01-04-2022, 08:26 PM (This post was last modified: 01-04-2022, 08:47 PM by Godric Gryffindor.)
Trying not to be huffy, Godric merely nodded when she asked if he was ready. He noticed the purple potion she had picked up, curious as to it's use. He had never seen one like that, to his memory though that wasn't unlikely. He was hardly a healer - simply a field medic at best. Patching people up enough to keep them alive and moving. Well, how bad could a purple potion really be? It was purple - like royalty. Royals wouldn't put up with painful treatments, right? That made sense.
When she took off the cap and it smoked a little, his brows drew down. Things that smoked were normally not things you put on a body. It usually meant warmth and he really didn't need anything warming on him. Granted, it was cool in the room but not enough that he needed a potion to warm him up - nearly naked or not. For heaven's sake, he bathed naked in the loch and that was much colder than this room. And why would she have him drink something after putting this piece of wood in his mouth.
Then she poured it on him and his eyes opened widely. He bit down slightly on the wood, looking at the purple potion she was pouring over his wound. It was like a thousand stinging ants stabbing him in the side! (And yes, he had a good idea as to what that felt like, having fallen into a nest of the damn things once on the moors not far from his birthplace!) Damnation woman! Essence of dittany never hurt like this. Though come to think of it, that smoked a little too as it healed but it never stung like the fires of hell. Might as well have poured some good wine on the wound for as bad as it hurt! (Yes, he'd definitely knew what that felt like too and this did not compare at all...though that could have to do with the quality of the wine...?)
Luckily, these thoughts took him past the healing with her wand and the blasted potion. Finally she was straightening up and only now he realized that there had been a woman on her knees in front of him. A very attractive young lady, on her knees, in front of him. He watched her as she stood. He quickly pulled at his trews, trying to pull them up quickly because otherwise certain reactions were going to happen as the pain passed and the thought of that pretty blond head down by his knees...
Well great - that thought ended all hope of being completely professional. He definitely wasn't going to stand up now. "I believe I will dress first, if you will award me a few moments of privacy," Godric requested. Once she turned her back to him, he quickly stood to pull the tight pants up around his waist and then tied the laces as tightly as possible. Then he grabbed his tunic and pulled it over his head, not bothering to tuck it in for the time being. His tabard was over by the door, having been removed upon his arrival so he could manage to heal himself up. Grabbing the wand from the pocket of his pants, he summoned it over to him, wrapping himself up quite quickly before lying the blanket off to the side.
"Excellent work, Healer Gudrun." He said quickly, turning back now that he had things all tucked away and at least partially under control. "I will pass on the pain potion. Just the eye, if you please."
01-04-2022, 10:08 PM (This post was last modified: 01-04-2022, 10:08 PM by Astrid Gudrun.)
Of course Astrid offered Godric the moment or two of privacy to get dressed, taking a step back before turning her back to him. The timing was perfect as she smiled unable to hold it in any longer over his reaction. Just as she expected he had to bit down on the bark from the pain of the potion. If it wasn't so good at doing nearly perfect repair magic on wounds she wouldn't use it due to the unpredictable level of pain each person felt. To some it felt like a small prick from a thorn to others it was getting penetrated by hundreds of arrows at one time. No matter, she would as well a he have the knowledge that she did forewarn about the pain and he had underestimated it judging from his reaction.
When he was all dressed, she turned back around to see Godric once again fully dressed and looking a lot more healthy then when she had first faced him going through the cupboards. Her work once again filled her with a gentle warmth of success, glad she was able to heal an injury that sometimes could be a challenge. She was a little annoyed he seemed to brush off her suggestions and after taking the willow bark, set it down with the dirty towel and bowl of water. Turning the other direction where she had put the tray, Astrid picked up a flat round jar and pulled the cloth covering off. Inside was a blended mix of finely ground herbs, the scent thankful masked due to the combination of a few herbs in particular. Plants like lavender with a strong scent were easily eased away when combined with gentle but sturdy plants like chamomile, add in the dittany herb to help boost the healing efficiency and it a rather good tool to have on hand for times just like this. The mix with help reduce the swelling and help repair the blood vessels while offering a soft relief of pain. See carefully poured a little into the middle of the palm of her hand and after setting the jar down used her free hand to collect water drops from the bowl. She added just enough to form the grounds into a paste and took a step closer to Godric. Due to the slight difference in their height she tilted her head back to look up at his face.
