Dom eyed herself in the mirror and wished for the thousandth time that she had gotten her mother's Veela looks. Technically she was an eighth Veela, but that was not at all evident from her reddish locks and smattering of freckles. The Weasley side of her family was certainly much more exciting than her French relatives, but she would always curse them for bestowing her with her appearance.

A loud rap on the door startled her. "Would you hurry up? We're going to miss our appointment."

She heaved a sigh and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. That was probably as good as it was going to get. Jerking the bathroom door open, she eyed Lysander with some irritation. "I came in bloody two hours early for this, you don't have to be such a grouch."

He flashed a grin. "You want an investigative beat then you put up with crazy hours. I don't want to hear you complaining anymore, got it?"

Dom grabbed a quill and notebook from her desk as she struggled to keep up with his quick pace down the aisle of the newsroom.

"Leave that here," he barked. "And walk faster."

Rather than speeding up, she came to a full halt. "How am I supposed to take notes for you without paper."

Noticing that she was no longer a pace behind him, Lysander pivoted slowly to face her. "You remember things and type them all up later," he enunciated. "If this is too difficult for you, I'm happy to hire another secretary."

Her blue eyes went wide. "I'm not your secretary! I'm on this story just like you are."

"I wouldn't say 'just like me,'" he qualified, pursing his lips. "Look, once you've actually written something other than a measly personal advice column then we'll talk. Until then, you're lucky I'm letting you tag along." He turned around once again, not seeming to care that everyone in the newsroom was beginning to stare. "And don't make me tell you to walk faster again."

Dominique stared agape at his quickly retreating back, clothed in a professional, dark suit coat. "I'm going to kill him, I really am," she muttered, scurrying after him.

When they reached the lobby, Lysander grabbed a pinch of Floo powder from the mantle of the massive fireplace and motioned for her to do the same. "Ladies first," he directed with another dazzling smile, as if she had imagined his curt attitude from moments before.

Resolving not to let him get under her skin and ruin her first investigative trip, Dom took some Floo powder and hurried to toss it into the fireplace. "Ministry of Magic," she enunciated carefully. The last thing she needed was to get lost somewhere in London.

Moments later, they both stood in the bustling entrance hall of the Ministry of Magic. Without a word to her, Lysander took off, dress shoes clacking sharply against the polished marble floor.

This assignment has been much more exercise than I ever expected, Dom grumbled internally, smoothing down her gray skirt and hurrying along, dodging witches and wizards as she struggled to keep up with his quick stride.

She followed along behind him all the way to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement until he came to an abrupt halt at the lobby desk where a blonde witch stared at a computer screen.

"Good morning," he announced, causing her to jump.

"Yeah what's up?" she snapped, typing rapidly.

Lysander pasted a broad smile on his face and maintained eye contact with the young witch. "We're here to meet with Edward Pennysworth."

Suddenly, a smile appeared on the receptionist's face and she toyed with her necklace, devoting her full attention to the young, handsome wizard. "Oh sure, let me just check the appointment schedule."

"No need," Lysander assured her. "He knows we'll be here."

She frowned at her computer screen. "I don't have any appointments scheduled for him. You know he's filling in for…" Her voice trailed off. "Never mind. You can't see him if you don't have an appointment."

Dominique knew they couldn't say they were from the Prophet or it would tip the girl off to the fact that they were looking into Bomsnox's absence. She was tempted to speak up and try to provide some sort of cover, anything to show Lysander she belonged with him on this trip. But he beat her to it.

"Pennysworth is an old family friend, and I don't think he'd be too happy to find us out here in the waiting room because you were too obsessed about your little calendar." That was more like the arrogant, over-confident Lysander that Dominique was used to. But his warm smile was still firmly placed on his face. "I wouldn't want you to get in any trouble with him."

The girl blushed and nodded. "Well, thanks. I totally understand. Go ahead in, I assume you know where you're going?"

Dom eyed the long, narrow corridor to their right with skepticism, but Lysander nodded emphatically. "We've got it, thanks so much for your help."

Not bothering with a second glance back, he strode away from the front desk and down the hallway as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"How did you manage that?" Dominique hissed as she caught up to him. "And how did you know this Pennysworth was filling in for Bomsnox?"

Lysander gave her a look that was half cocky and half pitying. "You're working with the master, Dominique. And if you could keep your voice down that would be splendid." He rapped twice on the last door on the left.

"Come in."

