Twelve Candles PV Viva Delacourt FINISHED

Looking for @Matthew Campbell

Viva was tired. She was tired of staying up late working on homework, tired of all the stress from her classes, tired of all the people, just tired in general. Walking down the corridor, she felt like she might collapse at any minute. Her usually very neat brown hair was in a messy ponytail, and her robes were wrinkled. Despite her exhaustion and haphazard appearance, Viva had a mission that she was determined to complete. Over her shoulder was her trusty book bag, and inside that bag was a very important item Viva needed to deliver.

Trying not to yawn, Viva continued on her way. She was heading to the study room, where she thought she might find the person whom she was looking for. She glanced down at the small package in her book bag, smiling as she caught sight of the tag: 'To Matthew.' Viva knew he had a free period right now, so she assumed he would be trying to get some homework done. She had already checked the library, but he had not been in there. If he wasn't in the study room, then she would have to wait because he was probably in the Slytherin common room.

She brushed a strand of hair from her face and turned the corner. Suddenly, she saw a flash of green slip inside the abandoned bathrooms. It's him! Viva thought excitedly. Then she frowned. What is he doing in there? "Matthew!" she called, running up to the bathrooms. Peering around the doorframe, her eyes filled with horror as she saw her friend. He had rushed to a sink, filled it with water, and dunked his head under.

Viva raced forward, book bag swinging and brown hair flipping into her eyes. She came up alongside the boy, and stopped. Reaching forward, she put one warm hand gently on his heaving shoulder, letting him know that she was there. She removed her hand after a minute and stood there next to him, not interupting, just waiting patiently for him to resurface. Obviously Matthew was having a hard time right now, that Viva could plainly see. She didn't know what was wrong, though. But that was okay. She didn't need to know. She could still support and be there for her friend, no matter what. And right now, it seemed like he needed a little breathing room. So, she stood there, waiting until he was ready.

Worrying about @Matthew Campbell

Viva stepped back as Matthew began to choke and splash about, head above the water now. She blinked, startled, as he burst into a fit of laughter. What is going on? She wondered nervously. He's clearly not okay... why in Merlin's name is he laughing? Viva politely looked away while she waited for Matthew to compose himself. She took a step forward as he turned towards her, and then flinched as she was sprayed with water droplets.

Biting her lip, Viva didn't say anything at first. She was no dummy. She knew something was hurting Matthew right now, so why was he acting so chipper all of a sudden? She peered at him through worried blue eyes. "I came to find you," she said, still looking intently at him. Not saying anything else, she shifted her foot around on the stone floor, listening carefully to his words.

Viva blinked at the sudden change in conversation. And now he was changing the topic. "Yes, I'm okay, Matthew," she said, trying to smile for his sake. She sighed at his description of her current state. "I'm not offended. I have slept, just very little, I've been extremely busy as of late." She peered at him again. "Now, why were just dunking your head in a basin of water, may I ask?" Viva knew she was sounding a little sassy, but she couldn't help it. It came out when she was worried.

Trying to comfort @Matthew Campbell

Viva leaned back against a sink as well, studying Matthew as he spoke. Her eyes were filled with concern. A hard day?! It's his birthday! Viva hastily dug through her memories for any good reason why Matthew would not like his birthday. It had to be more then being surrounded by so many people. She took a step forward, watching how his eyes were darting around. As he fidgeted around (Really? Matthew was acting very strange...) and started talking about her getting more sleep, Viva turned her head and gazed at the cracked mirror of one of the sinks. She forced her memory to go all the way back to that fateful September night, the night she had first met Matthew... and it hit her like a lightning bolt. The memory of Matthew telling her sadly about his mum flashed before her eyes. She blinked, and blinked again, then turned to face him.

Of course he was sad today! His birthday was also the anniversary of his mum's death. The poor boy, she thought. Viva's heart was throbbing with pain for him, she felt his hurt as if it were her own. That had always been a strength of hers, empathy. A blessing and a curse, really. You see, Viva tended to take others' burdens on her shoulders, on top of her own struggles and hardships. She often sort of took on the responsibilities of other peoples' struggles, and had to bear the weight of that as well.

