The Heart of Reunion ((Heidi))

[Miguel Malave Taveras]

“No,” Miguel said rather adamantly as he shook his head at one of the healing interns who had been assigned to his most recent case. “If the rapid development of heart muscle were the result of the gemino curse, there would have been no way that we could have preformed direct surgery without making the woman’s heart even more inflamed. Also, one must use direct spell casting on the object for the gemino curse to take effect. If you are trying to tell me that this woman was cut open and then had her heart cursed by this spell, then you might want to rethink your diagnosis. And... at this point we don’t have much more time to rethink. Without constant reduction charms being administered, and she can only take so many more before her heart stops working completely, this woman’s heart will swell to the point that there is nothing more that we can do.” With a quick scan through the patient's file, Miguel thrust the charts back into the hands of a very dazed intern. “Administer the rest of the anti-engorgement potions and I want quarter-hour updates. Got it? Good.” Miguel quickly made his way toward his office where he planned to research some of the copy-cat curses that he had remembered reading about in which the gemino curse had been duplicated with some similar effects, yet not to the exact level as the original.

On his way back to his office, Miguel flipped through a stack of other charts that he had been working on. He glanced back and forth between the path ahead of him and the plethora of medical information that was stored in the stack of papers in his arms. His periodic glances ahead and his peripheral vision were not enough however to prevent him from bumping into a young woman. Luckily, the two hadn’t lost their balance or dropped anything, but Miguel paused for a moment to apologize. “Terribly sorry... mind’s elsewhere,” he explained, preparing to continue on his way before stopping to take a second look at the woman’s face. She was a rather beautiful woman, and her features were quite familiar to Miguel. With a curious look, he tried to remember if he knew her and, if so, where he knew her from. “You look like somebody that I might have known before...” he said, the woman’s face successfully distracting him from the task at hand. He racked his mind, trying desperately to decide if it was just a coincidence or if she really was someone from his past. When he went back to remembering his Hogwart’s years, the memories clicked, and he was able to identify who this young woman was. “Heidi Fleming?” he said aloud, questioning his own reasoning. “What are you doing at St. Mungo’s?” he asked rather shocked, but not in a negative way. Miguel had been two years ahead of Heidi in school, and he remembered her from being in Ravenclaw with him. “What a nice surprise.” By this time, Miguel had stopped completely, almost forgetting about the task at hand. Still, work could never escape him completely, and so noticing that Heidi had the bright green robes, indicative of a healer, he wondered if she might be able to help him out. “Hey... do you have a free moment. There is this case that I have, and we are kind of running out of time. I need to finalize a diagnosis, but I have to check one of my resources. Think you might be able to offer an opinion?”

[Heidi Rebecca Fleming]

Heidi’s second day. Heidi stood outside the entrance, stock still, staring up at the St Mungo’s sign as passerbys walked past without a sparing glance. The dawn broke over the horizon as she shook herself out of her reverie. Muttering incoherent words under her breath, Heidi forwarded herself into the hospital entrance hall, bright green robes sweeping round her feet. Her brisk walk took her to the elevators, where she joined several other healers and patients, as well as a few flying notes overhead. Minutes later, Heidi was standing beside a disgruntled looking Julia, who seemed to have been bearing an indifferent expression until Heidi’s arrival. Heidi attempted a small smile as a way of a friendly gesture, but Julia merely ignored her as she continued jotting down some notes illegible to Heidi. Rolling her eyes, Heidi turned away, deciding finally that Julia would probably never like her, and she was just a cold, independent woman who needed nothing and no one. Anyway, Heidi thought to herself, she wasn’t required to like Julia in return; the feeling was mutual. At least she had Ben as a friend; despite the initial lies upon their first meeting, Heidi and Ben had bonded well since realising they were sharing the same job and resident in the same hospital. And wow – they were both wizards! Heidi could almost laugh again at the look on Ben’s face when they had first bumped into one another yesterday; the surprise she had felt herself at seeing the ‘vet’ in St Mungo’s was hilarious to look back on. It was an event that Heidi would never forget.

Just as Heidi was pondering over the matter of Ben, he appeared round the corner dressed in similar robes, and approached her and Julia. “Morning.” Heidi grinned as Ben returned the greeting. “You were almost late.” She commented in amusement; She was going to elaborate on inviting Ben to dinner tonight too, before she was interrupted by the entrance of their resident, who quickly set them tedious tasks and disappeared off somewhere else. Really, Heidi thought in annoyance, the woman spent so little time training them it felt more like an independent blind training session. Ben was sent several floors up, Julia vanished to find another resident (probably to ask if she could scrub in on a surgery, Heidi thought), and Heidi made her way towards the other side of the building to do her resident’s bidding. Heidi was of the opinion healing at St Mungo’s wasn’t so bad at the moment; in fact the job was pretty fun, although nerve-wracking, with awful working hours. However, she had been warned by her mother that being at the ‘end of the great chain of being’, especially as a lowly intern in a hospital, was not ‘fun’ at all – but Heidi knew that, since she had always experienced been stamped on since a child, and her goal in life was not to stay at the bottom forever. She would ensure she passed her intern exams at the end of this year, do as many surgeries as she could every day, and become an attending as soon as possible. Perhaps her goals were ambitious, but Heidi would’ve gotten nowhere in life without her highflying dreams. And here she was, living out the first part of it.

Heidi wondered what today would bring as she dodged some healing paramedics in a rush, her head dipping in and out of patient rooms in curiosity. There was so much to see and do and learn at St Mungo’s; it was overwhelmingly huge, with hundreds of different healers of different levels looking after twice as many patients. Some would’ve found the experience daunting, but for Heidi it was most certainly exciting. It sent a rush of blood to her head. She waved at an elderly man lying in bed with an encouraging grin, before turning a corner and running head first into someone. Thankfully it was only a light bump, and both Heidi and the healer steadied themselves in time. What was it with bumping into young men these past few days? Heidi questioned herself as she looked up to stare at the face belonging to a rather handsome man. He looked somewhat familiar, with mesmerising dark eyes. His looks caught her by surprise for a moment, before she shook herself out of it and proceeded to grin widely at the man’s apology. “It’s all right. I wasn’t paying much attention myself. I always bump into people.” Heidi returned as she examined the young man before her. He really struck her as someone she had met before, but couldn’t quite place him. There was something very attractive about him though, that was for sure, as Heidi wondered who he was. Since he was wearing the same green robes as her, he was obviously a healer; she doubted he was merely an intern.

“Same!” Heidi exclaimed with a laugh, nodding enthusiastically as she stuck out her hand. “But I can’t quite place you in my head. I’m Hei—“ However, it seemed the man needed no introduction, because suddenly he spouted off her name correctly. “Yes!” She grinned, but her eyes were surprised. Quickly she racked her own brain for any recognition of this young man, until she glanced back at him with a concentrating frown. “Miguel… isn’t it?” Heidi asked, shrugging apologetically. “I’m sorry, I’m not great with names, better with faces. I think you were two years ahead of me at Hogwarts, weren’t you? Ravenclaw?” She questioned, needing to see if she could recall Miguel’s surname, or any other information about him. “I work here.” Heidi replied in mock indignation, gesturing at their identical robes with a grin. “Second day.” She added as further explanation. Heidi’s grin only grew at Miguel’s next comment. “It is.” She nodded, detecting the somewhat flirtatious tone of Miguel. Ah, yes. Suddenly a few memories flooded back to Heidi. Miguel had been quite the ladies’ man back in Hogwarts, if she remembered correctly; it wasn’t a surprise, really – he was very good looking. Heidi recalled being attracted to him in her fifth year or so, but after becoming pregnant, she hadn’t really looked at another man seriously for a while, until she escaped high school. “Yeah, sure.” Heidi nodded a little more gravely, her grin replaced with a more reserved, determined smile. That silly job her resident had required could take the back seat for now, Heidi decided; it was a stupid task anyway. Plus she doubted she would be searching for her anytime soon. “I’d love to help you out. Show the way and brief me. So… you a resident here or something, Miguel?” Heidi questioned in admiration as she looked him up and down. He certainly hadn’t lost much of his appeal since high school.

