Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh)

Subject: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:08 am

The Murray Gallery

It had been over two months since Azalea had promised to go with him in to Hogsmeade. Two months of silent patience from Josh Murray, that meant even with his Azalea time was waning. After yet another night of no information from the professor, Josh took matters in to his own hands, a note was sent to the designers employed by the Murray household. Azalea's measurements had been memorised years ago, so the dress in the Murray house colours along with the matching accessories was not something difficult to attain.

The next evening the package from the household had returned, thankfully without any of his mother's interference. Taking out a piece of parchment, Josh sat down at his desk, thinking carefully over the words.

Dearest Azalea,

I have booked us a reservation at one of the many galleries my family hold artwork in this Friday at six o'clock. You will find with this letter everything you will require for the evening.

Dinner will be served at the venue.

I will meet you at your greenhouse at the time above.

Yours,

Josh Murray.

As discussed, Josh was down at the greenhouse precisely the time he'd stated in the note. Dressed up in a tuxedo with a matching purple handkerchief in his top pocket that matched the dress he'd given Azalea. With a bouquet in his house colours, Josh knocked softly on the door to the greenhouse. He made no attempts to enter in case the witch was still changing, instead taking in the last of the sun on the early February evening.

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Subject: Re: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:11 am

It had been a usual Friday, tinted with grey despite the sunlight that filtered through the first skies of February. But It wasn't' the climate's fault really, everything seemed tinged with grey lately. Even teaching, even Salem, but mostly Azalea herself. It had gotten to the point where the witch no longer fought with shadows, merely looked defeated as they took over more and more of her life with each passing day.

The package that arrived via a handsome hawk owl didn't register at first until the Herbalist saw the sender's address. The memory emerged from another lifetime, back when all the grey hadn't started crawling at the edge of vision. Something about a birthday and a slice of cake with a few Slytherins. Such things had seemed important then though for the life of her Azalea couldn't figure out why.

Which was just as well, her life wasn't worth much. Something important might make her think more on the subject but certainly not the matter of her existence.

Opening The note, the brunette realized that Josh had made way too big a deal of what was supposed o be a slice of cake, but she supposed she owed the kid one for forgetting his birthday for, how many months had it been, three? Maybe four? Time had become less important after the news, all that really set it apart was the monotony and the grey that now stood out everywhere.

So at five, Azalea dismissed her class for the day and set about getting ready. There was nothing much she could do with her looks which had likely waned over the months she'd spent avoiding the mirror. Not bothering to note that the dress fit far too well for it to have been a guess, the witch reached for the matching jewellery in dark purple stones layered with what Azalea knew platinum. Apparently whoever had helped Josh choose the dress was well acquainted with fashion and had a good sense of taste. Briefly her mind wondered to Tess Holmes who always dressed nicely.

Deciding not to do anything special with her hair, the American witch left most of it hanging loose, clipping the corners with a jewelled pin to keep them off her face but otherwise hanging lose over her shoulders and reaching down to her waist. The witch hadn't had a haircut in a while and perhaps if the grey receded, she might even think more on it.

But the grey was everywhere nowadays.

Applying a final coat of lip gloss as the only make up and adding in her home brewed perfume, Azalea was ready a few minutes before six, or she would have been had she bothered looking into a mirror. But that was no longer an option. Besides, she didn't have to look perfect, she was just a teacher beneath the fancy dress and jewels.

Nobody special.

The witch waited patiently as the minutes to six grew nearer and promptly at six, the knock sounded rapt and sturdy against the door.

"Come on in," she called out, reaching for her purse, the most ordinary looking thing of her ensemble because it was the only thing that was really hers. "Door's open."

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Subject: Re: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:11 am

"Come on in,"

The Murray heir did not need telling twice as he opened the door. Ducking in to the Herbology greenhouse, Josh allowed a moment to take in the witch before him, not leering, but noting how she looked beyond beautiful dressed in his house colours. Though, Josh added in his mind, his Azalea would look good in anything because she was a beauty above the world.

"Good evening, A-Azalea." Josh replied, scolding himself for the stutter that only came with her name. Only with her name in her presence, because such an amazing woman could not really be referred to in such a simple manner. Even if Josh sat contemplating for ours, no words would ever be enough to describe the witch before him. "You won't be needing your purse." The boy added softly, noting how the purse in her hand was taking away all affect of the dress. "Everything has been paid for."

