Of all days for the Ministry to not be responding to urgent owls… It wasn’t like they had enough to do on the first floor. Luckily for Jason, though, he had enough time to waste to make sure the paperwork got done while his healers and ward Healer-in-charges worked hard on the floor. There were quite a few creature induced injuries, but they also had a few that were temporarily hanging out on the first floor until another floor’s bed opened up. It was amazing how sometimes the hospital was busy, busy, busy, and other times it was just dead (figuratively…).

Both the busy and drag your feet days were disgruntling. As a care provider, you run yourself ragged on busy days, and feel useless on slow ones. There is hardly ever a happy medium, and if you were to find it, the care provider would find some reason why it wasn’t just so. Nevertheless, the hospital was crazy, but it didn’t mean he could run around helping where he could. The paperwork also needed to get done. Perhaps that was why he got paid more to do his job; he went home most nights with a headache from all the regulations he had to keep on top of.

Tugging slightly at the high collared frock Healer coat, Jason waited at the lift in the Ministry. Navy blue did go well with him, if he did say so. Today he was even wearing his cute little Healer hat that folded down (instead of standing straight up, obviously). Once in the lift, Jason leaned against the wall and waited even more for it to finally arrive at Level Four. Once the doors glided open, Jason found himself out in the slight chaos that infested the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Department. Odd how a floor with the name ‘regulation and control’ would have papers flying around the ceiling, loud noises, tons of extra, but no doubt needed, clutter.

Making his way towards Miss Gertrudis office, Jason had to jump out of the way of an enchanted (or bewitched, in his opinion) letter carrier, plaster himself against the wall as a rush of giggling trainees (Jason figured it had to be that, or else Hogwarts was sending out students for field trips) seemed to skip past him, and stop and get a drink of water at the fountain. Once he did get to the office, however, he knocked and waited his turn. They had limited interaction; Creature-induced injury statistics often had to be sent to the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

The more controversy of the dealings between St. Mungo’s first floor and this department came down to the werewolf bites, in Jason’s opinion. It breached confidentiality, yet since it was a danger to the public, it was necessary information… Sticky situations in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. They ought to come up with a better term… Jason fixed his hat a little before crossing his arms over his chest, frowning in thought. Perhaps the Pixie Enforce Squad. Smirking to himself, Jason scratched the back of his head and sighed. He was interested, at least, in seeing her reaction when he told her about his reason for the visit today.

On top of her desk with two skyscraper piles of paperwork, Covadonga stood, trying her best to catch the lavender memo which taunted her by darting around just out of her reach.  There were still people unhappy with the Minister’s choice to promote her—the youngest in all known Wizarding Government history to even be a Department Head at 29—which was why the news would not be announced to the public until the holidays… which at that time she would be 30.  Only the people who needed to know knew where on the ladder Ms. Gertrudis stood.

Mumbling in Spanish, Gobbledygook, and Mermish (the last sounding the most atrocious) she surprised the letter by whistling.  This made Speedy, who had been staring at the spectacle with amused beady eyes, jump out of his nest made of old pieces of pages of books on top of a shelf and glide down, snatching the paper in his beak.  He hopped on Covi’s desk as she finally stepped down and most ungracefully sat in her spinney chair and whirled around.

She relieved the poor raven of his duty as the memo attempted to struggle out of its sharp grasp.  With two fingers she pinned the note down and with the other hand grabbed a book and smacked the heck out of the thing repeatedly until it appeared stunned.  Quickly she took a metal pin and speared the note, which suddenly shivered and fell limp, onto her desk.

Taking a deep breath from all the exertion she put one of the folders in her inbox on top of it.  Covi would worry about it later.  She had to order more Howlers first.

It was only then she heard the footsteps and the knock.  With a flick of her wand the door unlocked itself as she opened the folder.  Looking up Covadonga’s face went pale and she sat straight up.  Usually when Healer Marren decided to pay a visit it indicated one or several of her people had forgotten their place and training.  With a pained expression she asked, trying to be as business-like as possible, “Merlin’s underpants… who did what now?” she always feared the worst, readying herself to act quickly when hearing any kind of news.   

Perhaps he should have come with more than a small folder with a couple of photos and a small report written up. Not that he had had time, of course…  It just would have been more helpful, now that he was here and thinking about it. What could he do? If she needed more, Jason would get on it and send more (or bring it himself). Tapping the folder lightly, he stood up straight as the door swung open.

His eyes fell on Covadonga, and when her face seemed to fall, he tried to think of what he could say or do to make her at ease. Clearly he could have thought about how it might affect her, seeing him at her door amongst the craziness that he felt he walked into when he stepped off the lift. Again, though, there was nothing he could do about all that now. Opening his mouth to try and make things more understandable, she spoke first.