[Miguel Malave Taveras]

"That would be correct," Miguel said in reply to her acknowledging his house and years ahead of herself, smiling at Heidi's enthusiasm. He did remember that she always seemed to be a happy and bubbly person most of the time. With that, and her looks, Miguel understood why the guys always talked about her. When you've got brains, personality, and beauty, what more could one ask for? "Right then... the case." Miguel continued on his way to his office, figuring that Heidi would naturally follow. He hoped that she didn't see his quick and rushed reunion as a flaw on his own personality, but the case truly was one of limited time. Heidi's own abilities would likely be tested, and Miguel was hopeful that she might come through in the end. A Ravenclaw and all, he thought it would be nice to show how competent the lot of them were. Of course, that had sometimes been Miguel's view. Just like the Slytherins were prideful in their pureblooded backgrounds, he had always been somewhat judgmental when it came to ability; a bad habit, perhaps, but one that Miguel had never been able to escape. Judging others based on their intelligence came natural to him.

"The patient is a woman, early fifties. She was brought in after her daughter found her laying unconscious in their living room. It had been a heart-attack, and so she was sent through the basic rounds of testing charms. It was through that which we discovered that her heart muscles had been rapidly developing without a known cause. We tried emergency reduction surgery, but the muscles wouldn't respond in a permanent manner. Currently she is undergoing constant reduction charms, indirect of course, and that option of treatment can only last so long as I'm sure you are aware." Miguel stopped, just outside his office now and turned to Heidi. "We've ruled out the gemino curse, well I've ruled it out, the first intern that I was assigned had thought it might be, but never considered that our own direct surgery didn't make the problem worse, but simply did nothing to help or hurt our progress. I've considered that it might be an alternative to the gemino curse, but I don't know a lot about those without checking some of my sources."

Taking a piece of scrap paper, Miguel scribbled a list with his wand and gave Heidi the paper. "Here are six curses that I know have been attempted that were similar to the gemino curse, but invented for alternate reasons with slightly different effects. Can you do some digging and get back to me as soon as possible? Meanwhile, there are a few other rare ones that I am going to need to investigate further." Giving a look of confidence and hoping that they could find the right curse in time, Miguel gave a nod to Heidi before turning and retreating into his office where he quickly levitated three rather large books over to his desk and began searching furiously for anything that might point them in the right direction.

((I figured you can just keep posting here and have Heidi come back in a bit of time with whatever you have planned. No need to start a new thread just because some time passed between replies, right? )

[Heidi Rebecca Fleming]

“Thanks.” Heidi murmured in concentration as her brain absorbed all of Miguel’s quick-fire facts about the female patient. She glanced down at the piece of paper he handed her, before smiling in return at him. “Thanks.” She repeated, waving the paper around cheerfully with a steely determination set in her eyes. “I’ll get back to you when I can.” She nodded, watching as Miguel left her to ponder the woman’s illness. “That was… a coincidence.” Heidi mused to herself as her thoughts returned to meeting Miguel here at St Mungo’s. “This is certainly a small world.” She smirked in anticipation, before turning around and walking back in the direction she had come. “Time to get to work.” She spoke aloud to herself, the piece of paper gripped tightly between her fingers.

A few hours later

Heidi rapped confidently on Miguel’s office door. It had taken her about half an hour to find it, much to her agitation; the hospital was just too big! Having finally spied it, Heidi had heaved a huge sigh of relief and satisfaction. She had solved – well, she hoped she had solved – this patient’s problem after some extensive research, and she had wanted to present to Miguel as soon as possible in an effort to impress him. Not only was Heidi physically attracted to her former fellow Hogwarts student, he was intelligent (the fact he was the head of a department here at his age, plus he was once a Ravenclaw, and that said a lot in itself) and quite flirtatious (he used to be, at least, and Heidi didn’t think he’d lost that sparkle), what Heidi deemed ‘her type of man’. He had a great job under his wing, and had a personality she felt she could get on with. What more could she ask for? And that’s why she secretly hoped there would be an opportunity for her to talk to him outside of work. Heidi understood that Miguel may possibly have a girlfriend, but from the way he looked at her this morning, she highly doubted it; if he did have a partner, then Heidi would cancel all thought of him in her head. She hated adulterers or cheaters… or men who weren’t loyal to their spouses in general. Her father may have been the root that stemmed that belief.

Heidi heard a muffled voice behind the door, and taking that as confirmation for entrance, she went in and smiled self-assuredly at the figure sitting behind his desk. Heidi took a large breath, before launching into her hypothesis of the patient’s illness. “I think I’ve got it.” A thin pile of A4 paper was placed before Miguel before Heidi drew back to speak again. “Take a look through that.” She advised. “I looked up all the curses you gave me – did a few experiments, and those are all my test results and research. I’ve ruled out five of them, and the only one left is that one.” Heidi helped Miguel flip to the third page and pointed at some large lettering. “That curse is the one you’re looking for, I’m sure of it. The muscles are developing because the cells are out of control – multiplying faster as time progresses. That’s why she is getting worse as the day passes.” Heidi pressed in suppressed urgency. She had to appear in control and professional. She always had a wild tendency to attach herself emotionally to patients, she couldn’t let Miguel see this side of her… this weakness, yet.

“This curse does exactly that. I did a bit more research, so the chances of it being this one is pretty high. I also tracked down the way to get rid of it.” Heidi continued in a clipped tone, her facts coming in fast and furious. She was determined to do well on her first day, and she couldn’t have asked for a better assignment. This had been a challenging task, but one Heidi felt… or rather, knew, she had done very well in the time span she had been given, especially since she had done it all alone. She hadn’t seen her resident, Ben or Julia all day. She was rather regretful she hadn’t had the chance to say hi to Ben and check up on the poor guy (he seemed a little lost, really), but Heidi had been so engrossed in her own experiments and research she wouldn’t been distracted by very little. “Here,” Heidi pointed to the next page. “is the cure. Quite a complicated spell. It’s not a fatal curse, but one that could inflict real damage is not rectified soon. It will take longer the more cells there are, and since the patient has been here for at least the day, we’re looking at about a few hours of operating.” Heidi finally let out a large breath after she had finished talking. She hoped that Miguel would not find any flaws in her work.

[Miguel Malave Taveras]

Miguel sat at his desk, his hand holding up the weight of his head and his fingers intertwined in the strands of dark hair that was now a bit tousled to match his disappointed mood. It took the sound of someone knocking at his door to pull him from the heavy gaze that was looking over the numerous papers scattered on his desk. "Yeah..." he said, too tired to give a proper reply. Soon, a seemingly excited Heidi popped her head in and strode to his desk, handing him a stack of papers. He glanced up at her with interested eyes, listening to what information she had to offer. Her words came in spurts, quite excited spurts, yet coherent nonetheless. With a forced grin, Miguel closed the folder of papers and handed them back to Heidi.

