Hermione paused outside the gleaming glass doors, taking it all in. This was where she'd be spending most of the next five years of her life. She had worked her ass off at the Hogwarts School of Medicine—studying in the library till late at night, skipping parties, forgoing relationships—all for the chance to get into the prestigious gynecology residency program at St. Mungo's Hospital. And it had paid off. The best part was that she'd be working under her longtime idol, Dr. Bellatrix Black.
Dr. Black, besides being a gifted physician with a stellar success rate, had revolutionized the field of gynecology with her cutting edge research. Hermione had watched all of her talks and informational videos. She was a riveting speaker, the way her eyes sparkled when she truly got going, the red of her lips contrasting with the white of her teeth, and that one dark curl that never stayed behind her ear—okay, so Hermione's interest in Dr. Black wasn't totally professional. But there was no denying that the woman was impressive.
Although her residency didn't start for another week, Hermione wanted to take the time to familiarize herself with the hospital space, and if she ran into Dr. Black and introduced herself, all the better.
Finally pushing her way through the glass doors, Hermione stepped foot into the hospital. Immediately she was enveloped in the hustle and bustle of patients and doctors scurrying along. It was a comforting feeling. Home , she thought.
The large foyer held two glass escalators leading up to the second level, and there was a set of three elevators further inside. Hermione made her way into one of the elevators and pressed the button for the seventh floor, where the gynecology wing was located.
It was a short ride, and the doors slid open to reveal a desk staffed by a man in hospital scrubs. Slightly to the right was a room where a few women sat waiting.
"Can I help you?" asked the man at the front desk. His name tag read 'Harry.'
"Oh, no. I just want to take a look around, if that's alright. I'm going to be a resident here starting next week."
"That's great, welcome! Just make sure to stay out of the patient rooms and you're good."
Hermione nodded and then went off to explore.
After wandering the halls three times with no sign of Dr. Black, she thought it might be time to call it a day. She was disappointed and couldn't resist the urge to linger for a few more minutes in the waiting room. Suddenly, she heard heels clacking. Hermione turned to see Dr. Black approaching from down the hall.
Her first thought: She wears stilettos to work? Her second: Damn, her legs look good in them. Hermione raised her gaze and almost swallowed her tongue. Dr. Black wasn't wearing typical hospital attire, instead clothed in a short black dress with a corseted top. Only when the object of her admiration was a few feet away did Hermione remember about her plan to make introductions.
"Dr. Black, it's so nice to—"
The woman stormed by, her face contorted in anger. "Weasley, you do realize that I'm supposed to be off today, right?"
Hermione hadn't even noticed that the dark-haired man behind the desk had been replaced by a redhead.
"I-I'm sorry, Dr. Black," he stuttered. "It's just that we're a doctor down since Malfoy got the flu and we're really falling behind schedule."
"Just give me the next patient chart," she snarled.
The man called Weasley jumped at her tone and cautiously passed over a clipboard.
Dr. Black turned to the waiting room patients and called loudly, "Lovegood." When there was no response, her irritation seemed to grow. "Luna Lovegood?"
Hermione thought since she was already there, she might as well use the pause to quickly introduce herself. "Dr. Black, I—"
"Didn't you hear me the first time? Let's go." Dr. Black started walking down the hall towards the patient rooms, waving at Hermione to follow.
"No, I think—"
"My time is precious, Ms. Lovegood. Please don't waste any more of it."
Hermione opened her mouth, then shut it when she was shot a dark look. Dr. Black stopped outside of Room 5. "Take off everything, including your underwear. There's a gown you can change into on the chair inside. I'll be back soon."
Hermione found herself being shoved into the room, the door clicking softly behind her. What had she gotten herself into? She resolved to wait until the doctor returned to explain the situation to her.
That moment arrived a couple minutes later, when a brisk knock sounded and Dr. Black peeked her head in. "You still haven't changed? Ms. Lovegood, do you need assistance or are you just incapable of following simple instructions?"
"There's been a misunderstanding—"
"Yes, there has been. You must have misunderstood when I said I didn't have time to waste. Now you'll have to undress with my supervision."
"W-what?"
"Speed it along, Ms. Lovegood. It's nothing I haven't already seen or won't be examining very soon."
Hermione had no idea what to do. She couldn't get a word in edgewise, and she was tired of being yelled at. Perhaps her feelings of hopelessness showed on her face because Dr. Black softened her tone. "I'll turn around if it will make you feel better. Now get changed."
With the other woman's back to her, Hermione started to strip. She had barely pulled on the paper gown when Dr. Black turned back around and gestured for her to sit in the chair.
Hermione did as she was told. She just wanted to get through this situation, and maybe in a week, Dr. Black wouldn't remember ever meeting her.
"Now your chart says that you felt something like a lump in your left breast. I'll check that out before continuing on to the other exams."
Hermione leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She smelled the faint scent of Dr. Black's perfume before she felt cold fingers pressing into the bottom swell of her breast. While not uncomfortable, it was all very professional, and she was internally relieved. She had been worried that Dr. Black's proximity would... excite her in an inconvenient way.
She opened her eyes to find the doctor intensely observing her chest as she moved her fingers around. Hermione took the chance to get a closer look at the woman who had inspired her to go to med school. She got caught staring.
"What?" Dr. Black snapped.
The truth was that Hermione had been thinking about how much more beautiful Dr. Black looked in person, but she couldn't very well tell her so.
"N-nothing."
Dr. Black sighed. "There's no need to stutter, Ms. Lovegood. Do I make you nervous?"
Yes! "It's just that I'm not actually—" Hermione froze at the sudden sensation of Dr. Black's finger grazing her nipple. She stifled a moan, perhaps not entirely successfully because the doctor's eyes flew to her with a questioning look. So much for not getting excited.
"You're not actually?" she prodded.
Hermione licked her lips before trying again. "I'm not actually—" The door swinging open interrupted her.
