Thank you to anyone who's reading, I hope you're enjoying the plot. I know the chapters are pretty short at the moment, but once I get into the story a bit more it will get lengthier I promise. Well, I hope you like the chapter, please review and tell me what you think? :)
"You have got to be kidding me?"
"No I am not kidding Miss Tuck." Her voice ran through me like a knife, it took all I could muster to not shiver after every word. "You will see to your patient properly, and you will do it every morning and night for the next 2 months because that is an order! Do you understand me?"
"Yes." I refused to argue with someone when their voice could reach such volumes and pitches at this time in the morning; I knew my ears would come out of that battle scarred for life.
After news like that, I didn't care if I'd had one 5 minutes ago I needed a coffee and a strong one at that. In all honesty I don't even think a fire whiskey would have put me in a good mood now, my day was ruined. Scratch that, my mornings and evenings for the next 2 months were ruined. Oh how I would love to curl up in bed with a box of chocolates and all series of Lost so I could cry at how cruel life was right now. But no, I had to deliver the beautiful news to the perpetrator of this crime.
"Bad morning?" bad move cowboy. "Woah I was only asking, stop with the murderous eyes!"
"I am not in the mood for you today James." I was gripping on to his clipboard with such aggression that my knuckles had turned white.
"Boyfriend break up with you?" he asked pushing himself to a sitting position. Just like he was pushing my buttons.
"No James. I don't have a boyfriend." My lips were barely parting as I spoke. "You are the reason I am in such a shit mood! You and you fucking Tibia fucking bone." I slammed the clipboard down onto the side table. "It just had to be you didn't it. It couldn't be the sweet little old lady last week, or Jordan Wood – who I must say is looking particularly hot since he left Hogwarts. No. It had to be you James Potter; it's always James fucking Potter."
I stood there in silence, just staring at him with all the hatred I had in me. But he coughed to clear the air. Arrogant sod he did that on purpose.
"It would really help if you told me what I'd done?"
I threw myself on to the chair next to his bed. My mood had rapidly changed from anger to depression.
"I have to spend the next 2 months checking on you every day." I mumbled, I was acting like a sulking toddler it was pathetic. I was pathetic.
"oh." He sighed "Bummer."
"I know." Our conversation was too quiet and agreeable, it's been too long since James and I agreed on something, I wasn't liking this blast from the past.
"I guess you can go home now. I'll see you in" I checked my watch "7 hours."
It was inevitable that another screeching match would begin hours later between Cassidy and I. I hadn't moved since James left, I was lay on his hospital bed, wondering why Merlin was punishing me. I didn't even have the energy to get myself a coffee; I think it's fair to say I wasn't coping well with the news of James' presence for the next 8weeks.
"Tuck what in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?"
"Drowning in my own sorrow." I mumbled into the bed sheets.
"Smelling his sheets isn't going to help you love; I can see that there's a rocky past between you two. I guess you had a messy break-up." She sighed caringly. I didn't register what she'd said until she was sat on the bed and her hand was on my shoulder.
"What?" I blinked, turning to face her, my eyebrows raised to new heights.
"You and Mr Potter have a history." She smiled.
"Yes, we have a history of hatred. No love was ever involved I hate his every atom; I spent the whole of my 5th year at Hogwarts planning a way to kill him without being sent to Azkaban." I corrected quickly before smiling to myself "I never did figure out a way."
"If there isn't a past between you, I see no reason for you to be slacking at work." She quickly changed her tune "You have several patients to be attending to. So get back to work." She reminded me of Professor McGonagall when she was mad, they both have the whole angry head shaking thing totally covered.
My day had never dragged as much; Healer Cassidy wasn't lying when she said there were several patients I had to attend to. On top of the already bad mood I was in, my emotions were on a downward spiral throughout the day, and just as I thought it was over at 3 when my shift ended I was given an unwanted reminder.
"Erm Miss...Miss...Healer Tuck?" I turned around from the coffee machine, disappointed that I couldn't watch my coffee be made in peace, to be faced by a jittery nurse Joshua or as I called him 'Cassidy's skivvy' both were accurate career descriptions.
