Silently the senses, abandon their defences (Josh)

Shallow roots, the witch frowned, taking in the small, spindly things poking out form a solid foot of earth elevated above her head. It hadn't taken long for Azalea to decide that the problem was in the roots. It had however, taken her a while to figure out how to fix it without uprooting the whole bed.

But in the end, the old adage of if you can't go over it, go under it had made the most sense. The brunette had taken a very literal approach to the anecdote, using her vines to lift the whole bed complete with roots just enough off the ground for herself to slide under and take a closer look. The disease would be better observed in its natural habitat.

Where it had originally started from.

Clad in her usual jeans and a dark red top, the witch looked a little worse for wear, the dirt and muck underneath a flowerbed sticking to her clothes. The look was completed by her specially made dragonhide glove, a gift from Victoria on her nineteenth birthday.

The witch almost missed the opening of the door, so engrossed was she in examining the white edging the otherwise dark roots of the plant. Here on her back, the witch could see clearly where the infestation had started, and where it was headed.

"Come on in," she called out, sticking a slender wrist from underneath the flowerbed to let the newcomer know she was there. "Just give me a minute and I'll be right out," she added, her eyes not leaving the roots even as she spoke.

Guest

The start of the year had been nothing short of disappointing, but then, everything was disappointing to Josh when he went from a summer of complete freedom to the other end of the spectrum and being expected to turn up to classes that were as dull as they were long.

Except perhaps one class.

The Slytherin had moved towards the class, the house elves saying they'd prepared the display, though his Azalea was already there. Too busy working on her plants, some insignificant elf had told him, but alone. The Murray heir had heard enough, and quickly made his way down to the greenhouses.

"Come on in,"

The statement was unnecessary, if truth be told, Josh was already through the door, and the vast expanse of rare plants sat on Azalea's desk. A smirk of satisfaction touched Josh's features at the site, it was perfect really, everything his Azalea could ever want.

"Just give me a minute and I'll be right out,"

"There's no rush, A-Azalea." Josh replied, closing his eyes momentarily to shake himself. It had been too long since he'd been capable of saying her name properly. Had he ever been capable? The Murray heir couldn't remember as he opened his eyes. His eyes moved to the mound of dirt, trying to catch site of the witch beneath. But it was of little use.

"I brought you your birthday present, albeit late." Josh informed the witch, a hint of tenderness in his tones.

"There's no rush, A-Azalea."

The slight stutter was barely noticed by the witch as she continued to examine the white areas of the root. The infection was bad, but nowhere near as bad as it should be, witch made the witch frown.

"Josh, could you please hand me the flashlight," she asked, her voice muffled as it came from underneath the levitated bed of earth. Once again, the witch extended a hand from below the flowerbed, waiting for the Slytherin to comply.

"I brought you your birthday present, albeit late."

The witch's eyebrow rose in surprise at the declaration before it was replaced by a smile. "Thank you," she called out into the dark. "How did you know it was my birthday a while ago?" she asked, wondering if it was wiser to coax the tiny insects out with a touch or magic.

"You didn't have get me a present," she added. "Its already a treat looking at these. Want to come see?" she asked offhandedly. The boy had a stronger stomach than most and Azalea could use a second opinion.

"Its a bit cramped down here though," she warned.

Guest

"Josh, could you please hand me the flashlight,"

"Don't need a flashlight." Josh replied, getting his wand from his pocket and muttering the spell before moving towards the pile of levitating dirt. Sitting down, Josh stuck his wand under the levitating dirt, giving the light towards the root for his Azalea.

"How did you know it was my birthday a while ago?"

"Information is easily accessible at this school." Josh replied lazily, because Professor Mycroft was far too lax in his personal opinion. Though, he couldn't blame the headmaster, keeping Josh from places he shouldn't be was a difficult feat to perfect. "And the present wasn't much hassle." Josh added, she would see soon enough, Pureblood's like them had access to these things, but it was only the truly engrossed in Herbology that would understand their meaning.

At the offer to come closer Josh didn't hesitate. It took him only a few moments to shuffle under the mud pile beside his Azalea. Mud was already brushing in to his clothes and hair, the idea of which made Josh screw his nose up momentarily. It was worth it though, to be this close to his Azalea he would do anything. "Tight spaces don't bother me." Josh replied, moving his wand towards the roots and frowning slightly. "The plants seem to be dying, Professor." Josh spoke softly, looking from the plants to the professor, confusion quite clear on his features.

