Moon Madness | Viv + Mal

[malcolm calan clark]

Near Hogsmeade Village - December 21, 2019

Winter break had finally fallen upon Hogwarts and Malcolm was happier than ever to have his freedom for a couple of weeks from the castle and his studies. Not that he studied much. The Clark boys found themselves in the sleepy village of Hogsmeade, which was decorated festively for the upcoming holiday. It looked eery at night, completely empty, with the Full Moon hung bright, high in the starry night sky. Every foot step echoed off the cold cobblestone walkway as a group of teens snuck toward the pastures behind the sleepy village. Often during breaks from school, groups of teens would meet on the weekends to drink and have bonfires in the pastures surrounding Hogsmeade.

Swigging fire whiskey from a bottle was one of the best ways to keep warm during the freezing nights at the meadows. There were plenty of drunk teens dancing and partying, having a great time. Malcom noticed Jack trying to flirt with a blonde lass, so he took that as his cue to give him some space. Girls were fun to flirt with, but he was still learning; being fourteen made things awkward at times..

Luckily, he noticed that Viv wasn’t too far. Older by a year, creative, and curious. The snake found the eagle interesting to talk to and quite cute. Originally, Malcolm only started talking to Viv so that she would make him look good on the pitch, but over time he considered her a friend. And she did find ways to shout him out…in her own Viv kind of way.

There was very little snow remaining from the last snow fall, but there was enough old snow on a fallen log to grab a handful and crunch it in his hands, ”Viv! Watch out for that snitch!” he bellowed, spiking the snow ball at Viv’s back for a sneak attack. A drunken laugh fell from his lips as he waited or her to turn around. Mal knew that Viv could take it since she was a prankster but he did it more for her reaction.

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

21 December 2019

Hogsmeade

Okay, so maybe Viv hadn’t really been honest to her parents about where she’d gone off to, but honestly who was? She’d said she was going out, which was true, and just forgot to mention that ‘out’ included a fireplace and the Floo Network to spin into Hogsmeade and an off-the-charts party. But, she figured, she was due for a teeny-tiny teen rebellion. Viv was a model Ravenclaw, almost. Her marks were decent, her knack for finding the flaws in spellwork and tweaking it was a burst of hot fresh innovation, and everyone knew her as the most compelling Quidditch commentator the school had ever seen (since her dear old dad, at least).

And fine, maybe she got a tad too much detention, but it was always for a good cause. That was her code name for her glitter bombs, at least, and the broom cupboard she’d taken over as her own to work on her little experiments. So yes, Viv had earned her right to be at this party and her mum didn’t need to know (see, that was even better than being a Healer because Viv was preventing heart attacks!). “Bloody hell!” she managed to cough out as the firewhisky bottle got pulled out of her hands so another one or two or three teens could take a swig. No, she hadn’t gotten used to the burn of the whisky even if she’d already tried it last term too. Her face twisted and she coughed a bit more, turning away from the fire to take great big gulps of air.

Only to squeak in surprise at the cold burst of snow on her back. “Oi! Watch it!” she spluttered, turning around to fix Malcolm Clark with her best mock haughty look as she finally caught sight of the perpetrator. It was strange not to see him glued to his brother’s side, but he did seem to manage the miracle of peeling away from Jack whenever it was time to flatter Viv before a Slytherin/Gryffindor match. In other words, following the James Potter Way of Quidditch – a public show on the field for the fans, and a private talk with Viv beforehand to get a nice word or two from Hogwarts’ infamous commentator. Not that she ever fell for that bribery, mind you! Still, she liked him – even if he was still a bit young to take too seriously. “Well that’s funny, I only see a great big bludger attached to that body of yours,” she called back, hands on her hips even as her lips curved into an amused smile. Mal was a good sport, at least – always gave what he got.

malcolm calan clark

[malcolm calan clark]

Malcolm watched Vivian jump with a slight squeal as the snow unsuspectedly hit her back. A hint of agitation crumpled her cute girlish features as she looked around who done it, quickly fading as she noticed it was Malcolm. That was certainly to be expected from the Slytherin. ”Hey, I didn’t do it.” he lied unconvincingly with a shit eating grin. He waved her on toward the party so that they could walk together, ”C’mon, I heard someone stole a keg for the party tonight..” Malcolm shared more conversationally. The teenager loved sneaking off to the Hogsmeade meadow parties with his brother to get completely hammered. It was fairly easy to sneak out, considering their mums always had work and were in bed early most night. Jack and Malcolm only had to lie about their whereabouts at a friends house. The perfect plan.

