PRESENT-FIC: Sorting Out the Siever (Daphne Malfoy, Miriam Strout)
DATE/TIME: 10 July 2007
CHARACTERS: Daphne Malfoy, Miriam Strout
PLACE: Miriam Strout's office at St Mungo's
RATING: G
STATUS: Complete
"Miriam, you're surely not suggesting that I threaten her with confinement if she doesn't agree to participate?"
Healer-in-Charge Strout, with whom Daphne had been conferencing about the Pensieving trial, reached out to pat Daphne's knee. "Now, now, don't look at me like that. You know they had Charity Banks in twice last month for the treatment of cleaning solvent burns. I'd say that's problematic. Being frank with the woman wouldn't be out of line-and you know how worried Mr Banks must be. Besides, you need to compile a list of Sievers for the Board, and you've only got Reginald Bligh so far, isn't that right?"
"Sanguini and Mr Wor-"
"Daphne."
"What?"
"Neither of those . . . gentlemen are suitable candidates. The Board doesn't care for your treating a vampire as it is. What possible reason could either of them have for Pensieving therapy?"
"Sanguini wants to share the memories of his Turning with Mr Worple."
A look of distaste crossed Miriam's face.
"To dissuade Mr Worple from wishing to be Turned," Daphne added quickly.
"Yes, well, that would also make the Board uncomfortable, as I believe you know. Let's move on, dear."
Daphne smiled slightly at Miriam's response; "Let's move on" was her gentle way of saying "no," a word with which her supervisor had apparently never been comfortable. I suppose I can always Sieve them outside the trial. "I've the Norrington girl, Ellen."
"The one who lost her brother?"
"Yes. She can't quite recall all the details, but I feel she's prepared to begin that process."
"Excellent. Next?"
"Archibald Alderton-he's getting on in years and has been forgetting things. He'd like to try to save what memories he can before his mental deterioration worsens."
"That's an interesting idea," Miriam replied, "and it would illustrate another application of Pensieving to include him. Good. Who else?"
"Frederick Carstairs. He blames his wife for the loss of their daughter and has separated from her. Amanda Carstairs had him briefly confined for suicidal depression and asserts that neither one of them is to blame for Kitty's drowning. Taking them through the memory of that day would be beneficial to both of them, I think."
"So that makes Charity Banks, Reginald Bligh, Ellen Norrington, Archibald Alderton, and the Carstairs. That's good enough to be going on with, but I'd like to see you add more patients to the trial as it progresses. I can think of a few suitable candidates on the ward, but, well, it might do more harm than good-to their families-to include them. Perhaps, once you've begun publishing about the process, some of the families might contact us to request the addition of their loved ones to the trial."
Daphne knew that Miriam was thinking of the Longbottoms, former Aurors who'd been driven mad by Cruciatus, and nodded. "I wouldn't presume to ask the family of anyone not in my care to volunteer one of the long-term patients for the trial. As far as adding others to the list, my cousin is taking up the matter with her superiors. Aurors other than Re-Mr Bligh-may agree to participate."
Miriam's customary pleasant expression faded. "Yes. That would be appropriate, but Daphne . . . there is something we've not discussed."
Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"What you're proposing, this managed examination of memories, you do realize that the affect upon yourself may be . . . profound?"
"You're concerned that I'll see unpleasant things?"
"That's it, exactly."
"Miriam, I'm exposed to all manner of-"
"Unpleasant, discussed memories in session, yes, but that isn't the same as virtually experiencing your patients' memories, my dear, and given your rather sheltered upbringing-"
Daphne snorted. "Oh, forgive me. Just a little sneeze."
"-you may not be as prepared for the trial as you believe. The war was ugly, and those memories, well, have you given any thought as to how you'll manage your own emotional responses to seeing such awful things?"
Daphne hadn't, as it happened, and she blinked in surprise at Miriam's question. "Well, I . . . I suppose I'll write about my experiences with Sieving as I do about any therapeutic sessions. That always helps."
"Yes, I'm sure it does. It's not enough, though. I think you'll want to see Genevieve for the duration of the trial."