"Hold as still as you can" she said as she collect some of the paste with the tip of her index finger and raised her hand up. Gently she tapped her finger along his eye, starting along the bottom and after collecting the remainder of the paste repeated the same process around the top. She moved her finger in a tiny circle movement to help work it in, doing her best not to cause pain or irritation to the tender area. The process was simple enough and thankfully with her training she was able to avoid several loud key points right now as she worked. The nearly gone gap of space between them and the fact they were alone in the room together.
By no means was Godric ugly or repulsive, the exact opposite as part of her mind continued to remind her but the fact of the matter was despite his charm and dashing looks, he was out of her reach in more ways than one. Though it had nothing to do with age, she wasn't even sure how old he was but he no doubt looked far younger then whatever number that was. He was fit, healthy and obviously in the prime of his life. It had to do with the simple fact of status, he came from a good family and from that no doubt was already paired up with someone of equal status. The best she could do was be his bed warmer when he wasn't with his wife and there was no way she was going to do that. No, her mind or heart or whatever could imagine what they wanted after the images that had been collected from her encounter with Godric but it simply wasn't meant to be and the sooner they accepted that the better she could focus on her work and the children counting on her.
Lowering her hand she quickly dipped them in the bowl of water and wiped them dry with the last clean towel. Picking up her wand she pointed it at his eye and repeated the episkey spell and small circle again. She watched as the color faded and shifted as the blood was drawn away and returned his skin around his eye to make the rest of his handsome face. No, regular face. He had a regular face just like anyone else, nothing out of the ordinary and certainly not causing a flutter or two from her heart in her chest.
Her work now done, she took a step back and gave one last look at her work on his face. With a small nod she turned to the tray and picked up two small vials filled with a red liquid. "There, your all finished and the injuries are but a memory in your mind. These will help later when your hit with some mild pain and ache later this evening." Astrid said then taking his hand gently yet firmly she placed the two vials into his hand curled his fingers around them and released his hand. In her eyes as she met his gaze she gave him a look daring him to try and return them because as he saw earlier with the willow bark, she wasn't one to so easy to back away from a discussion. It was clear she would need to be a little firmer in her tactics, especially if this was only the beginning of the visits from an injured Godric.
Work finished, Astrid moved the tray from the table to the cart and calmly moved it a few steps away giving him space and then some. Enough if he so chose to take a quick leave he had nothing in his way once he stepped around the bed he stood beside. "Was there anything else I could be of help with Sir Gryffindor?" she asked, her warm and caring smile returned to match her tone as she stood by the cart. She wasn't fully expecting him to have anything further for her to do, maybe chew her out for being out of place once or twice but he had come seeking a remedy for his injuries and she had made sure his body was looking the way it did before whatever or whoever had caused them, possibly even a little better.
Godric remained stoic while she nursed his black eye. This part didn't hurt even remotely so there was no need for the willow bark she had given him. While it had been a nice gesture, with the safety of the school in his hands, he could not afford to have his faculties compromised by anything. Not once students were present. His friends, he knew, could defend themselves. His sister could handle a dagger in a pinch but now that he would have people depending on him - this woman included, he refused to let any of them down.
Yes, okay. The wards had been tested repeatedly and were holding strong but who knew what could happen when. Letting his guard down was when bad things happened. Look at what had happened to his brother-in-law! No, as long as he was alive, nothing would disrupt the safety of the students here. And he knew Salazar was looking into darker things that would long outlive their own wards and whatnot to ensure the safety of their students. He had not told the girls that yet, mostly because he knew how they would likely react. It was just better in the long run.
But until all this was fully put into place, Godric refused to risk it. Thus, when she forced the bottles into his hands, he slipped them into the pocket of his tabard. Sometime later, he would have them returned. Maybe send Gwen with them, saying he hadn't needed them after all. Anything to avoid those sharp blue eyes from giving him that firm, slightly exasperated look that he interpreted he was being an idiot. (He knew the look far too well, having seen it quite often in his life.)