So Viva stood there in the bathroom, across the room from the boy who had been hurt as deeply as she had, but in a different way. She wasn't thinking about herself at all in that moment, all she could think of was how to make things better. And she knew, in this situation, she couldn't really do anything to fix the situation. Pain would never just go away, although many times she wished it would. The best thing she could do for Matthew right now was to support him, and to be there for him during this tough time.

Before she could say anything, however, Matthew explained exactly what she had just deduced. Viva felt a rush of understanding for him come over her, she knew what it felt like to want to curl up in a ball and never talk to another person on the planet ever again. She knew what it felt like to be vulnerable, and hurt, and what it felt like to need a breath. Viva tilted her head, still staring at him, mouth open slightly as she breathed in and out. She knew. Oh, she knew. Without another thought, as soon as he stopped talking, she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle and warm hug. Tiny for her age, Viva's head barely came above his shoulder, but she still clung to him. She didn't know if this was the right move for Matthew, but she knew that whenever she was hurting, she never wanted to be in pain alone. She wanted comfort, and had never really gotten it. So right now, she was going to do her best to try and comfort Matthew.

Being there for @Matthew Campbell

Viva breathed. Just breathed. Her eyes were closed as she hugged Matthew. Looking up at him as the two began to pull back from the embrace, she saw his eyes were filled with tears. Oh! Viva gently reached up and brushed a tear away with her soft hand. Suddenly, there was something else in his gaze. A sort of spark in his eyes, and was he beginnning to smile? Viva smiled back, glad that he was feeling slightly better.

She felt unbidden tears spring to her eyes at Matthew's statement. "Thank you," she murmured. Tilting her head, Viva listened to his idea. "I think that's a wonderful plan," she said quietly. It really was a good idea, and very sweet too. Another thought popped into her head as well. "What if... you also made a memory box?" she asked, somewhat shyly. "I helped my friend in the muggle world make one once. It's where you take personal and meaningful items from memories you shared with your mum, and put them in a small box to keep the precious memories alive forever." Viva glanced at Matthew, worried he wouldn't like the idea.

Suddenly, she gasped as she felt herself being pulled back for another hug. Her surprised expression soon turned back into a smile, however, at the sound of Matthew's laugh. Again, tears sprung to her eyes as she listened to Matthew speak about her. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't even really say anything, it felt like her throat was closed. All she could do was hold on to him tighter, squeezing as she smiled through her tears.

Finally, after what felt like forever again, she backed away timidly. "So, do you want to go do something for your mum?" she asked quietly, sniffling a little. Her eyes shone with tears. Happy and sad tears. Viva's gaze trailed around the abandoned bathroom. "I think we should go somewhere else, though," she commented with a slight laugh. She looked back at Matthew and extended her hand, holding it out to him.

Laughing with @Matthew Campbell

Viva had a puzzled smile on her face as she turned to see Matthew laughing. "Are you laughing at me?" she asked. She laughed at his statement, leaning forward, trying to breathe through her giggles. She straightened back up, pulling him a step forward with his hand. "Oh, yes, right, of course, silly me," she said, mock seriously. "I've always called this place my..." she paused and made a disgusted face as she scanned the bathroom again. "...second home. She grimaced, and looked back at Matthew.

She lost her playful manner as he squeezed her hand. She smiled genuinely, glad he liked her idea. "Of course," she said warmly. "I think that's a good idea. Whatever you need." She blinked as he reached for something hidden under his shirt. Still blinking, she tilted her head to the side as he brought the object out. "Wow," she breathed. "It's beautiful," the simple gold ring caught the light and dazzled her eyes, making her blink even more. Viva drew her eyes up to Matthew as he explained what it was, and why it was significant. "That's so sweet," she murmured, entranced by the sad beauty of the story.

She looked at Matthew with a startled expression as he told her to lead. "Me?" she asked, looking at him. "I don't know what we're doing! It's your memory box," Viva lifted her free hand in the air. "And since when have I been the expert?" her dimples were beginning to show again. "Well, the one thing I do know is that we need to get out of here," Viva closed her eyes and lifted her chin, and marched forward, swinging Matthew's hand. She was trying to hold back a laugh. The two walked out of the abandoned bathrooms, and into the corridors.