"We were too late." His voice held quite a bit of disappointment, yet he wanted to be sure that she realized his disappointment was not geared towards her own work. In fact, it was quite impressive that an intern might find the cure so fast, even if she did have a bit of guidance. Granted, it was too late, but still laudable work. Miguel rifled through the mess of papers that he had collected himself and held one in particular for Heidi to look at. "Take a seat," he said, pointing to the chair across from his. The paper that he had handed her was almost the identical findings that Heidi had just brought him. He had figured out what the curse was about thirty minutes prior, only to find out that the muscles had expanded to a size that was too much for the woman to be able to survive. "I'm almost certain that we would have been right... if only we had been quicker in our diagnosis." The despondency quite evident in his voice. He hated failure, and what was worse was failure that came in the mere form of improper use of time. He blamed himself for the lack of adequate discovery time for the curse. It wasn't the first time he had been too late though, but it was disappointing the same.

Letting out a sigh, Miguel took his wand and collected the papers, putting them in a folder and filing it among the other cases in his filing cabinet that he had designated for 'failed cases'. One aspect he was prideful in though was the fact that he had already accumulated at least four times the amount of folders in his other case cabinets, just another indicator of his success in such a short time. One failed case though could often take away the good feeling that numerous successful cases could produce. It was part of the job though, and learning to deal with the failure was never easy, but necessary. Glancing across his desk, Miguel wondered what Heidi was thinking. Though she wasn't technically on the case, he was sure it had to be frustrating to know that she had found the solution, just a bit too late. "Come here," he said, standing and walking over to the door. "We are going to go test our hypothesis." He knew that St. Mungo's was well-known for the fact that they were a teaching hospital among the many wizarding hospitals known around the world. Plus, if they were right, they could use the information to help other patients in the future. Seeing that this woman was listed on her records of giving her body for the purpose of magical healing in the case that she died, it would be aright if Miguel and Heidi attempted to heal her already destroyed heart. Waiting at the door, Miguel shut the lights out and closed the door behind him once Heidi had followed.

As they walked to the wing where those who were unable to be healed were taken for the funeral preparations, Miguel tried making conversation to help put the failure behind them. "So, what's new since Hogwarts? You living here in London?"

[Heidi Rebecca Fleming]

Heidi watched Miguel’s defeated expression in confusion as she reluctantly took back the papers. “What’s wrong?” She demanded with an increasing frown; she had a bad feeling in her heart. “What do you mean, too late?” Heidi insisted again after Miguel’s short reply, urgency straining her voice now as excitement faded much too quickly away. “You mean...?” Heidi’s eyes fixed on Miguel’s as he gave her a look she could understand, but could not find it in herself to accept. “You’re kidding.” She finally shook her head in disbelief, a distraught expression on her face. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Heidi repeated. To say she was disappointed was only one of her raging emotions right now. She was also surged with feelings of guilt, unhappiness, stress, and most of all, sorrow for that woman and her family. If only she had been quicker with her diagnosis; if only she had hurried up those experiments rather than taking her leisurely time. Every minute... no, every second counted. Perhaps that would be Heidi’s first lesson as an intern healer. Even without knowing the patient she was already so attached. “Damnit.” Heidi slumped in the chair Miguel was pointing at without really acknowledging him, shock settling in.

Heidi half-listened to Miguel’s explanation. “Yeah.” She murmured as she stared at the floor. It was only her first day and it already felt like she had failed as a healer. Finally, she reached a hand up and pulled out her ponytail, letting blonde hair cascade round her shoulders as she tried to shove the sadness away. “Oh well.” Heidi shrugged after a long silence. “We were unlucky.” She had to accept this if she were to move on, right? “I’m sorry.” Heidi heaved another long sigh. “I should’ve been faster.” She propped her head in her hands on the desk, trying not to look too despondent. Her dull eyes watched as Miguel filed away the paperwork into a drawer named ‘failed cases’. That defeated feeling dropped in her stomach again, and she wanted to be sick. Heidi felt like the most useless person in the world.

Heidi barely noticed as Miguel stood and walked to the door until he called for her to tag along. Looking up, she stared at him for a couple of seconds, before a grim determination set in her eyes. “Right.” She stood up to follow him with a sharp nod. They exited Miguel’s office, an air of disappointment but resolve surrounding them. Heidi walked in silence for a few minutes, until Miguel made an obvious attempt at conversation. Forcing a brighter smile, Heidi looked up in reply, “Nothing much.” Heidi shrugged. “Did a healing course – the usual – for three years, and then got accepted here.” She smiled a happily, proud of her achievements and her hard work. “It was hard, but fun. I kind of miss Hogwarts’ simple life now.” She laughed. “Yeah, it’s hard not to when you have to work here. I live just about fifteen minutes walk from the hospital, so it’s convenient. I love London.” A shine sparkled in Heidi’s eyes. “It’s very different to remote Cardiff. The life, the busyness, is what I’ve always been looking for. What about you, Miguel? What have you been up to since you left Hogwarts? Apart from become head of the diagnostics department at St Mungo’s." She teased with a twinkle in her eye.

[Miguel Malave Taveras]

It didn't take much of an analysis to see that Heidi was as highly disappointed with the client's death as Migeul had been. Though, if she were smart, she would take this is a learning experience and move past it as quick and painless as possible. Failure was never good for Healers, but that didn't mean it couldn't be useful. When they failed, and it meant that someone had died from their failure, it was the least that they could do to be able to learn from the mistakes and respectfully put the failure aspect behind them while taking a new knowlege with them for the future. The sooner Heidi realized that, the better off she would be. For Miguel, failure had always damaged his pride more than anything. Not that he didn't care about the patients, but he figured that in the end he had to blame himself, which always left him self-criticizing and a bit humbled. Though, he knew that if he didn't work past it and keep on with his steely demeanour, he wouldn't have been as successful as he had become. Sometimes things were better left in the past, and failure was one of those things that Miguel had learned and become rather good at dealing with.

"No need to apologize," he said quickly whenever Heidi had blamed herself for the delay in time. "The first rule to failure is taking something from it. In this case, we can see how every second of every hour that you are working in this hospital is as critical as the next. This is a brutal job, Healing is, and you have to grow some tough skin." With a knowing smile, he continued to lead her down the hallway, passing huddles of frantic workers, each with their own cases and patients to worry about. As he asked Heidi some questions that were inteneded to keep both of their minds off of the recent events, he listened as she explained what her last few years had entailed. Noting a hint of happiness in her voice when she mentioned London, he smiled but then offered his own opinion. "London is nice..." he agreed, but then continued, "yet I have to say that I'll always prefer Madrid. The culture there is just... well, it feels more like home for me." He gave a genial smile as they turned a corner, arriving just outside the morgue. "After you," he said, holding the door open for Heidi and following her into the room lined with covered beds. Nobody else had been around, and a slight chill shot up Miguel's spine. No matter how often he had been around dead bodies, they always seemed to creep him out. He preferred his patients alive no matter how much they might get on his nerves with their constant complaints and continuous questioning of his every move.

"Over here," he said, taking her to the most recent addition to the morgue, the woman who had just hours ago been under his care. With his wand, Miguel slowly slid back the white sheet that was covering her, and he was glad to see that the morgue attendents had finished running the final set of finishing spells. He saw the scars from the autopsy, where the wands had cut through so that they could confirm that the woman's death was actually from the problem with her expanding heart. Though he hated to cut her open again, he knew it was for a good cause. "You remember the counter-curse?" he asked, taking the opportunity to cut a vertical incision where the heart was. There, beneath the layers of flesh, rested the enlarged heart that had finished expanding, now at least two times larger than normal. During the time the woman had been alive, Miguel hadn't seen the heart reach that size, and he figured that though this was the largest it would have grown, it still would have been too much for the woman to tolerate for more than even an hour had they not been constantly administering the reduction spells for the entire time she was at the hospital. "Go on then," he said, encouraging Heidi to attempt the counter-curse that she had found, the one that Miguel had been just seconds late when intending to use as he burst into the woman's room to find that she had just died.

