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Chapter 2: Hero to Healer
There was a soft, repetitive click that echoed through the corridor as Ophelia's shoes made contact with the white marbled floor that extended throughout the entire building at St. Mungo's. She had spent the last hour in her office, coffee in hand, going over remedial policies and procedures in preparation for the day. She had yet to meet any of the staff at the hospital except for Mrs. Sharpe and she was looking forward to putting faces to the names on her staff roster.
Ophelia walked straight up to the front desk at the entrance to the floor she was assigned to. A well dressed woman twirling her long dark hair sat behind the desk, her gaze fixed on the Daily Prophet's front page.
"Excuse me?" Fee called to her.
The woman looked up from her paper, her eyes widening in recognition, "This is your case load for rounds, Ms. Lupin." she said quickly, her voice shaky as she handed several files over the desk for her.
"Thank you. I'm Ophelia Lupin. What was your name?"
The woman looked awfully nervous but gave her a nod, "Gisela. Gisela Ellis. I hope I haven't given you the wrong impression- it's so early…I just thought I'd take a peak at the Prophet- I can put it away right now-"
Fee waved her off, "You're not in any trouble, Gisela. I just wanted to introduce myself. You can finish reading the post if you like. Just make sure you put it away before Mrs. Sharpe gets here."
Gisela seemed to relax, "Oh. It's nice to meet you…I hope you don't mind me saying this but, it means a great deal to a lot of people that you've chosen to work at St. Mungo's."
Ophelia felt a bit awkward but gave her a slight nod, "Thank you." She quickly said goodbye to Gisela before heading off in the direction of her first patient in her file.
It had been hours before Ophelia had finished her rounds and it was almost time for her to get some lunch and take a few moments to rest. Mornings were always the most difficult and stressful part of the day in hospitals and Fee could already feel the tiresome ache in the soles of her feet which undoubtedly begin climbing up her legs before it was time for her to go home.
"WHO THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU?!" The voice was deep and booming as it set the hair on the back of her neck on end.
Ophelia whipped her head around to see a tall, well built man with a square jaw and sandy colored hair staring at her with narrowed eyes and a look of annoyance. He would have been a very attractive young man if he wasn't so angry.
"Are you planning on answering me sometime today or do you not speak English?"
Ophelia noticed a few of the medi-witches and medi-wizards glance over with worried and curious eyes.
"My English is perfectly fine, thank you. I'm one of the Healer's in charge on this floor-"
"-I'M the Healer in charge on this floor! And I would like to know what you think you're doing treating MY patients without permission?!"
"I have permission to practice from Mrs. Sharpe, she hired me yesterday. As I've already said, I am one of the Healer's in charge on this floor. My name is Ophelia Lupin and you must be Healer Doss?"
The man ran his hand through his hair while giving her a look of disdain, "Conrad Doss. And just so we're clear, I don't need any help running this floor. I don't care who you are or how infatuated these people are with you. I've been doing this job for ten years and the last thing this place needs is some Celebrity War Hero taking the focus off this hospital."
"I was hired to do a job, Doss." Ophelia repeated.
Doss shook his head and angrily brushed by her on his way to his office, almost knocking her over. Ophelia looked up and noticed some of the staff staring before quickly shuffling back to work. Gisela gave her a sympathetic look and held up a letter that must have arrived for her earlier in the morning. Ophelia thanked her and retreated to her office to try to shake off the less than professional confrontation she was just a part of.
Ophelia sunk into her chair, 'What in Merlin's name was that about?!' Sure, she had dealt with her fair share of awkward workplace dynamics and feuds, but the way Healer Doss spoke to her was something else entirely. That level of animosity towards another Healer was dangerous for patients and for other colleagues, not to mention how incredibly unprofessional it was. She just hoped that Doss' temperament improved before their next interaction. 'Celebrity War Hero?!' Was that how people viewed her? Harry was the one who defeated Voldemort. Hermione and Ron helped defeat Voldemort, they were heroes. Her parents, Tonks…They were heroes.
Fee shook her head, trying to get rid of the negative thoughts swirling around in her mind and looked down at her desk and recognized Hermione's neat handwriting on the letter in front of her.
Good Morning Fee,
I hope you're first day has been amazing and you've met some interesting people. Teddy is keeping Ron on his toes and has taken quite a liking to little Rosie!
If you're not too busy, we should have lunch today. 1:00 pm at the Beehive in Diagon Alley. I'll be waiting!
P.S. Have you read the Daily Prophet yet?
Hermione
'Oh no.' Fee thought as she quickly unfolded the Daily Prophet on her desk. There on the front page was a photo of herself taken in New York a few days before she moved back to London. Fee groaned when she saw the headline, a feeling of annoyance and anger washed over her.
HERO TO HEALER
You may recognize Ms. Lupin as one of the foremost faces of Lycanthropy research and treatment. At her young age, she has been published in Healing journals around the world and has been extremely vocal regarding unjust treatment of those affected by Lycanthropy illness.
