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Hogwarts, A Future

Sixteen Years After the War has Ended, Two Wizarding Schools Exist. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Salem Academy
 
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 It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)

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PostSubject: It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)   It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria) EmptyTue May 27, 2014 1:19 pm

December had rolled in to Canada in the usual blizzard and snow packed manner. Everything plummeted to minus temperatures, meaning extra layers and heating up higher than November had demanded. But the one advantage the cold brought, was another excuse to curl up with Azalea in bed for that extra ten minutes, or sit slightly closer to one another on the sofa as they read over their various teaching matters.

It had been mid-October when the owl had arrived from home, sending Azalea a clipping from a magazine that Jake had been covered in locally and announcing that this year neither one of them had an excuse to not come home. The term had encompassed Azalea in to the Newbury household, and Jake couldn't have smiled more knowing his parents had taken so kindly to the witch he cherished every day.

Azalea had been the one to point out that they would not be the only guests as they read the letter together, Jake still stuck on the fact his mom had said Azalea should come home. It was small things that made the difference to him. But the biggest smile on Jake's lips came at the news they would be spending Christmas with his Grandma and Pops. Azalea had never met them, so it would be fun to say the least.

Especially with the lack of space the Newbury home boasted.

Another letter had graced Jake a couple of days later from Victoria as she wrote excitedly about the holidays, her classes, and how she missed everyone. Not to mention the excitement she had from the gift she'd managed to find one of her friends. But Jake didn't doubt that any gift from Victoria would have been carefully thought out.

It was Christmas Eve that Azalea and Jake had come to an agreement on heading home. They would stay two evenings, and then Jake's work would unfortunately call him away. But even that amount of time was going to be magical. As Azalea navigated the American highway's with ease, Jake relaxed in to the Spider's leather seats, one hand lacing fingers with Azalea's between gear changes, the other between his legs to stay warm.

Never before had he realised quite how bitter Canada really was.

The radio hummed out Christmas songs, Jake singing along softly as the last of the winter sun sunk behind the horizon. This year was going to amazing, he could already feel it. The final, careful navigation in to the drive beside his Pops' pick-up and the couple had arrived. "Ready?" Jake asked as Azalea shut off the ignition, leaning in to claim a kiss from his girlfriend. She would be, Azalea was always ready for anything you threw at her. Pulling away slowly, with a grin resembling that of a five year old, Jake lifted their bags from the car and moved up to the house.

A soft knock to announce their arrival before they stepped in, the sound of Victoria's voice talking animatedly from the lounge. The smell of Christmas, the evergreen trees, freshly baked mince pies, mulled wine on the boil...

"We're back!" Jake called out, taking his shoes and putting them neatly by the door. Alexis' standards were one thing, but Grandma's... Jake just hoped she wouldn't scare Azalea too much.

"JAKE!" The squeal of excitement from Victoria was enough to make Jake's smile grow more, only having to wait a few moments before his sister ran out of the lounge and jumped in to his arms. The Quidditch star held the younger witch close as he kissed her forehead, happy to see his little sister in a manner that wasn't a professor's place. "And Azalea of course!" Victoria added, pulling the older witch in to the cuddle.

It was brief, as Victoria moved away pulling them both through in the sitting room. "Everyone's here!" Victoria explained happily, letting the two of them go and moving to their Grandma's side. "Azalea this is Grandma, Grandma, this is Jake's girlfriend, Azalea!" The younger witch introduced.

The eyes of everyone in the room moved to Jake and Azalea, but most especially the eyes of Grandma and Pops. Calculating but welcoming at the same time as they took the witch in, before finally wide smiles touched their lips. "Hello, dear, it's nice to finally put a face to a name, and what a pretty little one you are." Jake's Grandma replied, not getting from her seat. "You can call me Grandma too, my daughter already tells me you've become a rather... important person in our family." The older lady explained, giving the witch a smile before turning back to the card game she'd been playing with Victoria.

