Josh had been sat in the common room long after Louise had left, staring in to the fire and carefully formulating the plans of his life in his head. Not in the manner that many people did in a crisis, but in the manner of scoping out everything he needed to do. Achievement was not going to be a problem in the Murray household, every Murray achieved, even the incapable.
No, Josh was putting every decision through a process of pros and cons, carefully depicting what it was he was going to do next. His next move in the game of life.
How many hours had passed was not important, time was irrelevant to Josh, but the sound of the Common Room door opening was enough for Josh to take a moment to decide on the footfalls and who they belonged to. A first year, Colin. A boy who could not string a sentence together as was proved a moment later as the boy tried to formulate a sentence, but gave up, thrusting an envelope in to Josh's hands and running away as if his life depended on it.
The Slytherin prefect only needed to take a moment to look over the envelope before he knew who it was from.
Tucking the envelope in to the pocket of his blazer, Josh silently moved from the armchair and out of the Common Room. There was only one place that would be okay to read something from his Azalea. Moving towards the stairs, Josh kept climbing until he met the Seventh Floor. His feet were in autopilot, moving to the Room of Requirement, which opened almost instantly as he walked straight at the wall.
Only a few moments later Josh had secured himself in to the small room within the junk of the Room of Requirement where everything he knew of his Azalea was stored. Safely kept to make sure that no one could disturb his devotion to the Herbology Professor. Empty perfume bottles sat on the far shelf from experiments he'd been partaking in to find the scent that was solely his Azalea's but Josh could not find it no matter how hard he tried.
But now... Taking out the envelope, Josh brought the paper to his nose, inhaling the soft scent of the Herbology Professor and still coming no closer to what it was.
Laying the letter on the desk, Josh carefully prized the seal open, careful not to make any tears in the paper. Everything his Azalea gave him was kept so neatly preserved, and this letter would be no different. Once the envelope was opened, Josh slowly slid the parchment out of the envelope, unfolding it just as intricately as Azalea had likely folded it for him. Taking a moment to simply run his fingers over the careful indentations on the page, Josh allowed a small smile to touch his lips, her writing was a beauty in it's own right.
The perfect calligraphy that only practice could instil in you.
His Azalea was so much in tune with his kind, and yet, he doubted she even knew.
But he did.
Concentrating back on the letter at hand, Josh read slowly and deliberately, taking each word and it's meaning as slowly, very slowly his Azalea pulled a reaction in his facial features that no one had seen in almost fourteen years. Josh Murray's lips pulled up in to a natural looking smile as he read the words of the woman that had finally acknowledged his existence in this world.
Maybe we can go have some cake at the Three Broomsticks if you like the next time I'm at Hogwarts?
There, written in the cursive hand of Azalea Harrington was the statement that Josh had been wanting to ask her for so long now. To spend time with the witch that plagued his sleeping and concious state of mind. His Azalea was asking him to go on a date with him, and the smile on Josh's lips had spread more than was possibly imaginable for Josh Murray.
It took Josh another five minutes to commit the contents of the letter to his mind, to read each word again and again as he focussed on the fact the Herbology professor finally realised that this was what he wanted. Only then did Josh move to his desk, pulling out his parchment and quill and carefully writing his response to the witch in his own neat handwriting.
Dear Azalea,
Thank you for the letter in regards to my birthday, it was most kind of you. Your letter has made my birthday the best birthday I have ever had, actually. Being at school for your birthday is never the best, you have always been very lucky to be a summer baby.
In regards to your invitation to go to The Three Broomsticks together, I accept whole-heartedly. Please send me a reply as to when you are free, and I will definitely be there. Though, please don't ever feel you have to repay me for the gifts I gave to you. There are some people who deserve everything in the world.
Yours,
Josh
The Slytherin read through the piece once more, carefully folding it perfectly in half before he pressed it in to an envelope. The Murray house seal was back in his trunk, so Josh carefully pressed his lips against the envelope instead, turning it over and writing Azalea's name on the front.
"If you agree, or not... You're mine, Azalea." Josh whispered to the envelope, as if telling the witch herself. It was true, too. One way or another, the Herbology professor would become his. It was simply a matter of time.
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