The Mall

(I have decided to branch this off so people can wrap up sending off their permission slips.)

It was 2:45 and Rilla was in her classroom dressed very muggle clothing. She had a t-shirt on covered mostly by a light sweat jacket and she was wearing muggle jeans and sneakers. Her hair was in it's typical messy short style. Needing a cut it was now near mid back in length which annoyed Rilla. She was considering getting it cut at the mall while she was there. She had managed to hang onto some money and could actually do a little shopping if she wanted to. This was money she'd saved by being cheap when she bought school supplies. Her mother would skin her alive if she knew about it but Rilla was always up for risks.

Rilla's class would be leaving for the mall at promptly 3:30. They were suppose to be in the classroom by 3. She would then need to instruct them on behavior, check outfits and all such fun stuff. It would be a fun trip she hoped. Should also be educational. Some of her students had had very little exposure to muggles and so this should be very informative for them. Rilla stuck her wand in her right sneaker and pulled her pants leg over it. It was quick to grab there but hard for anyone to spot. She would instruct her class on similar hiding places too. Muggles would think it weird if they saw people walking around with sticks.

The classroom was empty so far and so Rilla perched on the edge of her large desk and waited a bit nervously. The last trip really hadn't gone badly, all things considered, but it had been a bit weird. No muggles had seen anything they shouldn't have but a student had wandered off and half the class had been in the wrong movie. Still, no explosions or anything. The mall was a bit risky but it wasn't a chance Rilla could pass up and she thought her older students should be able to handle it.

Only a small explosion.. but it did the trick, and Finn scrambled away from the other lad while he was clutching at his head and yelling in pain. Finn did not have time for this nonsense, not at the best of times and certainly not when he was due to be going on a field trip with Rilla and the rest of the Roleplaying Class.

In preparation for such events this term, Finn had gone shopping in the Christmas break (or Mid Winter Generic Holiday break or whatever the overseas students were legally obliged to call it) and spent an entertaining afternoon in the company of Higgins, the Cullen family thug retainer exploring the various clothes shops of Muggle London. That is to say, Finn found the afternoon entertaining: Higgins was probably in the mood to kill someone by the end of it. Not to worry though, he'd probably have been given the chance before the week was out.

Anyway, Finn had purchased a few sets of Muggle clothes. Unfamiliar with Muggle fashion he may have been, but a Cullen takes such matters seriously and Finn had done his research to avoid looking stupid. He also spent a ridiculous amount of money on the expedition and.. well he had to admit Muggles could look good. Assuming they were dressed by a Cullen of course.

So he had gone back to his dorm after lunch, placed a rather unpleasant but probably non-venomous beetle in the bed of his friend Evan (well some things *have* to be done after a Care of Magical Creatures lesson) and then dressed himself with care in Muggle robes. An open necked shirt in royal blue, and a pair of jeans ("Industrial clothing?" Finn had said outraged, "Yes," replied Higgins, "But for the last fifty years Muggles have worn them as casual clothes") and a rather stylish jacket of lightish cloth to complete the ensemble. Finn had got his sister Megan to stitch wandpockets into the jacket and jeans (and she had got her maid to do it) so Finn thought the outfit was a success.

He had grinned at his reflection in the wobbling full length mirror (his House Elf Crykie had forgotten to steal the stand as well, so was holding it up while Finn dressed... again!) and then set off in good time for his trip.

And that's when he'd been jumped by the older boy and his friend. This particular OAF was a Muggleborn boy whose life had been made a living heck (rolls eyes) by the bigoted attentions of Finn's older relatives at school. He had naturally assumed that Finn would be another of the same sort and had taken every opportunity to prove to Finn that he would not put up with it.

Finn, who had no intention of ever becoming a cliched pureblood bigot found it harder, after each angry and irrational outburst from this Hooligan to avoid thinking in terms that would have made Voldemort change his title to He Who Must Be Considered Quite Moderate.

Anyway the Hooligan and his pal had spotted Finn in his Muggle clothing as he traversed one of the handier and completely out of bounds shortcuts near the third floor atrium, and made the inevitable comments about "slumming it with the paupers" and so on. Finn's natural wit (alright sarcasm) rose to the surface and the next thing he knew one of the boys had grabbed him, while the other obviously had it in mind to deliver a moderately unpleasant kicking.

So Finn drew his wand, and used it well. He jabbed the point of it back into the stomach of the lad holding him, forcing him to let go and yelp in pain - well coupling it with a swift "Pugnus" charm didn't hinder things.. and then as the Hooligan advanced on him, Finn used a curse he had been practising over the holidays.. a small thunderclap around the bigger lad's head that stunned and deafened him long enough for Finn to make himself scarce.

