A/N: This is my first HP fic. It takes place during the summer between Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. I hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

Madelyn Dearborn lurched out of bed with a gasp as her fireplace exploded in a wave of green flames. Her black eyes narrowed in annoyance as she caught a glimpse of the smiling face spinning like a top within the fireplace.

"Bloody hell, Fred! Would it kill you to pick up a phone and call before you come over? A little warning would be nice, you know."

"My apologies," Fred said, brushing a bit of ash from his ginger hair.

"I can tell your sincerity by the smile you've got plastered on your face," Maddie replied, arching a brow.

Fred shrugged and began to wander about the room.

"So…what's going on?" Maddie asked as she stood up and drew on her robe.

"Nothing, which is the problem. I had to get out of that house. My mum's driving me crazy, and all the hush-hush talk is getting old. I figured I'd pop over and see my dear friend Mads."

"Pah," Maddie said with a reluctant grin. "You just want to see what kind of food I have."

"Well what good is having a dear friend in the restaurant business if you can't eat her food?" Fred asked with a wink.

Maddie laughed and shook her head. "Can't argue with that. Come on then," she said, leading him out of the room and down the stairs. "Where's that brother of yours? I thought one of you couldn't go anywhere without the other."

"He's back with Ron, probably keeping an eye on Hermione."

"He's still got a thing for Hermione, does he?"

Fred nodded and rolled his eyes. "It's a bit weird, isn't it? I mean, we've known Hermione since she was nothing but frizzy hair and big teeth."

Maddie gave a chuckle and slapped a plate in front of him. Fred took a large bite of the food before him and grinned at Maddie. "So you know, Mads…Sirius is with us."

Careful to keep her expression blank, Maddie leaned in. "Yes, I know."

"You could come back with me. Maybe catch him unawares and snog him in a closet." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"As much as I appreciate your interest in my sex life," Maddie said, her wry tone implying the opposite, "I don't think Sirius would appreciate being mauled by a sex-starved girl 12 years younger than him."

"Some people pay good money for that," Fred said, finishing his meal.

"Also, he might find it a bit strange, seeing as he and my dad were in the Order together."

"Yeah, but your dad was years older than him."

Maddie was about to reply when a whoosh and a soft thud came from the room above them.

"Oi, Fred!" George called. "Pack it up, mate. Mum's looking for you."

"Guess I better run," Fred said as he placed his plate in the sink. "Remember what I said though. A new face in our midst would be great." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Especially if it's one as pleasant as yours."

"I'll think about it," Maddie said. She jerked her head toward the stairs. "You'd better get going or your mother will have your head."

Fred flashed a smile as he jogged up the stairs and Maddie turned to wash his plate. When she had finished, she went upstairs and took a shower. She wrapped a towel around her and stood for a long time staring into the foggy bathroom mirror, angling her head this way and that, trying to find whatever pleasantness Fred had been speaking of. She had never thought herself pretty; in fact, she rarely thought of herself at all. She was simply…herself.

Looking into the mirror, she saw large almond-shaped eyes, so dark in color that her pupils weren't visible. She was tall and pudgy, with more flesh on her bones than she cared to have. (But such is the burden of a great chef, and she'd not change her profession for all the money in the world.)

Her lips were pink and fat, although she liked the swoop of her top lip well enough. Her nose was a gift from her Elfin great-grandfather on her father's side; small with a slight up-tilt at the end. Her hair was a trait—the only trait—she had inherited from her mother. It was a deep shiny brown, with multifaceted highlights that scanned the color spectrum in the sunlight. She wore it cut to just below her chin and most times messily pulled back into a hair tie.

Her lineage was a diverse one, and though both her parents had been great with magic, Maddie herself had chosen to grow up as a Muggle after her father's disappearance. She rarely used magic, unless she wanted to go about unnoticed, during which times she used her skills as an Animagus and wandered around in cat form.

She brushed a hand through her hair and sighed, putting her iPod headphones in her ears before leaving the bathroom and returning to her bedroom.

She hummed along with a tune as she rifled through her dresser, tossing a clean bra and underwear in the direction of her bed. She turned next to the closet and threw a pair of olive green corduroys over her shoulder and picked out a plush black jumper to wear with it. She turned around, intent on dropping her towel and getting dressed, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Maddie let out a startled squeal and spun, clutching her towel with one hand and raising her other fist to strike out.

"Easy, kitten."

Sirius Black!

Maddie took out her headphones and placed a hand over her racing heart. "You scared the hell out of me, Sirius."

"Blame Remus," he said with a careless smile. "He's the one who told me to stay here while he searched the rest of the house."

"Search the house for what?" she asked distractedly. He was standing quite close.

"Anything suspicious," he said, leaning forward slightly.

"Suspicious?" Maddie breathed, unconsciously leaning in as well.

Sirius nodded, blue eyes shining as they held Maddie's black ones. Their faces were only a breath apart, and one corner of his mouth hitched as if he were thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Sirius."

Maddie jumped guiltily and jerked her gaze to the doorway where Remus Lupin was standing, looking like death warmed over and giving Sirius an unamused look.

"I apologize," Sirius said and smiled at Maddie, though his eyes danced in a way that made his apology false. He knew well what he was doing, and obviously felt no remorse whatsoever.