“Merlin’s underpants… who did what now?”

His face froze as he considered that question, and turned into a slightly puzzled look. His mind went blank, and all he did was stand in the doorway for a few moments before finally closing his mouth. Lifting his hand that held the folder up, he gave her a half smile. “Not who, but what, I think is the best… question. May I come in?” He had to talk to her, and so Jason took it as a rhetorical question, stepping in and closing the door behind him. The chaos could stay in the hall…

Stepping towards her desk, he held out the folder and shrugged. “I noticed a delay in responses and figured that I would never get what I needed by waiting around at the hospital… So I had time to come over and get it taken care of.” Simple enough explanation, he thought. What he really wanted to do, though, was watch her reaction when she saw the photos. Unable to contain himself, a grin slipped through his features before he lifted a hand to cover his mouth, faking a cough.

“Excuse me. Ah… so we had a bit of an interesting conundrum today, and I thought that you should be informed.” He really wasn’t sure what the ‘Pixie Enforce Squad’ would be able to do about it, but he was at least hoping that wherever the lone doxy came from they could follow up on. The first photo (as wizarding photos were) showed a short span of the attacking doxy going at the enraged little man. The second was of it trying to attack the picture taker, which Jason added just for the enjoyment of others. Why they didn’t just put it in a cage first off was beyond him. That’s the triage area for you, he supposed.

“The patient all ready got the first antidote, but I assumed you might like to investigate further…” Behind the first bit of documents and photos was the next case he had to bring up. “Also, you’ll find that we had a runespoor attack come in, who claims that her garden is invested with them…  They were having some sort of disagreement when she came upon the first, the patient said. She irritated it,” and though Jason looked after his patients, he could see why the creature would have attacked her back, “and is now on the floor. She has also been treated, and we’re awaiting possible egg production on the bite…”

That was perhaps the most disgusting part of the day, but common for Runespoor attacks, Jason supposed. If she was attacked at just the right time, he supposed it was possible. There were a couple documented cases of it, and thankfully he hadn’t had to see whether it was a valid reaction to an attack or not. "I also wanted to check up and make sure that the other documents I sent made it here... I believe it was two days ago that we sent off a bunch of updated paperwork." Nothing like throwing everything at her at once.

“Of course!” she replied motioning to one of the seats around the room and then opened one of the doors of her desk, “Coffee or tea?”

She rummaged around to set things up as he talked.  If he wasn’t going to have a cup she still would.  Covi needed the pick me up at this point. 

Ah, it seemed like Pest Advisory missed something.  They had been a bit overloaded lately.  It was part of the chaos.  Turning to look over her desk she peered over the pictures, her blue eyes darting left and right, following the movement of the man and then over the documentation of the woman.  The most curious case was the latter.

Resting her chin on her hand she continued to look as a silence, besides the commotion from outside) took over the room.  The length was almost awkward, but the young Department Head did not register it.  This was often how she worked, quiet for a while as the cogs turned, then formulation the resolution completely before speaking.

“For the first,” she started, interrupting the peaceful quiet, “I am surprised the room had no Doxycide on hand.”  She looked up at the man after staring at the picture once more, “if you are out I know a couple retailers who can supply them.  On top of the fair price they will offer you a discount as you would be categorized as a clinic.  Maybe more since you are actually the only hospital in the area.  No more investigation is needed.”  As she touched the file to move on to the runespoor issue she finished with, “he can acquire some as well, but he will have to pay more as he falls into the household class.  He can buy his own antidote too or he can brew it himself if he has a basic homemade remedies book from Flourish and Botts.”   

There was another short pause as she looked down to refresh her memory of the last subject, “While I know the eggs can fetch a good price on the market, I would rather have the eggs sent to the Pest Advisory Board here.  They can be owled if kept cold as they will not hatch under 20*C or less.”  She sighed as she glanced up with an almost blank stare, “The case itself is most curious…  Runespoors are not native to this area.”  She picked up the paper, “Do you know if they had similar markings?”  Her eyes narrowed, “I suspect someone had a Runespoor as a pet, but it escaped,” she looked down again, “and then laid eggs which were able to hatch into a brood.”  There was a deep breath as she scratched her chin, “If it is a full-blown infestation that means there was a high survival rate… or more than one of the mothers had escaped…”

Her expression turned concerned as she mumbled to herself, “We may have a dark wizard or witch on our hands…”  Covadonga’s gaze turned back to Jason’s as she ominously finished, “I may have to bring this up with the MLE…”

“Of course! Coffee or tea?”