It was only a small explosion.. no one could mind that surely. Finn put his face back into its default mode and made his way to Rilla's classroom, entering with a cheery "Good afternoon Miss White, I'm so glad I wasn't late."

It wasn’t too hard for a wizard thief to dress up as a muggle, at least, that was what Ronja had found. She had stolen a few Muggle-magazines at first, studied them, and figured out muggle clothing didn’t differ all too much from the clothing she wore every day. The basic idea was the same: trousers or skirt and jumper or shirt would do.

She had studied the people in the background of the pictures in the magazines, the ones that were used to simply fill up the picture, the ones that no-one ever noticed, and based upon what they wore, Ronja had simply shopped around in the trunks of her muggle classmates, until she had found what she was looking for.

Ronja had found out years ago that an invisibility cloak did not make you unnoticed. People tend to be alert where there was something invisible making noise. There was a far easier, and far cheaper way to avoid being seen.

And that was being ordinary.
Ronja knew that guards would always scan the crowd for anything out of the ordinary.
They never saw the people in the background.

Dressed like the absolute average muggle girl she walked up to Rilla.
No bangs to announce her coming.

“Miss White.” She said, nodding.
She looked at Cullen.

Now there was someone who would stand out in a crowd. As if the red hair wasn’t enough…

Rosa glanced at the charmed clock on the wall of the second-year Ravenclaw girl's dormitory, and let out an audible sigh. While the magical clock now read 3pm, which meant that she still had roughly 30 minutes before she was meant to leave for the class trip, Rosa knew that Rilla expected her to be a good role-model and to arrive a bit earlier than their departure time. However, the past 30ish minutes had been spent emptying the contents of her school trunk in a desperate attempt to find something, anything really, that could vaguely be taken for muggle clothing. It wasn't that young Rosa didn't own a pair of jeans or various jumpers, it was more an issue of her being terribly lazy and not having sent any of her muggle-like clothes to be washed in a fortnight.

"Gaw... I'm never gonna find anything decent", the girl exclaimed as she pulled out a lurid green dress, and quickly threw it in the -No way am I wearing that- pile.

"I wonder if anyone would notice this stain if I wore this blue sweater", she wondered aloud as she fingered the sleeves and tried to take out the goo that had logged itself there after last week's impromptu food-fight.

"Naw.. probably not a good idea", she answered her own question, after taking a whiff of the shirt and noticing that it still smelt vaguely like chocolate pudding.

"Bah... what am I going to do", she whined, throwing her arms in the air in exasperation.

Turning in a huff, Rosa threw all her clothing on her bed and the bed next to hers. It was only then that realization dawned on her. Alex is a muggle-born, isn't she?, she wondered, trying to open the other girl's trunk. She must have something I can wear in there.

A mere 10 minutes later, Rosa had found a rather cute looking jean skirt and an equally adorable multi-hued striped jumper. Rosa hastily wrote a note to Alexia thanking her for her clothes, and promising to return them intact. Grabbing her small bag and shoving her wand in its side pocket, she rushed out of the common room and ran all the way to the RP classroom.

Fiou, I'm not late, she mused as she held her knees and panted. Now, where to hide.. so that Rilla doesn't get me to do actual work?, she thought once her heavy breathing had subsided.

This post has been edited by Rosa Gullveig on May 1 2008, 10:25 AM

Now this was a field trip she was looking forward too. As far as she was concerned, there was no better field trip. This was way better then sitting in a dark theatre trying to keep an eye on newbies. yep, this was going to be a good day.

It was the first time since the start of the new term that Felicia had no trouble getting out of bed and getting a move on things. In fact, she was up ahead of the rest of the Hufflepuff girls. Quietly she opened ther walk in closet and roamed from one side to the other before settling on a new pair of Kenneth Troll jeans, the yellow silk blouse with the black collar and cuff, and her favorite pair of yellow Kappa heels. After a quick shower, a charm to straigthen her hair and a splash of perfume she was on her way to the room the class was suppose to meet at.

As she rounded the corner to the classroom, she heard a small explosion and then some kid came racing passed her, nearly knocking her over. She glared over her shoulder at the kid but kept on walking to the classroom, she didn't want to nbe late for this one.

The first person she spotted as she walked to her normal back row desk, was Finn. "Was that some of your handy work out there?" she asked pointing at the door with one hand and dropping her bag and leather jacket down on the table at the same time.

