who had taken Rosie's vacant spot beside him. It was not Rosie, as he had anticipated, but rather a gleeful looking Vivian. Albus felt his shoulders bunch up, her head just a couple inches taller than him on the stands so that he had to lean back to feel comfortable. "You're in the wrong stand, Jordan." He grumbled, and turned away intent to ignore her until she disappeared. She had a blinding smile, it was absolutely insufferable.  

Vivian River Jordan

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Vivian River Jordan]

20 February 2021

Vivian lived for Saturday morning Quidditch, although she mourned the loss of her usual view from up high. It was like she’d been born for commentating – and considering who her father was, that wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. You had to be quick and clever, follow the action of the match and relay what was happening in exactly the moment it happened. It wasn’t a job for just anyone, and the staff put up with Viv’s occasional bout of swearing if only because they’d realized there just wasn’t anyone who could do it better. She was out of commission for this match, although she couldn’t be sorry for the reason. Ravenclaw had slaughtered Slytherin in their match last week, and Viv had spent the majority of that game screaming into the microphone at every goal. Then she’d spent most of the victory party gleefully replaying all of Ravenclaw’s greatest hits and nitpicking every move Slytherin had made that should have been counted as a foul – if only the referee had been paying attention.

So her voice was still mostly gone. Viv had never quite come to enjoy Quidditch from the point of view of a broomstick, much to her mother’s disappointment, so she’d be joining the crowd for this match. It was a shame that she wouldn’t be able to poke fun at what James Potter had between his legs (his broomstick, of course) but Gryffindor/Hufflepuff matches were generally likeable all the same. Much more sportsmanlike than last week’s match had been, anyway. Ravenclaws and Slytherins were both competitive by nature, and that combination together meant they’d either dominate the world or destroy it. Vivian was a little late to the match – she could already see all 14 players zooming around overhead – but she didn’t want Drizzle to catch cold so she’d spent a few extra minutes fashioning a nest out of spare Ravenclaw scarves. Now she carried the bundle in her hands as she edged around the stands towards the sea of blue on the other side.

But she paused at the sight of a figure clad in Slytherin green standing in the Hufflepuff section. Exactly as one might expect, it was easy to separate Albus from the crowd, a little spot of angst and teen hormones in the midst of the bright Hufflepuff yellow that surrounded him. Perfect. He’d always been an easy target for Vivian’s sharp humor growing up, and well...Viv was bored. A little smirk on her face, she nudged through the crowd (gently, so she wouldn’t disturb the puffskein in her hands) until she could lightly flounce into the seat next to Albus. “Not your girlfriend,” she confirmed, her voice at a croak and that infuriating smirk still on her face. There was a lot of speculation in the Potter/Weasley household about Albus and Rosie, but girlfriend? Yeah right, he wished. She elbowed Albus to get more room on the bench, lightly arranging Drizzle on her lap so the puffskein could look up at the players if she wanted. Viv knew, logically, that it would be better not to speak – save her voice so she could fully recover for the next match.

But…she couldn’t resist the temptation to shoot a quip or two at Albus. Her pride simply wouldn’t let her do otherwise. Albus had fired the first shot, grumpily informing her that she was in the wrong stands, and Vivian would rather die than let him have the last word on anything. “Oh don’t worry sprout,” she said as she straightened to her full height advantage over him, “I’m exactly where I need to be.” Her smirk widened into her usual brilliant smile, the kind she’d been practicing for ages for her inevitable career in entertainment after graduation. Some people just had that natural charisma, after all. Viv fancied that she did, while Al – well, most certainly did not. “There is a little hormonal fish out of water here, though. Not naming names, of course.” She settled with giving him an obvious once-over and then rolling her eyes, instead.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

feb 20th, 2021

SHE WAS SITTING FAR TOO CLOSE FOR ALBUS TO feel comfortable. Her bright smile taking up all of his eyeline, smelling of a minty soothing potion and powdery perfume. Her words sharp as she declared she was not his 'girlfriend', making Albus's face flame immediately. A sweat breaking out under his arms as he turned his head away sharply and scowled onto the pitch. "She's not my girlfriend." He grumbled, knowing what Vivian was referring to without clarification. It was a joke that had become old in second year.

