Be mine or you will burn (Joshua)

Subject: Be mine or you will burn (Joshua) Sun Sep 27, 2020 2:24 pm

4:45 p.m.

Classes had concluded for the day, most ending a little early to grant students the reprieve that was Friday evening. It was funny really, that students thought they were the only ones in a rush to leave, to live the rest of their lives apart from school. As a teacher, Azalea could testify the professors were no different. Most had their things packed before breakfast to make an early getaway. Even those who weren't leaving the castle for the weekend made preparations to disappear into it. And Azalea...

She was here in Greenhouse Three.

The witch wasn't sure why she was here. There was no Herbology lesson today so the place had been empty. From what she could tell, nothing fresh was being worked upon, and the few plants doted throughout the greenhouse looked either passive or asleep. Even the Venomous Tentacula lay slumbering, moisture dripping from its closed petals like drool from a sleepy baby.

With Azalea standing in the middle, wondering what she was doing here of all places.

7:16 a.m.

"Azalea, I have to go."

"Mm."

"Don't want to miss the kids before school."

The brunette's eyes opened wide at this time. Never a heavy sleeper, Azalea was not in the habit of keeping alarms. Her potion granted her exactly six hours of sleep, which was enough for the witch and taken ever day before midnight. As a result, she was normally awake well before her duties for the day began.

But she hand't taken her potion last night. She had succumbed to peaceful, natural sleep. Sleep that was very much linked to the man currently touching her bare shoulder with a tips of his fingers. The witch shuddered, equally from his touch and the coolness of his fingertips. No one had thought to stoke the fire last night before falling asleep, warm from their activities. As a result, the dungeon cold had seeped in during dawn, causing goosebumps to manifest up and down her bare body.

"So c-cold," she managed and a minute later, felt the entire blanker tossed on her. Jake was already getting out of bed and hunting for his clothes.

Jake was in her bed.

He had spent the night with her.

Like an icy shower, memories of the previous night came rushing back. It wasn't a dream, she had indeed done what she thought she had.

And there was no going back.

4:47 p.m.

Wondering what instinct was guiding her, the brunette sank to her knees in the middle of the greenhouse, her hands digging into what had looked like stone earlier but turned out to be a foundation of hardened earth. There was a difference, her mind tried to tell her but she couldn't figure out why.

Fingers edging along the hard surface, groping for something she wasn't entirely aware of, Azalea sank fully to the ground. Sitting cross legged on the cold earth should have been uncomfortable, and yet it was not. In fact, it felt more than comfortable. It felt... familiar.

11: 05 a.m.

I will pick you up at our usual time, see you later.

The message on her phone truly drove in that it was Friday. It was the day she returned to Wales. To face Josh and Ethan in the aftermath of her infidelity. Acting on pure reflect, the witch had snatched up her phone and hurriedly typed a "Could you bring Ethan, i miss him", knowing that Josh wouldn't deny her anything. Having Ethan with them would serve the dual purpose of maintaining their distance and her getting to cuddle the younger Murray one last time after Josh inevitably demanded she be gone form their lives after this weekend.

The thought of never seeing Ethan again made her want to curl up in a hole and die. As much as she hated herself for doing this to Josh, her self flagellation was reserved more for what she was doing to his son. The boy may not be hers through biology but she finally understood what it was to be attached to a child you had chosen. If this was how much Dad had always been fond of her, she owed him a thousand apologies and then one more.

But Ethan was not Azalea, he was too young to know his parents weren't his, or least his mother wasn't the woman he called "Maman". Her selfish urges would take that away from the boy, and all for what? So she could feel whole again?

Wasn't her feeling a little missing from herself worth giving into if it meant Ethan lead a whole, happy life? What about Josh? id he not deserve someone as devoted to him as he deserved?

"Miss Harrington, I believe that's your bell."

"Oh, oops, sorry Professor K, gotta go."

4:50 p.m.

There it was, on the very edge of her pinky finger. The witch found it through a small wince of pain as her fingernail cracked against the tiny slit. No time to spare for her sacrificed fingernail, the witch dug in with all her strength, uncovering by feel the raised edge that belied the trap door hidden beneath the aging, crude earth. Whatever was beneath this had not seen use in a while.

