Quinn was wanting to leave. She needed to pick Erin up from Finn's place and contemplate what to get them for dinner. She had been grossly lax in her grocery shopping. She suspected all she had in her fridge was an apple and some bad cheese. She usually gave Finn extra money to take care of Erin's lunch. Lately she'd been working such long hours that Erin had been eating supper at Finn's ad well. Not that Finn minded. The woman loved children. She was rarely not babysitting for someone.

But her coworker Gladys was droning on and on about one of her cases. Quinn tried to keep an interested look on her face. She'd interrupt and say she had to go, but Gladys was not letting anyone get a word in. Both Quinn and another social worker Polly were trapped. Like rats. Nodding and umm-hmm-ing rats.

Burke was trailing after Church and Anais as they left the lifts in the atrium and headed for the apparation points. Church and Anais were going into some of the seedier parts of London tonight to listen in for word on Tonks. Burke was going to do what he usually did - dinner at the Leaky then in Knockturn. Only tonight he'd be asking some questions around. He was hoping for some answers. It paid to be known as an Auror who was not after petty criminals. Unless you were a former Death Eater or had murdered someone, you usually didn't have to worry about John Burke. After all he was related to those Burkes.

A redhead standing with two brunettes caught his eye. Burke did like a redhead. They tended to be feisty. This one looked bored to tears, though. She also looked familiar. Then it clicked. She was the bird from child services he'd seen popping in and out of Savage's office lately, the bastard.

What was that sound? Oh yes. That would be opportunity knocking.

Burke sided up to her, slipping an arm around her in a familiar way. "Thanks for waiting. You ready to go then?"

Quinn's eyes went wide for a second. Thankfully, Gladys and Polly were looking at the strange man making himself familiar with her person, so they did not notice. It took Quinn a bit to place him. The Auror robes helped though. This could be her escape if she played along.

Auror Burne? No Burke.

Polly looked surprised. Gladys was so surprised she had stopped talking.

"Quinn," Polly said starchily. "I didn't know you knew Burke."

"Sure, Polly," Burke said, smiling. "I've been dogging her for months to go out with me. She finally agreed."

"Dogging? No pun intended, yeah?"

Quinn looked at Burke. So he was THAT Auror. Polly had gone out a few times with some Auror that had broken her heart. She had never named names though. Polly had only mentioned he was the lust them and leave them type. He was handsome enough for it, Quinn supposed.

"Well, we'll just leave you two to it," Gladys said, pulling Polly away. "Have a lovely evening."

Burke steered Quinn to the apparation point. "The Leaky all right with you?"

Then he apparated them. Without waiting for an answer. When they landed just outside, Quinn stumbled. She righted herself and slapped him. Hard.

"Why in the hell did you do that?"

Burke was grinning and rubbing his cheek. "What?"

"Any of it," she snapped. "Did I look like I needed rescuing-"

"Ye-"

"Well, I didn't. Bloody hell, I don't even know you, you smug wanker! I have to go pick up my kid from the sitter!"

She disapparated.

Burke grinned to himself then followed her trail. She had been so angry it was easy to find. He was surprised to be in front of a little house just off of the main street in Hogsmeade. He was also surprised to have a wand pressing into his jugular.

"What are you doing?"

Finn opened the door to see Quinn with her wand on someone. "Well."

"I was wondering if I could buy you and your daughter supper at the Sticks."

Finn started laughing.

"No," Quinn snapped. "I don't even know you. Now get out of here."

"He's an Auror, Quinn. What harm is in it. It's a free meal. Gods know you could use one. Plus... adult company. Even I wouldn't turn that down."

"Well why don't you join us too," Burke said.

He could speak to some of the regulars in the Sticks then hit the Leaky tomorrow and Knockturn night. More people would be down in Knockturn on a Friday night anyhow.

"I'm harmless. Really."

Finn raised a brow. "Don't oversell it. No Auror is harmless. Let me grab Erin and a jacket."

"I didn't say yes," Quinn snapped at what could be called her closest friend.

"You didn't say no either," Finn called over her shoulder.

Quinn sighed and glared at Burke. "Why? Why are you doing this? You don't even know me."

"No yet."

Quinn glared.

"You looked bored. I'm a pretty not-boring guy to have around." Plus, I am now very content to play a little game called "What Does Jonathan Savage Care About" to see if this bothers him as well.

"I'll just bet."

Burke just smirked at her. He could think of worse ways to spend his time. He usually didn't go for the older ones, Hestia Jones aside. Especially if they had kids.

But you had to make exceptions for redheads who could glare like that. especially if him making nice with this one got Savage annoyed.



{SUMMARY} Burke recognizes Quinn and decides on a little payback.