As they entered the clearing in the meadow where kids were drinking, smoking, and dancing, he noticed that it was a full moon. There was no need for their wands for light. The vibes were high as smoke clouds dangled in the air.

There was  rustling and cracking in the bushes nearby, something that seemed a bit too strong to be wind. ”Oh, wait...what was that?" he asked quickly, eye brows softening as he pretended to be scared. His defense mechanism was to joke about anything that scared him. Taking a step back to looked around, he took another step toward Viv,  "BOO!” he shouted as he grabbed her shoulders to scare her, definitely finding too much joy in teasing Vivian. Hell, he knew should could take it. The more he teased someone was a way he showed he liked having someone around.

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

The Clark boys were always a package deal, so it was almost possible to forget they were actual separate human beings too. And Mal had a mischievous streak a mile long (that is, just a tad bit shorter than Viv’s) that ran along simple lines. Do and deny. The classic Slytherin tactic, even if it was as believable as a two-horned unicorn. “Sure, and I’m the new Headmistress. Can make you write lines and everything,” Viv shot back with a crooked smile. She rolled her eyes a bit but let Malcolm herd her back towards the party. He was cute, and props to him that he knew how to use his broom, but he was still on the wrong end of a growth spurt. Viv dreaded what would happen to her ability to say no once that happened.

Until then, Vivian let herself settle into the moment and the electric vibes of the party. The air was bitingly cold and tore through her hair, although the fire and the whisky had started a fire in her bones that kept her cozily warm. The music wove through the air and Viv felt herself loosen up as her feet began to move to the beat and her arms began to sway. She lost sight of Mal for a second as they lingered on the edge of the crowd, although she turned around at his nervous tone. “…what?” Viv asked reluctantly, eyes also glancing at the bushes. She’d lost all sense of urgency after growing up alongside Potters and Weasleys, but Mal was neither and there might actually be something wrong.

And she couldn’t help the shriek as she felt something grab her shoulders. “Fuck Merlin, what is it?!” she swiveled quickly until she realized that it was only Mal (again) and his boyish tricks. “Malcolm Clark, seems like it’s time for you to cool down!” she announced, her expression turning wicked as she scooped up two solid handfuls of snow and dumped them quickly over his head. She drove one hand into his hair, taking extra care to let the snow drip down his back as she crowed triumphantly. As if she’d ever let him, or anyone, have the last word in a prank war!

malcolm calan clark

[malcolm calan clark]

Vivs reaction was exactly why he tried to scare her. She swiveled on her feet and a hint of anger pricked at her pretty features as she realized he was just being a typical jackass. Mal chuckled with a teasing smile as he raised his hands, somehow appearing more guilty. ”I’m not fussin’ over anyth-” as he nearly finished his sentence, Viv reached at the collar of his shirt and shoved two whooping handfuls of snow down his back. He let out an uncharacteristic girlie shriek, jolting away from Vivian as he shook snow the snow out of his clothing. A few students who spectated the display from afar burst out with a cacophony of laughter, cheering on attack. Apparently Viv wasn’t the only one who wished to shove snow down a Clark boys back. Jack could probably identify his girlish scream from across the forest…

Shaking his head, he tried to regain the ‘cool guy’ appearance with a smirk, but found it difficult after screaming like a banshee. Grumbling to himself, his eyes narrowed playfully at the girl, ”Oooh, you’ll pay for that one..” he promised her as he made face, a shiver running up his spine. Malcolm shook his shoulders with a shimmy that ran down his body.

Mal couldn’t help but notice the feeling like he was still being watched, but he tried to dismiss it. The snake had a tendency of ignoring problems because he didn’t want to ruin the vibe. They weren’t sneaking around school grounds so it wasn’t like they had to worry about Professors or other party poopers rolling in on their forest bonfire party. Maybe cops, but he was sure he could run away from a muggle more than anything. Stepping over to the keg, he grabbed two cups and filled them with frothy beer, not having perfected the perfect pour yet being mere teen. ”C’mon, everyone else is ahead of us, drink up..Slàinte Mhath” he raised his cup in a ‘cheers’, purposely appearing like he called her a name before taking a deep drink of the alcoholic contents.


Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

You’ll pay for that one. Oh yeah, Viv had definitely heard that one before. From disgruntled students fresh from a prank, from her ‘cousins’ growing up whenever the prank war escalated during holidays, from Quidditch players that didn’t appreciate her snarky comments during the match speculating whether they knew where the other team’s goalposts were. Viv had heard a thousand and one threats before, promises of payback and eerie warnings that might leave her looking over her shoulder for the next month. But it would always be worth it to watch Malcolm Clark shriek like a teenaged banshee that hadn’t hit puberty yet.

Viv raised her arms in victory to soak in the glory as a few other partygoers whooped and cheered on the display. She wasn’t stupid enough to turn her back on Mal again, so she grinned brightly at him and made a little flourish with her hands. “You reckon? Bring it on,” she gloated, eyebrows raising slightly at the Slytherin’s overexaggerated display to shake off the cold. It really wasn’t fair – the set of shoulders he had on him already. Quidditch players always looked ridiculously good, even if Viv did have that policy of never dating one at any cost. The things you learned at school.

“Maybe I’ll learn Gobbledegook so I can spout nonsense at you too,” Viv challenged Mal as she suspiciously accepted a plastic cup from him. She didn’t really know enough about the Clark boys to guess at their background, but a free drink was a free drink. “Cheers!” And after that cup, Viv grabbed a Hufflepuff from her year by the scruff of his shirt as he passed them by with a nearly full bottle of something in his hands. Snatching it away, Viv shivered and moved close to the fire as she tipped the bottle clumsily into Mal’s cup. “Don’t fall behind then.”

malcolm calan clark

[malcolm calan clark]

"I'll Gobbledegook you." Malcolm stated inappropriately with a cheeky smile. He was mostly joking. Because he had no idea what that meant, unless if it meant speaking Gibberish, then he was great at that.  "Bottoms up.." he emptied the cup after Vivian filled it, smiling proudly as he pulled the cup away from his lips. He would definitely be sloshed in the near future. Hopefully he and Jack could sneak back in the house without being detected by their mums.

A couple of hours passed and the energy of the bonfire party was wild. Drunken laughter filled the cool night air as the bonfire roared, puffs of smoke kissed the Full Moon dangling high above their heads. More teens gathered around the beacon of warmth as they enjoyed conversation, dancing, and being teenagers.. Malcolm attempted to chat with plenty of girls and was met with plenty of rejection along the way. His ego took plenty of hits and he was trying to learned how to take the rejection learning. It took a lot of courage to talk to pretty girls sometimes. Eventually he found his way back to Vivian. He enjoyed her company and she was also very pretty.

Right as he grabbed her shoulder to show her a bottle he scored from one of his Slytherin housemates, a pair of piercing screams pierced through the darkness in the heavily wooded area. The scream caused a shiver to crawl up Malcolms spine, sweaty hands fumbling the bottle, shattering in the dirt. He didn't have much time to grieve the lost alcohol as more blood curdling screams followed, the color drained from his face. A lump formed in his throat, hoping to Merlin, or whoever, that his brother Jack wasn't one of those people in distress.

Mal tugged Vivians arm, eyes filling with uncharacteristic worry. "Ugh...I don't know if this is a prank-" he told her quickly, eyes assessing the situation and chaos start to unfold. There was a pinch in his gut telling him that something was wrong. He had a feeling like he was supposed to run but he didn't want to deal with the embarrassment and shame if this was some sort of house prank, especially if Vivian was in on it...

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

This is why you don’t talk to the underclassmen, Viv reminded herself – even if the thought came sort of foggy through the haze of the bonfire, music, and whatever she’d drunk that’d left a burning in her throat. It wasn’t really a fair thought though because really, she was only in her fifth year herself and Mal was just a teensy bit younger. But you know, at least she knew what Gobbledegook was and she wasn’t a hormoned-up teenage boy who could turn anything into a pick-up line. So she rolled her eyes at him, gave him a light shove on the shoulder with a vague sort of grin, and refocused her attention on the bottle she’d swiped from the Hufflepuff boy who still insisted on wearing his House scarf to a party. Someone hadn’t gotten the memo that school was out.

