A/N: I own several things, but nothing Harry Potter. I own all fashion ideas. I own Brent Fashion (and all imaginary money they bring in, I wish) I was bored, watched Next Top Model, and decided to write this.
Whether I ever continue it is up to y'all.
R&R!
Catwalk Spell
By – WizardsGirl
PrologueHarridan Bryan Orion, or Harry as he preferred, nervously fiddled with his blond hair, knowing that the perpetual birds-nest was a lost cause, but unable to stop himself. His sister in name, but not blood, huffed and pulled his hands from his hair for what must have been the fiftieth time, and his green eyes locked with her dreamy blue. He smiled, sheepishly, and the smile she gave him was one-part amused, three-parts dreamy.
"Mister and Miss Orion?" the secretary said, smiling in a slightly sympathetic way. Harry's head jerked up and he stood, bringing sister up with him. "Mr. Brent will see you now," she told them; Harry made sure that he had the black-plastic-wrapped samples, before nodding with a shy smile and leading his sister through the door, following an assistant who was waiting for them. Harry's green eyes swept her attire as she led them down a hall, while his sister dreamily played her gaze over the colorful and always-moving people who were hurrying around the cluttered place that was Brent Fashions.
The assistant was wearing a mid-thigh dark green dress that cupped and emphasized her curves without being overtly sexual. Black onyx stones wrapped around her wrists, and twice around a long, elegant neck. Mahogany hair was twisted into a business-like bun, and an earpiece added to her professionalism. Harry's eyes landed on her shoes, and he felt a mild approval for the comfortable-but-stylish two-inch ankle-strap heels she wore. They accented her smooth, long legs nicely, and emphasized the elegant angles. It also brought attention away from the slight broadness of her feet…
A clearing of a throat made his head snap up, his sister giggling softly at his side, when he realized he'd just spent the better of two minutes analyzing a stranger's footwear. Said stranger was watching him with patience, and it appeared she was used to being randomly stared at and assessed. Still, Harry smiled sheepishly and nodded when she gestured him into a glass-walled office, where two men were having what looked like a heated discussion over something on the desk. Harry reached out and knocked tentatively on the door, and the man behind the desk impatiently gestured him in without looking up. The assistant abandoned him, and he took a steadying breath as his sister squeezed his arm. Quickly, he pushed open the door, and they both stepped into the cluttered, colorful office.
"Yes?" The man behind the desk asked impatiently. He was rather attractive, with bronze skin, chin-length black hair, and dark eyes set a little deeply into a chiseled face. He was wearing faded, comfortable-looking jeans, loafers, and a white t-shirt. His shoulders were broad, his arms strong, his fingers thick, and, when he stood, Harry took note of his narrow waist and long, firm legs. His sister released his arm and stepped forward as Harry shifted his eyes away, to the samples held on his other arm, and carefully shifted them.
"My name is Lunanna Brittany Orion," she said in her easy, dreamy way, her voice a sweet, higher tone, like bells. "Though everyone calls me Luna. This is my twin brother, Harridan Bryan Orion, or Harry." The second man, who had been arguing before with the handsome man behind the desk, straightened up and straightened his navy tie. He was dressed in a charcoal-gray suit, which went well with his gun-metal-gray hair, and hard, jowl-holding face, his blue eyes quickly assessing Harry and Luna.
"These are the two hopefuls I told you about the other morning, Lukas," he said in a deep, hoarse-sounding voice compared to the other mans smooth-whiskey baritone. Harry shifted slightly and Luna just swayed a little in place, smiling dreamily as her eyes drifted over the various successful designs that Brent Fashions had made over the years. There were a lot of them…
"Really," The handsome man, Lukas, drawled, straightening and putting his large hands on his hips, dark eyes narrowing on first Luna. He took in her waist-length platinum-blond hair, her five-foot-nine height, and her lithe, smooth body that was wrapped currently in a robins-egg blue dress that ended mid-calf. He eyed her straw ankle-sandals silently, then turned his eyes to Harry, who stilled and met his gaze, chin lifting just a bit, the faintly defiant look much different then his "twin" sister's dreamy not-all-there expression, or his previous nervous expression. Lukas took in his charcoal-gray slacks, his black dress-shoes, and his emerald dress-shirt. His eyes took in his sharp features, that looked remarkably similar to his sister's, except for the difference in jewel-toned eyes, and his five-foot-six body, with a narrow, lithe swimmer or dancers build. Finally, his dark eyes landed and locked on the messy, just-out-of-bed-or-tornado blond hair that was a few shades darker then Luna's.
Sapphire and emerald eyes watched him, waiting for his reaction. Finally, he grunted, and crossed his arms over his chest, cocking his head to the side with a slightly stony expression. The suit-wearing man stifled an annoyed sigh, wondering if he'd have to go hopeful-hunting yet again before his star-designer would settle for someone.