With that, Josh held out the bouquet of flowers he'd cultivated from the grounds. Many things could be brought with his wealth, but his Azalea deserved much more than that. And if that meant picking flowers himself, Josh would do that too. "I got these for you, too." Josh added, waiting for the professor to say something more.

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Subject: Re: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:12 am

"Good evening, A-Azalea."

"Hello Josh," the witch managed, extracting a brief smile from somewhere and letting it drop the moment it wasn't required. Smiles came like that these days, small and fleeting, and never real. "You needn't have gone to so much trouble, I honestly would have been fine with cake at Hogsmeade," she added, taking in his own similarly formal attire.

Once upon a time, going to art galleries, fine dining and sophisticated conversation would have been something she would have looked forwards to. Azalea may have grown up with Kit Harrington and a pre booking to pretty much every art exhibit in the world but those things weren't really Jake's style, and the witch had moulded herself to her boyfriend's way of living years ago. An opportunity to do something like that would have been exciting except now, nothing excited her.

"You won't be needing your purse." The boy added softly, noting how the purse in her hand was taking away all affect of the dress. "Everything has been paid for."

"I thought this was supposed to be my treat," she joked, nevertheless returning the small black bag to her desk drawer. There wasn't much of value in it, just some bank cards and her keys, everything easily replaceable in the event the bag was misplaced.

Just like its owner.

"I got these for you, too."

"Thank you, they're lovely, though of course unnecessary," she replied politely, taking in the bouquet of uniquely coloured, mismatched flowers. The arrangement was perhaps the most real thing about the whole situation, making the witch think that it was the one thing Josh had not had any help in. Placing the flowers on her desk, Azalea resolved to get a vase for them later so they would not dry out.

Maybe a splash of colour would help with the grey.

"Are we going to be joined by any of your friends? I'm sure you don't want to spend the entire evening with a boring teacher like me," she joked, attempting to make light of what was starting to feel like a very formal event. "And wouldn't you rather go somewhere more exciting than an art gallery?"

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Subject: Re: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:13 am

"You needn't have gone to so much trouble, I honestly would have been fine with cake at Hogsmeade,"

"It wasn't any trouble." Josh assured the witch before him, and even if for a second it might have been difficult to attain something, for Azalea the effort would have been worth it. The Slytherin couldn't help but notice her smile slipped away too quickly though, never quite reaching her eyes, and for a moment he was slightly confused. But conversation ensued and Josh left that topic alone, tucking the information away but not thinking on it.

"I thought this was supposed to be my treat,"

"I don't think that between the two of us a small meeting is much to argue over." Josh replied easily, they were both purebloods after all, cost was trivial and Josh hadn't even began to look at what was being credited to his account. As always, nothing could make a dent in his funds, his Azalea's would likely be the same.

At the mention of friends, Josh shook his head, smirking slightly at the idea. "I think present company will be enough, thank you, A-Azalea." Josh replied, holding out his hand for the witch. "And this art gallery is... a little different." He explained, trying not to give away the surprise too much. "My family own an art gallery in Wales, one I'd like to show you." Yes, that was enough information for the time being.

Leading the witch down to the gate, which was thankfully not too far from the greenhouse with the cold weather, Josh turned to the witch beside him. "Ready?" He asked, giving her a moment to ready herself before the crack of apparation sounded through the grounds. The next moment they stood in front of a grand castle, lights illuminating the grounds for Azalea's arrival. The Slytherin used his free hand to steady the witch beside him before he motioned towards the grand doors.

"All of this is yours for the evening. After you." Josh told the witch, motioning for her to walk through the door before him. There would be wine as a reception, Josh had ordered the finest of each colour, uncertain as to Azalea's favourite. Everything would be neatly set, Josh was sure of that, and if he was proved wrong, hell would be left for every member within the castle to pay.

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Subject: Re: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:13 am

"It wasn't any trouble."

He was probably right, the witch concluded, dredging up the memory of his file from the time before the grey. Purebloods, there had been a ball, these people lacked for nothing and had some strange values. And it reminded Azalea why she looked at the boy in such a favourable light. He had everything a boy his age could ask for and still did the normal every day things like coming to class. He must have been good with other students too, she supposed judging by his prefect badge his uniform usually sported. And he was a Quidditch player, she knew from the fiasco that had been the last inter school match. Thought the witch couldn't remember which position he played.

"I don't think that between the two of us a small meeting is much to argue over."