His Azalea had always been so tender towards her plants, how could this happen?

"Information is easily accessible at this school."

The witch conceded to that. She supposed her birthday wasn't exactly a secret, now even less so since last year Jake had thrown the surprise party which some of the Hogwarts group had also attended.

"And the present wasn't much hassle."

"Well thank you, regardless," she replied politely, turning her body to one side to make more room as the Slytherin took her up on her invitation and slid underneath the earth clod, his wand providing the light she needed to better see the roots.

Keeping her hands above her to ensure they did not take up more room, the witch pointed to the streaks of white carefully. Josh was observant, he was right in saying that the plant was dying. The witch nodded, a stray streak of dirt on her cheek on as shuffled to accommodate the Slytherin on his back beside her.

"Yes, it is dying. But the thing that's killing it, that's what we're here for," she explained, motioning for him to point his wandlight upwards. "See those streaks of white, they're not normal woodlice. Those infect in patches. These ones are targeting only the crucial areas to abstract resources from the ground."

It seemed her suspicion was right.

"We may well be looking at a plant assassin here," she whispered, a note of awe in her voice. "Isn't it gorgeous?"

Guest

"See those streaks of white, they're not normal woodlice. Those infect in patches. These ones are targeting only the crucial areas to abstract resources from the ground."

Josh raised his wand slightly from her direction, bringing the earthy path in to more light as he looked closely. Herbology had fast become his favourite subject at the school, in more than one manner of speaking. At the mention of the specimen before them being gorgeous, Josh's eyes moved to the witch beside him, pausing for a moment.

"I can think of much better words." Josh replied, his tone taking on the same kind of awe as the professor, even if they were talking about completely different subject matters. Even muddy, Azalea was the most exquisite specimen of a woman that he'd ever laid eyes on, so perfect in every way. So caring...

"Will you be able to save it, professor? May I help you?" Josh asked, concern in his tone, because he knew that to his Herbology teacher, losing a plant would be like losing a child to the witch beside him. And he simply wouldn't allow it.

"I can think of much better words."

Azalea let out a soft laugh, recognizing the sarcasm in his words. She knew those things appeared less than attractive to others but she had never been normal in the sense.

"Will you be able to save it, professor? May I help you?"

"I might be," the witch replied honestly. "If we act quick. And I'd be very grateful for your help," she added, turning to smile at him.

Only to realize the space was more cramped than she'd estimated. This close... Josh Murray looked different. For the first time, he looked... grown up, not the student who frequented her class week after week.

"Hey, you got more handsome when I wasn't looking," the witch teased lightly, unable to imagine him as the twelve year old she had first gotten to know.

Turning back to the matter at hand, the witch spoke once more. "I wanted to lure the lice out in a nonviolent way, because analyzing them might lead to who started breeding them. Such precise assassination isn't natural, definitely wizard made," she mused out loud.

Guest

"If we act quick. And I'd be very grateful for your help,"

The statement sent Josh in to ready mode, ready to help Azalea with anything she needed from him. But no instructions came from the witch beside him, just her soft brown eyes meeting his own in a manner that made Josh feel... different.

"Hey, you got more handsome when I wasn't looking,"

"And you grow in beauty every day." Josh whispered back, intoxicated in her eyes at that moment, being lulled in to a state of being that only the witch before him could force him in to. Nobody made Josh lose control, nobody except his Azalea. And this would be the one and only time losing control of everything could be acceptable.

Alone, with his Azalea.

"I wanted to lure the lice out in a nonviolent way, because analyzing them might lead to who started breeding them. Such precise assassination isn't natural, definitely wizard made,"

"Plan?" Josh asked, sticking to singular words as he realised what had happened. Control was a safety blanket he liked, and losing it... was disconcerting.

"And you grow in beauty every day."

"Aren't you Slytherins a bunch of flatterers," the witch said in jest still examining the pale streaks on the roots. First Jacoby and now Josh. If she wasn't careful, young Tristan would be coming up to her next in an attempt to polish his praising skills.

Azalea secretly suspected Slytherin boys would never be short on dates with a silver tongue like that.

"Plan?"

