A Complicated Check-Up

With Khaat gone, Goose looked a little rattled, staring uncertainly at a point on the wall. Jack reached out and patted his elbow, jolting him back into the land of the living.

"So?"

He heaved a shrug.

"You want to go to Hogwarts, right?"

Goose sighed and nodded.

"It won't be like that place. It's more... homeopathic."

That did the trick. His eyes flashed and he turned his head, instantly curious. "Homeopathic?" he repeated, tasting the word in is mouth.

"It means natural. Not chemicals or traditional medicine, but herbs, and diet change, and exercise."

He was mouthing an 'oh' as Robert entered. Jack nodded a head to Lupin, as Goose's eyes widened, instantly recognizing that he was about to be treated by the Minister of Magic.

Jack filed away each point and suppressed a grin at Goose's methodical nods as he attempted to memorize the points as well.

And it was his choice... the flavor. He scrunched his eyebrows together and Jack rolled her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. It was going to be sour candy or bacon, she knew it-

"Black tea."

"Black tea?" Jack repeated.

"Strong."

Jack tilted her head. "I thought you said my tea was too strong?"

He shrugged. "Reminds me of home."

Jack looked at Robert, finding it incredibly odd that she was sharing this particularly domestic moment with him of all people. He face was frozen in a look of accepting surprise and all she really felt like saying was... "Well."

He listened to the discussion about how Goose's magic, or rather his lack of it affected him or looked to affect him. He saw the dialogue shift when Goose realized Robert was going to make his potion. And then came the choice of flavor. Black tea.

"Oh, good choice," Robert said. "Its one of the easiest ones to use, actually. And, you can actually add it to your tea without any fear of altering it--so long as you actually finish the tea.

"Jack, if you don't have a family membership to the gym and spa downstairs, do simply ask either the nurse or the attendant at the spa. It's open 24/7, and it would be a great place to work out or swim--especially in bad weather. It won't cost you anything, but it might be helpful," he said.

"Now, the potion isn't hard to mix up," he said to Goose. "Should only take me a few moments. You're welcome to wait, or come back and get it later, or, if you like, you're welcome to come with me to the lab. It's completely up to you.
"
It wasn't something he usually did--taking a patient into the very protected and secluded lab, but every so often, he did make such an offer. It was certainly Goose's choice, of course.

Goose looked towards Jack, encouraged by the words that his choice was not only possible, but a good choice altogether. She could see him finally allowing a seed of hope to grow, though she knew he was not keen on allowing himself something that might later be taken from him. But it was hard to ignore the facts as they were laid out. And it was all seeming so possible.

Meanwhile, Jack was nodding at Robert. "I have the team gym, but I'll have my kid-wrangler bring him here when that's not an option." And with her having to focus more on the Ministry now than training, it meant Viv might be making lots of trips to Mungo's. Which Jack suspected she might actually enjoy.

Goose was being offered the chance to watch a master potioneer work, and Jack knew his answer even before he blurted out the eager, "yes." He and Sunny often watched Viv work, curiosity a strong link between them, and Goose loved how methodical one had to to concoct a potion. It seemed right up his alley. Sunny was looking in interest and Jack knew she would miss the opportunity, but Goose had a hard road ahead of him, and he could certainly use the head start.

Jack nodded. "You heard the man, Goose. Get going before he changes his mind."

"We'll take the lift," Robert told Goose. "It feels like a million stairs if you go without it. This way." He led the way to the lift and then down not just to the basement but to the sub basement.

"The potions lab is in a basement under the basement," he told Goose. "It's a very high security area because of the importance of making sure that no one's potions get buggared up." He took out a copper colored key and unlocked a large heavy wooden door leading to a pitch dark room. "Lumos!" he fired his wand into the dark room to light all the lamps in the room.

"Come on in," he said. The room was huge. It had shelves around all four walls that went floor to ceiling and were jammed with jars, pots, vials, cauldrons, and all sort of equipment. There was a huge old wooden worktable that was the main workstation for the lab and had several wooden stools tucked under it. An antique bookstand held a massive potions book.

"Let me show you around," Robert said. He walked over to the shelves right to the left of the door. "This first section of shelves hold potions that are already completed. The next section holds empty bottles and jars for potions to go into. Oh--that reminds me. Your potion will need to go into a bottle. Any bottle off that third shelf there will be the right size--any color, any shape you like. You pick it out. If it helps your selection, your potion should be a clear ocean blue color when its finished.