It sounded like a suggestion, her seeing Genevieve Martin, one of the on-call Squib therapists, but Daphne knew it wasn't; she also didn't like the idea. "I know that Genevieve's got fifteen years on me in the profession, Miriam, but I'm still essentially her supervisor. Do you really think it would be appropriate for me to-"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have said so. Now then, you will see Genevieve after each of your Sieving sessions, and I expect you to pace yourself in a reasonable manner. This is a new therapy, and developing it need not be rushed. As far as Genevieve being under your direction, you said yourself that all you've ever had to do was schedule her. She's not truly an underling, is she."
"No. Dr Martin is amazingly competent."
That made perfect sense, of course, as the woman had been recommended to Miriam by the Association of Mind Healers long before Daphne had become an apprentice. Courteously referred to as "Healer" Martin when working at St Mungo's, the therapist was well known in Muggle psychiatric circles and had long been a champion of Mind Healing in the wizarding world. But for her blood status, Martin would have been heading up the Mind Healing Unit.
"So she is, and driven, much as you are. I think," Miriam continued, glancing pointedly at Daphne's wedding band, "that you and she will have a great deal to discuss."
Frowning, Daphne nodded. Muggle therapists were required to occasionally see other mental health professionals as a way of keeping themselves on an even keel. Logically, she knew it made sense for Mind Healers to do the same. She just wasn't . . . enthusiastic about the idea.
I don't want to discuss my marriage with a stranger, she thought, gathering up her notes and realizing that the fact that she still referred to her relationship with Draco as her "marriage" was reason enough to seek therapy. "That was very well done, Miriam," she said resignedly.
"What?"
"I know you've wanted me to 'discuss' my . . . myself with someone for a while. Nicely played."
"It's a Slytherin trait, so of course you understand," Miriam replied. "Do let me know when you're prepared to begin the trial. I'm looking forward to seeing the Board dragged into this century, no matter how unwilling."
Rising, Daphne said, "You're good to be so optimistic, but we still don't know if Sieving will work."
Miriam shook her head. "Daphne, I don't have to tell you how important your research is. You should be proud of yourself."
"I'll be proud of myself when my research proves useful."
"That's the spirit!"
CHARACTERS: Daphne Malfoy, Miriam Strout
PLACE: Miriam Strout's office at St Mungo's
RATING: G
STATUS: Complete
"Miriam, you're surely not suggesting that I threaten her with confinement if she doesn't agree to participate?"
Healer-in-Charge Strout, with whom Daphne had been conferencing about the Pensieving trial, reached out to pat Daphne's knee. "Now, now, don't look at me like that. You know they had Charity Banks in twice last month for the treatment of cleaning solvent burns. I'd say that's problematic. Being frank with the woman wouldn't be out of line-and you know how worried Mr Banks must be. Besides, you need to compile a list of Sievers for the Board, and you've only got Reginald Bligh so far, isn't that right?"
"Sanguini and Mr Wor-"
"Daphne."
"What?"
"Neither of those . . . gentlemen are suitable candidates. The Board doesn't care for your treating a vampire as it is. What possible reason could either of them have for Pensieving therapy?"
"Sanguini wants to share the memories of his Turning with Mr Worple."
A look of distaste crossed Miriam's face.
"To dissuade Mr Worple from wishing to be Turned," Daphne added quickly.
"Yes, well, that would also make the Board uncomfortable, as I believe you know. Let's move on, dear."
Daphne smiled slightly at Miriam's response; "Let's move on" was her gentle way of saying "no," a word with which her supervisor had apparently never been comfortable. I suppose I can always Sieve them outside the trial. "I've the Norrington girl, Ellen."
"The one who lost her brother?"
"Yes. She can't quite recall all the details, but I feel she's prepared to begin that process."
"Excellent. Next?"
"Archibald Alderton-he's getting on in years and has been forgetting things. He'd like to try to save what memories he can before his mental deterioration worsens."
"That's an interesting idea," Miriam replied, "and it would illustrate another application of Pensieving to include him. Good. Who else?"
