Shhh, You'll Wake the Dead (Viv)

[Vivian Nazarova]

Scotty might not have noticed his hand still on Vivian’s, but she sure did. It wasn’t unpleasant, just unexpected. She felt her mouth start curling up into a happy smile and she was forced to stilt it, keeping her mouth closed. She didn’t want that particular secret revealed to Scotty, not yet. Instead she clung back to his hand happily and rather surprised at how natural it felt considering she wasn’t usually a touchy person. Well, why wouldn't it feel right? They were friends after all, for now: it all hinged on his reaction to what she now was. His fingers were warm, she found herself noticing.

Vivian didn’t find anything particularly odd in what Scotty had said either. It just sounded so painfully honest coming out his mouth that she practically missed what he was saying, or perhaps she didn’t care because that was what she wanted to hear. “It’s good to haff you around too,” she responded brightly, pressing a little closer into Scotty’s arm. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

She stopped with him, still clinging onto his hand as Scotty stopped to investigate the window of a store bearing a large sign proclaiming large discounts on a variety of merchandise. “Ooh, zhat’s a good idea,” Vivian proclaimed, peering in through the window to spot what looked like a variety of enchanted figurines on the back shelf. Maybe she should get something for Ed too, she thought, trying halfheartedly to distract herself from Scotty’s hand and how close they were standing. What would a guy like Edward like? Something to brighten up the Hogs Head, or a neat little gadget for himself? Clothes were out of the question, too boring. Scotty would be easy, she could just ask him. “Vant to look in zhere for presents first?”

[Scotty Kovac]

Unwittingly Scotty’s smile broadened when he saw Vivian smile. It only hit him then how much he’d actually missed that smile, though he found himself noticing she wasn’t smiling fully. For only a moment the boy’s expression darkened slightly but he shrugged it off. He should be glad with any kind of smile he got and there were other things to be happy about. The main one being that she was still holding his hand, even squeezing a little back, or was that his imagination? Oh well who cared? She was still holding his hand, clearly the only thing that mattered.

Ok, Scotty really couldn’t believe his luck. Not only was she holding his hand but after she’d spoken about how good it was to have him around she had pressed closer into him. He had to be having the best day of his life right then and there. The closer Vivian got the deeper red his face turned. Wow who had turned the heater up in Hogsmeade huh?

He nodded enthusiastically at the shop Viv pointed to, happy to simply hear her speak and let her lead him in. In the shop there were all sorts of things that his family would like but now he wasn’t really looking for them. It was for a certain black haired Russian girl he was shopping for really. What to get her? What to get her? She liked animals so there was a start. “How about you go get your groceries and I’ll hang here for a bit looking for presents?” he looked at their hands intertwined with a pained expression, he was going to have to let go and he sure as Hell didn’t want to.

Eventually he did and turned to walk down one of the rows of shelves, pretending to be interested in a set of knitting needles. There was something to ask and as he got closer to spilling it out Scott’s heart rate increased. “Oh Viv... I really, would you like to, I, I,” he mumbled, tripping over his words and repeating himself, “Viv JA stvarno poput te i će želite to možda napustiti sa mene jednom?”* He finished hurriedly, the words coming out in Croatian by mistake. God he was such a girl. “Never mind,” he mumbled breathlessly and blushed before turning away inwardly kicking himself.

*Translation: "Viv I really like you and would you like to maybe go out with me sometime?"

[Lenora]

As much fun as Rowdy was, Lenora couldn’t amuse herself with him forever. Standing up, flattening her clothes, she looked over towards the teenagers. If anything, she had to make sure that Viv didn’t go crazy and bite him. But, from looking at the pair, she didn’t think it likely.

Watching the couple, she heard the suggestion that they go shopping and meet again later, so she prepared herself to carry on to the shop. Taking a few steps closer to the front and starting to cast her eye over the fruit that was in the street, before tying Rowdy up outside the place.

Viv soon joined her and they entered the shop. Vivian was holding the list, so she walked in sync next to her, in silence for a few moments. ”Your companion appears very earnest,” she told Vivian as she picked up an unknown item from the shelf and cast her eye over it before deiciding that it was worth wasting Edward’s money on and putting it into the basket Vivian had required.

”Very appeasing too,” she said with a small smile, looking up at Viv for her reaction. Lenora had caught most of their conversation, only not understanding what was said in native tongues. But from the look on the boys face she could sense what was on his mind, ”I think you ought assemble with him more frequently,” she said, putting some more random items into the shopping basket, regardless to their place on the list, ”I presuppose you yearn to see him more.” she ended, not saying another thing about to the girl.

They gathered the rest of the shopping in record time, paid for their purchases and left. Lenora untied the young dog from outside the store and turned back to Vivian again, taking the groceries from her, ”I shall inform Edward to your whereabouts. Now go and reconvene your meeting. I expect you in your quarters by twenty one hundred.” she inserted sternly before looking towards the shop the boy had taken into, and heading back up towards the pub with the dog running along beside her.

