Lavinia groaned, flopping back in her chair and then glancing surreptitiously around to make sure none of the patients in the ward had noticed this slightly unprofessional behavior. But thankfully, the only people in the main ward remained fast asleep and Lavinia was reasonably certain that no one in the hit wizard's area could have heard her through the closed door. She definitely hoped they couldn't. One of Lavinia's least favorite patients was in there and he was a stickler for professionalism. Not that she could blame him on principle, but she rather thought that swearing over the massive gash he'd had two weeks ago was perfectly justified. And, similarly, she didn't want to be told off for groaning over massive stacks of paperwork. Which was exactly what was sitting in front of her now.
It was her fault, really. She was the one who had somehow managed to put off an entire week's worth of reports until today and even if the ward hadn't been exactly busy during the week... well. It had been busier than usual and the paperwork had stacked up rather unexpectedly. Lavinia groaned again and resisted the urge to swear under her breath as she pulled yet another sheaf of parchment off the stack and got to work..
A little while later Elias breezed into the ward from the break room, presumably to officially start his shift, but paused, his eyebrows shooting up at the sight of her and the table covered in parchment in front of her.
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, reading the teasing twinkle in his eyes as he approached. "I'm an idiot and should know better by now."
Elias chuckled slightly and shrugged his agreement to that before turning towards the little side room they used to brew potions.
"Heather's in there," Lavinia said, heading him off. "Brewing restorative draughts since we were running low. And I sent a list of ingredients we'll need restocked to Robert so that should be dealt with soon too."
Elias turned and quirked an eyebrow at her in silent request for an explanation. Lavinia merely shrugged. "The alternative was paperwork," she pointed out, gesturing at the mess of just that in front of her.
Elias snorted and nodded, but then tipped his head to the side and narrowed his eyes for a moment. Lavinia had absolutely no idea what to make of that look so she merely turned back to her work, figuring that if Elias wasn't going to explain himself then it probably wasn't terribly important.
And apparently it wasn't because Elias simply plunked himself down across the table from Lavinia and dragged a sheaf of parchment towards him.
"Bless you," Lavinia sighed, realizing he was going to help with the work. The ward was slow today, which was a blessing, really, since earlier in the week, they'd had more people come in than almost any other week since the war had ended and the paperwork had been a nightmare, especially since they'd all been caught rather by surprise and none of the systems they'd used to get things done during the war were still in place, resulting in a severe lack of efficiency. And preparation, both mental and physical. Which was why Lavinia was now doing mounds of paperwork and taking a hell of a lot longer at it than she would like thanks to her rather fuzzy feeling brain.
For perhaps ten minutes, Lavinia and Elias sat in silence, filling forms out more by rote than anything else and trying to remember what the hell had happened on Monday, which somehow seemed an unreasonably long time ago. Lavinia was in the process of searching through the stack of field notes she'd pulled out to answer this exact question when Mr. Hayes appeared from his office.
"Lavinia, Elias, I was hoping I could talk to you," he started, then paused, glancing around the room and frowning. "I thought there was someone else here," he mused, glancing around.
"Heather's in the potions room," Lavinia supplied, gesturing vaguely in that direction. "Why?"
Robert nodded vaguely to acknowledge the information. "I was hoping to have this chat in private," he admitted, humming slightly to himself. "But someone needs to be watching the ward at all times. Protocol. Which, of course, I don't need to tell you two, but..." He trailed off with a thoughtful hum.
"Ah," Lavinia murmured, glancing around at the nearly empty room. It hardly seemed like anything would happen in the next ten minutes but... protocol was protocol and she had spent enough time in this ward to know that just because it was quiet now didn't mean no one would be brought in soon. "We can just have Heather keep the door open," she suggested after a moment. "It'll make the place smell a bit but... well, it's better than interrupting her entirely."
Robert shrugged conceding the point, and made for the side door behind which their stock of ingredients and several pewter cauldrons were stored in an incredibly cramped little space. "Meet me in my office," he called over his shoulder before opening the door and sticking his head in to talk to Heather.
Lavinia glanced at Elias, half hoping the man would have some sort of explanation for what the hell was going on. But Elias merely shrugged and stood so Lavinia followed suit, stacking her papers as neatly as she could without spending too much time on it and closing up her inkwell. She then crossed the room, weaving around beds in Elias's wake and trying to riddle out what this could possibly be about. Was she going to get in trouble for not being on top of the paperwork? Was there some issue with a patient they'd treated? Did Robert want to talk about the younger healers? The question reeled around in Lavinia's head even as she slid through the side door and took a seat next to Elias, glancing around.
