MEETING: A Matter For Afternoon Tea [OPEN]

Sunday, January 8, 1922,
Volunteer Break Room
2PM

Rae was practically bouncing.

From the moment Healer Graham first told her about the changes to be implemented and what it might mean, it was safe to say that Ruth Anaya had risen to and remained on cloud 9. Nothing could be better, except telling her she could graduate early and start her career. The fifth year had been so excited to share the news that when the healer said she had to make a run over to St. Mungo's, she insisted she be allowed to host the meeting on her own.

This wasn't open-heart surgery. Everything would be fine in her capable hands.

Rae had gotten the lounge set up, a small table providing refreshments that she figured they might enjoy, brief as she intended for the meeting to be. With the healer out, they couldn't very well all sit around snacking. A small break while the wing was quiet would be enough to get through everything.

The notice had been sent out to each common room's bulletin board the night before, giving all volunteers enough time to figure out they should be heading to the wing around this time even if they weren't scheduled for a shift like she happened to be.

"Come on in, help yourselves," she welcomed, waving them by her and through the threshold into the lounge.

There was hot chocolate, coffee, tea, mini muffins, scones – both sweet and savoury, crackers with jam and apple slices laid out. It was enough for a small treat, not enough to have them lingering while they indulged.

"Make yourselves comfortable, if you'd like. This shouldn't take too long." For those not assigned that shift, she assumed they would've liked to enjoy their Sunday afternoon.

For the moment, Rae remained at the door. There, with her trusty clipboard, she checked off the names of those who were in attendance. The rest, she would track down later to find out why they thought skipping out was the better option. If not her, they would still have Healer Graham to answer to.

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OOC: Hello and welcome to the term's HW meeting! Completing this thread (3x4x4) will award you 10 points toward passing this club. Those 10 points will also be used as house points for your house. Nothing's really started yet, feel free to have your character come on in. Not signed up for the wing? No problem! Sign-ups are open all year round, and we'd love to have you. While there's no real 'time' for this meeting, I will be trying to keep the pacing going so that it doesn't linger unnecessarily for days. Subscribe to this thread so you don't miss the updates!

Alice was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on herself with how Everleigh kept deteriorating. Every day the girl seemed to be slipping further and further away and the older of the two just… couldn’t leave her side. It didn’t help that whatever was causing her to share in her sister’s misery was affecting her as well.

Who even was Alice Ravenstone at this point? She had no clue.

The notice about the meeting in the Hospital Wing, the place she’d always loved to spend most of her time, had become one of the things she was slacking on the most. A shame. She’d always had the goal to become a Healer after Hogwarts. But now she felt she was just as lost as her sister, without the first-hand trauma experience of course.

The only way that Alice was to leave Everleigh’s side was by being dragged. Which her cousin Matilda did. Alice complained the whole way, that she couldn’t be without Ever. The dependency level between the two was extremely concerning.

Finally giving in, Alice walked silently beside her redheaded cousin, already wondering when she’d get to be by her sister again.

And Ruth – as they walked into the room – was radiating. It was almost blinding just how excited the girl was. Alice smiled weakly, not sure how much good her being there would truly do. Would she even be able to focus?

Rae’s excitement was distracting… it’d been forever it seemed since Alice felt something like that.

Wordlessly, Alice sat down without grabbing any food or drink. She zoned out, trying to negotiate her way around the two conflicting emotions she was now feeling.

powerplay of Tilly approved by player <3

“Alice, it will be fine. She is tucked away in her dorm, hopefully taking a nap. I made the sleepy tea myself. She needs the rest, you know this. Once the meeting is done, we can have a Ravenclaw student check on her.”

It was becoming obvious that Alice needed just as much help as Ever. It was a miracle that Alice came with Matilda to the meeting, separating the sisters was like breaking a slab of granite with your bare hands.

The look in Ever’s eyes concerned Tilly, so much so that she had written to Bram on a few occasions. Things were getting worse, but Ever’s parents, Tilly’s aunt and uncle, refused to do anything about it. Bram promised to deal with it, but there was only so much he could do.

