Summary: James, a doctor at St. Mungo's, saw it as a way to get his long-awaited raise. Lily, the work-preoccupied and somewhat bitchy "rising-star" reporter at the Daily Prophet, saw it as a step to a front-page article. What they both didn't know was what seemed like a simple news story would change both their lives forever.

Disclaimer: Ooh, it's all mine! Not. Duuh.

Author's Note: This was one of those stories that just comes up to you and starts screaming at you to write it. This inspiration actually came from a picture I was drawing of L & J (yes, I do art...). Lily looked kinda bitchy, and for some reason James was giving her a quill. Thus, my storytelling brain went PING and this fic came. I should be working on my other fics, but...I'm evil. Mwahaha. Please bear with me on this one; I know this chappie's pretty boring, but it'll hopefully get better.

So...

The Quill

Chapter One

By Lady Wildcat

St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries was never very busy on Monday mornings. Sure, there was the occasional scheduled appointment or broken limb in the emergency room--but that wasn't Dr. James Potter's branch.

James entered the employee lounge and filled up a mug with coffee. He took a sip and then grimaced.

"Godawful, as usual." Sirius Black entered the room and took a mug. "I need my caffeine, though, so I'll just have to shut off my taste buds."

"I think they use actual Muggle coffee," James said, scowling into his cup. "Had some of that stuff once, couldn't keep it down."

Sirius nodded as he sipped his. "Unfortunately, there's not much to do now except drink coffee. He has been quiet for weeks,"

"That usually means the attack will be bigger."

There was a moment of silence. This hard fact had been confirmed by James' experience in the St. Mungo's Emergency Squad (MES) for six years. Every scene of destruction and pain after an attack by You-Know-Who had stayed in his memory since he had joined the squad at nineteen as an intern. After last month, his best friend Sirius had been placed on the squad with three other Ministry Aurors for protection.

Sirius spoke. "Hey, there's a meeting in ten minutes in the MES room. Get there early?"

"Sure." James gulped the rest of his coffee, made a face, and followed Sirius out.

They weren't very early. Twelve doctors--about all of the squad--were already there, and the other three Aurors were as well. James and Sirius took a seat next to Dr. Figg at one of the tables.

"What's this meeting about anyway, Bella?" Sirius asked.

"Dunno," said Bella. She tossed her shiny black hair over her shoulder, face creased into the pout she had inherited from her Spanish mother. As Sirius said, Bella was a knockout. "And Harold over there gave me the wrong time so I've been sitting here for a damn half-hour!"

"Sorry, Bella," called Harold. Just then the MES head Dr. David Johnson stepped to the front of the room, and everyone quieted. A few latecomers trickled in to find empty seats at the back.

"Okay, people," David called in his American accent. "The Daily Prophet has finally taken an interest in us. They are sending over a reporter and a photographer tomorrow, and the Sunday special on the fourteenth is going to be on us."

That caused a bit of a commotion. David waited until everyone quieted. "These people are going to stay with us for a week and a half, and you, boys and girls, are to be on your best behavior. However, the Daily Prophet is requesting for their reporter to be teamed up with one of our doctors. This reporter will follow them around for the whole time, and this particular doctor will have to be a good example for all of us. I can guarantee you that if the Daily Prophet report is good, this doctor will be specially recognized for their efforts, but it's going to take work, children. Good reports mean good funding, remember."

"Money makes the world go round," Sirius whispered. James nodded.

"The photographer is a friend of one of the doctors in the main hospital, so we don't have to worry about his room and board. The reporter, however, will room with one of you. Interested in being the babysitter for this reporter, please see me. Otherwise, just know that this person's gonna be tagging along with us. That's it."

Bella turned to James. "James! This is it!"

"What's it?"

"Your raise!"

"He didn't mention a raise..."

"Oh, come on." Bella rolled her eyes. "You haven't had a raise in pay since you stopped being an intern. Now here's David, with his 'the doctor will be specially recognized' crap, and you just sit there!"

"Hold on." James stood up. "You want me to host the reporter?"

"Money, James..." Bella waggled her dark eyebrows. "You could move out of the MES dorms! Your own apartment!"

"I like the dorms."

"That's beside the point. In this world, James, money is freedom."

James sighed, then looked over at David. A few people were chatting with him, but they didn't seem to be very interested in the job. And his Gringotts account could always be fuller.

"Fine," he told Bella. He walked over to David, who excused himself and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, well," he said. "Dr. Potter. Interested in the job?"

"Yes, David. I was wondering, if I do a good job on this reporter--"

"You've been with us quite a while, haven't you James?" David interrupted. "Six years, correct? One as an intern, and no raises since then..."

"Yes..."

"You're incredibly hardworking, and caused no trouble yet." David smiled. "I think you got the reporter job. And I can guarantee very serious talks about raises if the article is good."