"Yes?" I asked impatiently tapping my foot as I heard the coffee machine begin its magical work.
"C...C...Healer Cassidy told me to remind you that you must visit Mr P...Potter tonight."
His timidness irritated me to no end, I don't know why he acted like such a girl seriously the boy needed a backbone. He stood there hunched over as though I was going to pounce at him and attack. Merlin, I'm not that much of a threatening person.
"Yeah yeah, thanks Josh." I muttered as I turned to retrieve my waiting, well deserved coffee. It was half past three by the time I decided I should go home, I had no reason to delay going home, if anything I should be rushing home to get a few hours of me time before work again took over. Me time, ha that was occasion unheard of within my life schedule. Let me see, oh I had a bath last week that took an hour I guess that classes as me time and I was on one of them dreadful blind dates Harriet constantly organises for me despite my protests, according to her I am 'inadequate at finding myself a worthy man.' Apparently not having a serious relationship at the age of 20 is unheard of.
"Hello!" I called out as I landed in the hallway of our apartment. No answer, maybe wishes did come true and I did have the place to myself for a few hours. This was a revelation I must plan the next 2 hours of my life very carefully so I get the most out of this period of aloneness. I believe a well deserved shower was in order, I may even shave my legs – not that that was needed, I can't even remember the last time I had sex it must have been at least 3 months ago. Maybe I could read a book for a while or I could watch a movie. No I didn't have time for a movie. Who was I kidding; I'd have a power shower and do some more paper work.
My life was pathetic.
Really, really pathetic.
I did shave my legs, but there was no book, well there were several books none of them books I wish to read in my spare time though, all were books I was making notes in about various patients.
I peered at my watch: 5 o'clock.
"Why the hell did I become a healer?" I groaned to myself as my face slammed against the pile of books in front of me. I hadn't yet eaten, I still had three more files to fill in before the morning and I was due at Potter's house within the next hour. I'm 100% sure Catherine Cassidy was preparing me for death, she was working me as hard as she possibly could and giving me long-lasting patients who I despise being in the same room as whilst she comes up with the master plan to pull the final jenga block from beneath me. She was evil, evil I tell you. I bet she was a death eater who had something against Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff decedents.
I should see a psychiatrist.
"Hello, I'm Emma Tuck and I think my boss is trying to kill me."
"Hi Emma"
"I'm Bob the Builder and I have a fire whiskey addiction."
"Hi Bob"
I was destined to be at a convention for mentalists by the age of 23 there was no hope for me. I would be sat in a caravan at the age of 50 with 23 cats, a hamster and a pigeon, mumbling about Catherine Cassidy's plans to murder me. I needed to get out of this house, I was driving myself insane.
I paced up and down the street staring at my mobile phone wondering whether James had the same number as he did in 2nd year, I could only hope. I attacked the green button of my phone with my thumb and pressed my phone to my ear waiting for a voice to answer.
"Hullo?"
"Hi, James?" I subconsciously bit my lip hoping I wasn't making an embarrassment of myself.
"Erm Yeah it is, Emma?" he sounded confused. Oh God I was making a fool of myself.
"Yeah, do you have my number saved? How'd you know it's me?" I felt slightly alarmed at the Idea; somehow it wasn't right if he had my number saved, even if I did have his.
"No" he chuckled "you're just the only Irish person I know."
"Oh, yeah." I replied dumbly "listen, I live in Dublin and you live in London so it's a bit inconvenient for me to come all the way, as long as you're not dying. You're not dying, are you?"
"No I'm not dying, but you can apparate right?"
"Damn it!" I exclaimed before putting the phone down, my feeble attempt to bypass the scheduled visit to James Potter had backfired. Tomorrow I shall try the sick card, for now I have no choice but to go to London.
