Wednesday evening in Hogsmeade was one of the quieter nights, which had been the purpose behind suggesting it when he'd run into Eddy the previous week. He'd not had time to stop when they had run into each other, the first week of Spring term always busy. But by the following Wednesday, all was a little calmer.

It didn't stop those who recognised him at the bar of the Three Broomsticks from congratulating him on his happy news as he insisted on paying for the first round. Much as Ignan was glad to have married Miranda Elliot, he hadn't wanted it to draw so much attention. That was one of the points of going away to get married.

"If you end up in the next edition of Witch Weekly, Eddy, I apologise in advance," The Professor remarked quietly to his former student as they found a table a little way from the other occupied ones and put their drinks down. He slid his heavy winter cloak from his shoulders and folded it over the back of one of the empty chairs at the table and sat down.

"Been what, eighteen months since you escaped Hogwarts?" He asked, studying Eddy with reserved curiosity, "How have things been?" She looked well, though it was always a little tricky to pay a compliment. "What are you up to these days?"

It had been a long while since Grace had returned to Hogsmeade, though not quite as long since her last significant meeting with Professor Storm in an effort to catch up. In November 2009, he had managed to round up the whole lot of former students turned Auror Trainees at the Leaky Cauldron in an effort to see how he might alter his lessons and preparation of students who wanted to pursue Auror training. A lot had happened since that time and also previous reservations about her former professor had tempered to viewing him as a respected mentor, even if they did not see each other quite so often.

Thus, when they had crossed paths and Storm had invited her to The Three Broomsticks, she happily accepted the chance to catch up. It was not out of curiosity about what the gossip rag, Witch Weekly, had said. Grace Eddy had more important things to do than to get swept up in that sort of thing!

She had enough on her plate with Auror training duties, dabbling with medic training and her recent move. Sadly, she realized that socializing had taken a back seat to all of that work. Despite the jam-packed days, she was happy to say that she did still find time to unwind in her solitude. Even if that meant falling asleep at night while reading or trying her hand at meditating. She was in a good place and it managed to keep her spirits and energy high for the time being.

As such, she breezed into The Three Broomsticks, her cheeks rosey from the wintery winds and her rusty hair glistening ever so slightly from the dusting of snow it had just gotten from her walk from the station. When she saw Professor Storm, she flashed him a smile, not quite one filled with fondness and warmth for family and friends, but not hostile, aloof or detatched either, which at one point during her seventh year of schooling might have been the norm.

"Very good to see you, Professor Storm," she remarked, before ordering her drink. Then, to his reference of the magazine article, she shrugged dismissively and said, "I hope you had a good holiday vacation. It's always nice to spend it with family, newly acquired or otherwise." The last words were said with a hint of humor. "Mine was rather low key. I visited my family in Cornwall and then returned to work."

After finding a table and shrugging out of her winter coat, she addressed his inquiry, which she had expected was coming. "Yes, about a year and a half since school ended for me. A lifetime ago it seems but not altogether long, really." Her gaze dropped for a moment to the drink she held in her hand, knowing that Storm knew of how her seventh year had ended, even if he had never known the particulars. Even before that, though she had been a proficient student in DADA, she had never been the star student. More like she was diligent and hardworking and most of all, determined. She enjoyed his classes but they weren't at the forefront of her intentions to become a healer like herbology or potions. And DADA certainly had not been considered a passion.

Despite all of that, and perhaps in spite of all that had happened during the last months of her final year, Professor Storm's constant vigilence for excellence and his unorthodox methods of making a point had nudged her to a top mark in the class. It had been a pleasant surprise and consolation for not completing her Herbology NEWT. A bittersweet end to her Hogwart's experience.

Looking back up, Grace realized she had never thanked him for his efforts and it seemed foolish to say something to that effect now. She hoped he knew of her gratitude. Maybe hearing how his students were doing offered a certain amount of thanks in that regard.

Taking a deep breath, she told him, "Well, things have been....interesting. When we last spoke at length, I was still living with the other Auror Trainees at the Radford Estate. But I recently moved out on my own to an apartment that is a little closer to work." She paused, thinking for the right wording before adding, "Fauna, Dion, Dax, Brett....though we're all seemingly doing the same thing, in some ways we're also not." She watched him intently, wondering if he sensed what that meant. Finally, she shared, "You remember that I wanted to be a healer once, right? Well, once I returned and got my Herbology NEWT, I started to look into ways that I could still incorporate that into what I'm doing now."

The Professor nodded his head once to Eddy's comment of newly acquired, his left hand rested at the base of the pint of ale he'd bought back from the bar with his former student's drink.
"Low key is always better in my opinion." He muttered in agreement but let her go on.

"No, not that long, all things considered," The Professor agreed, "but plenty of water under the bridge I'm sure. And things…?"

