I should know you..

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.

"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.

"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."