Hogwarts School - Elsewhere

One thing about being in the newest class of junior healers was sometimes one got to observe other departments and do a walk-along.  Something he was the first to volunteer for not even caring what the department or what was being asked.  One thing he learned at his earliest job on the docks was it was important to know a bit about everything.  Just like he learned how to clean ships, anchor boats, unload freight, and run coal as a boy on the docks of South London the same applied at St. Mungos. 

Earlier today, actually yesterday, during the morning he unthinkingly volunteered himself for a day assisting in the morgue.  All he remembered beyond things that seemed routine was the headache that was more an imbalance caused throbbing than due to the noise as the morgue was quiet minus the work that was being done - much quieter than any wing he worked in.  A headache that naturally went unmentioned until he was questioned by the healer who had come into the room he was in now about six hours ago after he’d woken up.  As if there was something Tigran Razi wasn’t going to do, it was admit weakness and give anyone he didn’t have to leverage over him. 

He’d thought he’d gotten used to ghosts after his last similar incident prior to fifth year at Hogwarts, but apparently he was wrong.  Or he was assuming it was some oversensitivity to spirits and ghosts that had or similar magical sensory issue that had overwhelmed him back then.  It was his only theory to what happened prior to his fifth year and the periodic smaller headaches he’d pushed off since that he could similarly recall some sort of spirits in the area.  Furthermore, in training for occlumency he’d learned mental exercises to block off his mind and focus his thoughts which he’d done as he felt his head start aching yesterday to near zero effect.

At least his headache was better now, even if he’d passed out somewhere likely embarrassingly while working in the morgue as a healer. 

Actually his headache was much better now as they’d just wheeled out the last roommate who had complained enough to him that he’d started asking questions back out of curiosity.  Which combined with the fact that he was only 5’ 6” and his healers robes he’d been wearing transfigured a mute grey like patients robes made his complaining room mate tell him more than he told the healers.  A few questions into his curiosity the man’s story fell apart and he was obviously purely looking to get pain potions due to a bit of unregistered dueling which was why he had freckled marks from a not fully reversed boil causing hex.

It was a problem for spell damage and one based on the man’s grumbling they’d dealt with before - the problem being the older man himself not his easily fixable ailments.

Hearing the door open again he hoped he’d be able to talk whomever was coming in to check on him into bringing him a book - getting a case out of the ward had to be worth a prize.  Even one of the super boring medical books, but at seeing Catherine his face quickly went to confusion, then fear.  Could him collapsing be a fireable offense?  If not, missing the shift he had scheduled in an hours time might be?  How had he forgotten about his upcoming shift? 

Was he really so out of it that he was just thinking about the problem he had like he would as a healer trying to find a solution, not the implications of it being him?  Apparently yes.

Nervously he said “ Director. “

He understood not knowing what one wanted to become at the age Eira was.  At this moment before his own fifth year he’d been in St. Mungos being forced into the wizarding social service system after deciding he was done with the wizarding world complete with a muggle job lined up.  That muggle job was going to be the what he’d become an accepted what that would work on the docks and railroads till he could get into one of the unions which would make the decision of which for him. 

Being tossed into the wizarding system and back to Hogwarts before his fifth year had changed the course of his life and made him reconsider his wants.  Wants that reverted back as close as wizardingly possible of the dream he had of becoming a muggle doctor he had before he’d even gotten his Hogwarts letter.

He nodded as she mentioned wanting to be a business woman like her aunt.  He wondered if anyone had stepped in when he needed it with a good example in the wizarding world if he’d of wanted to be like them.  Though the mention of legilimency was an interesting note, one that showed a failing in whatever lessons Eira was being taught.

He debated mentioning his own interest and pursuit of the subject, but stopped considering the eagerness he suspected Eira had to please the Zdravkova family.

He said “ It’s interesting legilimency.  I’ve always looked at it as one of those things people claim to have the ability for as way to say they know something they found out through some other connection they don’t want to admit.  Though, I’ve also read some interesting medical journals about the wizarding mind relating to it as an expansion of how we can hear ghosts but muggles can’t hear them.  Like a trainable extension of ones senses opposed to a gift of divination ability such as seers are.  If you decide to pursue it I’d be happy to point you to some good references I’ve found over the years. “

His words lies as he knew legilimency was something families like theirs, and those who got high in the ministry ranks specialized in for the advantages it gave them to read peoples mind.  It was the whole reason he was interested and working on learning occlumency so he’d not be those peoples stepping stone - and to protect his own thoughts.

