It had been just over a week since the desperate and twitchy intruder in the apothecary[1], but Elixa still felt uncomfortable about returning to that dark storeroom at the back of it. Even though Auror Wingate had swooped to her aide and apprehended the wizard who had held a wand to her head, she still dreamed about it, and the bruises had just about gone. 

Her focus at work the past week hadn't been as keen as ever, and now it was Friday. It didn't help that one of her mentors, Joy Torret, had moved on from being Head of Plant and Potions, replaced by Jules Deville, a fiery character. Arcturus hadn't spoken much about his new superior, but he wasn't one to speak out of turn, or much at all.

She had just finished restocking and correcting supplies for the third floor, which she had unwittingly made a hash of earlier in the day, when she ran into Deville. There was no avoiding the apology she owed to the new head of floor.

"Madam Deville," Elixa began formally, even though Jules was three years or more her younger. She dusted her hands off on the front of her St Mungo's apron, "I've corrected the store, and must apologise for earlier. It… it won't happen again." Hopefully there wouldn't be another round of angry healers.

1.	The Desperate Thief

A lot of things had happened in the past few weeks in the Department of Potions and Plant Poisoning. It must have sent the former Healer-in-Charge running, because Jules had been promoted. She wasn't questioning her good fortune, of course. It did not help, though, that her first task of the day had been hindered by the fact that the apothecary was in ruins. Jules was a very particular worker and did not like things to be a mess. She was all about clean lines and aesthetics, especially when it came to a room crowded with antidotes and other such remedies for serious ailments.

Jules was frustrated, but she did feel small pleasure in the fact that she was now able to yell at someone for it. Authority felt nice. She had to remember not to abuse it, though, because such an attitude had gotten her into trouble about a decade earlier. Healer-in-Charge was a title she definitely didn't want to lose. Plus, Elixa was the one whose duty it was to organize the closet or whatever, so Jules supposed she might be a little shaken up. Jules was reminded of her need to reprimand as she approached Elixa in the hallway.

"Madam Deville..."

Madam. Ugh. Jules hardly felt like a Madam, but now that she was past 30, she'd been hearing it a lot more often. She frowned a little, longing for the days when she was called 'Miss' more frequently. Elixa continued to speak, apologizing for the state that the apothecary had been in. Jules' frown persisted. She looked down at her clipboard and then adjusted her glasses, carefully thinking about how to approach the situation.

"You know, Madam Elixa," Jules responded casually, "it is pretty dangerous to leave the store that way. You don't want to get things mixed up. What if someone had run in needing antitoxin for a basilisk wound and came running out with antivenom for an acromantula bite?" Jules' face remained serious, though she knew the situations she proposed were a little unrealistic. The point still held.

Deville was none too impressed. It was probably a combination of being genuinely annoyed and wanting to prove herself in her new role in charge of the floor. Elixa was used to some of the ruder healers ordering her about because she was just an apothecary, but thankfully not too many of them did.

"Believe me," Elixa began in her defence, while accepting she was owed a telling off for her mistake, she didn't like receiving it, "I never underestimate the risk a mistake makes, which is why I was here so quickly to rectify it." Despite her short stature, she had a great deal of self pride, and her chest beneath the hospital uniform and apron swelled as she sought to defend herself.

"With respect," she continued, though any onlooker would probably have said she was speaking out of turn in the hierarchy of the hospital, "should a patient even survive the few minutes after a basilisk bite, I would hope any healer worth their salt on this floor could recognise the unique shape we bottle phoenix tears in."

Her face flushed as she defied the senior healer's example before her mind could really register what on earth she was doing. Bother, she was going to get reprimanded for insolence as well as stocking the wrong items in the store.

"Madam." She added, before swallowing hard as she realised her rash response. She only had two options now - retreat, or stand her ground and feel the wrath.

Jules was not a tall woman, but she wore heels as often as she could to prevent people from recognizing that fact. In her heels she was a few inches taller than Elixa, but the difference was not much. Jules had to admit, Elixa had a pretty powerful stance herself - one that could rival her own. Jules remained aloof, however, listening expressionlessly as Elixa defended herself -- and added a 'madame' to the end of her little rant for maximum impact. Jules' expression did not change.

