I should know you..

Zoe actually really liked Diagon Alley. It was an odd place to like for someone who usually spent so much time by herself. But she liked it here. It was open, busy, and people didn't really stop to look at you. She found that sometimes the best places to go were the most crowded, because no one looked at you in a crowd. They were all to busy, if you went down a street alone, that was deserted, well if anyone was there, they would immediately see you, but if you were in a crowd, no one paid attention.

Today Zoe was by herself, walking along as usual, paying only the smallest of attention to the windows she passed. She was merely strolling, with no real purpose to her stride for the first time in a very long time. Normally she had somewhere to go, but today, not so much. Not having any family of her own, Zoe could go where she wanted to, do what she wanted to, and have time to herself if she wanted to. Sure the apartment got a little.. lonely sometimes, but if that happened she just had to go outside and feel not so lonely anymore. Zoe took a deep breath, and strolled down the street, finally stopping in front of the Madam Malkins, looking at a beautiful traveling cloak, it was pale, and had almost a shine to it, but looked as though it were rippling, like water, sitting there without any wind, it moved. She was taken, and she opened the door quickly, wanting that traveling cloak.

Brian had insisted she take some time away this morning from her duties. She'd lost track of when she'd had time off last for much of any reason. But this morning, he had insisted. He'd made an excuse. He'd had Angus make a batch of apricot scones and had her deliver some to her mother at Madam Malkins--and he'd told her not to come back until she had some clothes for herself in smaller sizes. It was an old story. When she overworked, her reaction to the stress was that she lost her appetite. She had stopped eating. Her clothes were too big. Brian was tired of one of the two of them having to resize everything she wore.

She had tried on some teeny tiny skinny jeans. They fit but they were too short for her long legs. Her mother flicked her wand to lengthen the jeans. Khaat was frustrated.

"They're better than what you wore in here," Kate Lupin told her daughter. "I'll order some longer ones next time." Kate took several pair of pants off the racks for Khaat and set them aside. "Now--go get some shirts." Khaat saw another woman come in--someone she'd seen at the ministry. The woman seemed to be fascinated with a cloak in the window. She had noticed it, but cloaks weren't her style. She only wore wizard styles if she had no choice. She prefered muggle fashions. "I'll just browse a bit," Khaat told her mother.

She went to the summer styles to look at the beautiful gauze tops, skirts and dresses. Now those made her smile. And they appeared to be in her new, temporary, smaller size. She stifled a laugh, thinking about how fun it would be to try to max out Brian's credit card. He had, after all, told her not to come home without a summer wardrobe that actually fit.

Oh, she thought, and of course that was going to have to include some amazing shoes. Brian sometimes didn't understand that for khaat it was all about the shoes.

Zoe glanced up when she entered the store and saw Khaat Lupin. Of course Zoe knew the woman, she was pretty high up on the food chain, well, the chain of command, and Zoe immediately could smell opportunity wafting from the woman. She appeared to be trying on muggle clothing, which was odd, for Zoe would have thought the woman would have worn more wizarding stuff, specially because of her status, but apparently that wasn't so. In fact it was far from the truth, she was trying on clothes, and seemed to be friends with the shop keeper.

Zoe went to the rack that held the traveling cloak, and she touched the fabric, the whole rack was waving slightly, the colors undulating and moving with the fabric, making it appear to always be in motion. Zoe smiled and turned to look at the woman who owned the store. "Excuse me." She said politely. "I was wondering, but with this cloak, does the spell placed on it wear off quickly? Would I need to make stops in here to fix it up again, or is the spell put into the fabric itself while it was being sewn?" She asked, trying to sound as polite as possible, if merely just for the sake of Khaat Lupin being in the room.

"The spell is a permanent part of the fabric," Kate said, going over to the new customer. "Part of the making of the fabric. It also seems to improve the wearability of it, its resistance to stains and seems to lengthen the life of the fabric. Its made by a family that has been making various sorts of designer cloaks for hundreds of years. The only place you can buy them in Britain is here. "

Khaat was only half listening to the conversation because she was looking at an ice blue gauze maxi dress. She liked its design.

"Not your color, Dear," her mother said, automatically in tune with Khaat's seers' energies. She didn't even have to look back at her daughter to know that what she had in her hand wasn't right for her. "Try the chocolate brown." Khaat didn't think twice either. She put the ice blue back and picked up the brown to see if, indeed, she liked it better. "Oh, and Brian said you tore your own cloak when you were out last with it. Come choose a new one. We'll put it on your father's charge."