[Heidi Rebecca Fleming]

“I know.” Heidi muttered more to herself than in reply to Miguel’s statement about healing. She was still somewhat caught up in thinking about her failure to save the poor patient. That was another life gone. However, Miguel’s words rang true, and Heidi knew the truth better than anyone else. Her mother was once a nursing healer, and although she had to face less responsibility for patients’ lives than Heidi was forced to today already, Maria had seen many deaths, witnessed families torn apart by the regret and the grief. Heidi somewhat knew that sadness; she understood the pain of loss, anyhow. She had never had someone she loved dearly die; the only person she considered that close to her anyway was her mother, and no one else had ever penetrated that gap. However, Heidi had lost Rebecca, and that had hurt more than anything in the world. The only comfort to Heidi letting her be adopted was that she knew... or rather, she hoped that Rebecca was leading a happier life than she could've provided her with right now. The other loss Heidi had faced in her life was her father leaving her; she hoped upon hope that Rebecca wouldn’t blame her in the future for the same reason. Heidi always convinced herself that the reasons she let Rebecca go were more ethical than her father’s.

Heidi barely noticed as she and Miguel swerved past a bunch of frantic-looking healers dashing round the corridor, but kept her head above the surface as she returned to the present to listen to Miguel’s answer with a bright smile. “Home means a lot to me too.” Heidi nodded her understanding. “London is home now, even though I haven’t been here long, but Cardiff will always hold nostalgic memories. I don’t think I was quite as deeply rooted as you.” Heidi admitted with some regret. Hearing Miguel enthuse about his home so cheerfully made Heidi wonder if she ever appreciated Cardiff enough, but those days were the days she had always hoped to rise above, to forget; those days filled with worry, responsibilities and loneliness. Now she only had the future to look too, rather than to regret about the past.

Finally they reached the morgue; Heidi looked at the door with a dubious expression, obviously reluctant to enter. Miguel opened it to let her in first, and she hesitated a moment, before making a firm decision that she had get used to this, and stepped inside. She smiled her thanks, but it disappeared as quickly as she had summoned it as she turned her head and gazed upon a scene which Heidi felt her emotions reverberate to the very core of her heart. Bodies upon bodies; white covers upon covers atop those bodies upon bodies; a chillingly sterile atmosphere echoed round the room like ghosts. Heidi froze physically and mentally, but her emotions heightened so much she felt like fainting from the overwhelming scene. She didn’t notice Miguel in the background, too focused on running her wide eyes over the multiple corpses lying so serenely and silently. The air was clean, and yet heavy with death, and Heidi knew that in years to come, she would still find it impossible to enter this room without someone’s support; she couldn’t face death so squarely in the face.

It wasn’t until Miguel spoke that Heidi started in surprise, his voice an echo around the almost devoid of life room. She felt as though the walls were sucking away her life, her youth. Distracting herself gratefully, Heidi followed Miguel to a covered body at a brisk pace, too jumpy to walk at her usual speed. She watched in horrified fascination and dread, her hands curling into tight fists as Miguel slowly peeled away the white covering, knowing what lay beneath and yet the reality of the situation Heidi found so difficult to accept. This was the woman that only hours ago had been alive; now she was dead, and her family would never be able to talk to her, see her, feel her again. It was a chilling thought. This was also the woman whom Heidi had failed to save, the patient whom she had somehow grown attached to through her research although she had never met her, didn’t know her life history nor her personality and interests. Heidi was aware of all her physical stats, but she knew nothing of the woman that once lay beneath, and she wished she had managed to say goodbye to her; to apologise at least.

The cover fell away, and Heidi restrained a gasp. Her eyes lingered too long on the woman’s deathly pale face, before forcing her gaze downwards where Miguel was levering his wand. “What are you--” Heidi began, before he started in the midst of her sentence, whilst in the meantime, much to her horror, he began to cut through the skin towards the area of the heart. “Um, yes, I do.” Heidi nodded, frowning in confusion, before she finally remembered why they were here in the first place. ”But I haven’t even practised the spell once!” Heidi’s mind protested. However, resolving her personal issues and putting them aside, Heidi psyched herself up for her first ‘surgery’ of sorts; she had been waiting so long to do one, so she had to take the opportunity and impress, but she wasn’t quite that excited anymore. At what cost had her first opportunity come at? Still, there was a grim determination about her as she drew her wand also, watching with deep concentration as Miguel revealed the enlarged heart. Heidi wasn’t as taken aback at seeing such a sight than she was gazing upon the dead body for the first time; there was a difference in Heidi’s eyes between the inner human anatomy and the actual personality and mind of an individual.

The heart was huge. There was no denying it. Heidi let out a breath, staring at it in bleak awe. “No wonder she died.” She voiced aloud, wanting to shake her head in pity. Her hand shook with the wand tip vibrating from her actions, until Miguel encouraged her to proceed, shaking Heidi out of her fearful reverie. She had confidence in her skills, and she was thankful that this was a dead body rather than a real live one, but since it was her first time, in front of Miguel no less, Heidi was nervous. Heidi had always been a secure little girl, sure of her capabilities, but that didn’t mean she didn’t get the odd butterflies back in her youth. They returned now, even in her adulthood, and Heidi wished they would stop fluttering around so irritatingly at this crucial moment in time. “Right.” Heidi nodded sharply, ignoring the wriggling in her stomach as she lowered her wand a little to the correct angle. “Here goes.” She muttered, breathing in and gathering her concentration so she focused only on the spell and her wand in her hands. Calmly, with a quiet voice, Heidi spoke the words for the counter-curse, feeling her wand work its magic as she gave a deft flick of her wrist. She knew she had done it right, even though she had never attempted it, and inwardly thanked Professor Flitwick for teaching her such great techniques back at Hogwarts. Heidi watched in anticipation as the counter-curse hit the enlarged heart; she was sure it would work, yet anxious about it. Contrary to her worries, immediately the heart began to decrease in size, slowly but gradually returning to its normal dimensions again. Relieved, Heidi sighed aloud and shut her eyes, thanking God inwardly (though she still debated whether or not he really existed) and let her hands and wand fall against the edge of the table. “Yes.” She spoke weakly with a half-triumphant smile, looking at Miguel for confirmation.

[Miguel Malave Taveras]

As Miguel made the distinctive incision on the woman’s chest, separating the skin and leaving a slight line of crimson blood that indicated that the woman’s death was recent, he wasn’t really surprised that Heidi started to question his action. Most interns were somewhat hesitant during their first procedure, not to mention in the morgue. What they were doing was for the benefit of many people, and they would be extra careful with the woman’s lifeless body as a simple gesture of respect for her allowing them to use her body for the advancement of healing knowledge. Brushing off Heidi’s slight burst of questioning, he noted the look on her face when she observed the woman’s heart. If anything could do the job of teaching, it was real life experience.

Miguel sensed that she was a bit apprehensive, but still she seemed to carry herself very well. He watched her anxiously, letting a few seconds pass. He was about to ask if she wanted him to at least demonstrate the theoretical aspect of the spell before she tried the real practice, but before he could interject the offer, Heidi had gracefully drawn her wand and let it hover over the area where the exposed heart lay still. Silent, Miguel watched closely, taking in every bit of detail that he could as he observed Heidi cast the counter-curse. As expected, he watched the heart begin to shrink and then stop at what seemed to be the perfectly normal size that it should have been. A rush of mixed feelings washed over him. He was happy that Heidi had done the spell successfully and glad that they had identified the correct spell. But still, the taste of failure was so evident that it left a bitterness in his mouth. Almost might as well be never even close in the life of a healer. It wasn’t the first though, and it wouldn’t be the last.