Jason paused as he was halfway down into a chair, thinking that question over. If he had coffee, he’d be up a while—that could be good, though, considering he still had a few hours to go. And if he had tea, it might not give him enough to keep him going as the day progressed. On the other hand, if the coffee was more than he could handle and it kept him up long after he got home… Well, then he’d just have a beer or two to counter it. Finally sitting in the chair, he grinned. “Coffee, please.”

Jason waited as she looked over the folder, and he was disappointed she didn’t find the photos quite as humorous as he did. He sat quietly, however, leaning back and taking the silence to relax and consider as a small break. His fingers interlaced and rested on his lap. He didn’t find the silence unsettling, finding loads to glance at to pass the time.

“For the first… I am surprised the room had no Doxycide on hand… if you are out I know a couple retailers who can supply them. On top of the fair price they will offer you a discount as you would be categorized as a clinic. Maybe more since you are actually the only hospital in the area. No more investigation is needed.”

Shrugging slightly, he watched her. “I suppose my staff doesn’t often like to be the one to… exterminate the pests. Healers are generally compassionate individuals who try to save things. Also, considering the… odd case of it, I didn’t want to eradicate the lone, angry doxy in case you needed it. But if you don’t, we’ll take care of it.” He wrote off that in his checklist and thought he could easily deal with it once he was back. Some healers couldn’t hurt a fly, and others couldn’t care less, but generally most preferred to deal with just the patients.

“he can acquire some as well, but he will have to pay more as he falls into the household class. He can buy his own antidote too or he can brew it himself if he has a basic homemade remedies book from Flourish and Botts.”

Inclining his head in agreement, Jason was a bit disappointed she didn’t seem to find the photos funny. “Of course, thank you. I will take the retailer information and hand it off to the patient. He’ll no doubt be discharged with the remaining antidotes, but we’ll make sure he knows he can do it himself if it happens again.” Teaching was important in the hospital to help the public gain some knowledge about things they could do and places to check before they came to the triage. Especially if it was a long term managed issue.

Doxies were, as far as Jason had thought, easy to look up. Some needed a bit more attention and teaching than others, though. There was a day that Jason thought everyone was smart enough to stay away from an angry, fire breathing dragon, let alone try to climb on its back for a ride. He really did encounter new… ‘situations’ on a daily basis. Always room to grow in his profession, however, and always good to learn something new everyday.

“While I know the eggs can fetch a good price on the market, I would rather have the eggs sent to the Pest Advisory Board here. They can be owled if kept cold as they will not hatch under 20*C or less.”

Nodding at that, Jason would make sure they were accounted for and packaged. “We will send them off by this afternoon, then.” There were jokes made amongst the staff about street value, but Jason trusted them all to only joke and not actually take. It wasn’t as if Healer’s were paid horribly, anyway.

”The case itself is most curious… Runespoors are not native to this area… Do you know if they had similar markings? I suspect someone had a Runespoor as a pet, but it escaped.”

Jason listened as she thought more in-depth than he would have about the Runespoor case. Then again, he was only on the Healing side of the process and didn’t often go beyond into the whys and hows, unless it was pertinent to the issue of healing. It was interesting, nonetheless, and Jason could see where Covadonga would have arrived to her possible conclusion. They weren’t very pretty creatures to keep as pets, anyway, and were quite vicious.

“We may have a dark wizard or witch on our hands… I may have to bring this up with the MLE…”

Frowning at that thought, he considered and acknowledged that it was possible. Just because Voldemort had been defeated didn’t mean that suddenly there were no evil people in the world. If one thought that, they were quite naïve. “Whatever you feel needs done, Miss Gertrudis, is fine with me. I will gladly give a statement or whatever the MLE would need, as will my healers. So long as it won’t violate privacy laws.” Smiling once again, he inclined his head.

“Knock on wand, there haven’t been many werewolf attacks recently, so I haven’t been able to visit your lovely office as much. Everything going all right in the Department?” He had time to catch up briefly before heading back to the hospital, all ready forming his schedule for the afternoon. He really only had to come over with paperwork for the ‘big’ attacks. Lately, though, there had been just a lot of little things here and there. Jason wasn’t sure if that meant things were being saved to happen all at once, if it was just a slow time of the year, or if people just weren’t irritating irrational creatures, but he was always on his toes. Never know when something might happen, he thought.

As the conversation continued she tapped both the tea and coffee brewers, which quietly hummed for a couple minutes before she could pour their respective liquids into their respective cups.  She warned him about how hot it was as she took another one of those blasted lavender memos and used it as a coaster.  The Costa Rican black java smell was… intoxicating.  She did the same with her cup of Darjeeling tea.  Rummaging toward the back of the deep drawer she put on her desk a wee service complete with cream, milk, and sugar.  Personally she kept hers black, but she acknowledged that visitors might doctor up theirs differently.

