Swirling [Open]

The bright sky overhead cast shadows along the ground. Aoen strolled through the streets, peering into shop windows as she walked. Her arms were filled with her supplied for school. She had completed her school list, and she still had some money left over for "fun" spending. Her hair blew around her slightly as the wind wafted through the street. Oi vey. I should have thought to get a room at the Leaky Cauldron. This stuff is heavy and doesn't leave me much room to buy other things.

The small 6th year trudged her way through the town. She stopped outside the broomstick store and gazed inside. She had never been a fan of riding a broom, nor of the Quidditch sport witches and wizards favored so much. She wrinkled her nose in distaste and continued on. She thought of perhaps stopped for some ice cream, an easy excuse to fill her rumbling stomach and to set her wares down. Deciding that was a wonderful idea, Aoen turned herself around and headed for the parlor; her small frame weighing down with her purchases.

Was summer really almost over? The athletic brunette sighed to herself. Summers always went by too fast and school always started way too early. It wasn’t that she disliked school—her grades were good, she did well in most classes and she had a good group of friend—but lazy warm days and being able to do whatever she pleased was just so intoxicating that Romilda never wanted summer vacations to end.

After spending the better part of the summer with her mother’s family in Italy, Romilda happily showed off her toned tan stomach off slightly in a brightly colored crop top and white high waisted shorts. She loved this outfit and how good she looked in it so much that whenever she passed a shop window with a good reflection, she would admire herself for a few moments before happily continuing on her path along Diagon Alley.

With her school shopping completed a few days prior, she and her family came down to spend the day in London, but Romilda had an itching to do a little more shopping. Leaving her parents at an upscale café, the young Italian girl wandered over to the wizarding shopping center, a good amount of daddy’s money in her purse. She told him she was just going to get a “few” extras for school—new dress robes, nicer quills, colored ink etc. He always gave her more than enough for whatever she wanted, so she decided to treat herself with an ice cream.

Although normally a health conscience girl, she knew that her body was in top shape and she could splurge a little. When reaching the counter, Romilda order a vanilla and coffee flavored combo ice cream. After taking her first few licks, Romilda noticed a blonde girl. She was a year younger than the brunette and although they hadn’t ever conversed much in the past, Romilda walked up confidently to the younger student.

“Hey Aeon,” Romilda said happily. Noticing the girls large amount of bag Romilda jokingly asked “Doing a little shopping, today?” She motioned for the girl to follow to one of the black iron table and chairs set up near the ice cream parlor. “Here you can sit with me if you want, I’m bored of shopping right now anyway.”

Aoen looked at the list of various ice creams with joy and much temptation. She didn't want to over do it and get a bit of everything, as she was so inclined to do with her stomach so empty. She heard a voice calling to her and smiled when she spied a fellow student, though not one of her year or house.

"Hey, Ro. I'd love to join you. I think if I stack all my bags, one on top of the other, they will be taller than me."

She chuckled slightly and followed the Gryff to a table and dropped her bags to the ground next to the chair she, herself dropped into. Her arms felt immensely better now that the weight was off of them. Aoen knew the bags shouldn't have caused her so much trouble, if only she had listened to her parents and exorcised more. Then perhaps, she might be able to lift something heavier than a small watermelon.

"Bored of shopping? Have you gotten everything for the new term? I had a late start on things, but I think I finally finished my list."

A small laugh fell out of Romilda’s mouth and she rolled her eyes jokingly. “Maybe,” she giggled. “You sure are buying a lot.” Romilda blinked at the large amount of bag, swearing she didn’t even buy half as many books and supplies on her shopping trip a few days ago. Even looking down at the two bags she was carrying of her “extra necessities,” she didn’t think she had even half as much stuff put together as Aeon had now.

As she sat down in the table, Romilda crossed her legs nonchalantly and casually (and somewhat carelessly) dropped her bags by her feet. Leaning forward towards the younger girl, Romi ate a little more her ice cream, careful to not get any on the corners of her mouth. “Hmm,” Romilda asked, distracted by trying to eat slowly melting stick diary carefully.

“Oh, me?” she giggled. “Bored of shopping? Do you know me at all?” She laughed a little realizing that her sarcastic comment of being bored must have sounded a little more literal than she intended. “Um,” she mumbling between swallowing another chunk of ice cream. “Yeah, I actually did the bulk of it earlier this week. Just buying extras now.” She motioned to the bags by her feet with a nod of her head.

Realizing this was as good as time as any to brag about her summer, Romilda gave a casual flip of her long brown hair of her shoulder and leaned a little closer over the table. “I actually got a late start, too,” Romilda said with a half smile on her face. “See, I spent most of the summer—up until last week, in fact—in Tuscany. That’s in Italy, you know? My mom’s from there so I was visiting family.” Rolling up the sleeve of her pink cardigan, Romilda showed Aeon her deeply tanned arm. “Where I got this piece of summer wardrobe from.”

“So,” Romilda continued pulling her arm back and slouching back into her seat slightly. “What have you gotten up to over the summer? Anything fun?”

Al smiled and gazed longingly at the girls tanned shape and fashionable clothing. Al had never managed to tan; always being, as her mother said, three shades darker than a ghost. She also never had enough money to buy just nice clothes. Her own were well worn and out of date. The shirt she was wearing now was from her mothers closet; a simple baby blue tank top that had tiny roses embroidered on it. Her jean shorts were her own, but faded from so much use.

"That's really cool. I've never been anywhere fun. London, sure, but I'm not sure that counts much, being from around here."

She sighed inwardly and looked around at the people doing their shopping, then to her own bags that were haphazardly placed at her feet.

