Reaching an understanding (Josh)

With all her homework caught up Louise had finally gotten a few hours to herself. She'd missed one or two team practices because of the workload and she was sure she was going to get an earful for it. She didn't care too much though,s he'd been shouted at before and told off for many things and really it lost it's impact on her, unless it was Miss Sheridan of course.

At the present Louise was speeding around the Quidditch pitch in her new robes, all with perfect silver trimming and vibrant Slytherin green and her number and position on her back. She'd been drifting for a while, not really looking for the snitch which was hovering near the goal posts on the far end of the pitch. she could see it but at the same time not seeing much of anything at all. She'd been thinking about the letters she'd been getting from Josh's mother, she was surprised to get anything from the woman and her impression of her was of a woman with no interest in anyone but herself. The letters were slowly changing her mind about that. The cookies she'd sent also were starting to make Louise think differently about Eleanor Murray.

She was laying on her broom, her cheek pressed against the handle as she watched the colourful stands slowly drift by. She was exhausted and half an hour of fast flying had worn her out. Perhaps she needed to build up some stamina by exercising more? She huffed out a sigh and closed her eyes for a few minutes hoping she'd get a second wind to go flying around after the tiny golden ball again.

Here it comes, she thought and she made a dash for the snitch and clasped it in her hand before circling down tot he ground a little ways away from Josh so she could walk up to him, keeping her eyes down until she stopped short of him and only then looked up. Too tired to really look like she was irritated she waited quietly for him to get whatever it was off his chest, she wondered if she was being kicked off the team, but it would be cutting it too close to the first match of the season. "You wanted to talk to me?" She asked, not taking her eyes off him just in case he let the bludgers out again.

Changed? She didn't feel much different other than dog tired. She didn't bother denying she was avoiding him, it was exactly what she had been doing. Though she glared at him when he asked if Miss Sheridan had done anything to her. "Of course she hasn't. She would never do anything like that so get that thought out of your head right now Buster!" She huffed, and relaxed a bit, not wanting to spend too much energy being angry, it just took too much out of her these days. "I've been taking more lessons that's all. I'm just tired but Miss Sheridan said grades were important if I want a chance at a good job if I want one." She sat on the grass, glad she had been allowed to wear trousers for Quidditch since she was not showing any sense of lady like behaviour, on the pitch it didn't matter. "I think I'm sleeping about five hours a night just to keep on top of everything." She looked up at him, daring him to find a fault with that she'd be happy to have an excuse to snap at him again, provided she could do it from the ground.

"I'm still upset with you springing this on me." She held up her left hand, showing the ring was still there. "What on earth possessed you to even think you could just demand that I marry you." She huffed again and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're confusing as hell and it just gets on my nerves. Also why me? I know there's a hundred or more other witches who know all this stuff that Miss Sheridan's trying to teach me." She looked at him then, looking like she was trying to work out the world's most difficult puzzle, then she added much more quietly. "I'm nothing special here."

She wanted to make a sound of distaste hearing how his parents married, she didn't quite understand why purebloods did that, she knew enough to know that marrying into your own family often had strange results, but Josh, aside from his sociopathic tendencies was fairly normal. She pushed that thought aside for now and listened to him, if he didn't think she was so special, again why the hell did he want to marry her?She didn't even have the ambition of a typical Slytherin, she wanted to do something fun with her life after school and yes she liked learning about magic but she knew very little of what sort of jobs wizards had. She remembered the letter from Honeydukes still in her trunk in the dorms.

She looked up at him when he placed his fingers on her chin and felt an all too familiar shiver run right through her spine like lightning. She ignored it, not wanting to let him know he was messing with her head, she was angry with him dammit she would not enjoy being alone with him. "Maybe it's not, or perhaps it's too much. I really don't know, I've barely been introduced to your world, I'm never going to know what you know I'll make mistakes and I will mes sup. I know you tend not to do those things being mister Perfect and all." She said with not even a flicker of sarcasm. "Even if Miss Sheridan and you try to teach me at the end of it I will still be me. You didn't even seem to like me in my first year, and I know I got on your nerves last year."

She wasn't sure where she was going with this, she was grasping at straws trying to find reasons to get out of marrying him but he countered every argument and Miss Sheridan took away all the other reasons. "I don't even have a choice do I? I am trying to make the best of it, I'm trying to do well for you and for Miss Sheridan, and I know at some point I am going to mess things up royally. Then what? You wont want me, I wont be able to go back to Miss Sheridan and my dad doesn't talk to me much anyway. What will I do then?"

Romance novels? Bah never, not her. Louise thought bitterly but kept her eyes on Josh and her expression as neutral as possible, but what ended up being a look of a puppy that's just been kicked.

"Louise, Miss Sheridan will not throw you out - unless she wishes the force of House Murray to come down on her. Murray's do not break of ties so easily, either. You are an asset, whether you see it or not. So, it's about time you acted like one."

Her eyes started shining again but not from being upset, she listened just a moment longer before launching herself at him, her arms wrapped around his neck and her face buried into his chest. She didn't care if anyone was watching or if he got annoyed with her right now he deserved a hug dammit. Any lingering doubts had been brushed aside, and she felt better knowing she wasn't going to be forgotten, shipped around and left on her own again.

"She did, in public, but no one's here and I really need to hug you right now." She answered back, sounding a bit muffled against his Quidditch robes. "You're an evil, conniving, blood thirsty, git. But you're my git..maybe with a soft centre somewhere in there." She smiled knowing she was annoying him as she poked his chest.

She remained in place for a little while longer, enjoying Josh's company, well enjoy may be a strong word but she felt like she was calming down and returning to her usual self, perhaps being away from him too long had more of an affect on her than she realised. "Quick question. Why has your mother started sending me letters? I mean it was nice of her to send us a box of cookies each but I'm not sure I understand why the sudden interest."

She didn't want to just ignore the woman, she was after all going to be Louise's mother in law. Perhaps she should try and talk to her, or at least write back something, she hadn't been sure of what to do about the letters. She made no protest when Josh picked her up and just snuggled closer to him, burying her nose into his neck as he carried her off the pitch.

At his suggestion to rest she quite happily closed her eyes and relaxed and was asleep before they got passed the great oak doors of the castle, the combination of feeling completely safe, despite being in the arms of a psycho, the familiar scents and steady rhythm of walking was the perfect way to fall asleep in Lou's mind.