"As you have correctly noted, a healer would have but minutes to tend to a basilisk wound," Jules said, slightly emphasizing the word 'healer' to emphasize the fact that Elixa was not really the one who needed to access this closet in an emergency situation. "And in those few crucial moments, it would be really excellent if you did not have to look around, wondering where on earth the Phoenix tears have been put." Remaining unaffected by Elixa's confident stance, Jules stood her ground and maintained her strong gaze. It was only the fact that Elixa had so recently been through a big scare that Jules did not point out that it was inappropriate to call someone younger than you 'madame.' It was time to remain diplomatic.

Besides that, in general, Elixa wasn't bad. Usually she knew what she was talking about and had been a good apothecary for a while. She would be a good fit in the department later on in her career. Still, keeping potions meticulously organized was vitally important to the department's operation. Oftentimes time was of the essence when working with patients.

The two of them were engaging in a staring standoff, which to onlookers was both a source of mild amusement and concern. Joy had led her floor in her own way, and Jules had hers, but it wasn't often discipline discussions were overseen.

"I apologise for the mistake, and it will not happen again." Elixa spoke eventually, feeling that for all she hated being told off, the best way out of the situation was to be humble and apologise.

"If there is any additional stock, or new items you would with us to prepare for the floor, do let me know. You are running low on jobberknoll feathers, though the supply has been unpredictable of late for the whole hospital. You have sufficient to last you three weeks on current demand." She had pulled a little notebook from her apron and a self-inking quill just in case Jules happened to mention anything.

"But you're busy, I'll await formal requests as usual." She dipped her head slightly and took a pace back, intending to retreat unless the healer had further demands, or further berating to deliver.

Perhaps one day when they weren't at odds, she could broach the subject of shadowing and potentially joining the intake of new healers to the floor to finish off her training that she'd abandoned before. However, she hoped they'd not be clashing like this all the time.

Although she knew that she was a badass, Jules also knew that she could be a little too intense. While she had always been hard on herself, she had very slowly come to realize that discipline was not necessarily the optimal way to get the best results from her co-workers and staff. Sometimes it was very hard to remember this, for instance when her herbs and medicines were mixed up. Jules was very particular about organization, especially when it came to work, and so she really had been infuriated by the mess this morning. However, she also knew that this was not typical behavior from Mordent, and so she had to loosen up. She had apologized, after all.

"If there is any additional stock, or new items you would with us to prepare for the floor, do let me know. You are running low on jobberknoll feathers, though the supply has been unpredictable of late for the whole hospital. You have sufficient to last you three weeks on current demand.... But if you're busy, I'll await formal requests as usual."

Jules nodded. She had noticed the discrepancy in jobberknoll feathers, but luckily hadn't needed them recently. "I'll put an order in," she responded executively. "I believe we're running a bit low on kneazle fur as well, which we should stock up on for the next few weeks." Surprisingly enough, kneazle fur was quite helpful for treating springtime allergies. [I just made this up- let me know if I should change it!!]

While she hadn't been working the day of the break-in, Jules had been shocked by the news. She wasn't sure what she would have done had she been there. While she was a tough woman, she didn't know if she would be able to stand up to such serious criminals. Elixa must have been really shaken up. "How have you been, Elixa?" Jules asked, putting no particular tone into her voice so that Elixa wouldn't feel pitied or victimized. Another important part of being a boss was ensuring that the staff was mentally okay, and despite her rough edges, Jules did have a pretty good sense for when someone was upset.

All about them, the hustle and bustle of the busy floor continued, with the rattle and clink of glassware and the quiet chatter of patients and staff that was all fairly hushed, nobody wanting to disturb or alarm anyone with exclamations.

"Kneazle fur," Elixa echoed with a nod, and jotted it down, her quill scratching across the little notepad. She was about to look up and ask if there was anything else when Jules got there first.

"How have you been, Elixa?"

"Er!" The noise broke free of her lips in a surprised tone, not realising she'd be asked such a thing, expecting to skulk away and kiss backside for a bit to adequately apologise for not having her mind on the job.

"I'm, er - fine, yes, just a mistake, a silly mistake." She quickly rattled off, though colour had flushed to her cheeks. "You erm, of course meant with respect to being manhandled by a desperate stranger and held at wand-point in the apothecary? Well, I've had better days, and I try not to think about it… or visit the darkroom." She referred to the room at the back of the apothecary where items were stored in darkness to improve longevity and due to their volatile nature.

As she spoke, a hand had gone to her neck where she still thought about being held in a tight grip.

