CHAPTER 2

I GOT REVIEWS!!!! XD hehehehe. That makes me soooo happy. And it was a painfully short chapter with not much content, and I got reviews! That inspired me to update tonight. I'm here at my work from 11 p.m. to 7 am…. So Saturdays are good days for me to update. So thank you everyone who reviewed, added this story as your favorite, or added it to your story alerts. So here is chapter 2. It's a tad more eventful. Enjoy!

It takes horns to hold up my halo
and strength to get through the fight
Now I'm laying my cards on the table
praying everything will be alright

--Papa Roach

I wandered through Knockturn Alley with my head down, only looking up to stare at the strange shops advertising products that were obviously associated with the dark arts. I had no idea that Harry Potter had traveled this same winding road just the day before.

One shop in particular had a help wanted sign in the dingy window.

It looked like an old, run down shack. A sign hung halfway above the door, all the paint was worn or chipped off, and the name of the shop, Borgin and Burkes, was barely legible.

I entered and looked around in disgust. Dust, grime, and dirt covered the floor and shelves, which held various things such as wicked looking weapons, blood stained cards, jars of eyes, teeth, and other unknown substances, a crooked hand, and a very pretty, very deadly looking necklace that I obviously didn't want to touch.

The front desk was the only clean surface in the whole shop. I resisted the urge to start cleaning. At the orphanage, keeping the place clean was mainly my job (although I think the headmistress just liked using me as child labor), and over the years I've developed a slight OCD.

On the desk there was a little brass bell with cakes of dirt on it. I was a little reluctant to touch it, but after silently scolding myself, I rang it, then wiped my hands on my jeans.

I stood there awkwardly for a while. I was about to leave when I heard someone wheezing and hacking up the stairs.

"I'm coming," he wheezed. "Hold yer horses."

A tall, gangly old man wearing blood red robes (although they were so worn and stained that they could have once been black) came stumbling up the stairs, breathing hard.

He has short, thinning gray hair with greedy black eyes, a crooked nose, and gray stubble on his chin.

"Yes?" he asked sharply. "What do yeh want?"

"Uh," I stammered, "I saw your help wanted sign and wanted to apply for next summer… I'm good at cleaning and I thought…" I shut my mouth. I suddenly felt very stupid standing there. Who would hire an eleven-year-old?

"Eh," he thought to himself, rubbing his chin and looking around at his shop, "could use some cleaning, I suppose…"

He grabbed and thrust a broom at me.

"Yeh start today. I'll pay yeh two Galleons per hour, and yeh come to work on yer holidays," he growled.

Surprised, but delighted, I accepted.

My job was simple. I was to clean and organize the front area, and after I managed that, the shopkeeper, Mr. Burke, would show me how to categorize the stock he had in back, although I wasn't likely to get to that until much later.

I was to do all chores without magic. Most of the objects had unknown enchantments on them, so he didn't want any other magic to conflict with them.

"I don't want me shop blown up!" he exclaimed.

I got to work sweeping the floors (which took me an hour just for that), dusted and polished the shelves, and put the most dangerous items in glass display cases or on shelves up high so no one could touch them.

The front windows were massive and held probably several years of dirt and grime on them, so I had been avoiding them all day.

With a sigh, I started to work on them. Night was falling when the bell above the door jingled. Draco Malfoy and, I presumed, his father stepped inside.

They looked around, startled.

"It's cleaner than yesterday," Draco muttered while Mr. Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

I heard wheezing and hacking and Mr. Burke came around the corner. He smiled when he saw the Malfoys. He was missing several teeth.

"Hello, Lucius," he greeted smoothly. "I was expecting you."

"I have brought several other-" he glanced at me "-things that I talked to Mr. Borgin about yesterday. Borgin was less than… hospitable."

I turned crimson and continued cleaning the windows.

"Yes, well, Borgin left yesterday and will be gone for several months," Burke explained, "and I apologize for his rude behavior."

Malfoy nodded, although I could tell he was less than pleased.

They did business for a log time, haggling prices over each object. By then I was just about finished with the windows.

I didn't notice them stop as I was trying to wipe away a particularly stubborn spot of dirt. Soon I would be done.

I was startled out of my thoughts by tapping on my shoulder. I jumped with a slight squeak and was met with bright, ice blue eyes. I felt electricity run through my veins. I tried to shake off the odd sensation.

Draco's face slid into an easy smirk.

"We asked you a question," he said.

Now this was odd. From what I had heard of the Malfoys, they didn't bother with the hired help, thinking they were above any in the working class.

Embarrassed, I stammered an apology. Draco's eyes laughed at me. I turned my eyes away uneasily.

Burke grabbed my attention. "I asked yer name, laddie," he growled, unhappy with having to repeat himself.

"Oh. It's Willow," I said quietly.

"Well, Willow," my name sounded foreign on his tongue, "'ere's yer pay fer the day," he said, dumping several galleons in a small satchel and handing it to me.

"Thank you…" I said awkwardly. I was acutely aware of the Malfoys staring at me, and suddenly, the shop seemed way too small for comfort. I was happy when the Malfoys left and I was also allowed to leave.

I went home tired, by myself, but happier. I knew that my future would be okay. I had a job and could provide for myself. I felt good about that.