Lysander pushed the door open boldly. "Mr. Pennysworth! A pleasure to see you." Pausing only momentarily to let Dom squeeze in the door behind him, he shut the door firmly and strode to the huge desk by the window where a small wizard sat. He extended a hand. "Dexter McMillan with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Goblin Liaison Office. This is my colleague Barbara Fanglesnoof."

Dom almost slapped him.

Edward Pennysworth narrowed his eyes as he shook Lysander's hand slowly. "I don't have any appointments scheduled. I'm only the assistant head of Magical Law Enforcement, I don't see why anyone would need to meet with me."

Lysander glanced at Dom and furrowed his brow. "Oh, really? We were told you were the main contact point for law enforcement for the foreseeable future. Is that not the case?"

Pennysworth's eyes darted right and left and back to them. "What exactly is the issue you need assistance with?"

Lysander sank into a chair and waved a hand at Dom. "Do sit, Barbara. I trust that's alright, Mr. Pennysworth? Ed? May I call you Ed?" His bright, hazel eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Erm, I'm not sure." Pennysworth crossed his arms and eyed them both warily.

"Ed, the issue is Gringotts. We've been having quite a hard time with the head goblins and setting the interest rates for the upcoming year. Vargot and I have really reached an impasse in our discussions and we can't seem to agree on the appropriate rate. Since you're in charge of law enforcement for the time being, I thought you'd be the best person to help us resolve the dilemma."

Where in the bloody hell did he come up with that nonsense? Dom wondered. She hated to admit it, but he was even better at this investigative business than she had imagined.

Pennysworth rifled with a few papers on his desk. "Truth of the matter is, I've got quite a lot to deal with these days what with Caspar…" he trailed off. "Well, let's just say I have more to balance than usual."

Lysander nodded slowly, surveying the massive stacks of folders that almost obscured their view of the wizard across from them. "I can see you're a bit overloaded. Do you have any idea when you might have a break from all of this work?"

Absolutely brilliant, Dom grumbled spitefully to herself.

"There's really no end in sight. I've gotten so many new cases to deal with just in the past month, and I haven't been given any time to look for an assistant." The wizard shook his head and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry to say I probably can't help much at all until I've at least hired a secretary. This transition could be permanent for me for all I know."

Lysander's left eyebrow tweaked up just slightly, taken aback at the revelation. But he didn't miss a beat. "I've got a splendid idea. What if Barbara here filled in for a bit, just until you can hire someone full time. I do keep her quite busy, but I can spare her for a few hours a day if that would help you out."

Dom's jaw dropped. It was a perfect idea, actually, having an reporter on the inside...but the idea that the reporter would be her! She had never thought such a thing would be possible. She didn't know if she was excited or nervous.

Pennysworth's small eyes shifted over to her. "You haven't said a word this whole time, do you even speak?" he snapped.

Dom gulped. "I-I, of course I do."

He pursed his lips. "I suppose if you help me out for a bit here I can find time to look through some papers on the interest rate issue. Are you organized?"

Before Dom could speak up for herself, Lysander got to his feet. "I can personally assure you, Ed, that she is the most organized and thorough witch you've ever met. I'll have Barb come on up here every afternoon for a few hours until you can find a replacement. Thanks so much for your time."

Stunned, she followed him from the room and back down the hall. It wasn't until they had reached the loud, crowded main anteway to the Ministry that she found her voice. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" she snapped at him, putting a hand on his arm and trying to slow his efficient stride.

Lysander cast a puzzled look down at her. "You can thank me at any point."

"Thank you?! For Barbara Fanglesnoof?" Her voice was a strangled squeak.

"Yes, Barbara, dear. I just got you your first real undercover assignment, so don't be ungrateful." He looked away from her and began his path back to the fireplaces. "Besides, you're lucky I made you my colleague and not my intern."

Her mouth gaped open as she once again trailed after him, pushing a frustrated hand through her tangled red locks. "You just made me some guy's secretary."

Lysander whirled around to face her again. "He's not some guy. He's clearly the replacement for Bomsnox and he's our best chance at getting an inside scoop. Stop complaining and be grateful. We're going back to work to write the opening piece, either shut up and come help me or go home for the day."

Dom's eyes blazed with contained anger. His cocky attitude had been plaguing her for almost ten years and she'd had enough. But the fact was, he had gotten her a huge undercover break, and if she wanted to escape a life of drudgery writing personal advice columns every day, winning him over was her only chance. "I'll shut up," she muttered, following him to the fireplace. But not forever, she vowed.