Jake's Pops, on the other hand had made it to his feet. The seventy year old man moved to the young couple, offering Azalea an embrace. "My, my, Jake, you didn't say you'd met a young model on your travels! Brains and beauty!" He admired, giving a soft chortle. "Edgar. And Alice." He supplied, going against his wife's wishes of using the family names. "If you prefer those to Pops and Grandma." With a conspiring wink, the old man moved away to his chair again, leaving Jake smiling to himself, with slightly flushed cheeks, at his grandparent's antics.
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Azalea Harrington
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PostSubject: Re: It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)   It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria) EmptySun Jun 01, 2014 4:26 pm

Ever since receiving the news that she was a biological dead end, a barren field in gardening terms, it was as though Azalea lived two lives. One with Jake and one away from him. The latter was for feeling sorry for herself and coming to terms with who she was even as Healer Derwent continued to send her letters about getting a second opinion or perhaps booking a few sessions with a psychologist. As far as Azalea was concerned, a second opinion on her condition would make it even worse, more people would know of her inadequacies and that was not something she was ready to deal with right now.

The busy schedule had helped maintain the facade of a normal life with Jake. With both their work taking priority and both of them being too exhausted at the end of the day, it was almost too easy. The trick, Azalea had learned, was to keep herself busy. Busy people didn't look like they were falling apart. They didn't look like there was a gaping emptiness inside them that no amount of sobbing could ever fix.

Busy people didn't look as though they were barely held together by the cracks in their being.

Azalea had seriously considered asking Jake to decline the invitation. She could have made any excuse, lied and said she was sick, lied and said she didn't want to spend the holidays with his family. Hell she could have even told him the truth. But just as the witch was entertaining the notion, a note from Carmel had arrived and Clara's neat handwriting informed her that she and Kit would gladly take the Newburies up on their offer. The duo would arrive on Christmas morning as opposed to the eve before to lessen Alexis' workload. After that, the brunette had had no choice but to see the whole thing through.

Meeting Jake's grandparents, people she had only seen in pictures around the Newbury house until now, provided a small distraction, or at least one that was more explainable to Jake if he asked her why she seemed nervous. It had taken hours of going through her closet to find something not too revealing but the witch had finally settled on a dark green knee length, full sleeved dress she had worn once to a church. It still clung to her figure a little too tightly to be grandparent proof but without going shopping, it was the best the Herbologist could do. Teaming the dress with green heels and the emerald anklet Jake had given her years ago, Azalea met her boyfriend in the living room , insisting on driving as it would give her something to do.

The trip passed uneventfully, Jake in his happy christmas mood tiding them over the snow and slush of two countries and as they parked in front of the house in Eden Prairie, Azalea steeled herself, trying to slide back into the second life, a life in which things were still whole and none of the cracks showed.

"JAKE!"

Victoria's cheerful greeting helped with the smiling business, it was almost impossible to not smile in the young witch's company and as she introduced them to her grandparents, Azalea moved to shake their grandmother's hand politely. Jake's pops was a lot warmer, making Azalea go to him as he struggled to his feet. the witch gladly returned his hug, smiling at the compliment he gave her.

"Thank you,, Sir," she said with a grin that only felt slightly below par. "Its lovely to meet you, now I see where Jake gets his good looks from," she ventured, helping the old man back into his seat.

Moving to Mr. And Mrs. Newbury, the brunette greeted them both with a hug. "Is there anything I can do to help in the kitchen," she asked as everyone else made themselves at home. "I know we must have put so much extra work on you this christmas," she admitted sheepishly, looking at Alexis.
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PostSubject: Re: It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)   It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria) EmptyMon Jun 02, 2014 11:26 am

"Its lovely to meet you, now I see where Jake gets his good looks from,"

If Jake's cheeks had been slightly red a moment earlier, they were now a shade darker. Azalea had never openly commented on his looks before, not that he expected her to, the unspoken conversation was much more evidence than he would ever need. But the words... They conveyed to the world what Jake knew. "And a sweet talker too!" Edgar added as Azalea helped him back in to his chair. Jake flashed Azalea a thankful smile, his Pops forgot at times that time was catching up with him.

Jake moved towards his grandma, leaning down to give her a cuddle and a kiss on the cheek in greeting. "We saw your picture in the paper again the other day!" She explained, her eyes softening as she took in her grandson, mussing his hair slightly. "You wear just as much hair products as always, I see." She added, shaking her head at Jake as he straightened up.

"Azalea likes my hair styled." Jake defended softly, "It's fluffy like a duck otherwise!" He conspired, pulling Victoria in to the conversation to back him up but only receiving a soft giggle. Much help she was!

