unstoppable [darla]

23 january 2002

It was hardly half past eight in the morning and already Quinn Regan was having a less-than-stellar day. It was through no fault of her own, of course, nor was it the fault of the tiny person she had swaddled to her chest. Her daughter had been in the world for ten days now, but that was plenty of time to convince Quinn of just how perfect she was. The nights of interrupted sleep had yet to catch up with her, used to feeling a different kind of tired thanks to quidditch. It also helped to have her mother around and helping out until she could find a nanny she didn’t mind actually handling her child, but that was a different problem for a different day.

Quinn had arrived at St. Mungo’s ahead of time for her Wednesday morning appointment; it had been moved up, as Lula’s due date had yet to pass, so she had been expecting some sort of confusion to start with. But the confusion she was met with was a surprise. Healer O’Hannagain would be a part of this appointment, nor would he be a part of any of her upcoming appointments. He had retired just a couple days ago, leaving her case (and her child!) in the hands of a Healer Boyd.

She at least agreed until after her appointment to complain to anyone with some semblance of authority in this hospital, beside herself that she could be treated so carelessly. Of course, Quinn was conveniently forgetting the part where Healer O’Hannagain told her he was retiring, waiting to see her through her pregnancy. It was bad enough that she was at this first appointment alone (even though she had insisted Oliver not sacrifice his Quidditch training for it -- he really did need the practice, if she was being honest) and now she was dealing with this new Healer. Scottish, from the sounds of it. Oliver would love that.

She was shown to an exam room, where she kicked off her shoes and wandered slowly around the room as she waited. She pointed at things every now and then, letting her daughter know exactly what they were (in Irish), even though Lula had been asleep for the better part of the morning. Her mind strayed again to figuring out someway to change the paperwork that said Lula had been born in Glasgow, but it was probably too late. Too many people already knew, but maybe they could be bribed to change their recollections. But maybe it wasn’t worth it. It would be far easier to just have their next child in Dublin.

@Darla Boyd

Talulla Róisín Regan Wood. That was the name of her new patient, and it just happened to be a promotion for Darla, as little Lula was the daughter of nobody else than Quinn Regan and Oliver Wood. Healer O’Hannagain had informed her since early November that he would be handing her little Lula, as soon as she would be born, because he would be retiring immediately after the birth. It all happened faster and much sooner than Darla would have expected, however, the unpredictable was part of her job, and so was being used to it. Still, having a VIP as a patient for the very first time was something quite special and the former Gryffindor definitely did not want to mess it up.

The appointment was set for eight and a half in the morning, just after her morning visits. Of course, Darla had planned to be at the examination room ten minutes in advance, and she had calculated her every visit in accordance. However, it was St. Mungo’s and she just happened the one healer that had to handle an emergency. A little girl came in with her leg completely boneless, something about ice skating while holding a broom gone terribly wrong. Darla had prepared the potion that would aid the little girl, freshly brewed just as she liked having all her patients receive their medication, and handed it over to a healer-in-training along with a nurse, so they could take care of the emergency. She needed to hurry and be there in time for little Lula.

Leaving her office after making sure the healer-in-training perfectly understood that they had to stay with the child non-stop while their bones were growing back, Darla checked her watch as she started heading to the examination room. It was exactly one minute past eight and a half and she was late. Arriving at the exam room, Darla’s eyes fell on the floor, for right at the entrance, Quinn Regan abandoned her shoes.

A wearisome mother. Darla thought, not even knowing how to point out how many issues there were with someone not walking with their shoes on in a hospital. In the paediatrics section. With a new born in their arms.

Firstly, while St. Mungo’s was perfectly clean, particularly their Ward, it was still a hospital. Germs were everywhere, for there were patients everywhere. Particularly on the floor, she always made sure the children never touched it. Yet, there she was, a full grown woman, letting herself walk without shoes on while holding her child, a baby nonetheless, in her arms. What would be next? Of course, she would go home, take of her shoes off and place them in their shelf with her hands, and with the same hands she would later on put the baby to bed without having previously washed them. So, every microscopic bacteria that rested on the floor now, would end on little Lula.

Darla flipped her ponytail over her shoulder, trying to calm down. There wasn’t anything in this world that she disliked more than irresponsible mothers. She somehow regretted having bothered straightening her hair that day, to look presentable enough for Quinn Regan. Darla cleared her throat, before stepping in the examination room, and gently closing the door behind her. “Good morning, Ms. Regan.” She straightened her back, the lime green robes gently swaying upon her gesture. “I am Deòiridh Boyd, the appointed healer for Talulla Regan Wood.” Darla lowered her gaze to the baby, sketching a soft smile, as she approached a table and undid her parchment. A quill came out of her robe’s pocket, and started writing down on the parchment, sketching the letter P. Of course, the comment was meant to classify the mother as ‘problematic’.

