4 September 2001

The incessant pounding in her head was only eclipsed by the ceaseless knocking on her bedroom window. With as much strength as she could muster, Ginny finally threw the heavy covers off her legs and wobbled out of bed. There was still an achy tenderness on her right side where some ribs and a portion of her hipbone had been repaired with Skele-gro. Never an easy process, she swore she would never get hit by a Beater again as she limped across the carpeted floor towards the large glass balcony doors where a cream and tawny owl now hovered expectantly.

"Bloody bird," Ginny mumbled to herself.

Wincing as she pushed harder on the jammed lock, she grunted unladylike as the metal begrudgingly slid down towards her. Inhaling heavily at the minimal work, Ginny yanked on the old wooden door and cursed loudly when the effort propelled the corner into her bare foot.

"Fucking hell!" The redheaded witch bellowed and the owl swooped in to perch on the back of a cushioned chair, eyeing her beadily and clicking its beak irritatedly. The bird looked familiar, and with a knock of recognition, Ginny groaned.

It was usually not a good sign when your team captain sent you a letter personally.

"What could she possibly want with me right now?" She asked herself aloud and the owl cocked it's feathered head as if in silent answer.

Ginny turned and made to close the glass door behind her but she had scarcely touched the metal handle when another owl flew in and perched easily beside the first. This one was instantly recognizable and another groan escaped her parted lips, her eyes sliding shut as a weary sigh followed.

Most likely Bill was again asking, via Fleur's insistence, for her to babysit little Victore. If only her sister-in-law and Molly could get past their differences, if only for the newest generation of Weasleys.

There was a short hooting between the birds in greeting and Ginny made to close the balcony door again, but for a third time, an owl swooped in.

"Is this a bloody owlery now?" She questioned of the empty room, quickly pushing the door shut lest something else fly in.

The last owl was completely unrecognizable but the large, mostly black eagle owl gave her pause and reminded her vaguely of a Slytherin's pet from Hogwarts. It's walnut sized golden eyes looked at her unblinkingly and Ginny had a good mind to open its letter first, just to end the creepy stare and send it on its way.

"Alright, alright," Ginny responded appeasingly to the tawny owl who had arrived first. It clicked its talons impatiently but fluffed its feathers and hooted appreciatively as she reached for the scrap of parchment tied to its leg.

Eyeing the other two birds still watching her intently, she broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. An almost familiar handwriting dotted the short missive as Ginny squinted slightly to read the small print.

G. Weasley -

I understand that you were hit directly in the abdomen with a Bludger during the match on Saturday. Skele-gro is a painful process but I expect that you will return to practice tomorrow and that you will be in top shape for the match this coming Saturday against the Kestrels.

Even though I am not joining the team in a playing capacity right now because of the first round of the Quidditch World Cup, I expect the Harpies to remain in peak condition and to continue to win in my absence. To ensure that you are able and ready to practice and play, I have arranged for the new team Healer to visit your home privately this afternoon. She will be sending correspondence shortly for your instructions on how to arrive. Send your response promptly or else I will step in myself.

Gwenog Jones

Seeker, Captain of the Holyhead Harpies

The owls hooted in turn and Ginny had the annoyed thought to send them all off without treats.

Stupid, pompous, controlling Gwenog Jones.

As if she couldn't take care of herself.

As if the Healers at St. Mungo's couldn't fix her injuries properly.

Ginny was half surprised that Gwenog herself hadn't shown up at her door and demanded to examine how her healing was progressing.

Crumpling up the parchment, Ginny grabbed her wand off the nightstand next to the massive king bed just as she tossed the paper ball into the air. Her wand flicked and the ink began running as flames engulfed the page before the ashy remnants fell to the carpeted floor gently.

"You're just going to have to wait for a treat," she said to the tawny owl, eyeing the shifting feet of the bird and wondering if she had the energy to defend herself from an attacking beak and claws.

She slid her wand inside the band of her underwear so it pressed along the line of her left side and stretched a freckled hand towards Pierre, Bill and Fleur's handsome russet colored horned owl, while keeping Gwenog's testy bird in her close peripheral. But the affectionate cooing of Pierre garnered her full attention and Ginny smiled lightly as she stroked the soft feathers atop it's head.

"You're a sight for sore eyes amongst these two," she said to Pierre affectionately. "So long as Phlegm didn't send you on a useless flight," Ginny added warily, containing a chuckle when the familial owl gave her a side-long reproachful glare.

