The Pharmacist
In Britain...
One Andromeda Tonks who was in her late forties is 50% sad, 50% happy.
The sad part was because Teddy's godmother hasn't visited much due to her deep loathing of the Ministry and the Order who think they can dictate how she lives her life while getting to live theirs freely. She used the Wireless linked to International Magical Wireless Channels to basically call them out and make sure all magical communities worldwide know how pissed she was. As a result, other countries see Magical Britain in many negative things that made International Relationships DIFFICULT. Not to mention they're a JOKE because while 99% of the community 'played ostrich', its a bunch of schoolkids and teachers who ended the Second Wars instead of the Government themselves and adults who SHOULD be protecting the children!
At least she Firecalls, and as new Head of Black, she reinstated her back into the family that gave her and Teddy protection, and gave her Kreacher to help her raise a baby.
Her part was Teddy's education and sending her stuff good for her health as an aging woman after four years of disappearing. In fact, she don't look near fifties any more...she looked very young though its very clear she's an adult. She gets health-reinforcing stuff from her, and cooking healthy recipes she could make through what's available in muggle supermarkets in London. That way, she lives longer, feels younger, and Teddy will NOT be a picky eater.
In fact, that stray godmother planned education and upbringing so Teddy will be a 'decent young man with morals, conscience and common sense who will always do what's right and good' as well as knowing the importance of hard work, creativity, innovation and diligence. Not only that, she didn't want Teddy to go to Hogwarts AT ALL. In fact, he is to go to Ilvermorny in America, having signed him up there when she left Britain.
That's as far as her influence went in Teddy's life, the rest is all on Andromeda to give him a warm, loving home as the stray godmother has no idea what love is, never knowing it no thanks to her upbringing she felt she could not raise Teddy in fear of him turning out as messed-up as she was.
Well, Andromeda canNOT help but feel smug when people comment on her good looks despite nearing her fifties. Well, in a bid to make her look different from Bella, she also got sent a permanent Hair-Straightening Potion and a pretty modern hairstyle picture to get from a muggle hair salon, and make-up tips book for middle-aged women. Goodness knows Magical Britain has no idea how to apply proper makeup ANYWAY.
Well, life is good, real good.
xxx
In Italy...
There lives a young and beautiful Pharmacist specializing in Traditional Medicine, be it in liquid or pill form.
True to form, her shop looks...extremely kooky. Shelves upon shelves of various minerals, dried leaves, flowers, roots and seeds to various animal parts and even bugs. The smell is also...off-putting.
The Pharmacist is a young woman who's in her twenties.
Young and beautiful, she was said to be extremely good since her stuff are very effective. So for minor to moderate cases, she was the go-to. But for severe to critical, the hospital they go.
The plus sign?
She is also a dual-type element.
She opened her shop after being trained by her Master, and created her own variety that combined all forms of Traditional Medicine to great effect it was safe to call it 'Traditional Asian Medicine'. Not Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Tibetan, Indian, Indonesia, etc but Asian. She wrote her own book and published it, not caring for skeptics. Oh well, their loss, but her huge clientele can speak for themselves.
She was a Cloud with Sun-Secondary, perfect for a Healer.
She can even heal amputation as long as the torn parts are fresh and preserved, within 24 hours of being lopped off otherwise not even she can work a miracle.
Her name? Hui She Mei.
Funny, she doesn't look Chinese and her name is as real as a boob job. And she actually has two pet snakes.
'Its an alias of course.' she would say. 'Considering who I studied under I figure its the best place to start with 'job names' if you will.'
Many Skies tried to court her, only to fail spectacularly.
One, she's powerful and its common fact that Skies cannot harmonize with elements stronger than them. Two, she's capable of 'reflecting' attempts of Harmonization away by disorienting her own flames into literal disorder with no harm to herself. Three, she can command many Cobras hiding all over her shop to spray venom at you. She's not self-named 'Noble Snake Beauty' for nothing! And Four, she is NOT a sought-over commodity, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Skies tend to treat Guardians they fancy like an item they want in a store sometimes.
She also has suitors.
But there's a reason she is a witch...
She can read minds and reject those with shady to malicious intent, and personalities she would NOT want in a relationship.
She keeps getting disappointed really, until one day, when she was 24 she met a man curious about her shop.
'Hello.'
'Yo, this is the nearest pharmacy and I need some painkillers.'
A youthful, handsome typical blonde-and-blue man in a military outfit and he looked like he tumbled downhill.
'Well, I have a Bruise Balm and Muscle Reliever here unless you got a broken bone too?'
'Nah, just the muscle and bruise stuff!' said the blonde man sheepishly.
'The Bruise Balm is 0.54 and the Muscle Reliever is 3.46.' She Mei quipped before raising an eyebrow. 'By the looks of you, three bottles, one after every meal and you're back to normal before someone throws you in another Food Processor again.'
'OK.' She Mei put everything in a paper bag and she got paid 10.92 Euros. The man left, wincing in pain. "...good thing I quit fighting for good, that must hurt a lot!"
A week later, he came back again, this time, with buddies!
Well, this usually happens...and a shopkeeper is very happy with lots of business coming!
Next thing she knows, she has to make a large shipment every. freaking. week. just to keep the soldiers from leaving Barracks to buy some!
Next one? A chinese man who asked for painkillers as well. Well, considering she works for Mafia Italy, where nobody she knows would find her, injured people come ALL THE TIME.
'Hello She Mei.' he greeted. 'I read your book and I must say its an interesting read. Though none of your formulas are written down.'
'I sure would not because they're my hard-earned study formulas after countless sleepless nights under my master.' said She Mei wryly. 'So I decided to let people write down their own recipes at home if they can't uhh come to this dangerous place to buy from me.'