"I got all my school things from the list, and a few extras for classes. I also got this wonderful book on healing spells, charms and potions for my mum. She works at an apothecary and is a tad outdated on such things. I figured I'd give it to her for her birthday next month."

Romilda gave a small uncomfortable squirm in her seat. Aoen’s response made it clear to Romilda that the girl didn’t get out of England much and here Romilda sat bragging about her international adventures. Usually bragging gave the seventeen year old and sense of accomplishment, but looking over the younger blonde’s faded and out of date clothing, Romilda actually felt a little bad.

“I mean,” Romilda began happily, not showing how awkward she felt for a moment. “Personally, I love London. I don’t think there’s another city I’d really want to live in. Maybe just replace the weather with a few more sunny skies, but…” She trailed off with a happy shrug. It was a little lie—Romilda would love to live in Florence one day, but she didn’t want to make the other girl feel bad again.

“Wow, that’s so cool,” Romilda said, eyes lighting up in regards to Aoen’s mom. “Like a little hippie!” She gave a large sincere smile to the younger Ravenclaw. “And that’s so sweet of you, really personal!”

Taking another lick of her almost finished ice cream, Romilda motioned to her bags excitedly. “Ohhh, let me show you what I got!” Reaching down to the first bag with one hand Romilda pulled out a few ink wells. “All different colors—pink, light blue and purple and then this one—“ she motioned to the fourth one—“writes in the color of my mood. It’s got a list somewhere what color means what mood, but it’s lost in the bag.”

Forgetting that just moments before she was bragging and feeling bad about showing off, she carelessly put the ink wells back in their bag and reached for the second bag. “Also,” she began pulling out the sleeves of two dress robes. “I got these gems for winter ball.” She showed the one sleeve—hot pink with shimmer overly throughout, and the other sleeve, icy blue with a pale silver lace overlay that looked like snowflakes. “I’m not sure which one I’ll wear yet but—“

Romilda’s large brown eyes took in the girl’s clothing again, obviously not updated in a while. She calmed down for a moment and then smiled at the girl. “I think I’ll wear the pink one, warm colors usually go better with my skin tone. But—“ Romilda pulled up the sleeve of the blue one close to the girls face before pulling it away. “If I decide not to wear this blue one, you can borrow it if you don’t find something better!”

Aoen smiled and eyed the ink bottles with deep interest before they were dashed away. She loved the various shades they came in, but never thought to buy anything so extravagant. She often preferred to stick with the traditional black for her school work, but other colors would be fun for letters and notes. She made a mental know to buy some before she headed home. Aoen then looked at the dress robes that Romi had pulled out and her eyes widened.

"Oh wow, those are so pretty!"

She look at her bags and frowned.

"I knew I was forgetting something! It was on the list and I missed it. Now I'll have to go back. I can't start the new term without dress robes for the winter ball."

Aoen remembered the lime green robes she had seen in the display at Madam Malkins, then cringed inwardly. She was sure she could find something else suitable there, or else look somewhere else in the alley. Aoen loved pink, and thought Romi's pink one was stunning and would look lovely on the tan young woman, though she herself usually stuck with a softer pink.

"I appreciate that. But I think I have enough for a dress robe. Would you like to help me find a decent one? Once you've finished your ice cream that is. I don't think the shop keepers would appreciate food in their stores."

“Aren’t they cool?” Romilda said with a girlish giggle and large smile. The extra inks were probably her best investment. She was most excited to use the mood color changer ink as she always wondered if those things were accurate or just a cheap trick like the muggle mood rings Romilda would buy when she was younger. Those didn’t take long to figure out that they changed colors determined by body heat. Romilda looked down at the ink well curiously for a moment, figuring that there was no way an ink well could read body heat. The tan brunette thought that she would have to try it out quick before she left for school just as a curiosity matter.

Romilda’s eyes got large and her smile widened as she let out a girlish giggle. “Oh, I know, right,” she exclaimed in an excited voice of someone who’s done too much shopping. The talkative teen nearly cut the other one off with her next statement. “Oh for sure,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I never wear the same dress robe twice. Like I only get a chance to wear it once during the year, obviously everyone is going to remember if I try to wear it again and—how embarrassing, right?”

The brunette knew she sounded conceited, but she didn’t care all that much. Romilda took great pride in her looks, body and clothing and nearly everyone who had ever met her knew that. She was meticulous in her face and body, why not be as meticulous with her wardrobe? The only time Romilda would repeat outfits is if she knew she was going somewhere where no one from the previous time she wore the outfit would be there. As such, her closets at home were overstuffed with clothing items that Romi barely wore, but refused to part with.

“Oh,” Romilda replied, slightly disappointed. It would have made her feel good to do something nice and Aoen dampened for her. However, her mood was quickly lifted. “Well, of course I’ll help you,” the girly brunette replied excitedly in almost too loud of a tone. “If there’s one thing I love nearly almost much as shopping for myself, it’s helping other people find outfits!” That much was true, too. Romilda loved to spoil herself, but she loved to play dress up and designer for other girls. The seventeen year old knew she had good taste, why not share it with others?

Ice cream? Romilda almost forgot about the now rapidly dripping treat in her hand. Quickly taking another quick bite off what was left of the top, Romilda gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m done,” she stated simply. There was still a good bit of her ice cream left and although Romilda’s sweet tooth wanted more, she could feel all the ice cream she ate in her stomach and she immediately thought of the calories she would have to run off later. She stood up quickly and threw the rest of her ice cream away and wiped her hands clean.

“I’m ready to go when you are,” Romi said with a casual shrug.