Camden Market, London
Muggle Studies Runaways

Sasha was in for a treat, or at least Gale thought so. It was the boy's birthday, and after ditching the rest of the Muggle Studies class he knew exactly where to take him. The air was cold, but the instant they stepped out onto the streets the warmth from the sea of bodies was enough to ignite the sun. The electricity in the air enough to start a thousand fires, but it was the blast of music that swelled through the streets like a force of nature. He felt home. Everything in him wanted to bounce right in the midst of all the wild spiked hair and tattooed figures that were as much his family as anyone else in the world.

Nightingale, had grown up in the midst of thieves, sweltering fools who juggled their lives like clowns and terrorized the night with like every other fearful creature, but they were his--they were his own. Here, their children worked as ink artists and steel workers. Here they sold false leather goods with enough metal studs to kill a man, and here they turned tricks into theatrics.

Every city had a hub for his kind, a network of places where muggles could mix with his own, where the magic that ran the streets didn't come from any wand or poor parlor trick. Here it came simply from being different enough to fit in, and no one casting a judgmental eye. Tourists flocked to the market, but even they somehow just worked inside the various vendors and helped create the illusion of something more.

Artists of every sort lined up the walkways with signs that stretched like billboards. Shops were small and crowded, but it was the sky that had always been the limit. Every new sign had something more elebrat than the last. From robots to nose rings, tattoos to wild clothes this place had it all.

"Boy wouldn't they have a fit if I brought you back with an eye brow ring," Gale smiled up at the sign with the steel rings, and laughing as he imagined Sasha with one. He in all his posh and perfect clothes, yet totally sporting a silver ring through a perfectly manicured brow.

"Maybe we can start small with a butterfly on your ankle?" He motioned to the tattoo parlor not too far, and looked around for the blonde that Sasha was so fond of,

"Is she going to meet us here?" Of course pretending to look for Abby he could in fact look for his sweetheart, who he was going barrel down and kiss a thousand times before Chaz had the chance to even say hello.

The Ravenclaw had grown up not far from the outskirts of London and was, of course, familiar with most of the areas of the city, including Camden Market.  At least by reputation even if not by personal experience.  It was the type of place Jacoba would disappear to for hours, or days, on end.  And, it was the type of place his step-father had deemed the dregs of society and not an appropriate destination for anyone who preferred to maintain a solid, respectable reputation.  The regularity with which Jacoba disappeared into such areas of London meant Gerhard Schlagenweit had had no shortage of opportunities to comment on the market. 

Again, Sasha didn't have a lot of personal experience with Camden Market.  He'd only heard an abundance of stories about futures lost to drugs, wallets lost to pick pockets and innocences lost to any number of brutal vices.  The Ravenclaw couldn't help looking just a tad bit nervous and out of places as he trailed behind Professor Kesali in his well-tailored blazer, his right hand firmly gripping the wallet in his right pocket. 

Why, exactly, hadn't they taken the opportunity to go to the London Science Museum?  Or, take the opportunity to duck into Neiman Marcus?

"Boy wouldn't they have a fit if I brought you back with an eye brow ring."

"Eye...I...what?"  Sasha blinked and glanced up towards the Charms professor.  The man wasn't serious, was he?  He followed the man's line of sight to the sign with the steel rings and quickly shook his head.  He would be quite happy finding a far more ... symbolic way to remember his coming of age.  A random and entirely asymmetrical single loop of metal around one eyebrow wasn't quite what he had in mind.  And, though he had a fairly high threshold for pain tolerance, "that sounds painful." 

He had to assume the professor was not being serious.  The Ravenclaw pulled his phone from his pocket and checked it for any messages.  "By the door to the Electric Ballroom," Sasha confirmed.  The night club had been the one landmark in Camden Market that Sasha remembered from Jacoba's tales of adventure and google maps had confirmed it was conveniently close to the Tube station.  Luckily, it was too early in the day for the night club to prove tempting to Abby for more highly excitable reason.  Or, presumably, Professor Kesali.  "I imagine she won't be much longer." 

"Do you come here often?  It seems very ... chic."  Or something like that.

As Abby navigated through the throng of people milling about Camden Market, she felt a little out of place in her black and white striped dress, warm tights, and short cloak, but it was a good out of place. About the only thing that fit in with the crowd was her curling, bouncy hair that she’d let spill out over her shoulders. This area was fascinating! It made her want stuff. Like piercings. And tattoos. And flannel and leather and lots of loud music to annoy her sister with.

Plans? What plans? They must have known she’d been at home this Sunday, moping about not being able to see Sasha on his birthday, even though she’d just seen him last weekend and given him a bunch of gifts then to make up for it. He was finally seventeen! Time for him to meet the nightlife! Maybe not today, but soon.

Abby paused by the door of the Electric Ballroom, standing on her tiptoes every so often to look over the hair spikes. When she spotted the one person in the crowd with perfectly aligned posture, Abby called his name and weaved through everyone, throwing her arms around Sasha when she caught up.

"Happy Birthday!" She planted a kiss on his cheek, pulling back after a moment and tugging gently on the lapels of his blazer. "Oh look, another sharp jacket!"

Abby grinned, then glanced at the professor, her eyes widening. She’d seen him when she’d seen Sasha. But now she saw him, and he looked like he'd walked right out of The Merking and Red Hook tales she’d read as a child.