She sort of lost track of time after that. There were a few things that stuck out over the next hour or two whenever it earned a holler from the crowd. A few girls enchanted the smoke from the bonfire to look like centaurs, eerily realistic as they dive-bombed random dancers. Viv remembered a heated exchange with a boy one year up about the Tornadoes’ chance of winning the league this season – things had gotten dicey until they’d been separated and Viv had glumly put the Pepper Imp back into her pocket. And of course, someone’d gotten their hands on some fireworks and there were all sorts of ooh’s and ahh’s as they went off brilliantly in the air.

All in all – exactly the sort of healthy teenage rebellion that every budding Ravenclaw should experience. Viv was a lot less mobile by the time Mal found his way back to her, showing off something in his hands while Viv giggled into her cup. She opened her mouth to fire off some witty comment, but stopped in her tracks at the sound of screaming. Frowning slightly, brows pinched tight in concentration, Viv looked around sluggishly to understand what was happening. She didn’t see anything, but the air was hazy with smoke and bodies were running in all directions.

“Errrr,” she said blankly, trying to process what was happening. But she felt her heart slide into her stomach as the moonlight reflected shadows – strange shadows. Viv felt the blood drain from her face as she grabbed Mal’s arm. “C’mon,” she said urgently, pulling him after her as she chose a random direction. She couldn't put her thoughts into words -- only that it seemed urgently important to put some space between them and the chaos.

malcolm calan clark

[malcolm calan clark]

Malcolm froze, eyes filled with panic because he was unsure of what to do. He knew Jack was in the opposite direction Viv was about to bolt off to for safety. The opposite direction also had less screams coming from it so it should have been a given. Mals jaw tensed by the look on Viv's face, slowly watching in horror filled surprise as more people darted their direction. His voice was caught in his throat. "Ja-Jacks over there, Viv!" he exclaimed, uncharacteristic panic behind his voice. Fuck. He hoped this was a wee prank, but also hoped Vivian wasn't in on it because he completely took the bait and would never be able to live it down.

Vivian pulled him by the arm, tugging him away from the chaos. Mal followed, but instantly regretted it. In his drunken state he was more worried about his brother than anything. His brother was the most important person in his life besides his mums. Mal's footsteps were heavy as they darted into the forest finding someplace to hide but kids were running in all directions in hysteria. Thank Merlin for quidditch training or else he wouldn't have been able to run while so wasted. Hell, he was almost sure running for his life made him more drunk. But the tree roots and low hanging branches made it much harder. They zigzagged deeper into the forest, unsure what direction they were running or where they were supposed to go. "Are we supposed to climb up a fucking tree or run until our lungs explode?" he asked her, scurrying between the disorienting silhouette of the dark trees, tripping over a thick tree root but catching himself. 

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

There was too much noise around them. Viv could barely think straight through the haze, eyes trying to pick out what they could from the smoky air but not seeing much more than panicked teenagers scattering. Maybe someone had called the Ministry to break up the party, or some outsiders had come in to wreak a little havoc. But it didn’t make sense, Viv thought as she tried to swallow her panic and keep a tight grip on Mal’s arm. Ministry drones might induce some panic, but not the screams or the panicked shoving that they were fighting their way through now. No, there was something else happening and Viv tried to ignore the clenching in her stomach and the stray thought that a Ravenclaw should be better informed.

“We’ll find him later!” Viv shot back, pushing until they were free of the crowd and they could disappear into the surrounding tree line. She wasn’t really listening to Mal, too busy trying to fight through the sluggish pace of her thoughts as she scrambled to figure out what to do next. It was darker now that they’d moved away from the bonfire and Viv squinted as they ran. The dark shapes of tree trunks loomed suddenly as she weaved, although she wasn’t careful and felt her shoulder knock into a trunk and her braids catch on the branches as they passed. “Aren’t…Quidditch players…supposed to have better stamina?” she grumbled at his complaint, although her burning chest acknowledged that maybe Mal had a point.

