A/N Once again, the ;;; symbolizes the beginning of a paragraph...i apologize for it.
Chapter One
;;;Hermione nervously entered the small shop. Her feet hurt, and her brain was frazzled. It
seemed no one in London wanted her to work for them.
;;;"Go away. We're not open for business yet," came a sharp command from the shadow
depths of the shop.
;;;"I..." Hermione faltered, before pulling herself together, "I don't want to buy anything. I'm just
looking for a job."
;;;The sound of rustling came from the back room, and after several moments, a slim man with
greasy hair, clad in black robes to which flake of dandruff stuck, shuffled out of the door to the
back room.
;;;"You. Want. A job?" he spat distastefully. "And what makes you think I need an employee?"
;;;Hermione thought quickly. "Well sir, I was noticing you have no one working the counter and
I thought maybe you'd like some help. I'm very good at organizing and I could even set a nice
display and-"
;;;"Do be quiet, girl," the man said testily, watching her carefully.
;;;Hermione stared back at the man, whose mean little eyes slowly took her in. At last, he
nodded, and said, "Very well. You start now."
;;;"Oh thank you sir, you don't know how much-"
;;;"I would prefer that you not talk," he said irratibly, as he shuffled to the door and flipped the
sign to open. "Now, why don't you come in the back room with me and I'll show you where
everything is kept."
;;;;;;----;;;;;;
;;;Kevin Whitby, the shop owner, watched Hermione touch the soft fabrics. She was young,
maybe 25, although her large brown eyes made her seem younger. There was a sort of naivety
about her as she ran her hands over the soft fabrics that he sold. In her right hand was a length
of gauzy silk that shimmered like liquid catching the sunlight. Her own robes, he noticed in the
dim light, were a faded navy blue, patched with the same material, but less faded, resulting in
splotches of vivid color on her tired clothing. Her hair was messy, long and curly, pulled back
into a pony tail at the base of her neck. She was a small woman, around five foot three, with a
petite structure. Her skin was pale, and her face had a quiet, sad expression. She as not
beautiful, but her features were even and her upper lip had a small dimple. With a smirk, Kevin
walked towards his new employee and put a gnarled, waxy hand on her shoulder.
;;;;;;------;;;;;;
;;;Harry Potter, accomplished Auror, strode into the dingy fabric shop, his green eyes bright,
and his cheeks flushed from the walk there. This was his second time in this shop, where he had
ordered lengths of velvet for his partner, sometimes mistress, Ginny Weasley.
;;;"Whitby! Whitby! Get out here, I want to talk to you about-"he was cut off as a slight figure in
patched robes barreled out of the back room, sobbing. He caught her in his arms to keep her
from falling and held her out at arm's length.
;;;"What's the matter?" he asked softly. There was something familiar about the tear streaked
cheeks that were turned up toward his face.
"I...he...oh..." Hermione choked out miserably.
"Well, don't cry, it wont help any..." Harry trailed off, "Hermione?!"
Hermione did a double take, "Harry?" she breathed.
"What are you doing here?" the two exclaimed.
;;;"DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO GET OUT-"yelled Kevin Whitby, before stopping abrubtly,
"Oh, hello Mr. Potter, I didn't see you come in. Just having a little, er, trouble with the help. You
know how it is..." he finished nervously.
;;;Harry regarded him coolly. "I regret to inform you that this help no longer works here. And as
for this order," he fished a slip of paper out of his pocket, "it no longer exists."
;;;He tapped the paper lightly with his wand, and Kevin watched in disbelief as the ashes of
Harry's order drifted to the dirty floor of his shop. Harry reached for Hermione's hand and
pulled her out of the shop.
"He didn't hurt you did he?" he asked her with concern.
;;;When Hermione shook her head mutely, he turned to her and said, "I'll get you a job, Herms.
Now that I've found you, I wont let you go again."