"Fair enough," the brunette agreed, taking his proffered hand. Besides, if the gallery belonged to his family, likely there wouldn't be much cost involved. As the two made their way out of the greenhouse and towards the apparition point, Azalea couldn't help but marvel at how much taller Josh had grown in what seemed like a very short time to her. He towered over her easily now even if she sometimes saw the same twelve year old she had first been introduced to in the greenhouse.

As he readied them for apparition, Azalea secured her hold on his arm, expecting the familiar jolt of transportation that had never steadied her in the first place. But that didn't stop the Slytherin from being ready on the other end, making the witch smile softly. Josh was raised to be polite, she concluded, even if his upbringing had been unusual from what she could decipher.

The sight that awaited them was nothing short of spectacular, the castle looming up ahead and the grounds lit perfectly to show it off in all its glory. Azalea had frequented art galleries housed in such structures before as a child and had always marvelled at the size of them, and for a moment, she was that child again, gazing in wonder at the huge building decorated with what looked like all the stars from the sky.

"All of this is yours for the evening. After you."

"This is so beautiful," she breathed. "If I owned this place, I would never leave," she laughed, her hand still neatly tucked into the blond's. "I used to visit art galleries with my father as a child, and as a teen. I haven't been to one in years now though," she added, her voice soft as they made their way to the entrance.

Where they were greeted by a man in tails who bowed deeply before drawing their attention to a selection of one of the finest wine collections Azalea had seen in a long time. the labels boasted dates and names the witch had long since memorised by sheer virtue of growing up with Kit Harrington who liked a well stocked cellar, finally choosing a Romanee-Conti, 1960 flute. The witch discretely saw their host making a note of her choice before Josh reached for his own favoured brand.

"My compliments to whoever chose the wine, last time I had this was at a birthday lunch with my father," she admitted with a small laugh as they moved towards the main gallery area.

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Subject: Re: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:16 am

"This is so beautiful," she breathed. "If I owned this place, I would never leave,"

Josh's lips twitched in to something resembling a smile at that comment. It hadn't taken much to find her fathers residence, and quite honestly, it was less than Josh had imagined. Too American, too modern. But if his Azalea found this to be beautiful, there was a small sign of hope that she would fit right in to his family without a single worry being left to Josh.

The knowledge that his Azalea had been visiting such places from a young age was useful too. "You'll know everything about critique then." Josh offered, watching the professor take a glass of red. A sweeping gaze to the host told him to make sure that the bottle his Azalea had chosen was to be kept on hand. Josh, however, picked up a 2000 Wehlener Sonnenuhr. White had always been more preferable with the Slytherin, avoiding the overly sweet tastes of red.

"My compliments to whoever chose the wine, last time I had this was at a birthday lunch with my father,"

"I ordered a selection." Josh explained, though he wasn't looking for praise. "A couple from each colour as I wasn't sure on your preference." The boy wasn't particularly impressed with the new bottle of wine, but it seemed someone had taken the rest of the finer years. His mother, likely, she always seemed to want to try and get under his skin with such antics.

As they moved in to the main gallery area, Josh showed Azalea around to the left first. The artwork of his younger years, as his mother would say. Perfect duplications, Josh would amend. "My family displays all it's work here, my ancestors work are in the various areas of the castle, but the main area holds the most recent." With that, Josh hushed, allowing the witch to take in the works from the time he was three to around ten in this area. Sipping his wine intermittently, Josh looked from the portraits to Azalea, capturing her expressions in his memory.

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Subject: Re: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:17 am

"You'll know everything about critique then."

"Oh absolutely," the witch responded, pinching her face so that her eyes sunk in and her nose looked larger, her lips pressed in a thin, unimpressed line in perfect imitation of run of the mill art critics before she broke out into a much warmer smile. "I used to mimic the impressions of art critics as a child," she revealed with little guilt. "Mostly because I was bored and there were only so many words anyone could use to describe perspective. It was fun watching these people evaluate my father's work and try to guess what he had been thinking," she confessed, her tone more cheery now that they were in familiar settings. "They usually guessed wrong, to hilarious effect."

As Josh choose his own vine, the witch sipped her own, relishing in the sweetness. Why hadn't she insisted they keep wine at the flat beside the many ready cans of Muggle beer Jake preferred. Once the drinks were taken care of, Azalea was led past the main hallways and towards a separate wing as Josh explained the layout. She wondered if he came from a line of artists to have the gallery represent his family's work but as they entered the more recent section, Azalea forget all about his alleged lineage of arts.