Her fingers weren't strong enough. In fact, the witch felt foolish for thinking they would be. Almost three inches of earth had settled on the slat mechanism and she was not strong enough to push it off with her hands alone.

Getting to her feet and dusting of her jeans, the witch made her way to the storage cupboard, returning with some gloves and a shovel. A little elbow grease never hurt anyone. With a singular thought in mind, her shovel struck the earth. once, twice, again and then again.

And though she may not know what she was looking for, Azalea was perfectly aware of how important it was to find it.

2:30 p.m.

"So... heading back to Wales later?"

They were both at the Great Hall doing a quick head count for their respective houses. Though the prefects had most of that under control, it was encouraged that Heads of Houses also be present. Jake was almost never present on such things which made her wonder if he was here to see her. Not that she asked. And not that he would say.

"Yeah," she answered trying not to sound as guilty as she felt. The fact that she didn't look at him as she spoke though would betray her emotions.

The two counted in silence for a few minutes, or at least as silent as the situation could be with Amanda clucking and fussing a few feet away, complaining about losing count and starting again. How she handn't manage to lose any of the Hufflepuffs until now was a miracle on its own.

When the bell rang once again, Jake spoke up. So softly that if she wasn't listening for it, she would have missed it.

"I meant what I said earlier... About supporting you. No matter what you decide."

He didn't mean to, but his words made another pang of guilt reverberate through her. The brunette may not know how this thing they were doing had affected his life but she knew with absolute certainty that he felt what she did too. It was impossible to not reciprocate something to colossal, something bigger than themselves, something that grounded them to the very core of who they were even as it made them soar high. He wouldn't want to give it up anymore than she would.

And yet he was ready to, if that was what she chose.

"Than-" the witch turned to reply, only to see he had disappeared.

5:15: p.m.

The witch coughed as another cloud of dust erupted from where her shovel had struck. In addition to the gloves, she really should have considered a mask. Clothes and hair now streaked with dirt and wrists and knees screaming from all the digging, Azalea finally stopped. For a moment, the witch was sure it was to rest. But her eyes persistently tryng to see through the cloud of earth finally spied the faded line separating the actual ground from the trap door. The way it was easy to spot made the witch realize it wasn't meant to be a secret, not originally.

Years of neglect had just turned it into one.

Putting the shovel aside, Azalea took tot eh ground once mroe, sweeping the remaining dirt from the trap door and uncovering the rusted rung mean to pull the door up. The metal rung had grown rusty and brittle with age and as soon as she grasped it, it fell apart in her gloved hands.

"I guess we're not getting in that way," the witch spoke out loud in exasperation.

And then froze as she heard rustling from beneath.

Almost like an answer.

Perhaps she shouldn't be here? Perhaps this was where the Headmaster kept various security measures for the school? When Azalea had first entered the greenhouse, confused and unsure, she had been alone.

Now she knew that was not the case.

"Is... Is anyone there?' she tried, speaking softly and hoping she wouldn't be heard. No such luck, a more persistent rustling followed her soft query, growing louder in comparison to her own dimmed voice.

Could it be Devil's Snare? Among the many plants she knew of, they enjoyed the dark the most. It would make sense for them to reside underground like that. But since when was Devil's Snare responsive to verbal ques?

"Slowly, she approached the trap door anew. Leaning over the slitted edge, she tried to see underneath but to no avail. If it was a dark dwelling, photosensitive being, there wouldn't be much point of leaving a crack to let light in through. If it couldn't get light, she couldn't see it.

"Are you Devil's Snare," she whispered, and once again, the familiar rustling rang in her ears. A rustling that she couldn't describe as a resounding "no".

"Are you dangerous?"

Polite, agreeable rustling.

"Are you going to hurt me?"

Silence.

Afraid yet curious, the witch sat quietly on the trap door, trying to make out what could be underneath it and how she could safely each it. The witch must have closed her eyes at some point, trying to subconsciously connect with whatever was down there. Because the next sound that jolted ehr body was not the one from underneath.

"A-Azalea."

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Be mine or you will burn (Joshua) Rsz_gr10

Be mine or you will burn (Joshua) Rsz_az10

Be mine or you will burn (Joshua) Rsz_li10

Subject: Re: Be mine or you will burn (Joshua) Sun Sep 27, 2020 3:17 pm

The school term had come back full flow. His Azalea had left the weekend before on her trip to America with Jacques, which had left Joshua away from the witch for the longest since she'd been living at Murray Manor with him. Before even that, he'd corrected himself as he thought of the at least weekly trips to Furz Croft to see her. Whilst the blond had not been happy with the arrangement, he'd let his Azalea go because it would make her happy.

