St. Mungos was like a second home to Katie. She'd spent almost half of her seventh year here, and while she'd only been conscious for about half of that, she had grown fond of the place. Her friends all called her mad for it, but Katie simply pointed out that the Healers here had saved her life. They'd taught her how to walk again, always kind and never letting her give up, even when every nerve screamed in agony. They'd managed to dull the scar of the necklace to a pink welt that stood stark against her summer tan. Considering the skin had been rotting when she was first brought in, Katie figured they'd done a fucking brilliant job patching her up.
Her hair was still wet from her shower when she apparated to the lobby. Lisbet, the Welcome Witch, greeted her with a beaming smile and a tight hug. Katie grinned and shared the news with the elderly woman, who clapped in delight. First string, with the Falcons! Oh, Merlin's beard, I'll let everyone know. Congratulations, Miss Bell. They laughed and joked before a thin mediwizard approached them, guiding her to a through the hospital to her destination.
Healer Spinnet's office was cramped, but brightly lit and filled with cheerful plants. Katie busied herself at the window, watching the sky with a contented smile. Alicia didn't keep her waiting long, and Katie rushed to hug her friend tightly.
"You're happy," Alicia said cautiously. "Did you--"
"I'm on the team!" Katie laughed brightly. Alicia shrieked in delight and they hugged fiercely, enthusing together over the first bit of truly good news either of them had had in weeks.
"You did it! Oh god, I'm so relieved. You worked so hard, Kates! Congratulations!"
They gossiped for perhaps too long, sat at Alicia's cramped desk, Katie giving her friend the detailed blow by blow of the match with vicious commentary. It felt good to make Alicia laugh again--the woman looked so tired these days, worn from her time in hiding and the wreckage of the war she'd come home to.
Their talk turned to the less pleasant conversation of Katie's treatment. Alicia's magic investigated the leg, the sharp welt of the necklace, taking notes of Katie's reluctant descriptions. The pain potions weren't quite doing their job well enough. The leg acted up more than it had in months, and sometimes she felt electricity arcing through her body once more. It was always quick, never lasting for more than a breath, but it frightened her.
Katie's good mood was somewhat deflated by the time she left Alicia's office, a new prescription for pain potion (the first dose of which she had quaffed as soon as she left the hospital), a cream to help suppress the sting of the scar, and a list of charms meant to help relax her leg. They sat, carefully tucked away in her Falcon's bag, and Katie pushed through it with a determined grin. She was not going to mope at Charlie's, not when her fortune had finally turned for the better. She'd only have an hour or two before she had to get to the Cauldron to join the team, but it was something she'd been looking forward to for weeks.
It was easy enough to apparate to streets of Diagon Alley. Her own flat was a few alleys over, in a decidedly less appealing neighborhood--but, she conceded, not quite as shit as Knockturn. The street was as busy as ever, and Katie wound through the crowds, following the familiar path. She took the steps two at a time, ducking past a thin woman with a cheery hello, bounding up towards the familiar door of Charlie's flat. Her knuckles rapped sharply, a shit-eating grin plastered across her face.
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