Amortentia Dolorosa

It had been a good ten minutes that he had been standing there, looking at the robes on the rack at Madam Malkin's Robes for All and Every Occasion. There was a Ball to be held at the end of the next month for Hollow's Eve which would double as a fund raiser, one of the primary budget collection for St-Mungo's to tend to its patients and pay their employees. And because he was an Apprentice Healer, he was obligated to attend to show how well their teaching program was running.

He gave a snort of disgust. Because he was so good, he was being pushed aside to that others could have more practice and knowledge, which left him unhappy as he felt he was being looked over completly as he did not do as much as others, and he hated feeling useless. Reaching a hand up, he ran his fingers into the black fox's fur around his neck, wishing he could just attend to this new kind of Hell simply in black slacks and a white pressed shirt.

But no! They were to wear formal ball robes, which were quite uncomfortable, with useless articles upon them and even frills on it, which he absolutely hated! "I'm telling you, this is a complete waste of my time, boy. Can't believe it's in my tasks! Couldn't they have just put me in on the shifts that night? I'm sure one of the others would have loved to have to waste money on some stupid robes and mingle with the high class!" he mumbled with a pout, leaning his left elbow on the counter.

He then placed his chin in his hand and with his other he took his wand in the middle and placed the handle tip between his lips, chewing on it gently, a very dangerous habit he had developped since he'd entered Salem's and had to watch from the sideline as his brother got into scuffles with other students, always using his fists instead of his magic.

The door banged open and a tall thin wizard swished into the shop, his long candy-apple red hair done up in a complicated pattern of interwoven braids. He wore burgundy robes with black and copper trim, and above the four-inch black cotton cuffs, his sleeves remained buttoned tight to the elbows -- scribe-cut robes with blotter cuffs.

"Lucky?" he called out. "Are you here, yet?"

No answer. Apparently not.

He closed the shop door with his foot, and darted across the room to examine a rich blue robe with silver embroidery. It was quite clearly not his colour, at all. "Ooh, he'll like this..."

Being startled, he barely managed to pull his wand out of his mouth so as to not shove it to the back of his throat and injuring himself. He looked over at the redhead, who had walked in and let out a deep breath to calm his nerves after such a fright.

Denathaniel looked around when the other called out for a Lucky, but saw no one else, knowing he was a bit too focused on his inner thoughts that had someone walked in quietly, he wouldn't have noticed them. That was the trick his brother used to get away from him when they were both at home when he decided to sneak out. It suddenly reminded Denathaniel he should put bells on the door and windows...

When the redhead moved away from the door after closing it, it snapped him out of his thoughts once more. He made a face at the robes the other customer was looking at and raised his hand to pull down the fur that had puffed up when he'd been startled, which was now tickling his chin. That blue would be atrocious on the redhead, if the cut wasn't bad enough to start with.

But then Denathaniel had to remind himself he was picky with clothes, so he simply decided not to comment at the moment. It wouldn't do to insult a complete stranger, after all.

Lucky slipped through the door to Madam Malkin's, looking around at the shop, to see if he'd made it there before Roddy. It was highly unlikely, as the redhead had a real passion for clothes, that exceeded his own, but such things did happen. And after spending time being responsible, he was rather in the mood for a spending spree. Noticing the stranger, he nodded to him before approaching.

"Lucius Malfoy," he said politely, one hand extended to shake.

Seeing as he was still petting the fur around his neck, Denathaniel didn't notice the blond that had just walked in until this one talked to him. Startled, he pressed into the fur, which gave out a yip and his familiar fox bit his finger before jumping off and going to hide under a rack of robes, Denathaniel putting his hurt finger in his mouth.

"Ouch! Damnit Izmael!" he complained before turning to the blond, extending his other hand to shake. "Denathaniel Nightrain, sorry about that. I get startled...easily," he replied, a slight blush on his cheeks.