"Okay, okay," she told the bird appeasingly. "I won't call her that." A grin split her face at the thought of what else they used to call Fleur behind her back and she reached for the small scroll wrapped around the thin, outstretched leg. "But what she doesn't know, won't - HEY!"

Ginny shrieked at the tawny owl who had too quickly nipped at the shininess of her engagement ring when it caught the sunlight. Yanking her hand back, she glared at the offending bird and twisted the ring on her finger out of habit.

"That's enough from you," she uselessly scolded the owl and this time, slowly reached for the letter around Pierre's leg.

But as she unfurled the parchment, Ginny's heart leapt when she realized it was Charlie's handwriting scribbled before her.

Ginbug -

I hope this letter finds you well. I heard about your injury in your last match and I assure you that I will personally visit that Bowlery fellow and let him know of his grave mistake in ambushing you. Maybe he'd like to feel the pain of Skele-gro.

Anyways, I sent Pierre because he brought me a letter from Bill and I figured I would save Spike the trouble of flying back and forth from Romania. Poor bird nearly flew into a tree before he got home last time I sent him your way.

I have to come to London on the 10th but I'm traveling in on Sunday night, and I was hoping to stay with you and Harry instead of going to the Burrow. Mum has been on my case about a girlfriend and I'd rather not endure her questions if I'm only there for the night. Either way, I can bug Ron to accommodate me if you're busy.

xoxo

Charlie

Wanting to pen a response immediately but knowing that her time was running short if she didn't want to see Gwenog unannounced, Ginny set Charlie's letter down and turned to the large eagle owl.

"You must be from the Healer then," she said to no response and readied herself for a barrage of pecking and flapping wings.

But the owl sat still and she quickly set about repeating the process of retrieving and opening the third letter.

Ms. Ginny Weasley,

As I assume you are aware, Captain Jones has requested that I personally see to the completion of your healing following the incident during last Saturday's match. I have received and reviewed your charts and the notes from the Healers at St. Mungos and feel fully prepared to assist you in your journey back onto the pitch.

However, because your address is not listed in the team directory, I must request that you send a responding correspondence with instructions on how and where to meet you. I understand the privacy your fiancee likes to keep and am willing to follow the necessary protocols he employs for guests.

My owl will wait for your return letter, but please be advised, Captain Jones is expecting a full report by dusk and I do not think either of us wishes to implore her wrath.

Kindest regards,

Healer M. Leisque

Holyhead Harpies

"Bugger," Ginny mumbled agitatedly.

She had really been hoping to spend that day relaxing and getting caught up with the lingering unpacked boxes around their new home. But because of Gwenog's micromanaging, she was going to have to get a jump on making her body limber again instead. Sleeping for almost two days straight may have mended her bones, but it was not going to make a slow hour of yoga any easier on her cramped muscles.

Glancing at the golden clock by the doorway, Ginny estimated that three o'clock would give her ample time to eat, exercise, and shower before Healer Leisque arrived. Running through a growing list of things she needed to do, she ripped a large, uneven chunk of parchment from the Healer's letter, grabbed a quill off the nightstand, and hastily wrote.

3 O'Clock

Use the Floo

12 Grimy Cupcakes

GW

The ebony owl extended a leg once more as nimble fingers fastened the tiny piece of paper to its carrier.

"Just a mo'," Ginny said to the birds and pulled her wand out to flick it wordlessly.

A zooming swoosh grew louder until a small plastic sack of owl treats came floating into the bedroom. Ginny pinched a corner of the bag out of the air and pulled two strawberry sized brown chunks for the larger birds. Gwenog's tawny owl nearly bit the top of her finger off in its hurry to eat its snack and it came as no shock that the animal took flight as soon as it's beak closed, barely leaving Ginny the moment necessary to flick her wand to throw open the balcony door.

"I'll have to compliment your owner on your exemplary behavior today," Ginny told the eagle owl as she fed it a treat, adding, "some people could learn from it," while sending one last glare out the door.

"Off you go," she said by way of departure a moment later. The bird took its cue, spreading its impressive wings and pumping them twice before lifting off the back of the sofa and soaring out into the open sky.

Ginny was admittedly mildly impressed with this Healer's openness for any sort of bizarre security measures Harry may have in place. Some witches and wizards just didn't get why the most famous wizard in the world would want to live in anonymity amongst the Muggles, or why he would still shy away from the public eye. But this M. Leisque knew Ginny would adhere to a certain bit of privacy herself and made it easier on them both by asking for instructions on how to arrive, and where.

Because Harry had implemented several measures of security for them. The biggest being their move out of Number 12.

