Those Summer Nights [FelixT]

[Ophelia Mae Teller]

Ophelia felt…excited to see her brother. Now, normally of course she was already happy to see him. But today she had just come from the Lufkin Institute for Further Education or LIFE, and had enrolled as a part time student in the medical department. She was finally doing it, after so many years of talking about it, she was finally going back to further her education and fulfill her dream of becoming a mediwitch. It would take time, but she had retaken the NEWT Exam for Herbology that she had failed as a seventh year, and thanks to her support system, particularly Dakota early on, she had gotten an E! Ophelia liked to think that Koda was watching her, proud as punch, just liked she hoped her mother was.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of her elder sibling, Ophelia took a spot in a booth in a quiet corner of the Pub. Her leg was bouncing out of anticipation. How would Fee wreact? She hoped that he would be pleased, but with her brother she never truly knew what the reaction would be. So she sipped on a butterbeer, waiting for him to make his entrance.

FELIX CICERO TELLER

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

Late August 2027

For living in the same city as his sister, Felix didn't see Fee as much as he would have liked. Naturally, they were both incredibly busy with their respective lives. Felix knew that Fee was still sorting through the issues she had with her baby loss and more. Perhaps Felix had been selfish as of late - but in fact, he knew he had always been the selfish sort. Fee had always been the caring one, the emotionally intuitive one, the one who was better in every single way. So when she reached out to grab a pint at Potter's pub in the West Country, Felix immediately agreed.

Felix entered the Hounds and Harriers, and spotted Fee at once. She always seemed effervescent, but today more so than usual. Grinning ear to ear, Felix swept over to her table and gathered his sister into a hug. Despite their distance as of late, it didn't diminish the affection they held for one another. After all, it had been just the two of them for years. "You're looking well," said Felix, nodding at her. "You alright for a drink then? Let me get one," said Felix. He sauntered to the bar, ordering himself a firewhisky. Some things never changed. Even if Felix had.

Returning to the table, Felix settled Fee with a gaze of his own. "So..." he started, his eyes searching hers. "Talk to me. I've missed you," he said, barely concealing his own unfamiliar energy.

Ophelia Mae Teller

[Ophelia Mae Teller]

Ophelia smiled wide as her big brother swept into the pub and gathered her into a hug. “You’re looking well yourself,” she told him, though he did look rather tired. She patiently waited while Felix got his drink and settled himself back into the booth before speaking. “Well I’ve finally done it,” she said, unable to contain the wide grin spreading across her face. “I went back, passed my Herbology NEWT with an E, and am officially enrolled in night courses for the next two years at Lufkin to become a mediwitch,” she announced proudly. She knew Felix was aware of how much Ophelia wanted to be a Healer, especially when her empathic abilities made themselves known, but had been hindered by the A she had received on her Herbology OWL. Fortunately, the new Institute situated where Hogwarts once stood allowed her to re-take the examination, and once she passed accepted her into the part-time mediwitch program. Two years seemed far off, but she knew from experience that it can also fly by in an instant.

“That is my big news of the day, and the main reason I asked you here,” she told him, taking a sip of her drink. “Of course, as you mentioned, I haven’t seen much of you recently-” here she gave him a bit of a glare. “I’ve missed you too! So tell me where you’ve been these past few months?” she exclaimed, wanting to know where in the world Felix had been recently. Ophelia had noticed it, which meant it was out of the ordinary. They sometimes would go for a time without talking to each other, but something in the back of Fee’s mind was ringing an alarm bell. What had her brother been up to?

FELIX CICERO TELLER

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

It was rare for the Teller siblings to come together in a formal setting. They would pass one another often, like ships in the night, stopping briefly to exchange greetings before being dashed off to some other responsibility. Felix knew that Fee’s summons meant some great change had happened in her life and he was buzzing for her to share with him. He also had a few things to talk to her about - namely his first festival experience. He collected his firewhisky from the bar, glancing up only briefly to see that it was not Potter serving him, and returned to his sister, asking for her news.

Felix’s features cracked into a rare smile, his features lighting up in a way that would normally suit his sister. ”That’s amazing, Fee!” he exclaimed truthfully. Healing had always been his sister’s dream, even as she had slogged through numerous other jobs to keep herself busy. ”You kept that one quiet,” he teased with a smirk. He knew that Fee hadn’t gotten the required NEWT grade, having not exactly applied himself as much as Felix had. But that didn’t matter. She’d done it now, and was finally on the patch to follow her dreams. Maybe it was fate. Bianca would scoff at Felix if she could follow his mind.

”You’re going to make a massive difference,” added Felix thoughtfully. Fee had the uncanny ability to make people feel comfortable and relaxed, even if it did drain her. ”Just make sure not to overdo it,” he cautioned. ”You don’t want to need to be one of your own patients, now do you?” Felix added with a smirk.

A laugh bubbled out of Felix’s throat. ”My life? Much less interesting, updates much less important,” he replied, taking a drink of firewhisky and feeling his cheeks heat up. ”I’ve… well, I’ve met someone. She’s actually a friend of Madeleine’s,” said Felix, looking anywhere but at Fee. She knew the jist of what had happened with Madeleine, and how their relationship had fallen to pieces. ”But she’s also a witch, which makes things a bit easier,” he hedged, his grey gaze flickering to his sisters. Felix failed to mention that she was 9 years younger than him and ebullient as Fee to boot.