"James?" I knocked on the door again. I could hear him moving around on the other side of the door; I knew he was just trying to wind me up. "Potter for fuck sake, open the damn door, I do not want to be here so don't make it more difficult!" the shuffling stopped for a moment before footsteps began to echo towards me. I jumped away from the door, his footfalls were too symmetrical, he should be limping, oh Merlin I've been shouting abuse at the wrong door.
"Miss Tuck." Harry Potter smiled politely as he opened the door. I didn't move I just stared, my face burning as embarrassment washed over me. My eyes shut of their own accord as my brow creased and I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I must admit I would rather it had been the wrong house with half of an Italian mafia ready to kill me than this. This was purely horrific.
"Hi." I squeaked awkwardly, I should have told Potter over the phone that I was unable to apparate; my failure at such a mediocre task would be less painful than this. "I didn't know his family were here, I can come back later."
I span around to walk off at speeds I didn't know my legs were capable of.
"Miss Tuck!" I tried to ignore him in hope he would let me come back later, or never – never sounded good. My short legs deceived me as he caught up to me with ease, I should have just apparated I seriously forget I have magic more often that I should. "You can come back it's just me there, If you need James alone I was planning to leave soon anyway."
Defeated I ambled back towards his open door. I really do hate my job.
"Potter!" I exclaimed with fake enthusiasm as he looked up towards his father and I's entrance. "Feeling any better?"
"Yeah, cup of tea?" he started to push himself up from his position on the couch.
"No, no don't get up." I hastily chipped in before he stood; I knew a drink would slow the process of me returning home. "Plus I'm a coffee drinker."
There was a silence for a while, strangely it wasn't uncomfortable I'd began to admire his home, you could tell he came from wealth it was written on ever wall, but this room was undeniably homely. James sat on a leather couch in the middle of the room set apart from the hallway by a step down, in front of him lay a glass coffee table and behind that an impressive fireplace, the tell tale pot of luminous green powder on the top. This one room alone held the perfect balance of old and new that I had been wanting in mine and Dom's flat since we moved in last year. If only we were all on 1000 galleons as a weekly wage.
"Best get to business." I smiled realising my mind had wandered for long enough. Walking around to the opposite side of the couch so that I was stood in front of Potter, I peered up at the room again. "Where'd your dad go?"
"He left 5 minutes ago, he did say goodbye but you were giving my coffee table death glares." My face burnt, flushing crimson again. Damn you pale complexion!
Coughing to attempt to act nonchalant was never a strong point of mine. "Yeah, erm... yes. It's a nice coffee table" quickly drawing the attention away from my day dreaming I pulled the rucksack from my back and crouched to the floor to begin rummaging for the needle and potion I needed. "So, no pain today?"
"No my leg's been fine. I see you got here from Dublin easily enough." I stared harder at the contents of my bag in an attempt to hide my face.
"Found it!" I exclaimed pulling a vial filled with a blue substance out of my bag along with a painfully large needle. James' face visibly paled at the sight of it; oh please tell me he had tripanophobia. Okay the next 2 months mightn't be too bad if he's scared of needles. "Are you scared of needles?" I smirked.
"N...No, of course not."
"Don't worry; I legally can't hurt you purposefully, so unless you're my first injection to go wrong or I decide I'm willing to lose my job, you're safe." He looked sceptical of the idea. "Come on Cassidy didn't make me you Healer to punish me, well maybe that was a factor, but she made me come here every day, because you're a 'precious patient' and I'm the safest person to give injections. So just relax, it makes my job easier."
I stood up abruptly once he began to relax. "Take your pants off." My order was met by a puzzled look, before it was overwritten by a lustful smirk. "I'm sticking this in your leg, don't look so happy about stripping in front of me" I scoffed.
"See you in the morning Potter." I left before he could reply.
I guess it could have been worse, hell I know it could have been worse. The main perk of the situation was Potter didn't seem to be in a talkative mood, I knew he'd begin to loosen up around me soon enough though which wasn't what I wanted. You couldn't blame us for our conversations barely passing as small talk; this had been the closest to a civilised exchange from the pair of us in 6 years.