“I apologise for my tardiness – “ a minute late was still late. “ – but we had an emergency.” She didn’t offer any other explanations, for they were not needed. A hospital always had emergencies, and that should be known. “According to what I was told by Healer O’Hannagain, Lula was born a bit before schedule. But that will pose no issues for us.” Darla approached the sink near Quinn, her professional demeanour being at its peak, mostly because the lack of shoes on the older woman still irked her. The healer washed her hands thoroughly and then took out of her pocket a package of surgical gloves and showed it to Quinn, gesturing that it was still sterilised. She then opened it and put on the gloves, pink in colour just for little Lula, and drew closer to Quinn, stretching out her arms so she would let her hold the baby and start her consolation. “If you'd be kind enough.“

Quinn was mid coo as she heard the door open, and she turned, her hands cradling Lula rather unnecessarily as she was so tightly swaddled and snug to her chest that she wasn’t going anywhere even if she hadn’t been asleep. “Good morning,” she returned automatically, not raising her voice much louder, not wanting to wake Lula up or give her any reason to cry. She took a second to look the healer up and down, hoping the next words out of her mouth would be that the real healer would be joining them shortly. This girl had to have been her age, or even younger, and despite Quinn’s success at a young age, she didn’t think the same consideration could be made for many other people.

But the next words weren’t reassuring at all. Quinn didn’t let her smile falter as she processed them, that the healer standing in front of her was the healer, let alone a Scottish one like she had suspected. Still, she hadn’t dropped the ‘Regan’ from Lula’s name like she had expected people to try, so there was at least one thing in the other woman’s favor. “Of course,” she said in the same soft tone, waving off any apologies for lateness. While her time usually was galleons, she couldn’t exactly claim that when she was on mandatory leave and she had to assume that everyone knew her business.

Quinn swayed nearly imperceptibly on the spot, rocking Lula as she nodded. “Eleven days,” she confirmed, adding a probably unnecessary, “The thirteenth.” She looked down at her daughter as the healer moved to the sink, smoothing down a tuft of her jet black hair (their only shared feature, apparently) instead of paying attention to the woman washing her hands, only looking up as she was shown the gloves. She nodded and offered Healer Boyd another smile, mildly annoyed that she had to be professional even when not at work. Her manager had lectured her about her behavior after she had been overheard badmouthing players at the charity quidditch match last month, only getting her to listen after explaining that she would be making press blurbs more often now that she had won the League, Oliver, and the pregnancy. It made sense, somehow, but it was still annoying.

“Of course,” she repeated at the healer’s gesture, taking a minute to kiss the top of Lula’s head before unwrapping her sling and shifting things to be able to hand her off. This was her least favorite part about being a mother, she had found: leaving Lula in someone else’s arms. She had grown rather attached to her in the nine months they had shared living space, and it took a special kind of encouragement (read: mentally yelling at herself) to not cry every time it happened. The pregnancy hormones were one thing she wouldn’t be missing.

But like any pediatric healer should, Healer Boyd handled Lula near perfectly and Quinn let herself relax the tiniest bit, though she didn’t take a step back or give her any semblance of personal space. She felt like she should be asking questions, but really she hadn’t run into anything out of the ordinary yet. With five younger siblings and multitudes more younger cousins, Quinn had no lack of baby care. That left her the option of small talk, but she was rather terrible at it unless she was talking about herself, and this healer didn’t seem like she really wanted to talk about her. But she could be upset about that later, when her baby wasn’t being handled by her.

So she settled on talking about the next best person to Quinn: Lula. She still hadn’t woken up, and Quinn smiled again as she looked at that tiny little sleepy face. “She’s been great, really.”

Perhaps she had let her slight mysophobia get the best of her. Darla judged herself harshly for her own egocentrism, realising that Quinn’s intentions had probably been the greatest, as a young mother. Still, the healer did make a mental note to have the quidditch player wash her hands before leaving the hospital. “It is alright, I will return her quickly enough.” Darla commented on a soft tone, gently smiling at the Irish – even if she already knew Quinn was from Ireland, the fact was reminded to her by the seeker's vivid accent – witch as she took Lula in her arms. The little one didn’t cry at all, just shifting a bit in Darla’s arms, to make herself more comfortable. 