From another drawer on the other side of her desk, which happened to be a filing cabinet, she poked around the upright files with her fingers, mumbling to herself until she exclaimed, “Ah-HA!  Here we are,” setting a spellotaped thin stack of papers.  “A list of retailers with addresses, but you will have to ask them for a quote.  I do not have that kind of information on paper since the price can vary so much.”  Covadonga tapped the paper with the tips of her fingers before moving on, “Those marked with the shooting stars sell both household and clinician category wares.”  Also a few offered other common pesticides, but they would get that information from the brochure they would receive upon their first owl of inquiry. 

She thanked him briefly in regards to the runespoor eggs.  It sounded like they would need to incubate and hatch a portion under supervision at this point considering the possibility of having to post something for her Department (and maybe others working in the area) to look out for such a creature.  The hatchlings would provide extra information as to the markings.  Some runespoors had the potential to look like regular snakes if there is enough confrontation between the heads that two are bitten off, hence the need for the markings.

Speaking of the runespoors: “Whatever you feel needs done, Miss Gertrudis, is fine with me. I will gladly give a statement or whatever the MLE would need, as will my healers. So long as it won’t violate privacy laws.”

Covi returned his smile with a grin, and then paused.  Hmm… his smile was… kinda… cute.  Vigorously she shook her head, berating her hormones for acting up at such an inappropriate time.

“Indeed.  I promise no breach of confidentiality.  She will remain anonymous and if you have any extra pictures showing the wounds that may be needed by Law Enforcement they will be edited to protect her identity.”  She blew the steam off of her tea before taking a small sip, risking burning her tongue—which it did, but there was no indication of it on her face.  She was used to it by now, and the sensation helped to wake her up further.

“Ah yes, the werewolves,” she sighed and looked back down at the documents spread out before her before looking up at him with more intense stare with her bright pale blue eyes.  They stood out underneath the dimmed lighting of the room, almost looking neon at this point.  “I am glad you mentioned before the Continuing Education with the Doxy victim, as I am working now to improve it in the Support Services office.”  She nodded toward an encyclopedic sized folder which was neither in her inbox or outbox.  “One of my main projects when I need a break from all the dastardly old bloody stuff my predecessor left behind,” Covi snarfed in annoyance.  She was actually very proud of what she had come up with so far, it was her baby.

Taking a breath and another sip before continuing she lowered her gaze, “At the moment I am in the process of sending owls to the community to see if anyone would like to volunteer in my experimental ‘Big Sister/Brother’ program. Ah!” she exclaimed, “If you see any of our lycanthropic cousins come in to Mungo’s for some thing or another could you pass the word as well, please?”  It was a flicker of a thought which had dawned on her at just this moment as the looked up at Jason again, “I can see some would be more inclined to try it out if they hear it from the people who care for them than the Ministry.”

Leaning back in her chair she set her tea down and harrumphed.  “I am also… just working in the idea… to have a werewolf as the head of the WSS or Registry…” she stared at her desk turning gloomy, “I doubt anyone will take to it now… news is not even out of my promotion to the public… and it will take a while for the commotion to calm down about my… age.”  MERLIN!  How she hated that!

Accepting the coffee, he smiled in appreciation to the warning. Freshly brewed coffee, hot? He’d heard everything now. When the sugar came out, he helped himself while thanking her. Strong and sweet; just like Jason. Happy inside his head with that little bolster to his self confidence (not that he needed a bigger ego), he settled back and smelled the brew, letting out a sigh. “Very nice. Thank you.” He was definitely staying up for a short while tonight.

“Ah-HA! Here we are… A list of retailers with addresses, but you will have to ask them for a quote. I do not have that kind of information on paper since the price can vary so much.”

Glancing to the papers she was looking over, Jason gave her a half smile and took a sip of coffee. “Wonderful! Thank you, it’s very much appreciated.” The hospital could always look to save a few galleons here and there if it were able to save from suppliers elsewhere. As she explained the meanings behind the shooting star, he merely nodded and accepted the papers. “It’ll be put to good use. Thank you, again. Very helpful.” Resting the papers on his lap, he sat quietly.

Jason was happy to see her smile back—she had a nice, warming smile! When she shook her head, though, Jason scratched the back of his head with one hand before taking a gulp of the not so scalding coffee. Delicious and smooth… an inappropriate response settled itself in his head and he grinned against the brim of the mug before taking another sip.