Ophelia's own father, Remus J. Lupin, a former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, suffered from Lycanthropy himself while managing to raise his daughter on his own for most of her life which has undoubtedly influenced her decision to become a healer. It was while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that Ophelia Lupin become close friends with Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived and current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Ms. Lupin's close relationship with Harry Potter saw her aiding him in the Second Wizarding War and Battle of Hogwarts, which claimed the lives of her father and stepmother, Remus J. Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin, and the ultimate downfall of He Who Must Not Be Named. Harry Potter publicly praised his friends and their actions in the fight against the Dark lord on more than one occasion
After the war and deaths of her parents, Ms. Lupin took on the responsibility of guardian to her infant brother while juggling a job as Medi-witch until she accepted in internship to study Healing in one of the finest medical establishments in North America. The move to New York seems to have agreed with Ophelia, in the last five years she has managed to produce four academic papers on her research which are held in high esteem by her fellow medical experts and is the founder of The R.J. Lupin Foundation, which specializes in the care and treatment of children and adults with Lycanthropy.
After five years in America, Ophelia Lupin, now a seasoned Healer, has returned to England and now calls London home. Ms. Lupin will be continuing her work as a Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries but, there is currently no word on whether the R.J. Lupin Foundation will be expanding here in the United Kingdom or if Ms. Lupin will continue her research into Lycanthropy as she did in New York.
According to a source, Ms. Lupin has been spotted at a recent anniversary party for Ministry worker, Arthur Weasley and his wife, Molly, where Harry Potter was also in attendance. Ms. Lupin appeared to be single, and in good spirits but declined to answer any questions and spent most of her time mingling with old friends before retiring early. We can only hope that Ms. Lupin will continue to appear publicly, as we all desperately wish to know more about her life, her work, and her experiences during the war.
Welcome Home Ophelia and we all wish you well!
Written by Stella Carrington
Fee crumpled the newspaper in her hands when she finished reading it, threw it into the fireplace and flicked her wand, "Incendio." There was a soft crackling sound as the crumpled paper lit with bright orange flames and fell to smoldering ash. Fleur had been right about Stella writing a piece about her, even after Fee explained she didn't talk to the press. She looked down at her watch, it read 12:48. She quickly swung her jacket over her shoulders and left to meet Hermione.
Diagon Alley was bustling with people as Fee made her way to the Beehive to meet Hermione. The Beehive was a small restaurant that Hermione often boasted about in her letters for having the most amazing honey cakes she'd ever eaten. There were a few small wooden tables outside the entrance and a large, enchanted beehive sat above the yellow entrance and when you walked close enough, you could hear the faint buzz of bees and smell the sweet scent of honey.
Inside, Hermione sat at a table by the window, sipping a cup of tea and when she saw her, she quickly stood up and motioned for her to come over. Ophelia smiled brightly and embraced her friend in a hug.
"It's so good to see you in person again!" Hermione exclaimed.
"You too! What's it like being back to work after Rosie?"
Hermione had worked in her job at the Ministry while she was pregnant, right up until a few days before she gave birth to Rosie. She took a leave of absence for almost a year and had just returned to work full time. She knew it was a difficult decision for her friend, but Hermione was the type of person to get back to work as quickly as possible.
"I love it!- and I know that's a horrible thing to say!- I don't regret having a child!- I just feel like I've missed so much while I was on leave!" Hermione was speaking so quickly; it was difficult for Fee to keep up.
"Mione' slow down!" Fee grinned, "It's okay to like working. I'm not going to hold it against you."
Hermione sighed in relief, "So, why didn't you say you were thinking about moving back home?"
"Honestly, I wasn't sure I even wanted to take the position and I accepted the interview but, it wasn't something I was thinking about. I had a few other offers but, after the interview and being back home for a few days, it just finally felt like the right time."
"Good. I'm glad. Apparently the Daily Prophet's glad too"
Fee groaned, "I don't even know what to do about it, Mione'. She asked me if she could get me on record at the Burrow and a told her no. Then she wrote about me anyway."
"Stella doesn't like the word no. Ron overheard Fred and George arguing about the article this morning at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Fred said he's going to talk to Stella about it today, he was quite angry. Anyway…you spent the last five years in New York, what was it like?"
"It was lonely at first…it's such a big place and everything was so fast paced. I mean, I spent most of my time at the hospital and taking care of Teddy but, accepting that internship was the best decision I could have made."
"So, were you seeing anyone?" Hermione asked quietly.
"There was someone but, it ended. Quickly. And I was so focused on my work, it never would have worked out anyway." Ended quickly was right. Declan Gates was the type of man that had the ability to talk gold out of a Goblin and had quite an unstable temper. He was a wizard from a highly respected family and often used his family's fortune and notoriety to clear himself from the mistakes he made. Ophelia didn't know any of that when she was seeing him, but their relationship quickly turned sour, luckily for her.
The door to the backroom was ajar while Fred restocked the fireworks at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes during a lull in the day. George was giving him a wide berth after their argument earlier in the morning, not that he could blame him. In the last few months, Stella had written a dozen articles about the family and George and Angelina had become so aggravated by her presence that she was no longer welcome to dinner at their home and honestly, her constant intrusion on his family's privacy was disrespectful, and no matter how many times she apologized, there was always another story.