"The shelves beyond that hold herbs for potions. Then on the back wall, the first set of shelves there are all sorts of different liquids that are potions ingredients. Beyond that are a section of various rocks, minerals, and grains that need to be crushed to be part of a potion. The last section on the back wall are for the bug jars.

"Sometimes a bug is necessary for a potion. Or--sometimes someone buggars up a spell and changes someone into a bug. Its not always easy to get them back, so until that happens, they stay here in enchanted bug jars that makes sure they get everything they need to continue to be healthy and happy--or as happy as a bug can be, I suppose.

"And that wall over there, the shelves past all the pots and things? Those are all sorts of potions books. Some are books on herbs or magical geology, and there are some that are very old books that are hundreds of years old that have formulas of potions, or have all sorts of information on the history of potions making.

"You're welcome to look around if you like. Just don't open any of the jars, please. Now, let's see...for yours, I'll need several things."

He accio'd several different jars to the worktable and got out a clean cauldron. "You can help make it, if you like. I'm sure you can manage the mortar and pestle. I don't know if Jack lets you help with a knife in the kitchen, but if she does, you can help chop herbs. If not, then, that's alright. I can chop. We'll know its done when it changes to blue and when it smells like a really great Earl Grey tea."

Jack watched her ward go, his back straightening as he tried to take on a figure more imposing, something more befitting of the company he was keeping. He turned his head, glancing back once before Jack lifted her eyebrows, one last affirmation. Goose turned around and didn't give them a second backward glance.

Goose didn't want to admit he wanted to take the lift, not eager to admit how winded he could get lately.

Goose was an absorber. Though he considered himself to be the genius of the family, he could go for hours without saying a word to anyone else in the house, speaking up only to correct a grammar rule he absolutely could not let go uncorrected. Otherwise, he quietly went about his self-directed duties of keeping alive Sunny's horrid flowers, of tending to the cacti, of keeping Charlie's rigorous watering schedule up while she was away. He would visit Viviana and help dice ingredients for potions he was certain could not be found in any book. And he would curl up in his room to read through volumes he certainly could not fully understand at the tender age of ten but aspired to be the master of.

So as Robert Lupin spoke, it was only too easy for Goose to slip into a state of quiet concentration, letting each word penetrate into his mind and twist until it made sense with what he already knew, for filing away, determined to be made long term memory.

And practical application? Goose would take it where he could get it.

He spoke quickly, trying not to sound eager and to take on a tone of maturity. "I've helped make potions before. I'm good with a knife, and a mortar and pestle."

"Excellent," Robert said. "We'll be able to make quick work of it, then." He opened a few of the jars and got out sprigs of several different dried herbs. He laid a sharp potions knife on the worktable.

"These are the herbs that you need to start some of the nutritional replacement things. See how finely you can chop these, then," Robert said, "And be bloody careful with that knife. It's razor sharp. Dull knives increase the likelihood for an accident. The sharper a knife is, actually, the safer you are. Pull the leaves off and toss away the stems. The leaves are what you want. I'll go crush up a few of the trace minerals you need."

He got out a few small objects that looked like a mix of seeds and pebbles and tossed them in the mortar. These required a great deal of strength to break some of the rocks up. He tossed them into the mortar and pounded them with the mortar until he had a fine silky powder.

He found a second mortar and put several different herbs and a few seeds into the mortar. Then he cut an orange in half and added the juice of the orange into the mortar. "Now, if you like, you can mash these about until you get a smooth paste. It's the stuff that will increase your energy. And the citrus will activate it quicker in your system because of the natural acidity of the juice. I'll work on the bit to help repair your magical system. That's a bit trickier, but the colors are quite pretty, I think."

He gathered several herbs and distillations from the shelves and put them into a cauldron and started a small fire in the burner under the cauldron. He waited for it to come to a bubbling simmer and drew his wand and cast the spell over the cauldron. When the liquid came to a boil, the steam that began to rise out of the cauldron turned beautiful rainbow colors and began to glow and sparkle.

"Ah, there it is," he said, pleased, watching the lovely colors and the sparkles of light. "That business there? That's what your body's magical system needs. Consider it a bit like food for your magical system. It's a direct infusion of energy right to the source. I don't know how much repair it will do, but, take it steady enough, and your potion should help you to have enough energy someday to give Sunny and all her boundless energy a run for her money. Or at least that's my hope. Would be nice for you to be able to take her by surprise someday, wouldn't it?" he grinned.