He also took a peek to see if the redhead had seen his rather embarrassing scene, not surprised at all when he saw this one looking towars them as Denathaniel hadn't been quiet at all towards his pet.

Roddy held up the robe he'd been looking at. "Lucky, I think this would look fab on you!"

There was a long pause as he processed the fact that Lucius was talking to someone... That there was someone else in the shop. "Hello, person I don't know!"

Denathaniel blinked, unsure if someone had really had the audacity to name their child something like Lucky, bur he had to remind himself that come people we just that dumb. And if the man's chance went along with his name, there was no mistake many would try to get Lucky...

Turning his attention to the redhead, he frowned as he noticed something...different about him, but he couldn't put his finger on what. He decided to put it aside, knowing that when you were looking for something, it was usually best to not look for it and it would jump at you eventually.

"Hello back...person I don't know either. My name is Denathaniel. A pleasure to meet fine gentlemen such as yourselves," he finished, including the blond in.

"Possibly, Roddy," Lucky said with a smile. "I'll give it a look in a minute."

His attention back on the stranger, he spoke. "Ah. Another American. I had wondered where you were from, as I think I know most English wizards near my age, at least on sight. So what brings you here?" he asked. He had a contemplative look on his face, looking at the robe Roddy had indicated past Denathaniel.

Roddy swished over, with an appraising look at the unfortunate wizard with the bad fashion sense. "American. Mmm, that explains it, it does."

He draped the robe he held over Lucius's shoulder and walked around the American. "Roddy Lestrange," he offered, at last, with his hand. "Fashion fabulous, and clearly, your new best friend."

"What the devil made you think that atrocity was a good idea?" Rubbing a finger under his left eye, he looked back at Lucky. "I'm thinking dark grey-blues. Most shades of green -- especially olive... Gold, but not too much..."

"And you really want to stay away from collars like that. They'll give you a rash," he said, turning back to the American. "Try some lower cuts in brocade or braid trims. They look more ... lush and traditional, if you can imagine those going together. Don't let this eighteenth and nineteenth century crap turn your head. Wizardry and good taste go back further than that, they do."

He poked the American in the chest, about to make another suggestion, when he caught Lucky watching amusedly and patiently. "Oh. Twice the gobshite am I. You two were carrying on."

Denathaniel barely managed to keep his jaw from falling at all that his 'new best friend' was saying, head almost spinning. Rubbing at where the Irishman had poked him, he turned back to the blond.

"Er, yes indeed, I am American. As for what brings me here, it so happens that your hospital holds the highest standards for healing magic and I couldn't pass up the oportunity to gain such a great education...though I could do without its obligatory functions."

He turned to look to see where his familiar had gone to, relaxing slightly as he noticed the black tail poking out from under the table where a very expensive looking robe was exposed.

"And I do have to agree I am in dire need of help in the fashion department...seems it runs in the family as my mother would have been glad to have just dressed us in potato sacs some days," he said with a lopside smile.

"Well, don't worry about your robes, boyo. I'll save you from yourself." Roddy nodded and turned away, wandering off toward a rack of robes, on the other side of the store. "You and Lucky try not to kill each other before I get back, yeah?"

He reached up, but stopped himself from pulling at the hair behind his right ear, the habit that took over when he couldn't chew on his wand in public.

"So hum...Lucky? That's an unusual nickname. Must be a story behind it, I suppose, since there isn't any connection to your given name I can see...unless my lack in languages is once more my downfall..."

He leaned back against the counter, thinking back onto the redhead's words. As if I could kill; would go against the code of the Healers...though I wouldn't mind being rid of a few nuissances...Christobal being at the top of the list at times, he smiled to himself at the thought.

Lucky laughed. "I think it was just the best way anyone could see of shortening Lucius without getting decked." He smiled teasingly. "That, or a bit of a barbed reference to the family fortune. One never knows."

"As for Roddy, don't be afraid to tell him if he get's a bit carried away with this wardrobe thing. Some days, I swear he sees the whole world as his personal dress up dolls. Impeccable taste, but I think it can be a bit flamboyant at times, at least for some people. I simply take it with a grain of salt, myself."