After he had proposed eight months ago, she had garnered the idea that he was hiding something from her. Ginny hadn't needed to wait too long to figure out what it was because he had taken her to an empty two story flat on Valentine's Day and proclaimed happily that he had bought it for them. He had explained that the constant comings and goings of so many friends and family at Grimmauld Place was not affording them the privacy they needed as a soon-to-be married couple.

With both of their busy schedules she couldn't complain too much - after all she was seeing more of everyone else than she was of her fiancee - but the added silence of an empty home came as a change. Harry wanted privacy and Ginny was all too happy to oblige, especially on the nights when they decided to christen every new space and room.

The extra safeguards, though, did not permit visitors easily at first. Harry had applied the protective spells himself and he had created them so that only he and Ginny could Apparate directly into the flat. If anyone else wished to come to their home, they were strictly allowed to use the Floo network to do so. And even then, they needed the most current nickname for the house's fireplace, as Harry had it changed every few days as an extra precaution.

Ginny had found the previsions tedious at first. Harry had shrugged unconcernedly and told her flatly that it was the system they were going to use for their home. But it had not been him that Molly had sent a Howler to when she had arrived in a fireplace in Northern France instead of Ginny's one afternoon. No, Harry had gotten off scott free while the youngest Weasley took flack for not alerting her mother to the change in Floo name.

Now, every friend and family member sent a letter first before they came over and Ginny was admittedly grateful for the notice prior to someone's arrival.

Still, Harry was adamant about not having complete strangers in their home, and she had taken up the habit of arranging for guests to meet her at Number Twelve. The house at Grimmauld Place was still deemed Unplottable but he had agreed that joining the fireplace to the Floo network would be the easiest way to receive company without having to give them the physical address. Using his growing list of connections at the Ministry, Harry opened up a private channel to the kitchen grate and gave it a nickname similar enough to its real location.

12 Grimy Cupcakes

Ginny fleetingly wondered what the Healer would think of the Floo name but realized she didn't really care, honestly hoping that she would think she was being sent to a bakery instead of a player's residence.

She stroked Pierre's coppery feathers absently, thinking idly if Harry would be home with her on Sunday to greet Charlie, and only remembered that the bird was waiting on her replying letter when it let out a chirping hoot.

"Alright, alright," Ginny muttered and tore off a bit of parchment to pen her response to her brother, already eager to see the redheaded wizard as she told him he was always welcome at her home.

The following hour did pass by slowly as Ginny gently moved from pose to pose, focusing on her breathing and the flow of yoga. Some stretches pulled her muscles a bit tighter than she would have liked and she was quick to remedy her position until the pain subsided. But by the time she finished her last asana and opened her eyes, she felt energized and empowered, ready to run laps and fly circles around a pitch.

After making a rather large sandwich and shoving an entire bag of crisps underneath her arm, Ginny padded through the almost bare flat to sit outside on the magically shielded balcony and enjoy her lunch. The temperatures were steadily becoming cooler at night but the sun lent them its vast warmth during the day, creating bright and sweaty afternoons. This was one such day, few clouds in the sky to deter Ginny from enjoying her free time thoroughly.

Too thoroughly it seemed as she jolted awake just over two hours later and instantly threw a hand over her eyes to hide the jarring brightness. The growing shade from the building had lulled her into a stasis once her belly was full and her momentum was zapped. A line of Muggle cars were honking repeatedly on the street far below and the commotion of frustrated drivers brought Ginny back to consciousness, her head jerking when a siren sounded loudly nearby.

One glance at the petite, star studded watch on her freckled wrist told her it was just past two o'clock and she jumped to her feet as the crumb laden plate and half full bag of crisps fell to the floor. The sudden movement aggrevated the slightly stiff muscles on her right side and Ginny took a few wincing steps before the tension disappeared, now gingerly walking back inside as she flicked her wand to have the dishes float behind her.

Her free time before her appointment with the Healer was dwindling but that did not keep Ginny from taking a steamy, leisurely shower. Only emerging after her skin was well past wrinkley, she cast a drying spell on her hair and headed towards the only room that had been fully furnished and unpacked - the closet.

Ginny ran a hand along the sleeves of her many Quidditch robes hanging in line and eyed the large pile of dirty laundry Harry had built in a corner, wondering why he hadn't told Kreacher to do it yet. It wasn't like the house elf was given much else to do but she supposed with Harry's tightly packed schedule, and with the elf returned to his duties at Hogwarts, it was one of the last things on his mind. She was hardly one to mind - growing up with six brothers had dulled her sense of smell for sweaty clothing to nonexistence.

