A Chance Meeting

[Moko Craven]

Christmas morning dawned and Moko rose early to find a small package at the end of her bed. She knew she had specifically told her guardians that she did not want to celebrate either the holiday or the fact that it was her 17th birthday so was surprised to see the gift. Both Samson and Corinne were at the hospital today so the house was all her own, at least it was if you discounted the housekeeper. She pulled on her slim fitting jeans, a grey ti-shirt and pulled a hair brush roughly through her hair all the time ignoring the small wrapped parcel at the end of her bed. Yanking on some thick woollen socks and her boots she finally gave in to temptation.

When she opened the gift there was a small ring, just big enough for her little finger. A note attached told her that it was a portkey with a slight difference. It had been charmed to bring her to Lindley, to her parents graves on command of a certain word and when this word was repeated twice it would return her here to New Zealand. Moko looked at the ring in astonishment then put it away from her. She was not going to go traipsing half way around the world to visit the burial site of her foolish parents. The very ones who had gotten themselves killed not in the line of duty line other proud Craven's but in a muggle car crash. She grabbed her blue coat, a hat, gloves and scarf then realizing that she was dressing for proper winter weather and not the weather that was outside her window she sighed.

Picking up the ring she figured she could do with a change of scenery. She wrapped herself up just incase and placing the ring on her finger said the 'magic words'. Instantly she was transported to the front of a very old looking graveyard which she knew had been just a few miles outside of Lindley. Turning around she smiled at the beautiful view, it was covered in snow. Every inch of country side was blanketed.

Trudging through the grave yard to the grave she had only attended once before she looked down at it and frowned, someone was obviously keeping it in good condition. A few minutes passed and already bored she decided a walk along the moors might be a nice change from the insufferable heat of New Zealand.

Her breath came out in clouds of vapor and she smiled at this as she went along. Time passed and she did not know how long she had walked for or where exactly she was. The entire countryside around her was barren of any landmark save the acres of snow all around her. She frowned slightly for her own ineptitude but knew she had her wand handy if she was in any real trouble and she also had the ring.

It seemed inevitable that with no one around to witness, she let her guard down and began to roll some snow balls. Using her wand she made them bigger and levitated them until the beginnings of a snow man formed. She made holes for the nose and eyes and used her own scarf and hat to dress it.

Smiling she stood back to admire her handy work before lying down on the ground beside it and moving her arms and legs to create snow angels. It was a daft past time but she didn't care, at least not today away out here where no one could see her.
"It's just you and me" she chuckled to the snow man.

 

[Alex Cullen]

The events of last night tumbled into Alex as his consciousness started to come back to him at a snail's pace. Taking the motor bike he had borrowed from an old friend, he had found his way down to Leeds, where he decided he'd check out what happened to his old employer at the fish shop. But one thing had led to the next, and very soon he had met a couple of guys on their stag night, totally out of it from drinking. But instead of a sensible person, Alex had joined in more than happily and for the second time in his life, he had gone over the safe limit of drunkenness.
He groaned as his eyes opened slightly and the fierce light omitted everything else in view. Well, at least he wasn't dead. Just a major hangover awaiting. He shifted himself into a seated position and tried to see once more, this time his hand shielding the sun's rays from him. But he still took a little while before his groggy mind let his eyes focus. But the view was not one he particularly wanted to get focused on.
It seemed it had snowed overnight, and quite heavily, no luck to him who was in a basic pair of jeans, sodden, and a rip t-shirt and blood stained jumper. But his memory was dead to him. He had no idea how the blood had gotten on to the jumper and as there was no mirror, he had no way of seeing his shoulder had a gash across the front. The cold feeling was finally becoming aware of him, seeping through like a mist over the hills.
Hills? Alex frowned as he stared. Where the f**k was he? Last thing he remembered was hearing the music chanting through his head. Not in the middle of nowhere with an abandoned house behind him. He groaned before pulling himself on to his feet, a little unsteady. His instinct bugged, telling him he needed to get moving fast now. Not only would he freeze if he stayed out here any longer but he certaintly would make some people worry an awful lot. Like Caysi, who had no idea he was here.
The journey was slow at first, until he found a stream running through the first field full of sheep. He splashed his face with it, shaking his head to try and wake himself up more. And it seemed to do the trick. He used his hoodie to dry his face before seeing some smoke rise in the distance. His feet started to increase the pace gradually until he was running through the snow. One method of getting rid of a hangover, he reckoned as his brain began working better as the time grew on. But it didn't help his limbs any, the feeling of numbness creeping over them.
Suddenly, something caught his foot and he went flying into a roll before lying face up in the snow. He let out a groan as his mind felt as if it was jiggling about in his head still. But he couldn't move. His muscles were so tired right now after all that running, not too mention he thought himself hallucinating as a smiling snow man was stood up from where he lay.
'Bugger. So now I'm dreaming'

 

[Moko Craven]

As she lay there the sound of feet crunching across the snow seemed to echo across the wide expanse of openness to her. Slowly she sat up and peered around the snowman only to see a figure running. Moko very carefully knelt up and concealed herself behind the giant white mass she had created, taking her wand out of her pocket just in case. Trying to be rational she thought it through.