Ophelia Mae Teller

[Ophelia Mae Teller]

Ophelia beamed at Felix’s praise. “Well, I got the idea after someone left a pamphlet on the Lufkin Institute on my desk while visiting the hospital. I do believe it was because they were rather distracted by the shrieking whistles being admitted by their child, but I took it anyway. I read about furthering ones’ education in certain fields, like Healing, so I went and enquired directly with the school itself. I had amazing timing, as the seventh years were about to sit their NEWTs, and I was able to retake my Herbology NEWT I had failed back in school.” She took a sip of her drink to clear her throat before continuing. “I passed with an E this time, so they were happy to accept me into the Mediwitch track at the school. I’m a fair bit older than most of the students, but I don’t mind, and they don’t seem to either.” Indeed, Ophelia had had a seed of doubt in her stomach on her first evening of classes, but she was relieved to see that nobody minded or cared that she was continuing her education several years AFTER she had originally sat her NEWTS. “I’ll bear that in mind,” Ophelia added, smiling at her brothers warning. She knew he just wanted to protect her, but she knew she was doing the right thing here.

Ophelia listened interestedly as her brother admitted he’d been seeing someone, a witch friend of Madeleine’s. She hadn’t known the girl to have any friends who were witches, but she presumed that, in order to protect the Statute of Secrecy, the girl in question had chosen not to reveal herself to her friend. “How did you meet then, and how did you find out she was a witch?” she asked him curiously.

FELIX CICERO TELLER

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

Felix offered a nod of agreement. Shrieking whistles could be very distracting indeed. ”Almost like a twist of fate,” he countered with a wry smile. He observed his sister, who looked brighter and much more hopeful than he’d seen her in recent years. ”No, I can’t imagine they would mind. Something about you cheers up a room,” he added. ”I’m glad you’re doing this for yourself.” It wasn’t a throwaway comment, but a heartfelt pronouncement that both of them had long ago craved from their parents. Felix offered a warning not to over exert herself, as Fee tended to do, but for all he knew it fell upon deaf ears. After all, Fee was an adult now. She was healed - or healing, at the very least. It was the first step in a very, very long journey.

Holding up his glass in salute to his sister, Felix then took a deep drink. The firewhisky warmed his tongue, snaking its way down his throat and settling pleasantly in his belly. ”I suppose I’m going to start sending some of my colleagues to you for stealthy healing. Everyone knows a Teller keeps their word… despite the name,” said Felix with a chuckle. ”This really is fantastic news, Fee. I’m proud,” he added sincerely. With Fee occupied, it was one less thing for him to worry about.

Revealing his romance with Hanna to Fee had been the next natural state of things. ”Yeah, we met at the Coral Room. We got to talking and dropping hints and… well, we managed to find out about our backgrounds. She went to Durmstrang though, but she’s not like that. She’s… light,” said Felix, lapsing into silence. ”Being around her is easy,” said Felix after a long pause, shifting his gaze to his sister. ”Easier than most things.”

Ophelia Mae Teller

[Ophelia Mae Teller]

Ophelia raised her brows at Felix’s mention of the Coral Room. “Well, how posh we are,” she said teasingly. It wasn’t as though their family didn’t have money; they absolutely did thanks to their fathers’ illustrious career at the Ministry, now sitting on the Wizengamot. But she supposed if they met through Madeleine, then it made perfect sense for Felix to be at that particular spot. She cocked her head to the side when Felix said she was ‘not like that’ despite being from Durmstrang. “What do you mean by that?” she asked quizzically, before understanding his meaning. “Fee you of all people know I am not the judgmental type,” she reminded him kindly.

Ophelia sighed happily. “Easy, sounds like a welcome change of pace for you,” she said, sitting back in her seat before taking another sip of her own beverage. “I’ve still got more courses ahead of me, so really I’m working part-time at St. Mungos’. It works out though, because they’ve developed an internship program which includes Welcome Witch rotations, so I don’t need to be there full time any way.” She paused, then grinned sheepishly. “They said they’d rather have me as a well-trained MediWitch so they’re happy to reduce my hours without disrupting my work reputation. And….well, Dad was so proud he said he’d cover my expenses while I’m in school,” she admitted.


FELIX CICERO TELLER

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

Smirking, Felix inclined his head imperiously. "If I'm to be deputy head of my department in the ministry, might as well lean into it," he said with a lazy flick of his wrist. He commented offhandedly that though Hanna had been educated at Durmstrang, she was nothing like the bad reputation that followed that school. "I just mean... she's more like you. Lively. Ebullient. Effervescent," said Felix with a soft smile. "She also brightens up any room she walks into..." he trailed off, momentarily losing himself in fond memories of all the time he'd spent with Hanna lately.

Felix shrugged at Fee's final admission. He saw absolutely no harm in his sister getting help from their father. "He has too much wealth to know what to spend it on. At least you're a worthy cause," said Felix, lifting a shoulder casually. "Sounds like an apprenticeship to me. Where you attend classes but get work experience as well, and at the end you become fully qualified. If you'll forgive the muggle comparison," he added before snorting with laughter. Fee was the last person to judge, as she'd so aptly stated just moments ago. Felix took a sip of his drink, before signalling a waiter for more to be brought over.

There were a few beats of comfortable silence before Felix chirped out a question. "Do you still think you'll specialise in paediatrics?" he asked idly, though his gaze was sharp. He wasn't sure if the mention of that branch of medicine would send her into a tail spin - but Felix had been surprised by Fee's strength as of late. She hadn't let her trauma own her. She hadn't drowned herself in sorrow, not like Felix had. But then, he'd found a light.

Ophelia Mae Teller