He hoped if Eira did pursue it she’d mention it to him in the future, but he was smart enough to know Eira was an open book to the Zdravkova family at this time.  An open book he'd rather be an uninteresting footnote in if his name were mentioned to them.  As he was truly uninterested in the Zdravkova or even his own families enterprises at the current time.

He continued “ I heard more talk of psychometry growing up, which is reading the history of objects, being pursued due to the practicality it has in many lines of business.  When, I was working as a bartender last summer at the Snake Pit and it was entertaining how often people would try to sell things off and use enchantments to give off an energy they claimed was something else.  Psychometry got me a good extra tip one night when someone folded quickly after I was asked to look at an weird object.  Still not sure what it really was as they ran quick. “

Then after a pause he asked “ Did you have any idea of what you wanted to become or your goals before the Zdravkova family?  Obviously, things have changed but …“ 

He let himself stop before finishing that sentence curious how the blank would fill itself.

His food was half finished on his plate as he looked up towards Cordelia and around at the restaurant they were in.  His posture and words were proper and complementary of Cordelia just like the lessons taught him as a child.  He sprinkled in questions of curiosity trying to reveal what had made Cordelia’s mood change over the past month but was still clueless and hadn’t truly pushed.  A real boyfriend would have more of a clue than him, but he took it as yet another sign he was never meant to be a real boyfriend material - even real friend material was debatable.  Not that it concerned him as he knew how to make himself useful to people and had been taught that was more important than friendship his whole life.  Still the few good friendships he had mannered to him greatly - like Cordelia.

The reservation to the restaurant itself should have been something he’d never have been able to make.  The truce that had formed with the younger members of his extended family could be attributed to him dating Cordelia, who worked in the Minister’s office, or even his own recent successes.  Him getting this reservation was another level entirely that should have been blocked by the Ministry idiot who somehow had gotten the position of Head of the Razi family.  Perhaps the fact that three heads of his family had died in the few years time since his grandfather who held the position for decades dulled the new head’s influence.  If his grandfather was still alive he knew the reservation would have been blocked at his grandfather’s second wife’s insistence - even in his head he couldn’t call her grandmother as she wasn’t his. 

The pressure of the whole situation combined with feeling like he was being watched made him involuntarily shiver.  At least he was pretty confident he wasn't being heard except for the waiter who came by occasionally due to charms cast to give everyone at the tables some sort of exclusive privacy for their words.  Breaking, the formality he’d be wearing like a costume he awkwardly leaned over the table and whispered  “ Why do I feel like more people are looking around than looking at whom they are with? “  He himself had looked around a few times, but had mostly focused on Cordelia and the conversation they’d had which he’d interrupted with his odd observation due to his sheer discomfort with the place.

He took a deep breath trying not to think about where he was.  This was about Cordelia and this was certainly a place her being seen would potentially get back to her grandfather positively and perhaps elevate her a bit in her goals of the Ministry.  Though part of him even wondered how much Cordelia realized such things as he doubted her family had the teachings his did - even if he was never meant to use those teachings like he was currently.

Then he took a slower breath and said " Don't stress over seventh year.  It's just exams and you got through OWLs so you know what to expect.  Plus, you made it through a ministry intern so you can milk that into a position after graduation.  The cards in your hand so start playing them. "  It was a new tactic in trying to figure out what was wrong, as he was clueless.  Though admittedly exams were never something that made him nervous except for the night before OWLs and then it was just logistical questions as he had no idea what to expect after signing up for them without thinking.

He wasn’t sure to take the nod from Reginald as a sign he was understood or as a sign of approval.  Though the difference between the two things was meaningless at the moment as the performance was for Cordelia so all that mannered was how she interpreted the situation.  As a healer he wondered sometimes how much patients understood in this moments making him all the more thankful for the man’s responses.

Even if he barely shrugged with the smallest of nods to the comment about interviewing for a position.  He wasn’t interviewing.  He already technically had it which was the attitude he had to have for this performance.  A technicality in the fact that he was the official boyfriend.  The fact that the whole relationship was fake for the purpose of deceiving the man before them went unsaid.

In Cordelia’s silence he was finding an odd footing.  All he could do was hope it wasn’t himself putting his foot in his mouth.