“Lets just deal with the meeting then we can focus on Everleigh. I promise.”

It wasn’t easy to find a spot where the cousins could hang out and be comfortable, but thankfully Tilly still had her hangout spot in the room of requirement. Ren and Tilly would spend hours there, but now it would only see girl time with the cousins. Soft couches, music, plants (duh) made it a soothing spot. Ever seemed to like it.

Walking into the Hospital Wing, Tilly skipped over to Rae, arms swinging, a smile wide on her face. “Hey there Boss, have you revamped the wing yet? Just leave the Greenhouse to me and we’ll be golden.”

Tilly grabbed a bright green apple, took a large bite while sitting on the arm of the couch. Her legs dangled off the side, back to the cushions, she fell back, leaving her legs flailing in the air while her red hair spread out like a halo above her head. Staring at the ceiling Tilly’s eyebrows rose into her hairline at what she saw on a beam. You wouldn’t have been able to tell if not for her laying on her back looking up. “Accio!” Tilly said, pointing her wand at the small ball. “For the love. Who’s missing their remember-all? Seriously people.” She said, holding it up for everyone to see.

The world was moving in slow motion, and Rae couldn't stand it. Seconds from bursting at the seams, all the Slytherin girl could do was watch as volunteer after volunteer slowly moseyed their way into the breakroom. Thankfully, they weren't all moving at a snail's pace, but there were enough of them that it threatened to tug at her good mood. Alice was one such culprit, walking in like her cat had died.

Did her friend have a cat? Rae couldn't remember, but Merlin, she may as well have kept that tiny, unconvincing smile to herself. It didn't warm a single nerve in her body – which was the very point of an offered smile in greeting. It had been nothing but doom and gloom for the Ravenstone sisters since the carnival. Having lived the sort of life she had, the girl wasn't insensitive but suffering, but she was intolerant of wallowing and weakness. Rae knew firsthand that anyone refusing to fight would soon be consumed by whatever knocked at their door.

It wasn't her business, though. While the girls were friends, they certainly weren't close enough for her to go prying into Alice's private life and offering the sort of advice that was better received from the people closest to you.

Like Matilda. The girls were cousins. Any encouragement for her to not mope and fret so much was likely better coming from her.

At least she didn't look like the sky was falling as she entered. Rae appreciated her friend's enthusiasm and lightness as she skipped in, finding it preserved her mood more wholly.

“Hey there Boss, have you revamped the wing yet? Just leave the Greenhouse to me and we’ll be golden.”

She laughed.

"Everyone knows I've got no business in the greenhouse." Plants no longer withered under her care, but they were still a long way from 'thriving'. Never mind that she still didn't know what half of them did or how they were meant to be treated for medicinal use. It would...be a long way until she was ready for her OWLs, but she'd never been more determined about anything in her life. Thinking about it, it probably would do her well to spend some time with Matilda in the greenhouses.

At least until the exams were over.

It was something to think about, but not right then. They had a meeting to start.

"Right then, let's get this show started." Rae nudged the door to the lounge closed with her foot before turning to face everyone gathered. She made a final check on her clipboard before moving over to the table to grab herself a pair of apple slices. She'd help herself to a mini muffin in a bit.

"Healer Graham finally got an owl back from St. Mungo's – wait, hold on, lemme start over. You don't even know she sent an owl." Phew, she was getting ahead of herself, but it was probably the most exciting news in the entire universe. "She was thinking – you know, since we're all volunteering our time anyway – that she wanted to turn this into a real programme of sorts, one that's recognised by the hospital. It's all useless details, really. The point is, Mr. Montreaux agreed! So!"

Rae snatched the attendance sheet from her clipboard and set it down next to the mini muffins. She then thrust the clipboard at the person closest to her. "First thing's first, I need everyone to put your names on this. He wants to know if there's any real interest before he approves – write your friends' names, too. I don't care if they don't know how to boil water to make herbal tea. We gotta make this convincing." She moved back to the door, leaning against it while she watched the clipboard make its way around the room. Some gave her sceptical looks while seeming to understand that this was a hostage situation.