"I was going to try and stroke them out," Azalea confessed quietly. After all, most things responded better to a gentle touch than forceful means. "But if they can so accurately target plants, I don't know how many of my vines would come away unscathed." It was the dilemma she had been pondering before Josh arrived.

"Another option is to coax them out via magic, but we'll need to see if they're even responsive to small magical waves." Capturing them would be the easy part but would a small sample too? And a trail to lure them away from the plant they'd made into their home was a difficult thing.

"Hmm, let me try it the nice way first," she spoke, raising her arm encased in the glove. Realizing that taking it off herself was going to require more movement than the small space allowed, she turned to the boy beside her.

"Could you please remove my glove. I want to see if they find my skin as tantalizing as these damp roots."

Guest

"Aren't you Slytherins a bunch of flatterers,"

"I don't see it that way." Josh replied, scowling slightly at the mention of others. "Some people belittle and that's called flattering. Such Slytherins are inadequate." The boy growled, Jacoby Windsor was someone who hadn't been worth paying attention to, but if his Azalea had taken note of him, perhaps it was time to rid the world of one stupid Slytherin?

At the list of ideas on what they could do, Josh listened to the ideas. Smoking them out would be easier, possibly kill some of the insects, but some might survive the effects. But unlike himself, his Azalea had always been more gentle in nature, a fact that had never ceased to amaze him as he watched her. Everything was just so... inhuman with his Azalea. So much more than human...

"Could you please remove my glove. I want to see if they find my skin as tantalizing as these damp roots."

At the mention of undressing Azalea, however small the garment, Josh felt himself swallow softly at the idea. Tentatively, Josh's hands reached up to his Azalea's prizing the piece of cloth from her hand and taking in the delicate digits that could work so efficiently with plants. Hands that he'd imaged so many times in the two years, hands that-

Everything went black, pulling Josh away from the thought, the light on his wand had gone out with the lack of concentration, meaning a quick scramble to rectify this point. "Sorry, professor." Josh whispered hastily, lifting it back up for his Azalea to be able to see.

It took some doing but the blond finally managed to remove her glove, making the witch inch her hand slowly towards the roots, fingers poised to coax the tiny parasites unto herself. She had enough of a plant in her to theoretically make them think of changing their habitat but it was still a theory.

Carefully, she watched the first line detach from the root, latching on to her thumbnail. The witch held her breath as more of the white things followed, attracting by her scent and the vines she carried inside.

It was going well, until the wand tip went dark.

"Shit," the witch cursed softly.

"Sorry, professor."

"Its alright," the witch replied, not having the heart to tell the poor boy that the damage was done. The darkness had probably made them flee into the recesses of her blouse. "We got our sample. They're all nesting in my top probably. And that can be bagged easily enough."

The witch observed the streaks of white a moment later before shaking her head. "I think we're done. Why don't you get out first and then pull me out. I need to remove this blouse as quickly as possible."

Guest

The tone of Azalea's voice changed as he lit the space back up, and Josh knew he'd messed up. If the boy had been a simpler being he would have insisted it was not his fault, but control was a personal asset that he'd allowed his Azalea to take away, and now she would suffer for it.

"I think we're done. Why don't you get out first and then pull me out. I need to remove this blouse as quickly as possible."

"Right..." Josh whispered, hurrying out from beneath the soil and turning back to the hole, holding out his hand for Azalea's. It took only a matter of seconds for Josh to pull the witch from beneath. As the professor had stated she needed to get the bugs out of her shirt, Josh hurried to a small, empty tank, bringing it to her side before he turned around, allowing the professor the privacy she would need in that moment.

Whatever else the matter with the boy, Azalea has to admit he acted quickly on his feet. In less then a minute he had scrambled out from underneath the flowerbed and pulled her out in a similarly efficient manner.

"Thanks," she witch managed before hw was bringing a clear tank towards her and turning away. And despite the fact that she was certain Josh was to much of a gentleman, Azalea grabbed the tank and headed behind some crates stacked in the corner. Most of her body out of view, the witch began to disrobe.

Her top went in first as she pulled it over her head, followed by her simple black bra that joined the red top in the tank. Deciding to be positive, the witch discarded her jeans and thong too, just in case the woodlice had found refuge there. It had't been long enough to warrant a proper bath with disinfectant and her vines would produce natural repellent so her health at least was not at risk.