Robert's office was not a place Lavinia, or anyone else really, spent much time in. It was small and stuffy and an absolute mess most of the time and the only reason anyone ever bothered with it was if they needed to conduct more official business. Since that didn't happen very often, even Robert rarely spent time in there, preferring the more open break room, which also had the perk of a coffee machine.
For now, however, Lavinia and Elias set themselves down in the two chairs on one side of the desk and waited for Robert to return, which he did only a few moments later. "Okay," he began, squeezing himself around a rather precarious looking stack of books and settling into the ancient looking chair across from Lavinia and Elias.
"I'm not sure if you've heard," he continued once he was seated, "But I am retiring at the end of this year."
Lavinia's mouth fell open in surprise. She most definitely had not heard this and the idea of it was somehow mildly terrifying. She'd never known the ward without Robert in it and running it but... but she supposed he had been here a very long time and she sometimes forgot that the man was aging. Even so, this felt somehow different from when Bertie had retired. Bertie had always been old. His retirement had felt... normal. And sure it had been a bit odd those first few weeks, but it had been expected. Robert... Robert somehow always seemed like the middle aged man she'd met on her first day. But of course, it had been many years since that day and... and his hair was grey now, his face more lined and Lavinia supposed this too should have been expected.
"We'll miss you," she murmured, trying to cover the slightly awkward pause that had followed Robert's announcement.
Robert smiled indulgently. "Thank you Lavinia," he replied, inclining his head slightly in acknowledgement of the sentiment. "I'm admittedly looking forward to having more time at home."
"Good," said Elias simply.
Lavinia blinked and sighed slightly, turning to her coworker with her eyebrows raised. She was sure Elias didn't mean to sound as... well as hostile as he had, but tact had never been one of Elias's defining characteristics. Seeming to catch the look Lavinia gave him, he amended, "You deserve it."
Lavinia sighed again and turned back to Robert, who was grinning with mild amusement at Elias's by now famously poor people skills that had just managed to turn a congratulations on retirement into something that sounded vaguely threatening.
"Anyway," Robert continued, apparently choosing to ignore the rather awkward atmosphere that had settled throughout the office at this point, "When I retire, a new head healer will have to be chosen, which is why we're having this conversation so far in advance of my official retirement."
Lavinia blinked in surprise once again. She hadn't thought of that, somehow. Most of the time it hardly even seemed like Robert was the head healer except in the capacity of them needing his sign off on certain forms and the like. But of course, that didn't mean that there wasn't plenty going on behind the scenes that the rest of them just didn't usually see. And, naturally, someone would need to be trained to do all those many things before Robert left so that the entire ward didn't just fall apart once he was gone on his well earned retirement.
What Lavinia still didn't understand, however, was why both she and Elias were here. It seemed to her that there was no need for her to be included in this process at all because aside from Robert, Elias was the senior healer and therefore the natural choice for the position. But perhaps she was merely here as a witness, in case something like that was needed for official documents. The idea seemed silly, really, but Lavinia didn't have any better explanation off the top of her head so she just settled back and waited for Robert to explain more.
Elias, however, did not seem content to wait and was scowling slightly at Robert. "I don't want it," he said simply.
Lavinia started, turned to glare at him again, but then she caught Robert grinning out of the corner of her eye and paused, more confused than ever. Obviously, she realized, she had missed something that Elias, quiet and perceptive, if rather blunt, had noticed.
"That is what I thought you'd say," the older man admitted. "But I wanted you to have the opportunity to say it for yourself."
Elias blinked, his scowl clearing. "Oh," was all he said, his tone suddenly much brighter. "Good."
Lavinia, who was by now utterly confused, glanced between the two men in the room, hoping someone would hurry up and supply an explanation. Robert, perhaps noticing her expression, complied, his smile a bit amused as he took in her bafflement.
"Lavinia, I would like you to be the next head healer of this ward," he explained simply, watching her with a gently reassuring expression as though he knew her initial response would be that she didn't deserve it. Which most certainly was the first thing that popped into her head.
Not knowing how to say it politely, however, she just blinked. Then blinked again. Then frowned. "But I'm... not senior," she pointed out, trying to phrase her concerns delicately.
"I'm aware," Robert concurred, inclining his head in acknowledgement. "But I do think you're better suited to the position."
