Taste of Youth

The Apothecary smells like something right out of a horror movie and the barrels of slime and various animals body part did nothing to help. It was a strange thing, working here. Mr.Ergs rarely hired anyone and the people he hired normally quit within the first week. There had been nearly eight people who helped out here since I started working four months ago, each one hadn't lasted to see their fifth day.

Mr.Ergs comes bustling out of the back, his comb-over plastered to his bald patch. Ergs reminds me of a tree stump, he's tiny even shorter than I am and at least four times my weight. The cauldron that he's holding sloshes dangerously as he slams it down on the counter. He looks at me with his watery eyes expectant and obviously not happy.

"Bottle it. Label it. Hate potion." His voice is reminiscent of sandpaper and he slams down a tray of vials he's levitated and stomps off to the back against.

Being elbow deep in a potion that reveals the worst in people was not something I felt like doing after the long time in Ollivander's but this was my job and I had to do it. Thirty-four vials of swirling light red liquid later and I was re-stalking hellebore and wormwood to my hearts content. The door swung open with a croaky ding and I wiped my hands before heading to the clutter covered desk that was the check-out counter. There were four people in the first aisle complaining about the smell as the door dinged again letting in a pretty redhead who scowled in the groups direction as well as Severus Snape. I waved to the dingy boy and he nodded to me before slinking off after the girl. Shaking my head I pulled out the records from their place under the desk and started to list down the Hate potion.

"Well hello again."

I looked up from my writing and came face to face with the grey-eyed, handsome, pain-in-the-ass that I'd had to deal with in the bookstore. Oh no, not again. A couple of kids who looked like first years banged through the door as I stared in horror at the boy in front of me. It wasn't that I didn't like him per-say, it was just that he reminded me remarkably of my Uncle and I hate my Uncle. As he opened his mouth to say something else a young girl slammed into one of the more dangerous shelves after tripping on a barrel.

"Oi, look out!" I shouted as the case teetered.

I jumped the desk, shoved the boy out of the way and barely, just barely, managed to get myself between the girl and the falling shelf. The glass slammed into my back as I looped one of my arms around the girl covering her head and using my other to cover my own. The sound of bottles shattering was loud in my ears and the girl screamed. I heard Snape's voice as well as the gruff voices of the boys from the bookshop. The two of us were slammed down to the ground crumpling with the force of the shelf. Ergs voice exploded from somewhere and the weight that was cutting off my air was gone.

"Rein! Get up, carefully. There's Living Death to your left and a Befuddlement potion to your right. Go straight. Don't waver. I'd suggest you hurry the pool is moving."

My back was burning along with the side of my face. I managed to lean back enough that the girl could scramble up and then pushed her into the arms of the boy who had been flirting with me. Ergs was motioning me forward his stumpy arm flailing in odd circles. The boy had handed off the girl and was looking worried as I wobbled on my feet. Clear watery liquid slipped toward my foot and the purple of a Befuddlement potion I had bottled last week slunk toward my other foot. Goodness, what have I gotten myself into again.

"Rein! Now not later!" Ergs jerked me out of my haze of pain.

I stumbled forward my legs giving sharply as soon as I got near the boy's out stretched arms. Pain throbbed everywhere, blindsiding me as I became a useless pile of flesh and blood. Snape's voice sounded close to me and I turned to the sour-looking boy. He was saying something, holding out a bottle and motioning.

"Drink it, Luciana. Come on."

He tipped the contents down my throat and the pain eased. Ergs was muttering under his breath somewhere behind me, the door dinged and there was a flurry of words. Then the feeling of blood dripping down my back ceased. The lack of movement in my wand arm stopped being a problem, my fist flexed and eased.

"There, that must feel better, right?" An older woman's face came into view and she smiled all white teeth gleaming.

Her plump hand helped me away from the boy who had been holding me up. I glanced back at him and offered a small smile. The lady brushed the leaves of wolfsbane off of the remains of my shirt and steadied me gently. She nitpicked me for a few more moments as Ergs cleaned up the mess. The girl was crying hysterically apologizing over and over. I let the woman finish Healing me before I turned to the girl and touched the top of her head.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

"I'm fine! Fine, but I'm so sorry! I-" She was sputtering and I laughed.

"What's your name?"

"Lisa. Lisa Bones."

"Well Lisa, I think that you should stop apologizing, okay? That barrel you tripped over is known for grabbing out at peoples legs." I winked and ruffled her dark hair.

She blinked her teary eyes and smiled. Another woman bustled into the door and Lisa jumped up to hug her. I backed up and turned to survey the amount of potions and re-stalking I would have to do this evening. Ergs cheeks were going blotching and I felt a queasy feeling settle into my stomach, I knew that we were both thinking of the same thing. Money and work hours. I tapped the stump of a man on the shoulder and gave him a tired smile.