"So, what the hell are you two doing here?" Lukas finally demanded, aggressively. "What makes you think you have what it takes in this business? The fashion world isn't a game of dress-up, girls," he growled, and Luna blinked at him as Harry silently stepped up to her side, both eying him cautiously, but silently. "You can't just walk in off the street, toss some clothes on a model, send them on the runway and hope for the best. You have to be dedicated. This is fucking art, this is life, and power, and fucking everything expressed through color and cloth. The model is just a prop. The clothes are what seal the deal." He was glaring at them, fiercely, and Harry turned his head slightly, one arched eyebrow lifting smoothly. Luna nodded, and he shifted the samples so that she had one and he had the other, hooking the third on the doorframe idly.
"What makes us think we can survive here?" Harry asked softly, voice a light baritone, with a slight huskiness to it. "Well, honestly, we've survived a lot worse then a hard days work." Luna nodded, stroking the black plastic of the sample bag with a small, sad smile.
"Hard work is no stranger of ours," she agreed easily; Harry inclined his head, and his long, narrow fingers, heavily scarred and calloused, closed on the zipper of his sample bag.
"But," he said calmly. "I do believe that we have one bloody hell of a shot at making it at least a year, before someone decides to get rid of us, one way or another." He smiled, and there was a touch of bitter steel to it. "But enough talk. We're here to show our samples; you're here to decide if we get the job." He shrugged, and then calmly pulled the zipped down in one fast movement, pulling the plastic smoothly away from the dress it had protected moments before. Calmly, he held it out, and Luna, as the taller twin, hooked her fingers into the hanger and held it higher, shifting the second sample back to him while the two men stared, stunned, at the dress.
It was a deep, emerald green, with ruby teardrops sprinkled across it. One shoulder only, with a half-swooped back, and smooth, elegant waves from the waist down. Hints of gold were sewn into the chest, and silver was in faint designs on the lower half. All together, it was an intricate, beautiful piece of work, and had obviously been lovingly created. Harry eyed it with a small smile, and Luna smiled over at him proudly. It was a good piece of work.
"That's…" Lukas breathed, coming from around the desk. He reached out and, barely brushing his fingertips against the soft fabric, began to examine the dress more carefully. "Which one of you designed it?" He asked finally, engrossed, now, in the seams and stitching.
"Harry came up with the design for Tears, here," she said in her dreamy way. "I came up with the colors and made the basic design of the dress. He added all the miniscule details." She smiled, suddenly, and there was nothing dreamy about this. "He could have done it all by himself, but he refused to. He gets guilty over apparently 'abandoning' me for the strangest reasons." She sent him a fond look, and Harry huffed at her, cheeks pinking.
"You'd probably blow the bloody house up if I didn't get you involved in something," he reminded her. "Coming up with color combinations for my dresses is the least I could get you to do… And remember, it helps you with your paintings as well," he pointed out; her face suddenly glowed and she beamed, her face radiant. It made her much, much prettier, though she was rather pretty before.
"That's true, brother dearest," she said with a dreamy little sigh.
"Is there more?" Lukas demanded; the suit-man from before chuckled, secretly relieved.
"Me thinks you have Mr. Brent's attention," he drawled as Harry carefully hung the green dress up on the doorframe and unzipped and unwrapped the other sample. He flashed the suit-man a small grin, and then handed the next dress to Luna, while he pulled the next one from the doorframe so that it was ready to show.
This one was layered, with a sheer upper layer the palest shades of blue and green, followed by a silky-looking second layer of a smooth sapphire. Under that was a velvet layer of dark navy blue. The dress was cut diagonally, so that each layer showed the layer beneath it, and curved around to the back. It was a medium-low cut in the front, with barely-longer-then-shoulder sleeves, that were the velvet, with the silk and sheer fabric twisted intriguingly up and over them to the back. Now, the hidden designs were here, too, in whites and silvers, darting amongst the different blues. It seemed to be the Orion-twins signature, but Lukas Brent didn't mind about that. He was focused more on the gorgeous, unique design, and the strange way they managed to get the very different fabrics to hold together so well.
"Ah, the Sea-Wave," Luna murmured. "I had nothing to do with that but the inspiration. Harry did that one all on his own, without any help at all from me but as a model so he could see what it looked like on a living mannequin." Harry flushed.
"Inspiration?" Suit-man remarked; Harry nodded cautiously, flushing lightly but smiling proudly.
"Luna painted a gorgeous picture of the sea one day, and I just couldn't get the waves out of my head. This one was my favorite out of several I made, so the others I sent to family friends for formal use." He shrugged a little awkwardly.
"With this sort of talent, I'm surprised you haven't been snatched up by another agency already," Lukas muttered, fingering the stitching at a particular seam, where the three fabrics were all held smoothly. Harry grimaced and Luna's face stilled.
"Someone tried," she remarked icily. Startled by the sudden change, Lukas stared at her, head cocking to the side. "They believed that, since we're young and living in an apartment, we would be desperate enough to jump on anything they offered. Bloody, buggering berks," she growled; Harry grunted in agreement, scowling.
"Offered us the lowest amount possible, for the both of us to split," he spat, obviously incensed. "Bastards didn't do their homework, or they'd have known better." Luna nodded, and her expression shifted, becoming a little smug.
"We're trust-fund babies," she told them calmly, simply. "We honestly don't need the money our designs can rake in, but," she shrugged. "It's the principle of the thing."
