Welcome to Hex Me U-- Oh Dear.

[crazedxxcreevey]

Date: August 4, 2000
Time: 9 PM
Location: Hex Me Up! at Diagon Alley
Character(s) Involved: Colin Creevey and Lavender Brown; a little of NPC Madam Lorelei
Rating: Between PG and PG-13 -- No, no, nothing's going to happen, but this is Lavender Brown we're talking about.
Status: Complete

Comments

[mslavenderbrown]

When do I get to work with unicorn hair and dragon heartstring? Lavender wondered, walking to her flat in a foul mood. It was nearing dusk. Diagon Alley wasn’t as crowded as it had been this afternoon, when a few people had been watching through the greasy window as Ollivander berated her for not disposing of the doxies properly. He’s working me like a muggle…

As she got nearer the Leaky, she noticed Hex Me Up. That was right - she had told Colin she’d try to come in. She looked down at her dust and dirt covered robes, and decided to go home, first. She took a quick shower and jumped into a teal tank top and short muggle jean skirt. There would be nothing like shopping to cheer her up. She sprayed her lavender scented perfume, and put on some lip gloss. This would be the fist night she had spent out of her hotel room since coming back to England. She needed some fun.

She made her way to Hex Me Up whistling, running her hands through her hair. Lavender liked the way Diagon Alley looked at night. She felt calm inside,

[crazedxxcreevey]

The young salesman couldn't help but wonder how women were able to work with such laces, but forgot that this was the wizarding world. They could do it with magic, can't they? Goodness, how convenient magic can be! It could do so much more than electricity, along with not being the source of pollution. Fuel was needed for electricity and the like.

When he finally managed to get the dress off, Lavender was right there, winking and waving to him. The poor boy nearly went agape, but grinned to hide his embarrassmant. He collected the dress that the doll was previously dressing into his arms, making a gesture for her to come inside, and that he'll be right with her.

However, before he could start putting on the other dress, the mannequin soon jerked back into motion. The arm swung back suddenly, knocking Colin backwards. Few people witnessed this and began to laugh. Colin scrambled back to his feet, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm all right!" he said, laughing himself. "I'm all right."

[mslavenderbrown]

Lavender went ahead in, tilted her head to the side. "You sure you're alright, Colin?" she asked. "Need some help?" She let out a musical laugh. "The mannequin seems to think you're getting a bit fresh. Remember that she's a lady, and be gentle." She pursed her lips together to keep from grinning.

She started looking through the racks nearby the window, keeping half of an eye on Colin. Well, she thought. He grew up pretty well...

"Once you're done giving that mannequin back her modest, Colin," she said. "Are you going to help me find some new robes?" She hadn't really planned on flirting when she came here. Sure, she had seen Colin grow up, along with the dozens of other Gryffindors, but she had still had that image of him running after Harry his first year, the camera in hand, puffing and panting to catch up with his hero. Now, without the camera in his hand, Lavender decided to replace that image with this new one, and she watched him as he fiddled with the mannequin.

[crazedxxcreevey]

"I'm fine," Colin said, giving Lavender a reassuring smile before casting another freezing spell on the mannequin. "And of course. I'll be happy to be of assistance." He couldn't prevent the flush that crept upon his cheeks at the mannequin comment. It took weeks to get used to dressing mannequins, but he was glad it doesn't happen often. The dummy was finally clothed, and he began to fumble with the laces. The outer robe was straightforward, for he just had to slide it on and button a few buttons.

A small sigh of satisfaction passed through parted lips when he stepped out of the showcase area, approaching Lavender. Indeed he had grown, reaching to a height of 5'9 and a half -- he wasn't going to grow any taller than that, though. Still, at least he was taller than Lavender.

And Lavender.. she certainly has grown, as well. Colin kept his eyes on her face, beaming. He always kept his eyes on the customer's faces, because.. well, that's where they should be looking! "Robes for your job, yes?"

[crazedxxcreevey]

When Lavender turned, Colin realized the dress had a wider and lower neckline than he thought. This would certainly catch the attention of other guys, but for Colin.. He had gotten used to the cleavage. The boy appeared to be studying the dress before he fully paid attention to Lavender, seeing how well the color contrasted against her skin, or how nicely it fit the girl. She was pretty, yes, but his mind didn't seem to be drifting for some reason. It's as if he had suddenly become oblivious that Lavender was even trying to attract him.

"Brilliant," Colin said warmly, allowing himself to adjust one of the sleeves. "We might want to get yourself a size smaller. Looks a bit loose on you."

[mslavenderbrown]

Thanks," said Lavender. She kept her smile up, flashing her bright white teeth. "Do you have this in a smaller size?" Inside she felt depressed. She couldn't even attract Colin Creevy. No wonder Ron had left her for Hermione Granger. What did Hermione have that Lavender didn't? I have to be a much better kisser, at least, Lavender told herself as she looked around for a mirror.

Suddenly shopping didn't seem like so much fun. She had thought it would cheer her up, but it was only fun if you could find something to look dazzling in. 'Brilliant' he had said. Brilliant was the kind of word you used on anything. 'It's a brilliant day,' or 'You got a brilliant score on that homework' or 'That was a brilliant comment.' She touched her thumb to her chin and stared at her reflection.

[crazedxxcreevey]

"Anytime," Colin said with his own sunshine of a smile, then nodded. "I'll be right back!" He exited the dressing room and went to fetch the same dress in a smaller size.

Madam Lorelei watched him from behind the front desk, raising a brow. The woman had good hearing, and she heard almost every word the two had uttered. She was disappointed herself to find that her employee wasn't charmed, especially with a girl like that! In addition, it was someone he knew. Was the boy dense? Oh, the poor dear...

Instead of returning with just one dress, he came back with three. One was the same papyrus colored dress, while the other two had laces in the front instead of the back. There was a dress of greyed lavender and deep purple with floral patterns, and the other was a velvety navy blue. "I think these would look nice on you, too," Colin said, handing Lavender the dresses.

[mslavenderbrown]

"Thanks," said Lavender. How can he be so darn cheerful? It was a bit hard to keep her voice upbeat. She slipped into the room and dressed herself into the navy blue dress. The strings were long, and she tangled them for a moment. She came back out of the dressing room, decent, but without the laces tied. "Just a moment," she said. "I got these tangled, and the light in the dressing room isn't great.." She wasn't even looking at Colin anymore. She didn't even want to try to attract him anymore. He didn't think she was pretty, and there was nothing she could do about it. Hexes and jinxes, it wasn't as though she wanted him to like her... Just admire her. She needed some admiration. "What's your vote on this one, Colin?" she asked him. "Do you think it's better than the other?"