After choosing and putting on a pair of light, stretchy black pants and a thin, grey cotton shirt, Ginny pulled on a pair of leather boots and surveyed herself in the full length mirror leaning against one wall. There were a few more lines on her face than someone who had just turned twenty should have. Her eyes held a depth and knowledge that betrayed her youth but forcing a smile, she knew she wore it well, considering how some others looked on this side of the war.

Ginny brushed invisible lint off her thigh, nodded once to herself, and slid her wand inside the hidden pocket on her leg. Time to get this over with.

In no way was she trying to delay her return to the Quidditch pitch - on the contrary, Ginny was excited at the prospect of seeing her teammates and practicing again. What she didn't like was Gwenog Jones telling her what to do when the ruddy witch was thousands of miles away, supposedly focusing on the Quidditch World Cup. She was more than capable of taking care of her own injuries and seeking medical help, thank you very much.

These thoughts propelled Ginny through the quiet flat, her feet taking her to the large fireplace adjacent to a lone couch in the living room. Grabbing a handful of Floo powder from the metal dish atop the mantle, she stepped into the relatively clean grate, turned around, and threw the green dust at the tile, shouting her destination as she did so.

Everything spun around her quickly in a familiar fashion and within moments, her feet were on solid ground once more. A different fireplace surrounded her but as she stepped out, Ginny felt more at home now than she had less than a minute ago.

Ducking her head and walking forward, she surveyed the dimly lit kitchen and retrieved her wand, casually increasing the fairy lights above as she strode along the length of the massive wooden table. Everything was spotless, a slight scent of lemon in the air, and Ginny was extremely pleased to see a perfectly whole buttercream frosted cake sitting expectantly on the countertop nearest the darkened staircase. A very clear indication that Molly Weasley had visited Number Twelve that morning.

Checking the clock on the wall to her right, Ginny lamented the fact that she did not have several minutes to enjoy a slice right then. The large hand was a scant few centimeters away from doling three o'clock and soon enough Healer Leisque would arrive the same way she just had. Needing to do something with her hands to keep from fidgeting, she grasped her wand lightly and absently pointed it at the stove, then the cabinets, and finally a drawer.

The kettle filled with water, an eye came to life with a small flame on the stove, and plates flew from the cabinet as a pair of forks and a silver spade joined the flatware on the table. It took her a moment but Ginny found an unopened box of green tea bags and set that too on the table, along with a jar of fresh honey. Just as the grandfather clock upstairs sounded the top of the hour, the kettle began to hiss and Ginny placed two gold rimmed teacups next to the cake on the countertop.

She turned around just in time to see green flames erupt in the kitchen's hearth and a few seconds later, a tall, broad shouldered witch in Harpies emerald robes stepped forward, a medium sized leather bag following her out of the fireplace.

"Hello Miss Weasley -" the Healer said, taking a step into the kitchen and extending a hand towards Ginny. "I'm Monica Leisque."

"You can call me Ginny," the redhead replied, meeting her halfway to shake her hand and briefly thinking this new woman's grip was quite strong for a Healer. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Ginny then," Monica stated without any inflection, her tone all business. Wide, almond shaped amber eyes took in her appearance from head to toe. "You look to be in good form," the Healer added clinically. "Any lingering aches or pains from the accident?"

Jumping right into it then, Ginny thought, and she had to press her lips together to keep a sneer from twisting her mouth. Of course Gwenog would find and send a Healer that was no nonsense and right to the point, little to no comforting bedside manner.

"There is some tenderness along here," Ginny said, indicating with a hand to the natural curve of her waist, "After I've been laying down or when I wake in the mornings -"

"That is quite normal," Monica stated easily and stepped around Ginny to quickly survey the large, low ceilinged room. "There is no trouble breathing? Or stretching your body in any certain ways?"

The Healer's stark golden eyes held Ginny's gaze unblinkingly for half a minute while the younger witch tried to determine if she was covertly being asked about her sex life. The implication was somewhat laughable since she and Harry had not spent more than ten minutes together without one of them falling asleep in the past month. Ginny wanted to blurt that the Healers at St. Mungos had seen more of her naked body than her fiancee had recently, but she held her tongue and used the near minute to conceive a snappy response.

"Just the strain… of… going to… the bathroom…" Ginny replied lamely and she hated herself for the flush she felt heat her cheeks.

