Chapter One
Ginny Weasley rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. One would think that after two years of waking up early for healer training, getting up at seven AM would not be a big deal. But, she was nervous and hadn't slept well.
Today was her first day as a Healing Intern at St. Mungo's. Today she would meet her Resident Healer. She would spend the year following this resident and working under them, observing all the cases this person worked on.
Next year, she would become a Resident Healer and have an Intern follow her. Then, one year later she would be on her own as a Healer. She could work in a hospital or have her own practice. She hadn't decided yet which was the route for her.
She trudged out of bed and took a shower and dressed in her scrub robes. One nice thing about her job was the uniform. All Healers and Healing Interns wore robes of a soft material. They were thin, for wearing clothes under, and protected one's clothes from blood or any other body fluid they might get on themselves.
As she headed towards the fireplace of her flat to floo to St. Mungo's, she grabbed a cup of coffee and her Healer's bag. She found the name badge she'd been given at orientation and departed.
Ginny arrived in the cafeteria of St. Mungo's and took a deep breath. This was it- the beginning.
All her studying might do her no good if she couldn't actually do the procedures she had been trained on. She calmed herself and headed up to the Intern's study to wait for her Resident.
Ginny looked around at the three other interns. She thought one looked familiar- she couldn't recall the name. The other two she did not know. Her head snapped to the door as she heard it open.
"Ginevra Weasley?" called a pretty blond girl. Ginny recognized her at once. Pansy Parkinson. Pansy looked up from her chart and found the redhead. "Ginny!" she cried, running to her and hugging her as if they were old friends.
"Uh… hi Pansy," Ginny replied as she lightly hugged the girl back.
"It's so good to see you! My, you look beautiful! It's so good to see someone from Hogwarts! I am so glad I will be training someone I know!"
Ginny's shock didn't fade but she did put on a smile. Pansy Parkinson had really mellowed out. For one thing, Healing was the last profession she'd have ever thought of Pansy Parkinson going into. Actually, she'd always figured girls like Pansy Parkinson got married and had their husbands do the working while they spent the money.
"Er… me too," Ginny finally thought to reply, trying to focus on smiling. Pansy let her go and stepped back.
"This is so exciting! I know you'll be fantastic at this! Come on, let's get started," Pansy beamed and turned to leave the room. Ginny grabbed her bag and followed. Pansy chattered incessantly, showing Ginny each and every ward and explaining the rules and regulations. Ginny finally got a break for lunch, and Pansy sat with her in the cafeteria.
"So how is life Ginny? Is there a special someone?" Pansy beamed, tucking in to her salad.
"No. Not really. I've dated and stuff, just… not the right one yet," she smiled sheepishly. "What about you?" Ginny supposed Pansy was still with Draco Malfoy.
"Actually I am a newlywed! I have been married for three months now. I am still waiting to get a new cloak with my married name on it- they can be slow around here. I'm Pansy Parkinson-Richards now."
"Richards?" Ginny frowned, not being able to recall the name.
"You wouldn't know him. He's," Pansy blushed. "He's a Muggle and an American!" She practically beamed with pride.
Ginny's jaw dropped. Pansy Parkinson, Slytherin Princess, had married not only a Muggle, but an American Muggle? This was certainly a different world.
"I know! It's crazy isn't it?" Pansy went on about how she'd met her husband. During the wizarding war, which was Ginny's last year in school, Pansy had been sent to America to a wizard healing school there. Her family wanted her far away. No one had been told where she was going. Her father had been nearly killed by Voldemort when he turned sides to work for the Order.
Ginny didn't ask about Pansy's father's change of heart. She simply listened, shocked beyond belief. She knew some Death Eaters had joined the good side and that had been what helped bring about the fall of the Dark Lord. Pansy went on about how she'd met this Muggle and fell in love and came back to England with him. His name was Philip Richards.
Pansy had shown him around the wizarding world. He was a bit older than Pansy and had gotten a job in a Muggle hospital. Philip was a Muggle healer- a doctor. Pansy droned on and on.
Finally, their lunch hour was over and they stood to get back to work.
Ginny's first day as an intern had been long and intense. There were a lot of things she had to learn. Pansy's incessant rambling had gotten annoying but at least the girl was pleasant. It seemed many things had changed about her and Ginny was willing to give Pansy a chance.
"Philip and I love to entertain! We're having an end of summer dinner party next Friday. I would love for you to come! I will owl you an official invitation with all the details but please say you'll come," Pansy pleaded as she and Ginny pulled off their dirty scrub robes in the locker room. "Oh- and feel free to bring a guest or whatever. Say- whatever happened with your brother and Harry and Hermione Granger?"
Ginny didn't feel like getting into another long drawn out conversation with Pansy- not right when it was time to leave. "Ron and Hermione got married last year. Harry is just hanging around- enjoying post-war freedom… still. He'll get a job one of these days I guess. Well- I'd better get going. We're all having dinner together at my folk's house. They'll want to hear all about my first day."
"All right then! Bye Ginny!" Pansy waved as Ginny hurried from the room.
Ginny flooed to the Burrow and met her waiting family. Even Harry, Fred, and George were present, waiting to greet her. She was a bit overwhelmed.
"Hey… everyone…" she coughed, inhaling a small bit of floo powder.
"Ginny! How was your first day?" Mrs. Weasley ran towards Ginny and pulled her daughter into a hug.
"It's going to be tough. I've certainly got loads to learn but I think I'll make it," Ginny announced happily as her mum released her. "You guys will never guess who my Resident is!"
"Who?" Hermione exclaimed. "Is it a really hot wizard?" Ron elbowed his wife.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "No, silly. I do actually need to learn something. Having a hot Resident would be a distraction. It's Pansy Parkinson…. well Richards now."
Everyone's jaw dropped. "Oh Ginny! Is she absolutely horrid?" Hermione frowned.
"No. Actually she's totally different. She's married to a Muggle and an American Muggle at that!"
The gasps were audible and filled the room. "Pansy Parkinson? Malfoy's old rag—" Hermione punched Ron before he could finish the sentence.
"She's totally different now than when we were in school. She wouldn't stop talking but she was all excited to see me and practically gave me the story of her life over lunch. She even invited me to a dinner party she is throwing next weekend!"
"Well I'll be!" Mrs. Weasley smiled. "It seems a good lot of things are different these days! Of course, with the situation that happened with her father and everything…"
"I'm always the last one to know!" Ginny exclaimed, finally tossing her bag aside and shrugging off her cloak. She followed her mum into the kitchen to help finish preparing dinner and then enjoyed a huge family dinner in celebration of her first day as a Healing Intern.