Chapter 4- Suspicions and reality
When Ruby arrived at the Leaky Cauldron to meet Henry she was amused to see that he was not alone.
"Hi James, I thought you weren't going to gate-crash!" Ruby said as she walked over to them, Henry jumped up and gave her a quick kiss before finishing the rest of his drink in one go as James answered her.
"I'm not, I was just passing through on my way home, how was your first day?"
"Great thanks, oh tell your mom that the ball is on my birthday"
"Great, will do, well I'll see you on Friday Henry, mate" The clapped each other on the back and then Ruby and Henry walked out into Diagon Alley.
"So it was a good first day then?" Henry asked as he opened the archway.
"Yeah I really enjoyed it, I got to treat three patients." Ruby answered.
"Cool, I booked at table at Madam Levant's." Ruby's heart sank, he had done it again, she tried not to let the disappointment show on her face, perhaps it was unintentional on his part.
"So, how was your day?" She asked as they walked past the Quidditch shop.
"Alright, I made ten-thousand Galleon's for the bank" He said, she knew she should look impressed but it was his job to make money for the bank.
"Uncle Bill must have been pleased"
"Yeah, he was. So how's the new flat?"
"It's brilliant, you'll have to come around soon."
"I thought I could tonight?" He asked, looking slightly crestfallen.
"Sorry, I've got to be at work at six. How about Saturday night? I've got the day off and I'm on-call on Sunday so I should be okay for the morning at least"
"Alright, I was going to go home but I can rearrange. Table for Weasley." He added to the waiter as they entered the small restaurant, Ruby bit her lip in annoyance, he never booked a table in his name, always hers.
They were, predictably, shown to a table by the window. They browsed the menus in silence and then Henry ordered a bottle of wine.
"I won't be drinking any Henry, just a butterbeer please" she said to the waiter.
"Oh, well I'll just have a glass then, you sure Ruby?"
"Yeah, it's been a long day and I've got an early start"
"And to eat?" The waiter asked,
"I'll start with the prawns, then the steak, rare, and then I'll finish with the waffles" Henry said, Ruby felt her annoyance rear its head again.
"And for you Miss?"
"The same please." She said, passing the menu to the waiter, he left the table and Henry took her hand.
"You look beautiful tonight, Ruby" He said, huskily, her annoyance melted as she looked into his deep blue eyes, he was so attractive.
"Thanks, so did you and James have a good time last night?"
"Yes, James has been acting a bit strange though." Henry said, accepting the wine from the waiter and taking a sip.
"In what way?" Asked Ruby,
"He didn't take a girl home, and he didn't last week either" Henry said, running his finger down the side of Ruby's hand.
"He doesn't have to take a girl home every time you go out, Henry!" She said, smiling slightly. James was definitely a player but perhaps he was just growing up?
"I know he doesn't have to but…he wasn't even trying. Anyway how are your parents doing?"
"They're fine thanks, Grandma had invited you to the Burrow. I'm working or on-call for the next couple so it would be on the 6th October, are you free?"
"It's a Sunday right? I'll make myself free." Henry said, clearly pleased to have been invited.
"Oh and the St Mungo's ball is on my birthday, do you want me to get you a ticket?"
"Definitely!" Said Henry, looking a bit too excited.
"It's just a work ball, nothing too glitzy"
"I know but you'll be wearing an amazing dress and I'll make every man in the room jealous by having you on my arm." He said, flashing his dazzling smile. Ruby felt her annoyance pop up again but the starters arrived and the topic was lost.
When they left the restaurant Ruby relaxed slightly, perhaps she had over-reacted, perhaps she was just getting paranoid. They said goodbye at the Leaky Cauldron and Henry gave Ruby a long kiss that made her wish she wasn't working the early shift tomorrow. She apparated home and then walked into the living room where Alice appeared to be eating her weight in ice-cream whilst crying at a movie.
"Oh, hi Rubes. Good day?" She asked, looking over at Ruby with a tear-stained face.
"Yeah it was good thanks, are you alright?"
"Yes, it's bloody Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, they obviously love each other! Ice cream?" She said, offering the strawberry ice cream tub to Ruby.
"No, I had waffles for pudding. Anyway I'm on at six tomorrow so I'm going to go to bed, see you in the morning."
"Night, oh wait…" she paused the film "who was the student, I forgot to ask at lunch?"
"Oh, Scorpius Malfoy." Alice gasped and then laughed.
