The Reflection I See Isn't Mine ▪︎ Regulus Black

Chapter Six ▪︎ Eyeing Dresses

They were now in a clothes shop. Regulus was following Barty around because he had never actually been in a clothes shop before. His clothes were normally made by wizards. The finest wizard clothes makers.

Barty was looking at trousers, jumpers and jeans. Regulus wasn't interested in them much.

"You've got to find your style. What type of clothes you want to wear. Comfy warm clothes, dark clothes, colourful clothes and so on. Dorcas can help you, I just pick up things in my size and wear them."

Regulus looked back to Barty since his eyes were set on socks with different patterns on. "How do you know your size?"

Barty averted his eyes from the clothes to Regulus, face not showing anything but eyes full of confusion. He was sixteen, he should surely know his size, Barty was thinking.

"Do you not know your size?"

"I've never bought clothes for myself. Is it bad?" Regulus' face had slight worry in it. Barty smiled slightly and shook his head.

"You can't blame yourself, you were brought up in that dreadful place. C'mon, where do you want to look? We can get different sizes for you to try them on." Barty took Regulus hand and dragged him from the section. Barty looked at Regulus, who was looking around. Eyes kept drifting back to the women's section.

Barty follow Regulus' jumping gaze to the women's section. He tugged his hand, not questioning it. Regulus frowned when he saw where Barty was taking him. Did he see his gaze flickering to this section or did Barty know?

Regulus shrank a bit, worrying his lip. "Skirts? Dresses? Blouses? Get what you want, let me go get a basket for you." Barty spoke, about to leave go of Regulus' hand but he tugged it back.

"What if someone makes fun of me?" Regulus said quietly. Barty shrugged and tugged his hand from Regulus'.

"Then they make fun of you. You can't dedicate your whole life to making other people happy when you could be making yourself happy. Nothings wrong with wearing what you want. It's just fabric and if people get mad at you over that, let them, they're idiots and should probably find a new thing to get mad at. It's 2021."

Barty walked about and left Regulus with that thought. Regulus turned to the clothes. He looked to where Dorcas and Pandora were. Pandora was looking at the gender neutral clothes while Dorcas was looking at shoes.

He moved forward a bit and let his legs guide him to the dresses. Some were colourful, some were plain, some were dark. Regulus felt the material of a black casual dress. He felt a hand to his shoulder and he jumped in shock.

"Sorry, a bad day to scare you like that. You like the dress?" Barty bit his lip  looking at Regulus' face. Regulus shrugged. Barty sighed and reached forward anyways to get three different sizes in the dress.

Regulus looked to a flowy dark green dress which the blouse material. Barty got the same three sizes he got before for the other dress and put it in the basket.

After Regulus picked two more dresses, he got to the skirts. He picked a light pink plaid skirt, a black flowy one, a black and cream checkered one, a plain white flowy one and one fully black with golden chains and patterns attached to the top.

Barty helped Regulus choose between some blouses and shirts. Regulus got plain black tights and Barty had noticed him look at the fishnets so he put them in too. They got a couple pairs of shoes for Regulus too.

"After I try them on, can we go to the socks?" Regulus asked. He was referring to the one with the stupid jokes on that Regulus found quite funny. Barty nodded, walking towards the male changing rooms.

Regulus' head turned towards the gender neutral changing rooms but followed Barty nonetheless.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Barty asked as they entered the changing rooms. Regulus shook his head and took the basket. He hurried into a cubicle and watched Barty lean against the wall outside of the cubicle. He shut it, locking it.

Regulus began to undress from his current clothes. He tried outfit after outfit, finding the second size fit him best. He had grown fond of the picture of himself in a dress or a skirt or any feminine item of clothing. He started to pick out the clothes that fit him and he liked and put the clothes that did not fit him and the ones he didn't like into a separate pile.

He opened the cubicle door after trying everything on. Barty, Dorcas and Pandora were sitting on the seats. If Regulus was being completely honest, he had forgot that Pandora and Dorcas were still out with them.

Barty smiled at him and stood up to help. Regulus pointed out the ones that did not fit and the ones he didn't like. Barty went to put them on the racks so the staff could put them back. Barty took the clothes from Regulus and put them back in the basket.

"Happy with them?" Dorcas asked, legs swinging on the seats. Regulus nodded, a bit embarrassed at the clothes he had picked out. Pandora and Dorcas weren't judging him in any way, he knew that they would never.

"You said you wanted socks?" Barty piped up. Regulus nodded. Pandora and Dorcas stood from the seats with their baskets in hand and led the way to the racks of socks.

Regulus picked out six pairs for twelve pound. He dropped them into the basket and Barty and Regulus got in line before Dorcas and Pandora.

"Did you not want anything?" Regulus asked Barty. Barty pointed to the jumper that Regulus didn't pick out in the basket.

"Do you want to give me the money for the clothes and I'll pay all together along with my money for the jumper?" Barty suggested. Regulus nodded and dug around his pocket for the money. He handed Barty the correct money, staying beside him as it had started to get a lot busier in the shop.

When they got to the counter, Barty slid the clothes over and asked for a bag. The two watched the worker scan the copies and put them into a bag. Barty handed over the money and took the three bags the clothes had full up.

Regulus and Barty waited outside of the shop for the other two. "Where else do you want to go?" Barty asked, looking at the other.

"It's up to the girls really." Regulus shrugged. Barty nodded, looking around at the shops, wondering which ones they should go in. He glanced at Regulus, a warm feeling in his chest made his throat tighten, he turned away.

Regulus looked up at Barty as he turned away, his eyes lowered, maybe it had just been his mind playing tricks on him.