"So it's the St Mugo's ball you're dressing for, then?" he asked, before going on. "I hadn't decided whether or not to attend this year, it all depends on what other things are in the offing."

"Then, Lucky for you!" he said with a teasing smile, turning to see exactly what Roddy was looking at. "I can't say I'd be sad to be your friend's dress up doll; anything would be better than the Apprentice robes they handed to us. And I don't mind flamboyant, if my brother dares to say anything about it, I can just remind him of a few choice clothes he keeps in his closet," he sniggered.

"And not that I wouldn't appreciate your presence, by it might be best for you not to attend. They tend to be long and boring and only to empty a few people's pockets from all the Galleons they might contain. Personally, I would prefer being run over by a dragon," he sighed.

He brightened up just a bit after. "Offing? Can't say I have ever heard of that term before. Must be because of my low class breading," he joked, referring to America in general.

Roddy darted back over with three robes draped over his arm. "Oh, Lucky, if you're going to the ball, I insist you take m--" He coughed, suddenly aware of the fact they were both in public and in London. "--my sister. I don't think 'Cissa's gonna get too bent about just the one party."

He turned on all his charms and gave Lucky the puppy-eyes. After a charming smile, he was right back to sass and business, though.

"This one," he started, holding the first robe up to Denathaniel's shoulders, "is my favourite, I think. You've the dusty green, and it sharpens the colour of your hair, it does, and then the gold knotwork trim calls down an air of older traditions than most of those people would dare embrace. And it'll look good on you, it will."

Lucky blinked a couple of times, at Roddy's response, but otherwise his calm facade remained undisturbed. "No, Roddy, I will not take your sister to that ball. Maybe Narcissa wouldn't mind, maybe she would. But it remains that if I go, it will be on my father's instruction. And I do not want to give him any new ideas on marrying me off to someone other than Narcissa." He gave Roddy a pointed look, before returning his attention to Denathaniel.

"I'm still unsure about going, but my father was making noises about it being my turn to start representing the family at some of the charity events."

Denathaniel looked from one to the other before he shrugged a shoulder. "If young Master Malfoy can't take her, I wouldn't mind. It would actually be my pleasure to have someone I can spend the time with and that can even give me an eventual early escape from that function. How strict are you parents about curfews, Master Lestrange?"

He looked the robe over biting his bottom lip slightly. "Sure the green looks great, but I'm not too sure about the gold...I'm not going there to stand out, more like blend in and just disappear...which would be impossible with my current wardrobe..." he trailed off realising he was babbling.

"At what age do the higher class get out from under their parents' thumb here in England?" he asked teasingly.

Roddy nearly choked on the comment about his 'sister', but hid it, pretending to scoff at Denathaniel's choice of robes. "Sure try the blue, instead. It's a dull colour, and the Greek key patterns at the collar and cuffs are understated. Silver, they are, but an understated silver."

He pulled out the third robe from his pile and swapped it for the one he'd already hung on the American.

"We're twins, Rhiannon and I. And it's not my parents you'll be worrying about, it's our cousins, it is. They're of a very different sort." He gave Denathaniel a hard eye. "You'll have her back at the apparition point at eleven, and you'll give me your word as a gentleman you'll not try anything with her, or Finnegan'll have your entrails for a hat, and he's from the kinder, gentler side of the family, he is."

Stepping back, to squint at the robe, Roddy changed the subject there and back again. "You pick this one, and you'll want to have it taken in an inch at the waist. And we're not English."

Lucky chuckled, letting his amusement with the whole matter colour his face. "Of course you're not English. Most of the English girls I know wouldn't let their brothers arrange their dates."

"Laugh all you like," he said, giving Denathaniel a pointed look. "Filial duty is not something to be taken lightly, and, quite frankly, I like the manner of living to which I am accustomed. I could hardly meet my standards, did I have to live on my earnings."

