His brain was fuzzy, and he needed a drink, quite desperately needed one to soothe his nerves, but his eyes and ears were still functioning and it'd have taken a blind man anyway to miss how pale she went.

These are called first impressions. Cherish this one, because you've slagged it completely.

"That sounds.. fun,"

"Oh, very," he replied with half a grin, nodding slowly, having almost managed to get his stray tongue under control. Some traces of colour were creeping back into her face, he noticed; maybe that had something to do with it. "If you were among the crowd watching, that is."

She inched closer. Not much, probably not even an inch, if that. It was, however, enough to panick his already frayed nerves.

Why are my feet stuck to the floor? Move, damnit. Back, away, anywhere. Just bloody mov - too - bloody - late.

"Do you shop here often?" Quiet, expectant almost. Hell's bells.

"Well, I..." he started, but before he could stammer and stutter and make an idiot of himself for the second time in four minutes, Claire (bless her immortal soul) saved the day again.

"Oh! I remember that!" she exclaimed. "Lily, Kibby, Jo and I watched you running from Zonko's! That was the last weekend last term, wasn't it?"

He briefly considered the slim hope of her being a fixture in every - encounter - he might chance into with Miss Sharma. Slimmer chances than a scroll's edge.

Get on with it already. You're lucky enough to get a second save as is.

"Not really a lot else to do when under attack by animated demon pixie statues," he said slowly (congratulations. that's the second time you've said it now, and the first time you've said it with a straight face. keep this up, you might actually get somewhere), scratching his ear, gaze directed away, not enough to be impolite, but enough to be discreet, "Messy, it was. Funny, too. But messy. Haven't checked, might still have the scars to show for it."

A pause, a short breath to gather his thoughts again, after which Kabir returned his eyes to his two companions, and continued -

"Don't come to Gladrags much, really - just out of necessity. When you lead an, ahem," intermission with mock-cough and almost-straight face, (finally. at least deliver the punch line without keeling over, will you, please?), then the punch line, " an exciting life like this, it's hard not needing new robes every weekend."