The sluggish retort earned her a look of raised eyebrows and noncommittal acceptance, and Monica eyed her new patient once more as if she may have been hit on the head too. Nodding slowly, she glanced around the kitchen again and lingered long enough on the mouthwatering cake that Ginny felt the need to fill the silence with a perfunctory question.

"Can I get you something to drink?" More silence met her query and Ginny dutifully added, "I just made the tea - would you like a cuppa?"

"No thank you," Healer Leisque replied politely.

The brown leather bag she had brought with her was placed on the wooden table with a soft thunk and Ginny was immediately curious as to why a Healer needed more than their wand on a routine healing assessment. Monica opened the flaps, peered inside, and met Ginny's noiseless inquiry with a flat stare.

"Is there somewhere more suitable for you to lay down so that I may perform a routine inspection of your injuries?, or are you comfortable laying on this table?"

Ginny let a pregnant pause pass before she cocked her head to the side and shifted so she could glance to the darkened staircase.

"We can go upstairs to the drawing room - there's more light and more - space for you to do - whatever you need to do."

The Healer nodded agreeably, shut her bag once more, and gestured vaguely for Ginny to lead the way.

"By all means," Monica stated curtly.

Ginny turned for the stairs and made a face to the empty space before her, slightly agitated that this Healer was acting so brusque. She was not the one to blame for the last minute consultation.

Drawing her wand up, the smaller witch led the way upstairs from the basement. She motioned for the lights to burn brighter as they came up to the long hallway that led to the front door. Healer Leisque glanced curiously at the portraits and wall decorations, and Ginny was momentarily pleased that this house was finally garnering the approval it deserved.

That is, until the other witch glanced at the dingy hardwood floors and frowned at their lackluster appearance.

"This house is always a work in progress," Ginny said to fill the tension thick air. "Harry and I have not had enough time to do all of the necessary renovations yet but these floors were absolutely dreadful before we ripped up the carpet. "

The Healer looked sideways into the dimly lit dining room, surely noting the cobwebs on the light fixtures and the mismatched chairs surrounding the ornate table. It was hard to miss the empty spots where portraits had once hung and the cabinet in the far corner seemed to rattle slightly.

"Do you mean to make this your home? raise your family here?" Healer Leisque asked with mild interest, looking back at Ginny with gently raised eyebrows.

"Err -" Ginny stuttered, not quite sure how to answer the strange witch she had just met. "That has not been discussed. Surely that won't be for some time yet," she finished and gave an awkward laugh that did nothing to hide her discomfort at the sudden question.

"The drawing room is just upstairs," Ginny stated after an appraising look from the Healer, giving a short cough as she turned at the bottom of the grand staircase and began going up.

"This is quite the magnificent house," Healer Leisque said softly, more to herself than to Ginny and the redhead was once more pleased that someone else saw the beauty in Number Twelve.

"It was passed down to Harry through family," Ginny told her as they reached the first landing and turned left towards the closed door ways on both sides of the hall. As if on cue, muffled screaming fluttered the thick curtain in front of Mrs. Black's portrait and Ginny prayed the Healer would not prod her further as she easily supplied, "Some of whom we just can't get rid of."

For all of the common oddities in the Wizarding World, nothing was quickly explained away, especially if an interesting piece of magic was involved. Surely it was not every day that any witch or wizard came across so many oddities in one place wherein the acceptance of dark magic was not permitted, but the objects remained still. For the Healer's quiet reception of the oddness that was Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, Ginny was immensely grateful. She realized now, how few new people she let into her life, forgetting how strange she and everything around her could be.

"Here we are," she announced.

The double doors for the drawing room were so close that Ginny seemed to run for them, eager for her hands to do something that would keep her from talking about nothing. Throwing them open with a tad too much gusto, Ginny jerked her wand in several quick patterns as she walked into the not quite shabby room. Three sets of curtains flung open, leaving trails of dust in their wake, and the gas lamps on the opposite walls sprang to life.

"I take it you and your fiancé are not living here now," Healer Leisque said absently and it was with a jolt that Ginny realized the other witch was already walking along the wall, her face upturned so that she could examine the plentiful library shelves.

"The house is too big for just the two of us," Ginny answered, taking the moment to really look at the Healer.

Hair the color of roasted nuts was pulled back into a large bun at the base of her neck. The Harpies dark emerald robes complimented the olive tone of her skin and the golden talon emblazoned on the breast pocket glinted just enough to accentuate her strange amber eyes. There was no polish on her nails and her face was bare but for a few coats of mascara on a set of full lashes. She was attractive, but not necessarily in an approachable way. Healer Leisque was exactly as she appeared to be - a no nonsense witch who took her job very seriously.

