[24 Feb 2012 - 2 PM]

Emma pushed the straps of her large shopping bag back up her shoulder as the customer in front of her finished paying and stepped aside to wait for their drink. She stepped forward, ready to order having perused the menu while she waited in line. The shop was quite busy; Emma should have expected that on the weekend.

With a smile at the barista, she said, 'I'd like a lumo cappuccino and a plain scone, please.'

A couple moments later, she was standing to the side herself to wait for her order. Emma looked around, hoping to spot an empty table, but all those in the immediate vicinity were full. She sighed and rocked on her sore feet, shifting her shopping bag again. She'd been shopping all day and the bag was quite full of various potion ingredients and other items she'd purchased. Hopefully a table would open up by the time her food was ready.

Gris had a good day, she had been off work, and had a good long sleep that night, enough so that she was actually up before 2pm! That was amazing! Who could of imagined such a thing was possible? But succeed she had managed, and to celebrate she had been on a little shopping spree of her own, some food, mostly long lasting for if she can't manage to get home, which is highly likely to happen. But otherwise it had mostly been clothes and some things to try out.

Now she was taking a break, she needed a break, no, she deserved a break. So she was having one. Having just ordered a cup of Hebridean Black, and because she was feeling like having a treat, scones, cream and jam. She didn't share a sweet tooth that ran with someone else in her family. But it was always good as a treat, plus it was no where near as bad as someone else's.

She sipped her drink and rolled her tongue piercing around in her mouth, it was getting busy here, really busy, luckily she had arrived when she did so she can relax. But she did spot someone, seemed a bit older then her, and was standing around, she decided to chance it, besides they seemed a bit worn out. So why not offer a bit of charity, she liked charity, she donated money to zoos!

She raised her hand up to gesture at the person. Quickly waving them down. "You can sit here." She then gestured to the empty seat with her.

Emma's name was called, and she retrieved her mug and plate. As she turned, she spotted someone waving and glanced around to see if she was hailing someone around her. Deciding that it appeared that the young woman did, in fact, mean her, Emma headed over with a slightly hesitant smile.

'Hello,' she said sheepishly. 'I wasn't sure if you meant me.'

As she stood beside the table, her shopping tote chose that moment to slide off her shoulder again and come to a jerking stop at her elbow. It caused her arm to jerk and her hot cappuccino to slosh over her hand. The rest was a chain of disaster that Emma saw just before it all played out. She automatically reached with her other hand to try to stop the mug from dropping, which sent her scone, cream and jam flying and more hot cappuccino spilling over her hand and shoes.

'Oh, no! I'm sorry,' Emma exclaimed. She hissed as her burned hand throbbed painfully.

Oh no that wasn't good at all!

She saw it starting to spill as the bag fell and quickly whipped her wand out, she always made sure to keep it in her sleeve or in a nearby pocket so that she can whip it out quickly, she made mistakes all the time so it was good to have it handy to quickly rescue the situation! Plus she couldn't help herself if she can get one over on a friend...And the Auror training made her a bit antsy, to have to look out for anyone and everything, it didn't make her quick to lash out but it felt safer to have her wand within easy reach.

She jumped and waved her wand to cast, she couldn't save all of the drink but she stopped any more from spilling and to save her scone!

"I got it, I got it..." She muttered softly as they reversed back into the mug and plate. Its better than losing it all on the floor and having to wait again for her to get her order again, along with paying for it again.

"Set them down quickly!"

'Thank you!' Emma exclaimed as she quickly followed the young woman's suggestion and set plate and mug on the table. Then she let her bag slide to the ground, turning her hand so that the straps didn't scrape right across the slightly burned skin. She drew her own wand and tapped the burn and said, 'Episkey.' Even though she had to use her non-wand hand, it was such a simple spell that it instantly healed the slight pain and redness.

Blowing out a puff of air, Emma collapsed into the empty chair and chuckled ruefully. 'Sorry, again. I'm such a klutz. And thanks for hailing me. They're so busy today! I'm Emma.' She got herself situated and took a sip of her cappuccino, smiling at her table companion.

Gris rested back in the seat once she saw that the girl had managed to sit without spilling even more fluid about the place. Or dropping her scone everywhere, at the very least that was a good improvement.

"Its nothing, might aswell share a table, meet someone new and interesting." She said with a playful smile as she took in the other person, she doesn't remember seeing them before but then again most of her time is spent at a desk deep underground so what does she know really?

She offered out her hand gently to the person. "I'm Gris Hericho, and was a Hufflepuff if you couldn't tell." Although to be honest it may not of been obvious, why would it be? But regardless, Hufflepuff she was.

"Having a busy day shopping?" She asked as she looked over her bag, it seemed a little full, which was fair, not everyone lived in London so they made trips to Diagon Alley when it was big shopping time, instead of lots of shops, although even with herself living here she hadn't done many little shops, her own bit full bag was evidence of that easily.