“Indeed. I promise no breach of confidentiality. She will remain anonymous and if you have any extra pictures showing the wounds that may be needed by Law Enforcement they will be edited to protect her identity.”

Jason trusted Covadonga; over the few years, she was one of the best, in his opinion, to take any issue involving creatures to. If she didn’t know the answer, she would find it out. She also took the time to appreciate the healing side of the entire business, which was a nice change. Years ago, working with the reversal magic squad, he felt as if he was constantly bumping heads about patient privacy, regulations, and numerous other issues.

“That’s all I ask.” There had been enough tangles with the Magical Law Enforcement on various floors and wards throughout the hospital, and sometimes it was enough to want to kick them out. Other times, it was pleasant and cordial enough. It all depended on why they were there, Jason supposed. St. Mungo’s had its own security team to help out at the hospital, so when Hitwizards and Aurors came around, it seemed to just cause competition and issues. What he understood of the matter, however, was that they were trying to lessen that. New management and what not.

“Ah yes, the werewolves… I am glad you mentioned before the Continuing Education with the Doxy victim, as I am working now to improve it in the Support Services office… One of my main projects when I need a break from all the dastardly old bloody stuff my predecessor left behind.”

Watching her, following her gaze to the large book-like stack of papers, Jason grinned and nodded slowly. Coming into power in any way always made for some interesting settling in stories. Something left behind by the previous one, having to get the staff to trust you and your knowledge base, or some other, yet equally as horrifying, issue that could pop up. She seemed to be stepping into it well, though. Continuing Education was important from the hospital’s standpoint, anyway.

“At the moment I am in the process of sending owls to the community to see if anyone would like to volunteer in my experimental ‘Big Sister/Brother’ program. Ah! If you see any of our lycanthropic cousins come in to Mungo’s for some thing or another could you pass the word as well, please? I can see some would be more inclined to try it out if they hear it from the people who care for them than the Ministry.”

The thing Jason liked most was that Covadonga didn’t look at her situation and her position of power and think the world would fall at her feet and kiss the ground she walked on. She was realistic, understanding, and just in how she decided to do things. How else could such a young woman get to her throne of power otherwise? Jason supposed some could fight and poison their way to the top… but trusted Covadonga to be at least a little more cunning than that.

“Certainly, Miss Gertrudis. Sometimes it does give a softer blow for someone to talk to them than to try and tell them.” There was a lot of misconception amongst those who felt ostracized by society and the government all ready, a strong disbelief in the upholding of cavalry and law for their sake, and Jason could understand that a lot of community teaching and inpatient discussions could help out more than if the Ministry stuck to doing it on their own.

“I am also… just working in the idea… to have a werewolf as the head of the WSS or Registry… I doubt anyone will take to it now… news is not even out of my promotion to the public… and it will take a while for the commotion to calm down about my… age.”

His eyebrows rose at the idea of a werewolf being head of something, and he nodded slowly at the idea. When she mentioned the public opinion, however, Jason grinned wide and settled back in his seat, taking a big gulp before resting the mug on his thigh. “So why not twist the press your way? I can get an article or two written and published to swing in favor of you. ‘New hope for a staggering generation!’ Something to offset it. The reason to bring in someone young is for that new hope, right?”

Shrugging slightly, he rubbed his cheek. “I would think that would be the perfect time to open up the position for a werewolf, honestly. I mean, they were wary of previous heads because they weren’t so… willing to go out on a limb for them, right? But offering them a job is an opportunity many don’t have.” Lifting his mug to his lips again, he paused before sipping. “I think you’d have a high amount of applications, come to think of it…”

It was good to hear someone be so cooperative when working with the government.  As she took another sip as he took the paperwork.  Glancing over her cup the witch puzzled over the odd look he had on his face before taking another drink.  Wow… he must really like that coffee.  She always respected anyone who liked coffee or tea as much as she; maybe after this whole ordeal with the runespoors she would owl him a bag of grounds.

Pity he put sugar in it, though.

Relaxing further as the Department Head responded positively toward the bare bones of her pet project she had presented she held her teacup with both hands.  “Thank you,” she said sincerely, “I am sure your word would put them more at ease.”  She never said it, but sometimes she wondered what it was like to be a werewolf, to feel the transformation, taste the Wolfsbane and all that.  Then again similar thoughts had crossed her mind whenever she came across something different than her, any creature or being.  After all, you really didn’t know a person until you walked a mile in his moccasins.

Nothing could have prepared her for what he had said next after she meekly told him about one of her wishes for the future.  Just one of the many things she wanted to change in this department, but this was certainly a BIG thing.

“So why not twist the press your way? I can get an article or two written and published to swing in favor of you. ‘New hope for a staggering generation!’ Something to offset it. The reason to bring in someone young is for that new hope, right?”