"Frederick Carstairs. He blames his wife for the loss of their daughter and has separated from her. Amanda Carstairs had him briefly confined for suicidal depression and asserts that neither one of them is to blame for Kitty's drowning. Taking them through the memory of that day would be beneficial to both of them, I think."
"So that makes Charity Banks, Reginald Bligh, Ellen Norrington, Archibald Alderton, and the Carstairs. That's good enough to be going on with, but I'd like to see you add more patients to the trial as it progresses. I can think of a few suitable candidates on the ward, but, well, it might do more harm than good-to their families-to include them. Perhaps, once you've begun publishing about the process, some of the families might contact us to request the addition of their loved ones to the trial."
Daphne knew that Miriam was thinking of the Longbottoms, former Aurors who'd been driven mad by Cruciatus, and nodded. "I wouldn't presume to ask the family of anyone not in my care to volunteer one of the long-term patients for the trial. As far as adding others to the list, my cousin is taking up the matter with her superiors. Aurors other than Re-Mr Bligh-may agree to participate."
Miriam's customary pleasant expression faded. "Yes. That would be appropriate, but Daphne . . . there is something we've not discussed."
Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"What you're proposing, this managed examination of memories, you do realize that the affect upon yourself may be . . . profound?"
"You're concerned that I'll see unpleasant things?"
"That's it, exactly."
"Miriam, I'm exposed to all manner of-"
"Unpleasant, discussed memories in session, yes, but that isn't the same as virtually experiencing your patients' memories, my dear, and given your rather sheltered upbringing-"
Daphne snorted. "Oh, forgive me. Just a little sneeze."
"-you may not be as prepared for the trial as you believe. The war was ugly, and those memories, well, have you given any thought as to how you'll manage your own emotional responses to seeing such awful things?"
Daphne hadn't, as it happened, and she blinked in surprise at Miriam's question. "Well, I . . . I suppose I'll write about my experiences with Sieving as I do about any therapeutic sessions. That always helps."
"Yes, I'm sure it does. It's not enough, though. I think you'll want to see Genevieve for the duration of the trial."
It sounded like a suggestion, her seeing Genevieve Martin, one of the on-call Squib therapists, but Daphne knew it wasn't; she also didn't like the idea. "I know that Genevieve's got fifteen years on me in the profession, Miriam, but I'm still essentially her supervisor. Do you really think it would be appropriate for me to-"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have said so. Now then, you will see Genevieve after each of your Sieving sessions, and I expect you to pace yourself in a reasonable manner. This is a new therapy, and developing it need not be rushed. As far as Genevieve being under your direction, you said yourself that all you've ever had to do was schedule her. She's not truly an underling, is she."
"No. Dr Martin is amazingly competent."
That made perfect sense, of course, as the woman had been recommended to Miriam by the Association of Mind Healers long before Daphne had become an apprentice. Courteously referred to as "Healer" Martin when working at St Mungo's, the therapist was well known in Muggle psychiatric circles and had long been a champion of Mind Healing in the wizarding world. But for her blood status, Martin would have been heading up the Mind Healing Unit.
"So she is, and driven, much as you are. I think," Miriam continued, glancing pointedly at Daphne's wedding band, "that you and she will have a great deal to discuss."
Frowning, Daphne nodded. Muggle therapists were required to occasionally see other mental health professionals as a way of keeping themselves on an even keel. Logically, she knew it made sense for Mind Healers to do the same. She just wasn't . . . enthusiastic about the idea.
I don't want to discuss my marriage with a stranger, she thought, gathering up her notes and realizing that the fact that she still referred to her relationship with Draco as her "marriage" was reason enough to seek therapy. "That was very well done, Miriam," she said resignedly.
"What?"
"I know you've wanted me to 'discuss' my . . . myself with someone for a while. Nicely played."
"It's a Slytherin trait, so of course you understand," Miriam replied. "Do let me know when you're prepared to begin the trial. I'm looking forward to seeing the Board dragged into this century, no matter how unwilling."
Rising, Daphne said, "You're good to be so optimistic, but we still don't know if Sieving will work."
Miriam shook her head. "Daphne, I don't have to tell you how important your research is. You should be proud of yourself."
"I'll be proud of myself when my research proves useful."
"That's the spirit!"