A/N: I can't seem to stop myself from writing Sirius/OC stories. This one is a twist from my usual plots - set after Hogwarts in a different educational environment.

Disclaimer: I'm sure it's obvious that I am not J.K Rowling and I did not invent the Harry Potter series.

Summary: The worst part of the whole situation was knowing that I wasn't an idiot. The last place I should have ended up working after Hogwarts, was at the St. Mungo's morgue. It's morbid and insensitive but I really shouldn't have been wasting my brain on moving dead bodies for a living. But that's what I was doing. And it was all his fault.

HEALER IN TRAINING

Chapter One: I am Surrounded by Idiots

"Some of you may be feeling as if you got the short end of the stick, having been placed in my rotation for your studies. But know this: while you may not learn as much or earn as much gold as your fellow First Year Trainees, you will be the busiest," Healer Grimsby said, looking at us dully over the top of his spectacles.

He wasn't lying either – students with the lowest NEWT marks were always placed at The Morgue for their first six months at St. Mungo's. It wasn't the same as Muggle Morgues where at least they got to cut the dead people up. All there was to do in the 's Basement was organize the bodies. It sounds insensitive and morbid, I know, but that's just the way we think during Healer Training. If you're not doing anything Spell or Potion related, you're probably at the bottom of the barrel. By the looks of my rotation – I was surrounded by the most useless of them all. Timothy Cobblesworth was a Hufflepuff I knew from Hogwarts, who was a good-looking lad, but had always had a reputation for accidentally blowing up his cauldron twice a week. He wouldn't have even been allowed to take the Potions NEWT if he hadn't had a famous Healer for a grandfather, which is why I assumed he was even bothering with the profession at all. There was also a very pretty, blonde French girl named Florence Bardaux who'd graduated from Beauxbatons but had seemed so uninterested during Healer Grimsby's orientation, that she'd been filing her nails. Mikhail Stone, an intense looking boy with heavy eyebrows, rounded out the group. He was probably an export from Durmstrang, although he looked a bit uppity, so I suppose he could have been one of those home-schooled pure-bloods. He had yet to say a word to anyone, and so, remained an enigma.

After he'd dismissed the group for the morning, Healer Grimsby called me to his office.

"Miss Locke, I received a letter from Professor McGonagall about you yesterday and I wanted to talk to you about it," he said, indicating the seat in front of his desk. I sat down uncomfortably and tried to mask the worry from my face.

"Professor McGonagall tells me that, despite your poor exam results, you were among the most talented students in your class and a credit to Gryffindor House."

My cheeks grew warm as I nodded, fully expecting the question that followed this sentence of praise.

"So, I ask you – why did you only achieve A's for your NEWTs when you were a straight O student at OWL?"

What could I say? I couldn't tell him that my mediocrity was a result of my boyfriend breaking up with me a week before exams. It was shameful and embarrassing and not like me to fall apart over something like that. I had promised myself that I would never be one of those people who forgot themselves and their goals just because they were in love. Unfortunately, I don't always keep promises, least of all to myself.

"I was going through a tough time, Sir. But I don't intend to let it affect me anymore," I said as confidently as I could.

"That's good to know," he said, studying me carefully. "I was a Gryffindor myself and so I know that we are resilient." He gave me an encouraging smile making me feel better and worse at the same time, before he nodded at the door – a sign that it was time for me to leave.

After grabbing a sandwich at a muggle café, I hurried the short walk from St. Mungo's to the Ministry where our lectures were to take place three times a week at the Division of Magical Education. After showing my wand and Trainee Healer ID to the Watch Wizard, I made my way to the lifts and waited amongst the crowd coming back from Lunch. Thankfully, I noticed quite a lot of young witches and wizards waiting with me, which meant that I wasn't late. I was studying the pattern on the ornate wrought iron gates when suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Jennifer Locke, it's been a while," he said, with his typical grin.

I smiled back, attempting to hide my discomfort. "James Potter, is that you?"

"Yup. On my way to 'Concealment and Disguises'," James replied, pointing at his bushy mustache.

I laughed. "Oh! You're at Auror Training, of course! I was wondering how Lily was letting you get away with that 'tache."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I just saw her for Lunch and she threatened to curse it off before she noticed it was fake. You're a bit late for your Lecture, aren't you?"

In alarm, I glanced at my watch before sighing with relief. "It starts at one, I still have fifteen minutes."

He rolled his eyes and nodded knowingly. "Of course, Lily had to be there half an hour early. So, how's everything else? Mary said that you two are living together now?"

"Yeah, we moved in to our flat last week. You'll have to come 'round with Lily some night," I said, as the lift doors opened and we got in, moving to lean against the back wall and allowing the other waiting people room to get in. There was a bit of an awkward pause while James nodded hello to a few people before I asked, "And how are you? How is everyone, Sirius, Peter…and Remus?"