Honestly, it had never occurred to Covadonga to actually use the press to her advantage.  The Ministry was notorious for being put in a harsh light by the Prophet.  She didn’t know if the newspaper was the thing influencing the people to think the way it did or the other way around.  After all, the writers were also part of the people.  That was why her eyes were as the diameter of the teacup in her hand and there was a touch of a hopeful sparkle in her eye.

“You could… do that?”  For some reason in the midst of the pause she found her eyes follow the white porcelain mug as it went from his lips to his thigh.  Now why in the world… would her eyes be doing that?  Hmm… this meeting had more revelations to it than she had bargained for.  “That would be,” she tried to find the appropriate word, “magnificent!” actually becoming excited at the prospect of shedding some light on the topic.  “Do you really believe someone of the community would stand up so quickly to take up such a controversial position?”

She finally found herself being snapped back to her senses and that calm business-like air she usually presented resumed, although the spark went unhidden in her eyes, “I would need to get permission from the Minister, though.  There has already been a decree that the news not be announced until I am 30, which will be around the holidays.”  She doubted he would change his mind.

“Thank you… I am sure your word would put them more at ease.”

Raising an eyebrow, Jason gave her an amused smirk before shrugging half heartedly. “Someone’s word, perhaps. If we make a positive first impression on the patients, it’s much easier to explain things and get at least an understanding and willing participation from them. It’s certainly easier to do it on a case by case basis from our standpoint, anyway.” When he got back, he’d start looking up information to put into a ‘packet’ for his healers to learn and use with any who would come in.

It wouldn’t take him long to make the first draft, anyway. Just the basic idea of what Covadonga wanted, contact information, and ways the patient could get involved. Simple enough! If he had any questions, he’d just send her an owl directly about it. He wasn’t worried about it, and was all ready processing it into his plan for the afternoon. The only issue was coercing his staff to remember to press the volunteer program for supporters and volunteers.

“You could… do that?”

It was cute how innocent she could seem. Biting his lower lip and grinning around it, Jason inclined his head in assent. Off the top of his head, he had his brother, a couple of his brother’s friends, and Frank. Frank was more likely to get published in a smaller newspaper than the Prophet, but it was nonetheless good to spread it out. Not every wizard and witch read the newspaper, and certainly not all read the Prophet. Many found it too harsh and negative all the time.

“That would be… magnificent! Do you really believe someone of the community would stand up so quickly to take up such a controversial position?”

Thinking about it a moment, Jason frowned in concentration before nodding. “I think it is a topic that is just waiting for the right people to bring it up. If anything, it is a bit late, considering how long werewolves have been around and how long injustice has been done to them.” Some of it was understandable; they were dangerous when they didn’t take their potion and had their monthly transformation. But otherwise, they were normal wizards and witches who had something happen to them beyond their control.

“Finding someone to write the article isn’t the problem. It’s convincing a higher up at the Daily Prophet to print it. That shouldn’t take too much, though…” During the last wizard war, how many false stories had been printed to make the Ministry look better? The right people and the right amount of money was very influential in getting what one wanted out to the public. The media was such an odd object, able to be molded as one saw fit.

“I would need to get permission from the Minister, though. There has already been a decree that the news not be announced until I am 30, which will be around the holidays.”

Frowning at that, Jason shifted in his chair. “Which holidays?” Thinking of the month, he hoped she meant the Remembering Day Holiday. “There will only be so long before people question who is in charge…” Pursing his lips in thought, he finally licked them and glanced to Covadonga, smiling mischievously. “Who all knows you are the current Head?” Honestly... keep this under wraps for that long? Who was the Minister kidding?

The little witch seemed to shrink a bit at the man’s question; he knew he would not like her answer, “End of November…”

She sat up a bit straighter at the last one, though, “And the only people who know are the ones who need to know,” Department Head Gertrudis said a bit stiffly, but there was a subtle tone that her meanness was just out of fun.  “Granted, that happens to be a good number of people,” everyone in the Ministry and other Wizarding governments across the globe who had a sector similar to the RCMC, and the sanctuaries in the country, and St. Mungo’s and other clinics should they need her help which included other Magizoologists… and the list went on and on.

“Come to think of it… who on this earth does not know?” she asked comically, tapping her chin.  The point was that the number of people who would find her situation scandalous and react negatively to it far outnumbered the ones who already knew.  It was a sad but true fact. 

For a moment she matched Jason’s playful stare, but hers had a bit of a twist to it.  Most of the people she worked with knew that look all too well and it made them wiggle in their seats with uneasiness.  It was a look that said she was up to something, but they knew it was for their own good to not ask.  To them that gaze was dangerous, but one could understand how it would intrigue others whom she did not work with.

