a/n: The only thing I own in this story is Madeline. Just about everything and everyone else belongs to J.K. Rowling. To read more about Madeline, Moody, and the Weasley's, see "Dragon's Fly."

Borgin & Burkes

by

The Geeky Quill

Chapter 1: At the Leaky Cauldron

Alastor Moody's young sister hopped onto her vintage 1922 Banshee motorcycle, revved it up, and took off down the street. Alastor sat seething in the living room. "That girl," he growled. Cleopatra, Madeline's basenji, leaped down from the sofa and trotted off to wait out Alastor's bad mood on Madeline's bed.

Meanwhile, Madeline had gone through several traffic lights and eventually pulled up to The Leaky Cauldron. She swung herself off the motorcycle and stomped into the bar feeling much taller and bolder than was appropriate for her petite figure.

"Hi Tom." She greeted the barman with friendly agitation. "I'm so angry at my brother." She plopped down onto the bar stool, or would have plopped down if she didn't have to climb up just to sit on it.

"You seem a bit out of sorts. How 'bout a cup a tea?" he asked.

"Thanks." She sighed and blew her disheveled black hair out of her face, "Poof," and looked around. There were few people in the bar on a Monday morning. A witch in a burgundy evening gown and combat boots sat at the other end of the bar, her nose in her fire whiskey and a copy of "Witch Weekly" beside her. A wizard in green robes sat at a table with a coffee and a copy of "The Daily Prophet." And a pair of wizards in dark Muggle suites were at a side table with tea. One had a black bowler hat and the other had long white blonde hair. That one was staring right at her. She quickly looked away.

Tom brought Madeline her Earl Grey and she drank it black, breathing in the scent of tea and bergamot with her eyes shut. Her eyes opened again at the sound of Tom clearing his throat.

"Ehm."

"Oh," she said and rummaged through her WWII military surplus bag. All of her Muggle and wizard money was always mixed up at the bottom along with peppermints, hair clips, and sundry found treasures such as feathers and crumpled flowers. She put some money on the bar and surreptitiously glanced at the side table. The wizard in the hat was talking away, his companion was still watching her. He flashed her a sly smile. She took a double take. Was that Lucius Malfoy? She turned away and gave her tea a bemused look, then pulled a bowl of peanuts closer and took a handful. She hadn't had breakfast before they began the argument.

Madeline had lost another job and hadn't even attempted to find a new one. Alastor didn't understand. Muggles were dull, wizards didn't want to hire her, because she was a Squib, and she wasn't good at anything practical. An idea suddenly occurred to her.

"Hey, Tom," she said to the barman.

"Hm?" he answered.

"Would you give me a job?"

"No," he answered as he wiped down the bar.

"That's it?" she said. "No? Not even going to toss the idea around, mull it over, or at the very least, pretend to?"

"No."

"Honesty is overrated," she muttered.

"I'll tell ye who is looking for an assistant, though," he said.

She looked at him expectantly, her peanut poised in mid nibble.

"Well?"

"Mr. Borgin."

"Borgin?" she looked incredulously at Tom. "As in Borgin & Burkes? As in, 'We specialize in objects with unusual and powerful properties,' Borgin & Burkes?" she said, quoting their advert.

"That's the one," he nodded.

"And why, pray tell, would he hire me?"

Tom leaned on the bar in front of Madeline and looked her in the eye.

"Mr. Borgin was just in here complaining that he can't trust anybody who actually wants to work for him. He's old and suspicious and doesn't want the hassle of taking precautions against his own help. You he could trust," said Tom.

"Because of my reputation for honesty and general trustworthiness?" she asked with a smirk.

"Because you're a Squib. You couldn't double cross him even if you wanted to," he replied.

"Oh, so he'd trust me because I'm too incompetent to be dishonest."

"Exactly."

"Tom, someone needs to teach you the difference between honesty and tactlessness, but thanks for the advice. If I get the job, I'll finally be able to make up for all the times I didn't tip you," she said.

"I'd be happy if you at least paid your tab."

"Ha ha ha, very funny. You know," she said climbing down from her bar stool. "I think this is just the job for me. It'll make my brother furious." She swung her bag onto her shoulder and glanced around. She wondered when Malfoy and the other wizard left.

Tom walked Madeline around the back of The Leaky Cauldron and opened the gateway to Diagon Alley for her and off she went.