I cringed at the sound of his name and James gave me a sympathetic look that only made me feel worse.

"The lads are all okay. Peter's working at a shop in Muggle London and Sirius is doing Auror Training with me – although I have no idea where he's disappeared to," he laughed and I forced myself to join in as I waited for him to continue. He knew that the only friend I really wanted to know about was the one he hadn't mentioned yet.

"Remus is back with his mum for now. He's still looking for work," James said, lowering his voice and watching my face carefully.

I felt a mix of emotions. Here I was, depressed over being put in a bad Rotation for Healer Training, and Remus, who probably got mostly E's or O's, couldn't even find a job. He'd always said that being a werewolf would make it difficult for him to get work, but I had never taken it seriously. I couldn't understand how anyone who met Remus could think that he was anything short of brilliant.

"Does he…" I stopped myself short and James looked back at me with a knowing expression.

"We all miss you, Jen. It's not the same without you around," he said.

I laughed uncomfortably and we stood in awkward silence until Level Two, where the lift emptied out and we followed the group on to the floor.

"Well – I'm that way," James said, pointing to the left.

"Yeah, I'm over here," I replied, nodding at the double doors marked "Healer Lecture Hall".

"I'll tell everyone you say hello," he said as he backed away down the corridor.

"Great," I nodded pushing open the doors and waving goodbye to him. I stood in the entranceway staring at the floor for a moment to collect myself before a loud shout brought back the din in the lecture hall and I looked up to see a familiar redhead waving from the fifth row.

"Oi, Jen! We're here!"

Adjusting my bag, I plastered on a grin and hurried up the steps to join Lily Evans and Mary MacDonald – my best friends from Hogwarts.

"You took your time! I thought we were going to see you at Lunch but Timothy told us your Healer kept you back," Mary said, reaching over Lily to offer me a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean.

Taking one that looked like chocolate, I nodded. "He wanted to know how I managed to scrape in to the program, of course. I'm shocked he was so kind about it."

Lily gave me a warning look. "Oh piss off. McGonagall said that she'd owl him for you. Sometimes people fuck up, it happens."

"Yup – and that's how they make it to The Morgue," I replied, rolling my eyes. "How's Spell Damage, then?"

"Amazing!" Lily said, dreamily. "You would not believe how many jinx-related injuries came in this morning alone! It's no wonder they have so many of us on the Fourth Floor – it's like case after case after strange case!" She stopped short at the look Mary was giving her and shrugged. "I mean – it's not bad."

I groaned and leaned back in my chair. "I should be there!"

"Well you'll just have to find an unidentified Inferi or something and maybe they'll let you out of Morgue rotation early."

"Great advice, thanks Lil," I said, glumly.

"I don't know how you can take it all so lightly – these people were badly hurt!" Mary said irritably, pulling her dirty blonde hair into a bun on top of her head.

"No they weren't – it was all the idiot kids using magic out of school. Madam Pomfrey would've scoffed at them. We've seen worse at Hogwarts!" Lily said dismissively, holding up a bean that looked like mine. "Have you tasted yours yet?"

I bit into a corner and coughed. "Pepper," I said before lobbing it at the nearby bin. It bounced off the corner and landed on the floor.

"Pick it up!" Lily said, as she stuck the bean in her mouth and grinned. "Chocolate."

I growled and got up to throw away the Pepper bean as a harassed looking 3rd Year Trainee Healer entered the room and started shuffling his papers at the podium. The noise level in the room hardly stuttered as he began to write on the board.

"I saw James on my way in," I said as I sat back down.

"Did you see that hideous 'tache, then?"

Mary giggled and Lily rolled her eyes. "It made him look like a right perv. I told him I'd curse it off, you know?"

I laughed. "Yeah – we chatted about that and…"

"Oh, Jen! You didn't ask about him, did you?" Mary groaned.

"Well it would have been odd if I hadn't!"

"You're supposed to be getting over him!"

"Let it go Mary – she's allowed to ask about him," Lily said, her eyes on the words that the Lecturer was writing on the board.

"Yes, but she should ask you! Not his mate!" Mary argued.

"I haven't heard from him since he left James and Sirius' place, though."

"EXCUSE ME!" The Healer had magnified his voice so that it rang loudly through the room instantly calling everyone to attention. He reduced the volume and continued. "If you're all done with your chat, let's get started. I'm really bloody busy but as a Third Year, I'm stuck with the unfortunate task of teaching you, babies. So, shut up, listen and maybe you'll learn something."

"Charming," Lily muttered as we began to take notes on the lecture. I forced Remus from my brain and focused on what was being said. I wouldn't allow my worry over my ex-boyfriend's future get in the way of my own goals. Not again.