Until Ginny noticed her stop completely in front of the large glass display case that still housed dark artifacts, glass jars filled with questionable liquids and substances, and a stack of china plates with a faded imprint of the House of Black crest.

"Did these come with the house too?" The Healer asked without turning around, her face inching closer to peer at the shadowed objects.

"Unfortunately," Ginny replied and she walked towards a chaise lounge, sweeping dust off it with a quick hand. "Will this be good?" She motioned to the cushioned surface.

"Yes, yes, that will be fine," Healer Leisque said and seemed to remember why she was there, grabbing the handles of her bag and swiftly coming to stand beside Ginny. "Please," she added, gesturing to the lounge as she set her satchel on the glass top coffee table nearby and opened it. "Sit down and relax."

Ginny shrugged soundlessly but did as she was told and sat on the low couch. She stretched out her legs and squirmed until she was comfortable, twisting her neck from side to side and rolling her shoulders.

Healer Leisque dropped into a crouch and turned to face Ginny, their faces nearly level. The redhead gave an involuntary yelp and would have shot to her feet if the Healer had not put a hand to her shoulder to keep her in place.

"What the bloody hell is that!?" Ginny exclaimed louder than intended, pointing vaguely at the thick rubber cord that ran from both her ears to a thick, concave disc at the end.

An amused chuckle was the only indication that the elder witch had heard what she said. The Healer was gently pressing one hand onto her knees to keep her from standing, while the other hand remained on her shoulder. Satisfied that Ginny was comfortable, enough for her to be examined at least, Healer Leisque reached again for the metal disc while angling her head to adjust the pieces in her ears.

"This is called a stethoscope," she told Ginny with what the seated witch was certain was an attempt at a reassuring smile. "It is a Muggle tool used for medicine. This part here - the diaphragm, or the head-piece - " she indicated to the circular end piece "- amplifies sounds and noises inside the body. These parts go in my ears so that I can hear everything clearly. Most of the time, it is just used to listen to a person's heartbeat but it is also helpful in finding breathing or intestinal abnormalities."

"What are you going to use it on me for?" Ginny asked skeptically, her auburn brows furrowed.

The Healer smiled wider and her eyes crinkled as she happily dove in to her element.

"Normal routine examinations with a Muggle doctor typically always involve checking the heart rate and lung function with a stethoscope," Healer Leisque explained with a wiggle of said instrument. "Usually it's one of the first things they do. I am going to use it on you, just to be certain that your lungs were not damaged in any way, however minor, when you were hit."

"Blindsided is more like it," Ginny commented grumpily, anger sparking as she remembered the collision.

"It did not show good sportsmanship and it certainly didn't help his team's reputation," the Healer agreed.

"You were at the match?" Ginny asked curiously, wondering how she had not seen the statuesque witch among the Harpies coaches and staff.

"Of course I was - it would have been tantamount to missing a first day of work if I had not come to watch how my new team was receiving their bumps and bruises."

"But you didn't take me to St. Mungos," Ginny said, the end of the statement lilting upwards in a questioning tone.

Again Healer Leisque smiled oddly and Ginny had the impression that she was using the same tactics and approach that she would with a three year old.

"I did take you to St. Mungos. You were in and out of consciousness by the time you were levitated to the ground. As Team Healer, I carry a Portkey to St. Mungos in my bag to every match - it just has to be activated, we go through it, and poof - we arrive in the lobby."

Yes, Ginny definitely felt like she was being talked to like a child would be.

"I left you with the best Healer for bone regrowth that I know and I returned to the pitch."

Healer Leisque looked at her as if that should explain it all and grabbed the end of her stethoscope once more.

"If you could just turn around so that your back is to me," she told Ginny evenly, dropping several inches to her knees and sitting back on her haunches.

Using the movement to slide a hand onto the handle of her wand discreetly, Ginny silently complied while preparing to defend herself if that Muggle instrument were to be used against her. It looked harmless enough, but so was a Niffler until you messed with its treasure.

"Okay -" Healer Leisque began. She placed a hand on Ginny's left shoulder blade and nearly caused the redhead to jump when the cold metal of the diaphragm was placed on the right side.

"Take a deep breath in for me -" the Healer paused, waiting until Ginny did what she said " - and let it out."

She felt silly taking instruction on how to breathe but Ginny was not yet ready to voice her unease. Muggles weren't exactly as backwards as some wizards wanted you to believe.