"Oh, the binder. That's right. You wanted tea flavoring." He went to the shelf and got a tall thin, elegant bottle with a graceful eyedropper for a stopper. "When we get there, you can bind it together and flavor it for yourself, if you like. Don't forget to pick out a bottle for your potion over there. Whatever color and shape you like. The bottles are shelved by size only. The third shelf is the right size for yours."

(Surprise, surprise!!!)

Goose listened carefully and took the Minister's words to heart, setting up the herbs on the cutting board and weighing the knife in his hand. He placed the tip above the herbs and began slicing the way that Viv had shown him, though he was nowhere near as fast and, on occasion, his knife turned and slanted the cut. Either way, it wasn't bad considering most of his training had been theoretical... and that he had the added pressure of being with the Minister of Magic.

Goose didn't understand. He turned to look at the Minister as he worked and spoke and wondered how someone could do so much. He knew Jack was juggling two full time careers, but one of them was independent in nature and she could disappear for awhile. Robert did not have that capability. Why was he spending time helping Goose?

Goose moved to the task of grinding the mixture when he had a thought - was Robert doing this so, one day, Goose could replicate the recipe? Certainly, it would be worth learning so he didn't have to wait. He knew it was complex but perhaps he could begin practicing, so by the time he had the skillset to match the training he could jump effortlessly into the routine of self-sustaining potionmaking.

These thoughts tumbled in his head as he worked, and he paused only to peek up at what Robert was showing him. He had decided Robert wasn't doing this to show him - it would be much easier to write the recipe than to expect him to commit to memory. So even as he was sent to find a bottle, his mind still worked.

Coming back with a deep blue bottle with a cork plugged in the top, Goose's feet slowed until he was behind the Minister. "Why are you doing this?"

He finally had to know. He had tried to work it out in his head, but there was no readily available answer and so he needed to know. It was a question, a lost little question. "Why are you showing me all this?"

(i love him. robert already likes him a lot.)

"Good question," Robert said. "And it deserves an honest answer." He took a bench scraper and picked up the herbs Goose had chopped. "Oh, well done. Those are perfect." He put them into the cauldron and stirred it and then looked back at Goose.

"First, you seem like you haven't always had a lot of choices. I know what that's like. My brother and I didn't have a lot of choices either. Our situation might not have been like yours, but having no options really stinks. This is a situation where I can give you choices, so why shouldn't I, if I can? You're obviously smart enough and responsible enough to handle them. There's no need for me to keep control I do not need to have when you can clearly handle it.

"And, the second reason, I suppose, is that, I have eight grandkids--little kids. They're all under 6. It makes me realize that we need to stop babying our kids so much and treat them as the age they are, acknowledge what they can do, and teach them how to meet our world and everything that's in it, head on, prepared and ready to be champions of it, not victims of it. People my age need to leave a better legacy for people your age than the legacy we received."  He put the paste that Goose made into the cauldron and stirred it.

"And, I suppose I have a selfish reason of my own. You are a bloody brilliant young man. I love to be around people with amazing minds and skills. You're one of those people."  He looked back into the cauldron and saw that, as he expected, the mixture was separating, much like a vinaigrette dressing.  

"See that?" He pointed that out to Goose. "That is what we need the binding for. It's a pain in the behind when it separates like that, and it makes it taste incredibly nasty. A lot of these potions simply stop here and recommend you shake the daylights out of them before you take them, which is stupid if you can add a binder and keep it together and keep it from smelling and tasting like an old gym sock.

He opened the bottle of tea flavored binding potion. The scent that rose up from the bottle was like the finest Earl Grey, freshly brewed. He breathed it in.

"I love that aroma," he told Goose, handing him the bottle. "Smell that. Now, you add the binding yourself. Use the eyedropper. A little goes a long way. Two drops is going to make it taste like my granny's old weak tea that I could see through. Three to four will make it pretty much like a standard tea. 5 will make it stronger, 6 will make it stand up and pay attention, and 7 will make it taste somewhere just around road tar. Remember we can always add more, but we can't take it out. We'd have to start all over. But, how much you add is up to you." He moved a pottery jar of wooden skewers over. "Tasting sticks," he said. "Its safe if you want to add what you think will work, use the tasting stick to get just a drop on the end of the stick, and if it isn't what you like, add a bit more. Take your time and get it where you like it. When you get close, then stop."