When she asked if that was all, he nodded a bit dumbly, uncertain as to what he should say now. He had already apologized for the mess (or had he?) Hmmm, hard to remember, with all that had happened. Well, there was one way to make it up. And pay her back for making him take the potions. Nevermind that she thought it was in his best interest to do so. "No, I believe that will be all, Healer Gudrun. You are quite good at what you do, though perhaps it might be best to avoid using that purple potion on the younger children as you haven't an assistant to hold them down." He advised, reaching into his other pocket and taking out a galleon. It was his last one but let it never be said that he did not pay his debts.
"Here, to make up for the missing supplies." He set it down on the table to keep her from trying to give it back. "If you will excuse me, I need to go..." Realizing that what he had just said was probably ridiculous in her eyes, he forced back the cringe he was feeling. He needed to get away from those probing eyes and tender fingers and the memory of her fingers touching him. It was the first time a woman not related to him had touched him in years and he felt like a stripling page again, spying on girls bathing down in the river.
"Again, you have my thanks." And then he skirted around her and took long strides to escape the place before he could make a bigger fool of himself than he had already done. So maybe the look that said he was an idiot wasn't quite so out of place after all...
Before she could respond, Godric set down the gold coin and took is slightly awkward and bumbling leave. Again she found his action cute and resisted physically reacting as he left as much as she wanted to. It was probably for the best he took a quick leave anyway as she was far too tempted to point out and potentially poke further at her ego that she had used the same treatment on her twelve year old brother when he cut his arm and he felt nothing stronger then a rough tickle.
She exhaled a huff, crossing her arms to look towards the door he had exited from just moments ago. A handful and a half her mind thought but he wasn't the first man she had treated to be hesitant to accept her care. Years on the sea and in the towns they had lived in had given her experiences of all kinds when dealing with men, stubborn and ego fueled or not. Godric was the same though he didn't give off the same level as many of her past patients did and she certainly had no issue in mending them up and sending them on their way quickly and quietly. So why did the room suddenly feel larger, emptier and a little colder now that he was gone from the room? Did he have such a presence that the room had not only shrunken but warmed up? The corridors never felt like this when they had passed one another in previous days so why suddenly now. She exhaled another sigh as she shook her head and lowered her arms back to her side. She knew why but she wasn't going to accept it, the reasons or facts simply didn't match and she wasn't going to just blindly accept. Nope, no way. Her mind and everything it was trying to make her believe could stop because it wasn't going to happen. She was here for work not romantic fairytales, she had siblings depending on her and couldn't detour from making sure they were well cared and provided for not to be swept off her feet by the handsome rugged looking man she was treating injuries for after catching him unsuccessfully searching for his own remedy needs.
Astrid turned to the cart, deciding she would get started on her clean up when the coin he had left behind caught her attention. She picked it up, turning it over as she held it a little higher in the air. She hadn't expected him to pay her for her services, she was here for the school and to help both the students as well as the staff, him included and she was already being paid a fare wage for her work here. There was also to pay for what she assumed was the two broken potions and the ones she had given him but being fully honest the galleon was far too much to cover the cost of some inexpensive potions. She glanced towards the door then back down at the coin in her hand as she lowered her hand down. An idea came to her mind, helped by it in fact thanks to bringing up one or two memories of their recent exchange. She would see if she had time for it before it was too late but honestly it would be something he would least expect. With a mild smirk she flicked the coin into the air, caught it and tucked it into her pocket. Taking the cart, she pushed it towards the makeshift sink to get started on cleaning up and getting things put back into order.
After the staff meeting, Rowena retired to her rooms and stripped off the diadem. She placed it in a velvet-lined box and closed the lid. It was late enough that Helena was already asleep, one arm looped around her precious beast of a dog who was asleep beside her. She adjusted the covers over her daughter before sighing and departing the sanctity of her suite.
The headache was intensifying and she knew that if she didnt get some assistance in taking care of it she was going to be in for a rough night. Something to help with the pain and a good nights sleep was exactly what she was in search of as she made her way through the corridors to the infirmary.
Carefully she pushed open the doors and looked around at the large room filled with beds. The moonlight was shining through the large windows as she walked further into the room. Astrid? she called out into the darkness. There were a few people she was informal with and the healer was one of them.