So she finally began to slow down until she came to an uncertain stop. Looking around, Viv felt herself clutching Mal’s arm for comfort now more than guidance as she realized…she had no bloody clue where they were. “Should we…should we try to go back?” she asked uncertainly, her usual confidence completely gone in light of the strange turn the party had taken. Her instincts told her it wasn’t a common prank that had broken up the party, but she hadn’t seen anything and her gut had told her to run. And now it was completely dark and completely quiet.

malcolm calan clark

[malcolm calan clark]

Near Hogsmeade Village - December 21, 2019

Malcolm's legs started to feel as if they’d give out any moment, lungs pushing past their limits since he hated running to begin with. Thank Merlin they both started to slow their pace. ”We don’t run on a bloody broom, Viv!” he sputtered back before they both came to a halt. The lack of confidence in Viv’s voice scared him. His mind swirled from the binge drinking, unsure what they were supposed to do in his state. Mal had never been so scared and indecisive in his life. 

Suddenly, the forest fell eerily silent as the pair listened closely to their surroundings. The Full Moons light streamed through the trees but crickets weren’t chirping, nor were there any owls hooting, or other forest sounds. Everything fell motionless, still, as if they knew they didn't want to be detected. He was sure he could hear his heart beating in his ears.

Malcolm swallowed, clutching to Vivian. ”Yes?” he asked, unsure if going back was the best idea. His eyebrows furrowed at the center of his forehead, panic pinching in his gut as he realized they zig zagged their way deep into the forest. Mal looked around before turning on his heel, then back to Viv. ”Uh-Do you know what way to go, Viv…” he asked slowly, feeling his stomach drop at the realization that they could be lost. 

Vivian River Jordan

[Vivian River Jordan]

“You don’t bloody say,” Viv muttered to herself at Mal’s sputtering complaint, too focused on dodging trees to think of anything more clever to say. She had a love-hate relationship with Quidditch sometimes, since she was absolute rubbish on a broom herself but she’d made it her mission in life to follow everything that happened on the Pitch and comment on it in a way that was sure to earn a laugh or two. But that also meant dealing with Quidditch players that’d been knocked on the head by a Bludger one too many times, and she knew Mal was headed that way. A nice piece of eye candy, even if he was prone to pointing out the obvious.

She turned in a circle to get a good look at the clearing, which wasn’t that remarkable in comparison to the rest of the woods. She looked up, but the canopy of trees was quite thick and there weren’t any signs of smoke or noise from the bonfire they’d been at. The light of the full moon trickled down, but it was barely enough to see Mal’s panicked face across from her. Much less anything else. So Viv bit her lip at his question and rummaged through her pockets for her wand. “Just lemme light my wand and we’ll go…” she muttered, not answering his question as she patted down her pockets.

And again, and again, as she kept coming up with nothing but empty air. She felt a rising sense of panic like something was trying to force itself up her throat, and Viv began to tear through her light jacket as she came to the inevitable conclusion that… “I can’t find my wand,” she said slowly, horror trickling through her tone as every nerve inside her began to light up in panic. She began to scan the ground around them, but it was too dark to see anything proper and a piece of wood would be as easy to find as…well…a piece of wood in a forest of wood. “Merlin’s saggy spellbooks, where’s my wand?!” she said again, her voice rising in panic as she began to walk in wider circles around Mal, pacing furiously and searching for a hint of something.

malcolm calan clark

[malcolm calan clark]

Viv sounded confident until she felt for her wand and was met with nothing. Cocking his head to the side as he watched her breathless. Mal hoped they wouldn’t have to run any longer. He was already afraid of getting more lost.

Bouncing on the heels of his feet with anxiety, Mal grabbed expectantly at his pant leg and was met with emptiness. The young man dramatically smacked his bum and sides as his face slowly glazed over in complete horror. Somehow he ran his wand out of his pants. ”Bloody hell. Me Mam is gonna bollocks me to death…again.” He whined, eyes widening in fear. The teen was suddenly more afraid of his mother finding out he lost another wand rather than being lost in the dark forest with a blood thirty creature hunting them down.

Swallowing hard, his heart beat in his ears rapidly, mind going fuzzy from pure adrenaline coursing through his body. A low growl vibrated the floor under his feet, causing Mal to freeze out of fear as his eyes fell to Viv for guidance.

”Viv…run!” Mal bellowed, reaching out for Vivian with sweaty hands as he broke into another sprint, positive his lungs would explode. He dashed deeper into the dark forest before smacking his face straight into a low hanging tree branch at full speed. Mal hit the floor like a bag of rocks as the world around him went black.

Vivian River Jordan