'Me, too!' Emma said excitedly, taking the offered hand and shaking. It was funny how nice it still was to run into someone from your Hogwarts house even years after leaving school.

She put a little cream and jam on her scone and took a small bite, sighing in satisfaction.

'Yes,' she responded to Gris' question, glaring down at the full bag that had caused the near disaster. 'I'm the new healer at Hogwarts, and I came to town for the weekend to get some supplies for the infirmary, as well as for my personal potions-making. I should've dropped my things in my room at the Leaky Cauldron before the bag got that heavy, but I was tired enough that I might not have made it back to finish if I'd gone.' Emma chuckled at herself. She really didn't enjoy shopping, so the goal had been to finish it all as quickly as possible.

Oooh the new Healer, she could get a connection to Hogwarts! Well she had one, but someone she could talk to properly.

"I've got a little cousin studying at Hogwarts currently, you've probably already had her for sugar overdoses." She said as she sipped her coffee. "Her name's Akira, second year Ravenclaw. If you haven't met her, you're better for it." She gave a slight laugh and tried not to choke on her drink as she did so. She may not of been to the Healer at all, she wasn't sure how she got away with eating Haribo's for breakfast.

"Got much else you need to shop for? I can help if you want, I've just mostly been clothes shopping, supplies and gifts for her upcoming birthday." She gestured at her own bag, she still had things she wanted to do herself, but she was in Diagon more then a Hogwarts Healer would be, especially as she mentioned renting a room in the Leaky Cauldron, so it wouldn't hurt to help her out.

"After coffee though, obviously." Coffee was also important, it was the oil that moved the gears of economy. Or she remembered hearing some rant about a fluid oiling the gears of economy sometime.

Akira? 'Hmm,' Emma said thoughtfully. 'The name's not familiar. But that doesn't say much.' She laughed at herself. 'So many students, it's going to take me a long time to remember everyone's names. Right now, I'm just trying to get the infirmary in order and see whomever comes in for whatever.'

Emma considered the younger woman's offer as she took another sip of her cappuccino and bite of her scone. 'Sure and I appreciate the offer,' she said slowly. 'But I think after my little mishap there, I ought to give it up for the day. I'll just haul all this back to the Cauldron and finish up my shop tomorrow.'

She offered Gris a friendly smile, not wanting her to feel that her offer was unwelcome. 'But tell me about yourself. We were both 'Puffs, but I don't think I remember you. When did you finish at Hogwarts?'

"I get that, just want to get back to the room, strip off and settle into a nice bath for the evening." That was a good idea, Gris could do with a nice relaxing bath later, she bought some good candles and some wine, maybe getting some chocolate wouldn't be a terrible idea, she wasn't fond of it but if she gets some dark chocolate then she can avoid the sugar and just rest in the water.

She took a sip of her coffee and smiled softly, she wanted to know about herself? What would be worth talking about she reckoned, there wasn't a huge amount really, if she didn't recognize her its likely she is quite a bit older then herself so there is that. If she was, then she was looking well for her age, but then Wix tend to age slower she's noticed, so that helped to play into it didn't it.

"I graduated last year, been training as an Auror since." She said simply with a shrug. "I'm good for comforting apparently." She wasn't sure what else there was to say, not that she didn't have stuff to talk about, but would she really want more or is there anything she wanted specifically? "What about yourself? Guessing a few years ahead atleast?" Would make sense also if she was only a couple years older and never interacted with those that much younger.

'That's a brilliant idea,' Emma said with a chuckle. 'My sore feet could use a soak, at least.'

She nodded, that would explain it. 'Right, I left Hogwarts, erm, twelve years ago? Can't believe it's been so long, actually. I did my healer training and have been working at St. Mungo's since. I finally achieved my dream just about...two weeks ago to become the healer at Hogwarts.' Emma laughed delightedly.

It still seemed unreal to her, like at any moment she'd wake up in her old flat in London, ready for another grueling shift at St. Mungo's. Emma had loved the people she'd worked with, but the days could be long, exhausting and often emotionally draining. While she'd had a couple of long days in the infirmary already, Emma had found working with the students much more fulfilling; she also had a great deal more freedom to do things the way she wanted.

'Auror training must be so challenging,' Emma said sympathetically. She did not say how very many aurors and auror trainees she'd seen in St. Mungo's over the years. It was an exceptionally dangerous profession.

Gris giggled softly at her enthusiasm, although she's been out of Hogwarts for awhile now, she seemed enthusiastic still, that was good! Most healers she's met are worn down or have weird senses of humour. Or maybe its just the one who patched her up after a training session was like that.