"Is there anything I can do to help in the kitchen,"

"Not tonight, dear. Maybe in the morning you can help Victoria and I with the vegetables?" Alexis insisted, smiling warmly at Azalea as she pulled the younger witch in to a warm embrace. "We've missed you." She added softly, Henry nodding from behind his wife to show he agreed. Jake didn't miss the conversation, even if he'd picked up one with his Pops on the Quidditch standings at the moment.

Everything was perfect, just how Jake had expected it to be as he sat on the floor by his father's armchair. There never had been enough room in the house, but it was only Christmas that it really showed.
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Azalea Harrington
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PostSubject: Re: It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)   It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria) EmptyMon Jun 02, 2014 11:55 am

"And a sweet talker too!"

Azalea took the compliment with good grace, making sure Edgar was comfortable in his chair before making her way to Henry and Alexis while Jake greeted his grandmother. When the Quidditch star blamed her for his hair, the witch threw him a playful warning which did absolutely nothing to deter him and Victoria giggling softly beside the two of them.

"Not tonight, dear. Maybe in the morning you can help Victoria and I with the vegetables?"

"I'd be happy to," Azalea responded, her smile still in place because it was what people did on such things. On christmas eve people who had a huge family, children and grandchildren, they smiled and talked and lived happily ever after.

And this wa the only way Azalea was going to experience a part of that.

"And dad sends his thanks too," the brunette added before her mind could stray down the track reserved for the other life. "He and Clara said they would bring desert if its alright. Clara feels bad about putting all the housework on you, and she apparently foresaw a lot of cake and pudding," the witch attempted a soft laugh.
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PostSubject: Re: It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)   It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria) EmptyMon Jun 02, 2014 12:24 pm

As Azalea sent him a look, Jake only smiled back at her. She wouldn't want him walking around with fluffy hair, and they both knew it. The young man listened as his Pops went on to explain that he'd managed to keep his vegetables growing through the winter, having brought some for dinner tomorrow, and Jake only chuckled. Plants, plants, always plants.

"Azalea has her own greenhouse, though as far as I'm aware, no vegetables." Jake concluded, looking up to Azalea for confirmation as his Pops looked up too. For the most part it was conversations amongst conversations.

"He and Clara said they would bring desert if its alright. Clara feels bad about putting all the housework on you, and she apparently foresaw a lot of cake and pudding,"

"Of course they can, though we do have Christmas Pudding, trifle, cheesecake, ice cream, fruit salad for yourself, and a fruit cake. But more deserts will never go amiss in this household!" Alexis told the witch, a conspiring smile. Alexis never allowed for shortages in the kitchen, even if it meant most of it would have to be doggy-bagged for people to take home. Cooking was simply one of her many talents.

"Is anyone hungry?" Alexis called to the room, looking around the room at the various nods and smiling to herself as she excused herself to the kitchen.

"Oh, and we have A Christmas Carol to watch!" Victoria added a moment later, the smile on her lips growing as she moved to the television to put it on. It didn't matter how old Victoria grew, the whole room was held to her wishes on what they would do. It was simply how it had always been and Jake had no interest from breaking tradition this year.
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Azalea Harrington
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PostSubject: Re: It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)   It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria) EmptyMon Jun 02, 2014 1:02 pm

"Azalea has her own greenhouse, though as far as I'm aware, no vegetables."

"Nope sorry," Azalea conceded with an apologetic nod towards Edgar, not caring to elaborate that flesh eating plants and mammal strangling vines were more her forte. If she wanted Jake's grandparents to like her, they should likely be left with the impression that she grew pretty flowers. Girls who grew pretty flowers looked good in family pictures, not weirdos who spent their days being buried underground with vines coming in and out of their body.

"Is anyone hungry?"

A mutual chorus of agreement rang through the crowded living room as Victoria moved to put a movie on as Azalea made her way to the kitchen to help Alexis lay the table. Perhaps everything was going to turn out alright after all. Taking the evening in portions would help and the next portion was dinner. The witch would get through it one forkful of salad at a time.

***

Victoria's napkin was the first to be picked up at the witch dabbed at her mouth lightly, wiping away invisible crumbs. Desert had been wonderful judging by the contented faces around the table and the wine in the pudding had helped everyone into an even greater state of relaxation. The fire burned brightly in its place and the decoration around the tree glowed pleasantly. The glass of spiced wine Azala Nursed in her own hand had gone a long way in easing her mood and the witch was finally sitting back on her chair as opposed to ramrod straight as she had throughout the entire meal.

