Things moved somewhat quickly after that, and just a week later I found myself meeting with the Appleby Arrows coach at an upscale restaurant.
"Ah, Healer Granger, thank you for joining me."
Garrett Gatsby was a tall man in his late sixties. He was still fairly fit and it was clear that he had once been a player himself. Standing as I entered, he shook my hand firmly before we both sat in the private room of the establishment.
"Of course. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss the position more in depth. Thank you for the discreet spot. I haven't given any indication to St. Mungos that I am considering leaving."
He nodded and handed me a menu. "Completely understandable. Career changes can be a big scary thing. Why don't we order something and then we can chat about the position?"
Being in a private room meant a private waiter and so we were attended to quite quickly and efficiently.
"Alright, Healer Granger,"
"Please, call me Hermione."
"Right then, Hermione. You've seen the ad and I suspect you have gone over the additional information I sent?" He raised his eyebrows in question.
I nodded my head. After I sent in my initial application and was deemed qualified, I was sent a complete description of duties outlining the expectations of travel and odd hours, which suited me just fine. I've never kept normal hours as a healer and the thought of travel was appealing.
"Great. I've looked over your qualifications and it looks like you would be a good fit for the team. It's a pretty straight forward position. You come to practices and games, traveling as I said in the sample schedule I sent, and provide any medical assistance if needed. Unfortunately, it's needed more than we would like, but most of the injuries are minor. Sometimes they are more serious, but we will rely on you to help with their clean diets and to work with the kitchen to make sure they are being adequately fueled inside as well as out. It can be seen as a little new age in the wizarding world, but I feel nutrition is an important part of training. Proper body care is important, too. We have a trainer that works with the team, but some of the older members do some physical therapy and we like to have that supervised by a healer. Are those things you are comfortable with?"
"Absolutely." I answered confidently. "I actually took a nutrition course in muggle London a couple years ago. Like you said, clean eating is crucial for taking care of your body and I have the training to help provide athletes with meal plans to help in that area. Physical therapy is no problem as well. I've read extensively on the subject and understand how to apply it. As for the travel, I have no commitments tying me here so there would be no complications with that."
Our meals came and we were silent as we began to eat. Garrett seemed to be thinking something over. A few bites in, he finally spoke.
"Great." He handed me an envelope. I put my fork down and took it. "I am prepared to offer you the position. The contract is in that envelope. Before you ask, we were really impressed with your credentials and references. When I prepared the offer, I went to the owner and requested that we come in at our max offer. I can't do more than what's there, but there are bonuses if we win the league and make it to the World Cup. Take it home with you tonight, look it over, and let me know in the next day or two if you accept. Our fall training schedule begins in two weeks and we would like you to start then."
"Wow, thank you, Mr. Gatsby. I'll let you know as soon as possible."
He nodded his thanks and we spent the last little bit of our meal getting to know each other a little bit better. Garrett filled me in on more specifics of the day-to-day training and what to expect on my first day if I accept.
I left feeling hopeful and invigorated. The prospect of a new career was thrilling and I wasted no time in tearing into the envelope when I got home. As I looked over the paperwork, I was thoroughly impressed. While the holiday time was different than what I was used to, (instead of taking it when I wanted, I was off when the team was off), it was better than the week I got off each year currently. The salary was nearly three times what I was making and all travel costs were covered. In addition, the position came with a flat in the team building here in England. I guess that was a perk of working for a smaller, but privately funded organization instead of a hospital that relied on the government and donations to keep its doors open.
Grabbing a quill and parchment, I made myself a pros and cons list.
St. Mungos
Pros:
Comfortable there
Have seniority
Stability
Cons:
Underpaid
Poor support staff
Lack of variety
Poor benefits
Lack of excitement in going to work
Overworked with double shifts and sometimes no days off in a week
Most patients are downright rude
Appleby Arrows:
Pros:
New opportunity means unexpected work environment
I'd get to see all the games in prime seating for free
More time off
More money
Get to travel for free
Less hours a week, plus knowing my schedule more in advance
I'd get to know the people I treat on a more personal level and provide a higher level of care
Get to use my knowledge on nutrition and sports therapy
Included housing
Team environment
Cons:
Change is hard
Having to move
Less time with friends due to traveling
I sat back and compared the two lists. Well, there was a definite winner here. Sitting back to look at the list was a little depressing. It drove home that I was fairly unhappy with my current trajectory. I had listed "Change is hard" as a con, but the more I thought it through, maybe a change was exactly what my life needed.
I mean, here I am, 24 years old, single for several years with no prospects, very little social life and general unhappiness and unfulfillment in my current employment.
As soon as I realized that, it was all I needed to sign the contract and send it off with my owl, Matilda, without another thought. Now all that was left to do was tell my boss I was leaving. No big deal.