Denathaniel made sure he had a serious face on when he said his next words. "You need not worry, I won't lay a hand on your sister lest it be to direct her out from in front of danger. I am not daft enough as to do like my parents did to breed children from which were not wanted, much less keep on going after the first mistake..."

"Though I wouldn't mind meeting your cousin Finnegan. I am very interested in seeing what a hat made out of entrails may look like," he said on a lighter note, waving away the mood he'd been in talking about his parents. "And should the lovely Rhiannon find the party to be of a certain boredom, not to worry I'll have her home even before eleven. It would be my pleasure actually!"

He passed his hands over the robe, turning over to look into the mirror that was close by, imagining it on himself. " Are you sure I need to take some off from the waist?"

"As for filial duty, I can't say I understand much about it; I had to work or fight for anything I've ever wanted. Only good thing that came from my parents allowing me to go to Salem Witches' Institute was when the Headmistress called them to her office to announce to them I'd been caught going to the Medical Magic classes dressed in the girls' uniform," he snickered. "We're more than glad to be away from our parents and can now start our own lives...though my brother still needs a bit of directing from time to time," he sighed thinking about the menace he still had to find a way of keeping out of trouble the night of the function so as to not worry too much while being bored to tears...unless his possible company showed to know a few good stories and jokes.

Roddy laughed, easily. "If you're that interested in Finney's headwear, I'm sure I can talk him into passing along a hat, for you. He's not really allowed out much, these days. Never caught on to English morality and modern sensibilities."

He stepped behind Denathaniel and pointed at the mirror. "See, if you take another inch off, here, it makes your shoulders look broader. Not enough for it to actually fit tight, but certainly enough to suggest more of a shape than a sack of potatoes. You'll be quite dashing, that you will."

If this berk's worn a dress, I'll have to be that much more careful. Sure he knows what a lad in a dress looks like... he thought, but wisely avoided any words on the subject.

"As long as you mind your manners, which I've no doubt you can, it should all go right and well. You seem like a reasonable sort, if a bit out of touch with fashion."

"Huh, some moralities would be better left alone and some of those sensibilities tend to be insensible, if you ask me, but what do I know? I'm just a simple man trying to save a few lives," he rolled his eyes, thinking; and make a few realise they should be happy for what they have.

Now that he had been explained what Roddy was able to see with the robe, Denathaniel found it much easier to imagine the end product. "Are you thinking of persuing a career in fashion? Because I would pay all of my wages for your idea if you did. And where would I have had the time to gain a sense of fashion? Mother barely dressed us until we were ten, which was then the school uniforms. And even now, I am stuck being in those seemingly faded green robes all apprentice Healers have to wear!"

((I'm just assuming here that the full Healers and Medi-witches and wizards must wear the whites while intraining must wear those green scrubbs color to be easily identifiable or something))

"Even now we barely get dressed before getting out of our rooms just to be at least decent lest company suddenly shows up...which is actually stupid on our part seeing as we barely know anyone, much less invite them to our flat. Unless Christo has been going behind my back once more," he sighed, talking more to himself at this point, before turning back to the Irishman.

"And no worries about me being a gentleman. If do not keep my word, I'll even freely donate my entrails to your cousin...though I will leave my skin for my brother if you don't mind. We both had a bit of artwork done on ourselves and it would be a pity should he be deprived of its view so prematurely."

Lucky watched the pair discuss clothes, and smiled, as he moved to look at some robes himself. "Artwork, eh? Seems to be all the rage these days, decorating one's skin. So what'd you get done?" he asked, wondering if this man was a new initiate he had yet to meet, however unlikely that might seem.

Denathaniel smiled over at Lucius. "A rage most parents would rather their children keep well away from I've noticed. And I had a dragon done...though saying 'a bit' might be misleading. It covers my back almost fully, the tail traling down my leg and the head rest on my chest. My brother swears that whenever I leave my shirt open, the dragon is watching him. But even then, compared to my brother, my inkwork is small."

