Gemma Farley { PR Manager, Holyhead Harpies } (gemmafarley) wrote in quidditchprose, @ 2014-03-30 16:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | gemma farley, mei chang |
Who: Mei Chang and Gemma Farley
What: Most embarrassing moment -- for the weekly prompt challenge
Where: Diagon Alley
When: Backdated to March 25th
Rating: Low
Status: Complete
Gemma rarely had a free moment to herself these days, but there was a good week when, even though the teams were still flying, at least there was less to do for her role. She looked forward to these breaks, having perfected a routine to make sure she made the most of them, and the Tuesdays of bye weeks were reserved for shopping. There were more than a few other places to go, of course, outside of Diagon Alley, especially with the recent trends in Muggle-inspired clothing at the Quidditch galas lately. But Gemma had long been a big fan of Madam Malkin's, and she had a few pieces that Gemma wanted to check out. Mei was going to run just one quick errand before she returned to the office and went about the rest of her business. She had many other things on her plate, but she'd been meaning to do this at the start of the year and it had never seemed to just happen, so cutting some time in the middle of the day seemed to be her best bet. Once she arrived at Diagon Alley, though, it seemed like suddenly there were so many other things that needed doing, while she was already there. After picking up the supplies she needed from Slug and Jigger's, she contemplated popping into Madam Malkin's for a look at what was available. There were always galas to go to, a seemingly endless plethora of events that needed attending. She paused for a moment, standing outside its doors, then opted to check out Flourish and Blotts first. Gemma was already in the middle of her fourth or fifth fitting. She couldn't really remember how many there'd been, and clothes had always been a weakness with her. She just absolutely loved trying on a variety of different styles and colours-- even though she couldn't purchase them all, at the very least she could see how they'd look on her. “Oh, yes, dear, that colour looks wonderful on you,” Madam Malkin fussed. They were by the front of the shop, where Madam Malkin liked to display her customers trying their robes out, pinning and re-pinning areas that needed it while Gemma tried on a deep purple robe. It was cut low for a robe and draped for inches behind her-- dramatic, but not quite her style. Gemma smiled graciously. “Thank you,” she said, moving around to see how the cut of the dress suited her body. Madam Malkin was lovely, of course, but she was also going to want to sell her dresses. With her errands all finally done, save for the last, Mei headed to Madam Malkin’s to see what they had to offer. The door tinkled her arrival when she stepped through, and apparently in the middle of what looked like a fitting. “I’ll be over to help in a moment, dear,” Madam Malkin called out. Mei glanced at the woman she was fitting, and shook her head. “It’s alright,” she said. “I’m just looking around.” It was Gemma’s job to know everyone in the BIL, both those who mattered and those who didn’t, because someday they might, or they might talk to those who did. Thus when Mei Chang walked in the door, Gemma knew immediately who she was, even if Mei might not have recognised her immediately. They’d met at a gala a while ago, and Gemma remembered her being very focused on Quidditch. “Hello, Mei,” she said in greeting. “It’s Gemma, and please, don’t let me stop you from getting attended to. I’m only trying this on.” At first look the witch hadn’t looked familiar at all, but when she turned around completely Mei recognised her at once. “Oh, don’t worry, I really am just looking around,” she said, waving off Gemma’s offer and attempting to step around her and Madam Malkin, who had moved from her place and looked as though she was going to follow Gemma’s lead and follow Mei around. That hadn’t been Mei’s idea of ‘browsing’ through the store. “Those robes do look very lovely on you, though." “Please, I insist,” Gemma said, stepping off the platform where she stood, and several things happened at once. When she stepped off, she hadn’t noticed that Mei had, in her maneuvering, placed a foot on the train of her dress, and that in moving away from her, Madam Malkin had taken with her a very important pin that fastened the robes around her shoulder. Those stayed together, but when Gemma stepped away from Mei, Mei’s foot kept the dress in one spot, and as Gemma moved she found the dress moving not with her. “Oh!”she cried out, for the robes’ low-cut nature hadn’t required her to wear a brassiere during the fitting, her hands moving immediately around her top to cover her chest. “Oh my god!” Mei was quick with her wand, drawing the curtains of Madam Malkin’s wide open windows shut before she hurried over, tugging the rest of the dress with her and draping it around Gemma’s shoulders. “I am so sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I didn’t realise--" Gemma was bright red from embarrassment. They were only all women, of course, but did they see? Had she accidentally flashed the manager of Portree? “It’s fine,” she assured her. “I’m fine. It was just an accident.” Even as she said it, she couldn’t help feeling she would not stop feeling mortified for days after. “Nonsense, I am at fault here,” Mei said. “I should have looked where I was stepping.” She re-pinned the robes where it should have been put together, and gave Gemma a sheepish glance. “And I insist on making this up to you,” she said. “Coffee? Can I get you these robes?” Gemma shook her head. “Really, it’s fine,” she said. She didn’t think coffee with the person who’d seen her breasts was all that comforting a thought, but it was better than having that person buy her a dress that cost hundreds of galleons. And it didn’t seem like Mei would let go easily. “Coffee,” she said. “Coffee would be fine." |