Albus didn't know what the big deal was about having a best friend that was a girl. Naturally, he knew that it wasn't. That it was a cheap joke passed around by his family and their peers, something to make Albus sweat as he wondered more than once if maybe they were right - maybe he did like Rosie. He didn't, he absolutely did not.

Leg beginning a restless jumping, Albus stared resolutely at the pitch, hoping that if he ignored Vivian long enough she might simply disappear. He wrung his hands in his lap, the silence only lasting a fraction of a second before Vivian was speaking once again. Her voice still rich and hoarse from the screaming she'd down the week before - still managing to be scathing and sarcastic despite its damage. He could practically feel her smirk as he flinched at the nickname. Vivian had grown a few inches taller than him over the summer, which was just a mortifying reality paired with her insufferable personality.

"Would you just give it a rest!" Albus snapped, his voice raising slightly as he turned to Vivian sharply. Her smile an unmoveable landmark on her face, something he was sure was charming to every other person at Hogwarts. He shared no similar sentiment, finding it more sinister than pretty. "I thought you were on vocal rest, or something?" He asked harshly, an accusation wrinkling his nose. "Go sit with somebody who actually likes you, Vivian." His eyes narrowed, eyes dropping to her Puffskein sitting neatly in her lap, tongue flickering as it eyed a passing fly circling the stands. "You're starting to sound a little desperate." And he turned away. 

Vivian River Jordan

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Vivian River Jordan]

Vivian wasn’t fazed by any of Albus’s outrageous comments, even if they were insanely provocative and quite personal. Now, if that sort of criticism had come from one of her housemates, or Morgana forbid from one of the other Potters – that might have been enough to send Viv reeling. She was always in the public eye somehow, either because of her fixed spot in front of the microphone or the damn good work she did for the school paper. That meant reputation mattered to her, and the thought of looking desperate? It’d be enough to make her flush in anger and yeah, even a little despair. But she couldn’t give two gurdyroots what Albus Potter thought (about anything, but especially about her), even more so now because his surly expression and clipped tone meant she was finally starting to get somewhere with him. Maybe it was the prodding little comments about Rosie, or maybe the little squirt was embarrassed that she had the height advantage (although James was already taller and he was a year younger than her). She’d have been more worried if Albus had decided to ignore her completely – because in what world would little Albus be more mature than her?

So the smile stayed plastered on her face as Albus turned away with his nose turned up and Vivian rummaged around in her pocket for the cough drops she’d gotten at the Hospital Wing. Who knew what the nurse had put in them – probably some twist of a Pepper-up Potion – but her voice always felt stronger after nursing one for a while. Strictly speaking, she was only supposed to use them before class so she could participate in a meaningful way, but grades had never mattered much to Vivian. She wasn’t that type of Ravenclaw, really. So she popped one into her mouth (fueling up, so to speak), and gave a low chuckle as she felt the scratchiness of her throat fade away. “Oh boo hoo,” she said with an eye-roll as Albus snapped at her to sit somewhere else, “I’m Albus Potter and I’m a moody little snake that just hit puberty.” She flashed a bright grin at him as she continued smugly, “I hate everything and no one understands me. Just let me be alone with my angst.” After a pause, she added in a matter-of-fact tone along with her trademark smile (the one that always had that underlying mischievous look to it), “That’s what you sound like, you know. Can't take anything you say seriously.”

Drizzle was staring curiously at the Hufflepuffs around her and Viv had to clamp a protective hand around her puffskein to stop the mischievous little creature from diving into a nearby Hufflepuff’s pocket. She could see the edge of a sugar quill poking out of their robes, and Drizzle wasn’t allowed to eat that much pure sugar or she’d be bouncing around for the rest of the day (and night). Instead, Viv maneuvered her until she was carefully tucked into the nest of blue scarves on her lap as she shot Albus a challenging look. It plainly said everything she couldn’t with her damaged vocal cords right now, and more than that it encapsulated the nature of all the snarky quips she and Albus always shot at each other. Beat that, sprout.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

feb 20th, 2021

IN HIS PERIPHERAL VISION AL WATCHED VIVIAN unwrap a soother and pop it into her mouth. The cloying sent of peppermint ghosting over him with a magical chill that rose the fine, soft baby hair around his exposed ear when she laughed. His thighs tensed and his teeth ground, knowing that there could only be one good reason Vivian would be soothing her throat - she was not going to leave him alone. He felt a well of frustration bubble inside of him, she was a relentless person.