"Well, things have been....interesting. When we last spoke at length, I was still living with the other Auror Trainees at the Radford Estate. But I recently moved out on my own to an apartment that is a little closer to work." Ignan glanced upwards as he recalled the gaggle of students who had decided to live in the same house together. It was good company, and they were more than used to sharing space from school, but he was not surprised that they should be moving on by now.
"That must be a relief to get space to yourself." He remarked rhetorically, and nodded in mild encouragement.

"Fauna, Dion, Dax, Brett....though we're all seemingly doing the same thing, in some ways we're also not." He had heard from some of them in vague senses, or heard of then in others. "You remember that I wanted to be a healer once, right?"
"Yes…?"
"Well, once I returned and got my Herbology NEWT, I started to look into ways that I could still incorporate that into what I'm doing now."
"Into being an auror?" The Professor asked, clarifying, just in case she meant she was going to switch to St Mungo's in the near future. "Is there more one can do within the training now, a leaning or a specialism?" He asked with genuine interest. "You have me intrigued."

Grace was not sure if her stoic former professor was shy, embarrassed or a combination of both from the attention his recent nuptials garnered. But it made him seem mortal in a way that had not existed when he was teaching her. She had always felt a need to prove him and others wrong or to at least live up to some expectation or high standard. And looking back now, it was likely more of her own doing than anyone else's. That was just the perfectionist that she had been. Life had done its share of humbling her or just helping her to realize that there were other ways to be content with one's performance even if it didn't result in the highest score, most praise, or even the career you had once envisioned. His mention of what happened at Hogwart's was water under the bridge made her nod in agreement, even if he had not asked for that affirmation.

"I don't know if relief is the right word," Grace said thoughtfully, her brow raised as she considered what the past year and more had been living with her roommates. "I think I will miss the bustle of that environment. The companionship and the strengthened feeling of teamwork and belonging. But there are some pursuits I'm undertaking now that require more focus."

Seeing his interest and some confusion regarding what she had already said, she chuckled. "Ah, yes. Ever the overachiever, I am trying to become an Auror Medic." She shrugged. "Or something to that effect. Though I'm not sure if that's the right name for it. Maybe glutton for punishment is more like it."

The Professor couldn't imagine the thought of living in a busy household. The school was bad enough and he could lock himself away from them all at the end of a day, give or take disasters that required his summoning. Only one drink tonight, he'd have to keep a clear head for dealing with such when he got back.

"Better an overachiever, than an underachiever, Eddy." The Professor nodded to her and raised an eyebrow. He was forever pushing his students, and Eddy, amongst the first to deal with him as he arrived for her final year received the brunt of his demeanour fresh from Durmstrang. Ignan hoped these days he had a little more tact in spurring students along. Minerva was not so keen on his methods of stunning the worst to discipline them.

"An auror medic. Hm," The Professor repeated, thinking to himself a moment, glancing up and away as he did and blinking as he visualised what that might be like. His gaze dropped back to Eddy a split-second later, "so does that mean you would more treat victims at the scene, or your suspect should they be injured, or that you would take more of a specialism in dealing with crimes which involve dark magic injuries or effects on the body? Or both?" He asked genuinely. "How does one train to be such? Will you be based at St Mungo's some of your training with the Healers in Training?"

There was something about his way of just calling her "Eddy" that made her sit up straighter and prouder, especially when it was done while validating her personality as an overachiever. Afterall, wasn't that how she had managed to get a high final mark in DADA after falling just short of it throughout the rest of the year? She had worked hard and it had paid off. It helped to be continuously reminded of the virtues.

She simply nodded her agreement to his words and sipped from her drink. When his next barrage of questions came, she swallowed awkwardly and choked back the liquid as prepared an answer. "Well, it's still not really defined exactly just yet," she finally managed to say after clearing her throat. "I guess there is a lot of room to make it fit what's needed. But treating victims, suspects and even injured colleagues on scene would be, at the very least, fill a void." She considered the other train of thought that he had mentioned which she had not considered before but which was interesting. "I had never thought about it including  dealing with dark magic injuries and their effects. But that too makes sense."

Grace went quiet for a long moment as she ruminated about the new, not quite defined position, if it could really be called that. In any conversations she'd had about it to that point, it mostly was refereed to as added responsibilities on top of what she already was doing as an Auror Trainee. And for the most part, they were voluntary. Or primarily voluntary to trainees who could handle it. 

Storm's last question was an important one. And one she didn't wholly have an answer for. "I guess that's still to be determined," she began. "But I imagine whatever it is, it will set the precedent for others who may wish to follow the path." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, it dawned on her how much pressure that might bring with it. "Maybe my training won't be as specialized or extensive as Healers in Training. But more first responder or what field medics get?" Grace furrowed her brow as she tried to recall how Auror Eleor had described it once. "Auror Medic....combines both combat and healing but really isn't either?"