"Thanks though. It's, good motivation to getting back to healer training," she added more brightly, "Well, if you'll have me potentially up here? Hah, probably more that Arcturus will be sick of seeing me if I did." She smiled and chuckled to herself, eyes glancing about a moment should the healer, also her housemate, be passing by.

Elixa appeared flustered at Jules' inquiry, which made Jules feel a slight twinge of guilt. Jules wasn't the type of person to talk about her problems, and often lied about their existence when questioned about it. For this reason she tended to avoid asking people questions that she viewed as highly personal, and perhaps talking about such a jarring experience was just that.

"You, erm, of course meant with respect to being manhandled by a desperate stranger and held at wand-point in the apothecary? Well, I've had better days, and I try not to think about it... or visit the darkroom."

Jules listened closely to what Elixa was saying, trying to make sure she looked just as attentive as she was being. Although Jules had a reputation for being a hard-ass, she didn't hate everyone. In fact, for the most part, she hoped the best for everyone. It wasn't easy to become a healer if you didn't have such a quality. She nodded and glanced over at the darkroom when Elixa referred to it. What had happened to Elixa was horrible; Jules didn't know what she would have done in a similar situation. She liked to believe that she would be just as tough as ever, but by the way Elixa was protecting her neck, Jules wasn't so sure anymore.

"Thanks though. It's good motivation to getting back to healer training. Well, if you'll have me potentially up here? Hah, probably more that Arcturus will be sick of seeing me if I did."

At the comment about Arcturus, Jules scoffed. "Arcturus will be fine," she responded. "Of course we'd be happy to have you here. So long as you remember to order that kneazle fur," Jules teased. In all reality, Elixa would make a good addition to their team. She needed more experience, of course, but it was hard to find competent people with a background in poison. "What is it about Potion and Plant Poisoning that attracts you?"

"Oh don't worry, I won't forget." Elixa replied, cracking a smile which made her feel all the better for releasing the tension between them both. She much preferred Jules when they weren't being all heavy and official, but unfortunately the two of them tended to meet in those circumstances.

"What is there not be drawn to?" She breathed, and let her shoulders drop. "I've always adored both subjects, and with working in the apothecary business in the time I've been away from healing, I'm still very much invested in the industry as well as the branches of healing." Taking a step away from the other witch, she looked around herself. "I've considered creatures, but working with werewolves at Frolich but that was very much my parents' focus, and St Mungo's does such good work there already…" She didn't want to mention that the likes of Healer Bombay worked there, who she didn't quite see eye to eye with.

"Potions and plants are my focus, and patients of course." She blushed a little at the comment and turned her head away a moment from Jules.

"I should get on and leave you to your work, Healer Deville." She spoke in a louder tone, tucking away her notes and stepped aside.

"Uhm," she added in a quieter tone as she went to pass by and leave the floor, her eyes bright, smiling gently, throwing caution to the wind, "if you ever wanted to grab a drink after work, let me know."

Jules knew that there was an extensive area of study that involved apothecary work, and to Jules this was valuable work. She knew which medicines did what, but beyond that it was a bit baffling. For example, who on earth figured out that kneazle fur helped allergies? The human brain could be pretty amazing sometimes. Jules listened avidly to the girl's tales, and nodded periodically throughout.

"Potions and plants are my focus, and patients of course."

The girl had a knack for pharmacy-type work, and this was a brilliant start to a career in healing. Jules did value Elixa's opinion, as she was good at what she was good at. "I think you'd be a great fit here," Jules said. "Maybe you should start shadowing one of our healers, for a few days. To see if it's your thing," she added. Might as well sample the goods, right?

"Uhm, if you ever wanted to grab a drink after work, let me know."

It had been a long time since someone had asked Jules out for drinks, and in all honesty the fact that it was happening now was making her a little too excited. She kept her cool composure and said "That would actually be very nice," Jules answered. "Let me know what day works best for you."

"Sounds like a plan," Elixa remarked to the suggestion of shadowing, "I'll arrange to come see you soon and set the details." She smiled.

"Well, after today… what time do you finish? I'll be about ready for something after work. Its been one of those days. Weeks even."

There was a sudden rush of activity further down the ward as a new arrival was brought up.

"I'll send you a memo, we'll go for drinks soon, you've got your hands full - me mine - later. I promise." She let Jules go and take charge of her floor. She owed the woman a drink for sure.



End