The week had been longer still for Ethan, who had asked forty seven times for his Maman.

His own frustration had not been well hidden from the staff as he told them again that they needed to occupy the boy more so he did not realise his Azalea's lengthened absence from the Manor. Something the staff had jumped to upon seeing the anger start to flash in the blond's eyes.

By the time Friday came, Josh's own desperation to see his Azalea had found new heights. The text sent to the witch had been the usual one he would send to denote he would pick her up from Hogwarts at the usual time. It was not a necessity any more, his Azalea knew he would be there each week waiting, but it was a compulsion that he found himself typing no less. With the note that he had not received a message from the witch for more than eighteen hours.

The text had been answered with a request this time, though.

One that the blond would fulfil, as he always had of his Azalea's wishes.

***

Josh's car had pulled up at the Hogwarts gates as it usually did. Exactly on time, not a minute too early, not a minute too late. His Azalea's arrival could never be so closely timed, sometimes she would be waiting, other times he would have to wait a short while as she finalised a lesson, or spoke with her students about homework. The man had rarely had to wait very long, though.

Unlike today.

Ethan sat in the back of the car looking at the gates expectantly. Joshua had told his son that the boy's Maman would come from that location. Ethan had not said a word, instead eagerly eyeing the gates for a sign of the witch.

Five minutes passed.

Six.

Eleven turned in to twelve.

Ethan's small fingers had moved to point wordlessly at the gates because even the child had realised the anger in his father's stance upon being asked the question of where his Maman was. Josh's eyes remained on the gates as the twelfth minute turned in to the thirteenth.

***

"A-Azalea."

His Azalea sat atop the earth, covered in dust, soil, and Merlin only knew what else. She'd not noticed the presence of Ethan and him, and had instead spoken to an unknown source on the ground. Ethan stood just behind his father's left leg, watching the witch with a curiousness that mimicked the man before him.

The jolt that ran through the witch's body made Josh frown a little more, trying to take in everything that was happening, and coming up short. Whatever the witch had been doing was a question for another time, though.

"We've been waiting for you for thirty four minutes." Josh told her, the detail quite as specific as he always was with the witch. There was no infliction to his words save for the unspoken question of whether they would be kept waiting any longer. It was beyond known that Joshua Murray did not like to be kept waiting.

Ethan, though, had his own set of ideas as he stepped in to the Greenhouse curiously, and hurried over to his Azalea. The child hurried in to the arms of his Maman, perhaps softening the words of his father as he rested his head on the witch's shoulder happily.

Somewhat softening the outlook of the man who stayed back by the doorway of the greenhouse, waiting for them both to come to him.

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Subject: Re: Be mine or you will burn (Joshua) Sun Sep 27, 2020 3:45 pm

5:34 p.m.

"Josh?"

Of course. He was to pick her up at five. She should have been back a the castle a long time ago.

"Maman!"

"Ethan!" A smile blossomed across her lips as she spotted the little toddler beside his father. Unaffected by his father's precise tone, the boy moved forth to her, coming to her with a persistence that belied his age and budding cognitive development. Even at this age, little Ethan was very aware of what was his and how to reach for it. Gathering the little boy in her arms, the witch hugged him fiercely before placing a kiss on his forehead, than on each side of his face.

"Maman missed you too," she agreed with him as he settled comfortably against her.

Getting up to ehr feet and bringing the child with her, Azalea attempted to brush some of the dirt from ehr person. To no avail though. Some of it already clung to the little boy who was in turn clinging to her.

"I'm so sorry,' the brunette now directed her gaze to Joshua, seeing his unimpressed features soften somehow. "I offered to help the Herbology teacher with soemthing and lost track of time." Hopefully the discarded shovel and the gloves would be her alibi.

"I didn't mean to keep you waiting I... I'm sorry," she tried again before noticing the dirt clinging to her and Ethan.

"I an go change if you prefer,"she offered, realizing that she could possibly get into the car in her current condition. Josh's face remained impassive as he took a step closer to her.