The Professor made a small hmm of agreement to Eddy's observations.
"These skills are essential for all in some proportion," He agreed, "There are techniques one learns generally as an auror, but so much more past that which can help in the first instance. It's not always safe for a healer to step in - though in peacetime, the situations are less frequent, mercifully." He sipped his ale with a furrowed brow.

"I have encountered in my lifetime, wounds and injuries made with dark magic which repel attempts to heal, to the point of endangering the aid that comes to them. So it would be prudent to read up on such cases if you pursue in detail." He twisted his pint on the beermat before him, "Equally, there was a time I was forced to quiz a dying colleague who was beyond help, on what formed his fatal attack to ensure the rest of our party would be able to succeed in capturing the culprits[1]."

He frowned at the thought, realising a moment he'd digressed into rather less upbeat territory for conversation, and looked momentarily apologetic to his former student.
"My time as an auror was not in peace, though, Eddy, a rather different approach. Whatever you do, don't let isn't either turn into being ill prepared for fighting your corner against an attack." Former student or not, they needed more Grace Eddys in the Ministry, so he wasn't keen on this one being snuffed out too early.

1.	Accounted for here

Grace listened with great intent as Storm spoke. He had that way about him that seemed to bestow the glowing serenity of his respect while also stoking an uneasy doom of realism.

Perhaps more than any other of her age and position, Grace was aware of and understood the breadth of the role she wished to pursue. At the very least she sensed the outlook could be unpredictable -- rewarding at best and grueling at worst. It would hardly be easy. But then, what part of her life had been to that point? Wasn't she accustomed to being the underdog by now? If anything, she openly courted the unconventional or difficult route to get to a destination. It was strangely fulfilling and she was quickly realizing that her hardships and the resolve she used to overcome them made her a stronger person, not a weaker person.

In that respect, Grace could not help but respond to Storm's reflections with some of her own.

"I won't lie; I'm very invigorated by the idea of a challenge. I've always seemed to find them and charged recklessly forward to meet them, even when I've not always been prepared or had the knowledge, wisdom or mindset to tackle it properly." A bemused smirk accompanied her words and she hoped Storm knew she was making light of the poison incident in 7th year DADA. Grace set her drink aside and calmly folded her arms on the tabletop in front of her, leaning in closer. "I can more readily admit now when I'm in over my head. And ask for help," she pointedly added. "But, I also know that there are experiences I've had - setbacks and misfortunes-that help my ability to pursue this."

Grace's expression darkened a bit and her brow furrowed as if she were contemplating a deeply troubling or painful thought. "I always wanted to be a healer. And it was disappointing not to be able to fulfill that like I had always envisioned. But I'm starting to realize that life has a way of getting you where you need to go."

She paused before touching on his last comments. "I do want to be prepared for everything - even if it's not pretty. Trust me, my uncle and Auror Eleor are hardly skimping on the notions of what is possible in the worst case scenarios." Another pause and then she finally asked with interest, "If you were me...or if you were pursuing this sort of thing, how would you go about it or prepare?"

"… life has a way of getting you where you need to go."
"It does." The Professor agreed with a nod. He had been entirely opposed to the thought of ever teaching at Eddy's age, and had followed a similar path with auror training. But despite all the hideous things that he had done, life had found him in a classroom trying to prepare young minds for what lay ahead. For their own lifetime of mistakes. "Or fate depending on your belief." He uttered very quietly.

"Good, I am glad they are not. Even if they are just notions or stories." He lifted his drink to his lips, gaze dropping for a moment while Grace asked her question.

"Learning healing alongside being an auror?" He clarified, setting down the pint. "I would consult an expert." He suggested, with the hint of a smirk on his lips, the obvious answer. "No. If I were to train you, say, I would probably construct a syllabus with focus on field healing. Preservation of life, crush, curse, severed limbs, blood loss, plenty on unconscious patients. But in conjunction with standard auror training a heavy focus on defensive magic, particularly on protecting an incapacitated casualty. Wards you can place and release your wand to cast within. Possibly even cover casting at distance if you cannot get close for whatever reason." He drew breath, realising he had enjoyed that question more than he had initially anticipated and squared his shoulders a little in self realisation.

"I would probably," he paused to look up at Eddy with an intense stare, "consider causing you physical harm in training to ensure you could heal yourself and not fall apart. But that's probably a step too far." He dropped his gaze apologetically. "I won't suggest these to Aurors Radley and Eleor, Eddy."  The Professor gave a nod.

"However," he appeared a little sobered, "I have a very knowledgeable contact close to hand. I am sure she would be intrigued to discuss your plans and offer far more intelligent advice on healing."


End