“I’m certain you know but this is just a routine check. I will just weight and measure her, to make sure her growth is on track.” The former Gryffindor added, before placing Lula on a small crib – which also served as a scale – while making sure that the baby would still be warm and comfortable on top of the set blanket. Lula let out a soft coo, and Darla gently touched her nose with the tip of her finger, as a playful act, to keep the little one calm in the new environment. “She’s absolutely lovely.” Darla commented, before turning her gaze towards the mother.

She then let the quill know Lula’s weight, before a soft measuring tape, obviously charmed, took the baby’s measurements. The little one giggled a bit, Darla then mouthing to Quinn that this certain procedure generally tickles. Afterwards, she performed the physical, being very careful to not cause Lula even the tiniest discomfort. “It’s a bit too early of me to perform a particularly detailed behavioural examination, but so far it seems that she is quite alert and happy. You did a wonderful job.” Darla commented as she finished the physical, carefully dressing back Lula, being equally so in picking her up, afterwards handing her back to Quinn.

She then pointed towards the desk, so the two of them would sit down and talk regarding today’s meeting. Darla took off her gloves as she sat down, and grabbed the parchment that followed her around until that point, to look at the overall data. “And the progress so far is as great as Talulla. I will write it down for you so you can have a copy. Oh!” Darla exclaimed, raising her gaze and looking towards Quinn. She got up from her chair and opened a cabinet, from where she took out two potions bottles.

“Before I forget, I received some fresh herbs from home – “ The former Gryffindor cleared her throat, correcting herself. “ – South Korea last night, and brewed something earlier this morning, for Talulla.” She turned on her heel and placed the two small bottles on the desk, in front of Quinn. “It’s just a regular herbs mixture given to prematurely born babies for immunity purposes. Just one drop in a teaspoon filled with water will do. Once a day, before bedtime. I think these two will suffice until our next meeting.” She picked up two small parchments from the corner of the desk, which contained the instructions she mentioned, along with the potion’s name and its receipt, plus other benefits.

“Anyway.” Darla sat down again, taking another parchment and having the quill note down all the data from the examination, for Quinn to have her own copy as well. “Overall, Lula is doing great, her growth is on track, especially considering she’s born prematurely, along with her length and weight.” Darla nodded, as soon as the quill finished copying the data, taking the original parchment and signing her name on it. “If you have any particular questions I can help with, please don’t abstain yourself. I’m here to aid you and Lula as much as I can.” The Scottish added, as she was comparing the data between the two parchments, to make sure the quill copied everything correctly.

“Right, of course.” She didn’t know, in fact, having never actually been to this sort of check up for any tiny Regans. But the healer didn’t know that, and Quinn nodded along as she listened, finally taking the tiniest step back as she started her measurements. She nearly protested at the nose boop; it wasn’t that she didn’t like other people enjoying Lula and the adorable sounds she made, but they were always people that Quinn knew or was somewhat related to. This woman wasn’t quite there, not yet.

She looked up from her daughter’s face with an arched eyebrow as Healer Boyd directed her next words to her. Her expression softened at the compliment, her lips hinting at a smile. “She looks like her father,” she started, assuming she was caught up on quidditch gossip as much as the next person. “A bit cuter, though,” she added with a shrug, looking back to Lula with another smile.

Keeping a close eye on everything happening with Lula, Quinn did her best not to interfere. She’s just doing her job, she reminded herself, knowing full well she would regain custody soon enough. She could go five minutes without her. They were the worst five minutes; she nearly missed the small compliment presented to her. “Oh, thank you.” While she appreciated the acknowledgement, she was almost put off that it had to be said at all. Of course she did a wonderful job. She didn’t do things subpar. Still, she smiled, more at receiving Lula back into her arms than anything else.

Quinn took a seat, laying Lula down in her lap, holding her little hands with her thumbs. “That’s great,” she conceded, like there had been any other option. Of course she was progressing great; how could she not? There was a fifty percent chance she would take after Oliver, but even then it would have been more than adequate. Somehow she refrained from pointing out the obvious. “Oh?” She was loud and Quinn glanced down to see her once sleepy baby was wide eyed again. Quinn was nearly certain her frown wasn’t too pronounced.

She was about to ask for information of the potions she was being offered, figuring she should probably consult with Oliver on these sort of things, but the healer was one step ahead of her, handing her parchments before she could open her mouth to ask.

“Anyway,” Quinn repeated, nodding along again as her daughter was praised again. “That’s good.” Again, like it could be any different. “No questions yet,” she started, “Like I said, she’s been great.” That, and she had no lack of resources when she did have questions with her mother there and all the unsolicited parenting advice already pouring in. Never mind that she would like to credit her own maternal instincts, but that was a given.