Depositing her one glove in the tank, Azalea sealed the top carefully, trapping the parasites in the clear box. It only took a minute for Leafy to bring along her spare set of clothes and soon enough the witch was dressed in her favourite emerald coloured top and a faded blue work jeans that had seen better days.

Stepping out from behind the crates as she pulled the blouse into place, the witch cleared her throat, signalling to the boy that it was alright to turn around.

"Okay, I think we got them all. And I like this blouse better anyway," she tried to joke. The brunette was just about to lift the tank when her eyes fell on her desk, stopping her mid acton.

"Wha... what's on my table?"

Guest

As Azalea moved behind the crates, Josh making note from her footsteps and the way things changed tone from the sound being blocked, the boy turned slightly, trying to sneak a look. He may act a gentleman, but his Azalea... his Azalea was special. It wasn't a perverted mannerism that he tried to look, it was with genuine interest and the need to see perfection in human form.

But the boxes covered everything, making Josh sigh to himself as he turned back forwards, waiting for the witch to return.

"Okay, I think we got them all. And I like this blouse better anyway,"

"Green is a better colour anyway." On you. Josh replied, hoping she would take that to be some sort of Slytherin pride. Not that he found the colour to bring her beauty to such higher levels in a matter that words could never justify.

"Wha... what's on my table?"

"Flowers from the most remote areas of the world, showing the rarest plants that man can find. They're now yours to cultivate as you see fit." Josh explained, his attention remaining on the professor to gauge what kind of reaction he was going to get from her.

"Green is a better colour anyway."

"You know, I wasn't able to openly say that back when I was a student," Azalea replied, a fond smile on her lips as she pictured the Belladonna green. Jake's jacket that was now exclusively hers to hug when he wasn't home. "But now, i can fully agree with you," she finished.

"Flowers from the most remote areas of the world, showing the rarest plants that man can find. They're now yours to cultivate as you see fit."

The young woman's mouth dropped open as she took in the collection on her desk. The rare purple rose of the Saharas took place of pride beside samples of small potted plants native to the amazons. The cactus pots stood to one side, shaded by a taller specimen of the trees of illusion she had taught in class once. Her eyes roved over what looked like a miniature version of the man eating tree that had met its demise in this very greenhouse and...

"Is that.. a bush of raskovniks..?" the witch trailed of, walking as if in a dream to her desk. "They're nearly extinct... how did you even find that..?"

Guest

"But now, i can fully agree with you,"

The Slytherin let out a slight smirk at that comment. Green was a good colour, of course, purple and orange were his house colours so the majority of his clothes were tailored to that colour scheme. But green had become more of his colour at the time in Hogwarts. The boy idly wondered what house the witch before him had been, Salem's houses were only three, so he wasn't totally sure.

"They're nearly extinct... how did you even find that..?"

"They are Raskovniks. For you personally. How... doesn't matter." Josh added, moving towards the professor, still not sure on how she was taking this. Reading emotions was difficult at the best of times, but with his Azalea, it was ridiculously hard. "Do you like them, professor?" Josh asked tentatively, searching her face for answers.

"They are Raskovniks. For you personally. How... doesn't matter."

That explained her suspicion as Azalea continued to take in the small nursery of exotic and rare plants that her desk was currently home too. In addition to them being rare, some of these specimens weren't even technically allowed to be owned or trafficked into the united kingdoms. Years of conflict had made other nations guard their resources zealously from both study and misuse but now some of those very resources lay in plain view in front of her.

It was the moment every Herbologist dreamed of, and yet...

"Do you like them, professor?"

"Of course I do," the brunette replied, a note of awe in her voice before she shook her head.

"But I can't accept this, Josh. You know I can't. Its far too extravagant a gift and I'm certain some of these specimens cannot be obtain legally in this country..." As much as it pained her to see the collection go, she would have to do it.

"And I doubt I even have the resources to take care of all of them as if in their natural habitat."

Guest

"Of course I do,"

The Slytherin couldn't help the small smile that touched his lips as his Azalea said she liked them. Twisting the arm of so many officials wasn't an easy feat to conduct. Especially seeing as he'd had to go with brute force to obtain the paperwork to clear such plants being in the United Kingdom, then again to have them moved Stateside.