“A fine job,” he said as he let out a sigh as to try to allow the case to now leave his system completely. The only aspect he would take with him was the knowledge, for there was no benefit in taking more than that from any case really. Closing the wound with the most basic mending spell, Miguel then cleaned the small bit of blood that was only a result of what little bit was left in the woman’s veins. With her heart not beating, there was little to clean up after. Once finished, he gently covered her again before pocketing his wand. Smiling and nodding at Heidi, he followed her from the room and shut the lights behind him to allow the dead to rest peacefully.

“Well, it’s been quite a day,” he said as they were back in the hallways of the large hospital. He glanced at his watch, realizing his shift had ended at least an hour ago. “Are you doing anything after work today?” he questioned, assuming Heidi was perhaps scheduled for the same shift as he was. It was common that all the healers, whether interns, attendings, or residents had similar shifts at least for the starting and ending times. Though, it wasn’t often that shifts really ever ended when they were supposed to. It was the life of a healer though; long days and nights, lack of sleep, constant rushes of adrenaline, and quick thinking. Never a dull moment. “If you’re not busy, perhaps you might join me at Moxie’s coffee shop?” He gave Heidi a curious stare as he wondered if she might still be too shocked from the procedure for him to be asking her out for a drink. “I mean, it’d be nice to catch up and all. No worries if you can’t though.”

[Heidi Rebecca Fleming]

“Thank you.” Heidi said automatically with a heavy sigh, withdrawing her wand and putting it away. She physically relaxed, the tension in the body dispersing with the pressure. She was proud of herself that she had, on her second day at St Mungo’s, managed to solve a problem set by an experienced healer, and successfully implement the solution. However, the truth was Heidi’s solution had come too late, and the patient lying dead before her had died. It still hurt… Heidi wondered if it hurt Miguel too, but she was sure it did. She spared him a quick glance, but his face told her nothing. Disappointed, but pleased still that Miguel had told her she had done a fine job, Heidi watched quietly as Miguel closed up the incision to make the dead woman’s body look perfect and untouched again. Miguel began to lead the way out of the morgue once the operation had been completed and the woman’s body concealed again, and Heidi followed him with little reluctance. She was desperate to get away from this room; it didn’t scare her, only unnerved her more than anything she had ever experienced in her life. Even finding out she was pregnant and then going through labour to bring Rebecca into the world wasn’t quite so difficult, and that was saying something.

Heidi walked beside Miguel after they departed, silent and in thought, until he initiated a conversation again. Heidi looked up at him with fatigued eyes, and could see the same reflected in Miguel’s darker ones. “No.” She answered casually, flicking her wrist so she could see the time. It was now past her working hours of the day, and Heidi was so thankful. She just wanted to get out of the hospital now and relax. However, if people thought Heidi had been put off healing forever by what she had just experienced, they were completely wrong. No, in fact, after witnessing today’s failure, experiencing such disappointment, Heidi realised she had learnt a valuable lesson; she would do her very best not to let this ever, ever happen again. Heidi would use all her power for every single one of her patients to try and save their lives. The death of her patient today had been painful, but it had taught Heidi how precious life was, and how one had to fight to save it. Heidi wouldn’t let another life slip through her fingers again. Tomorrow she would return to St Mungo’s a stronger, wiser healing intern.

Heidi’s plans were to go home and take a long, hot bath, having an extensive chat with her mother in the process. She needed an early night so she would wake up, fully energised for tomorrow’s challenges. However, Miguel’s offer caused Heidi to rethink her plans immediately. He was asking her friendlily, and she had been given the opportunity to turn him down, but thinking it over, Heidi really wanted to say yes. Admittedly she was tired, but how could she say no to coffee and Miguel Taveras, her superior and a downright charming and good-looking man, whom was also a Ravenclaw graduate. The chance was too good to miss. Heidi liked Miguel, she was attracted to him and she hadn’t been out with a decent guy in such a long time. Lately her time had gone into moving to London and getting ready for this St Mungo’s internship. Enticed too much by Miguel’s offer, Heidi looked up and smiled at him brightly. “Oh, I’d love to. I’m dying for a coffee. Can’t live without the stuff.” And Miguel was right; it would be nice to catch up with someone from Hogwarts again, besides Ben and Julia (whom refused to speak to her anyway). Heidi hadn’t met her other fellow interns yet, and she craved human conversation that had that flirty edge to it. “I’d love to catch up with you… It’s been a long time since I last saw Hogwarts.” Heidi gave a fond smile as they reached the entrance of the hospital. “So where is this fantastic-sounding coffee shop?”

[Miguel Malave Taveras]

Miguel paused in the middle of the hallway as he waited for Heidi to make a decision. She hesitated for a second, but when she agreed to join him, Miguel flashed a bright smile. He was happy that she would be his company for the night. Heidi was a bright and beautiful young woman, and Miguel had quite honestly enjoyed getting to work with her that day. He wished that perhaps the two of them might have gotten to know each other better when they were back in Hogwarts, but now would be as good a time as ever. "It's called an addiction," he said with a wink whenever Heidi commented about not being able to live without coffee. Miguel really had no room to speak. A coffee on the way in to work and usually one on the way home. He was easily addicted as well.

"Yeah, we can catch up on Hogwarts and everything in between. He looked at his watch again. "Moxie's is just a few blocks down the street. Meet me here in 10 minutes and we can walk there together?" He nodded and then headed back to his office to lock up and change out of his lime robes. About six minutes later he was back in the hallway waiting for Heidi. Once she had joined him, he lead her out of the hospital and into the cold night air. "Moxie's is open twenty-four hours a day," he said with a nod. "Best coffee in London if you ask me." He pulled his jacket tighter against his body as the wind cut through his clothes and cause him to shiver. Tucking his hands in his pocket, he could already taste the hot beverage.

"So it's quite a coincidence," he said as the walked, "you and I both working together now. I'm sorry that I can't say I remember much about you from Hogwarts, aside from the fact that you were quite popular with the guys." He gave her a guilty smile, hoping she didn't take it as him being inconsiderate. It was a compliment... really. "I mean, I'm not insinuating anything negative about that. I just know that a lot of guys would have loved to have called you a girlfriend." Miguel felt a bit juvenile, almost as if he were one of the teenage boys himself. "Anyways," he said, shaking his head before he embarrassed himself too much. His tan face made it hard to tell when he was blushing, so he figured with the darkness of the night that Heidi might not realize he had began to get red in the face.

Quite unexpectedly, a flash in Miguel's mind played out just a glimpse of a scene in which he was with Heidi, alone in a room. It caught him a bit off guard, and he wondered if it was just his own mind having it's fun. He ignored it and tried his best to be polite instead of making any more comments that might be taken as crude. "Do you remember much of me from school?" he questioned. He wasn't being prideful or arrogant, but more so just wanting to know what kind of impression he might have made. Miguel was always so busy in school working to do his best that he wasn't even sure what type of imprint he may have made. There was that subtle flirtatious side of him that he remembered, but he knew that it rarely got a chance to shine through the perfectionist side of him that seemed to rule his life. The two of them walked on, the coffee shop just ahead with a bright blue and pink neon sign that read 'Moxie's Coffee: We Never Sleep.' "There it is, just ahead," he added.

