Today was the best day and the worst day ever. It was the start of Maddy's adult life. The ending of an era. She was starting her first real job as a shop assistant at Madam Malkins. She was a bonifide working girl. As long as she didn't screw it up. But she wouldn't. She was well suited to working in a robe shop. She enjoyed fashion. She liked clothes and being around all of the colors and patterns would be fun. Plus she'd get to spend her day talking with people right? Hopefully. An image of her buried in a stock room over flowing with fabric crowded out her thoughts. She could just see herself nearly drowning among  fabrics as her employer shouted at her to clean it up. But it wouldn't be like that. She wasn't a seamstress. She wouldn't be forced to sew in a sweatshop environment and she doubted that the store room was one large pile of mess. She was just nervous and creating stories in her head. She'd be fine. She'd walk into the store and greet her employer and the other workers and everything would be fine. She'd learn how to man the front. How they liked their clothes folded, what went where etc. It would be a normal day.  She hoped.

Maddy took a deep breath and squared her shoulders before walking into the store. It was exactly the same as it had been every time she'd gone in it. It was friendly and welcoming. A sapphire dress caught her attention and she wanted to go towards it but instead she forced her legs to go up to the counter.  Maddy smiled brightly at the woman, she thought she'd interviewed with her but she wasn't sure. She needed to work on knowing faces better.

"Hi I'm Maddy Kameron, the new shop assistant. reporting for duty," She said her smile fading a little as she realized she sounded childish. She'd done her best to make herself look a little older and had dressed in navy slacks and a white ruffly blouse with tiny brooms stitched on it. She'd gotten the slacks at Madam's a year or so ago.

Cora was hunched over the front desk, her quill quickly scratching over the parchment in front of her.  The lines were crisp and dark, but she had an idea and she needed to get it out on paper.  The stitching on a robe had reminded her of the jagged edges of a dress that just demanded she design… Cora sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and frowned as the hem did not match what he had intended.  Less like wispy scarves, she thought to herself,  more like teeth,  She waved her wand quickly and erased her error, pausing to draw her brows in and imagine just what she wanted to put on the paper. 

Her line of thought was disrupted however by a voice and Cora glanced up, blue eyes going wide and mouth hanging open at the sudden sound.  In front of her stood a dark haired girl – the shop assistant!  Her grandmamma had authorized she hire someone to help out, especially because her designs were picking up and creating more business, so now the things that Cora used to do could be handed to someone else – that someone else was standing right here! 

Shock turned to happiness and Cora hopped down from the stool, her wedged  heels hitting the ground with a light thud.  “Maddy! I remember you,” she stuck her hand out over the counter – never mind the ink stains on her fingers to shake before she made her way around the counter.  “You’re punctual,” she pointed out, “That’s good.  Grandmama likes punctual.” 

The job was almost all about pleasing the real Madame Malkin, after all.  “Would you like the grand tour first?” 

The look of surprise on the woman's face was almost comical and Maddy had to fight down the fit of laughter that tried to escape her throat. Maybe she had the wrong shop? Or day. Or maybe she'd dreamed up this whole job offer? Or maybe she just startled the poor girl. Her brother always said she walked like a ghost and would make a good muggle cat burguler. Not that she'd ever steal anything, she was just a quiet walker, sometimes. She also had a bad habit of knocking into things, or tripping over nothing.

Suddenly the look of shock changed to recognition and Maddy felt her shoulders relaxing a bit. She took the offered hand and shook it not noticing the ink stained fingers.

"What else does she like?" Maddy asked as she looked around half expecting to see the old lady. "A tour would be nice. I've always been curious to see what goes on in the back."

 “Well, the list for things she does like is short,” Cora said with a lopsided smile – she’d always been told it was a crooked one – but there was charm there, she guessed.  Thomas seemed to like it enough, and that was good for her.  Unfortunately, Thomas wasn’t here right now, however.  The new girl was and that meant Cora had to show her around the shop and get her used to what was expected… and everything.
 
It was kind of daunting, being in charge of training a new person.  She was usually just in charge of herself and that could get her in enough trouble, let alone making sure someone else knew what was going on.  At least she wasn’t in charge of the fabrics or anything… “But we’ll get to that later!” she chirped suddenly, like the thoughts all rushed back. 

“This is the front register,” she motioned to where she had been sitting, “people pay here.”  If that wasn’t obvious or anything.  Cora didn’t exactly have a way with these types of things.  “The racks in front have the newer merchandise, all the seasonals.  We change them every couple of weeks.”  The mannequins stood glittering and in their early spring finery.  It was getting to be Cora’s favorite fashion seasons.  “Then we’ll replace them with Hogwarts robes in the fall.  You must remember that, right?” she grinned. 

The new girl was young, obviously, younger than Cora and the days of Hogwarts weren’t too far in the past for her.  “Have you ever folded?”

Maddy liked Cora. She seemed to be just as nervous as Maddy as she pointed out the cash register and what it's purpose was. Of course Maddy knew that people paid there, she'd just never actually used one before but as long as it didn't require a ton of reading she could learn it quickly.