Healer Leisque moved the metal disc down slightly and repeated -

"Take a deep breath in - and out."

The near silent process went on for another minute as the Healer moved the head-piece to several spots along her right side, listening intently and repeating the same directive.

"If you don't mind me asking -" Ginny began once awkwardness set in to the heavy quiet.

But she was interrupted with a loud Shhh! from the Healer.

"I realize how strange this must feel for you," she told Ginny as if reading her mind after another moment. Healer Leisque let go of the stethoscope and gingerly pulled out the ear pieces to rest them around her neck. "Though I can easily say, you have handled it the best by far."

"Your use of Muggle medicine practices?" Ginny asked, taking her hand off her wand and turning around to face forward.

"If you could lie down -" Healer Leisque instructed her instead. "No, this way - so your right side is closest to me. Good good."

She removed the stethoscope from around her neck and returned it to her bag. Snapping it shut, she reached for her wand off the coffee table and held it just above the bones that had been broken days before.

"Just lay still - this will only take a moment," the Healer told her and Ginny glanced down to see what she was doing.

"Intraspiciato," Healer Leisque said clearly and she began moving her wand slowly over Ginny's right side.

A faint blue light hovered underneath the path her wand was repeating and Ginny blinked rapidly, certain her eyes were deceiving her. But as the spell was said again and again, the blue tinged images became clearer and Ginny was more and more impressed with this new healing magic she was witnessing.

She knew there was Muggle technology that allowed them to see inside of a person's body and she reasoned that there was no sound logic that said that wizards should not have a spell that did something similar.

Not quite able to angle herself to fully see what the Healer was seeing, Ginny relaxed fully and let the other witch do her job. After all, it was quite strange to see inside one's own body even if the images were of the likes of a semitransparent projection.

"Everything look good?" Ginny asked, glancing at the Healer to see her nod shortly.

"Everything has healed up nicely," Healer Leisque concurred distractedly. "Your bones have reset without any seams where they were broken - I will have to commend Healer Joneson on his attention to detail - and your organs appear to be healthy and functioning fully once again."

Ginny remained silent while the rest of the strange examination finished and she was more than happy to sit up when commanded to as the Healer sheathed her wand.

"I'm sure Gwenog will be pleased to hear the good report," the redhead stated merrily with an impish grin.

"I am certain she will, but we are not done just yet."

Her face fell and her brows furrowed.

"If you could stand over there -" Healer Leisque pointed to an open space nearest the wall that once held the Black family tree " - I'm going to have you do some stretches to make sure your range of motion is up to snuff."

"I was stretching and moving around a lot earlier," Ginny protested, at least attempting to not sound like a petulant child. "There wasn't any pain - just stiffness from being on my ass for so long."

"That's all well and good," the Healer said, her no nonsense demeanor back in full force. "But it is my responsibility to clear you of your injuries before you go back onto the pitch to hurt yourself some more. I must confirm with my own eyes and magic that you are deemed fit to return. That is the policy and I adhere to it as such. Besides - your coaches will do the same thing in practice tomorrow."

"Alright, alright," Ginny stated apologetically.

They stood up at almost the same time but it was Ginny's quick reflexes that saved them from colliding as she darted to the side. She played it off as if she meant to do so and casually strode to the open space as indicated.

"Now then - place your feet a bit more than shoulders width apart - just a bit more - there," Healer Leisque commented as she came to stand several feet in front of Ginny. "Toes facing forward - good. Hold your arms out away from your body at shoulder height. Now, slowly, bend down and touch your left hand to your right foot."

The pair of witches spent close to ten minutes going through several stretches not unlike the yoga poses she had done earlier. Ginny's background annoyance with the whole check up faded away as her muscles worked and by the time the Healer announced once more that everything looked good, she felt a buzzing energy in her bones.

"May I ask you something?" Ginny questioned as the Healer returned to her bag, retrieved a quill and a scroll already written on, and wrote a quick summary of the examination.

"You want to know why I use Muggle practices along with Healing," Healer Leisque supplied for her without a hint of question in her words, without looking up from what she was writing.

"Well -" Ginny stuttered, very certain that the other witch was asked the same question often. "Yes."

A long moment passed wherein the only sound in the drawing room was the quill scratching on parchment. But that too fell silent, and Ginny watched as the Healer duplicated, then triplicated the report before rolling up and sealing the original.

"I am taking classes at what is known as a medical school so that I may become a Muggle physician as well as a Healer." Their eyes met across the room and Ginny found herself growing proud of the incredibly rare task she was attempting to accomplish, no matter how recently they had met. "There is always more than one way to get something done, and I believe that the Wizarding community has cut themselves off from modern advances for too long."