[Heidi Rebecca Fleming]

Heidi laughed when Miguel called coffee ‘an addiction’. It certainly was, she thought inwardly, thinking on how every morning two mugs of steaming hot coffee would be placed on the dining table, usually made my Maria. Her mother was the earlier riser, and usually made breakfast too. Her coffee she preferred black and concentrated, whereas Heidi liked it white with plenty of sugar. The stuff kept her alive and kicking, since she burned up so much energy every day, being the active person she was. Maria had also told her wisely that coffee was a healer’s ‘way of life’ – especially when working overnight shifts. Heidi thought to heed her mother’s advice well, since everything Maria had mentioned so far she had discovered to be too true. Since leaving her childhood behind, Heidi had grown too fond of coffee to let it go anyway, whether or not it was a healer’s ‘way of life’. Though, the phrase had made her giggle.

Heidi nodded when Miguel mentioned catching up on Hogwarts and ‘everything in between’. “Sure. See you in ten minutes.” Sending a bright smile, Heidi headed for the intern room, where her possessions were locked away in a locker. As she grabbed her coat and her bag she felt a wave of tiredness hit her body again; today had certainly been a tiring day, and Heidi wondered if every day would be this way. She didn’t mind too much – the more excitement the better – but she was hopeful and confident that a repeat of today’s incident would not occur any time soon. Heidi was itching for more challenging surgeries, but for now she was going to go out, buy a coffee to keep her going for another hour yet, then get home and sleep away the night. Slinging her small bag over her shoulder, Heidi walked briskly back to the hallway she was meant to meet Miguel, and found him waiting for her. She sent him another smile, and they left the building.

“Must have good business, being so close to St Mungo’s.” Heidi commented with a smile, looking forward to tasting the coffee burning her lips. She really, really needed the caffeine boost, and possibly a bit of food as well, since her stomach was growling uncomfortably. She had heard of the coffee shop they were heading too, and had an inkling she would become a daily customer after work for years to come. She was glad it was open twenty-four seven. Once they hit the streets, Heidi began sensing the inevitable cold. It was the nearing the winter season after all, and the air was frosty with cold. It was a good thing she had a scarf wrapped round her neck, but her fingers were chilled from lack of protection. Heidi had left her gloves at home. Not particularly bothered, the two of them continued to walk towards the coffee shop, Heidi thrusting her hands into her coat pockets and braving the night wind.

“It is.” Heidi remarked with a smile when Miguel said it was a coincidence. “I never expected to see you here. She grinned wryly, then laughed at his guilty smile. “I was? I suppose I was.” She mused wistfully, though his comment was very flattering. Heidi was popular with the opposite sex back in her teenage years at Hogwarts. She didn’t play around, per say, but she had a string of handsome boyfriends from fourth year upwards; none had ever had a serious relationship with her, and none had stayed. Heidi had never expected them to either. “Those were good days.” Heidi smiled fondly, though her memories of Rebecca weren’t the best part of her life. “I know.” Heidi laughed when Miguel apologised, and she shook away his distress, “Don’t worry about it. Like I said, I guess I was. I’ll take that as a compliment. I had quite a few boyfriends back then, but not all at the same time.” She added hastily with a cheerful laugh. This was something Heidi could easily make light of. She wasn’t bothered about this at all. “Are you single at the moment, Miguel?” She asked curiously. She assumed since he had so casually asked her out like this (although it wasn’t a date), that he had no strings attached to anyone.

“Not really.” Heidi smiled a little apologetically, a little pensively. In all honesty she only recollected little pieces of information, and that was because he was in the same house as her in the year above. You tended to hear about and know of most of the students who were in the year above or below you if they were in your house, especially since you shared a common room. Heidi had spent a lot of her time at Hogwarts in the Ravenclaw Common Room, hanging out with her friends (and boyfriends), and doing her work amidst her chaotic and loveless life. She supposed before she had had Rebecca, Heidi had been quite the glamorous student. But things changed, and she was happy to be more mature now, had a proper head screwed on. “I remember you were clever and handsome.” Her eyes twinkled when she said it, and she laughed. She had always been straight forward, and not afraid to flirt openly, if not in a cheeky, fun way. “That’s all I can recall though.” It was then Miguel signalled to the coffee shop a short distance away, and Heidi’s face brightened again. “I can’t wait for coffee.” She said honestly with a joking tone, before heading into the cafe.

[Miguel Malave Taveras]

I think that I am half of their business," Miguel said with a laugh as Heidi commented on them being so close to the hospital. Heidi didn't seem bothered at all by Miguel's comments, and he figured he probably shouldn't have expected her to. Plus, he didn't mean it in a negative way, and at least she had understood that. "Yes they were (good days), weren't they?" Sometimes Miguel wished he could go back. Have another chance. Do things a different way and see where it would take him. But then he got over that silly desire and realized he was right where he wanted to be. He was one of the most renown diagnostic specialists in Britain, if not the most respected. He had his own department, and he was still at a ripe young age, able to enjoy moments like this were he felt that his life was everything he wanted it to be. It was freeing, really. He had everything he could ask for, except for maybe love. Miguel knew he wanted somebody to love... maybe someone like Heidi, but that would be rushing things a bit.

Shaking the thought, Miguel came back to his conversation with her, finding it ironic that she was asking if he was single or not. He gave her a guilty smile, perhaps trying to tease her by withholding the answer for just a second or two. "Yeah," he finally said. "I'm very single. Not easy to have a relationship when you are a Healer. Not many people will tolerate the hours and the lack of being able to spend quality time together." Heidi was probably quickly getting to realize this if she hadn't done so already. Normally though, those who took on the job as a Healer were not as set on settling down. There were some who were, but many Healers were quite focused on their careers. It just seemed to be a common trait. the ones that were married or seeing someone were usually not in the best relationships either. The work of a Healer could be straining on any relationship in no time.

"Clever and handsome. I'll take that," he said with an enthusiastic look. Miguel couldn't help but realize that Heidi was obviously not worried or shy around him. He liked that she seemed to say whatever was on her mind. It was kind of how he remembered Heidi though. She was always smiling, center of attention (though not in the arrogant way that some people seemed to gain it), and just a free spirit. At least that's how he remembered her. "Your wait is almost over," he said back to her as they entered the small building that was set just off the street. "Get what you want. My treat," he said, waiting for Heidi to order and then he asked for his usual. "Bold roast with half cream half milk." He would add his own sugar. There was just the right amount that if any more or less was added, it didn't taste quite right. Before long, they were both handed their drinks, and Miguel paid for them, while also purchasing two raspberry scones. "You have to try one of these," he said as they took a seat. "That is, if you like raspberries."

They had found a seat near the front wall of the cafe. It was one of those walls that was almost completely made of glass with the brightly coloured sign that had the coffee shop's name on it stuck to the inside of the glass. It was nice to see the street lights outside. They cast a calming yellow glow on the quiet night. Miguel sipped the edge of his mug and the hot liquid felt good as it soothed his throat. The bitter taste of the coffee was a welcome flavour, and he felt himself perk up just the slightest as the beverage did it's job to keep him going. "It's nice to have company for once," he said over the silence of the cafe. There were only two other patrons, both sitting at the bar and reading the newspaper. It was a muggle-owned place though, which was the only bad thing. There weren't many magical places around London though. You had to go to Diagon Alley if you wanted to be sure that there were no Muggles around. Miguel didn't mind them though. You just had to be cautious of what you talked about, not that he was usually talking to anybody as he was quite often alone when traveling to and from work. There was one other Healer that lived close to Miguel. They sometimes would walk together if they saw each other on their way to work. He was a grouchy old man though, and Miguel tried to avoid him if he could. "So what did you think of your first day at St. Mungo's then?" Miguel asked. He was anxious to see how Heidi liked her job. He was also interested to see if he might be able to tell what kind of motivation she had for her career. She seemed very intelligent and seemed to have quite the potential.