He knows, her brain prided in panic as she held the child nestled nearly into her chest. He knows and he's going to let you have it.

"That won't be necessary," Josh spoke softly. When he had found time to retrieve his wand, Azalea had no clue but something cold was atop her head. If he was punishing her, she was glad he was doing it like this. At least she got to hold Ethan one last time.

But instead of pain, all she felt was a slight breeze.

And then Ethan's pointed statement "Maman clean!"

"Indeed," his father agreed, offering her an arm. In under ten seconds, he had retrieved his wand, cast a charm that had left her almost sparkling in her simple jeans and long sleeved black top and stowed his wand away. Azalea didn't have to fake the admiration on awe in her eyes.

Never having seen Josh in action, the witch felt a shiver running down her spine. It had never occurred to her that the Murray could actually hurt anyone if he wished.

As he held the car door open for her, Azalea was glad he was not he type to eve hurt anyone. Because he certainly could if he wanted to.

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Subject: Re: Be mine or you will burn (Joshua) Sun Sep 27, 2020 4:05 pm

Cleaning his Azalea off had been a simple task, the spell not even being spoken before it jumped in to action to remove all remnants of dust and dirt from her person, and their son who had become mussed with the same dirt when he'd moved to cuddle the witch.

With both parties tidied off, the trio had returned to the gates, Ethan cuddling in to his mother's side happily at being reunited, and Josh drawing his Azalea closer as they walked back to the gates. No conversation was sparked by the blond as they walked, only saying anything when he asked for Ethan so he could put the child back in to his car seat. His Azalea took up her own seat in the front of the car, and Josh joined shortly after.

The car roared in to life and they pulled away from the school.

"So, what were you helping the Herbology professor with?" Josh asked, glancing across at the witch for an answer before his eyes returned to the road once more. It was not like his Azalea to be as late as she had been that evening, always so keen to head back to Wales with him, to spend time with Ethan. The actions were not those that Josh would have expected, and yet...

Behind them, Ethan let out a very soft sneeze, before rubbing gently at his face and then looking around for help.

"And how was your trip to America?" The blond asked, because the details hadn't been too full from that trip, whether because his Azalea had been waiting to tell him in person, or the trip had not been quite so fruitful as the witch would have hoped, Josh could not say.

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Subject: Re: Be mine or you will burn (Joshua) Sun Sep 27, 2020 5:23 pm

5:54 p.m.

Having safely bundled Ethan into his car seat, Azalea took her own place in the passenger side. As always, Josh would be driving. The man slid into his vehicle and revved the engine, only one hand on the machine as his other claimed her own small wrist between them. When it had became normal practice, Azalea didn't know but today, she was especially uncomfortable with the gesture.

Perhaps because for the first time, she noted it to be more possessive than romantic.

It was probably her own guilt, the witch reasoned, not doing anything to remedy the situation. After what she had done, at the very least he deserved to hold her hand for a little bit longer.

"So, what were you helping the Herbology professor with?"

"I'm not quite sure," she admitted, not wanting to lie to him but needing to keep up the story. No, she had lad enough. This account would include as many elements of the truth as she could. "There's a mysterious plant growing somewhere and I.. The Professor isn't sure what to do with it. I offered to help check it out but no luck. I can't get to it."

Right then, Ethan sneezed, perhaps sensing her distress. the conversation was immediately halted in favor of checking up on him. Reaching for the bag his nannies always sent with him, Azalea found a tissue and proceeded to help the boy clean himself after the sneeze.

"Has he been cold lately?' she asked, worry clear on her face. "Or been eating ice cream." Looking to Ethan, seh repeated the question, well aware that the boy was intelligent enough to answer on his own.

"Ethan darling, have you been eating ice cream behind Nanny Dupont's back?"

Ethan nodded seriously. He had never understood why he couldn't have things he wanted and nannies had never been much of a deterrent.

Shortly after, the conversation reverted back to the two adults, and Josh's hand was securely on top of hers, trapping her fingers beneath.

"And how was your trip to America?"

"It was.. alright," she responded, trying to think back to the weekend that seemed too long ago. "Saturday was fun, we got to hang out with some old fiends of mine. Sunday, not so great." In breif, seh recounted the story of Elenore's cold reception, trying to keep the details as respectful as possible since she didn't want to gossip. mostly she spoke of how there was some misunderstanding between the Clements which was keeping the youngest member from her home.

