A Healer's work is never done
Characters: Asteria Greengrass and Lucian Bole
Rating: PG
Summary: Asteria and Lucian discuss potions.
Asteria was nervous about her appointment with Lucian- even more so than usual. Until him she'd never had a healer be honest with her and she had questions. Ones that were sure to make the both of them uncomfortable. Biting her lip, Asteria forced herself to sit down in the sitting room and wait.
After having spoken for a moment with Mrs. Malfoy about the pain she was feeling in her back, Lucian was led by a house elf to his next patient. He'd been seeing Asteria since her defection from her mother's house and while she hadn't shared the full details of the situation it was easy enough to infer what her mother had been up to by the state of the medical notes he'd received from the multitude of Healers Asteria had seen over the last fifteen years. As a matter of courtesy he didn't call them what he really thought but as he'd heard round the village, if it walked like a duck and talked like a duck it was a duck.
Stepping into the sitting room, Lucian set his bag down next to the sofa and took a seat across from the young witch. "Good mornin', Miss Greengrass."
"Good morning, Healer Bole," she said, already blushing. "Narcissa is all right, isn't she?"
"She's doing just fine, Asteria. What about you? How are you feeling today?" he asked with a smile. "Your colour is better than last time."
"Living here seems to have done wonders. Well, relatively speaking. My breathing is better," she said, nearly wincing as she went ahead and asked what was making her so nervous. "Will birth control potions interfere with any of my potions?"
Lucian raised an eyebrow and didn't say anything for a second before composing himself. It wasn't as though he'd thought she'd remain sexually inactive indefinitely so he'd actually prepared for this situation. "That will depend on the specific potion and the intensity of it's prevention power - you'll never be at 100% with your mix of medications but we can get close. If we can eliminate some of your daily potions and supplement other 'tings instead there shouldn't be a problem at all though."
She sat back, thinking over what he'd said. She knew the three potions he'd weaned her from had been unnecessary but she wasn't clear on how using them for years would affect her. "I don't want to be sick and worry Draco but I don't want to be irresponsible either. It will be a while before we can get the potions sorted correctly, yes?"
He tilted his head in consideration. "Well, not exactly. While it's true you've a delicate health, you've been fairly controlled - especially lately. Have your cycles regulated themselves?"
She nodded. "They have indeed. I want babies someday." She gave him a firm look. "I would like to be responsible and get my health as good as we can before pregnancy so that I am not harming the baby with the potions I need."
"That's very commendable," he agreed, opening up his bag to get the small book he used for her medical notes, reading over the list of medications she was still on. "Now Asteria, I feel most comfortable prescribing a potion that relies heavily on Daucus carota - Queen Anne's Lace seeds. It's not taken daily so any interaction with your other medications will be minimal."
He made several scribbles in the notebook and then wrote the directions for the potion and handed it to her. "I'll owl you a few vials when I get back to the clinic but it would be wise to make sure you have a supply. You should take one vial after any sexual encounter and until your health is stronger I'd like you to also take one each morning of the six to eight days while you're ovulating," Lucian said firmly. "The antifertility effects of the seeds are temporary and reversible and as such they're not 100% but the side effects are minimal ta nonexistent and that is important as well. I think this is the best fit, Asteria. I really do."
"Thank you for giving me the details. I'm trusting your judgment. Will I need to watch for any symptoms that would indicate a problem or are the side effects minimal enough to not be noticed?"
Raising his eyes to remember anything he may have forgotten, Lucian finally shook his head. "'Tere may be some dryness, but I think you'll find most side effects negligible."
He pulled his wand and turned an appraising eye toward her. "So I'll check your lungs now and then we can talk about your diet, but I must say, Asteria, that I'm very impressed already with your progress. I can tell already that you've not had as much fatigue, correct?"
"I'm very careful," she conceded, "and Draco is wonderful about making sure I don't overdo. I do however nap more than I used to, if that factors in."
"Quite honestly, I'd rather you nap," he said, evaluating the shadow of her lungs as he gestured his wand in front of her. "Your appetite is still increasing? I can make desserts mandatory if I have to," he added in a teasing tone.
"Brilliant! More napping and more chocolate. I dearly love chocolate and would have to hex you if you told me I had to stop eating it after finally getting to have it."
"No, no. I'm not wanting to invite what I'm sure would be a sound and proper hexing," he said with a grin as he closed up his small medical bag. "I'm very pleased with your progress, Asteria. I think we should keep doing what we've been doing - cutting back some of the less necessary potions - and see where we're at in two weeks time. Sound good?"
She nodded, still clutching his notes about the potion. "I know I will never be what most would consider 'well' but it is nice to feel somewhat better. Thank you for that, Lucian."
"I wish I could say it was all me but I get the impression that getting yourself as healthy as possible is something you're working very hard for. Like I said, you're delicate but that doesn't mean you can't have all the 'tings you want in this life, Asteria. Let's just get you well enough so having a child or two when the time is right doesn't cause ya any harm, all right?"
"Oh yes, that is the only thing I can hope for." She stood. "Let me walk you back to the foyer fireplace. I promise to lay down for a nap after," she added, staving off any possible objection he may have had.
Lucian smiled. "I'll be here for our regular scheduled visit in two weeks time. If there is anything you need before that just owl the clinic."
"I will," she promised, smiling softly as they walked down the corridor.
He nodded goodbye and then soon vanished into the green flames. He had several other patients to see but not before he made sure his Mediwitch Nina sent over the vials of birth-control potion that he promised.
Asteria watched him go, feeling almost overwhelming hope as she turned and walked slowly back towards the suite to rest as she'd promised.