"Thanks, David," said James. "What do I need to know about this reporter?"

"Here's her description on this parchment." Her? "Be in the front courtyard at ten o'clock tomorrow."

David left, and James took a glance at the parchment. It was an excerpt from an owl.

The reporter we are sending over is Lily Evans, one of the top young reporters here at the Prophet. Miss Evans, as I'm sure your doctor will find, is dedicated to her job and very efficient.

Great. A young woman reporter. James hadn't been on a date for a year. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He just hoped she could room with Bella; he didn't want to sleep on his couch.

***

Lily Evans' nails were purple that week. Lily took very good care of her nails. She liked seeing them shine on stacks of parchments she was carrying, and they looked nice with her ballpoints. Other than her nails, Lily was much too busy to concern herself with her appearance. Being one of the top reporters at the Daily Prophet didn't leave her much time for anything.

Right now, Lily's shoe heels were clicking impatiently on the linoleum floor of her office. Click, click, click.

She sighed and poked her head around the office divider. "Tess, what are these?" She held up a bunch of pristine quills. "And where the hell are my ballpoints?"

"Sorry, Lily." Her brown-haired secretary looked up. "Ed, the janitor..."

Lily groaned and hit her head against the divider, her short-cut copper curls covering her face. "How many times do I have to tell the man, no quills, doesn't understand Muggle pens..." She handed the quills to Tess. "Can I have my emergency pack?"

Tess handed her a new pack of Bic ballpoints and followed Lily back into her office. Lily opened the plastic and arranged the pens in the metal wire holder on her desk. "What's for me today?"

Tess opened the black planner. "Your story idea on the effects of You-Know-Who in Muggle schools is being considered for sometime next month, the article on the Ministry job cutbacks is being pushed up to tomorrow's paper, Charlie says call him, and Mr. Jenkins wants to talk to you."

"Jenkins? Really? I'll be with him in five."

"Good." Tess left.

Lily picked up the phone and dialed Charlie's number. She'd had a phone line installed specifically to call her Muggle boyfriend, friends, and parents. Teaching Tess to answer it had been the chore. She listened to the phone ring, then her boyfriend picked up. "Charlie here."

"It's Lily."

"Hey."

"You called?"

"Yeah...confirming the dinner date on Saturday."

"It's done."

"Okay, pick you up at seven."

"Fine. Love you."

"Love, bye."

Lily hung up and checked her watch. About time for her meeting with the editor. She left her office, telling Tess to hold her calls (Tess was slightly confused, as she had not really grasped this odd Muggle term yet) and grabbing a cup of chocolate-cherry coffee on her way down the hall. She reached the large oaken door and knocked briskly. "Come in," said a voice.

She opened the door, and Mr. Jenkins, the graying editor of the Daily Prophet, greeted her. "Ah, Lily. Sit down, please."

Lily sat in the maroon chair provided. The editor fingered his mustache. "Let's get right to the point. I'd like you to do the Sunday pullout on the fourteenth."

Lily was surprised. All she had done so far were inside articles--the best one had been put on the second page. The Sunday pullout was the next step up to a front-page article. "I'm on it, sir," she said, pulling out her blue notepad and a ballpoint.

"The article's on the St. Mungo's Emergency Squad." Lily scribbled St. Mungo's on her notepad. Jenkins could not help staring at the ballpoint; uncanny how she never used those quills he had Edward set out. Ah well; Evans was one of his best rising writers, and if he had to put up with her "pens", then he would. "St. Mungo's Emergency Squad, or MES, is always the one on the scene when You-Know-Who attacks, and they're the ones who've healed the victims. You'll be assigned to a doctor. You will live with them for a week and a half, report on their actions, and go everywhere they go.

"Here's the guidelines for the pullout." He handed her a sheet of parchment. "You'll be assigned to a photographer who will show up at St. Mungo's with you. The report is due on Friday the 14th. They're expecting you at St. Mungo's at ten sharp tomorrow; don't delay." He turned back to the papers on his desk, and Lily knew she was dismissed.

Back in her office, Lily looked over the guidelines for the story. It was an opinion piece, which didn't suit her--she preferred straight facts with no emotions involved. However, the pullout was four pages long, which gave her a bit of room to work with.

She sipped her lukewarm coffee and thought about the angle she'd take. The fact that it was an opinion piece meant that she'd have to be a bit sappy--portray the doctors as heroes, the people who take the brunt of You-Know-Who's work, win the heart of the public, blah blah blah. It didn't particularly interest her, but hey, that was life. She picked up the phone and called Charlie to cancel their date.

***

Author's Note: Hey hey! Like I said, it's boring now, I know, but the second chappie should be slightly more interesting...You like? Review!

Best,

Lady Wildcat