She smoothed down Lula’s hair without a thought, considering the woman in front of her. “Did you say you were from South Korea?” She really ought to get to know her, after all, if she were to be Lula’s healer for the foreseeable future. It was mildly annoying to have to do this again after already doing this with O’Hannigain, but no matter. Right now, however, she was more concerned with making sure she was the perfect fit for her daughter. She also might have been trying to determine if she was really Scottish or not. That really might be the deciding factor in this.

The data from the two parchments seemed to correspond, so Darla picked up her quill and signed her name on it, later rolling it up neatly, and tying it with a pale pink silk ribbon. “That’s fabulous.” The healer replied, glad to hear that the new mother was having no issues at all with her baby girl. As she finished arranging the parchment, Quinn addressed herself once more, Darla arching an eyebrow as she pushed the parchment towards her slightly older witch.

Of course. Darla thought, realising that this was a VIP patient, and not a regular one. Normally, the children’s mothers would not directly ask questions about the healer herself, and would only be satisfied with whatever information Darla would have to offer. Of course, that tended to be minimal, as the former Gryffindor enjoyed maintaining her professionalism. However, that line slightly blurred when one would get an important patient, as they had to form a bond. It didn’t please her, however Darla returned an angelic smile, realising that she had been the first to bring it up, and not Quinn. She was sure the seeker would’ve asked her either way, but it was her that had given an opening to the other woman.

“Yes. Kind of.” The healer shrugged, being put in a completely new situation to her. She had never talked about herself to patients – or their relatives, in this case – so the witch didn’t exactly know how much information she should give. However, Darla thought that it was also Quinn’s first time being a mother, so at least they were on some sort of equal ground. Most likely, the other woman needed reassurance, and it was her job to offer it.

“I’m half Korean, but born and raised in the British Isles.” Darla did her best to figure out what exactly the other witch wanted to hear, and consequently went on, offering more information on herself. “I’m a Hogwarts graduate too, but I am familiar with Mahoutokoro, as many of my relatives went there.” She continued, fully aware of the fact that many of her own friends inquired about the Japanese wizarding school when finding out of her Korean heritage. She wanted to mention that her other half obviously is the Boyd family, and that they owned several private practices in Scotland, but that sounded a bit like advertising, so Darla decided against it. 

Picking up a small piece of parchment, she wrote down her Korean name on it, later on gently pushing it on the desk, in Quinn’s direction. “This is my Korean name – “ she explained to the mother, pointing towards the first word “– Oh is the surname, and Seo Young is the name. If you ever feel like you’d fancy… let’s say more privacy?“ She paused for a moment, carefully picking out her next words. “Just so outside the hospital people won’t find out that I’m Talulla’s healer, feel free to use my Korean name. Nobody aside from my family and close friends know it.” Darla sketched another smile, as she retrieved her hand from the piece of paper and straightened her back.

“I apologise for not asking sooner, but while we discuss, would you like some tea, coffee, water?” The healer got up from her chair and opened a cupboard, where she kept her own mixtures. “As I said before, I received some fresh herbs from Korea yesterday, so I can prepare something more exotic, if you’d wish.” Darla continued, before picking up a small silver box, in which she held her oolong tea, a gift her grandparents had gotten her from their vacation in Beijing.

It was fine if Healer Boyd didn’t want to offer up any personal details. Of course, at that point, Quinn would be looking for a new healer for Lula. Thankfully, Quinn didn’t have to consider that option for too long. “The British Isles like Scotland?” she asked, determined to finally have an answer to her unspoken question. She wasn’t so much interested in the other school, much more curious to keep finding out about the healer rather than the rest of her family.

She didn’t recognize her from school, but she wasn’t really surprised. Quinn had dropped out just after the Yule Ball, and even before that her friend group didn’t extend past her own house. “Ravenclaw?” It’d make sense for her to have been in that house -- never mind that Quinn was hoping for it for two reasons: both to have some semblance of proof that her healer was intelligent, and to rule out that she and Oliver had anything more in common than she had already established.

Quinn shifted Lula in her lap just a bit so she could lean in to see what the healer was writing. “I always fancy privacy,” she confirmed. She had publicized Lula’s due date; it was necessary once she had been barred from flying so that her fans knew when they could expect her back. The due date wasn’t until the following day, however, and Quinn had yet to see any proof that the press knew Lula was already born. Wanting privacy was a bit of an understatement at this point. She didn’t need people hounding her daughter’s healer for information, which she could only assume they would do. Lula was her daughter, after all.