"I’m Abby. You must be Professor Kesali," Abby said warmly. "I've heard so much about you." She patted Sasha's arm as if Sasha had been the source of her information. He'd been a sliver of it. The rest had come from her sister’s mostly incomprehensible dark mutterings, though Abby hadn’t heard anything about him lately, and was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. Plus, he was Sasha's professor and Sasha probably wouldn't be out here with him if he didn't want to be.

Scratch that – Sasha probably wouldn’t have invited her here if he didn’t trust him.

The soft rasp of pencil on paper was the only noise out of millions that registered in Chaz's mind.  His eyes were focused on the lines, shade and shadow he was forming.  This wasn't the first time he'd been to Camden Market.  He enjoyed the rich muggle atmosphere, all the life going on here.  It was scratched and painted into the very walls here and he appreciated that in a visceral way.  It was a struggle to represent all of this in a drawing but it was a challenge he relished.  Practice, he considered it.  One day there would be young artists and architects standing outside one of his designs trying to capture the life on paper.

Taking a break from his sketching, he stretched out his stiff fingers.  The cold was not kind to his bare skin but he loathed sketching with gloves on.  It was with an idle glance that he checked his watch for the time but the moment he caught sight of the accusing "You're late!" flashing on the face he shot up to his feet.  His pencil clattered to the ground as it was suddenly upset.  He snatched it up and shoved it into his bag with the sketchbook.  The bag thumped against his thigh as he hitched it up and moved into the moving crowd.

Dammit, he'd told Gale he'd meet him here and now he was going to be late, leaving his lover standing there waiting.  He cringed with guilt.  It was a rare and wonderful opportunity to see one another during the week and it was so important to Chaz that he'd taken the whole day off of work just to come out and see Gale.  Their relationship suffered from so much time apart.  Other things suffered as well but Chaz chided himself not to get his hopes up.  Gale's letter had been... well, inspired but they were out in public and this wouldn't amount to that much he was certain. 

Finally he saw a glimmer of silver hair and caught sight of Gale fully.  In a tizzy from his rush down the street, he grinned at Gale and wrapped an arm around his shoulders before placing a loving kiss on his lips.  "Sorry I'm late," he apologized with a rueful smile.  "You know how I get when I start drawing."

"I do come here often, and always have. It was a great source of information during the war, half the people here are wizards just living along the muggle world, so don't feel afraid, alright? No matter what you see," He ran his hand back through his hair, and tightened the strap on his eye patch, not wanting to freak Sasha's date out right away. Lord she was a pretty thing, and her arrival brightened up the entire block. He could see what Sasha saw in her, and he wondered if she realized what a catch she had there as well.

"Good afternoon, Miss Reid, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Maker was she really related to Aileen? Gale almost asked her instantly about her sister was it? He wanted to quickly know their relationship and perhaps warn her of the frigid evil little...oh he was kissed...

"You know how I get when I start drawing."

Chaz came out of no where, and instantly stole Gale's attention. He was good at that. Kisses came easy, and beneath the heavy arm of his lover he excused himself from the pair a moment to climb Chaz like a tree. Wrapping his arms and legs around his lover he laughed, happy to see him. Excited and at ease, his entire being lit up. his face hurt from smiling already, and his stomach tightened with the bit of laughter.

"Hi baby, can it be the weekend yet?" He whispered along the line of Chester's neck placing a kiss with every word, but when he slipped down out of his arms he looked at him with a little mischief there in his gaze, "Want to meet one of my students? Chaz, this is Sasha one of my most prized pupils, and his friend Abby. Sasha...Abby...this is my better half. Chester."

God it felt so good to say that, and out in public too!

Sasha blinked.  Did Professor Kesali really think Sasha was worried about whether or not there were wizards in the vicinity?  There was plenty Sasha had to be afraid of.  Being surrounded by muggles - normal, cultured muggles, at least - wasn't one of them.  Granted, the Charms professor didn't know him that well but it seemed even complete strangers were familiar with his affinity for both the magical and mundane.  Hadn't the man walked in on him and Professor Trishna neck deep in Astronomy?  Real, true, physics equations involving ellipses and orbits Astronomy?

For a moment, the Ravenclaw's brow wrinkled pensively as he considered how to politely explain that it wasn't the magical aspect of the market's demographics that he was worried about.  An admittedly lame "That's not-" was all could manage before he heard his name over the shifting crowd. 

"Allo.  Danke."  Sasha grinned, broadly, returning the embrace.  "And, you look beautiful as always."  Especially in the company of professors, such polite interactions didn't seem too far outside the limits of decorum.  If there was such a thing in this part of town.  Not surprisingly, Abby greeted the professor quickly and with her usual enthusiasm and if any of Professor Reid's criticisms of Professor Kesali had reached Abby's ears, Abby deftly kept any hint of it hidden. 

They were joined, shortly, by Professor Kesali's friend.  Good friend.  Or ... something of a nature that brought the question of decorum once more to the forefront.  Perhaps leaving his flashcards at school had been a mistake.  As Professor Kesali and his friend ... greeted each other, Sasha dropped his gaze to his hands.  And, then to the sign over the tattoo parlor's door.  Then to Abby despite immediately knowing that'd be a mistake.  Any blush that was creeping onto his features was immediately intensified by the inevitable delight or humor or...whatever reaction the squib was bound to have. 

Only years of etiquette training allowed the Ravenclaw to possess any degree of composure when Professor Kesali untangled himself from his ... friend ... to introduce them.  "It's a privilege, sir," Sasha said as he extended a hand to Chester.  "Professor Kesali exaggerates some, but I am one of his NEWT students.  You live here in Camden, sir?"