“Now that we have been speaking of it, I believe it would be better if not brought to the Daily Prophet’s attention,” she added with a sigh, “I would rather have the word spread slowly rather than hit them all with it at once.”  She hummed to herself for a moment as the rolled over the idea in her mind, “What do you think of that?”  Would it stop the possibility of a sudden lashing out from the public from the surprise?  Would it be more comfortable for the werewolves to learn of her intentions while all was still quiet?

“End of November…”

Raising an eyebrow as his face fell a little, Jason tried to think of that. The Minister was insane if he thought he could keep it under wraps for that long. End of November. A good seven months from now. Seven months of undermining the press and the public because of a little thing about age. Some people could probably care less about who was the head of the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Plus, a fresh face was revitalizing…

“And the only people who know are the ones who need to know… Granted, that happens to be a good number of people… Come to think of it… who on this earth does not know?”

Pursing his lips as she revealed this, Jason let out a slow and soft sigh. If so many knew, and it hadn’t been leaked to the press and thrown around on the front covers for people to talk scandalous about, then why was it such a big deal to keep it quiet? It wasn’t as if Covadonga had been caught in an affair with a troll or something. She’d been promoted to the Head of the Department! The troll idea made him backtrack a moment and grimace. That wasn’t the best mental image, considering the last troll he’d seen. Quite a disgusting looking, snot producing thing, it was.

“Now that we have been speaking of it, I believe it would be better if not brought to the Daily Prophet’s attention… I would rather have the word spread slowly rather than hit them all with it at once… What do you think of that?”

Rubbing his chin in thought, he considered a few options that were open to her. The Daily Prophet did not like being on top of the know, and if… his mouth lifted up into a half grin as his brain ran over something else. “So don’t bring it to the Prophet’s attention. Plant it where you want, start talking with the werewolves (and any other creatures you need to), and then it could get out through little articles here and there in smaller journals and newspapers.”

Grinning now, he shrugged and sat forward, finishing off his cup of coffee. “And then when the Daily Prophet comes knocking, you can choose to give them an exclusive interview with all rights for you, or… go to someone else.” Because the Prophet would be knocking eventually. “With the current headlines dealing with the Remembering Day-” He grimaced slightly—Felix hadn’t shut up about how against it he was, “-and various other things, I doubt they’d latch on to this for a while anyway.”

Quietly, Covadonga slumped back into her chair and crossed her legs at the ankles.  Taking one last sip she put the cup delicately on her desk and put her elbows on the armrests.  After a moment of tapping her fingers together as she stared blankly at all the piles of paperwork before her blue eyes her arms fell.  Slowly she refocused and lifted her chin back up to her guest.

Narrowing her eyes in concentration Covadonga stared at Healer Marren, right in the eyes.  Unless you were an experienced Legilimens there was no clue as to what was going on in that brain of hers.  She seemed frozen, unblinking until she finally spoke.

“I will take you up on your offer to have some of those articles written,” another pause as she looked at his lap.  “More coffee?” she asked cheerfully as she sat up, her expression turning 180 from that frigid look and stance she had before.

The Department Head slid her brewer’s drawer open and took out the pot of tea and refilled her own cup.  While small the coffee pot had at least another 3 mugs.  As she poured she added, “I will send some notifications out to the Magizoological journals I know.  Maybe extend it to other subject specific ones as well.  Everyone has their own hobbies and interests, and werewolves are a part of that ‘everyone’.”  She smirked as she admitted, looking at the man before her with a demure sideways glance, “I confess the idea of giving an interview does not appeal to me.”

Jason would have looked away as Covadonga concentrated, except she had him in a staring contest. At least, that was how he looked at it. Giving her a half smile, he stared back at her. It was a bit uncomfortable, but he could endure it. No biggie, in his mind. She was concentrating… or… he had something in his teeth. Closing his lips over his teeth, his smile fell a little. Holding on to the empty mug, he raised an eyebrow.

“I will take you up on your offer to have some of those articles written.”

His grin came back after she started talking again, the thought of having something in his teeth gone. Sitting up a little, changing his position slightly, he nodded in excitement. “Wonderful. I’ll see what I can do for you and let you know.” It wasn’t healing, perhaps, but he was more than just one area of expertise. Not to inflate his own ego or anything, of course. He just knew he was intelligent enough to go above and beyond a Healer.