“Seo Young,” she repeated in her best attempt at pronouncing it correctly and feeling she came pretty close. “Pretty.” She returned the smile, feeling just the tiniest bit more comfortable.

She perked up as Healer Boyd stood up once more. “Ooh, tea, yes please.” She loved herbal tea, but being confined to only those while pregnant had her wanting all the caffeinated tea she could get her hands on now. But this was an appointment for Lula, and not one for Quinn, and she didn’t need to be that particular. Not yet, anyway. She needed to save that for something in Lula’s favor anyway. “I’d love a cup.”

Darla was quite sure she’d kept her Scottish accent in check, and used her perfectly polished Chelsea one. However, she had obviously failed, without even realising. She still wasn’t realising how Quinn had caught on her being from Scotland. Yes, the surname possibly was something that wasn’t as common in England, but still… her own failure in keeping her accent in check had been quite the feat, to go unnoticed even by her. Darla nodded in approval, and responded with a polite smile on her face. “Isle of Lewis, to be more precise. Stornoway.” She specified, figuring that it was pointless hiding it now, after Quinn figured it out. Seekers really did have quick reflexes.

Involuntarily, for one second, her left eye twitched as the Irish inquired regarding her former Hogwarts house. If anyone wanted to get on Darla’s bad side, they simply had to inquire her Hogwarts house. While being satisfied with her life as a Gryffindor, Darla was still especially irked that the Sorting Hat had not deemed her good enough for Ravenclaw, which was obviously the perfect choice for her. Even outsiders such as Quinn thought so. If she’d ever encounter that Sorting Hat again, Darla wasn’t below setting it on fire for the obvious injustice it had done to her.

Still, she managed to keep her composure. Her polite and sweet smile never left her face, and she just giggled and nodded in disapproval at the quidditch player’s remark. “No, actually… Gryffindor.” Darla tried to hide her disappointment as much as possible, and thankfully enough the tea subject proved itself to be the perfect distraction. “Thank you.” She added at Quinn’s compliment over her name, pleased that this had followed the talk about Hogwarts houses.

She was glad that Quinn seemed eager for some tea. “Perfect, then.” She put some leaves into the pot, and after taking out her wand, with a flick the pot filled with hot water. Darla then levitated the white porcelain pot with two matching cups to her desk, later on taking a seat and pouring some tea in a cup for Quinn. “This is oolong tea, from the best herbs found in Beijing.” Darla was positive a quidditch player and active witch such as Quinn would enjoy it. Not only that it contained a bit of caffeine, but it tasted rather well too, and while a bit fragrant, it didn’t contain any sugar. She decided on his tea for Quinn, fully aware that quidditch players had their own strict diet that needed to be followed religiously.

“Gives an extra natural glow to the skin. Not that you need it, of course.” She commented, now pouring herself a cup as well, of course after placing the one for Quinn in front of the other witch. Darla took a quick sip out of her own cup, and then glanced at one of the parchments that still rested on the desk. “I found it quite amazing how your emergency contact for Talulla is my former potions partner at Hogwarts. It’s been so long, yet the world proves itself to be so small.” Well, if Quinn wanted to know more about her, then that would be a much better start than asking for her Hogwarts house. Surely, she’d appreciate Darla more after knowing this little detail. Or so the young healer hoped.

“Oh, what a lovely area.” Quinn smiled, speaking about the area of Scotland that her healer hailed from, the area of Scotland that the woman had never seen nor had any intention of ever seeing. She had already done enough for Scotland by having a Scottish baby, and she was certainly planning to play host to Oliver’s family before needing to visit again. She bounced her legs the tiniest bit, Lula’s hands wrapped around Quinn’s thumbs.

Gryffindor. Quinn sighed, realizing that she had been hoping for Ravenclaw not for the smart healer reason, but rather the one-less-thing-in-common-with-Oliver reason. Scottish, Gryffindor… the only thing that would make this worse would be if she was also a United supporter. She couldn’t bring herself to ask. “Lula’s father was in Gryffindor,” she offered offhandedly, doing her very best to hide her disappointment. “So I guess we’ll have to see where Lula ends up,” she glanced down at her daughter and added in a slightly higher voice: “Won’t we?”

“Perfect,” she repeated, following the healer with her eyes as she crossed the room and busied herself with the tea, only keeping watch for a few seconds before refocusing on the child in her lap. “I love oolong.” She wasn’t just saying that, not this time; she truly did love it. It was good for weight loss, so naturally she had had more than her fair share of it the past ten days. She was planning to return to the pitch whether or not she was back to her pre-baby weight, but she would really prefer to have no excuse to not fly fast.

Plus, it was beyond amazing to have caffeine again.

