"This is a bad idea, Dresden," Bob shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Hey, you're the one whose always getting on me about not keeping the place clean," Harry defended, stacking three more books onto an impressive pile on his desk.

"Yes, but the idea was for you to take the initiative and do it yourself, not hire a maid that you can't afford to do it for you," the thoroughly annoyed ghost replied.

"Will you relax? I spelled it out clearly in the ad that the pay would be… irregular."

"Oh, well that's very reassuring. And just who in their right mind were you thinking would accept such a financially insecure job in the cobweb covered, moldy-smelling office of a lunatic who calls himself a wizard?"

Before Dresden could respond, the familiar bell and creak of the door that announced a visitor's arrival sounded. Both Harry and Bob turned to face the door. Standing just inside the entrance was a young woman. Her hair was a deep reddish orange that was cut short above her shoulders and layered, and her eyes shown a brilliant dark green. Her skin was a natural tan, and she stood no taller than 5' 6". She was, in a word, beautiful.

"Hello, um, are either of you Harry Dresden?" she questioned with a nervous smile.

"Uh, yeah. That's me," Harry shook himself and extended his hand to shake hers. "Harry Dresden."

"Hi, I'm Sera. Sera Bain," she placed her hand in his and shook it with a grip much too strong for such a small woman.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Bain. What can I do for you?" Dresden asked, pulling his hand away slowly and flexing it a few times.

"I'm here about your newspaper ad. It said you were looking for a housekeeper," Sera explained.

"Uh, yes, that's right. Come on in and have a seat," he led her toward the couch, passing in front of Bob, who hadn't shifted an inch since the strange woman's arrival. Sera caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, stopped waling, and turned to face him. His crystal blue eyes were open wide, staring into Sera's with a look of utter disbelief, and his mouth was slightly agape.

"What's the matter?" the woman asked without losing her smile. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Yes, something like that," Bob confirmed, his expression never faltering.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand," Sera's cheerful demeanor wavered slightly in confusion. Bob shook himself slightly.

"Apologies, my dear. It is just that…you remind me of someone I once knew long ago," he attempted a small grin.

"Hmm, well maybe we're related. What's her name?" Sera questioned.

"It doesn't matter. She died a very long time ago," Bob responded almost timidly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sera apologized with a look of sadness and sympathy.

"You have no reason to be," He reassured her with another grin. Sera grinned back nervously and nodded once.

"Uh, look, Sera," Harry approached her cautiously from behind, taking her by the shoulders and leading her toward the couch once more. "You did read the entire article, right?"

"You mean did I read the part about the sporadic pay?" she questioned. Dresden nodded and gave his best shy puppy look. "It's fine with me. I have no need for money right now, but there is another way you could repay me."

"Great! What do you want?" Harry asked, not believing his luck.

"Lessons," the woman replied simply.

"

Lessons?" Dresden questioned, unsure of what exactly she meant by that.

"Lessons from you…in wizardry – sorcery," she clarified. Harry let out an amused laugh.

"Sorry, kid, but what I do isn't something that just anyone can learn. You see it requires a certain special, uh –"

Harry was interrupted as Sera Bain's right hand suddenly burst into flames.

"Whoa!" Dresden jumped backward in surprise, nearly knocking over a lamp in the process.

"What the –" Sera's mouth curled into an amused smirk as the flames condensed and formed a small ball of fire hovering just above her hand.

"Tell me, Mr. Dresden, just how special do I need to be?" Sera raised an eyebrow, glancing over at him. Harry's mouth remained agape, opening and closing periodically like a fish, unable to form a coherent response.

"Pyrokinesis. Very impressive," Bob answered, appearing to have recovered from his earlier shock-like state. "Where did you learn that?"

"I've had it since I can remember," the young woman replied, turning her attention back to the flames above her palm. "When I was a toddler, I got angry at my older sister and set her dress on fire." Both Harry and Bob's eyes widened simultaneously as Sera continued to admire her handy work almost reverently. "It was an accident, of course. I was a baby. But I had to learn to control it on my own. My parents wouldn't consider even attempting to look for anyone else who was like me – who could teach me how to understand what I was…what I am. So I will clean your house, I will do your laundry, I will cook your meals, I'll do whatever you ask of me so long as you agree to teach me more about who I am, what I am, and what I'm supposed to do with it."

Harry still didn't speak. His gaze moved from Sera to Bob several times. He was still unsure of how to react. He'd just wanted some help cleaning up and keeping things organized, not a pyromaniacal intern.

"Well, you can't beat that deal," Bob quipped, obviously uncomfortable himself.

"I'll tell you what," Sera closed her hand, extinguishing the magical fire. "I'll leave you my card. That way when you come to a decision, you'll know where to find me."

"Kay," was all Dresden managed to voice as she held out her card. He took it almost unconsciously, nodding his gratitude. "Thanks."

"No problem, Harry," she winked and smirked, turning and heading back for the door, the clicks of her heels echoing in her wake.

"Well, that was different," Harry commented lightly after the bell jingled and the door closed behind her.

"I've never seen a pyrokinetic shake you up so badly," Bob raised an eyebrow. Harry straightened his posture quickly and fixed his clothes anxiously.

"I just didn't expect it is all. I thought she was a housekeeper, not a hellion."

"She is not a hellion. She can control fire. There is a difference, Harry."

"Okay, sorry. No need to get all defensive," Harry put his hands up in mock surrender. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

You reacted a bit more strangely than I did," Dresden approached his friend slowly, watching the ghost become increasingly nervous as the wizard continued his questioning. "Have you met her before?"

"Of course not."

"But you said she reminded you of someone."

"Yes she did…does."

"Who?"

"It doesn't matter."

"I think it does."

"It is none of your concern."

"You are my concern, and Sera is now my concern. So that makes this other woman my concern as well. Who does she look so similar to that is made you speechless?"

For a moment, Bob and Harry simply stood in place, almost close enough to touch, had they been on the same plane of existence. Harry wasn't backing down, so Bob used the only escape he knew. There was a flash of light as his spirit seemed to evaporate and flew swiftly into the eye of his skull. Dresden sighed heavily but did not summon him back. If it upset Bob that much, who was he to press the matter? He supposed it couldn't be that important, at least not to his safety. If it were, Bob would have told him, right?

Six Centuries Ago

Winifred was in the garden when he arrived home. She was sitting amongst the flowers; her back was resting softly against her favorite willow tree, reading the newest book in her unending collection. Smiling to himself, Hrothbert slowly made his way over to her, taking a careful seat amongst the flowers and leaning back against the tree, their shoulders connecting as he moved. Winifred only allowed her gaze to be stolen from the pages as her husband placed his left hand lovingly over her abdomen, largely swollen with child.

"It will not be long now," she smiled, her bright emerald eyes twinkling in the sunlight. "She is becoming impatient with the darkness. She wants to see the sun."

"You are so sure that we will have a daughter," Hrothbert grinned. It was not a question. He knew his wife's feelings on the matter.

"The magic does not lie, my husband," she gave a small laugh, a lock of deep reddish orange hair falling into her eyes.

"And I do not doubt you, my wife," he promised with a laugh of his own, leaning in to capture her sweet pink lips in a deep lingering kiss.