Hello, friends! Just a little one (maybe two) shot I've been distracting myself with in class. Enjoy!
Rose Weasley was sure she'd never heard a more terrible noise in all her life.
Desperate squawks were ringing down the brick halls, and there was no mistaking that they were coming from Room 407. Room four-bleeding-oh-seven. The very same room she had just agreed to take at the request of her manager.
"Plonker," she cursed at him under her breath. She checked her schedule once more just to make sure the number hadn't changed since she'd looked at it five seconds ago. There, in dodgy ink, 407 stared right back at her.
Standing just outside the large wooden door to the private ward, Rose bounced on the balls of her feet and craned her neck. The old Quiddich hype-up still came in handy with troublesome patients. One last deep breath and Rose plunged into the room during a moment of remarkable silence.
"Hello, I'm Rose Weasl—" she began politely before the world shattered in sound.
Clutching the bedrail until her hands went numb, Rose forced herself to observe her patient. Ruby Thompson of fifteen years, Ullman had told her not three minutes ago. She was remarkably plain—almost sadly so—and it was no exaggeration to call her mouth the largest Rose had ever seen. Utilizing a significant amount of self-control, Rose stood tall, brushed down her bright green robes and cast a nonverbal Silencio over the nuisance of a girl.
She was surprised no one else had done so but quickly dismissed the thought when remembering the lazy Healer Ullman who ran the entire Spell Damage floor at St. Mungo's.
Swollen eyes on an otherwise unaffected body. Poor Ruby was panicking about her loss of sight; Rose supposed she would be equally distressed in the same situation, but she liked to think that she would voice her concerns at a far lower decibel. Sighing, Rose made a note in her pocketbook.
Female, 64 kg, 15 years, no drug allergy, Conjunctivitis Curse, need 120 cc Oculus Potion -Rose
Rose was about to leave when a familiar face stepped into the room. "Is it done?"
"Honestly, Vika, I thought you were our smartest nurse! You did learn Silencio in first year, didn't you?" Rose smiled sardonically at her friend.
"I sure learned it by sixth year," Vika waggled her dark eyebrows provocatively. "You remember Berit Wood, don't you?"
Choking slightly, Rose breezed past her friend in attempt to leave the previous conversation behind. Merlin knew she didn't want to relive Vika's glory days in front of a fifth-year, no matter how obnoxious. In fact, Rose preferred not to think about Vika's old flames at all, as most were the kind who compensated for a lack of brains by using their other bits. "Want to walk down to the potions department with me?" Rose asked over her shoulder. "I'd like to get this order in now so we can have some peace and quiet around here."
"Oh, is that all you're going for?" The suggestion in Vika's voice was evident. It always was.
Rose rolled her eyes—an action she'd been performing with alarming frequency since being assigned to work in the same ward as the minx who was on her tail.
"Don't think I miss the looks you give me, missy. But if it's all the same to you, I should get room 402 started on his potions and leave you and Malfoy alone to flirt horribly." Twirling her long ponytail around her wrist, Vika began to flip through the stack of patient orders on the nurse's station. "I'm sure you won't miss me too badly."
Stepping around the corner without so much as a goodbye, Rose wove through the hospital halls and stairwells in a near daze. She finally gave in and used her clipboard to fan down the heat that was spreading from her face to her neck. Her damn Weasley genes were truly unforgiving. For as long as she has been around Vika and her evocative quips, Rose was still easily flustered. Especially when Vika mentioned—
"Healer Weasley."
Him.
Heart jumping in her throat, Rose schooled her features enough to mask desperately-excited-to-see-you with what she hoped was a friendly smile. "Mr. Malfoy."
"Would you mind giving me one moment to finish this Draught of Peace?"
Not minding at all, Rose took a moment to watch the potioneer at work. Tall, blonde, and inexplicably handsome, Scorpius Malfoy stood over a cauldron bubbling orange. The expression he wore was something between deep concentration and total relaxation. Rose—as she had on more than one occasion—admired how devoted he was to his work. Today, he wore his black potions coat open loosely with a deep red shirt that reminded Rose of the blood heating up her cheeks.
She cleared her throat, mostly to break herself out of a reverie that she could get lost in for days. Fingering her pocketbook, Rose turned her attention to the rest of the room. The makeshift counter she stood behind was a reminder that only those skilled in potions—meaning Scorpius and his rather absent colleagues Bruce and Mary—should enter the immaculate space. Though shelves lined every wall, it was easy to see that the space was well-organized. Work tables spanned the entire room and the only décor seemed to be a lone clock on the wall above the counter.
"Are you in a hurry?" Scorpius asked from where he was bottling his draught with care. Silvery vapor rose from the cauldron as he did so. Another perfect potion. Rose wasn't surprised; she recalled how stellar he had been in school, even with the most difficult potions. When Rose had tried to brew a Draught of Peace, she had failed quite miserably, green sparks and all.
"What? No," Rose sputtered quite coherently, both embarrassed to look so impatient and relieved that he didn't notice her earlier staring.
Finished with bottling, Scorpius set a cleaning charm to the cauldron and sent his product to the large shelves lining the back wall of the department. Organized in alphabetical order by expiration date, he had explained once. "So, who do I thank for bringing you in person today?" Usually, potions orders were sent with the nursing staff at hourly intervals.
