InsaneJournal

Shopping
Who: Bryony, Iris Capper [NPC] and Madame Lyonne [NPC] - solo thread
What: A traumatic shopping experience
Where: Madame Lyonne's Boutique, Surrey
When: July 9th, before this [backdated]
Rating: SFW. Unpleasantness warnings for Iris Capper, as always.
OOC: This was supposed to be part of a comment in the Marcus-Bryony-Roger thread but I got carried away. Thought I'd leave it here.

Apparating into the beautiful interior of Madame Lyonne's Boutique had come as something of an unpleasant surprise. Bryony had expected the other bridesmaids to be there too, with Shauna. When she'd asked why they were going alone the answer had neatly forecast exactly what kind of day it would be. Apparently, the matter of Bryony's robes for the wedding was too 'delicate' to share with Shauna's friends and would only upset Shauna if she had to be there to hear it.

Madame Lyonne had obviously been briefed in advance but when Bryony arrived she still clicked her teeth. "You understand," she said, her voice lightly accented. "I do not usually do robes in this size - but since it is for a special client, I will make the exception." There followed over an hour of standing in robes that, for all the designer's talk, were uncomfortably tight while pins and measuring tapes flew around her. "Perhaps if we add a sleeve her arms will not look so..." The designer trailed off and Iris nodded. "I really am very sorry. All these adjustments. It's just too bad."

Every new adjustment was greeted with a 'tsk' from Madame Lyonne and a wince from Iris until Bryony felt so enormous and unwieldy that she was convinced nothing would ever fit her. "And the hem?" Madame Lyonne asked. "How high are her shoes?" Bryony watched her mother's mouth purse and she gave a brief shake of her head. "Better not. Zacharias isn't particularly tall from what I remember." Madame Lyonne seemed about to give a sigh of dismay and Bryony felt a fleeting impulse to point out that she could have asked Marcus to come with her - and he'd have said yes. Iris got in first, though. "Of course, there are more important things than height. He has lovely manners, and a good family. It's wonderful of him to agree to come." Madame Lyonne murmured an agreement while she adjusted the mirror to reflect Bryony's hemline. "It will be a very nice event for him, I'm sure." Iris pursed her lips again. "It's not as if he knows anyone. I don't think he's even spoken two words to Shauna. He's doing it as a favour to me, really. The bride's sister could hardly come alone, think how people would talk!"

It wasn't as if Bryony had ever thought Zacharias had wanted to come, or considered it a 'date' of any kind - but somehow, in the moment it was simply the last straw. "I wouldn't have had to come alone if you'd just let me invite Mar-" The words weren't even out of her mouth before her mother had jerked her head around to face her. "Bryony." Her voice was sugar-sweet, but Bryony knew it was just an act. "What have we discussed? You really must stop fixating on someone so obviously inappropriate. It's not as if he ever actually proposed." After that, Bryony stopped listening. She didn't hear what her mother chose to say about Marcus, or what further tailoring was agreed upon or even what date was agreed for the second fitting. She just stood, trying not to cry, until finally she was ushered into a dressing room to change back into her own robes.

She tried to get out of the shop before her mother but Iris caught her just outside and grabbed her arm. "You impossible child," she hissed. "It wasn't enough that you ruined your sister's shopping trip and made me waste all this time on an extra appointment, you want to link our family name to Death Eaters? As if I would ever let that murderer come anywhere near Shauna's wedding." Iris dropped Bryony's elbow in obvious disgust. She was clearly about to say more when Madame Lyonne appeared in the doorway. "Madame Capper," she said, either ignorant of what had been passing or pretending to be. "You wished to pick up the veil, no? To take and show the hairstylist?" Iris immediately fixed a smile on her face and returned back to the boutique, leaving Bryony shaken on the street.