Sweet Dream or a Beautiful Nightmare? (Jazalea)

The news had come as the utmost relief to them both, there had been no denying that. The tension had eased from both his and Azalea's shoulders when they had found out that their daughter had woken from the coma that had kept her blissfully unaware of the pain her body was trying to deal with. The euphoria had been a new experience at the Palace, shadowed by so much uncertainty when they'd arrived it had been a weird evening as they tried to get their heads around the news.

The present from Jacques had been one that helped to ease more of the tension. Whilst they may not be able to see their daughter directly, the mirror had provided them with enough of a glimpse of the child to know what they had been told was true.

The euphoria had become more apparent when their other children had gone to bed.

"Mimosa's going to be alright," Jake had managed as they left the children's room together.

"She is." Azalea had replied softly, there was a small hesitance in her tone, but the hopefulness on her features had proved she did believe it to be true, even if she wasn't ready to fully admit it. The kiss that Jake had pressed to her lips hadn't meant to be as hungry as it had become when they finally touched hers. They hadn't planned to celebrate in the manner that had ensued from his kiss, but as Azalea drew him closer, Jake hadn't tried to resist the instinct that came in those moments.

From there, the days had gone slowly.

Their daughter might be awake, but they couldn't see her.

They might want to see her, to talk with her, to hold her close, but they couldn't.

They were so close, but they couldn't do anything.

Each day only increased the Auror's frustration at the situation. He didn't want to keep his distance from his daughter any longer. Not after everything that had happened. Jake's mind was slowly getting more and more made up to the fact he had to do something.

It was late in July by the time his temper fired up.

Ivan's birthday was fast approaching and they were confined to the Palace.

Adrienne had asked too many times why they didn't have all the cool stuff that was at the Palace.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this," Jake spoke as he pushed his food around his plate a little too heavily. Food that had normally been hoovered up by the man because it tasted so good. Today, though, it was just a reminder of what they didn't have. What their daughter had because she wasn't in their lives, and it turned the food sour in his mouth. Azalea had looked up from her own plate with a quizzical look at his statement and Jake had let out a sigh. The children were off with the Palace's help, exploring the Palace more than they already had, so they could speak frankly now.

"Sit here. Doing nothing. Waiting on scraps of information about our daughter. Not being allowed to see her when she's just gone through the most horrific injuries in her life." He expanded, the frustration very clear in his features as he put the fork down heavily. "How long do we wait here doing nothing? I know we agreed that being with the Clements was better for Mimosa, and we had to hide our true relationship from her. But I can't keep doing this, if we can't see her, I don't know what we're doing here.

"I don't want to be ungrateful to the Clements, they've done amazing, and without them... I don't even want to think about what could have happened. But I don't know how to keep doing this, Azalea..."

It had come out in a fit of anger, but it was not anger at the witch. She was in the same situation as him, she wore it better than he could. But surely... surely Azalea had to feel the same way after all this time?

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~ Auror ~ Profile ~ DADA Professor ~
~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

The news of Mimosa waking had of course colored the Newbury family's stay at the palace from that point forwards. The next few days had seen Jake and Azalea experience true happiness in the reassurance that their child would live through this. It had taken Azalea some time to consolidate the image of the young teenager in bed with the image of her child, trying to see past the more rounded features of her face where there used to be more angular ones, trying to find Mimosa's spark behind newly darkened eyes and, most importantly, trying to recognize the young Slytherin's gait without the perfectly proportioned limbs. But in the end, it hadn't mattered. No matter how she looked, Mimosa was still her baby and she would live.

More than that, she would shrive where she was.

And it was all thanks to the Clements.

Which was why Azalea was holding her tongue. As much as it hurt to see her child without truly being with her, Azalea had to keep reminding Chrysler of what was best for Mimosa. The child had recovered from severe trauma. The last thing she needed was to find out her school teachers were her parents and the circumstances in which she was born. Some people might argue the child had a right to know but if being called a liar was the cost she had to pay for Mimosa's happiness, Azalea would do so a thousand times over.

As Mimosa grew better day by day, the rest fo the world began to encroach on her mother. So much of the seven weeks had been dedicated to worrying over the young Slytherin that Azalea had not thought of anything else. Now, a small pile of letters lay in her bedside drawer. A response from Lord Clement assuring her he understood her request and instead nominating her for Deputy Head of Hogwarts, a missive from her university informing her she had to show more progress on her thesis, a court order from Joshua Murray filing a petition to preserve his conservator ship over her and an injunction filed by the Clements refuting his claim. There was even a note from Adelaide Goshawk somewhere that Azalea had yet to open.

And then there were the texts and missed calls. Victoria understood what was going on but the rest of Azalea's friends did not. Cieran wanted to know where she was, Amanda was spamming her with photos of the twins and Ivan and Adriennes' school's Mommy Group on whatsapp had over three hundred unread messages.

As the days passed and she watched Mimosa through the hand mirror, glad of teh child's progress when walking, sting, standing, stretching, Jake withdrew into himself. Azalea would have asked him what was wrong if she didn't know already. They both felt the same and they both knew there was no fixing it no matter how angry they got.