'And you're working here despite knowing that?'
'Well, I'm safe as long as I'm Neutral and Useful. If I allied with someone, only 1% can protect me while 99% of the community will want me dead and even then if that 1% decided to lay me off I'd be shark food. Neutrality and a doctor anyone can come to is safer.'
'Ahaha, that's true!'
After buying from her, he decided to check her out more often.
Judging by her accent, she was British and carried herself as a civilian pharmacist though people say she could command countless cobras on a hiss to spit venom or jump and bite on any who threatened her safety.
Her true background is also well-covered. Nobody knows who she really is, hence, she's really going by as just her alias.
And of course, nobody would do anything to her as she was the only one who charges reasonably for her goods and services. She was more of a 'potioneer' than an actual doctor that the only thing she can fix is minor to moderate illnesses and diseases, minor injuries, bone-setting and reattaching limbs, no more than that. The rest was left to hospitals.
She also was said to be seen working at a Nursing Home, serving 'medicinal food' on weekends. The elderly there are more energetic and cheerful, so he staked out that place. Not just a cook, but also teaches Qigong and Taichi...
Well, he got some of the very aromatic bowls that got the elderly 'quite springy' and when he sipped some...
He felt great warmth and vitality surge into him like a flashflooding storm surge in a Category-5 hurricane. Deliciousness aside, it brought great Yang energy and he definitely felt better!
What is this?
He got more interested in the pharmacist now, more than ever.
As a master of Chinese Martial Arts, Qigong and Chinese Medicine, this was a new field even he hasn't heard of and he sought to learn it from her too. It would be hard earning her tutelage as she spent years working on it but he'll earn her tutelage even if he had to kowtow every day for it!
Thus, this situation.
'...this is so weird...how old are you first?' She Mei asked him nervously.
'I'm 29 this year.'
'You're four years older and you're bowing to me?! This world's gone nuts!' She Mei cried, flustered and red-faced, looking totally awkward. 'But why do you want to learn from me when you've got more accolades than I do?' she asked curiously.
'I take pride in mastering traditional chinese arts and I have pursued every single one of them.' said the man who came to her doorstep, Feng. 'But your cooking is one thing.'
'Oh my, that's because I invented it.' She Mei giggled. 'Its based on medicine, Yin and Yang and the fact that Chinese Emperors have Dietitians to keep them healthy but tricky to make. Master says my creation can make even the fussiest brats take medicine by simply eating and Royal Dietitians before me, are a joke, she said. My Master in medicine was Qiang Ren.' Feng's eyes widened.
'Its very hard to earn her respect, I've had trouble earning tutelage from her!' he exclaimed. 'Did you ask her?'
'Well, at first I was just a traveler wanting to learn about nature and how people discover their uses...she was also foraging for goods in the wild yet for an old granny who looked like she was carved out of wood, she was healthier and springier than anyone my age. We talked a bit and she based our chat as me being worth her time. It helps that I don't know who she is and how famous she was and we met in Mongolia. Well, I really won't know, I'm British and she's not known in England so how am I gonna pursue her for her mastery in Chinese Medicine?'
'Ah...'
'Well, Master knows some of my brainchild since she wanted to be springy enough to dig her own grave and disappear without anyone knowing.' She Mei sighed. 'She's 101 when I left her hermitage. I was 21 then. Who knows if she's still alive today or under her own grave as she wanted. Really, people a century ago sure are hardcore traditionalists their beliefs scare me. She can even do martial arts despite having Bound Feet and hop around in the woods, nevermind walk and run...' she shuddered.
'Just be glad that practice is long dead.' said Feng wryly. 'Bound Feet is only beautiful when in socks and cute shoes, but once the bandages come off, its a horrible thing to look at, much less smell it. Did you have to unwrap and wash her feet when she asks you to? I've had to do it.'
'Yeah.' She Mei shuddered, looking green. 'Well, since my ways are unorthodox since I look at tradition like its a boogeyman as you know from my book, I hope you're skilled in the kitchen and very patient. If you want to be my student, study my book and understand my writings as well as knowing cooking techniques and ingredient preparation as well as nutritional value and their values gained when preparing food combined with medicine. Memorizing doesn't mean squat if you don't understand what I wrote.' she told Feng sternly. 'Be ready for a 1000 item exam plus five essay exams! If you aced everything, I'll take you in because I won't take a potential poisoner if they screw up in the kitchen by being impatient and a textbook idiot!'
'Yes, Shifu.' Feng bowed respectfully. 'I'll be back in six months!' with that, he left.
'Fuu...I hope he's no Hermione Granger at least.' She Mei huffed.
Hermione Granger prided herself on intelligence because she memorized books her homework essays may as well be copy-paste. Its why her Homework always gets an A to her chagrin. The only things that made her the outstanding witch she wanted to be was because she's logical, skilled control of magic and acing exams and quizzes. Homework, she always 'fails'.
She Mei glamours her homework and only removes it on submission time.
When Feng came back six months later, confident...she made him wear just a tank top just to make sure he has no cheating aides in his sleeves but she had to REFRAIN REALLY HARD from drooling at his body when he took her exams. Hey, she's a woman damnit, even she, who's clueless about love and romance would be attracted real hard!
Once she checked his test papers...he gained her respect.
She liked the results when she was done.
'You have a brain after all...' Feng wondered what she meant by that when he got his answer right away. 'I once know a girl who thought knowledge is just memorizing every page of a book without really understanding the lessons in it. She was essentially a memory copy-paste if you will that back in school, her homework's score was only passing grade, not a high score that she wanted. For teachers, we wanted students capable of understanding.' said She Mei wryly. 'Alright, I'll take you on!' she told him in a peppy manner.
'I won't disappoint, She Mei.' said Feng in determination.