Joshua Murray
Adult
Posts : 173
Birthday : 1996-11-25
Join date : 2017-07-26
 | | Subject: The Murray Heir (One-Shot) Sun Aug 05, 2018 12:09 pm | |
| The small child had arrived with Joshua Murray in the early hours of the seventh of September the previous year. The child had cried for hours as the wet nurses, Healers and other members of staff tried everything to make him settle. A strong set of lungs, everyone had said as they worked to make the new Murray heir stop crying. It had taken hours for the child to settle, finally settling in the arms of the youngest woman in the small gathering of women. He'd taken well to her, the newest Murray family member, Joshua had been told.
He was feeding from the young woman, he would settle in her arms, and he would sleep soundly for the woman in question. Joshua didn't care for that much, only caring that the crying had stopped, that his son was eating. Not for the woman who had temporarily taken on the place of 'mother' to the child. It was temporary. His Azalea would be back soon enough to care for their child. Not too long, though, she couldn't be too long. Time was, as it always had been with his Azalea, of the essence.
A ruckus had erupted upon the child's disappearance from the hospital, the Harringtons had believed they would be able to find the child, that the Aurors would be able to find the perpetrator of the crime. They were to be forgiven for their misguided assumption they would be able to find the child, of course, they were hopeful of something that was not going to happen until Azalea was ready.
September had passed without much interest. Their son was growing stronger day by day, the Healers who were keeping an eye on the child could only tell Josh how well the boy was doing. How he didn't need for anything. Josh had known that. The child was a Murray, he would never need for anything. But he remained stoically quiet on the subject, waiting only for the Healers and Wet Nurses to leave his son alone so that he could have time with the child.
Unlike any father, though, Joshua Murray was not overly loving of the child. He had tried, of course, oh how he had tried, but it was not a natural ability that was honed in the man as he sat with the child in his arms, keeping him protected from the world as he always would. The child... the child had inherited almost all of his looks from his father. The same blonde hair, the same features as his father. The Murray genes were known to be strong, and it showed in the small child in Josh's arms. Almost perfectly.
Except for the mahogany brown eyes that opened intermittently, looking up to Josh with curiosity before a soft gurgle would be released, and then the child would settle again. His eyes, and his complexion mirrored his mother's, showing without doubt that he was his Azalea's son. Josh would not be moved on either of these points, either, their son was the perfect mix of both parents.
For hours the head of the Murray household would sit holding his son, watching the tiny features carefully as he waited.
"Your mother will be home soon," Josh would always tell the child as he put him down to sleep. A promise.
His Azalea would be home soon.
Each night as Josh would leave the room, the large wolf that had protected the child's mother during her days here would slink in to the room. The wolf would check the crib for the child, sniff only once at the child's hand as if checking for life, before curling up at the side of the crib. Watchful of the child in a silence that had left many staff members shocked when they had first come upon the scene. Darr had taken his rightful place at the heirs side, and would not move from the child's side until Joshua Murray returned.
***
September had turned in to October, routines didn't change. The only change was the size of the youngest Murray who grew steadily bigger with each passing day. He was a strong baby, everyone kept saying. It was a positive sign that his iron grip was appearing so early in his growth. It meant he was destined for great things, the staff could be heard murmuring. As if any Murray had ever been less that great?
With a month having passed since the child's birth, and no sign of his Azalea being able to return to her home, Joshua had made a decision he had not wished to make alone. He had wanted to see the sparkle in his Azalea's eyes when he had bestowed the name of their child upon him, he'd wanted to see her delight that he would choose such a name for their son. But his Azalea was still not well enough to come home, so Joshua had relented.
Joshua Ethan Murray, the second of his name, had been named one month after his birth.
In the absence of his mother.
A fact Josh would never forgive himself for, but needs must.
***
One month turned in to two, two months turned in to three. His informants Stateside continued to denote that his Azalea was still not being seen outside of the house. The Healers who were allowed inside denoted that his Azalea had gone backwards. Everything they had worked so hard to achieve had been lost. There was a solution, but the man who had uttered such things had been silenced as he found himself clutching at his neck, clawing at his neck, trying to break an invisible choke that had only slacked when his face had gone so purple it looked like the man's head might have exploded.
He'd fallen to the ground gasping, suckling the air like a newborn as tears struck tracks down his purple cheeks. All of the Healers had left without another word, Josh's eyes not leaving the grounds of the Murray holdings.
The man had stood there for a time, contemplating the choice in front of him. He had not chosen the wrong step forward, Joshua Murray didn't make mistakes. No, he needed to decide his next move. Very carefully...
"M'lord?"
Silence.
"M'lord, there is news. Of m'lady."
Silence, but perhaps Josh's head had turned half a millimetre towards the man in the notion of continuing.
"Lady Azalea's back in the UK, m'lord." The man behind him continued, clearly not knowing what way to tell the next part of the story he had created in his mind. "She's not with her parents, though, m'lord. She's with a man. Not in that way, m'lord, of course, m'lady would never, she's faithful to m'lord-"
"Who?" Josh had demanded, his eyes not moving from the window as he took in this news, ignoring the obvious discomfort of the man behind him whilst he tried to reassure the man before him that his Azalea was not doing something untoward. As if Josh did not already know this. His Azalea had never been unfaithful to him. She would never be.
"We're... we believe he's an Auror, m'lord. One Jake Newbury..." The man supplied, though he was not trembling over each word.
"I need more."
"M'lord."
Silence reigned once more. The man faltered for a moment wondering if there would be more from the Lord Murray. Nothing further came from him, and the man quickly left Josh's presence. A wise choice if ever there was one.
Jake Newbury... Josh had thought to himself in that moment, contemplating the falling snow outside with little and less interest. Has potentially just walked in to a hornets nest he won't be coming out of.
Merlin help the man who stood between him and his Azalea. ________________________________________________~ Profile ~  Signature by the amazing Jess! <3 | |
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The Administrator
Posts : 1363
Join date : 2015-12-20
| | Subject: Re: The Murray Heir (One-Shot) Tue Aug 21, 2018 8:55 pm | |
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