[Heidi Rebecca Fleming]

Heidi laughed when Miguel said he was ‘half their business’. “I’m sure I’ll be making up the other half soon enough.” She spoke with a twinkle in her eye. “They were good days. No pressure of being an adult and taking proper responsibility for your actions.” She gave a hapless shrug. “But everyone has to leave that behind. I was happy too, I think I never was meant to dally in teenage-hood for too long.” She tilted her head and sent Miguel a wry smile, which turned sympathetic when he claimed he was ‘very single’. The phrase made her want to chuckle, but in empathy rather than in mirth and malice. “I’m surprised, but now that you explain it to me, I can understand.” Heidi eyed her feet pensively as she walked; she was a little shocked that Miguel, a renowned healer and good looking young man, was single. But it was true that the healing department was a full time career; sometimes it was between the love of your job, and the love for your family. Heidi didn’t have very close loved ones besides Maria, and she thought she balanced that quite well. However, she didn’t know if she could handle a boyfriend that wasn’t in the healing profession too.

“Have you ever considered dating someone within our profession? Another healer?” Heidi asked boldly, knowing that her question was probably rather intrusive, and also suggestive, but she was like that; she was open and honest, and she didn’t hide anything usually. If Heidi wanted to avoid something, she tended to pretend the problem didn’t exist rather than lie. But normally, she was the type to meet things head on. Truthfully when it came to men, or right now when it came to men, Heidi preferred to have relationships with no strings attached. After all, she wasn’t ready to commit, not when her healing came first, but she still needed the feeling of being needed in one way or another. Recently she had had a few flings, definitely nothing serious. Heidi knew she was young; she had her whole life ahead of her, right? She didn’t need to rush into love and things like that. Right now this healing job was on her doorstep, and she was loving it so far. “If I had to date anyone I would choose a fellow healer. It would be easier; the work hours, like you said; the understanding of the job itself and the dedication to it.” Heidi shrugged. “I would also want someone on the same level as me. It would give me a feeling of equality. I don’t like dominating partners, because I’m quite headstrong myself.” She flashed Miguel a cheeky smile and laughed.

Once inside the cafe and out of the cold, Heidi’s hand immediately moved to loosen her scarf a little, grateful for the whoosh of warm air that greeted her. She turned to Miguel with a brilliant grin, “Thanks.” They approached the counter and Heidi glanced up at the menu. Her eyes scrawled it, before she picked out something she thought utterly delicious; there were so many different types of coffee, more than she would ever have imagined. “Spoilt for choice.” Heidi shook her head with a wry smile, before pointing her chosen one out to the girl taking their order. “I’ll have one of those, please.” She turned to Miguel. “My treat next time.” Heidi said firmly with a grin; she liked to be fair, she did; she didn’t like people to think she would take advantage of their kindness. “There’s so many flavours, I want to try them all.” They waited for their purchases, and they arrived soon; Miguel also bought two raspberry scones. “Yup. I like most foods.” Heidi explained, looking hungrily at them. “You’ll find I’m not that picky.” Miguel led them to some empty seats by the window giving them a view of the night outside, and they tucked in.

Heidi was about to take her first bite of the raspberry scone when Miguel said it was nice to have company. She smiled a little, and took a small mouthful of the scone so she could still talk politely. “You might be having company all the time now. That is, if you mind me tagging along with you.” She flashed him a grin and swallowed, before picking up her steaming mug and taking a ginger sip of the liquid. “Hot,” she grimaced, though still smiling, “But absolutely delicious. This is definitely the cure to a long day’s work. I can just tell you’ve got me hooked already.” Taking a larger and bolder draught of the beverage, Heidi felt it slip hotly down her throat, its heat burning her insides and giving her a warm tingle. She returned to the scone, still starving; she was glad of the thought that her mother would be making dinner right now, ready for her arrival at home for them to enjoy together.

“Well, actually, it’s my second day today.” Heidi explained amidst her eating and sipping. “Yesterday was somewhat uneventful, but exciting, because I got to meet my fellow interns, and the residents and attendings. Got shown around the hospital, where everything goes, how everything works in St Mungo’s. Basically it was a mini tour with lots of info thrown at you, and they expected us to absorb all of it and retain it.” She joked light-heartedly. “It all seems a bit daunting, but I’m always up for a challenge, so I was really excited about today. I hadn’t had anything interesting to do though until I bumped into you.” Heidi gave Miguel a wide smile. “And then I spent several hours researching and performing practice spells; you know the drill. It’s been a hectic day, but a worthwhile learning experience.” She nodded enthusiastically, feeling the coffee’s extra energy boost kicking in. “What about you? How was your first day here?” She giggled, wondering what his experience was like. “I do like the job though,” She continued honestly, “The early hours aren’t much of a deal, and I don’t mind finishing late. I have a feeling my routine will be wake up, rush breakfast, get to work, leave work after a long day, go home and eat, watch some TV, or just straight to bed.” She laughed and shrugged. “Just means I can’t go out and party, but I should really curb that habit of mine anyway. I’m not exactly looking for an intimate relationship either, not with this job on the cards.”

[Miguel Malave Taveras]

Heidi's question struck Miguel as a bit of a shock. He wasn't sure if she was hitting on him, or if she was just genuinely curious about his preference when it came to relationships. He never really had thought to himself of whether or not he would date a fellow Healer. "I guess I would consider it," he said. "I mean, why not, right?" He shrugged and looked back at Heidi as she said too that she would actually prefer to date someone within the same profession. Though, her next statement caught him off guard as well. He simply smiled back at her though and offered a joke in return. "I guess that rules me out then, since I am your superior and all." He was still quite unsure about Heidi and what kind of signs she was throwing his way. She seemed quite friendly and flirtatious, yet he wasn't sure if it was just her personality or if she really was hitting on him.

Heidi commented on how many choices there seemed to be as they had entered. "Yeah, lots to choose from, but once you find the one you like, it's hard to get away from it." He laughed, and then agreed to let her pay in the instance that they came again. Miguel wouldn't mind coming again with Heidi. He rather enjoyed her company, and he was interested in trying to find out if she was always this flirtatious or if she perhaps had an interest in him. As for himself, he was at least initially interested in her. There was no way he could overlook her smiling face and the way that she seemed to draw you in with her kind personality.

Almost as if she were reading his mind, she mentioned that she might join him from now on when he stopped in for coffee. "As if I'd mind," he answered with a grin, happy to see that she seemed to enjoy the place and the product as well. When he had asked about her day, Heidi was quick to correct him and clarify that it was her second day, rather than her first. "My mistake," he said, listening as she described the normal type of first day at St. Mungo's. Then she asked him about his first day, at which point Miguel had to laugh. His first day was quite an interesting one. "Well... what didn't happen on my first day? Let's see. There was the one patient who was a guy and started hitting on me. I guess he had lost the ability to control his mind, and so I was relieved to find out that he really didn't think I was gay. Then, another patient, a woman, she had a deadly case in which her muscles all over her body were continuously contracting and releasing without her control. At one point, it caused her to vomit all over me. We did cure her though, despite my being covered in vomit as I was too busy with my wand to clean myself up. And then finally, when the day was just about to end, a mother brought her three kids in who were all three stuck together from some misfired spell. They were literally bonded to one another where their skin was touching. I mean, it was a simple case of separating their skin and then mending it, however we had to use the anesthetic spell so that they wouldn't feel the pain, however something in their connection affected their brains so that we were having a difficult time keeping them all asleep at once. It was crazy, to say the least."

