Saturday, December 6th Around 4:30 in the afternoon
(The Outfit though outside is a normal suit, no pinstripes)

It had been nearly two hours since she had arrived in the Room of Requirement.  The room was filled with all kinds of sewing items, as well as the things she’d brought up. Evie was nearly finished with her newest creation.  Almost everyone knew that the Pascal girl was into fashion.  What not everyone knew, was that she also made a lot of her own clothes.  Growing up spending a lot of time with her mother, who was an editor for Witch Weekly, had sparked the fashion bug in her. And she’d decided at an early age that she would be a fashion designer.

Now, she was working on men’s clothes.  Evie didn’t have too much experience in designing and sewing clothes for men, and decided it was time for her to start.  If she expected to take over the fashion world soon after graduating from Hogwarts, she would most definitely need to make men’s clothes as well.  And she thought she was doing well so far. She fit the outfit onto the mannequin and examined them. It was Evie’s opinion that they looked pretty amazing. Though she couldn’t help wishing she had some closer guy friends to try them on. There was always Fergie, though Evie was pretty sure this would be a little big for Fergie. As good as the Room of Requirement was at producing what was needed, it couldn’t really produce a live person.

She certainly had impressed herself.  Of course, she knew she could do it, just wasn’t sure how long it would take to finish it all. After a week, Evie was proud of what she had done.  Now, she took a seat and looked through some of the magazines she had. Not feeling like going down to her common room, or anywhere else quite yet, she decided to relax a little. Her sewing was always a way to distract her from other thoughts in her mind.  And being a teenage girl, she often had a lot running through her head. Then, a few minutes into her reading and looking, she heard a noise. She looked towards the door and saw the handle jiggle, wondering if the room would allow someone else to enter. Evie wouldn’t stop whoever, though, as some socialization would hopefully provide another good distraction.

Chance Ryker came striding on into the Requirement Room, allowing his deep, green eyes to wander around curiously. 

"So...where're ya hidin' th' house elves in yer sweatshop here, Evie?"

The 17 year old Irishman was joking, but it didn't take him long to see a lot of work had been going on in this room.  Chance drew nearer to the Slytherin student as he continued eying over her work.

"Clothin' th' naked mannequins of th' world...a truly noble, humanitarian effort.  No mannequin should be without!"

The outgoing young man smiled as he leaned on the mannequin with an uplifted arm.  Chance was barely ever wearing his wizarding robes, and had it slung over one shoulder.  He was actually wearing a Gryffindor sweater vest surprisingly, but the shoulders and neck were frayed and deepened.  His white dress shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, which exposed his thick, black, leather wristband with silver hooks that attached to chains leading down to his ebony and bocote wand which was always by his side.  His other wrist was bound by a few pieces of white, black, and gray strips of cloth which dangled somewhat freely.  His black dress slacks and black, leather shoes conformed mostly, with the exception that his slacks flared toward the bottom and were frayed.

Evie’s outfit

Evie couldn’t help but smile a little when she saw it was Chance Ryker who had entered. He definitely had an energy to him that was very outgoing and fun.  That and Evie might have a small crush on the older student.  And he definitely would be a good distraction for the girl, just as she’d asked for. The Room of Requirement sure did work in mysterious ways.

“Well, you know, I can’t let anyone else see them or else I might not get credit for the work.” Evie smiled as she said it. She surprised herself that she was returning his jokes. It wasn’t often the Pascal girl would be seen joking. Perhaps it was that she knew no one else was around but the two of them. She stood up and smiled at him.

“I’m glad you see the truth of my effort. And of course, I’m clothing them well. Or it’s because I have no one to try the clothes on, and I needed to see how they looked. Though it would have been better for a human model, but I’ll have to see it another time...” She then looked from the mannequin to the boy in front of her. Chance was about the right size for the suit. And the dark red would probably suit him well. The only question left, would be if Evie could get him to try it on.

“Unless... You wouldn’t want to help me out would you? I know we don’t know each other that well, Chance, but I think this is just your size. I think you would look quite handsome in it.” If it worked, it would be very good to see it on a human.  Though Evie wasn’t quite sure that Chance would, but it was worth a shot.

Chance liked feeling appreciated.  Whenever he saw someone smile because of him, it gave him a spurt of happiness.  Chance enjoyed not only being distracted from things like his studies, but he enjoyed distracting others from the stresses and disappointments that life often brought. 

"Well, we can't have that now can we?"

It was good to see Evie more relaxed.  She had quite a quick wit and playful banter was comforting.

"Even naked mannequins need friends."

Chance smiled and nodded as he listened to Evie's explanations.  However, it seemed the wheels had begun to turn in Evie's head...and then her train of thought was revealed!

"Ohhh...well that's fine.  You need me t'wear an awesome lookin' suit...I'll wear an' awesome lookin' suit."

Chance grinned and shrugged faintly, performing some mocking self praise.

"Ah well...when ya've got th' looks, ya've got th' looks, lass!"