But it was always good to see a happy Healer! The gloomiest jobs she can imagine are Healer, WCU, the person who has to read complaints in on Level Two, and then maybe Unspeakables, but they don't talk about it much so she wouldn't know.

"I'm glad you're still happy with being a Healer. I would of thought it'd weigh down eventually with the same kid being brought in for slug hexes." She leaned back in her seat and gave a wistful smile, luckily she was never really that kid, but there was always that one accident prone child, she wondered what they were now, and prayed it wasn't Hogwarts Safety Inspector.

"I'll be honest, Auror Training has been..." She frowned slightly before she shrugged. "Boring, its training, learning, getting coffee, learning coffee orders, learning who is late for coffee orders but still wants one so you have to get them something for when you get back. Learning who will become jealous from not wanting to order in the first place but you buy for the other person and now they want one. And filling out paperwork. Occasionally its on that person not being prepared for the coffee and burning their tongue."

She may be exaggerating, but it felt like that was all there is, or maybe it just swings so much that the best parts are so good but the lows are so bad you only remember the lows due to how awful they are.

Emma chuckled at the characterization of the accident-prone Hogwarts student. She hadn't been there long enough to learn who might fall into that category, but she'd seen a couple of students more than once in her brief time at the school.

'Oh, yes. I've wanted to be a healer since I was very young. My mum and da run an apothecary shop in Ireland - cater to Muggle and magic worlds. It's what got me interested in potions-making. But I really just love helping people, even if it's a little thing.'

As Gris went on to describe her auror training, Emma raised her eyebrows in surprise. It wasn't what she'd expected at all. Though, thinking back, Emma realized that her early healer training had had similarities. 'I guess I never realized how similar the training is for aurors and healers starting out.' She grinned. 'I didn't have to make coffee runs, but I brewed all the smelliest potions, rolled bandages by hand, organized potion ingredients, scrubbed linens and bedpans, and all of that while learning all the more complicated parts of being a healer.

Sounds like they try to keep you out of the dangerous stuff, at least for awhile.'

Emma paused for a sip of cappuccino and a bite of scone. 'Do you do all your training in London, or do you get to go about a bit?' she asked curiously.

Wanting to be a healer from a young age, that was dedication, when Gris was younger she wanted to be a magical boat driver, enchant a cruise liner or a ferry with legs and take people all around the world. She thought it would be fun, she could get a nice cruise ship and take it about the Sahara, it is after all a type of ocean. And it would be cool, you have all the luxuries of a ship, but it could travel a region that is extremely hazardous to wander. It was the perfect plan really, she only needed like atleast one hundred million to make it work. Possibly.

She gave a small smile at the idea of them being similar, she supposed alot of jobs they do just put you onto coffee duty for ages and take advantage until you get to know better. Then you can do the same to the new people, take advantage and make them brew you coffee while saying its educational. Its the circle of repetitive office jobs. Although neither in this case are really office jobs.

"I feel you had the worse deal there, you had to roll bandages and make potions, clean bedpans..." Which was disgusting, healers needed a payrise just on the basis of bedpans existing. "I just do paperwork and fetch coffee most of the time." She sipped her drink, it was true they probably wanted her out of harms way, although it could also be true that they remember her from having to decrypt her OWL and NEWT exams and wanted to make her learn to write properly.

"Its still more interesting likely though. My most interesting thing so far has been arresting a man who was convinced he was invisible and so didn't need to follow social standards." She looked into the distance as her eyes seemed to gloss over. "He wasn't. He was very visible. And hairy." She sipped at her coffee again with a shiver, she supposed it was true that you see bad things as an Auror. She just expected them to be murder scenes.

Emma almost snorted cappuccino up her nose with laughter at Gris's story and had to set down the cup so she didn't spill it again.

'I'll admit, I've had to see some things I wish I hadn't,' Emma confessed once she'd stopped laughing, and gave a small shudder. 'As for the smells, there are tricks. Some I learned from my parents, like putting peppermint oil under your nose. Others I learned once I started my training. They usually make new trainees suffer for a few days before they show them, but since I already knew the peppermint trick, I got by that phase easily.'

One of her mentors had looked downright disappointed when Emma whipped out a small vial of the oil when she was ordered to empty bedpans on her first day. 'Empty' was a bit of a misnomer as the messes could be taken care of with a simple spell, but if you weren't a quick or skilled caster, you'd still have to smell it for a hot minute.

'I guess it's all about working your way up,' Emma said. 'I was so excited the first time they didn't make me empty bedpans. I started to do it automatically because it had been my first job of the day for over a month, but one of the healers stopped me and said I'd be following him on his rounds that day. Later, I saw a brand new trainee carrying a stack of clean bedpans and knew I was free of the task. I only had to do it occasionally after that.' It had been a long time ago, but talking about it with this very young woman brought it all back like it was yesterday.