Not that anyone else wasn’t as intelligent; he just prided himself on his wide range of knowledge. A few people (who he called friends or family) would probably be quick to bring him down out of his own clouds. He could help Covadonga out, however; it was the system of checks and balances as far as work relationships went. She had done things for him in the past, and vice versa. It wasn’t expected, it was just polite to help where one could.

“More coffee?”

Glancing down at his lap before then checking his watch, he shook his head and glanced up to give her a smile. “Thank you, but if I have any more I won’t be able to sleep later.” Winking at her, he watched her fill up her own. It was delicious coffee, but he did have to get back to work soon. Plus, the caffeine would make him wired. Her brew was quite strong…

“I will send some notifications out to the Magizoological journals I know. Maybe extend it to other subject specific ones as well. Everyone has their own hobbies and interests, and werewolves are a part of that ‘everyone’.”

Nodding at her plan, he chuckled at the werewolves bit. True enough; they were still human most of the month. As human, one craves activity in some way or another. It was completely plausible, but not a common thought, that they would enjoy things that every other witch and wizard enjoys. Quidditch, gardening, a nice swim… They just happened to have a little transformation once a month if they didn’t keep up on their potion.

“I confess the idea of giving an interview does not appeal to me.”

Grinning at that, Jason shrugged and waved a hand in the air. “I think you’d be a natural at it. Knock ‘em off their feet sort of thing. But I wouldn’t imagine it would be very fun, no matter how well you’d do.” As the Head, though, she would be forced at least one interview when the Prophet found out; if she refused, she would be labeled quite… oddly by the newspaper, Jason supposed. “Put it off as long as you can at least, right?”

Her?  A natural?  At speaking to… people?  Oh that was precious.  Yes, she was just the type to tolerate being drilled and shot at with questions until she was rendered to a very fragile slice of swiss cheese.  She would have to remember to either leave her wand in her office or hand it over to someone responsible.  Even the animals and some other beings had enough sense to not do that to her.  Except for bird… and some species of primates.

Her nose scrunched up and thick lips pouted for a moment before she said, “Yes, fun,” laced with sarcasm.  The Department Head did not answer his question about her procrastinating over it.

Thus far she had been mercifully spared of having to speak to the general press.  Covadonga was absolutely fine being interviewed by various Magizoological subscriptions.  She knew practically all of the editors at this point, most of them made their own contributions to the field.  Bless them for having the passion to spread the knowledge around the community.

The Daily Prophet to her, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter.  She believed that it had such a broad-spectrum of topics covered within that the reporters could do little but speculate and gossip.  The worst thing to do, as she was taught in her scientific mind, is to assume.  And the general press seemed to be full of it to her.

After tapping a nail on the side of her teacup as she wallowed in her own thoughts she stood and cleared her throat, “Ah yes!  You should go home and get some rest.  I know what work hours are like in a high-traffic medial facility,” she smirked as a lighter expression brightened up her face.  “Thank you for all the help, and I will get to you as soon as I gather anything from the MLE concerning the runespoors,” she held out a hand for an appropriate handshake and salutation.

“Yes, fun.”

Grinning at her reaction, Jason found it rather cute. When someone could properly use sarcasm with the right facial expressions, it was adorable. On the opposite sex, of course. For… Jason, at least. Now he was confusing himself. Instead, he focused on ideas for dinner. Maybe grilled cheese, if he was going to be by himself with Aidan. The little guy would probably like one with something… else. Applesauce, maybe. Now he was hungry.

Aidan liked anything that required a big clean up after. If he couldn’t spread it over his chubby little cheeks, he wasn’t happy with the meal. Better to have an appetite than no appetite at all, Jason supposed. Just like his dad!

“Ah yes! You should go home and get some rest-”

Raising an eyebrow, Jason glanced down at his cup and back at her. Go home? He had a few more hours at the hospital still… Didn’t he? Somewhat confused now, he bit his lower lip and nodded slowly in agreement. Now she was rushing him out.

“-I know what work hours are like in a high-traffic medial facility… Thank you for all the help, and I will get to you as soon as I gather anything from the MLE concerning the runespoors.”

Grinning at the idea of being herded out of Covadonga’s office, Jason stood up and held the mug up in question. Setting it aside, he took her hand with his free one and grasped it for a firm shake. “Not a problem, Miss Gertrudis. It was a pleasure, as always. Thank you for your hospitality and nice cup of coffee. Have a great day!” And with that, he took the papers she gave him and left the office, back into the chaotic floor he’d stepped into.

Now he had to go and get some work done, see about getting copies made for patients, and find a time to talk with someone about shipment of certain antidotes and potion ingredients to see if they could find a cheaper place. Maybe a couple drinks after the long day would be nice before making that grilled cheese. A beer would help it go down so well... For Jason, not Aidan.