"But I can't accept this, Josh. You know I can't. Its far too extravagant a gift and I'm certain some of these specimens cannot be obtain legally in this country..."

"Actually, you can. They're all legally yours, and so long as you don't distribute them to anybody, you're allowed to keep them either here or in America, if it pleases you." Josh explained, hurrying to the desk to pick up the paperwork he'd had very carefully made. "They're yours to breed, and everything else, but you mustn't sell them."

"And I doubt I even have the resources to take care of all of them as if in their natural habitat."

"Anything you need, is in your store room." Josh admitted, handing the professor the paperwork. Fertiliser, growth serums, heating equipment. All of it there, all of it yours." Josh explained, looking up to her for the approval. Nothing was too much for a Murray, and absolutely nothing could be left from his Azalea's list of wishes.

She only need to ask, and he would bring the world to it's knees for her.

"Actually, you can. They're all legally yours, and so long as you don't distribute them to anybody, you're allowed to keep them either here or in America, if it pleases you."

Azalea's first thought was that this couldn't possibly be right. Reaching for the thick envelope of papers as though she was defusing a bomb, Azalea had to only look at the first few pages to know they were legitimate.

All of them included her name, her American place of residence in Carmel, her here permit for owning those beautiful samples of flora from all over the world.

Josh's name was nowhere on the papers.

"I can't... How did you..." The brunette stood at a loss for words as he explained all the additional material in her store room. "Why?" she finally settled for asking. Why on earth would Josh Murray go to all that trouble just to get a nursery that most Herbologists would give their wand arm for.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," the American witch shook her head. "This is a very lovely gesture but... a pen would have sufficed Josh. I cannot, in good conscience, accept these."

Guest

Josh watched the witch opening the envelope and look over the papers until she was satisfied, he didn't blame her, it was hard to take such things in when they were what you really wanted. People tended to take them away the minute you were ready to accept them. But it wasn't just the papers that were playing on her mind, it seemed, as the next question left her mouth.

"Why?" Josh asked, frowning and looking to the plants before looking back to his Azalea. "You like plants. You like looking after things. So I thought I would get you some of the nicest plants in the world for you to look after. I'm pretty sure you're capable of it, but they're a challenge." Josh explained, the tone was light, because the reasons behind why he had gotten her a present were complicated, and he couldn't tell her.

Not yet.

"This is a very lovely gesture but... a pen would have sufficed Josh. I cannot, in good conscience, accept these."

"Then you will leave the plants to die, because they won't get back to their habitat in time to save them." Josh whispered, because he knew the professor would care enough for the plants not to let that happen. "Pens are also mundane, professor. A woman such of yourself will always, always deserve more than the mundane things in life.

"You have plants to pot, A-Azalea." Josh motioned, moving towards the door without another word. If he wasn't here, she couldn't make him take them away. If he left now, she would have to think about it, and her caring nature would overrule. Josh was positive of this fact. So he kept walking, praying his Azalea would not call him back.

Hoping she would accept the gift from him.

Just as she had the year before.

"You like plants. You like looking after things. So I thought I would get you some of the nicest plants in the world for you to look after. I'm pretty sure you're capable of it, but they're a challenge."

A challenge , that was an apt enough term to describe how she felt about the situation. The Herbologist in her was reeling with the possibility of all these samples but the teacher... The teacher in her knew it was wrong to accept such an outrageously exorbitant gift from a student, no matter how much she wanted to.

The witch remembered reading through Joshua's file years ago, and the brittle mention of his parents' the boy had one let slip. Taking care of things seemed to be his main agenda, or rather, having things taken care for.

It was sad really, how parents who were there still managed to neglect their children.

"Then you will leave the plants to die, because they won't get back to their habitat in time to save them."

The protest was already half on her lips as the Slytherin began to walk to the door. No, these plants couldn't die. Azalea was certain if they did, a small part of her would die with them. And if keeping them to herself was the cost of keeping them alive...

The brunette only realized what Josh had done when he was almost at the door. By not giving her a choice, he had made sure she kept them.

"Thank you," she called out, just loud enough for him to hear as he left the greenhouse. "I won't let them die."

» Report from Josh (Read if you had plot lines with Josh)
» What Needs To Be Done (Josh)
» Ruining Everything (Josh)
» Trying For Keeper (Josh)
» Wishing you Well (Josh)