Maddy glanced at the front racks taking in the spring fashions. She spotted a light sweater that she might want to purchase. Possibly. She was supposed to be saving her money so she could move out of her parents house. It was hard to be an adult when your mum still cooked your dinner and required you to tell her where you were going. She loved her parents, but she'd probably love them more a safe distance away in her own apartment. She could just picture her own small flat with peelings walls, mismatched furniture and a roommates things scattered all around.

"Yeah, I think I even still have a pair in the bottom of my trunk. My little brothers aren't in the same house. Do you have siblings?" She asked glancing back at Cora.

"I've folded my own clothes but not nearly as uniformed as your folding here. And not professionally. Actually, this is my first real job unless you count pet sitting and baby sitting." She said with a sheepish smile.

"Can you show me your way? I'll do my best to replicate it." She said eagerly.

“What house were you in?” Cora inquired happily, practically bouncing as she walked out toward the stock on the floor.  “I was a hufflepuff,” she supplied easily, “and I have a much older brother and a much younger brother – mum and dad really liked to spread them out.  And didn’t get lucky enough to have children in the same house and the same gender.  Same for you, obviously,” Cora laughed lightly.  She couldn’t imagine either of her brothers rocking a skirt – though it would be fantastic. 

Cora was all about self-expression and freedom to do what one wanted – it was all part of the fashion industry.  There was a fantasy about it . Her grandmama understood, for the most part, but other members of her family did not have the artistic lean that Cora had. 

But, now she had a task to do and Cora set out to a set of robes – plain, but functional for the task.  Grabbing them up, she shook them out until they were floor length and unfolded.  “It’s not that hard,” Cora informed her, “just watch me.”  She tried to go as slowly as possible, turning the fabric and tucking it with precision.  “I’ll do it one more time,” Cora informed her, repeating the process with as much care as possible – and much slower than she normally would.

With a shake out, Cora held the robes out.  “Your turn.”

There was a lot of similarities between Maddy and Cora and she found herself liking the woman. She had a feeling they'd get along just fine. Maddy exclaimed "me too" when Cora said she was a Hufflepuffs. "My older brother and I are a year a part and my younger brothers and I are ten years a part." Maddy said as she folled Cora to the stock area. She was excited and fought down the urge to let out her enthusiasm in a skip.  She had a tendency to bounce when she walked and well skip a step or two when her energy became too much to contain.

Maddy watched intently as Cora grabbed a pair of plain robes. Did those sell the most or were people buying fashionable stuff more? Maddy gently took the robes and laid them out on the table tucking the fabric into itself and smoothing it out before turning it. Her first attempt was a little wider than Coras but not to shabby.

"A little wide and I think I missed a fold." She said as she glanced at her boss.

“Badger pride!” Cora winked as she learned they both shared a house.  That was nice.  Cora found that Hufflepuffs were usually the most diverse house, as far as personalities came.  Sure, they were usually loyal and hard workers, but that came in many different forms.  Gryffindors all seemed to be cut from the same loud mold and the eccentric Ravenclaw or elitist slytherin.  Sometimes, in the fall, when the first years were headed in to get their first set of robes, Cora liked to guess at what house they’d be put into.  She’d only find out until their parents, who she inevitably recognized, came in to purchase all of their house themed goods.  It was a hectic time.

Thankfully, the new employee had plenty of time until then to get used to the workings of the store… and learning how to fold.  It became imperative when items were flying off the shelves, after all.  “That’s okay,” Cora placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed with reassurance.  “There’s a spell for it anyway,” she winked and took the robes back from Maddy, shaking them out before she flicked her wand and they were folded – perfectly, to go back onto the shelf.  “See?  Simple!” 

“Oh! But then there’s the back,” she added, stepping briskly to head to the partitioned off area.  “We keep extra stock back here and the alterations happen…” as they passed the rest of the store, Cora pointed out odds and ends, where the ties were, men’s section, “That’s the fitting area,” she pointed to a space with a pedestal and mirrors, “I also take measurements there.  It’s usually fun, the odd bride every once and again will make things insufferable, but you know,” she shrugged.  Cora just smiled and nodded and Maddy would learn her way to deal with difficult customers too. 

Pulling back the curtain, Cora stepped aside, “Newbies first.”

Folding clothes, especially robes probably wasn't Maddy's best thing. Typically she didn't really bother with folding clothes. She usually just draped them over every available surface or hung them up if she was feeling tidy. She'd learn though and at work she'd be neat as a pin and fold like a pro. She smiled thankfully up at Cora when she squeezed her shoulder. It was such a motherly move. An image of her tiny mum flashed into her head.

Spells. Maddy listened intently and said the spell out loud before trying it herself. She liked spells. She could use this spell to her advantage. She gave her wand a flick and the robe folded itself neatly. Maddy grinned in triumph.. It was simple.

Maddy turned when Cora pointed out the back and she trotted after her. Maddy stepped through the curtain and just stared at all the stuff.

"This is so cool. I love fabric." She whispered. "How do you stop yourself from buying the whole store?" She blurted out.