Muggle clothes. Muggle clothes. Muggle clothes. Repeating it to herself, Penny opened her trunk. She had spent a week sending letters to her Muggle friends she'd made before she came to HOL. Something casual, they'd said. I think they were slightly confused about why I wanted to know how to dress like them... Let's hope that they felt flattered too. She took a neatly folded pair of Calvin Klein jeans, an Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt and a pair of un-worn vans. Taking of her uniform, Penny pulled on the jeans and the top, then put on a pair of trainer socks and pulled on the Vans.

Walking down the stairs into the common room, a fifth year stopped Penny.
"Excuse me?" Penny looked at the fifth year. The girl was tall, taller then Penny, with short black hair cut in a bob. Her green eyes looked skeptically at Penny. "Is there something wrong?" Penny asked. "I'm going on a field trip. That's why I'm not wearing the uniform." Penny walked on, having explained herself.

Belle had been busy grading Herbology homework in the Herbology classroom when she looked at the time. "Oh no, I'm going to be late" she said out loud to no one, since she was alone in the room. She still needed to change for the trip to the mall that they were going on. Unfortunately she didn't have time to run back to the dormitory, change, and then come all the way back to the Role Play Classroom.

Belle was in her uniform and wizard robes- always the professional when in class. However, there was NO WAY she was going into the muggle world dressed like that- not to mention the fact that Rilla would kill her if she showed up in full wizard gear for a field trip.

She had no choice but to transfigure her clothes. First, Belle removed her cloak and put it in the closet in Prof. Chutney's office with a note saying

She then headed to the closest girl's bathroom to work on her outfit. The shoes were the easiest to fix. She put a cushioning charm on them to make them more comfortable for walking so she now had a pair of comfortable black flats.

The tie she transfigured into a headband to put in her hair, seeing as it was already yellow and black, she left it that way. She transfigured her button-down into a yellow blouse and the sweater vest into light black sweater in case it got cold.

The skirt was the most difficult to transfigure, but she managed to turn it into black capri pants- just slightly below the knee. The knee socks simply had to go, so she removed them and stuffed them into her bag- which she had enlarged a bit to make them fit. She was now ready for the trip.

She headed to the classroom in the nick of time and saw that Felicia was also in yellow. People would probably think that they planned it, but honestly this was the best Belle could do on such short notice.

"I'm so mad- I lost track of time and I had to transfigure my uniform into this but at least I look somewhat decent now. I hope the charm lasts all afternoon." she said to Felicia as she joined her in the classroom.

Zenix tapped her favourite quill on the side of the very, very worn out oak desk. Only Missa would give me a math problem, everyone in the house knows I’m a walking disgrace to math. I’m so not doing this right now.[iI] She tucked away the piece of parchment along with the worthless formulas back into her sketch book, and pulled out the letter she’d just received from her grandmother.”

“An nì a thig leis a’ghaoith, falbhaidh… e leis an uisge,” was all that was written, oh, and, ‘Love Grandma.’

“What?” She scanned over the words a few times. They were Gaelic, of course. Only her grandmother would send her something so abstract. It really made no sense. [I]Maybe it’s not supposed to make sense Zee pondered a little to herself. “‘What comes with the wind, will go with the water…’” She pinched the bridge between her nose, folding the letter back into its original square. Zenix would figure out the proverb later right now, there was a trip to the mall to get ready for. She’d been dressed for hours, a simple black, thigh length tank top with crystal rectangles on the straps, a pair of faded blue jeans, and her favorite pair of rustic orange ballet flats. She’d be buying more shoes at the mall, it was her weakness.

There was still a fair bit of time to get to Rilla’s classroom, but the need to not want to be late was overpowering. Zenix grabbed her black bag and set off for the classroom. It didn’t take long to get there, sadly, it never took long; the feeling of dread that normally descended upon this walk was missing today. Zenix walked into the classroom, wary of the door since the last mishap.

“Okay, I’m ready to go shopping,” she smiled warmly at Rilla who was perched in her normal place on the edge of her desk. Finn and Ronja were there already, along with Belle, Felicia, Rosa, and Penny, of whom she only knew from the halls. She paused for a moment and cocked her head to the side to gaze at Finn. She wasn't quite sure what to make of this outfit of his. Zenix was a fashion critique, she couldn’t help it; it was inevitable. The jacket and the royal blue were a very nice combination, a perfect combination, actually. The jeans were okay, a dark beige corduroy would have been pretty attractive with the blue. Hmm, I wonder who he paid to pick that outfit out. She looked away before he would notice her stares, and went to stand by the window.


This post has been edited by Zenix James on May 30 2008, 01:53 AM

Rosa couldn't help but smile when she saw Zenix enter the room. Things were always more interesting with Zenix around, and somehow Rosa had forgotten that the girl would also be going on this field trip. Something about the way Zee was staring off into the distance caught Rosa's curiosity.