"Seriously! That's brilliant! I want details tomorrow I'll try and not brew around lunchtime."
"Alright, night Alice."
"Night Rubes."
Ruby shut the door and changed into her nightwear, quickly brushed her teeth and then collapsed into bed, she was exhausted.
When she arrived at work the following morning, Scorpius was not yet there. As a first year he worked from eight till five, unless he asked for extra shifts. She sat down at her desk and read one of her textbooks whilst she waited for Hl Kyle. He arrived at five past six and greeted her warmly before walking into his office and disappearing behind a paper. It was likely to be fairly quiet until nine so Ruby made herself a cup of tea and then took a coffee to Kyle.
"Here you go, sir." She said, putting it on her desk.
"Oh, thank you dear, did you have a nice time last night?" He asked,
"Yes thank you." She replied, making to leave the office but he spoke again and she paused by the door.
"My wife wants to go to Madam Levant's for her birthday, is the food good?" He asked, looking at her over the top of his paper.
"Yes…how did you know I went there?" She asked, the sinking disappointment and annoyance back in full swing.
"It's here dear." He passed her the paper and she saw a picture of her and Henry that had been taken from outside the restaurant. It was when Henry had been holding her hand and before the food had arrived. She read beneath the photo.
Ruby Weasley, trainee healer, 20, and her boyfriend of nearly a year Henry Chang, also 20 and a junior banker at Gringotts enjoyed a romantic candlelit dinner last night at popular, and pricey, new restaurant Madam Levants. The couple have been dating for nearly a year and sources close to the couple believe they are close to being engaged. Ruby wore a pale yellow…
Ruby stopped reading and passed the paper back to Kyle trying not to show her annoyance.
"Does it bother you, dear? All the coverage?" He asked, clearly she was not a good actress.
"It's not usually too bad." She said truthfully. Audrey usually warned them if something was to be printed but Ruby thought she probably didn't consider this a real invasion of privacy, it had been taken from outside the restaurant after all.
"I imagine it's worse now you're older?"
"Yes sir, as soon as we come of age the privacy laws change. Anyway, was the paperwork alright?" She asked, trying to change the subject.
"Oh yes dear it was fine. What did you think of young Mr Malfoy?"
"He seems intelligent and keen sir," Ruby answered before adding "if he's still this keen in a month then I think he'll make it." She said smiling, Kyle nodded.
"Ha, absolutely Miss Weasley! Thanks for the coffee, I'll drink this and then we can see if we can find you some patients." Ruby nodded and returned to her desk.
She sipped her tea and tried to think about the situation logically. It could be just coincidence that every time Henry took her out for dinner, or anywhere, it seemed to end up in the paper. However Rosie was dating a co-worker and they never seemed to end up in the paper. Was it possible that Henry was tipping off Skeeter and all the other reporters? Was Ruby just being paranoid? She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice when Scorpius arrived and went to talk to Kyle.
"Weasley!" A hand slammed down on the table and Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin.
"What?" She asked, her heart racing, Scorpius and Kyle were waiting by the door.
"I've found some patients, Miss Weasley." Kyle said, softly. Ruby grabbed her wand and walked over to them, blushing.
"Sorry, sometimes I get lost in my own head" She admitted, Scorpius snorted.
"Not to worry dear, come along."
Ruby and Scorpius treated two patients and were currently on their third but it was not going well.
"…not bloody touching me, fuck off!" Snapped the wizard, trying to make himself as small as possible on the bed, Kyle stood back clearly waiting to see how Ruby would handle the aggression.
"There is no need for language like that Mr Carp, we are trying to treat you." Ruby said, firmly.
"I don't need bloody treatment!" He yelled,
"You're losing blood and turning purple at an alarming rate, it looks like a reaction to a plant bite, if we don't treat you, you could die. It's up to you." Ruby said, standing back and indicating at the door, Scorpius raised his eyebrows but didn't comment.
"I ain't tellin' you what bit me!" He said, sharply.
"That's your prerogative Mr Carp, it would only speed up your treatment and hasten your recovery but if you'd rather we took several days to analyse your blood to find an antidote, rather than just collecting the correct one then by all means keep quiet." Ruby said, summoning a gauze and passing it to the wizard to replace the blood-soaked one he was already holding over his leg. He hesitated before responding.
"How quickly can you cure me if I tell you what it was?"