She reluctantly let go of one of her daughter’s hands to pull her cup of tea toward her. “That’s so sweet,” she thanked Darla with a smile. She knew that she, too, wasn’t just saying that -- Quinn didn’t need that extra natural glow, already looking her almost best. She took a sip instead of returning the compliment; in her experience, returning one so quickly only diminished the effect.

“My emergency contact?” Quinn set her cup on the desk and took a glance at the parchment, making sure that they were, in fact, talking about her brother. “Alex?” She paused and shook her head as she smiled. “Your potions partner? How funny.” Alex had certainly never mentioned having a potions partner or if he had, she hadn’t committed it to memory. Or the most likely scenario: she hadn’t listened at all in the first place. “He’s Lula’s godfather,” she offered to the witch across from her before looking down at her daughter and booping her lightly on the nose. “You love your Uncle Alex, don’t you?”

Looking back up, Quinn smirked. “Was he as good at potions as I think he was? He’s a bit of a show off.”

“Thank you.” Darla replied at Quinn’s complimenting of Stornoway. It was a lovely area, of course, for those who enjoyed ten minutes of summer per year. The former Gryffindor was certainly proud of her Scottish heritage, but truth be told, she’d have rather preferred to be from another area, and not one populated by dragons. Of course, the contact with them had been minimum, but only knowing they were nearby was something that put off Darla since she’d been a young child. Sometimes, she envied her oldest brother for being born in London, and spending most of his pre-Hogwarts time there and in Edinburgh.

The new mother’s reaction to her former Hogwarts house was Darla’s sentiment exactly. She was definitely giving the impression of a former Ravenclaw, and definitely not a Gryffindor. The healer was glad that Quinn brought up the one thing Darla’d had absolutely loved about her house though, their amazing quidditch team. “Yes, I remember Oliver, he was one of the best captains our team had.” Darla added with a smile, but quickly cleared her throat, and corrected herself. “Mr. Wood, I mean. I apologise for my slight lack of professionalism there.” The girl blushed a bit, not even understanding how she could let that slip. She wasn’t talking to a friend about quidditch, but with a patient’s mother. She needed to pay more attention.

“Any Hogwarts house would be very lucky to have her.” Darla added quickly, hoping that complimenting Lula would make Quinn forget about her earlier mishap. However, Darla had been honest; it was also just her luck that she would know Lula quite well before she would start her time at Hogwarts, for the Scottish was positive the betting houses will be on fire the year Lula would start school. Of course, Darla will bet herself, and she will be most likely to win, for she’d know Lula’s personality quite well by then. It will be a great investment in the future.

She was glad that Quinn seemed to love her choice in tea. It was good to find something in common with the mothers, and Darla was glad that, out of all things, it was tea so far. Her own love for tea knew no boundaries, so the former Gryffindor made a mental note to expand the collection in her office, for future visits from her VIP’s patient. “I’m glad it’s to your liking.” She smiled, later on taking a sip from the tea.

“The godfather? That’s lovely.” Darla’s smile widened as she took notice of how Quinn booped her daughter’s nose. Mother-daughter intimacies were always something she enjoyed watching, for they were the most endearing. It made her job at St. Mungo’s worth all the work. “Uncle? Is he your brother then?” Darla asked, a bit curious. She didn’t know anything about their relationship, aside from them sharing the same surname. If anything, Darla might have assumed that they were cousins or something of the sort, but not siblings.

The former Gryffindor giggled softly at Quinn’s comment regarding Alex, and leaned back in her chair. “Well…” She started, less shyly than before, yet still maintaining her kind and polite aura. “Don’t misunderstand… but I feel like openly praising him, would also be praising myself to some extent, and I’d rather you judge my abilities yourself. But I slightly doubt he’d exaggerate his own potion-making abilities.” Darla blushed yet again, however, she enjoyed having yet another topic of discussion with Quinn.

“He definitely made Potions classes much more entertaining. Especially when Professor Slughorn took charge.” The former Gryffindor hadn’t been an avid fan of Slughorn, for she’d enjoyed Professor Snape’s strictness and proper organisation. However, it was good her potions partner hadn’t changed back then too, for then Darla wouldn’t have taken so many changes so lightly.

She remembered Oliver. Quinn brought her gaze up and returned the healer’s smile. She knew she ought to be upset that the line of professionalism had been crossed, but she couldn’t help but be pleased that Darla just knew. Sure, she could have learned that from the paperwork, but Quinn decided to think that she had read about them in The Prophet instead. Nothing but good press, of course. She shrugged, waving an elbow in lieu of the hand that was still preoccupied with her daughter. “Oliver’s fine. He’s not a professional.” She laughed, hoping to reassure her, but she wasn’t going so far as to actually compliment him.