He turned over to Rodolphus and raised a brow, motioning the robe decided for him. "Will your sister have something to match? It would be amusing to be a pair."

"I'll pass on what you're wearing. You won't clash, to be sure." Roddy nodded, hanging the other robes back on the racks.

"But, you've a dragon on you, yeah? Good taste. I'm a bit more for snakes, myself." A dry smile curled the corner of his mouth, and he winked at Lucius. "But, of course, there are no snakes in Ireland, or so it's told."

Lucky smiled slightly at Roddy. "That sounds lovely," he said with a nod to Denathaniel. "Any meaning there, or is that too personal of a question to ask on short acquaintance?"

Glad he wouldn't be clashing with his companion, he smiled at their interest in his tattoo. "It's not personal at all, and to tell the truth, I wasn't the one to decide on the design. When I graduated from Salem Witch's Institute, my brother decided to gift me with its representation, saying it fit well with my 'mother hen' side, seeing as dragons are some of the most motherly creatures after humans, and also combined well with my 'vicious' nature as he calls it."

Denathaniel shrugged, thinking that his fondness for watching things die wasn't that bad compared to his brother's own nature of embracing Chaos. "Though I believe my brother holds a better representation of himself on his own skin, seeing as he did do the choosing for both tattoos," he said with a shrug.

"Are either of you inked?" he asked, wondering if maybe Rodolphus might have gotten a snake tattoo since he seemed to like them so much.

[[Player would like to apologise for falling off the world. I've been very sick, this last week, but I'm getting better, now. Sorry about the wait. ]]

"I've no marks in places you'd be much inclined to witness, I don't. Just some personal reminders of hopes for the future." Roddy blew off the question, as if it were of no consequence.

"I just can't see how you let someone, even or maybe especially your own brother, mark you with their own impressions, in a way you care nothing for." But, then, he supposed, other people didn't have the brother he had...

[[Just glad to see you're feeling better now ^_^]]

Denathaniel gave a slight smile. "It's not that I don't care for it, but that I respect his expectations...well, some of them," he shook his head in mirth. "My brother is all I have, had I not had him in my life, I can tell you right now I would be stuck somewhere that I would most likely feel pitiful and trapped for the rest of my existence."

He rolled his eyes and then looked over to see what robes Lucius seemed to be interested in.

"And I must admit that I love the thought that my brother considers me strong enough to resemble a dragon, means he doesn't see me as a weak little brother he's always had following around." Not to mention his brother had better never think he was weak; Christobal had the marks to prove otherwise...though that might be why eighty percent of his skin was inked.

Lucky laughed. "I'm afraid my life would've gotten rather interesting if I'd just gone out and gotten inked for a lark."

He was pulling at bits of an over-blown pale blue confection of a robe, looking at it critically. "I know I can do the colour, but I'm not sure that English society can handle this," he said. "Now, in France, I could wear it to a party without even a raised eyebrow, however."

"Oh, don't do flamboyant for this one, Lucky. Do dashing, instead. You always look so good in smug --" Roddy turned a brilliant shade of flushed, and the corner of his mouth lifted for an offhand comment, before he remembered his audience. "Like ice, he is, and the lasses love it. 'Course, then they go home with me, so I love it all the more, I do. He's untouchable. I'm so cheap I'm nearly free."

He chuckled and flipped through the racks. "What if I get a robe done in red vinyl, Lucky? For those nights out that don't have twice and damned to do with the town? Could I do it, do you think?" Roddy smoothed a hand down his thigh and examined his figure. "Would it go with the feel of those times? I need something, you know. I'm getting tired of me oul' ma getting on my case about the stains. It's not like the closet won't clean them, but I guess there's only so much cleaning a man's supposed to do to robes as old as mine."

He grinned. "Vinyl's easy cleaning, sure it is."