But Jake being Jake, finally let his aggression show one day as they were sitting down to dinner. It was rare that the child wren't Rudyard but today, neither of them had been up to bringing Ivan and Adrienne exploring. Thankfully, the palace staff had taken over.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this,"

There was no need to ask what he meant, she already knew. But she also knew he needed to say it out loud. Listening to Jake vent about their mutual problem was cathartic, knowing he felt the same as she did. Leaving her own food aside (a perfect blend of salads that was appropriate for her diet), the witch slid of from her chair and moved to Jake, taking a position behind him as her hands reached to gently rub his shoulders. The stress knots were obvious on his back as her fingers gently kneaded them through the skin.

"I've been thinking that too," she spoke softly as her fingers worked to loosen his muscles, her voice gentle but resolute.

"The longer we stay here, the more we hope for... for things to change," she managed, trying no to stumble as she spoke. She needed to be strong for everyone involved. the truth, plain and simple, was that they were of no consequence to Mimosa's recovery. they were only here for their own peace of mind. But being so near the child had made them want more, and that was not necessarily a good thing.

"Also, I think the children have been disrupted enough as it is," she added, trying to hide the fact that her voice was almost breaking where she stood, her hands still on his shoulder but her fingers now trembling. "What do you say we celebrate Ivan's birthday back in our own home?"

The Clements would never ask them to leave, whether through generosity or neglect. But Azalea was starting to realize they had probably overstayed their welcome now. "Instead of staying here and feeling worthless, we aught to try and get back to our lives." Without Mimosa, she left unsaid.

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Sweet Dream or a Beautiful Nightmare? (Jazalea) Rsz_gr10

Sweet Dream or a Beautiful Nightmare? (Jazalea) Rsz_az10

Sweet Dream or a Beautiful Nightmare? (Jazalea) Rsz_li10

Jake watched as Azalea got up from her seat, wondering for a moment if she was going to leave the room because she didn't want to have this conversation. Talking had never been easy for them, and the situation they found themselves in presently wasn't one that was easy to talk about even for the most capable of conversationalists. But Jake had been wrong in that assumption, Azalea only moved around the table to him, her hand automatically reaching to his shoulders and gently massaging the muscles that were much too tense in that moment.

"I've been thinking that too,"

If her fingers hadn't already been working to release the tension, those words would have done it. The anger he felt wasn't unreciprocated by his partner, even if she hadn't spoken the words. They were in sync, though, and they both wanted and needed more. More of something that they shouldn't have been hoping for to begin with.

No matter what they wanted, Mimosa was not going to find out about them until and unless she asked the Clements, or her grandfather for the truth. Whether Mimosa would ever do that... they would have to wait, and hold their silence until that day. It had eaten in to them more during their stay at the Palace, and it hurt too much to keep pretending they were of any use here.

"Also, I think the children have been disrupted enough as it is,"

Jake's hands moved up to rest upon Azalea's, her voice shook with those words, and her fingers had lost their direction with the massage they'd started only moments before. His fingers stilled hers in their movements as he nodded gently to show he agreed. They'd pulled Ivan and Adrienne in to a world they didn't belong, their summer had been completely overturned because of their decision to stay. With Ivan's birthday fast approaching, and his starting Hogwarts needed to be addressed to. Receiving his Hogwarts Letter needed to be at home, not to an address that, to the boy, would never mean anything.

"I think that would be better." Jake agreed when Azalea mentioned celebrating back home.

"Instead of staying here and feeling worthless, we aught to try and get back to our lives."

Jake's right hand let go of Azalea at that, his left working to lead her round from behind him and instead around in front of him as he pushed his chair back from the table. The Auror brought her in to his lap, his right hand wrapping around her waist as he met her eyes. "You're not worthless." The man told her firmly, because no matter what he might feel in this situation, he would not allow Azalea to ever feel like that.

Reaching up to press a kiss to the witch's lips, Jake pulled back slightly before he spoke again. "I'm not telling Ivan that we're pulling him away from all those books, though!" He insisted, a hint of amusement in his tone because they both knew that pulling their son away from such a large room of books. "I'll... take Adrienne..." He managed, though it was clearly dawning on the man that that wasn't going to be any easier than telling Ivan the same thing.

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~ Auror ~ Profile ~ DADA Professor ~
~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

Truthfully, she had expects Jake to resist. Had wondered if he would want a more active solution than just backing away quietly from their daughter. In her heart of hearts, she wanted to fight for Mimosa too. But there was no one to oppose here. Everyone involved only wanted what was best for their child.

And Jake must have realized that too as he pulled her into his lap.

"You're not worthless."

The brunette shook her head but she didn't get a chance to refute his statement as he slowly sealed it with a kiss. Azalea leaned into the action, drawing strength she desperately needed to face the coming days.

As Jake tried to make her smile by opting to take Adrienne instead, she merely nodded, unable to muster amusement but expressing her appreciation at his effort nonetheless. "It's okay, I got Ivan," she agreed, settling down against his chest, all thoughts of her food forgotten.

This was her safe place, her place of rest, as she listened to Jake's heart beat in steady rhythm.

What remained unspoken was that she would also take the Clements, informing them of the Newburies decision to leave.

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» Theyre so beautiful(Max)
» Was It a Dream? (Madison & Finley)
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