Khaat put the brown dress back and turned and went to the racks of all sorts and styles of cloaks. Of course Brian and her mother were right. One could hardly go without owning a decent cloak, even if they didn't wear it much. It was one of those necessities that made her want to groan and whine. It was almost like buying underwear--a completely unexciting uninviting necessity that was better off done quickly. And if it were going on her father's charge, buying just the cheapest thing on the cheapest rack would not be something he would tolerate. Besides that, even if she had done that, Brian would very likely bring it back without her consent and choose something different. She needed to just 'suck it up' and deal.

"Hello," she spoke politely to the woman. She began looking at a rack of summer weight cloaks, but they didnt really interest her. She couldn't see herself buying one. She was considering perhaps just another shawl instead. She loved shawls, all shapes, all colors, all fabrics--and the bigger the better. Now, that was interesting. She looked up at a large shelf of gorgeous shawls.

"A shawl is not a cloak," her mother laughed. Khaat laughed. Busted. She couldn't avoid it forever. Two seers trying to outfox each other just never worked anyway.

"Do you see anything you like?" Khaat asked, making small talk with the other woman who was browsing the cloaks.

Zoe watched Khaat struggle with buying cloaks, and she frowned slightly. Cloaks were definitely her favorite thing to wear, she loved looking at all the styles, and wearing them was just fun, Zoe didn't feel complete unless she had a cloak swishing at her heels. To watch Khaat struggle with it was slightly amusing. Zoe felt the material in her fingers, and pulled off a cloak in her size, one that would just lightly tap the back of her heels, and would fit right around her shoulders and neck. She pulled off her own cloak, and tried on the new one, taking a few steps forward.

Zoe frowned slightly, put that one back, and pulled off another that was slightly smaller, the last one was longer than she had originally thought and almost tripped her. So Zoe pulled this one on, took a step, and then nodded, smiling, she flung it over her arm. Slowly, she looked at Khaat. "Why don't you try one of these.." she said politely, pointing at the one she had just picked up. "It would look great with your hair I'm sure.. and it's very fun.." She said and then held up the one she had found that fit well. "I'd like to get this one please." She said lightly to Kate.

"That's a wonderful choice," Kate said. "And it looks stunning on you. You're one of the first in Britain to own one thats made of that fabric." She took the cloak to ring it up for her.

"Okay," Khaat said, feeling like she had nothing to lose. She picked up the cloak the woman suggested and tried it on. Khaat was amazed at how the cloak seemed to form to her. The fabric was like nothing she'd ever worn. And as it seemed to flow around her, the cloak looked, somehow like it was a curling wisp of dark smoke. It looked like the smoke was actually moving. She stepped over to the mirror and looked. It would definitely be harder for anyone to see her at night--if she actually wore it. It was the first time she had ever actually liked a cloak.

"I never would have even noticed this one," Khaat told the woman. "I can't believe I actually like it."

"Well, there is a first time for everything" Kate laughed. "Nice choice."

"Thank you," Khaat said to her fellow shopper. "I know I've seen you before, but I'm sorry--I can't place a name with your face."

Zoe's eyes scanned over the other woman for a moment as she tried on the cloak, and she was instantly jealous. Zoe was a bit on the darker side, darker hair, darker skin, while this woman.. light, airy.. beautiful. She paid for her cloak, and turned to Khaat after that was done, the cloak over her arm gently. "I am Zoe Gould, currently the Warden of Azkaban Mrs. Lupin." Zoe said, bowing her head to her slightly. "I recognized you of course.. from your status.. but did not want to appear rude.." She said smiling at the cloak that formed so perfectly to the other woman. It made Zoe look even more dark and mysterious, while it made Khaat look almost dangerous, instead of mysterious, it gave her a look of someone not to mess with. Zoe didn't like that.

"I do not mean to sound strange, but I must say you look very nice in that cloak. It fits you very well, I'm surprised you sound as though you do not wear cloaks more.. they are very becoming on you.." Zoe smiled at the other woman, her features lighting up ever so slightly, but she still had an odd look to her eyes, so she looked away, around the shop. "I do not mean to keep your time... I will be on my way." She said gently, her eyes moving to look at the door.