Whatever is she looking at?, the girl wondered as she scanned the room for an answer. The room had a few more occupants than it had when Rosa had arrived, but it nobody out of the ordinary. So what is she looking at.

As Rosa watched Zee tilt her head to the side, she tried to follow the direction of her gaze. Realizing what, or rather whom, Zee was observing, Rosa burst into a fit of giggles.

"Hey Zee, over here", she called out.

"Hey Zee, over here."

Zee heard a familiar voice call, followed by an outburst of giggles. It was Rosa. Oh, thank Merlin, someone friendly to talk to! Zenix rarely ever had someone to talk to in this class, she couldn’t really remember actually having a conversation with any of her classmates…Maybe it was that wonderful memory she had. It wasn’t that she was unfriendly, per say, she just never really found anyone she could really talk to. She moved through the desks and sat on top of the one next to Rosa.

“You don’t even know how happy I am to see you! I thought I was going to be all lonely shopping by myself. I’m sure Belle would have killed me if I tagged along with her and, personally, I don’t much feel like dying before I get myself a new pair of shoes. What are you laughing at, by the way?”

Please, please don’t let her have seen me starring at Cullen. Yes, his last name is Cullen, and that’s basically reason enough to stare. I swear, I will never ever say that outloud. People already think I’m enough of a spaz.

Rosa couldn't help but smile as she watched Zee plop herself on the desk next to hers. Sitting on the bench isn't enough for this girl, no... she really has to sit on the actual desk, thought Rosa.

Everywhere she looked, Rosa could see people milling about, waiting for Rilla to announce their departure. "I'm so very happy to see you too. I was absolutely dreading this field trip. The idea of shopping alone wasn't very high on my list of things to do today, but Rilla kinda begged me to come and help out. And, well to be honest, I need a new pair of sandals and some other things, so why not eh! But yosh, having you around is much better than trying to blend in with this lot."

As Rosa spoke, she noticed a peculiar look in Zee's eyes. A look that she had seen before, a look that usually meant she was hiding something. Trying to remember what the other girl had said mere moments before, Rosa remembered the query about her fit of giggles.

"But you know... if you wanted to shop with some other person... maybe a sly, green-eyed individual, I'm sure that could be arranged also", Rosa said cheekily.

(You will have to forgive my severe lack of activity in role plays recently, lets see if we can get this thing a bit farther along before the end of term. I will probably accepting things a bit later than originally agreed on, so just get things done asap.)

Rilla watched as her classroom filled up with students. It seemed like most of them had managed to dress in some kind of muggle garb. She gestured for Belle and Rosa and handed them lists of names. She put a few troublesome students from RP101 in Belle's hands and a few into Rosa, the rest of the group she'd look after herself. She made sure to place Finn in Rosa's group and Ronja and Belle's. Then she gave them some brief instructions on a slip of paper. What to do in case of an emergency, where to meet up if separated, the usual.

"Okay class." Rilla hollered above the noise and waited for it to calm. "Is everyone ready? Rosa, Belle and Felicia if you would be so kind to wander around and make sure people look presentable. Make sure students your wands are accessible but not in plain sight. Girls you can disguise yours as a hair thing or a charm easily. Boys, you'll have to get more creative. Do not, I repeat, do not use any spells unless it is an absolute emergency while we are around muggles. They might panic and we could end up with a big mess. This is everyone's one and only warning. Mess up and you will have a weeks detention when we return. Do I make myself clear?" Rilla waited for some kind of acknowledgement before continuing.

"I want older students to pair up with younger students. Everyone is responsible for helping everyone else out. Ardeliah, you can help with things a lot here, seeing as you've spent quite a deal of time around muggles. I myself haven't really been around muggles for several years so I don't know what's in. You may talk to muggles but be very careful what you say. I do not want to have to be erasing memories left and right. Use good judgement.

You may buy things, everyone should have some muggle cash, they do not take wizarding money so don't offer it to them. We'll be heading out through Hogsmeade by floo so if you need money exchanged you may do it there. Line up, make sure you have a buddy.

If you get separated we will be meeting at the large fountain in the mall at 6 PM. If somehow you end up flooed somewhere else I have a contact in Hogsmeade who will be helping direct people to the correct location. They will be in The Three Broomsticks go in there and ask for Martha if you get lost."

Rilla directed people to line up checking clothing, making corrections getting things in order. Then she grabbed her handbag, threw it over her shoulder and led her troops to Hogsmeade.

