For old times sake (Azalea)

Elle had been readjusting to England, she had been thinking of connecting with a few old friends so had hit the Hogwarts directory, looking for Professor Jake, and in her lookings had found a name she hadn't seen in a long time. Azalea , and being as a Potions Assistant. She'd looked like she'd seen a ghost, just not one she had been expecting upon reading that name.

Fortunately she was not the same girl that had graduated Hogwarts over a decade ago, now she was a grown woman . She knew it was best not to rush in and crash a classroom like she once might have. Instead, she'd gone to the grounds and entered and asked about Professor Azalea, and found out she was very much NOT a ghost but in physical form. Elle would find out the details later, but right now she had someone she needed to see.

She'd found out where Azalea was , and went down to outside her room. Giving a soft smile, she'd covered herself in a red dress. Modest but enough to cover her skin for the most part. The throat tattoo she couldn't hide, nor did she bother. She'd knocked, and was waiting for the door to open. Praying that this wasn't some cruel joke or some impersonation.

Elle turned when she heard a voice speaking , turning and froze solid .

Standing there , in front of her was a woman she had buried a decade ago as well as her old life . But standing right in front of her was Aza, her AXA . Sure she had other people of course , that was what was great about Aza but she was the one that Elle had grown close to in her Hogwarts days . Standing in front of her was the teacher that had had patience , had put up with her bad days and unexplainable bruises . There was a teacher that was willing to sit and wait it out and Azalea was the teacher she’d decided to betray her family for . Speaking up and crying out for help . Azalea had been the one to deal with the news, and the attack , which very nearly cost Elle her life . Azalea had been there the nights she couldn’t sleep from the nightmares and let her into her herbology classroom . She was the one that was forgiving when she was late to class with big bags under her eyes . This woman was one Elle had grown to trust as a friend and unofficially called mum

And she’d buried her . Elle was a different person , even with her old name . Thana . Thana had buried Azalea and with no tied left alive after she graduated , she’d taken the Ministries Job and gone overseas and stayed overseas for the last decade . Coming back to find not the woman she’d said goodbye to and buried . But a woman with many secrets behind her eyes

She shook herself a little ,” hi yes sorry . I ..It’s me .. Thana .. Professor Azalea .” She didn’t know what to say , or what not to say . She took a step forward , as if to embrace Azalea but paused . Holding herself back , this wasn’t the same person she’d said goodbye to , and she knew she had to be careful . It would break her heart if Azalea didn’t remember her . That, that would be more painful then having had to bury her

For a second, it looked like the heavily tattooed woman had seen a ghost - but the possibility of that at Hogwarts was rather high so perhaps the analogy needed adjusting. The stranger looked as if she had seen something from a dream.

Regardless, Azalea gave her time to compose herself, trying hard not to look too much as the clear tattoo adorning the woman's throat. She hoped it hand't hurt when the young witch had gotten it. Somehow, the idea of people getting hurt was still something Azalea struggled with, even if she didn't know them.

” hi yes sorry . I ..It’s me .. Thana .. Professor Azalea .”

"Yup, that's me," the brunette smiled, trying to ease the girl's torn expression. But before she could say anything else, the young women held up her hands....

And the memories came rushing back at the speed of light. A black crow circling overheard, a lone Slytherin in oversized sweaters trying to hide the scars on her wrist, the same, open arms and broken smile of a girl who desperately wanted someone to hold her but never believed she deserved it...

"Thanyelle..?" Now it was Azalea's turn to whisper, almost afraid to say the name out too loud in case the witch disappeared from he force of it. Could it really be Thana... Her Thana?

"Oh sweetheart," she called out, letting her scrolls slip out of her hands as she extended them towards the younger witch for a hug that had been twelve years in the making. "My beautiful Thana, how I've missed you." Taking the girl into erh arms, Azalea hugged her so tightly, there was real danger of her never letting the silver haired witch go.

Elle wasn’t sure what reaction to expect off of the woman’s, but it seemed she wasn’t the only one having flashbacks . Not that it mattered because hugging Aza felt like .. well like home . She was taller now , taller then Aza but it didn’t matter . She wrapped her arms around the older woman .” It’s me .” She promised , Elle wasn’t going to correct Aza on her name , it didn’t matter who she knew her as Aza was there and she was in Elle’s arms .