"I-" Albus reared back as if to interrupt Vivian's searing tirade, but he stopped. His head frozen in a half-turn, mouth tense at the corners. He swallowed his retort with great difficulty and mechanically turned his face away. Her words were stinging, glancing off his profile and settling like nettle welts that begged to be itched. Her voice high and scratchy as she mocked him with a sharp, mean glee. His sniffed in the cold, his cheeks flushed and his leg jumping restlessly as he hid his hands tightly between his clenched thighs to stop himself from turning them into angry, telling fists. There was a beat, and it was almost as if Albus was going to ignore Vivian entirely, but he simply couldn't help himself.

"I don't hate everybody," He corrected her on a misty breath, his head turning towards Vivian against his will. Her face still grinning manically, the soother rolling somewhere behind her teeth menacingly. She looked positively friendly, but Albus knew it was deceiving. "I just don't like you." He told her laconically, blinking slowly. This was not strictly true, Vivian could be alright in small doses. He just didn't like the cheap jabs she insisted on inflicting whenever the opportunity arose. She was actually quite good at commentating a dead boring sport Albus had never liked. Really, he only hated her most of the time.

"And-" Albus hunched against a gust of cold air as a broom swooshed near the Hufflepuff stands, inciting a great caw of excitement, making him cringe in disgust. "I think that bothers you more than you let on," He told her eventually, reaching over with equal challenge to let the curious Puffskein wrap its probing tongue around his pointer finger. "You're not even a Hufflepuff," He frowned at her knowingly, despite the fact that he was not a Hufflepuff either. The Puffskein mewled and Albus bravely buried his hand in its silken coat, scratching its traitorous side. "You're just here for a cheap laugh, it's pathetic." He sniped at her spitefully. 

Vivian River Jordan

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Vivian River Jordan]

She didn’t know why she liked teasing Albus so much – probably because he just reacted in such a unique way to her little barbs. James was always quick to return her teasing comments with his own, and the banter flowed easily between them like they were cousins that had grown up together (which in some unofficial way, they were). And Lily had a good sense of humor, and despite being the youngest of the Potter children seemed to have the strongest Weasley gene. She knew how to take a joke, and her pranks were legendary. But Albus? He was as sour as a shriveled little apple that hadn’t quite hit its peak yet, and knew it wasn’t as good-looking or talented as the other apples around him. And Viv liked watching him flush and clench his jaw and stutter as he searched for a clever response – as if a Slytherin could beat a Ravenclaw when it came to wordplay.

He couldn’t seem to do better than ‘I don’t hate everybody’ and Viv snorted slightly at the assertion. Sure, she supposed it was technically true since he seemed to like Rosie a lot (poor girl). She shot him a deadpan look as he casually informed her that he just didn’t like her, as easily as if he was asking her to pass the sugar or name types of magical horses. She was about to tartly ask him why she should care about that at all, because in fact she didn’t care about Albus Potter or what he thought. But her mouth dropped open in indignation as the little twat answered her unspoken question by giving his opinion (that nobody asked for!) that it did bother her. Now…did she need to be liked? Of course not, but also…yes. She liked attention, and most people did seem to like her anyway.

For the first time in a long while, Vivian frowned. “And you just like to make people miserable,” she responded heatedly, a quite unusual tone for the cheery girl to take. She didn’t do anything for a cheap laugh. Viv liked to make people smile, and her pranks weren’t mean or humiliating. But Albus was just resentful, and lashing out, and as easily as she could find his buttons…maybe he knew how to press hers too. His hand combing through Drizzle’s fur was the final insult, and Viv gave a gasp of indignation and quickly snatched her puffskein out of his grip. She ignored Drizzle’s mewl of complaint (the little traitor had been enjoying it!) and put her on her opposite shoulder instead. “Hands off, sprout. Who knows where they’ve been,” she snapped, her voice raspy as she struggled to get the words out. The annoyed expression on her face was unfamiliar, and Vivian forced herself to stop for a minute and take a deep breath. She found an opportunity for revenge quite soon too. The crowd gasped as two Chasers from Slytherin and Gryffindor rammed into each other in front of the Hufflepuff stands until James Potter finally pulled up triumphantly with the Quaffle in his hands. Everyone burst into cheers around them, and Viv kept steady eye contact with Al as she pointed out casually, “We all have our faults. I’m not a Hufflepuff, and you…aren’t James.”