Scorpius approached the counter with such a friendly demeanor that Rose was convinced he was not the same potioneer who addressed her as Healer Weasley. Rose tore off the potions order and slid it across the marble surface to him. His long fingers brushed hers briefly, and she faintly recognized the sound of her own heart beating erratically. "Conjunctivitis curse. She's putting us all on edge, so I figured I'd get this to you as soon as possible."
"And here I was hoping you came to keep me company," he remarked casually while considering the order. A smile had worked its way onto his features. Godric, she loved to make him smile.
Rose fought down her grin. "I'm a very busy healer, Mr. Malfoy. Saving lives and all that nonsense."
Scorpius made a passive sound of understanding, but Rose didn't miss the toothy white beam he shot her way. "I've heard it said that the potions department does all the work while you healers just order us around," he quoted her from a conversation they had the day before.
So this is what Vika meant by horrible flirting, Rose thought with immense satisfaction. She tugged at the neck of her robes to free her airspace. "Whoever told you that should be looked at. I'm an overworked and underpaid employee, I'll have you know!"
"You've been saying the same thing since Prefect rounds fifth year."
"You remember that?"
While anyone else may have ducked their head in embarrassment, Scorpius merely gave her a look and made his way to the back wall. "Pretty hard to forget, seeing as you said it every time we worked together."
He played it off as nothing, but Rose could count on one hand the number of times she—a brazen Gryffindor—and Scorpius—a witty Ravenclaw—were assigned to patrol together. That he remembered something she had said six years ago sent a fizzling sensation down Rose's entire body. She couldn't seem to find her tongue.
The lights above them hummed with electricity as Rose's eyes followed Scorpius' movements across the room. She couldn't help but wonder what else he remembered about her from Hogwarts. Did he recall when she knocked over his Mandrake in second year? Or remember helping her brew Felix Felicis in sixth year? Did he know then that she was impulsive to a fault? Did he now—after thirteen years of knowing her?
"I hate to tell you, but I don't have any Oculus Potion ready-made. I'll have to brew some, but it should only take me an hour," he called to her from the ingredients shelf where he was pulling down several large bottles.
"That's alright. Should I come by later to collect it?"
The clink of the bottles on his work surface echoed off the tall walls. "How about I bring it up when I'm done?" Rose wondered why he would offer until he added with a cheeky tone, "I'd like to personally be thanked by your entire floor for saving the day."
She found herself nodding. "That'll do nicely. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy."
"Always a pleasure, Healer Weasley," he replied. He held Rose's gaze firmly until she could force herself to turn and leave.
When Rose found Vika an hour later, she was stationed outside of room 407 tapping her foot.
"About time. Ruby has started to throw things." Vika snorted and pointed to her uniform. "Chucked a glass of orange juice at me just now."
"Sorry I couldn't come sooner. Ullman is on a mental vacation today."
Vika mumbled in agreement, eyes narrowing in irritation. "While I've got you here, can we give Ruby some Draught of Peace?"
Running to the nurse's station, Rose grabbed a vial from the bottom drawer. "Good idea. You administer, I'll do the paperwork?"
Upon entering 407, it was evident that Ruby was still in significant distress. Not only was the girl's back arched and mouth open in a silent scream, but there were tears running down her face and the room was strewn about. Both she and Vika had to lift their feet over several pillows and avoid the spilled juice and peas that littered the floor as they made their way to the bed.
"Ruby," Vika said calmly, "I'm putting a potion in your hand. If you drink it, it will help until your Oculus Potion comes in." The girls breathed a sigh of relief when Ruby drank the potion without complaint and relaxed only moments later.
Marking no severe reaction to the potion on Ruby's patient chart, Rose allowed herself a moment to decompress. Between Ruby and the eight other patients she had been assigned to today, she was feeling a bit spread thin.
"Speaking of potions, how's Mr. Malfoy today?" Rose knew Vika liked to tease about her and Scorpius' workplace professionalism.
"He seemed alright."
Huffing, Vika picked up the pillows on the floor. "For the love of Merlin, just tell him how you feel. I need some excitement in my day."
"It's not that simple, Vik." Rose felt the familiar heat on her neck and reflexively waved her clipboard to ward it off.
Vika held open the room door to usher her friend out. "It is, Rose. Just open your mouth."
"Alright. Hello, Scorpius. I need an Oculus Potion. By the way, you look devilishly sexy in maroon and I think I'm in love with you. Yes, I'm sure that will go swimmingly."
Stepping out of the room, Rose suddenly found herself face-to-chest with blood red.
"Healer Weasley," a familiar voice rumbled above her.
It was all Rose could do to stop herself from running in the opposite direction and hiding for all eternity. Had he heard? She made a brave look up to his face and could see no signs of alarm, which she took as a good sign.
An orange vial was held out between them. "I apologize for the delay, but it took me a while to find the unicorn horn."
"Great," Rose croaked. She accepted the vial. "I'll just go—" Backing straight into Vika, Rose fumbled with the door to 407 and cursed Vika for closing it behind them.
He hadn't heard. He hadn't heard. Rose chanted to herself, willing it to be the truth as beads of sweat formed at her hairline and she suddenly couldn't breathe.
"Rose." She almost didn't recognize the sound of her name—her real name—in Scorpius' smooth, deep voice. And she certainly didn't recognize the constricting feeling around her chest when he stepped closer and bent to her ear. "Have I ever told you how marvelous you look in green?"
Frozen in place, Rose barely noticed when Scorpius walked away or when Vika began bouncing with curiosity.
Scorpius had heard her.
Shit.
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Blessings, CompletelyDone