No one was leaving...until everyone had written at least two names on the sheet. Rae smiled sweetly at the one first year whose eyebrows crinkled inward with concern. "Sign, George. Just sign."

She wasn't asking for the world.

"Once that's done, we'll need to talk about tightening things up around this place. He's considering stopping by to see if we've got what it takes." Something about being unsure whether having students as young as 11 hanging around the infirm was more a help or a hindrance.

See? Exciting.

Tilly remained on the couch, staring at the ceiling chomping on the apple in her hand. Fresh, tart, sweet, perfect. Rae got things started, thriving in the role. Something Tilly appreciated, but would never want. No thanks. Unless it was bossing people around the wing, that she could do. Blindfolded, with her hands tied behind her back.

"She was thinking – you know, since we're all volunteering our time anyway – that she wanted to turn this into a real programme of sorts, one that's recognised by the hospital. It's all useless details, really. The point is, Mr. Montreaux agreed! So!"

Oh shit… This was beginning to sound like Tilly would have to actually talk to patients.

"First thing's first, I need everyone to put your names on this. He wants to know if there's any real interest before he approves – write your friends' names, too. I don't care if they don't know how to boil water to make herbal tea. We gotta make this convincing."

Tilly took the clipboard and began filling in names:
BENJI LAURENCE (all caps, right on top)
Ren Al-Sayeed (he could move to Japan, but he wasn’t safe from this)
Tommy Crowfoot
Patty O’Brien
Matilda Nordstrom

There, that was five names. Could she be done now? There was a crop of dirigible plums in the castle greenhouse that needed to be harvested. They made a great potion ingredient for elevating one’s mood or state of mind.

"Once that's done, we'll need to talk about tightening things up around this place. He's considering stopping by to see if we've got what it takes."

Tilly raised her hand from her prone position on the couch. “Does this mean people will start putting stuff back correctly. It’s not that hard people, if you take a tool out in the greenhouse, PUT IT BACK.” She said forcefully. “I had to accio five tools back to the workbench the other day. One was buried in the soil of a lavender plant. Someone planted a garden trowel, like. Come on people!”

Alice could hear Matilda and Ruth conversing and she sighed, wishing she could pull herself out of the funk she was currently in. Was this her own depression? Was it Everleigh’s? It was so hard to distinguish that since she felt everything her sister felt. Like all the time.

It was a lot.

Focusing on anything other than her sister’s struggles was… damn near impossible at this point.

She glanced over at Tilly as she held up a remember-all. She saw the humor in someone forgetting the tool that was supposed to help them remember, but she couldn’t make herself laugh.

"Right then, let's get this show started. Healer Graham finally got an owl back from St. Mungo's – wait, hold on, lemme start over. You don't even know she sent an owl. She was thinking – you know, since we're all volunteering our time anyway – that she wanted to turn this into a real programme of sorts, one that's recognised by the hospital. It's all useless details, really. The point is, Mr. Montreaux agreed! So!"

Alice felt herself perk up a little bit. The Hospital Wing was – before everything happened with her sister – the one place where she felt she could be herself. Once the Dark Tower incident happened, and her Everleigh began showing more severe signs of trauma, she had drifted away.

But as Rae spoke, her brain began working again. Like it was supposed to.

"Once that's done, we'll need to talk about tightening things up around this place. He's considering stopping by to see if we've got what it takes."

Alice watched Tilly sign the sheet, and then smirked a bit when she saw more than just her name in her handwriting. Alice then signed her name.

Maybe she could use her interest in healing on her sister. She could focus on mental health. “Do you know what that programme will look like?” she asked, her brown eyes meeting Ruth’s face.

Rae watched the clipboard circulate with glee, happy to see most of those gathered had taken her...suggestion to heart and were taking the time to tack on a few extra names. What would they do when the chief of staff turned up, and there weren't nearly that many students in attendance? It was a bridge she would cross when they got there. The important part was getting him into the castle so he could see for himself the earnestness of those who did volunteer. Sure, some were only passing the time or looking for a way to spend more time with their friends, but there were enough of them who saw some meaning or future in healing who would genuinely love to be given the opportunity.