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

feb 20th, 2021

THERE WAS AN UNMISTAKEABLE SMUGNESS TO making Vivian stop, if only for a moment. Albus made himself look busy entertaining the Puffskein, but from the corner of his eye he saw her mouth drop open. His lips held very tightly, lest he let a smirk wriggle free. The silence, as blissful as it was, didn't last very long. Vivian found her voice quicker than she had lost it. Her words much sharper so that Albus lifted his head. She was scowling, an expression which didn't sit comfortably on her smooth, typically smiling face.

"If I make you so miserable," Albus snarked, shaking his head tightly. "Why don't you go and sit somewhere else?" Her insult shouldn't have stung, it was a cheap shot, but it did. Albus had long since tired of being called miserable. He didn't smile enough, he wouldn't laugh enough. He was always complaining. Albus was sick of hearing about all the bad things about himself. Vivian was, unfortunately, very good at reminding him of them. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, missing the softness of Drizzle's fur as the creature was snatched out of reach. He gave the thing an apologetic shrug, and swore the thing understood him perfectly as he turned away from Vivian.

Albus was not watching the game. Staring into the middle distance, his hands tucked under his thighs and his shoulders tense around his ears. He knew it was only a matter of time before Vivian retaliated, she was like a dog with a bone. He turned as she drew breath, her eyes catching his with gleeful malice and holding it. Her words were rusted from exertion, but it just made them sharper as she looked at him with nothing but pure pity. Albus felt bile at the back of his throat, his whole body freezing at the searing accusation. The problem with Vivian wasn't just that she was annoying, it was that she thought she knew him.

"Bloody good thing that is," He scoffed back, nostrils flaring. "I'd hate to have you all over me like you are James." He leaned in closer. "Do you think he tires of you?" Albus asked her coldly. "Having you hanging on his every move like every dribbling, brainless Potter fan." Casting a cool, derisive eye over Vivian, he leaned back and hopped up from the bench all at once. "Do us all a favour, Vivian," He pocketed his curled hands and looked down his nose at her. "Fuck off back to the commentators booth, would you." Albus began edging out of the stands, eager to remove himself from Vivian's stifling presence before he did something rash, like shove her off the stands and watch her tumble to the ground. 

Vivian River Jordan

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Vivian River Jordan]

I hate Albus Potter, Vivian decided declaratively in her mind like she’d just settled an ages-long philosophical debate with herself. Except there really wasn’t so much to wonder about when it came to the black-and-white fact that Albus was a complete tool. A no-good rabble-rouser. A twat. Viv was a cheery sort, quick to smile and think up clever wordplay and she always had some cute little prank ready to fire off at a moment’s notice (which, when it came to her fireworks, was not just metaphorical). But by all of Merlin’s dusty crystal balls, Albus and his annoying little observations brought out something in her. Something that went past cheeky and almost hit ‘crabby’ territory – god forbid.

Because he was sort of right, wasn’t he? Oh fine, he was bad-tempered and couldn’t take a joke. And he got regularly mistaken for some sort of vampire changeling dropped off at the Potter household because he preferred to sulk in the dungeons rather than enjoy the sunshine. But he didn’t lie, not really. And that was what annoyed the fuck out of her, that and the way his greasy little hands twisted into Drizzle’s fur. Her traitor of a pet seemed to like it, too. “Nah,” she replied simply at his unsubtle suggestion that she sit somewhere else. Her expression settled into something close to smug as she turned her nose up at him. “Good view here. Not to mention for all the pimply runts that can’t see from the back of the stands.” She didn’t glance over at her seatmate, but the inflection in her tone made it so she might as well have pointedly stared right at him.