He made no comment on bloodlines.  After all, if there was one thing he could say as a Razi was that bloodlines lasted longer than charm in his family.  The other two questions were easier.  Though they were best combined into one answer as considering they were both Ravenclaws within a year of each other the meeting place was obviously due to being in the same house at Hogwarts.

He said “ It’s weird the things that graduating from Hogwarts makes you realize about the people you’re around and how you take their constant presence for granted.  Being in the same house and attending the summer camp when school was out it was like Cordelia was always there so I didn’t really think about it or how close we were as friends. “

He took a deep breath before continuing as the first words were feelings he had as other friends had graduated with him left behind at Hogwarts just as much as now with him himself graduating.  As his own family had taught him - always base a lie in truth.

He continued “ I’m not sure when my feelings towards Cordelia started changing. “

It would go unsaid that they hadn’t he still only thought of Cordelia as a friend.  Though this part of the performance was for Reginald.

Taking a breath he said “ Those suitors were the push I needed to figure out how I felt, and actually ask her out.  I’m thankful she said yes. “

An answer that was the round about truth.  Which allowed him to have a calm heartfelt tone when he said it.

His outfit was simple, though he’d bought himself a cigar-brown dress suit jacket from a higher-end wizarding menswear store on Diagon Alley to accent the rest of the outfit.  A suit jacket that had the inside pocket, starting at the second button from the bottom, that was meant to be used with an Extension Charm as it was so flat into lining yet had a wide opening expecting larger things to be placed inside it.  He’d not cast that charm on the still empty pocket, but just the existence of it changed how the front of the jacket fell with the other side matching.  The rest of the outfit was a striped white and light-blue shirt with a textured dark blue tie and dress pants he transfigured to match the tie in color.  Only the black shoes were what he typically wore to his job at St. Mungos as a Junior Healer.

He knew this was as much an appearances test as a personality one.  As a Razi he was much more prepared for the appearances part of it even if he had to spend about a week's salary on the jacket.  Though without it he knew he'd of failed that part as there was no transfiguring ones way into an outfit easily recognizable as casual high-end wizarding especially to a man who used to attend Wizengamot's and saw a lot of fakes.  Which if his own grandfather sat next to the man were likely pointed out as he remembered many stories from his grandfather on mistakes made in trying to fake such things - the secret is at least an accent piece must be real ( like his jacket in this instance ). 

As he looked at the front of the hospital he realized it was the first time he’d ever walked into St. Mungos as a visitor.  He hadn’t been allowed to visit his own grandfather when he succumbed in the same place and had no cause otherwise to come to St. Mungos minus work or personal visits of which he could only remember the one prior to Hogwarts not involving a Ministry Social Worker dragging him.  It was easy to see Cordelia was nervous with the curse of her hair color changing making her emotions so visible - a statement he’d never say outloud.

He nodded at Cordelia mentioning the plan.  Though blinked as his mind caught up after the muggle phone joke that she’d mentioned a ministry library.

He said quickly with a bit of excitement “ Wait.  There’s a ministry library? “ at what was probably the wrong time considering the emphasis she was putting on the moment.  An emphasis he was trying not to think about as it had been years since he’d interacted with grudge-holding aristocrats who weren’t patients.

Smirking he said calmly acknowledging the moment “ None of the seven were Razi’s. “ He didn’t actually know if there was a Razi in the bunch, but if she had mentioned them he’d of had fun burying them.  He had enough dirt on most the Razi men in his vague age group, and if he didn’t just to keep Cordelia from potentially dealing with the Razi family he’d of made something embarrassing enough up.

He nodded and hugged Cordelia back realizing that this was about comforting her more than it was about any performance for Reginald Von Stein. 

He walked into St. Mungos offering Cordelia his arm as he entered.  At the check-in station he handled the pleasantries and got the room number they both already knew.  As he’d ended up having her grandfather on rounds multiple times that he kept purely professional recognizing the name and being smart enough to not say anything that didn’t need to be professionally said or was meaningless small talk.

Before they turned the last hallway he whispered “ Don’t let him get to you.  If he somehow remembers my family let me deal with it.  Let’s say I’ve had some practice with people nervous to have a healer named Razi. “ Though this time if it came to that he’d have to take a very different approach as advertising he ended up tossed into the Hogsmeade Children’s Home after his parents dipped would imply his grandfather had done nothing.  A bad look as based on age and the fact they were both heads of family he suspected his grandfather was the Razi’s that Reginald Von Stein had likely dealt with - hopefully it was good.