ARGH!  Blast that Irish habit!  He had to get a tighter harness on that accent of his.

He was actually agreeing to try on the clothes! Evie was quite excited.  Of course... there was one problem. There wasn’t a dressing room for Chance. But then, upon her wishing for one, it appeared against the back, unoccupied wall of the room. Evie smiled and started carefully taking the articles of clothing off the mannequin.

“Unfortunately this mannequin will have to be without clothes for a little. And thank you so much. It’s a big help for me.” Evie said, finishing removing the clothes.

Handing the clothes over to Chance, she looked at the mannequin. “Poor fellow. But I think he’ll have to get over it. The dressing room is over there, and do let me know if you have any problems. And how it fits. And I promise I won’t look.”

Evie laughed a little and waited for him to get the clothes on. She was actually looking forward to seeing Chance in the suit. And she enjoyed acting a little like she was working in a shop.  Evie imagined it was her own store, furnished to her own liking, and filled with her fabulous clothes. And then, thinking about the clothes, she had a new idea.  She moved over to her table, as Chance was still in the dressing room, and began to sketch a new, sleek dress idea.

Evie lit up like a Christmas tree.  She may not have realized just how expressive her reaction was.  He grinned as she beamed.

"Well, we can at least..."

Chance reached to snatch a spare blanket which he draped over the mannequin.

"...improvise.  No need fer mannequin nudity, now izzer?"

The young Irishman hoped the suit fit, that would make matters easier for Evie and himself!  So Chance received the clothing and made his way into the dressing room at the back wall of the room.  Chance entered, closed the door, hanging the clothes over the door before undressing.  Mercy his Irish accent was really coming out today!

"Unless ya got hidden cameras or x-ray vision, m'not quite sure how y'll pull that off!"

It didn't take too long for Chance to get changed and emerge from the dressing room in the suit she'd crafted.  Chance was nodding with a grin as he looked it over.

"Wow...yer really, really good lass!  How long ya been doin' this anywho?"

Evie was surprising herself quite a bit. She didn’t think she had been this happy in quite a while. And to be honest with herself, she was enjoying it and glad to be happy.  Things with Callum had upset her, and she realized that he wasn’t really going to change.  Perhaps that’s why she found herself developing a bit of a crush on Chance. He was quite different from Callum, and Evie found that the Gryffindor was more worth her time. And Callum probably wouldn’t make jokes about clothing mannequins, or security cameras and x-ray vision.

“Well, I don’t have any of those, so you’re definitely good then.” Evie finished her sketch as Chance walked out. “Excuse me while I check how it fits.”

She set down her pencil and looked at him. He definitely looked good in the suit.  And he was the perfect size for it as well. Evie walked around him, looking at the seams, and taking it all in. It was perfect.

“Wow. I really am good.” She said with a laugh, now back in front of him. “Sewing in general? My mother taught me when I was pretty young. I started designing and sewing my own clothes around eleven. So I’ve had a bit of practice. This suit you’re wearing, I’ve been working on all this week. I’d come up here after classes and get as much done as I could, making sure everything is perfect. It’s taken me a bit longer than my normal projects, but it is also probably my hardest so far.”

Again, Evie smiled. “Ok, you can change if you want to. Unless you feel like walking around in a pretty fantastic suit for the rest of the day.”

She was proud of herself. Evie couldn’t wait to tell her mother about her success with the suit. Now that she had down men’s clothes, she would be able to crank more out, and be another step closer to getting her own shop.  And then Evie’s mother would be able to write about her daughter’s amazing clothes in Witch Weekly.  That was something the girl had looked forward to.

Chance couldn't imagine how happy Evie was with him doing something so simple as trying on a suit for her.  And a good looking suit at that!  Chance also didn't really realize the issues Evie had with Callum.  Of course Chance's presence had to have been a pleasant change of pace!  But then again...who wouldn't be?

"Feels pretty nice an' looks sharp if I do say so m'self!"

As Evie walked around him and checked the suit, Chance caught sight of himself in a mirror and nodded with an impressed grin.

"Yeah, yer goooooood!"

It was not at all surprising that Evie had a lot of experience in sewing, not to mention that she had a great sense of style.

"'T'really is a fantastic suit...but I don't wanna mess it up.  If I got somethin' on it, I'd feel ruddy awful!"

It was good to see Evie succeed like this.

“I’m really glad you like it. It’s a relief to know that I can not only tailor them well, but that it’s likeable. Though, dress has always been my strongest suit. Not always the best in some classes, but at least this I know I can do well.”  Evie smiled. “And you can change out of it if you’d like.”

Taking another look at the suit, Evie was proud of her work.  She knew the proportions were good, and she could then work on a whole line of them.  By the time she graduated Hogwarts, she would have enough clothes to open her own store.  Of course, her mother would help her with some funds to start her boutique.

“Thank you again, so much. It means a lot. I’ll have to repay you some how. If you ever need any clothes fixed, or are in need of something nice, let me know.” Once again, she gave him a smile, feeling much better than she had in a while.  Clothing and fashion could do that to her. Though a certain male in the room had also improved her mood.