"It depends what it is but it would be significantly faster, you might even be discharged today if…"
"It was a Venoumous tentacula originalis." He said, snatching the gauze off Ruby.
"Oh well, we'll give you the potion now and you should be ready to go home tomorrow morning."
"Fine, give me the bloody potion then!" Ruby turned to Kyle
"Potion H23 sir, 50ml in 100ml solution of T1 over four hours?" She answered, hesitating slightly over the timing.
"Five hours, but only because it's a so well developed, I expect the paperwork by the end of the day." He swept out of the room and Ruby set up the drip and then showed Scorpius how to transfer patients.
As they left Mr Carp with the healers on the third floor they entered the lift together to go back to the office. The lift went up first and Ruby was surprised her mother and her Unspeakable colleague Matilda get it, Eliza Weasley was looking at parchment and did not see her daughter.
"Mom!" Ruby said, before touching her mother lightly on her arm when that achieved no response, Matilda chuckled lightly.
"Oh, Ruby, hello! How are you?" She asked, hugging her and passing the parchment to Matilda.
"Fine thanks, how are you?"
"Excellent, good day?"
"Busy, Mom this is Scorpius, he's the first year working with me" She said, indicating to Scorpius who looked like he was trying to blend into the lift.
Her mother looked surprised but covered it quickly and nodded to him but did not say anything.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs Weasley. I'll see you in the office, Ruby." He said, exiting the lift as it reached the ground floor. Ruby, her mother and Matilda also left the lift but stayed together.
"What's he like Ruby?" Asked Matilda, indicating to Malfoy's retreating figure, Ruby waited till he had turned the corner before answering.
"He's alright I suppose, Mom are you and Dad in tonight?"
"Yes, why?"
"Can I come round for dinner?" She asked.
"Course you can, your dad's making meatballs. What time do you finish?"
"Six, I'll come straight from work if that's okay?" She asked, it was so strange to be asking permission to visit her childhood home.
"Yep, I'm working from home this afternoon anyway, I'll see you tonight." She kissed Ruby on the cheek and walked away, Matilda waving to Ruby.
When she apparated back to Wales she felt a wave of calm pass over her, the afternoon had been busy but the patients were all nice and she had finished all her paperwork in time. She pushed open the door and she could hear her father laughing in the kitchen, she walked in and saw that he mother was also laughing.
"Hi." She said, pulling off her robes and hanging them up.
"Oh, hi Rubes, good day?" Her father asked, coming to give her a hug. She sat down next to her mother as she answered.
"Busy but good thanks, you?"
"Excellent, the Botswana shop has been approved so I have now conquered four continents!" He said, picking up a pack of spaghetti out of the cupboard.
"That's great Dad! Who's going to run it?"
"I'll hire someone out there, Uncle Ron offered to visit next year but he got a bit confused." Her mother laughed again and her dad turned to her.
"About what?" She asked, smiling.
"He got confused between Botswana and Guyana! Thought he could combine it with Hermione's conference in Brazil."
"Really?"
"We shouldn't laugh." Said her mother, but her eyes were shining with laughter as she said it.
"Right, it will be about ten minutes. Eliza, do you want to grab some wine?" Her mother stood up and Ruby saw her opportunity.
"I'll help Mom." Her mother looked suspicious but allowed her daughter to go down into the basement ahead of her. Ruby walked over to the wine rack and her mother followed her.
"This one I think. What is it, Ruby?" She asked, picking out a bottle of red wine. Eliza Weasley was never one to beat around the bush when it came to her children.
"It's…it's nothing big…"
"Come on Ruby, what is it?" She sat on the desk and Ruby looked over at her.
"Did you see the paper this morning?"
"I did, was the food nice at Madam Levant's? I was thinking of taking Teddy there next week."
"It was lovely"
"So?"
"We're always…every time I go out with Henry it always ends up in the paper!" Ruby said, finally acknowledging her worries out loud.
"I know, Harry mentioned it to me, he tend to read the paper more closely than I do. Maybe it's a coincidence?"
"It might be, I just…I'm not sure, we always get seated by the window"
"You're worried Henry might be tipping off the papers?"
"Yeah."
"Why don't you ask Aunt Audrey?"
"I don't want to make a big deal out of it." Ruby said, this was the problem with coming to her mother with problems. Her issues always seemed so childish and inconsequential when she thought about everything her mother had lived through by the time she was twenty.
"Well then why don't you arrange the restaurants for a few weeks, see if it still gets in the paper?"