Her parents had reassured her that any Hogwarts house would be fine -- and deep down, she supposed she knew that, considering she had siblings in every house -- but she wouldn’t be at ease for roughly another eleven years. But the compliment for Lula did help, at least, and Quinn smiled again as she looked down at that little nose.

Quinn decided not to be offended that Alex hadn’t waxed poetic about how much he loved his older and favorite sister, especially in the years following her departure from Hogwarts. More accurately, she tried to not blame Healer Boyd for her brother’s mistake. “He is,” she answered with a laugh. Offended or not, it was hard to talk about him with any genuine malice.

She raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly, as Darla made a poor attempt at modesty. Of course Alex was good at potions, but it was always nice to have someone else confirm her suspicions. “I didn’t even pass my O.W.L.,” she said with a shrug, not counting this as any sort of failure she should be embarrassed about. “So, I sort of need you to be good at potions.” She rather obviously eyed the vials sitting on the desk before glancing back up with a smirk.

Slughorn was Alex’s ..seventh? year, maybe sixth? She wasn’t sure. Either way, she hadn’t had him, first quitting potions and then quitting Hogwarts altogether later that year. But she caught the hint that her Healer hadn’t preferred the change and she smiled over the rim of her teacup. She had no idea if she and Alex were still in touch, and she hoped that if they weren’t she wouldn’t ask after him. Quinn had been getting better about saying that he was doing really well, but she was dealing with a whole new slew of emotions and she wasn’t sure if she wouldn’t lose it. And that, surely, wouldn’t help her case when the Ministry would inevitably ask for some sort of medical guarantee that she was ready to get back to the pitch.

“Alex had offered to be here this morning -- he had been to most of my earlier appointments -- so maybe I won’t convince him to go to work next time.” She didn’t bother explaining why her brother, rather than her boyfriend, would accompany her, didn’t think the information was too important.

The tension between quidditch players from opposing teams was quite visible, particularly from Quinn’s sharp words regarding Oliver’s quidditch skills. Darla believed he could have naturally chosen a better team than Puddlemere United, however, she wouldn’t have gone as far as the Irish had. In the end, she was from Scotland, so it was a bit obvious she would believe that Oliver was little said superior in skills compared to Quinn there, just by having the better DNA. Nonetheless, Darla wouldn’t voice her opinion and reveal her Scottish nationalism more than necessary. She was at work, and consequently the healer just smiled, and took a sip of her tea, hoping that the conversation would move on quickly.

Quinn’s remark about needing her to be good at potions had Darla smirk a bit condescendingly in the quidditch player’s direction. Was she really suspecting a healer at one of the world’s best hospitals wasn’t excellent at potions? Merlin, leave it to a quidditch player to have such ignorant suspicions. Darla knew that quidditch players weren’t paid for being especially bright or cultured or even nice, however Quinn’s comment had been not only offensive towards her, but offensive to the retired Healer O’Hannagain (who personally taught her potions), offensive to the Ward, offensive towards the hospital. If Quinn had such a low opinion of St. Mungo’s, then why was she here in the first place?

“Well, as any St. Mungo’s healer, I have an O.W.L. and a N.E.W.T. in potions, along with post-graduate advanced healing potions studies at Dilys Derwent, and I personally have collaborations with Healer O’Hannagain himself. And I’m conducting a research of my own, so – “ Darla nodded, especially polite “ – rest assured that I am little said good at potions. Western, Eastern, and alternative.” The former Gryffindor replied, as calmly as always, now smiling especially politely in the Irish’s direction. Others might think Darla was showing off, but in reality she was still modest. In the end, she came from a long line of great healers, who also excelled at potions. I’m no potions master, but then again, this is St. Mungo’s, not the Potion Masters Guild. Was on the tip of her tongue, nonetheless Darla decided to not further voice her opinions. Aside from being the mother of her patient, she was also Alex’s sister, so Darla didn’t want to say anything out of place.

It was people that made remarks like Quinn’s that made the job hard at times. They didn’t understand that it wasn’t a privilege for the healer to talk to them, but viceversa. If anything, the patient should be grateful that the healer took more than five minutes of their precious time to talk to them. Because for healers, time was precious. Lula was only one patient, but Darla had dozens more.