Rating: PG
Summary: Asteria and Lucian discuss potions.
Asteria was nervous about her appointment with Lucian- even more so than usual. Until him she'd never had a healer be honest with her and she had questions. Ones that were sure to make the both of them uncomfortable. Biting her lip, Asteria forced herself to sit down in the sitting room and wait.
After having spoken for a moment with Mrs. Malfoy about the pain she was feeling in her back, Lucian was led by a house elf to his next patient. He'd been seeing Asteria since her defection from her mother's house and while she hadn't shared the full details of the situation it was easy enough to infer what her mother had been up to by the state of the medical notes he'd received from the multitude of Healers Asteria had seen over the last fifteen years. As a matter of courtesy he didn't call them what he really thought but as he'd heard round the village, if it walked like a duck and talked like a duck it was a duck.
Stepping into the sitting room, Lucian set his bag down next to the sofa and took a seat across from the young witch. "Good mornin', Miss Greengrass."
"Good morning, Healer Bole," she said, already blushing. "Narcissa is all right, isn't she?"
"She's doing just fine, Asteria. What about you? How are you feeling today?" he asked with a smile. "Your colour is better than last time."
"Living here seems to have done wonders. Well, relatively speaking. My breathing is better," she said, nearly wincing as she went ahead and asked what was making her so nervous. "Will birth control potions interfere with any of my potions?"
Lucian raised an eyebrow and didn't say anything for a second before composing himself. It wasn't as though he'd thought she'd remain sexually inactive indefinitely so he'd actually prepared for this situation. "That will depend on the specific potion and the intensity of it's prevention power - you'll never be at 100% with your mix of medications but we can get close. If we can eliminate some of your daily potions and supplement other 'tings instead there shouldn't be a problem at all though."
She sat back, thinking over what he'd said. She knew the three potions he'd weaned her from had been unnecessary but she wasn't clear on how using them for years would affect her. "I don't want to be sick and worry Draco but I don't want to be irresponsible either. It will be a while before we can get the potions sorted correctly, yes?"
He tilted his head in consideration. "Well, not exactly. While it's true you've a delicate health, you've been fairly controlled - especially lately. Have your cycles regulated themselves?"
She nodded. "They have indeed. I want babies someday." She gave him a firm look. "I would like to be responsible and get my health as good as we can before pregnancy so that I am not harming the baby with the potions I need."
"That's very commendable," he agreed, opening up his bag to get the small book he used for her medical notes, reading over the list of medications she was still on. "Now Asteria, I feel most comfortable prescribing a potion that relies heavily on Daucus carota - Queen Anne's Lace seeds. It's not taken daily so any interaction with your other medications will be minimal."
He made several scribbles in the notebook and then wrote the directions for the potion and handed it to her. "I'll owl you a few vials when I get back to the clinic but it would be wise to make sure you have a supply. You should take one vial after any sexual encounter and until your health is stronger I'd like you to also take one each morning of the six to eight days while you're ovulating," Lucian said firmly. "The antifertility effects of the seeds are temporary and reversible and as such they're not 100% but the side effects are minimal ta nonexistent and that is important as well. I think this is the best fit, Asteria. I really do."
"Thank you for giving me the details. I'm trusting your judgment. Will I need to watch for any symptoms that would indicate a problem or are the side effects minimal enough to not be noticed?"
Raising his eyes to remember anything he may have forgotten, Lucian finally shook his head. "'Tere may be some dryness, but I think you'll find most side effects negligible."
He pulled his wand and turned an appraising eye toward her. "So I'll check your lungs now and then we can talk about your diet, but I must say, Asteria, that I'm very impressed already with your progress. I can tell already that you've not had as much fatigue, correct?"
"I'm very careful," she conceded, "and Draco is wonderful about making sure I don't overdo. I do however nap more than I used to, if that factors in."
"Quite honestly, I'd rather you nap," he said, evaluating the shadow of her lungs as he gestured his wand in front of her. "Your appetite is still increasing? I can make desserts mandatory if I have to," he added in a teasing tone.
"Brilliant! More napping and more chocolate. I dearly love chocolate and would have to hex you if you told me I had to stop eating it after finally getting to have it."
"No, no. I'm not wanting to invite what I'm sure would be a sound and proper hexing," he said with a grin as he closed up his small medical bag. "I'm very pleased with your progress, Asteria. I think we should keep doing what we've been doing - cutting back some of the less necessary potions - and see where we're at in two weeks time. Sound good?"
She nodded, still clutching his notes about the potion. "I know I will never be what most would consider 'well' but it is nice to feel somewhat better. Thank you for that, Lucian."
"I wish I could say it was all me but I get the impression that getting yourself as healthy as possible is something you're working very hard for. Like I said, you're delicate but that doesn't mean you can't have all the 'tings you want in this life, Asteria. Let's just get you well enough so having a child or two when the time is right doesn't cause ya any harm, all right?"
"Oh yes, that is the only thing I can hope for." She stood. "Let me walk you back to the foyer fireplace. I promise to lay down for a nap after," she added, staving off any possible objection he may have had.
Lucian smiled. "I'll be here for our regular scheduled visit in two weeks time. If there is anything you need before that just owl the clinic."
"I will," she promised, smiling softly as they walked down the corridor.
He nodded goodbye and then soon vanished into the green flames. He had several other patients to see but not before he made sure his Mediwitch Nina sent over the vials of birth-control potion that he promised.
Asteria watched him go, feeling almost overwhelming hope as she turned and walked slowly back towards the suite to rest as she'd promised.