Then he said “ Let’s take a couple deep breaths it will help still our minds and help reduce visible first reactions. “ Or it would with him and was one of his secrets to not reacting immediately.  He was curious if breath exercises to increase oxygen flow in a controlled manner taking one out of there normal rhythm could do the same to reduce Cordelia’s hair changing reactions.

There was no delaying the enviable as he waited for Cordelia to lead them into her grandfather’s room.

He chuckled at the fact that Robbie said all of London could hear the debate.  They probably could.  With a smirk he said “ I’ve always wondered why the walls aren’t soundproofed there’s certainly the charms for it. “  Any concept of the sounds from the rooms helping in emergencies didn’t even cross his mind.

With a nod he said “ From the right side of the patient’s neck where things were more pronounced. “  Then he stepped back from the microscope he was using letting Robbie look if he wanted as he continued “ It has bits that resemble dandelions after the petals fall off.  I was expecting it all to look like mold if it was a real fungus. “

With mold being something he was very familiar with seeing in recent years on breaks from school from the jobs he had then.  Jobs he was more than thankful he didn’t have to have now like working as a janitor or bartender. 

With a smirk he said “ Let’s say I’ve seen a lot of mold the fungus king in my life but nothing that I’d almost say was structurally pretty. “  It certainly wasn’t pretty on the patient and he hoped that if it was a magical bug it wasn’t contagious.  As contagious was one of the reasons he’d not put this assignment as one of his top choices.  A detail that would go unsaid as he’d learned long ago that everyone wanted to hear they were your top choice and he was smart enough to take that hint.

He walked out of the room as the aristocratic lady he was left with to ask the diagnostic questions was vile.  The questions all were procedure to try to gather if a patient was exposed to something, understand their symptoms, and ask about family history.  The types of questions while the samples of saliva which already taken as the woman was slobbering worse than a great dane were examined.

It was a task he had zero worry of doing as he being a former bartender made him good at talking to people.  Or so he thought.  The complements and reassurances that were a mix of bedside manner he’d been taught at St. Mungos and tricks he learned to get extra tips as a bartender fell flat.  Even worse, the woman seemed to be more focused on criticizing him than answering the questions he’d asked.

This made him all the more certain this was some sort of test of would this get to him.  It wouldn’t.  He had kept his even tone with the woman and not even reacted when she said that she refused to be treated by a squib.  He wasn’t, but his parents and siblings had been thought they'd been out of the picture for years.  So this meant whomever the woman was likely recognized him from some family event when he was younger which was sub-optimal, but he kept his focus on his job not bothering to guess.

Regrettably, he suspected his mentor was listening outside which would make this all the worse.  A worse that became even worse as he felt drool start dripping from his own mouth as he talked after the woman told him to stop uselessly asking questions and do something about it.

The minute he felt the drool he quickly cast a bubble head charm on himself and walked out of the room closing the door.  Seeing Caroline he said “ I got the answers to the standard questions and nothing sticks out as her being exposed to something beyond someone poisoning her for her attitude.  Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure she just hexed me, but there’s a small chance she’s really contagious so I put a bubble head charm on just incase. “

Low effort? 

He shrugged and nodded when she mentioned he was good with the kids.  Oddly for being a youngest child he seemed to always end up taking care of the kids his age and younger growing up. 

”… I’ll assume you’ve been cursed.”

With a smirk he said “ What’s your opinion on chocolates?  As those small gesture gifts are expected, and I’m not pulling off jewelry. “  Or more accurately he wasn’t pulling off jewelry for something he was faking as he had bills to pay.  He hadn’t really thought through all the angles, but he’d make it work as Cordelia was worth it.

He could only shake his head and chuckle at the idea of Aloïs getting hexed.  If it wasn’t Cordelia it would be another girl - or maybe even would have been him. 

He laughed at Cordelia comparing Jasper to the boys in the books.  He said “ Both.  I bet if they wrote a romantic play it would be more flowery than an Anise Scrivner novel. “   As someone who'd seen a good number of theater plays the summer he was working odd jobs and cleaning he realized those two probably could write an over the top and good script.

This could work.

He had no idea how to pull off a dramatic fight, but that was a problem for another day.  A question for either MJ or Jasper who both could pull off theatrics. 

He said “ I’m all in for dancing.  It is one of those things I’m oddly skilled at between more formal lessons as a kid and partying in clubs. “  It was probably his only viable thing as far as the theatrics of this all he knew how to do.  After all,

“Deal?”