“It would be nice for him to assist with an appointment, yes.” Darla nodded in approval, agreeing that Alex accompanying Quinn would indeed be helpful. “Mr. Wood, as the father, should come as well. It’s important that the child gets accustomed to both parents coming with them at an appointment. Preventive, of course. So if one parent cannot make it one time, they’ll find the other’s presence equally soothing.” In the end, if Quinn’s schedule would be packed once, and Oliver came with Lula, it would be a pity for Lula to panic just because her mother wouldn’t be around. It was a necessary move.

Darla took another sip of her tea, straightening her back slightly as she lowered her gaze towards Lula. “She really is lovely.” The healer commented once more, her smile widening. “I’m not just saying it, you know. Her complexion is particularly nice, considering she’s only ten days. She’ll only become prettier and prettier, especially once she’s a tiny bit older and you’ll be able to take her out more.” A honey glow was always nice to have, and also healthy. Plus, Lula would look absolutely fabulous like that.

Darla was genuinely looking forward to seeing the little one grow.

“I’m aware of the training required,” Quinn said flatly, though her smile remained. The joke had clearly been missed: Quinn didn’t have an O.W.L. in potions so she was thrilled to have someone that clearly had many more qualifications in that area than she did, namely this healer. It rubbed her the wrong way, like she was trying to impress the quidditch player, and she didn’t really appreciate it. She obviously didn’t think that Quinn was smart enough to know that being a Healer required certain skills; never mind that there was a Regan healer on every floor of this hospital.

She wasn’t required to sit here and talk with her. The appointment was over, but Quinn had allowed it. Now she was wondering why.

Quinn raised both eyebrows in disbelief. It would be nice for Alex to assist with an appointment, apparently. The smile she had tried so hard to maintain disappeared. She hadn’t mentioned her brother’s presence to indicate that she required any sort of help, and she was almost offended that the Healer had jumped to that conclusion. But with the girl’s next words, Quinn realized that she had yet to hear the worst.

She had not signed up for parenting lessons. Mr. Wood, she had called Oliver, the father. He had wanted to come to the appointment, had been absolutely heartbroken he couldn’t make it. The appointment hadn’t been originally scheduled for that day, considering Lula was born early. He hadn’t been able to swing a missed training session, not this soon after the season had started so poorly for him. Never mind that Lula liked Oliver as much as Quinn, as much as the Seeker hated to admit it. She didn’t need Healer Boyd drawing attention to the fact that they were incredibly busy and couldn’t spend unlimited time with their daughter.

Plus, if Quinn wanted to attend the appointments alone, she would.

Still, Quinn kept her mouth shut, not wanting to jeopardize her daughter’s healthcare. She cleared her throat and replaced her smile. “She has my mother’s complexion. Spanish,” she added curtly, before shifting Lula so she could stand up. “I’m afraid we have to be going, though.” She didn’t offer any other excuse. The Healer hadn’t earned one, yet. “Thank you again for these,” she said, picking up the potions with her free hand and sticking them in her purse. She wrapped Lula back up in her carrier, freeing up both her hands to balance enough to get her shoes back on.

“Such a pleasure meeting you.” Quinn offered another smile before heading out the door, solely intent on gathering her brother from the Ministry right away to let off a bit of steam.

[[ out ]]

Darla was glad Quinn stated that she had to leave. It had been quite stressful to think of what exactly to talk about. VIP patients were so unnecessarily needy for socialisation, and Darla had no idea what that had to do with her actual job. She’s seen the baby, made sure she was healthy, offered the required potions and instructions. As a healer, she’d done her job. True, talking to a quidditch player in a private environment was nice, but she was on the clock, so when the Irish had decided to put an end her to her stay there, Darla couldn’t feel anything but relieved. She liked to believe she handled this first meeting remarkably well.

“Oh, not at all. Please don’t hesitate in contacting me if there’s anything you want to know and it might not covered in the notes and instructions.” Darla commented mostly out of pleasantry, for she was aware that she’d been especially thorough with her notes, that nobody could actually not understand them, or have any further questions. She got up, accompanying Quinn and Lula towards the door.

“Likewise.” Darla hesitantly lowered her gaze as Quinn put on her shoes, a bit irritated that the Irish witch hadn’t shown any kind of intention of washing her hands before leaving. It was good she’d given the potion for the baby’s immunity, if the mother wasn’t going to take a minimum effort and do a simple task like sanitising her hands. Nonetheless, the healer decided not to comment this time. The quidditch player was a much better mother so far than she’d initially expected, regardless of the slight – well, not so slight – lack of sanitary knowledge.

“Have a nice day.” The healer commented as the Irish left, closing the door behind her. She sighed, glad that this consultation had ended. It had gone better than expected though, so Darla guessed her report wouldn’t be as bad as initially assumed. 

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