"That's a good idea." Ruby hadn't thought of that, Henry always like to arrange things but maybe she should take the lead for a while.
"It's ready!" Her Dad's voice floated down the stairs and Eliza stood up and looked at her daughter.
"Feel better?" She asked,
"Yeah, thanks Mom." Ruby replied and they walked back up into the kitchen.
When Ruby returned home that night she felt much better, she knew going home for dinner would be a good idea.
The next couple of weeks passed very quickly and it was now the start of October. Ruby was sat at her desk filling in some paperwork whilst Scorpius was writing an essay when Kyle came in looking rather out of breath.
"Weasley, Malfoy! With me, now, we've got a serious cauldron explosion!" Ruby grabbed her wand and ran out of the office quickly, when she entered the room the smell of burning flesh almost made her heave.
There was a man, not much older than Ruby, whose entire body seemed to be burning, he was shrieking in agony. Ruby ran forward and Kyle stood back, watching her.
"Umm…10ml F10, injection."
"I've got the signatures" Interrupted Kyle bring the potion over, it reassured Ruby to know that she must be on the right track if Kyle had already arranged the paperwork. She injected the potion into the man's thigh and he quietened quickly.
"Dittany, full body spell. Nerve potion N27, 6ml in 100ml solution over two hours."
"Correct." Kyle said, Scorpius ran over with the drip stand and then retrieved the correct potions from the cupboard, Ruby's hands shook slightly as she set up the drip but she managed it. She looked up at the man's face and he seemed to relax more and Scorpius looked pleased with his progress.
An alarm like a foghorn rang out in the room and Scorpius jumped. Kyle hung back, watching.
"He's not breathing!" Said Scorpius, looking at the man, horrified.
Ruby shot a resuscitation spell at the man's chest and looked back at Kyle.
"Tell me what you're doing, Ruby." He said, calmly and using her name for the first time.
"Resuscitation spell, check for movement, can't be attempted for longer than thirty minutes." Ruby recited, looking at her wand to check for any response.
"Why?" Asked Scorpius, looking at Ruby, she answered automatically.
"Because it drains your magical power and it's unlikely that changing the source will impact the outcome." Ruby remembered the textbook word-for-word and she was surprised that the sentence had stuck.
The minutes ticked away and after what seemed like a life time Kyle walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.
"That's enough, Ruby. He's dead." He said, softly.
"Are you sure? Has it really been thirty minutes?" She asked desperately.
"It's been thirty-five, Scorpius conjure a chair and put it behind her." Scorpius complied without asking why.
"Let him go, Ruby. You did everything you could. You did everything right." Ruby still kept the spell on but looked at her supervisor.
"Are you sure? What if I did something wrong?"
"You didn't, we can't save everyone, let him go, Ruby." He said and Ruby looked back at the man's face and then broke the spell.
The tiredness hit her like a train and her knees buckled, Scorpius leapt forwards to guide her into the chair.
"Sit here for a few minutes then go back to the office and have a sleep. I'll go and tell his wife and file the paperwork. I'll wake you up later Miss Weasley." Ruby nodded but did not say anything.
"He was never going to make it, that's why I got you. You've been lucky the past couple of weeks but we can't save everyone. Mr Malfoy, see Miss Weasley back to the office then go to your class but I want you to come back when you've finished."
"Yes sir." Scorpius replied, still hanging on to Ruby's arm simply because he hadn't let it go yet. Kyle left the room and Ruby and Scorpius stayed in shocked silence for a few minutes before Scorpius spoke again.
"Come on, Ruby." Ruby stood up, feeling like she was fighting against gravity and they walked back to the office in silence. When they arrived Ruby sat on the bed and Scorpius moved over to his desk and grabbed his book bag.
"Ruby you did everything right, he said that."
"I know." Ruby replied, hoarsely.
"I'll see you later" He started walking out of the office but someone blocked his path. "Oh, hello Auror Potter, are you looking for Ruby?"
"Yes, is she here?"
"I've just left her in bed….I mean I've just put her to bed….I just escorted her to the bed, here." Ruby looked up and saw Scorpius, looking beyond mortified, pulling her Uncle Harry into the office. Uncle Harry looked down at her, confused and then concerned.
"We've had a rough morning, see you later Ruby. Nice to meet you Auror Potter." Scorpius left the office and Uncle Harry came and knelt in front of her.