"Freddie?"
Stella. Fred had asked her to meet him when she got a break at work. She walked up the stairs, her expensive floral perfume lingering after her.
"You wrote the article." Fred pointed out in disappointment.
Stella pouted and took his hand, leading him back into the office where she shut the door and turned to face him. "I know. And before you say anything else…if I hadn't written it, another journalist would have."
"Ophelia asked you not to."
"Actually, she said she doesn't speak to the press, not that she asked me not to write anything."
Fred loosened his tie in frustration, "No more articles. I mean it, Stella."
Stella rolled her eyes as she out her arms up, wrapping them around his neck affectionately, "My editor happened to think my article was extremely well written. In fact, he gave me that promotion I was talking about. From now on, I am going to be one of the Daily Prophets primary journalists."
Fred sighed and repeated, "No more articles about the family."
Stella pulled him down, kissing him eagerly, "What happened between you and Ophelia?"
Fred pulled away and rubbed the back if his neck, "What are you on about?"
"Your mum and dad's party. It was pretty hard not to notice the remarks George was making…and you were staring." Stella eyed him suspiciously.
'What happened between me and Ophelia?' There was a loaded question, he thought as his mind began to wander.
"Bugger!" Fred grimaced as he stuffed a stunned Doxy into his knapsack in the darkness. He and George were experimenting with Doxy venom in one of their products so he found himself sneaking around Grimmauld Place in the middle of the night to collect the little beasts, being as quiet as he could in case he woke his mum. Mum had been on a rampage about their inventions and even went as far as destroying the entire inventory one morning when she was upset. Lucky for him and George, Grimmauld Place was infested.
"Hello?" there was a soft voice from across the room that broke his concentration. He squinted through the darkness, the faint outline of a girl stood there. Ophelia.
"It's Fred." He whispered as he flicked his wand. A small dim light shined from the tip, illuminating the room. Ophelia snuck in, closing the door behind her.
"What are you doing?" she yawned.
"Sleep walking."
It took her a minute to register his joke before she grinned, "with your knapsack?"
"Collecting Doxy's. Mum destroyed everything Forge and I were working on, so we have to start fresh." He motioned to another stunned Doxy in the corner.
There was a loud thud from the stairwell and both Ophelia and Fred darted towards the wardrobe on the far side of the room, slipping inside as quietly as they could, the dim light from Fred's wand giving off just enough light to see what they were doing. Mrs. Weasley was a light sleeper and if she caught them both out of bed and nosing into places they shouldn't be, there would be hell to pay. They held their breathe for a moment, hoping the thud they heard would go away and they could both sneak back to their rooms.
"Why are you up?" Fred whispered as quietly as he could. It was so cramped in the wardrobe, Ophelia was standing in front of him, her chest flush against his. When he spoke, she could smell the toothpaste on his breath.
"Couldn't sleep." She said, her breath hitched when she noticed how close they were. Ophelia hadn't ever been this close to a boy let alone the older brother of one of her best friends, and what made it more complicated was that she found being this close to him felt incredibly good.
The sound of footsteps getting closer on the stairs caused them both to hold their breath and Fred pulled her closer to him. There was a pause just outside the door, the footsteps becoming fainter. They both let out a sigh of relief as Fred grinned, looking down at her, "that was close."
She looked up at him with a grin of her own, her eyes flickering up to his in the dim lighting. Fee suddenly became very aware of Fred's hand still resting on the small of her back as it felt scorching in the most pleasant way. Fred, feeling very similar, reached his other hand up and tipped her chin towards him, pausing for a moment to make sure he had her permission before he kissed her. It was a simple kiss, over in a second but, it changed everything. Fred pulled away slowly, nervously trying to gage Fee's reaction. She didn't say anything. Instead, she reached up and pulled him down gently into a longer, deeper kiss.
THUD!
The wardrobe door flew open, and Ophelia and Fred jumped apart as they were blinded by a bright white light.
"Bloody hell!" the woman's voice was exasperated. Tonks, purple hair and all. "You two should be in bed!"
"We were just-"Fred tried to explain but Tonks held up her hand to cut him off,
"I saw exactly what you were doing and you're both lucky it was me who caught you and not Molly!" Tonks pointed her finger at them both as she glared at them with a stern yet amused look. "Ophelia, off to bed! I'm going to make sure Mr. Weasley makes it back to his room safely."
Ophelia said nothing, knowing there was bound to be a conversation in the morning and made her way to the door, looking back over her shoulder at Fred with a small smile on her face that he mirrored.
Stella snapped her fingers in front of her boyfriend, breaking him out of his daze. She stood there expectantly waiting for him to say something for a moment before closing the gap between them and kissing his neck, "I'm sorry about the article, alright? You know I would never write anything that would intentionally hurt your family…How about I come over after work tonight?"
Fred mumbled in agreement as he kissed his girlfriend. It had become a habit for them. Anytime they had an argument, big or small, Stella would whisper a few lines in his ear, and they would quickly make up. Stella would always promise not to do it again but, that was rarely true.
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