"Are you going to be - cutting into people then too?" Ginny asked haltingly, unsure if she was wording that correctly.

"Not if I can help it," Healer Leisque said with a small grin and Ginny gave a faltering smile in return.

Downstairs, the repaired grandfather clock gonged once to toll the bottom of the hour. If she listened hard enough, Ginny could hear Mrs. Black screaming about blood traitors and her outrage at the desecration of her once beautiful home.

"I need to be going," the statuesque Healer told Ginny.

She looked in her bag once more to make sure everything was packed away, then snapped it shut with a sharp clack. Healer Leisque patted the long pocket of her robes to feel for her wand and, satisfied that she had stowed everything in the correct places, looked to Ginny with slight expectancy.

The redhead did not respond right away. Instead she was caught staring at the Healer, a look mixed of vague recognition and concentration creating thick wrinkles on her forehead.

"Certainly," Ginny agreed with more enthusiasm than what showed on her face. "I'll walk you downstairs"

They left the sunlit drawing room and proceeded into the darkened hallway. It was quite spooky still and Ginny had the thought to purchase bigger sconces to light the corridors. As they came upon the now silent portrait of Walburga Black, Ginny banged the toe of her boot into the staircase railing and gave a cry of surprise, quickly shutting her mouth when her yelp started the painting's screams again.

"Bloody hell," Ginny swore, giving the Healer an apologetic grimace and turning to descend the stairs.

"I'm sure you have attempted everything to remove the remaining - artifacts in this house," Healer Leisque assumed, her eyes still roving over the house's details as she voiced her thoughts and their feet moved speedily. "But I know of a very discrete and accomplished - business that would be more than happy to dispose of the items you no longer need. And I'm certain that they would see it as a wonderful challenge to attempt to remove that portrait as well."

Not having expected the Healer to take a real interest in the renovations of Grimmauld Place, or to vocalize any prior collusion with dark artifacts, Ginny kept her eyebrows raised in natural curiosity and glanced backwards as they neared the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh yea?" She responded casually.

The other witch nodded.

"They have a storefront in Hogsmeade. Just off High Street, across from the Hog's Head," Healer Leisque informed Ginny as they reached the main floor. "It's called EM Enterprises. It doesn't look like much but they can be very accommodating."

"Thank you," Ginny remarked automatically, only slightly considering the recommendation because this Healer did not seem like someone to not know all of the facts before she did something. "I'll have to stop by there next time I am in the village."

"I believe it would be worth your time to schedule a consultation at the very least," the taller witch said matter-of-factly. "If their prices are too rich for your blood, you will nonetheless be able to glean some advice and tips just by meeting with them."

The doorway to the basement yawned wide in front of them and Ginny picked up her pace, eager once more to be rid of the Healer. Knowing the way from memory, her feet moved without thought as she sped down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Of course - yea," Ginny agreed with a quick nod of her head, not quite remembering what they had just been talking about as she suddenly remembered the whole cake waiting for her.

"Though - " the Healer hesitated and it was enough for Ginny to refocus her attention, the lights growing stronger as they paused nearest the end of the long wooden table. "Maybe don't mention my name. There was a dispute about the price of knives last time I was there, and - well, I think they'd like to forget about that afternoon."

Intrigued, though not enough to ask more questions and delay her eating of the cake, Ginny tilted her head slightly and said, "Hmm."

Healer Leisque purposefully looked to the clock behind Ginny's face and smiled tightly.

"I must be off then," she told the redhead, clutching her leather bag firmly and turning to walk towards the far end of the room and the fireplace. "You are cleared for play by Healing standards. Just don't make it a habit of needing to see me."

Ginny grinned easily in return. No, this was not a meeting she wanted to repeat again soon.

"Thank you, Healer, for coming on such short notice."

"Of course," Healer Leisque said politely.

She reached for a handful of Floo powder and gave Ginny one last pleasant nod.

"See you on Saturday at the match," the redhead stated almost cheerfully.

The Healer smiled genuinely, threw the glittery green powder to her feet and voiced her destination, swirling out of sight in a flash.

Ginny sighed, and wasted no time in moving towards the delicious looking cake that she was certain was her favorite - a rich chocolate with cream cheese frosting. Her mouth watered as she picked up the silver spade, and the last coherent thought she had before she tucked in, was to send word to have the Floo network name changed again at Number Twelve.