"If you want someone talented on your team, you don't spit in their drink before giving it to them," Harry said bluntly, sniffing delicately.
"Barbarians," they both announced in the same, arch tone; Lukas blinked, then snickered, and then began to laugh uproarishly. Harry and Luna gave him the exact same confused/bizarre look, then turned their jewel-toned eyes on suit-guy, who was chuckling to himself.
"You have no idea how British you both just sounded," he told them; Harry gave Luna a look; Luna gave Harry a look. Harry sighed; Luna rolled her eyes. Both turned and sniffed primly at the two laughing men.
"Americans," They both said in the exact same tone as before; Lukas was set off again, howling with laughter, and suit-guy found himself laughing as well, though at a much more sedate pace. Harry snickered and grinned, and Luna giggled, grinning back at him. Quickly, he took the dress from her, hung it up with the other, and unzipped and unwrapped the last sample, handing it back to her as Lukas began to slowly settle down to chuckles, wiping his eyes and grinning, before he looked up and froze, face becoming enraptured on the gown Luna now held.
It was pure silver, long and silky, with a silvery-lavender toned shawl over its inch-wide shoulders. Whites, pale blues and purples, and darker silvers etched intricate patterns within its long folds, and, when shifted under the light, made the whole dress flash in little flickers of different colors. The back was low-cut and elegant. It was the kind of dress you'd see on the red carpet, or at a billion-dollar gala.
Funny, that it had been made in a crappy, two-bedroom apartment in downtown New York.
"My God," suit-guy breathed, awed as he stepped up with Lukas to lightly touch the simple, yet graceful dress. Harry hummed, pleased with his work. It had taken him three weeks of nonstop work, barely remembering to do the trivial human things like eat, sleep, and bath, to finish the beauty that hung delicately from his sister's long-fingered grasp. You'd be surprised how difficult it is to get string to obey your wishes…
"This one's Moonlight Amethyst," Luna said quietly, her admiring gaze tracing the gown with the awed men's. "I only had the shawl added, and that's it. Again, all I provided was inspiration for this one." She sent a soft smile to Harry. "Harry made it for my birthday, special, just so we could show you." Lukas, engrossed, hummed at that, but suit-guy looked up, frowning faintly.
"I thought you said you were twins," he said; Luna and Harry nodded.
"We are," they said simply.
"I was born July thirty-first, five seconds before midnight," Harry said as he carefully placed the protective plastic back on his other creations. Luna smiled.
"And I was born seven minutes later, on August first. So, you see, we have separate birthdays, even though we're twins." Suit-guy made a thoughtful humming sound, and Harry and Luna shared a silent look, before Harry gently pulled the gorgeous gown away from Luna and Lukas, carefully but smoothly slipping it into its protective plastic with obviously practiced ease.
"As you have noticed, Luna and I are a team," Harry said as he carefully took the three samples and folded them gently over his arm. "I am a designer, but she is my inspiration. I work harder when I have Luna with me, or to ask questions or to just listen to and watch. She has me to talk to, to help her find inspiration as well, and to enjoy the simplicities of life with, as well as the complexities…" Luna nodded, and looped her arm in through his.
"We are two halves of a whole, two bodies with one soul," she told the men, smiling softly at Harry, who smiled back. "And when one day we find our hearts other halves, we will truly be at peace and alive. Until then, though, we will make do." Harry nodded, and the twins turned their jewel-toned gazes on the staring men patiently.
"So, what do you think, Mr. Brent?" Harry asked, smiling faintly.
"Do we meet your approval?" Luna asked, smiling slightly. Lukas stared at them blankly, turned, and jabbed suit-guy in the chest.
"I swear to God, Justin, if you don't give these two the contract with a damn good offer, I will personally see you disemboweled and strewn across the fucking city in pieces." By his tone, Harry could tell that the designer was dead serious, and suit-guy, now Justin, nodded solemnly, pulling out a phone.
"I think he meant dismembered, brother-mine," Luna murmured, as Justin said,
"I'll see to it immediately, Lukas," before he began to dial.
"So that's a yes to the job?" Harry asked patiently; Lukas grunted and nodded, jabbing a finger in their direction.
"I ain't no babysitter," he said seriously. "You leave your emotional, familial, and personal shit at the door, you bring your inspiration with you to work, and that's it. Understand? I have no problems with firing you, no matter how good you are, if you piss me off. Understand?" Harry and Luna nodded, before taking their leave, promising to be back in two hours to sign the contract, or talk it over if they wanted something different. As they climbed into their small, beat-up red Sedan, they shared a smile.
Who would have thought that Harry James Potter and Luna Shayla Lovegood would disappear from the Wizarding World, known well as war-heroes, ruthless fighters, and immensely powerful magic-users, only to reappear as "twins" in Muggle America, in one of the biggest cities, as fashion designers? Only Hermione, Neville, and Draco Malfoy (who had arranged for the new life to happen) knew where they were. And that's the way they wanted it to stay.
After all, what was the point of starting a new life, if the old one interfered?
A/N: And there's the Prologue. Just a Random Plot-Bunny that decided to chew on my brain, maybe not continued, who knows?
R&R