She thanked the third-year student who handed the clipboard back to her, her eyes scrolling the list of names while the room descended into light chatter. She wasn't the only one who thought the news was exciting. There was even a Ravenclaw rambling on about her chances of seeing some real action soon.

That...would be up to Healer Graham and whatever Mr. Montreaux had in mind, but Rae wasn't in the business of ruining dreams with practicality – not on such a fine Sunday anyway.

“Does this mean people will start putting stuff back correctly."

And just like that, Tilly was off, reprimanding those gathered for the inconvenience it sounded like some of them had caused her. Rae let her get it out, thinking it would be better to have the message delivered in full before she offered any 'refinement'. While not someone who spent much time in the greenhouse herself, the Slytherin could appreciate the nuisance it quickly became to not be able to find things in the places they were meant to be.

"I'll have a log set up for you," Rae promised when her friend was through. "Put it where the tools are stored and have everyone sign them in and out. Anyone who doesn't sign their stuff back in, you report their names to me, and we'll have a little chat." She turned her mahogany gaze toward the others. "Tilly's got a problem with how lazy some of you've been. Make sure it doesn't become my problem, or you'll have no end to it." If not from her, she'd see to it that the healer provided the necessary incentive to make them comply.

Good?

Good.

“Do you know what that programme will look like?”

"Well...not exactly. I think they're still talking about it, but I know our service here will be taken into consideration when choosing who gets accepted into the Collegium, so if any of you have been slacking this whole time but care about that, it might be time to step it up. Other than that," Rae shrugged lightly, "Healer Graham said something about little workshops here and there and her providing quick lessons on healing from time to time."

She suspected the woman would have more to say about it when she got back.

"Right then, those patients won't heal themselves. If no one else has gotten any complaints or questions," she flicked her wand, and the door opened with a soft 'click', "finish up your snacks, then you're free to go enjoy your Sunday or get changed and start your shift."

Tilly was happy Rae was taking control of the Hospital Wing. She sure as hell didn’t want to do it. For one thing, dealing with the actual patients was a no-go for her. Did she know how to heal a lot of the ailments that came in? Yes. It was required to learn if you were working in the wing.

Did she want to heal the students that came in? Nope, not even a little bit. If she could shove a potion at them for an upset stomach and send them on their way. Awesome. Count her in. If someone came in with a rash of some sort, she would levitate a salve to them from across the room. No need to come close. They could stay well away from her thank you very much.

Her expertise in plants and their healing properties made the Hospital Wing Greenhouse the perfect spot for her. Herbalist: Specialist was her title, one she cherished. Specifically the Herbalist part. No room for people in that title.

Rae said she would start a sign out sheet for the tools, which made Tilly endlessly happy. Why hadn’t she thought of that? No bother, that's why she had Rae.

"Well...not exactly. I think they're still talking about it, but I know our service here will be taken into consideration when choosing who gets accepted into the Collegium, so if any of you have been slacking this whole time but care about that, it might be time to step it up.”

Collegium…

As a fifth year, she should probably be concerned with her future. Where she would go after Hogwarts, what she would do with her life. Just that one word brought on a WHOLE HOST of anxiety.

Greeeeeeaaaaat…

Granted, if her Granny had anything to say about it, she would be married off before leaving Hogwarts to a wealthy older man, go to live with him and produce a multitude of heirs.

What every girl wants. A man double her age who won’t let her have any autonomy. Fan-freaking-tastic.

Rae excused the group, Tilly watched as they all left, leaving her on the couch. Her legs still hung off the side, her back still to the seat cushions. She was comfy, no reason to budge. “So you think that’s where you’re headed Rae? St. Mungos? I guess I never really thought about it. As long as I’m working with plants I didn’t think much past that. I guess it’s worth thinking about.” She took another bite of her apple. “You done here? Should we go annoy Benji? It’s been like hours since I bugged him. Far too long in my book.”