As the topic veered into James territory, Viv felt her frayed nerves settle again. It was familiar, a little overplayed maybe but an instant classic with Albus. Because she liked James to be sure, but she definitely hammed it up to a new extreme whenever she got the opportunity to turn Albus’s face beet red. Her smile turned crooked at the description of being a Potter fan. “Bet you’d love to know, wouldn’t you? Sad thing, innit, nobody ever hangs around enough to get tired of you.” But Viv stopped there and sucked in a breath, because that comment hadn’t been so clever. No, just mean. “Er,” she started, unwilling to apologize but thinking that maybe she’d gone a little too far. But Albus’s final words brought a hot flush to her cheeks, the insult further driven in by the way he edged to get away from her. “Oh don’t be such a wanker!” she shot back hotly at him as she followed, tugging at the end of his scarf so he’d have to choose between suffocation or stopping his hasty retreat. “It’s just good fun, why do you have to make it so bitter?” she demanded, tossing her braids out of her face as she stood up and slipped Drizzle onto her shoulder. It was always like that! She and James trying to have a good time, Al standing by the side with a twisted expression of bitter agony on his face. Why did it have to be so serious all the time, why couldn’t he take the joke?

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

feb 20th, 2021

IT WASN'T REALLY TRUE, ALBUS KNEW IT WAS just Vivian swinging back in retaliation. And yet, he was standing between two seats, looking down at her and the worlds rattled around inside of his head anyway. Nobody stuck around to be tired of him, she said, a momentary gleam in her eye like she knew it would sting just to say it. It was true, Albus didn't have very many friends, he liked his own company. But, absently he thought that maybe, just maybe Vivian was right. It had given him pause, Albus's face going slack as thought overwhelmed his disdainful expression.

When he came to, the nasty glint was gone from Vivian's eyes and somebody had scored on the pitch. He told her to fuck off back to the commentator's booth, storming away from the stands. Rosie could watch on her own, for all he cared. He'd just pushed past the curtain and headed towards the spiralling wooden staircase when Vivian's scratchy voice nipped at his heels. He picked up the pace, footsteps stuttering in the narrow passage when he felt a violent tug on the tail of his scarf.

"Ngh," He came to an angry stop, spinning in place and pulling his scarf free as he did. "Stop it!" He yelled at her, his chest heaving as he drew in a sharp, furious breath. "Would you lay off?!" He told her, stepping forward until they were close enough that Albus could smell the sharp peppermint from the soother she'd been sucking on before. "It's not good fun, not for me and you know it." His chin jutted out and he could have stepped on her toes they were standing so close - he thought about it, too.

"And, god forbid you're wrong about anything, Vivian, but news flash... I'm not bitter, either." Albus's face was flushed, his ears a cherry red and his scarf tight around his neck where Vivian had pulled on it. "I'm annoyed... you annoy me." He explained to her like she was five, let the Ravenclaw stew on being spoken to like a child. "I don't want to hang out with you, not when you insist on making me the butt of every bad joke." He leaned his head back, just to get away from the smell of peppermint and girlish body lotion. "Why on Earth would that be fun for me?" He shook his head, scoffing at her. 

Vivian River Jordan

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Vivian River Jordan]

Albus had started to storm off after his last snappy comment, but Vivian hastily got up to follow him. Because damn it, she couldn’t leave the conversation where it was or she’d just sound like a bully. And that wasn’t who she was, some big tough upperclassman that liked to pick on the lower years for being less brave or less clever than her. No, everyone seemed to know exactly who Viv was – the bright student with a promising future (even after that nasty bite), the cheeky Quidditch commentator that told things how they were. Everyone except Albus Potter, who only seemed to see the worst in her. Or maybe it was already there and he only brought it to life. Either way, it just wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he could do this to her.

“No, you stop it!” Viv demanded, her voice rough as the effects of the potion started to wear off and left her throat feeling raw and scratchy. She felt her cheeks grow hot, her lips settle into an upset pout as he swiveled around to yell at her. He stepped closer, and she had to resist the urge to kick him in the shin. Because no, she hadn’t done something so childish in years and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how rattled she was. “It would be good fun if you could just take a joke!” she fumed, her hands curling into fists at the haughty look on his face. She could feel Drizzle quivering on her shoulder from the raised voices, and part of her wanted to run away. Take care of her puffskein, stifle the angry hot tears that threatened to gather at the corner of her eyes.

