Uniforms

The Smell of perfume permeated the air as soon as I walked in. The shiny marble floor made a *klack-klack* sound as I stepped, and my reflection could be clearly seen. Hundreds of shelves with countless different textiles and fabrics towered to the ceiling.

The staff could be seen scurrying around here and there carrying clothing or being yelled at by a young woman in her 30s with a tape measure around her neck. When she noticed me, she screamed something and a young man no more than 20 years old came running with a haggard look on his face. It seems he hadn't slept in a while.

"Good afternoon, sir, how may I help you?" he asked while catching his breath.

"I'm here to buy a couple of sets of school uniforms." He explained.

"Ah yes. Madame Monet will be with you shortly. If you'd like, you can take a seat over here and she will attend you shortly." He said while extending his hand out towards the lounge where a big array of couches could be seen.

I was astounded by the class this place had. It was very fancy unlike Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. As I sat down a floating teapot came over with an empty cup and a small ceramic plate. I took the cup and let the teapot serve me some tea. It then floated away towards other customers who were waiting to be attended. There was a young lady that seemed to be about 16 sipping on her tea. On a different couch was an old man with a boy about my age and then there was a man in his 40s who was reading the newspapers.

I focused on what the papers were saying. And I was shocked at what I saw.

(Robert Sanders, mass murderer and leader of a group of terrorist magicians have escaped imprisonment. They are one of the last few groups that sympathised with Grindelwald's ideals. The group is highly dangerous and anyone who sees them is advised to keep their distance and inform the local authorities.)

'Interesting. It was understandable. After all, I had also once thought of following in his footsteps. If it wasn't for the logistical issues and the overall lack of feasibility of the plan I would have made it one of my many goals. It would be fun to meet them.' I thought before taking a sip of my tea. When I finished it the pot came over again and began trying to fill it up. I let it do so before getting up and walking towards another couch that had a newspaper on it.

It was coincidentally the one with the girl my age. When she saw me coming over she showed a face of displeasure and annoyance which she failed to hide after much effort.

"I'm not interested." She said coldly. I didn't even look at her and reach over for the newspaper next to her.

"You have quite the ego there don't you?" I said before turning away and walking back to my couch. I waved my hand the newspaper began to float in place while I held my tea. After reading a page I would swipe my hand left, and the page would turn.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the infuriated face of the girl which was also mixed with traces of astonishment as she saw what I was doing. I simply moved the newspaper to cover her face and continued with my reading.

About 20 minutes later a woman with a yellow tape measure came over. I could see her face peeking over my newspaper.

"Ah hello, I assume you're Madame Monet?" I asked while putting the paper down.

"That is correct. I was informed that you were looking to buy a couple of school uniforms?" she asked in confirmation.

"That is correct." I nodded.

"Very well, come with me." She said before spinning on her heels and walking away without waiting. I simply chuckled and followed after her with brisk steps.

"Please stand over there, I will be back shortly." She pointed at the stool in front of a formation of mirrors. I nodded and stepped up onto the stool and stood there quietly.

It didn't take long for Monet to come back and with her, dozens of fabrics. But there was a pattern. They were only about four colours. Black, navy blue, gold and red. 'I like the colour choice'. Monet then waved her hand and the tape measure that was on her neck flew out and split into ten identical ones that began to take measurements of my body.

As the tapes swirled around me I could see her scribbling something at tremendous speed. Soon a page was filled up with numbers and measurements.

"It will be ready in an hour. Please come back by then" she said. Suddenly something came to mind. And this thought made me want to stuff my head into a drawer. I used transfiguration to change my appearance, wouldn't that fuck up the measurements? I smacked my forehead when I thought about it.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" I repeated. Helpless, I walked out of the store and went to buy the other stuff I needed. The books were all written down on a sheet of parchment attached to the acceptance letter. So, I walked into the book store while holding the letter and started searching.

30 minutes later I walked out with a happy smile. I was able to buy everything which was good. Now I needed to buy some other stuff for school. After another 30 minutes, I arrived back at the clothing store and found Monet walking towards the lounge.

"Ah, Mr Knight. Just in time. I have your stuff ready." She said with a smile. but I couldn't help but grimace. When she saw that she frowned. "What is the problem?" she asked.

"Is there somewhere more private. This is slightly sensitive." I said vaguely with an awkward smile. Her frown intensified but she still nodded. "Yes, follow me to my office." She said.

An: image of what the uniforms look like is in the chapter comments!