"Oh and Jacques spoke of his girlfriend to some extent," she admitted, conveniently omitting his drunken advances on her. Those would not go down well with Josh, she knew. "He seemed to think there wasn't much of a future for them. Very unfortunate considering his significant feelings for her. I... I didn't realize it was so difficult to pick a partner in such circles."

The implication lay clear. What had she done to be chosen? Been the right neighbor he knocked on the door next to a house he intended to buy?

Just then, Ethan sneezed again and the witch held up a hand,. Josh understood of course, pulling the car into a hard shoulder and coming to a stop. "Do you mind if I move to the back with him? If he's coming down with something-"

"Of course," was his impassive reply as he exited the car to open her door. His gentlemanly manners would never be discarded, regardless fo the situation.

Five minutes later they were on the road again, Azalea settled comfortably in the back seat with Ethan happily in her lap, the beginning of a red nose forming on his pale features.

As they sped through the countryside towards Wales at an impossible speed.

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Subject: Re: Be mine or you will burn (Joshua) Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:00 pm

Josh had listened to the explanation of his Azalea's time in America with mute interest, as he always did. Taking in the short explanation of the meeting with her own friends, and then the extended explanation of Jacques' interaction with his sister. The Clements were having issues in their personal lives, something that had been spoken of -- his mother had informed him -- in the social circles of England. The youngest had taken off to America, and where the news had been kept as a positive in France, rumours were flurrying in the UK.

Josh, however, did not take to the gossiping circles, and merely took on the information provided by his Azalea as that, even if it had remained fact based rather than opinion based.

The only point that had piqued his interest had been Jacques talk of no future with a woman he had displayed feelings for. His Azalea's eyes had been upon him in that moment, making Josh aware of the unspoken words between them. A question that was easy enough to reply to.

"You can have whatever you want in this world, so long as you're willing enough to take it." The blonde's reply was as if this was an easy answer, as if it were as simple as to simply go against everything your family had set for you before hand. It was, if you were willing to do everything in your power to obtain it. Something Joshua had been doing for more than half of his life by now, he would remove anything, and anyone, who got in his way for his Azalea. Jacques Clement was clearly not as infatuated with his current girlfriend as he claimed, but Josh did not speak such sentiments aloud.

Almost on cue, Ethan had distracted his Azalea, and the car had been pulled over for them to deal with the child's cold symptoms.

The drive back to Wales had changed then. With his Azalea moving to the back seat to be with Ethan, Josh had been left with only the glances back in the rear view mirror at the witch and his son, rather than the usual contact of holding her wrist as they drove. His Azalea's attention had been solely on the child, trying to console him as he gently grizzled, or wiping his nose when he sneezed. The displeasure of the driver would be noted only in the increase of the speed of the vehicle as it flashed closer to home once more.

Josh had been wrong in the assumption getting his Azalea home would mean her attention could be pulled from the child. No sooner had they come home, she had hurried both Ethan and herself back to his room, the help following automatically. Josh had followed, and assured his Azalea the nannies could take care of Ethan now they were home. The response had been that she would rather look after Ethan herself, leaving both Josh and the nannies at a loss for words.

Leaving his Azalea to what she wished to do, Josh had left her with their son and retreated from the room shortly after. Instead busying himself with other business until dinner had come around. His Azalea had not appeared for dinner, leaving the blond more than a little irritable as he instructed the staff to take the witch food, and to ensure she ate.

By nine, his Azalea had not emerged from Ethan's bedroom.

Joshua had appeared at their son's room with the expectation of his Azalea leaving the boy to rest for the evening. Something that had only been met with a similar intention of staying with Ethan through the night, because his symptoms had worsened, and she couldn't bear to leave him alone. Josh had moved to the witch's side, assuring her the nannies could keep watch for the night, but the insistence had followed again, his Azalea would really like to stay here.

And that he should go to bed without her.

The kiss that had likely been intending to placate him, had barely registered on Josh's lips before it had been taken again. The man had looked to the sleeping form of their son for a moment, before relenting on his Azalea's wishes.

Josh had retired to their rooms for the evening with frustration boiling in his body.

But the cold wouldn't last forever, he'd reasoned.

His Azalea would be with him tomorrow.

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