But no, she had something to say and it was going to be more eloquent than Albus’s declaration that he was annoyed (like a kid who hadn’t gotten the gift he wanted). “Because that’s supposed to be the point, innit? I say something funny and then you say something funny and everyone gets to be in on it.” She could feel her voice raising in volume as she shouted on him, and while it was covered up by the noise of the match – there were one or two curious students who swiveled their heads to find the source of the noise. “But no, Albus Potter is too good for that. He doesn’t laugh at anything ‘cause he's got to show how much bloody better he is than the rest of his family!” His final scoff at her sent her blood boiling and she took that little step closer to fully leverage her height advantage and look down the edge of her nose at him. “James seems to like it, why can’t you?”

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

feb 20th, 2021

THE PASSAGE WAS NARROW ENOUGH BUT AL thought Vivian took up any residual room with her massive head. She didn't know when to let go, and Al found himself matching her anger because of it. He didn't want to be caught yelling in the Quidditch stands like a quarrelling couple. It was humiliating. Albus had always had issues sharing personal information, nevermind with people he trusted. Grinding his jaw, he blinked the peppermint out of his eyes and wished he'd never hear the word 'joke' ever again.

"No." He said quietly, her demands for him to 'take a joke' ripping clean into his ego and leaving him bitter and raw. He had no better reply in that moment than a simple refusal. His eyes flickered over Vivian's shoulder, watching mutely as two students squeezed past the passage on there way up to the stands, snickering at them like idiots. He wanted to scream at them, turning his hands into useless fists instead before he looked back at Vivian.

"No." He said again, shaking his head and giving her a narrowed glare. "That's not 'the point'." He corrected her, leaning his head back as she leaned into his space to leverage her height difference against him. He knew what she was doing, it was plainly transparent and a low blow. He wanted to be satisfied that he'd bothered her enough to try, but he was too angry with her. "I don't think I'm better than the rest of my family." He shook his head vehemently, frowning at her as he wondered privately if everybody thought that. Albus didn't think he was better, he was reminded often of his families prolific infamy. He decided she was just being mean.

"Vivian-" Albus shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms and taking a measured step away from her and her oppressive peppermint scent. "The reason I don't want to joke with you- I mean, it's got nothing to do with my family." He told her surely, wrinkling his nose as he looked down the length of it at her. "You're not my family, I don't care what James thinks is funny and..." He drew in a sobering breath, his ears ruddy with the remainder of his anger. "I just don't like you very much." He shrugged his shoulders hastily. The anger bled out of him as he settled on a chilly, blank look for the girl. "And I don't find you very funny." 

Vivian River Jordan

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Vivian River Jordan]

It seemed like that was all Albus was capable of doing. Saying no, constantly bringing the negative into a conversation and making the other person feel less than worthy. There were people that knew how to lift – whether it be the mood of a room, a person’s self-confidence, their own self-worth. That was one of the defining qualities of Hufflepuff House, after all, and Viv was reminded of the fact as they stood in the middle of a sea of yellow – her own blue scarf and Albus’s green standing at a stark contrast. But he wasn’t like that at all. Viv never felt more like a shadow of herself when she was enduring his sullen attitude and cross looks, like he disapproved greatly of everything she did. And she curled her hands into the long sleeves of her robes while she gnashed her teeth at the sound of the word ‘no’ leaving his lips again.

He seemed desperate to convince her (or himself?) that his attitude had nothing to do with his family. But it all smelled like a bad batch of toadspawn and Viv snorted at the less-than-credible assertion. Her ears were still ringing with the echo of James Potter as the replacement commentator gleefully pointed out another spectacular goal and she wanted nothing more badly than to be there – holding the microphone, eyes tracking the blurs on the field and being far away from Albus. “Bollocks,” she said tartly, crossing her arms and looking down at him. “You can pretend you don’t care all you like, but you’re a bloody joke. It does bother you to feel left out and this is the only way you know how to show it.”

She turned her nose up at him, ignoring the little squeak of protest from Drizzle. For some strange reason, her puffskein had always been fond of Al and it felt like a betrayal every time she found her beloved pet with the little squirt. Viv couldn’t deny that her pride was wounded at the thought that Al didn’t find her funny, but she told herself it wasn’t true. He was just being spiteful and he knew the kind of reputation she had around the school. But the cold look he shot her chilled her to the bone. It was far from the playful tone she’d started with, and the indignation she’d expected from him. “Guess that’s why you didn’t go to Gryffindor with James,” she said frostily, “You haven't got a sense of loyalty.”