Once there she assisted all her students in saying the correct name of the mall and flooing out to it. She had them all appearing in one of the stores in the mall that had a witch running it. The store was closed until three thirty that day as a cover. Then she flooed in herself.

"Here we are. Thank you Madam Witly." Rilla addressed the older lady running the shop with a grin. Then she briefly introduced the class to Madam Witly, who chuckled good naturedly, before she continued. "We will be walking through halls as a group but we will be splitting off so no more than two or three of us are in a store at once. Be forwarned that muggle store keepers may look at you oddly. In the muggle world stealing by teens is very common and so people may think you're there to take something, please be respectful the muggle security won't hesistate to detain you.

If you get in such a situation send out a signal call. Belle, why don't you help anyone learn that charm real fast before we leave. We can get someone like Madam Witley here to stand in for a guardian and talk you out of a mess or clear a memory if needed. None of you are to be doing any of that. We don't need the Ministry on our cases." Rilla looked to the possible trouble makers and gave them a warning look.

"Anyone who has any issues will get to hang out here with Madam Witley instead of exploring the mall, and I'm sure she can put you to work." Rilla gave Witley a knowing look and was rewarded with another chuckle. "Okay, enough lecture, lets go have some fun. Remember you're also to pay attention to how muggles act, do a bit of people watching, sit on a bench and listen in. This will help your role play to no end. Enjoy yourselves and stay out of trouble."

With that Rilla set off into the mall after assisting students into dividing into little groups. She waved her wand at each student as they passed putting a mild confuddlement charm on them that would hopefully make anything they did that was odd less noticiable to the muggles they would run into. Then she proceeded to do some shopping herself while monitoring her classes.

"stay out of trouble"

'well' Ronja though as she looked around the first muggleshop they entered 'that will be easy enough. These muggle securitysystems are a joke.'

She looked around and used some of teh techniques her parents had thought her when she was a child. Techniques she had been perfecting since then.
Blending in.
Hiding in plain sight.

The best way of becomming invisible was to be ordinary.
Ronja did as Rilla had told her too. She watched the crowd. She watched the muggles, and then copied their little ways.

Blending in.
Fitting in.

Gone.

She stuffed her pockets with things that looked usefull, even if she did not always realise what they were.

At times, she casually looked around, keeping an eye on the muggles she recognized as security-people by the watchfull look in her eyes.
She would keep away from them.

She was concentrated, focussed, but only on her art.
When she looked up, finally, she blinked.

Now... where had the people of her little group disappeared to?

No seriously...
She saw no-one familiar.

Finn looked around the mall as they stepped out in their small groups.

Oh it was just like a big shopping centre. He had wondered if there was a distinction, and was vaguely let down that there wasn't. Not that he spent much time in Muggle shopping centres anyway, but he had visited a couple in the company of his elder sister and the family's Muggle servant Higgins, when Megan was desperately seeking the absolutely perfect shoes she needed.

He'd found the places depressing to be honest, Muggles seemed so sullen so much of the time. He spotted a group of youngsters about his own age, maybe a bit older, just standing... just standing near a concrete column, all in shapeless clothes with drab colours, grey fleecy hooded jackets with the hoods pulled up over baseball caps in a counterfeit Burberry style, gaunt pale faces beneath with hollow cheeks and predatory eyes, half fearful half angry. Challenging all who passed by; youngsters not playing, just being, like a clenched fist.

Dementors, he thought suddenly, like they've had the joy sucked out of them. And around him, the Muggle shoppers, some moving with irritated speed and scowls on their faces at having to push through the crowds when they would rather be doing something else. Others trudging, slower than was sensible, with vacant expressions and mouths half open, hands listlessly hanging, holding heavy bags, or clutching cellphones to their ears, swearing incontinently for no good reason as they shambled between the temples to commerce.

He gave a little shudder at the sight of them. No life, no spark of soul in any of them.

Ah, not quite, not quite. A group of Muggle girls, bright coloured like sparks of light in a small band, laughing and teasing each other as they darted between the shops, clutching lightly made paper carriers. Life at last, a sign of animation.

Finn found himself watching them, and did not realise his group had moved on.

She shook her disguise of medriocraty off her, and stepped into the sunlight that shone from the only window in the artificially-lighted building.

She looked around the crowd of passing muggles, searching for something out of the ordinary, a glimpse of magic, a spark of somthing different. There was a group of hooded teens just hanging around, as if there was no joy in the world.

She had seen ghosts with more life in them.

Many muggles were passing, all into their own world, some annoyed, some awed, but nothing special about them, not a single familiar face.

And then, she spotted the Red. A beam of colour in the sea of grey mediocraty.
A spark of magic.
She smiled.

" Fibb!" she said, waving.