Wish Upon A Star (Cont.)

...(forgive me)

"Clarke, congratulations," said Robards from his seat as Ashlyn sat opposite from him across the table.

"Thank you," she said.

"How is the new desk?"

"It's comfortable," Ashlyn said simply. "What is it that you've called me for? I don't think it was for merely congratulating me,"

Robards sighed. 

"Always uptight when it comes to working," he said.

"I'm still waiting for my day to go downhill," Ashlyn said. "Might as well brace myself,"

Robards stared at her for a while, then gave in.

"Clarke, there is something I want you to do," Robards said when he realised that there was no way Ashlyn was going to engage in small talk at the moment. Not when she still had to arrange her things properly. Harry and Ron were going to get an earful when she got her hands on those idiots. They had messed up her entire pile of folders, and now she had to sort them all out form the start. She appreciated their effort to actually move it beforehand for her, but the mess wasn't something she would thank them for.

"Is it urgent?" she asked. "I have somewhere to go. Work-related, of course. A new case,"

"Not necessarily," Robards said. "You can attend to it at your leisure,"

Everything about his tone told Ashlyn that she'd better get done with it soon.

"Is there a deadline in particular?" she asked.

"Let's just say within two weeks," came the reply. 

"Yes," she said as she got up. Two weeks, there was plenty of time then.

"Congratulations again, Clarke," Robards said. 

"Thank you, sir," Ashlyn said with a small smile and left the office.

Fifteen minutes later, she and Harry had apparated to the site. 

"Who's going to ring the bell?" Harry asked as they looked at the little house in front of them. The bushes had dried up, and the yard was full of weeds. The house itself looked collapsable.

Ashlyn sighed and walked up to the door, ringing the bell, which echoed slightly within the house. 

A minute later, the door creaked open and a short, old woman greeted them with a scowl.

"What?" she barked.

"Good morning, ma'am," Ashlyn said. "We are here for a survey. Do you mind if we entered?"

"Yes, I do," the old woman snapped and made to close the door, but Ashlyn stuck her foot inside.

"It will only take a minute," Harry said as Ashlyn caught the door, holding it open.

"Youngsters these days," the old lady spat, tugging at the door trying to close it. "No manners at all," 

"Ma'am we have reason to believe that you are in danger," Harry said.

"Are you the police?!" the old woman cried.

"Of sorts," Ashlyn shrugged. "You can say that we work for an agency, for convenience. Now if you will let us in,"

She pushed the door open and stepped in as the old lady yelled at her. But Ashlyn would take the old lady cursing at her, rather than getting hurt because Ashlyn was too busy minding manners.

The house seemed...normal.

Harry took the living room while trying to pacify the angry old woman and trying to stop her from calling the muggle police, while Ashlyn went to the first landing.