A Stitch In Time
Written for:
A Drabble a day keeps the doctor away challengeby Bamberrr.x.
The Worlds Challenge by TrisanaChandler13 – Dragon Slippers – Write about Madam Malkin's.
Character: Alicia Spinnet.
Alicia Spinnet paused outside Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. A notice pinned to the large clear window caught her eye. WANTED: Designers for all forms of witch and wizardwear, it said. Applicants with a background in fashion design or art preferred. Must be able to work exclusively for us. Apply within for spot-interviews. Immediate hire. Alicia considered the notice for a moment, nibbling her lower lip as she reread it, then exhaled, shrugged her shoulders, pushed open the door and stepped inside.
A bell jangled in the depths of the shop as she stepped over the threshold. A young witch in pale blue robes emerged from behind a behind a screen and stared at Alicia. "Yes?" she inquired coolly.
"I…I'm here for an interview for the position advertised in the window," Alicia answered; feeling slightly intimidated as she took in the other girl's raised eyebrow and turned-down lips.
"Wait here," Blue-robes said, and disappeared into the back of the shop. Alicia stared around the shop as she waited. She had come in every year to purchase her Hogwarts robes, but in the rush of finishing off here and going to buy the rest of the things on the booklists, she had never paid much attention to the surroundings. The shop was large and well-lit, and divided into sections according to the clothing it housed. Immediately past the entrance was the school section, with a low platform on which stood stools for the students to stand and be measured. Next was the Quidditch section, with racks of regular Quidditch robes, and those designed similarly to the kits of the various League teams. Beyond this area was the rest of the shop – ladies' and gentlemen's wear – but it was too far away for Alicia to see from where she stood.
She was brought out of her survey of the shop by the appearance of Madam Malkin – who had thankfully left Blue-robes behind – and smiled as the lady bustled towards her.
"Name?" asked Madam Malkin, looking Alicia up and down, a slight frown creasing her brows.
"Alicia Spinnet, Hogwarts, 1996,"Alicia smiled. Madam Malkin seemed pleased with what she saw, for she turned and led the way to a desk in the corner of the shop, and gestured Alicia to a seat in front of her.
"What is your experience with fashion, Miss. Spinnet?" Madam Malkin asked once Alicia was comfortably settled, and had filled out the form that was set down before her. "Do you have any training in this field?"
"I started at the Glasgow Witches' Institute of Fashion in 1997, a year after I left Hogwarts, and finished my training two years ago."
Madam Malkin raised an eyebrow and peered at Alicia rather severely over her spectacles. "The usual period of training is three years, young woman. Why did you take an extra year?"
"I came back to fight in the battle of Hogwarts, Madam. After that, I took a few months off to help Professor McGonagall refurbish the castle and get it ready for the next batch of students."
"Ah yes, indeed, indeed." Madam Malkin's eyes softened slightly the girl's answer. It had taken the better part of three months to set the building to rights, and even longer to organise admission for the next lot of students. The trust fund for students who could not afford equipment and clothing had all but vanished, so Madam Malkin had undertaken to provide school robes for such students free of charge until the fund could be rebuilt.
Madam Malkin then returned to the form Alicia had filled. "You have ten NEWTs; with excellent marks in Transfiguration, Charms and Ancient Runes, didn't you wish to join the Ministry at any point after you left Hogwarts?"
"Not at all," Alicia answered frankly. "I enjoyed the subjects, of course, but I what I really wanted to study was design." She hesitated, and then added, "I applied for a job at Madame Pierre's Boutique in Valros, just after graduation, but they said I lacked the necessary experience."
"Hmm…and what have you been doing with yourself these two years?"
"I've been working as a freelance fashion journalist, Madam. I also send in a few designs for owl-order businesses. It doesn't pay much, but it was enough to keep myself," she said honestly.
The corners of Madam Malkin's mouth twitched upwards in a slight smile at this. She had noticed the shabby shoes and much worn but well-kept casual robes Alicia was wearing. With a flick her wand, she summoned a white satin robe on a mannequin nearby, and held it out to Alicia. "Your design capabilities seem satisfactory, but skills of execution are just as necessary. Take this robe and this pattern, and let me see what you can do with it."
Alicia took the robe and the proffered design sheet, and stared at it for a few moments with a lowered brow. She then smiled, and with several wordless and complicated movements of her wand, charmed three swirls of blue and purple onto the robe, and added a pattern of black veined autumn leaves on the sleeves.
Madam Malkin looked duly impressed, and a true smile broke out on her face. "Well done, m'dear," she said genially, offering Alicia her hand. "The position is yours if you want it. You'd like to start right away, I suppose?"
Alicia murmured her thanks as she was led away in a flurry of lilac robes to the back of the shop, to where the racks and tables with party and formal robes were housed. Blue-robes gave a sniff and looked haughtily down her nose as Alicia joined her at her table, and Alicia felt her lips twitch upwards in a wry smile.
The other assistant – a tall young man with a smattering of freckles across his nose – caught the exchange and winked at Alicia, curling the tip of his nose in imitation of Blue-robes.
Alicia grinned at him before turning her attention to the flimsy muslin robes Madam Malkin thrust under her nose. Yes, thought Alicia as she began to work patterns on her cloth, it was not the glamorous career in a boutique she had envisioned, but it was not a bad start at all. In fact, she decided, it was rather good.
The first chapter of my other Harry Potter story, Esto Perpetua, is up now. If you like the Marauders, you might like to check it out :)