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

feb 20th, 2021

IT WAS AN EXHAUSTIVE CYCLE OF BACK AND forth, and Albus tired of it. They weren't really getting anywhere. No matter how hard he tried, he could not shake Vivian's opinion of him. She was relentless, an impenetrable force insistent on crushing him under her ego. He was sick of the entire charade. And with a sober realisation, Albus thought that they were just shouting at each other with no real goal. He wasn't going to win this one, but neither was she. Did she intend to raise her voice until he cried? She'd be waiting a while, even if he did feel a bit bruised by her searing opinion of him. How could he not?

"You're batty!" Albus exclaimed, throwing his arms wide and rolling his eyes heavenward. "Left out of what?!" He asked without needing an answer. Vivian thought she and her friend group were the epitome of friendship and fun. He couldn't think of anything worse than a night with Vivian Jordan and his snickering older brothier. "Trust me, I'm perfectly happy being left out of..." He gestured to her with a wave of his hand. "Whatever it is your withholding." Albus sneered, leaning back and urging himself to turn and just walk away. Let sleeping dogs lie, or whatever the saying was. But, he couldn't. He just couldn't. No matter how hopeless it was.

Albus watched Vivian's fine, expressive face sharpen as she turned her nose up at him. She was probably pretty, he thought in a sharp bout of intrusive thought. With her smooth skin, and her eyes sparkling like two hard chips of onyx. It was just a shame about her terrible personality. And then she spoke and Albus balked out of his own mind. A sharp shake of his head, a blink of his eyes and he regarded her with fresh shock as he barked a humourless laugh.

"You think..." Albus drew back with a new perspective. Vivian tended to do that to him,. sending him curveballs when he was sure he'd gotten the full measure of her. "Do you honestly think if I was a Gryffindor I would... like you?" Albus wondered if Vivian had ever cared to see him beyond the length of her nose. "Vivian..." His tongue dashed out to wet his bottom lip as he felt a seizure of cruelty cool him at his core. "You could be the... sharpest Slytherin the Sorting Hat had ever seen." Leaning back, Albus gave her a withering stare. "I still wouldn't care to spend more than a handful of minutes with you."

The honesty was perhaps a little meaner than he'd meant it to be, but Al considered it necessary. Better she knew how little he cared for her now, rather than her chasing him down every which way trying to convince him his distance was a fault of his character. "Face it, Viv." Al shrugged loosely, emulating a Potter-like slouch that was completely unintentional. A smirk curling his mouth that he had no recollection of putting there. "You're just not my type." And then he made to turn away, finished with the entire ordeal. 

Vivian River Jordan

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Vivian River Jordan]

The reasonable voice in Viv’s head that warned her off from doing risky things was always somewhat muted, a low buzzing in the back of her mind that was easy to brush aside and ignore. Sometimes she might catch a glimpse of it in the middle of an all-nighter when she wondered how it’d all come to this, sometimes it made a brief reappearance after a snarky exchange with one of her roommates or a botched prank that’d land her polishing silver in the trophy room without her wand. But for the most part, it was a quiet unobtrusive presence that she could acknowledge and then swiftly set aside. But there was something about Albus Potter. Something that turned the gentle chaos of her mind into a roar, something that drove out all common sense and left her with a burning desire to have the last word and finally shock him into silence.

Her hands curled into fists at the disdainful sneer on his face and the way he bat aside her taunts like they couldn’t touch him. He was lying, she knew better than most exactly how much it bothered him to be standing alone while everyone around him seemed to be in on the same joke. But he had this façade going like he was perfectly fine with it all and Viv just wanted to see him rattled. That there could be some sign that she wasn’t talking to herself, like it could be acknowledged for just a moment that they were in a conversation and it wasn’t just two distinct people throwing insults at each other. But they’d crossed that line a while back, really. “Fine, just so long as you remember that you’ve done it to yourself. It could’ve been different,” Viv said haughtily, still clinging to that piece of knowledge that she hadn’t set out to make Albus feel isolated or different. No, he’d done it to himself, really. Pushed away the crowd of people who wanted to like him until it just became a reality.