Lavinia glanced at Elias, half expecting to see him upset that Robert would say something so brazenly. But Elias was just nodded, Robert's amusement mirrored on his face. She supposed that was just as well. Elias was hardly in a position to be upset with people for being blunt. On top of which, he spent so much time listening and watching that he usually caught on to things well before others did. And certainly he seemed to understand something right now that Lavinia was missing.
"But I haven't been here as long," Lavinia countered, rather repetitively and feeling rather like Robert and Elias were missing her point. But then, she was undoubtedly also missing theirs so perhaps it was all equal on that front.
"You've been here nearly twelve years, Lavinia," Robert pointed out, the words now getting slightly exasperated. "And," he added, "You have far better people skills than Elias."
Again Lavinia glanced at the other man only to find him nodding rather emphatically. Seeing Lavinia's continued resistance, Elias rolled his eyes. "I don't want to be head healer," he told her impatiently. "Not my thing."
Lavinia opened her mouth, halfway to arguing when she decided against it, remembering the many many incidents of Elias lacking tact and bedside manner. He had a well known habit of speaking shortly and in a manner that many found rather off putting because he didn't bother to mince words about anything, no matter how sensitive the subject. And besides, if he didn't want it then... then it was fine. Regardless of seniority and... head healer. Lavinia's confusion turned into something like shocked delight as the realization of what was happening settled in properly.
Head healer. She was being offered a job as head healer. This was... big. Bigger than big. This was the best promotion she could ever have hoped for and... and it was being offered to her on a silver platter far before she'd thought possible.
"Yes," she said suddenly and bit breathlessly. "Yes, I'll do it."
Robert beamed at her, apparently relieved that she had stopped being stubborn. "Lovely," he replied simply. Then added, "If you have time, I have some forms I'll need to go over and then we'll begin your training soon."
Lavinia opened her mouth to say yes, of course, the sooner the better, when her eyes caught the clock on the wall and she nearly swore, catching herself when she realized that now was probably among the worse times for her to be unprofessional. "Now's not great, actually," she admitted. "I have to pick up Jasmine."
"Jasmine?" asked Robert, evidently slightly confused.
"Heather's little sister," she explained, now standing up and hoping she wasn't being terribly, unforgivably rude. Not that Robert was at all the type to care about tact, but old habits die hard, she supposed. "Heather has a thing and I volunteered to take her and I'm supposed to be picking her up in ten minutes." She winced slightly, realizing the rush she'd have to be in to make that on time. "Sorry," she added hurriedly as she pushed her chair back in, trying not to glance at the clock again and betray even more of her impatience than was already showing. "Tomorrow I have time though," she offered, a slightly guilty edge creeping into the words.
Robert waved her away with a hand and an amused smile. "Whenever works, Lavinia," he told her, rolling his eyes slightly. "We have nearly four months before I go."
Lavinia nodded gratefully and had her hand on the door knob when she turned around. "Thank you," she said, realizing a bit belatedly that she hadn't actually spoken the words yet. "Thank you so much."
Robert merely waved her away again and Lavinia left, nearly running into a slightly panicked Heather. "It's fine," she promised in a rush. "I'm here, I'm getting Jasmine. Don't panic. And if your date is going well, don't worry about Jas. I'll take care of her."
"Bless you," Heather gasped, falling into step beside Lavinia as the two hurried downstairs, both now rather pressed for time.
"And," Lavinia added after a moment, "If it's going terribly, just use picking her up as an excuse to get out of it."
Heather snorted at that but didn't argue. "What was the meeting about?" she asked instead.
Lavinia grinned and felt herself blushing slightly. "I think I might have just gotten a promotion," she admitted, trying not to sound too proud or giddy and not at all sure she'd succeeded at either goal.
Heather stopped very suddenly, grabbing Lavinia's arm and forcing her to swing back and look at the younger woman. "What!?" Heather exclaimed, excitement coating the word. "But you're already a healer and you... Don't tell me you're going to be head healer after Mr. Hayes retires."
Lavinia pulled a face and shrugged slightly, barely able to contain her excitement and half afraid that if she opened her mouth, she might end up making a very Miriam-ish sound. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to readily stop and they did both have places to be. Heather, however, had no such reservations.
"Vin!" Heather squealed. "This is amazing! We have to celebrate. I can't believe it. Damn does that mean you'll be my boss?"
Lavinia snorted at the rush of thoughts and that last thought, which was, now she considered it, a very very odd one indeed. But...
"Tomorrow," she told the girl, pulling her back into a brisk walk. "We can celebrate tomorrow. Or sometime next week maybe, I don't know. Right now, however, we both have places to be," she reminded her friend, who winced slightly, remembering the time, and picked up her pace so Lavinia with her shorter legs was forced to practically run to keep up.