If whoever it was, was a witch or wizard then surely they wouldn't be running unless they were underage but still highly unlikely to be out on the moors today of all days. Of course she was out here and she was as sane as they came but she knew her own reasons for being here were exceptional. The person was obviously a muggle, she decided to remain concealed until whoever it was had ran passed. Then at least she could just move to the other side of the snowman to continue concealing herself. She couldn't very well hex a muggle the first day of being eligible for the use of magic outside of school. The department would be down on her like a ton of bricks. With a sigh she fervently hoped whoever it was just kept on running.

She heard the persons breathing and the crunching of feet in snow as they got closer. Her grip tightened on her wand, she had to be ready for anything. She heard a soft sort of thud but no more running. Biting her lip she waited a moment until she then heard a voice. Peering out slowly she saw a man lying down in the snow. Keeping her wand close by she put it out of view as she tentatively walked around the snow man. She could see blood on his clothing and squeezed her wand once more when her gaze finally went to his face and she all but blanched.

"Alex!" his name was whispered in shock and surprise as she walked over towards him, her dark brown boots crunching softly in the snow.For the past three nights she had done nothing but dream of his face, of his mouth on hers. Never being able to shake the images until well after she had woken. Seeing him here now, far from everywhere and everyone she could only stand staring at him in disbelieve. Of all people, why him? Flecks of snow studded her hair and coat from lying down on it and with the sun shining down on her, reflecting on the glistening white flecks she looked almost angelic... almost.

 

[Alex Cullen]

Alex closed his eyes slightly, thinking maybe it'd be better to just stay here and sleep until someone stumbled upon him but he had only literally counted to 29 in his head when he opened his eyes once more. His vision caught onto a white speckled face of an angel from his first glance. His initial thought was that he was dreaming still as he blinked his eyes but she was still there as he opened his eyes again.
Alex sat himself up straight away as he focused more on the face. What on Earth was Moko doing...well, where ever here was? A spasm of nausea waved over him all of a sudden. His hands clamped on the side of his head and he grimaced, pulling his knees to his forehead. Fortunately, it passed in a matter of minutes but it left him even more exhausted. The grasp released his head as he tried to pull himself up onto his feet.
He turned as he went to face the hallucinations he had picture for what seemed like hours ago now. 'Moko?' he asked, completely confused on how he was seeing her here, on the other side of the world. He hadn't expected anyone here actually but she gave him the biggest surprise. And too think he had thought her an angel just by glancing at her.
'Eh? Do you know where we are?' he asked quietly, his hand cupping the back of his neck embarrassed of being seen by her in this state. Goodness knows how horrible he probably looked. He had only been able to wash his face this morning and his hair was probably messy as ever. But she had to know where they were. SO he could try and remember what had happened last night.
Not too mention she probably loathed him the way she had just left him the other night in the club. He hadn't minded just that it was a bit brutal if anyone asked for his opinion.

 

[Moko Craven]

Moko inched her way closer, he looked terrible as if he had been in a fight or something. He seemed to struggle to focus on her as well. He sat up and no sooner did so than he pulled his knees into him. She hurriedly moved closer to make sure he was alright then stopped just a step or so away from him. Getting too close to Alex was dangerous, he made her feel things she had never thought she would feel and she saw it all as a weakness. The first thought that ran through her head was that she had obviously been right the other night, about him wanting to fall into a bottle to forget some girl. More weakness. She glowered at him now as he asked her where they were.

"We are about five miles from Lindley, in Yorkshire" she told him her eyes taking in the dishevelled condition and wondered he hadn't used his wand to clean himself up. Anger seemed to get the better of her and slowly bending down she picked up some snow and began to pat it into a ball. It took all of two seconds to throw it at him.

"You looked like you could do with a good clean up. What happened to you?" she wanted to shout 'drunk' and 'fool' and hundreds of other names at him but for now simply stayed glowering angrily.