Twelve years was a long time to wait for a hug , and she didn’t want to let go either . However she did , and gently took Aza’s hands . Elle had hundreds of questions , but only one that came out .” Are you okay . Are you safe ?” She asked . Looking at Aza , holding her hands . This wasn’t the girl she’d left this was a woman looking out for another woman , she needed to know Aza was okay and safe , otherwise hell  better look out for if she wasn’t. She gently stroked Aza’s hands before grabbing her for another hug . She had a few to catch up on .” I’m sorry I’ve probably caught you in the middle of class or something but I -“ she had to see Aza .” I got back into the country a few days ago and came across your name I had to see for myself .”

The child that used to run to her for cuddles because she couldn't say why she needed them, that child was grown up now. In fact, without her heels, Azalea didn't doubt for a minute that the other witch would substantially tower over her. And yet nothing had changed in the slightest. As the brunette held Thana close, one hand automatically reaching to stroke the other woman's silver hair just like she used to after nightmares that plagued the then Slytherin, the same words escaped her lips in hushed tones.

"It's okay sweetie, I'm here now. everything's going to be okay."

She could feel the slight prickle of tears behind her own eyelids but knew she had to wait. When the former Slytherin gently pulled herself away, Azalea moved to open the door to her small suite, ushering Thana in before sweeping down to collect the fallen papers.

” Are you okay . Are you safe ?”

Of all the questions Azalea had expected from the girl, this was near the last one. She had expected "how are you alive?" and "where have you been?" but the question of... if she was okay was new. Other than Dad and Clara... no one had asked if she was okay...

"Of course," the witch tried to smile, closing the door behind them and letting a tear fall before looking up at Thana once more. "Of course I'm okay now that you're here." Despite the tattoos, and underneath the dyed hair, it was still her little Thana, and she had grown into a beautiful woman.

"How have you been holding up?" When the witch second guessed her entry, Azalea held up a hand to calm her nerves. "Nope, I just finished my last class for the day, and all I have is time." Thana could have all her time, she was one of the very few people in the world who were completely entitled to it.

For Elle , hearing those words were a comfort she couldn’t explain . She scurried inside with the Professor before listening . Nodding as Aza said she was okay , the. Smiled .” Well I’m back in the country and don’t plan on going anywhere .” Elle promised her .

She smiled and took a seat , gently holding onto Aza’s hand still. She gave a soft sigh and shrugged .” Been overseas for the last decade , usually in Africa or South America .” She told her ,” but my jobs done now so I’m here.” She didn’t need to say it either , there was no way she was leaving now Aza was back . “ I graduated .. top marks in Potions and Herbology and somehow passed Defence .” She smiled , “ And then took a ministry job .. Apollo disappeared , I found him again but he was .. different . “ they’d gotten engaged when Aza was still alive .”And hey , I wear dresses now .”

Desipite her speaking her eyes never left Aza’s , giving a soft smile and her thumb gently stroking Aza’s hand . There were a million and one things she had to ask , but didn’t want to hurt Aza by doing so .” So I feel ripped off . Hogwarts is digital now . I remember being forced to do detentions with a quill .”

The information that Thana had been overseas would probably merit further questions, but later. For now it was just important that they sat together, and completely understood that they were once again in the same room, in the same physical space they used to acquire, that they were both very present to each other. The younger witch held on to her hand, the soft strokes reminding Azalea again and again how she had been missed. That was how Clara and Dad used to be when she first returned, finding reasons to sit near her, touch her, hold her somehow, entice her to talk. All in an effort to confirm again and again that she really was back.

But only time would do that for Thana, as it had for them. And the brunette intended to spend as much time as she could with the tattooed witch to ensure her of that.

“ And then took a ministry job .. Apollo disappeared , I found him again but he was .. different . “

"Oh no, what happened?" Truth be told the boy was a blurred memory, but he'd been important to Thana once so the question required asking. Was she still with him, perhaps married now? Maybe with a child or two? Most of her peers had moved on and made families, perhaps the silver haired witch had done the same?

"Talk about the Twilight Zone," the brunette joked at the comment on dresses. In truth, the witch was far too beautiful for it to matter what she wore or how she painted Chrysler. "Though, what do you do at the Ministry, I was told their dress code doesn't allow for the tattoos, unless someone lied to me."