Because whether his ancestors knew it well or not, Joshua Murray knew how to capture things in ink.

The replica hung on a tapestry was labelled in the nineties, josh could have been five, and yet the charcoal strokes were perfect as they carved out a grand dining table complete with twelve chairs. The table was set for what looked like the perfect meal and judging by the urkey, it was Thanksgiving or Christmas.

But there were no people to enjoy the beautifully laid dinner.

"This is amazing, how old were you when you managed this great feat?" Azalea asked curiously, all her own assumptions of art forgotten in the moment. "And is it incomplete? Were there supposed to be people around the table?"

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Subject: Re: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:18 am

"I used to mimic the impressions of art critics as a child,"

The face that Azalea had pulled had brought a small, but genuine smile to Josh's lips, and as explained that she used to be amused by the ideas of critiques, Josh could only nod in agreement. "At least your father's works had entertainment, if not only for the pictures he created." Josh summarised kindly, though the photographer's work held no interest for the Murray heir.

"This is amazing, how old were you when you managed this great feat?"

"Four years one month." Josh replied without moving to the plaque that joined the piece. He remembered each piece well, but then that wasn't exactly difficult for Josh. Memorising things was easy when your head space was clear. "December nineteen-ninety-nine." He supplied, furthering the information for the witch to get a feel for the story the picture told.

"And is it incomplete? Were there supposed to be people around the table?"

The answer to that was one that Josh wasn't sure how to answer. There were books that showed how Christmas was supposed to be, but the one in the picture was the only manner in which he'd ever experienced it. "That depends on your prospective on the idea of Christmas, A-Azalea. This is how I spend Christmas." Josh explained, motioning towards the picture. It wasn't a sad tone, because honestly Josh didn't care for his family. "It's possibly the quietest the house is all year round, and I like it." The boy confessed, he didn't want the witch to think otherwise.

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Subject: Re: Edge of Insanity (Azalea & Josh) Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:19 am

"At least your father's works had entertainment, if not only for the pictures he created."

Azalea made no remark on her father's work, letting it slide just a she did all other comments related to his art. Photography was Kit's passion and old oils, he claimed, his secret mistress. In all that jargon, Azalea often found herself lost as to what any of it meant and the pieces she liked seemed to make him happy enough. Growing up around art, Azalea had learned of the
technicality of it, styles, brushstrokes, colour, the limitations of impressionism, post modern, baroque, renaissance, the craft of sculpting, architectural designs, all the types and forms that art took. And yet the witch had failed to understand art as a whole, or at least never to the degree her father did.

Kit her assured her it was okay though, that plants could be art too, and that her made her feel a lot better as a child.

"Four years one month."

As soon as the Slytherin supplied the age, Azalea couldn't help but imagine a younger, four year one month old version of Josh sitting with a canvas and charcoals, sketching out the Christmas dinner instead of eating it. Azalea wished she could reach for the child to comfort him. It sounded lonely.

"It's possibly the quietest the house is all year round, and I like it."

Azalea nodded, remembering something about a divorce in his file. Though why his parents divorcing relieved them from the responsibility of being parents, Azalea could never imagine. But then again, who was she to make judgement, she neither had parents nor would ever be one.

"Me too," she admitted softly, averting her eyes from the sketch. "I used to have quiet Christmases with my dad, it was the best because there was no fancy meal to prepare and no one to impress, just the two of us and my god mother if she wanted to join us."

Moving from that piece, the duo wandered over to the next, a castle made of modelling clay that apparently resembled one of the current Murray holdings. This was labelled to around six years old, then more sophisticated material, what looked like castle angles and architecture, the portrait of a cat in great anatomical detail and proportion. Except The eyes, Josh seemed to have forgotten to sketch in the tiny dots for eyeballs. But he had been eight, it could be forgiven.

Around the corner hung another lavish portrait, this one done not by the young Slytherin but him being the subject of it. Josh looked eight or nine sitting astride a pure white pony holding some sort of prize. No smile adorned the boy's features, no pride at having won. The portrait gave off the impression that Josh was too used to winning, that victory no longer merited a smile.

"When was that?' she asked curiously, eyes scanning the small blonde child who seemed to know just how to sit his horse, as if he'd been born on horseback.

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