He said “ Deal. “

Then he said “ So how you want to be asked out as you’re better than some lunchtime scheming arrangement?  If you can’t think of something I could ask Jasper for ideas as my usual techniques are too chill. “

He didn’t smoke.  However he needed an excuse to step outside so he conjured himself a cigarette and the illusion of smoke.  Breathing was a skill he had much like realizing that he was in over his head following an invitation to hang out at Séance from one fancy French Ministry guy a couple years his senior in the name of Aloïs Mallory.  He was a Razi so he understood the pureblood social scene from childhood events he’d attended, but until now he’d just been an observer not someone pulled in by a teasing smile and a promise of slipping off to the side for some fun. 

He understood he was being tested to see if he could hang with the group of friends Aloïs had formed that were interested in the women on the dance floor which as the evening went on he realized held zero interest to Aloïs.  Though he realized that Aloïs would play at otherwise stringing along  a girl that was over the top flirting with him responding to even the slightest of smirks he made.  He knew there would be no slipping off with Aloïs for some fun after the group left.  Still he stayed a couple hours more as he wanted to prove to himself he could fit in with this group, as he spent his whole childhood with the entirety of the extended Razi family saying he wasn’t good enough.  Yet, even wanting to prove to himself he could manage to fit in wasn't enough to hold his interest in anything other than finding a good excuse to leave.

He faked breathing in his cigarette as he twiddled with wand in his hand adding to the conjuring the illusion of smoke coming out of his mouth as breathed out.  He let himself lean on the wall with a slight slouch outside Séance with a large yawn escaping his mouth.  A yawn that was a little louder than he’d of wanted and worse he noticed someone looking at him.  Out of routine he said “ Need a light? “

A statement he realized the stupidity of in the wizarding world considering they all had wands - or so he assumed.  Then he raised his fake conjured cigarette towards his mouth as he waited for the response to his statement.  The fact that smoking was tolerated inside, made him stepping outside to fake smoking even more ridiculous in his mind - but here he was.

He appreciated Cordie disagreeing with his assessment of himself in the rankings of pureblood suitors.  He said “ It’s an irrelevant fact except to this conversation as I’m not playing that game myself. “  The catch was it was an important fact to this conversation as like any second-rate candidate he came with risks of association.  Though they were few as they were both young and he already was planning it would be his purposeful stupidity that ended this fake match.

“You’re suggesting we only pretend to date, right?”

He said “ Yes, just pretend.  You remind me too much of my sisters otherwise. “  A statement made purely as while he held some attraction to women he was much more interested in men and had a few things going at the moment.  Well a few things minus one as he’d have to cut off Aloïs Mallory from that list as he was too much of a risk in all this.  He was the only one in the wizarding world he hooked up with on any sort of regular basis since meeting him a few weeks ago.

“I love you as much as I can as a friend, Tigran, but I don’t know if I could kiss you without giggling.”

With a chuckle he said “ Then giggle.  Neither of us have a reputation for public displays of affection so we could avoid that for the most part.“ 

A lie as he was certainly prone to flirting and public displays of affection but those were all in the muggle world and muggle clubs that didn’t overlap with the people who were watching the game board for this game.  A world that had taught him to be discrete as snogging guys was much less accepted there than in the wizarding world.  Though even in the wizarding world it seemed most the guys he snogged were going to end up playing the game Cordie was in putting that to the shadows as well.

When Cordie mentioned Kate he realized there were a few people he’d have to tell as well.  He said “ Tell anyone you need.  I’ll have to tell a few people on my end like Jasper as last thing I need is him defending your honor when he notices a new hickey or mark as I often brew potions for the shop in my undershirt to not get my good clothes messy.  Don’t worry I’m good at covering them up otherwise, but have been getting lazy with it just being Jasper. “ 

Another lie as often especially as it got warmer he just brewed potions in shorts not caring what anyone thought - which would have to change.  This plan would mean he'd have to care again what people thought.

Then he said “ You might also want to give Aloïs Mallory, who I think works in the French office, some space as he’s a loose end I’ll have to deal with.  Don’t worry he was never going to be anything more than a fun hookup. “  Though that was a detail he probably should have mentioned to Cordelia a couple weeks ago when she was complaining about Aloïs's mixture of superiority and dismissive nature attitude wise.   A dismissive that he knew was purely due to Aloïs having zero interest in women.