[Vivian Nazarova]

Erm, okay. It would have been nicer if they could have gone shopping together, but that was true, she needed to get Ed’s groceries done. Oh, maybe Scotty wanted to get her something? Or was she being self-absorbed to think so? Whatever the reason, Viv regretfully tore herself away from the shop to go hurry over to the store with Lenny, who had been rather nice about the whole thing so far.

She was rather silent during the actual shopping, just tagging along with the older vampire and throwing in the necessary goods. As Lenora spoke Vivian couldn’t help but grin in a happy but embarrassed fashion that did nothing to discourage Lenny from continuing. So, Lenny approved? That was good, because Dacian certainly wouldn’t, and Lenny seemed to have some level of control over her rogue sire. It wasn’t nice to expect Lenny to fight her battles but it was the only thing she could think of that wouldn’t result in Scotty’s intestines being strewn over the sidewalk.

... Oh God. Happythoughtshappythoughtshappythoughts.

When they finally walked out Vivian had been under the impression Lenny was going to go with her to prevent any more ‘accidents’. All she did was stand there slackjawed as Lenny took the pile of goods and left her there. But... whatif... Scotty? Did that mean Lenny trusted her not to attack him? She had just been fed yesterday, but still! Of course it had been unreasonable to assume that Lenny was just going to follow them with her hands full of foods and vegetables but... gaah!

After mentally kicking herself into gear Vivian finally wandered back to the shop she’d left Scott. Her expression was visibly a little panicked, which was not the look she wanted to present herself with when they reunited. Her hands fumbled a little as she pulled out another blood-flavoured loppypop from her pocket before entering and the wrapper seemed intent on being stubborn. There. Now that lessened the chance of Scotty accidentally winding up in her crosshairs.

After shoving the wrapper in her pocket Viv pushed her way through the door into the store. There was a nice, Christmassy ambient tune playing although the shop smelt a little like boxes for some reason. It took her a second to spot where Scotty was and Vivian walked over briskly, hands in pockets, while trying to set her expression back to normal. She suspected she was failing at it. ”See anysing you like?”

[Scotty Kovac]

Suddenly browsing gifts alone was not an attractive prospect to Scotty. Why be alone when he could have been with Viv? He wouldn’t have minded going plain old grocery shopping with her but she’d disappeared before he could protest so now here he was. Wandering some trinket shop he’d forgotten the name of pining for a girl he’d thought dead only a few hours ago. It was a weird, a new and an exciting feeling to feel so strongly for a girl. Quickly the boy picked out random things for his family then set about on a task he was eager to do. It was Vivian’s turn for a present. At first he leant towards his earlier idea of gloves but then something else caught his eye.

On a high shelf stood proudly a small enchanted porcelain horse. Instantly Scotty knew that he’d give it to Viv. It gave a small, indignant whinny as the boy picked it up as gently as it could but it did nothing more to protest. Overjoyed at his find Scotty paid for his loot. The girl behind the counter gave him a padded box for the horse which it gladly dozed off in when Scotty placed it amongst the soft cotton. Viv was going to love it, he could tell already.

Speaking of Vivian.

Her sudden reappearance made the boy jump, almost dropping the horse box as he did so. He beamed at her and, as nonchalantly as he could, put the box in a bag with all his other purchases. “Oh this and that,” he answered her question with a sparkle in his eye that said ‘I know something you don’t, namely your Christmas present’. Already impatience was starting to build up, he wanted to give her the horse now, see her reaction now! But he knew he had to wait until probably after Christmas, when he got back from spending the holidays with the entirety of his family.

“Did you see anything interesting while you were out with that woman? Who is she by the way? I feel a little rude not knowing her name,” he chirped away happily. Unconsciously he had started walking towards the Hog’s Head, it was probably time he headed back to school anyway as much as that thought pained him.

[Vivian Nazarova]

Oooh, Scotty had an interesting look: excited, mildly triumphant, and somewhat mischievous. That could only mean he’d stumbled across something awesome in the shop and Vivian’s eyes automatically darted to the recyclable bag he was holding stamped with the shops logo. Oooh, what was it? Was it rude to ask? Most likely. His answer had been deliberately vague. If it was a Christmas present for her then she was going to have to wait and see.

Vivian slipped into step beside Scotty as they walked, deep in thought. Hmm. So Scott had found her something. Vivian had never been good at guessing what people wanted and the pressure was on to find something to top his gift, and she didn’t even know what he had. Oh, and Ed too. What did you get a pub owner? Oh, a zillion year old female vampire too. Dacian, er... anything she’d got him he’d probably toss, so that was one less person to worry about.

“Oh, just fruit,” Vivian smiled as Scotty roused her from her thoughts. “Her name is Lenora. She’d been looking after me since-...” she trailed off immediately, looking sheepish. No, that was best not brought up yet unless Scotty pressed the subject.