It was only much later, after a slightly exasperated Heather appeared at Lavinia's house to pick up Jasmine, who was fast asleep on the couch, and informed Lavinia that she had never been on a stranger date in her entirely life, that Lavinia really stopped to think about what had happened that day. Or more accurately, to think about what it meant.
She was sitting at the kitchen table with Remus and Heather, sipping wine as a celebration that Heather insisted was not the only one they were going to have. Lavinia had tried to protest and tell her friend that it was fine to just do the one, but she had given up when Heather had pointed out that since Miriam wasn't at this one, it probably didn't count. Lavinia snorted at that even as she privately realized that Heather had a very good point.
"But either way," Heather continued, "This should still be a celebration." She raised her glass, meeting Lavinia's eyes. "Congratulations, Vin," she toasted. "You made it."
Lavinia grinned and clinked her glass against Heather's and then Remus's, finding her housemate smiling, his eyes joyful. Remus's response had been one of complete and utter pride when she'd told him earlier and it had made her feel warmer than she would have thought possible to see her friend beaming at her with such a fierce sort of affection in his face. The traces of that were still in his expression now and they made Lavinia feel rather fuzzy inside even as it struck her, not at all for the first time, that she was beyond lucky to have a friend like Remus Lupin in her life.
Later, once they'd finished their wine and Heather had departed, Lavinia lay in bed, wide awake, thinking. Thinking about how incredible it was that she was so young and had gotten the head healer job. Thinking about how even though so many of the friends she had around her were different, this was still the dream. Thinking about the words Heather had said. You made it.
And she had. She had done the thing she'd wanted to do. She'd become not only a healer, but a good one. Good enough to be made head healer, the person they would ask to consult in other wards and hospitals, who would be considered an expert in the field. And this was it. This was the dream. She had a job she loved and friends who were supportive and loving and incredible.
You made it.
And yet... even if this was what she'd wanted, what she'd aimed for... it felt strange. Years ago, when she'd first decided to be a healer, when she'd first set out to do the best she possibly could be at it... she'd always thought that if she was lucky enough to make it, the celebration would be... different. Not in terms of when or how or where because she'd never thought of that, but in terms of who would be by her side when it happened. Who she would celebrate with. Who would be telling her those words that were music to her ears and a brace on her healing heart.
You made it.
And though she loved the friends she had, though she wouldn't have traded them for the world, she couldn't stop wishing that other people had been here too. Not instead, but in addition to. People she missed in moments like these because the look on Remus's face had reminded her what she would have seen on theirs. On James and Lily and Peter's faces. And Sirius's. Because those... Those were her people too. People who had believed in her from the beginning. People she knew would have been ecstatic to see her finally make it. People who she would get to celebrate this with. Who she would never hear say congratulations or see look at her with that pride Remus had offered her. People she missed.
Lavinia sighed and rubbed her eyes, looking up at the stars on her ceiling and remembering. Remembering their faces and laughs. Remembering the last time she'd made it and they had all been there. For her. And they had celebrated. For her. That was why these stars were on her ceiling in the first place. Because they had wanted to celebrate. Had wanted to give her something personal and lovely to go with that success.
Lavinia's breath escaped her in a huff and the glowing stars spanked and blurred through tears that beaded in her eyes. But they weren't really tears of sadness, or happiness really. It was just... nostalgia, she supposed. The bittersweet feeling that came from remembering good times gone.
So Lavinia kept staring up at those stars. And as she did, she found herself feeling rather as though they were staring back. Like the eyes of her friends that had for years haunted her were now looking down on her with something like pride, as fierce and wonderful and Remus's had been. The thought made her smile.
A/N: ITS A FRIDAY!!!!! Hallelujah. I need this weekend, honestly. This week has been utterly insane. I'm house sitting now, so I had to basically temporarily move myself to another house in the middle of the week between classes. It's pretty nice, tbh bc I have a whole house to myself for the next week and I don't even have to pay rent (yay!) I just have to water the plants and feed the fish and it's great. There's so much space. And a full kitchen. Of which I've used only the microwave and the coffee machine bc lets face it, full kitchen or not, I'm a college student at heart and a) I don't like dishes and b) I'm lazy as shit and there was lasagna in the freezer so why tf would I cook anything? I mean honestly, be reasonable. XD
Anyway, as usual, I hope y'all enjoyed and I'll be back again tomorrow!