"Why doesn't everyone make their way to the living room while I clear up," Alexis announced.

"And I'll help," Azalea offered, getting to her feet too. Dinner was complete and everyone was happy enough to chit chat and then hit the hay. This portion was almost safely seen through.
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PostSubject: Re: It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)   It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria) EmptyMon Jun 02, 2014 1:33 pm

Dinner that evening had been fabulous, though Jake had not thought anything less would have been served up. Between Azalea and his mother, Jake could quite readily agree that both women were fantastic at what they did. It amused Jake slightly, that Azalea always seemed to always disappear in to the kitchen with his mom, maybe in the hope of a few trade secrets, though tonight, Jake suspected it had something to do with his grandparents being here.

Azalea had been so overly nervous about the whole thing before hand, but Jake knew that his Pops loved her already.

His grandma, though sweet, was a little harder to get on the right side of.

As the group had returned to the lounge after dinner, Victoria continued to entertain everyone with games such as charades and pictionary. Azalea remained in the kitchen helping his mom, leaving Jake with his bottle of beer, sat amongst the festivities with a smile on his face.

Everything was running so smoothly now, Jake could almost say it was perfect.

***

Once the evening had grown old, and Pops was snoring in his chair, Alexis had called it an evening. Jake's father had aided both his parent-in-laws to their room for the evening whilst Alexis finished the tidying. Azalea and Jake had been given a blow up bed in the lounge, despite Victoria's complaints that they weren't supposed to be where Santa was. Jake had had to promise that they wouldn't look at the presents as he tucked his little sister in to bed.

Moving back downstairs, Jake smiled as his mom passed him in the hallway, giving her a kiss on the cheek and bidding her good night before moving back in to the lounge, which was full of presents from Alexis' quick work. "She's magical." Jake chuckled softly, moving to the bed where Azalea was waiting for him. "'If you see Santa, tell him that I think he's a wonderful man, Jake.' I don't even know where she gets it from." Jake told his girlfriend, pulling his shirt off and sitting down on the bed, repeating the process with his jeans before he pulled the covers over himself, pulling Azalea closer to him.

"I think my grandparents like you a lot." He whispered, leaning down to steal a kiss.
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Azalea Harrington
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PostSubject: Re: It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)   It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria) EmptyMon Jun 02, 2014 2:07 pm

The first signs of the evening growing late were the dull glow of the fire accompanied by the soft sounds of Edgar's snores. Victoria in her infinite excitement was positively bouncing as her mother sent her to bed, Jake following suit to tuck her in. Azalea just about managed to catch something about Santa, smiling fondly to herself. Who would believe that the young Wormwood would be fifteen soon?

As Alexis pulled out the blow up mattress, Azalea got busy arranging pillows and sheets on it, helping to make the bed ready for herself and Jake. It was no secret that the Newburies didn't have enough room to house as many people as they did but for the most part, that didn't affect the good cheer and fun everyone had in the small house.

Perhaps that's what "family" meant, and if that was the case, she and Kit had just been pretending at one in their overly spacious beach house. This was reality, the witch mused a she ducked into a bathroom to change into a tank top and pajamas. A reality she was only supposed to be an occasional guest in.

Perhaps it was overly morbid to compare herself with the big empty house she grew up in, but as the girl sat on the mattress, unpinning her long brown hair and running a comb through the locks, she couldn't help but think how she too was just as empty inside.

As Jake got into bed, his own undressing far more casual than her own, the witch picked up his discarded clothes, folding them neatly and placing them on the sofa before climbing into bed with him under the covers.

"I think my grandparents like you a lot." He whispered, leaning down to steal a kiss.

"I hope so," she answered softly, returning the kiss with a tiny smile as she snuggled into him, closing her eyes. "Good night, Jake," Maybe if he thought she was too tired... Resting her head against Jake's chest in their usual fashion, the witch fell into a fitful sleep.

Full of dreams about empty gardens and uprooted plants that gazed accusingly at her, as if she could have done something to save them.
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PostSubject: Re: It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria)   It Was Christmas Eve, Babe (Azalea, Jake & Victoria) Empty

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