"Ruby, what's the matter?" He asked.
"Someone just…died." She said quietly "I'm gonna be sick." Harry leapt out of the way and conjured a bucket just in time for his niece to fill it. He sat next to her on the bed and held her dark red hair back and rubbed her back until she had heaved herself dry. He then grabbed a glass of water and passed it to her.
"Thanks, Uncle Harry." She said, taking a gulp.
"So, what happened?" He asked, sitting back next to her, she leaned on his shoulder.
"I've seen patients die before but…he was my patient, I was the healer, it was my resuscitation spell. Healer Kyle knew he was going to die so he came to get me, thought I'd been too lucky so far."
"You can't save everyone, Ruby." Uncle Harry said softly.
"I know…it's just hard."
"What did he die of?"
"Cauldron explosion, I don't even know what his name was, it was all so quick!" Ruby said, feeling disgusted with herself.
"What did Healer Kyle say to you?"
"He said that I did everything right, told me to have a sleep, the resuscitation spell drains your magic."
"See, you did everything…"
"Knock knock!" Came a very familiar voice,
"Here, Gin." Said Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny poked her head around the corner and the smile she was wearing slipped off her face.
"Rough morning." Said Uncle Harry, correctly guessing that Ruby had no desire to repeat the story.
"What are you guys doing here?" Ruby asked, concerned.
"I had an appointment." Ginny said, smiling, Ruby could also feel her Uncle smile widely against the top of her head.
"I thought you've been looking a bit pale, is everything alright then?"
"It's, very surprisingly, better than alright" Said Ginny and Harry snorted,
"Very surprising indeed! Go on, tell her, she needs this news today." He said, Ginny grinned at him and then looked at Ruby.
"I'm pregnant, Ruby!" She said, looking over the moon, Ruby snapped her head up in shock.
"Seriously?" She asked, she knew Aunt Ginny was only forty-two but she didn't expect her to have any more children.
"Yep, don't worry took us by surprise too, turns out the change wasn't the change I thought it was!" Ginny replied.
"Wow, congratulations!" Said Ruby, she tried to stand up but she fell back on the bed and Harry hastily explained the resuscitation spell to his wife.
"Oh, get some sleep Ruby. We'll see you tomorrow night for Minerva's birthday dinner." Ruby nodded and her Aunt tucked her in the bed and her Uncle gave her a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the office.
Ruby rolled over and closed her eyes, she was pleased for her aunt and uncle but she couldn't help dwell on that man's face, it was, she supposed, the circle of life.
She was woken up at seven by Kyle, he passed her a cup of tea. Scorpius was sat at his desk looking over at her.
"Thanks, sir." She said, drinking the tea, she suspected it had whisky it in.
"Right, well you two go out tonight, together. Go to the pub, or dancing or whatever you youngsters do these days. You're both off tomorrow so go and remember what it's like to be alive."
"I've got some study…" Scorpius began but Kyle cut across him.
"This is an order from your supervisor Malfoy, take Miss Weasley out and have some fun. If you both sit at home thinking about today you'll forget what it means to be alive, trust me. All the supervisors give the same advice to their students after days like today, go on get out of here!" Ruby drained the rest of her tea quickly and grabbed her bag and wand.
They walked to the reception in silence.
"So, where do you want to go?" Asked Scorpius as they reached the apparition point "Three Broomsticks?"
"No, I don't feel like seeing my family, there's bound to be someone there." Said Ruby.
"Muggle place then, I know somewhere in Birmingham it's alright and there's dancing."
"Sure, as long as there's alcohol." Said Ruby, Scorpius offered her his arm
"Of course there's alcohol, first shots on me" Ruby took his arm.
"As long as it's the first of many" She said.
"Planning on getting wasted, Weasley?"
"Yep, you?"
"Yep, absolutely hammered!" They disapparated and Ruby's last thought was; getting paralytic with Scorpius Malfoy, what could possible go wrong?
A/N So now you've met Henry, what do you think? Any reaction on Ginny's surprising news?
Next chapter; Ruby and Scorpius get drunk, we catch up with Aunt Petunia, and Uncle Harry gets on the wrong side of his niece at Aunt Minnie's birthday dinner.
Thanks to mozie for beta-ing!
witchprincess33- Thanks, I love Amber too!
xXMizz Alec VolturiXx- Thanks!
LUG-14- They'll be more from Lucius at some point.
Amy Pond-Lovegood- Thanks!