After that day, we settled into a bit of a routine. Oliver and I seemed to bond over being the new kids on the block. Every Monday he would stop by my office after practice and we went to the potluck together. We spent our weekends catching him up on the many seasons of Friends and introducing him to movies. He even bought take out for my birthday which I totally didn't expect him to know about.
I learned a lot about him the last couple months. While I have no interest in playing Quidditch and he has no interest in ever going into healing, we seem to have a lot in common. We both have an intense drive to reach for what we want. It's what pushed me to study hard and him to be aggressive in Quidditch training in school. But being around each other has given us a bit of balance. We can point out our own flaws in the other when we are over working and help to look after each other to make sure we don't burn out.
We've also learned, as I've been teaching him to cook a bit, that we share a lot of the same food likes. Our time in the kitchen has been a great bonding experience. The time is spent making the food, but also talking about our childhoods and hopes for the future. Honestly, being around Oliver has been as easy as breathing. I'm thankful he transferred just before I did as he's really made life around here enjoyable.
Despite the short amount of time that I had been with the team, I almost couldn't remember what it was like before I took the job. I loved my new responsibilities of looking after the team and their family as a private healer. Being a part of their daily life and treatment is really allowing me to help them all be their best selves and live a healthy life. It's incredibly different than only treating a single issue and then perhaps never seeing the patient again.
There have been a few injuries to heal, but thankfully nothing massive. I know that once the games start up again there will be more to deal with, but I'm ready for it. It hasn't been all sunshine and roses. Speaking of roses, Sophia Rose is one person on the team that I haven't completely bonded with. She is just distant and combative. The only reason she takes my advice and follows the plans I lay out for her is because she'd be kicked off the team otherwise. But let's just say that we won't be grabbing butterbeers any time soon.
Alex Alvarez is the other one. He simply makes me uncomfortable. He has this way of looking at me that sends my skin prickling. When possible, I just avoid interacting with him.
Overall though, it's been the best decision of my life. Garrett has expressed over and over the improvements he has already seen in the team and he credits my specific focuses on their diets and physical therapy as well as Oliver taking over as captain as the force behind that.
The team appears to be an unstoppable force. They've had a few friendlies against the minor league team that have gone amazingly well. They have two more to go, one tonight and one next week, then they will play their first match of the season after the Christmas Holiday.
Because they have the friendly this afternoon, I had the morning off and didn't need to be at the stadium until noon when their warm up started. Expecting a quiet morning, I was surprised when there was a knock at my door just after ten.
Assuming it was Oliver coming to see if I had any breakfast leftovers (as he did with some regularity), I opened it with a smile. "Come on in, I have..." My mouth dropped open in surprise before I recovered myself. "Mum! Dad! What are you doing here?"
My parents sat on the other side of the door beaming at me. My mum was the first to break the silence.
"Hello Hermione dear. We were able to go to the Australian Ministry and arrange a visit. They gave us one of those awful portkeys, but it certainly makes for quick travel! Which is a good thing because we have to go back tomorrow morning."
I hugged them both as I brought them into my flat. "I'm so glad you could visit! It's been much too long."
My father took in my flat and let out a low whistle. "Bit of an upgrade from your last place. This is really nice."
"Thank you. The team provides the accommodations, but I'm happy with them. Let me show you around."
It took a few minutes to show them the three-bedroom flat that I had slowly been making my home since my arrival.
"It's lovely, sweetheart." My mother says as she and my father smile widely.
"Thanks mum. I wish I had known you guys were coming. I have to be at work in a little bit." A thought strikes me. "There is a friendly today. The team is playing a practice match against the minor league team. It's not a real game so there's no crowd or anything, but I'm allowed to bring two guests to these things as long as you know that if there is an injury, I need to work uninterrupted."
Their faces light up. "We would love to see where you work!"
It's my father this time that speaks up and I know he loves all things sports. My mum tolerates it well enough, but being it's something involved with me, she will likely enjoy herself.
We spend another half hour catching up before I get ready for work.
"I'll show you guys the office I have here, and then we can head to the stadium and I will take you on a tour."
We do exactly that and the oo and ah at all the right spots.
"I must say, I was a little surprised when you left St. Mungos." My mother says. "It seemed like that was where you were going to spend your career and you were certainly making your way up the ladder. To find you had not only taken a new job, but a new home as well, I just didn't realize you were unhappy."
"I'm not sure I realized how unhappy I was either. I assumed the frustrations I was having were normal and wasn't technically looking. But when I saw this opportunity, it just seemed like I needed to try."
She nodded in understanding. "Of course! And it does appear to be a good fit. This is the happiest I've seen you in a long time, dear. And everything looks so modern and well kept. It just seems like a great place to spend your working time."
I smile wide realizing how true that is. We spend so much of our lives working, it's a dream to not be stuck within the stuffy hospital walls anymore.
"It really is. I actually have windows and they open! During practice I often just hang out on the field with the coach. While the team is playing or training, it's important that I have an eye on them. If there's an injury it can help to know how it happened. Even if they just over exert themselves or pull a muscle or something, it can be helpful to know their style and how I can help make them more comfortable and prevent it from happening again."
"It certainly agrees with you." My mother said as she looked me up and down in assessment.
At that point the players entered the field and our attention was on them as they mounted their brooms and kicked off.
I had come to appreciate the game quite a bit more since my start. Knowing all of the players so well and the effort they've put into training gives me a different perspective. Not that I didn't see the work Harry put in during school, but this is a whole different stratosphere of training and strategy.
My eyes often drifted to Oliver. I had connected with most of the team, but as he is the one I was closest to, it was easy to focus on him. Not to mention that his position is the only one that didn't span the length of the stadium.