The grin vanished as he turned to the American. "Sometimes, we get invited to the really wild parties. The kind of things where you end up with all sorts of unmentionable things on you, and nobody really talks about it, the next day, because most of 'em don't remember what happened, and they're just hoping their girlfriends don't find out before they do."

"How fortunate the man with none, aye, Lucky?"

He winced at the color of the robe, not sure if the blond could really pull it off...he wasn't even sure a woman could, but who was he to pass a comment?

"Wild parties, eh? Seen my brother come back from a few of those kinds and I had to do the cleaning up after him. I do have to say that as long as you stay away from anything that's white and discolors your robes, black is a good one, and easy to wash too. Nothing much can stain it," he said with a shrug, interested in those mentioned parties. "And while vinyl might be easy to clean, isn't it highly flammable?"

Lucky winced. "I'm not sure I could handle that many shades of red at once, Roddy," he said, a clear image already forming in his head.

He sighed. "I'm so very tired of dashing. Especially as it usually ends up involving some variation on green, black, and grey. And vinyl will do, I suppose, although I'm considering charmed leather, myself, for the parties." Lucky fingered the e robe again. "Well, regardless, I'm buying this, before it ends up on someone who lacks the panache for it."

"Of all things shocking, you'd never know the things that would stain a black, you'd not. It's easier than you'd think, it is." Roddy shook his head and waved to the clerk. "Here, wrap these up and have them sent to Malfoy Manor. Bill the Lestrange account."

Roddy produced an armful of robes he'd been draping over a rack, as he circled the store, examining the merchandise. "And do me one more. I'll have a potions robe in soft-dyed gold leather, treated against stains and flame. Trim in crimson, buttons in carnelian. Bill my people, ship to his, same as the others."

"There, is that tame enough for your wild eye, Lucky? I'd rather not banjax your brains in quite that fashion, when there's still whiskey to be drunk and shenanigans to have done." Roddy grinned impertinently. "To the shoes, and then another pint?"

Denathaniel watched them, a small smile on his lips as the two talked about clothes and styles. Most of what he owned was old and cheap, not to mention he didn't care about stains or just threw the out when he wasn't going to wear them anymore.

Looking at his watch, he winced and looked over at the redhead. "Mr. Lestrange, would it be appropriate for me to write to your sister? To at least get to know her a little before boring her with my presence on Hollow's Eve?" he asked, kneeling and searching for his sneaky fox.

"Owl post works the same everywhere, and it's all the same to us, it is." Roddy shrugged, idly.

"Shoes or whiskey first, Lucky?" He eyed his boots critically. "Either way, I want to be good and drunk before we try inflicting the best of our goods on Sev -- who needs shoes, fer surely sure he does."

"Ah, hell, Roddy. You never mentioned we were shopping for Sev today," Lucky said, looking around the shop again.

Handing his pile to the proprietor, he found a set of simple black robes, with silver trim. "Malfoy accounts, and send the lot to Malfoy Manor as well."

Lucky turned to look at Roddy, his eyes wide, tossing his blond hair over one shoulder artfully before speaking. "Oh whisky, of course. I'm far too dry for my tastes, as it is."

Denathaniel frowned as he heard their friend's name, something hitching at the back of his head, but he knew he wouldn't get it and looking once more at his watch. "Izmael, get over here!" he hissed, the fox shooting out from under a rack and cuddling into his arms.

He headed to the check out counter, taking his money out and paying the clerk with a small smile on his lips before he turned back to the men that had helped him avoid a fashion disaster. "Well, good afternoon gentlemen and I hope you enjoy a good night on the town."

"Oh, that we will. And yours the same," Roddy said with a grin, holding the door open.

"I didn't know we were shopping for Sev, either. But, I wanted shoes, I did, and he needs 'em, and it'd be a bloody shabby thing not to get them for him, while we're out," he chattered to Lucius.

[exit.]

"Good to have met you, and undoubtedly I'll see you at the ball. Have a pleasant evening." Lucky smiled as he followed Roddy out the door.