Miguel finished off his drink after he completed the story of his first day at St. Mungo's. "You'll get used to the routine fairly quickly," he said with a nod. "You have to. And, as for the partying and relationships, you'll find time for what you really think is important." He gave her a curious look, wondering why she seemed to keep circling around the topic of relationships. "I can say that I still find the time, on a very rare occasion, to find a party here or there, most of which are sponsored by the hospital itself. As for the relationships... well... I guess I am a bit rusty, but I'm looking for something a bit more steady. Something a bit more serious, perhaps." He gave Heidi a somewhat flirtatious grin of his own. He was being honest with her though, despite knowing she seemed to be looking for something a bit different than himself. No matter how much he found himself attracted to Heidi, he wasn't going to lie to her simply to gain her attention. She had offered her company anytime though, and if that's what she would give, he was fine with that. It sure did get lonely, the life of a healer. "Can I walk you home?" he asked, seeing that they had finished their food and drinks. Normally, he'd want to stay and chat, but it was late, and they both had to do the same thing again tomorrow.

[Heidi Rebecca Fleming]

Heidi laughed and looked at Miguel out of the corner of her eye. “I didn’t mean superior in that way. I meant in their personality. I don’t like alpha-males. I have to admit, I am a bit of a feminist. Dating my superiors is just fine… if not quite advantageous.” Heidi shrugged with a small smile. “I know that sounds awful, but trust me, I wouldn’t date my boss just to get ahead of everyone else. I’m not that sleazy. I’m just lucky if it so happens my superior is a bit of a hot guy…” Flashing Miguel a dazzling smile, it was the last thing said between them as they entered the shop. Heidi didn’t pause to think what kind of an impression she was making on Miguel. She wanted to be in his good books, that was for sure, and she wanted to be liked by him, at least in a platonic way. However, she couldn’t help but be a little flirtatious, it was her true nature. Heidi didn’t like being fake, but she would try her best to be diplomatic at least. Though, she guessed right now her tactics weren’t really ‘diplomatic’…

Heidi grinned at Miguel as he said he wouldn’t mind. “I’m glad. Glad I’ve managed to meet you on only my second day.” Heidi replied with a contented smile. “I feel really at home in St Mungo’s already. It’s nice to have a bit of support or someone to talk to. The only person I’ve managed to have a decent conversation with is my fellow intern, who just so happens to also be my neighbour.” Heidi shook her head in disbelief. “How we both missed the fact we were both wizards and working in the same hospital in the same job baffles me. I suppose it must be fate.” Heidi laughed and took another bite of the scone, careful not to leave crumbs on her lips. One of her favourite hobbies was to bake, and these raspberry ones were really on par, if not better, than what she and Maria normally concocted on Sunday afternoons. Heidi made a mental note to try to add something new to their recipes. A magic touch.

Heidi laughed as Miguel recounted the story of his first day, finding it amusing, but she was also envious of him too. “Sounds it.” She nodded when he described it as crazy. “I’m a little jealous of you. My first day was pretty normal and uneventful. Filled with simple tasks that were really tedious after a while. I can’t wait for some big stuff to come up, you know? I’m the rollercoaster type; I like the thrills and ups and downs.” Heidi grinned in enthusiasm, before shrugging her shoulders half-heartedly. “I’ve only met two of my fellow interns, and like I already told you, one of them is my friendly, but very clumsy and scatty neighbour, and the other is a cold, arrogant, selfish…” Heidi trailed off and laughed in embarrassment, trying to smile at Miguel. “Never mind. You can see we already don’t get along. I’m not saying it’s wrong to be competitive, because I am too, or selfish for that matter, because everyone has those innate tendencies, but boy…” Heidi whistled. “is this girl really over the top.” She shook her head and finished off her scone, taking a draught of the coffee. “Anyhow, she put a bit of a damper on my first day, but Ben was lovely. He’s very clumsy and I wonder why he wants to be a healer with such accidental-prone ways, but he works hard, you can tell. He’s a nice guy.” She smiled at Miguel. “Most likely you’ll meet all us interns soon, right? Or do you not work with much with us? Too busy bossing people around and being in charge. Gosh, I really wish I was in your position right now.” Heidi teased, a longing look in her eye.

“Hm.” Heidi nodded her agreement about relationships. “I’m young. I can wait for someone to come along and sweep me off my feet. Like you said, I will find time for that really important person. I find time for my mum, so I’m sure I can find time for my partner.” Heidi smiled, before raising an eyebrow at Miguel’s statement. “Hospital… parties? Wow.” She laughed. “Gosh, I can’t even imagine what those are like. It kind of sounds surreal. Or perhaps too good to be true.” Heidi was already imagining the inter-hospital relationships in St Mungo’s, and it made her head spin. However, when Miguel claimed he wanted something steady, Heidi nodded in understand and grinned. “Yeah. I know what you mean. I probably would too if I found the right man, but for now, I’m happy having the odd no strings attached fling.” Finishing her coffee, Heidi glanced at her watch just as Miguel asked if he could walk her home. “Oh, no, it’s fine. Thanks.” Heidi flashed him a grateful smile. He was a very charming, polite, and intelligent young man, she thought as she eyed him up, standing from the booth. “I can just apparate. Being a witch has its advantages.” She laughed heartily. “Thanks for the coffee, Miguel. It was really great seeing you again and catching up. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Smiling widely, the pair of them exited the shop, and saying goodbye to Miguel one last time, Heidi apparated home, making sure no one else could see her sudden disappearance.

[Miguel Malave Taveras]

Miguel and Heidi were both finishing the beverage and scone as she told him about how boring her first day was. She said that she had envied how eventful Miguel's experience had been, but he knew that if he gave it a week, Heidi would likely be a bit less ambitious for those crazy days to come. They came on their own, and Miguel never found himself wanting the busy days to come. He loved his job, but he also liked have a peace of mind. The whole craziness that came with being a Healer was something he'd easily give up. However, it was part of the job, and so Miguel tolerated it.

Soon, Heidi had moved on to talking about some of the other interns that were working with her. Miguel recognized some of the names, but the one that stood out the most was Grayson. That was a well-known name in the healing community. He smiled when Heidi said she wanted his job of being in charge. "Sometimes it's not as appealing as it seems," he said. Being in charge means you are responsible for the mistakes of everyone below you. Trying being responsible for those healers like that one friend you mentioned. Whether they are clumsy, careless, or just plain terrible at what they do, when you are in charge, you have to make sure that people are doing what they are supposed to be doing, and also make sure that they are doing it right." He let out a laugh as he hoped he didn't scare Heidi from pursuing a position of department head if that was what she wanted. "It does have its perks though," he added with a smile.

Heidi went on to mention the type of relationship she was interested in at that point of her life, and Miguel just listened with a kind smile. In the back of his mind, he was thinking thatHeidi was someone he could definitely see himself dating, but she seemed to be looking for something less permanent. Miguel was at a point in his life where he was ready for something longterm. Nevertheless, he was also at a point where he just wanted to enjoy life. "Yeah, and it is a bit cold out," he said when Heidi declined his offer to walk home and chose to apparate instead. They stood and made their way to the door as Heidi thanked him. "No problem. It was my pleasure. We should do it again, for sure." Heidi asked if she'd see him tomorrow. He nodded, and then spoke again. "Would you want to..." and then Heidi was gone. Smiling, Miguel finished his thought aloud regardless of the fact that nobody was around. "...go out for dinner sometime." Miguel wasn't too worried that Heidi had left before he could ask her to dinner. He'd see her tomorrow. Turning, he put his hands in his pocket and began the walk home. Despite being cold, Miguel loved the night air. Plus, it was always a good time to just let your mind run free. After enjoying the time with Heidi, Miguel had plenty to ponder on the walk home.