"Very likeable, lass.  No worries there!"

Chance was not at all humoring her, which was pretty easy to tell by how often he was seeking out his own reflection in a mirror.

"So...do ya focus on men's clothin' or do ya do a lit'l dab o' everythin'?  I'm curious t'see what else ya do."

It was good to see Evie so happy.  She really was a nice girl and was legitimately very talented at what she loved.  That was always a pleasant combination to witness.

"Don't mention it.  Yer more than welcome.  Ya need any more help?  I really 'aven't done much honestly."

Her gratefulness made Chance wonder somewhat if others had been less than accomodating to her work.

Evie found herself blushing at his compliment. She hadn’t shown too many people her work, and wasn’t used to getting the compliments.

“I do more clothes for females, but have decided to work on some men’s since I’ll get more business whenever I decide to open up a shop. I’ve also tried my hand at shoes, purses, and scarves. Shoes and purses are a bit more difficult.”

She laughed a little, then looked back at Chance.  Evie really was glad he’d happened into the room when he had.

“That’s the only thing I’ve really got that I’ve been working on. Unless you’d like to see some of my renderings of other clothes I plan to do. I’d love to get your opinion on them. I don’t normally show them to others.”

She pulled out another sketchbook, which was full of primarily men’s clothes. Then, another book full of women’s clothes. Evie figured if he wanted to look, he could look at whichever he wanted. It really would be good for her to start showing others her work, since she’d have to get used to it when she finished school.

Chance found Evie's embarrassed reactions to his praise adorable.  She was quite pleasant to be around and it was fun to see her so happy.

"Ahh, a woman o' diverse talents an' styles.   I like it!"

As Evie proposed showing off her other designs, Chance nodded his erratic head of black hair and moved up to her side.  He peered from the side at her sketchbook, then he trotted back a bit...snatching two chairs and sliding them along up behind them both.  Chance eased down to sit beside her, thinking this might be a little lengthy process.

"Let's have at 'em then, shall we?"

When Chance brought over two chairs, she smiled and thanked him. She then opened up the sketchbooks. He seemed legitimately interested in seeing the renderings, and she hoped he really was. It felt good to show them to someone else.

“I’ve got some nice winter clothes, as it’s that time. We could look through those.” Evie turned the two sketchbooks over to those winter clothes pages.  Each page had some intricate designs for jackets, snow pants, boots, and even hats, scarves and gloves.  She carefully watched his face for any expressions on what he thought.

“I’ve started construction on some of the clothes, a couple have been finished and are hanging in my wardrobe. Thanks to a little enchantment my mother taught me.” She flipped a couple pages to show a few other designs. “There’s a lot here, you can look through them. I’d love any advice you’ve got.”

Evie watched as he flipped through, and she also looked through one of her other books. She had so many designs, and she hoped one day they would all be made of fabric instead of just pencil lead.

Though Chance certainly had his own style, he knew so very little about creating fashions and such that Evie so excelled at.  For her to ask his input was flattering, but he felt very out of his realm of expertise here.

"Ahhh, ya've got yer snowbunny looks goin' on here, I see..."

He nodded and smiled.  Chance wanted to tease her every now and then, such as pointing to one of the drawings that was missing a finger.

"Was she in an industrial accident'r somethin'?"

The Irishman nodded and listened to Evie.  She was practically bubbling over and Chance was having a hard time holding his amused grin back.

"So which o' these are ya jus' itchin' t'see come t'life?"

Evie gave out a small laugh. “Yes, it’s that season where warm clothes are good. I’ve been thinking about volunteering for the fashion show during the winter festival. I’ve got a fair amount that could be showcased. I’m just a little nervous about putting them out there.”

She then watched as he looked through her sketches. Evie didn’t know what Chance’s taste in clothes was, but it was still good to have someone else looking at her work. She also found herself looking at some she hadn’t glanced at since drawing them. Which made her want to sew even more. And then Chance pointed out a person missing a finger.

“Oh! Sometimes I just get too into the clothes themselves...” Evie said, then quickly grabbed her pencil and sketched in the missing finger. “There, that’s better.”

“Which ones? Wow, there are quite a few. I’ve already done most of my favorites, but there’s still a few I’d like to do. Like this coat.” She flipped through a couple pages until she found a sketch of a women’s coat in a light blue color. “I might work on this one and possibly use it in the fashion show at the festival. I really need to talk to someone about that. Assuming they’re still looking for designers.”

Evie had been thinking about the festival for a while. Perhaps soon she’d send an owl to her mother, who might be able to pull some strings. Or she could owl someone herself about it. But she’d have to do something soon, as the date was drawing close.

“So... do you have any hobbies? I feel like we’ve talked about my interests too much already.” Evie let out a small laugh. She didn’t mean to seem conceited by keeping the conversation on herself. And she did want to get to know Chance a bit.