It was easy to spar when they just flung insults back and forth at each other with barely a pause – because that felt less personal. For Viv, those kinds of matches had always been about showing off, just a bit. To prove that she could think up a witty reply in a snap, that she could keep up with anybody, that she was calling the shots when it came to her life and the way she lived it. But when Al paused to stare at her, stumbling over his words for a moment until he finally seemed composed enough to answer…Viv felt a vague sense of dread, like someone had cracked a Disillusionment Spell on her and she could feel it working its way down her body and through her veins. His incredulity was even worse than the lack of emotion he’d shown earlier, and Viv felt herself flush at the look on his face. Like he really thought he was better than her. Like he thought that being withdrawn and cold and friendless still put him leagues above her in any way that mattered.

She didn’t even think. It was like her hand moved of its own accord, whipping up to slap him in response to what was probably the most devastating insult he could have said in that moment. Drizzle swayed alarmingly on her shoulder as Viv’s shoulders tightened and the little frown on her face grew into a full-blown scowl. She stepped closer, drawing herself up to use that little height advantage of hers to stare deep into his shockingly green eyes and pronounce every word carefully. It felt like a million years ago that she’d been teasing him for pining after Rosie and imitating a vampire that never saw the sun. “Never in a million years,” she said furiously, “Not for all the gold in Gringotts. Not if the only alternative was kissing a chimaera. Why would anyone ever prefer you?” It might've been a thought that had run through her mind before but that she'd never truly said out-loud, and yet it felt like the only thing to say in the moment in response to what was truly a complete rejection of her and who she was. Like he'd hurt her, so she just wanted to hurt him.

And then she heard the only thing that could have snapped her out of the bubble she was in. The voice of her least favorite professor, because of course all the rotten luck was hers. “Potter! Jordan! What’s going on over there?”

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon.

feb 20th, 2021

IN HIS SHARP, BITTER HONESTY, AL WAS ALMOST convinced he'd won the battle - if not the war. Leaning in to Vivian's incessant need to be liked by everybody she encountered. He wanted her to feel as out of place as he did around her, but in reality, it just seemed to set things frightfully aflame. "Delphi-forbid," He snapped, heeding her caution like a warning. Lest she truly inflict her company on him any more than she already demanded.

And then, as quickly as Al threw out that final blow, he had his answer. No time to do anything but brace as a sharp, open palm smacked against his cheek. The blood rushed to the injury immediately, raw and stinging so sharply it stole all the breath from his lungs. He'd never been slapped like that before, not even by his slap-happy little sister. Eyes screwed so tightly shut, he thought maybe he'd gone blind for a minute.

When he finally opened his eyes, it was to find Vivian almost nose-to-nose with him. Her peppermint breath stinging his eyes and his raw cheek as he throbbed from scalp to clavicle. Her words hit like adjoining smacks. "I could say the same thing about you." He sneered, blindly reaching for his wand and casting the first hex that came to mind. Bat-bogey in all its glory. The tip of his wand just catching against the tip of her nose before he spat it out without a second of forethought. It was, quite frankly, something Lily would do. He felt possessed, overcome by Vivian's agitating nature. He didn't even hear when their collective names were called with authority, plus it was much too late.

All at once, two fat, dripping bats squeezed out of Vivian's warped nostrils and flapped out into the rafters of the Hufflepuff Quidditch stand. And then, as Albus jumped back, another two. They seemed to multiple, the cramped space suddenly overcome with black, flapping wings that jostled the wooden beams and ruffled the yellow drapery. Albus gasped as one clipped his ear, cringing when he turned and finally saw the harried professor marching toward the two of them with their wand raised. "In all my years...!" They were exclaiming, especially shrill as they whipped their wrist and cast a counter jinx that turned all of the bats into confetti.

The stands groaned from the assault, and over their heads there were muffled screams of confusion and fear. "On such a congenial day, I never thought I would have to do dole out such punishments..." The professor spat, every word a whip that cracked against Al's academic ego. "100 points from each of your houses ah- I will hear nothing of it, Mr. Potter!" He'd gone to speak, to defend his honour. He'd never had so many points taken from his House in his name. "And a month worth of Saturday detentions for you both." A tut, a shuffle, and a squint overhead as the jostling became too rough to ignore. "Get out of here at once, before the whole stand falls around you both." Albus would not be told twice, he turned and practically sprinted from the scene of the crime. His first detention ever... because of Bat-Faced Vivian Jordan!

[END ALBUS]

Vivian River Jordan

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!