Maddie took a few steps away from Sirius and placed a hand on her hip, still holding the tie of her towel with the other.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Lupin.

"Searching your home," he replied. "It would seem that Fred and George come here quite often, and by doing so endanger the entire Order of the Phoenix. I had to examine your home and make sure there were no charms or any other magics being used here that could be used for reprehensible purposes."

"'Reprehensible purposes'?" Maddie repeated. Her cheeks flushed with temper as his meaning hit home. "You think I'm working with You-Know-Who?! Are you mad?"

She began to pace, working herself up with each step she took.

"I understand you're probably upset, Maddie," Lupin said. "But you know as well as I that precautions must be taken. In our world—"

"This is not the wizarding world. I don't deal in magic here. The boys come here to eat my food and get away from the hellhole you've locked them up in. Wha'choo think I'm gonna do? Feed them crepes with a side of Veritaserum? Bleed them for information over dessert?"

"Watch yourself, Remus," Sirius said, not bothering to hide the amusement in his voice. "The kitten has claws."

"Aye, she's claws and teeth too. You'd do well to keep that in mind, Sirius Black," Maddie snapped, stomping to her bed and gathering her clothes before storming back to the bathroom.

"You can leave the way you came," she said before slamming the door.

"That went well," Sirius said dryly. "I tried to tell you, didn't I, that women do not like to be told that they are being investigated? I believe the word I used was 'tact'. 'Use tact, Remus, and charm the truth out of the girl', I think were my exact words."

"In case you've forgotten, my friend, you are supposed to be back at headquarters. You wouldn't even be on this little outing if not for me, so a little gratitude would be—"

"Gratitude? For bringing me to a house to look for spells that you knew wouldn't be here in the first place?"

"That's right!" Remus shouted in a rare show of temper. "I knew there wouldn't be any spells here, you prat! I used it as an excuse so you could get out for a bit, because I am tired of seeing you mope and brood, wandering aimlessly around your house. You look as if you were still in prison, and it kills me!"

Sirius was quiet and walked to the window, looking out over the busy streets below. "I'm sorry, my friend," he said. "I just…I don't know what to do, Remus. I hate feeling useless."

"You'll never be useless, Sirius," Remus said. A humorless scoff was his only reply. Turning back to the matter at hand, Lupin leaned against Maddie's dresser and stared at the bathroom door.

"How long do you figure she'll stay in there?"

"Oh," Sirius said, turning and looking at the door. "I'd say until long after we've gone." He walked forward slowly, meandering his way to the door. "Strange creatures, women, who can stay in a loo for hours on end."

He reached into the inside pocket of his velvet coat and withdrew his wand.

"Alohomora," he said with a flick. The bathroom lock clicked softly and Sirius turned the knob, opening the door with a flourish and a grin at Remus.

Maddie sat on the toilet lid, arms crossed over her chest, glaring daggers at Sirius. She had managed to hurriedly throw on her clothes. He made a sweeping motion with his arm, indicating she should join them in the bedroom again.

"Bloody wizards," Maddie grumbled as she swept past him.

"You'll need to pack," Sirius said.

"Pack? For what? I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes, interestingly enough, you are," Sirius said. "You see, checking to see if you were spying for the Dark Lord was only step one of this excursion. Step two—assuming you passed step one and needed not to be eliminated—is to secure you into our safe-keeping and tuck you away with the rest of us."

"Absolutely not," Maddie insisted.

"I'm afraid so," Lupin said apologetically.

Placing her hands firmly on her hips, Maddie raised her chin. "I don't know if you understand this, but I have a job here. I have employees, customers…an entire bloody business that revolves around Muggles. I do not have the option of being spirited away to some secret wizard hide-out!"

Lupin looked distressed at her words but quickly recovered. "Very well. We cannot make you go with us."

"We can't?" Sirius asked, not looking away from Maddie.

"No. Dumbledore insists that she come of her own choosing." Lupin gave a quick nod to Maddie and removed a bag of Floo Powder from his pocket.

"If you get into any trouble, use this and go to Diagon Alley. We have contacts throughout London. They'll get in touch with us and keep you safe while you wait."

"You keep saying you'll keep me safe," Maddie said as she took the bag of Floo Powder. "Safe from what?"

"The Dark Lord," Lupin said.

Maddie's skin went cold. "You—you think he'll be after me? Why?"

"It's why none of us have kept you in the loop these past months, Madelyn. Your father and mother pledged their family to the Order of the Phoenix, so you had no choice in the matter. But by associating with us you are on the Dark Lord's radar. You know who we are, where we go…Lots of things that would be useful for the Death Eaters to know. We were trying to keep you safe by severing all contact with you."

"Of course, we hadn't counted on the rebelliousness of teenage boys," Sirius said wryly. "I suppose we should have, given that we were the same as them once upon a time."

"It's an open invitation," Remus said with a sad smile. "I hope you change your mind."

He stepped into the flue and gave an address—not that of headquarters—and dissolved into the green flames.

"You're just as hard-headed as your father," Sirius said irritably as he stepped to the hearth. "The difference is he would have had enough sense to come under the protection of the Order."

"Aye, he would have," Maddie agreed icily. "Perhaps I've forgotten though… how'd that turn out for him last time?"

Sirius blanched and looked away. Without another word to her he threw down his Floo Powder and was gone in a whoosh of flame.