What's in a Name?

The girl frowned as she caught her reflection in the mirror of the store. She hadn't wanted to come in, but she could no longer deny the facts that her old robes were getting too small, especially around the chest area; she could hardly breath properly in them anymore, they were getting more like a corset.

Her wide green eyes blinked back at her, looking over what they saw critically. She didn't really look any different than she had four years ago - had it really been four years ago? - and yet she felt so... so different.

She supposed she looked a little taller, and of course, certain body parts had fulled out more. She looked... older she supposed. But she felt so... different that she didn't think just the simple phrase "Older" could describe it. Not really.

She rubbed the skin on her neck absentmindedly, most of the marks from the other week had disappeared, still, there were moments when she could feel them there. Her cheeks coloured slightly at the memory.

The young girl jumped slightly when she heard footsteps approaching, she whirrled around to see a kindly older lady walking towards her.

"New Robes Dearie?" the girl nodded her head in response. "Well, come with me then - lets get you sized up. I'm Mrs. Dewitt-Beckator, and who do we have today?"

Opened her mouth to respond, before pausing and looking back at her reflection; she glanced over the mirror for a long moment before speaking up again.

"Juliet," her voice was soft, hesitant at first. She gave her reflection the slightest nod, before turning back to the woman and repeating in a louder voice, "I'm Juliet."

"That's a pretty name." Zander grinned, leaning up against the wall and eyeing the robes nearest him. He did need new clothes. Appearantly, wizards over here still wore robes. How troublesome. He supposed he'd need a formal pair. He blinked as the attendants swarmed him, pulling out measuring tape and such. He was in his usual - dark muscle shirt and jeans - and glanced from one person to the next. He was feeling completely overwhelmed, to be honest, wondering around the countries as his aunt did business. As his mother's sister, she'd never really cared for him either, and so had dumped him in Hogsmeade as she went shopping, going on about his clothing.

"Uhm..." He looked from the attendants to the girl, his look obviously lost. "I'm Zander."

Juliet blinked slightly at the unexpected voice, looking over at the boy, giving him a kind smile, "I suppose it is, isn't it? I use to always kind of hate it."

She followed the woman, holding still as she began measuring. However, when she looked over that the other boy she couldn't help but giggle at the look on his face. She'd never seen anyone look soo... well overwhelmed at something as simple as getting a measurement.

"Nice to meet you Zander; you know... they aren't going to maul you. They're just measuring. Want to make sure your clothes actually fit."

"Never had to get something measured before." Dawson admitted sheepishly. "It was quite simple where I'm from; small, medium, or large and bam, it fit." He flinched slightly as one of the woman tightened the measuring tape around his bicep before demanding that he flex. He did so hesitantly, watching as she wrote down both the original and obviously larger size. "Uhm...." The tape went around his chest, his waist, and his thighs before they were finally done with him, ordering him still as they pressed fabrics under his nose.

"Uh..." Looking over at Juliet again, he smiled sheepishly. "What do you think?" He was floating between Navy Blue and grey, those being the two colors he was used to. If he was to suffer in these odd clothes, might as well have them colors he was comfortable in.

Juliet laughed, "I don't suppose thats a bad thing... before I went to school I'd only gotten measured once; my cousin was getting married... I had to wear this ridiculously fancey dress. I looked completely foolish."

She rolled her eyes and laughed some more, before stepping away from the lady. She was merely buying school robes. After stating this fact to the woman, and her school and house she was not required to select material.

She looked up at the request, frowning slightly, confused at why he would ask her, before straightening her shoulders and not thinking anything more about it.

"Hmm," she tilted her head as she looked at the options, "Grey... it makes you're eyes brighter... or at least more noticable; maybe the word for that is "pop"."

She gave a slight smirk and a giggle.

"Gladrags?" Mars mused aloud as he pulled open the door to the shop. It was marginally better than 'Madam Malkin's', he guessed. He had decided to scope out Hogsmeade, the town near his new school. It was... tiny. Seriously, there were truck stops in the states that were bigger. Since he was already there, the teen decided to get his school things while he was at it.

"Could've thought of something better," muttered Mars thoughtfully as he walked inside. His green eyes swept the shop, noting there were too others besides the shopworkers. A smirk pulled at his lips as he took in the girl.

"Hey, Trip!" he said gruffly, before his expression fell into his customary devil-may-care grin. "That's you, isn't it? How's it going, sweetheart?"

Zander grinned easily, brown eyes glistening with mischief as he looked at the grey fabric. "Are eyes even important? Mine are just boring and brown." He smirked back and shrugged at the color, watching as the attendants took it from him and started building it around his 5'11 form, using magic so it was done quickly. Pulling it over his head, he shoved his hand in his pocket as he held it out to the seamstresses. He still didn't get why he needed robes...

"Trip?" He asked, glancing back over to Juliet with a grin. "A rose by any other name, I suppose." He nodded to the boy, a grin tugging at his lips. "Zander." He introduced himself.

Juliet grinned and shrugged a little, "Eyes are eyes... the people behind them make them special."

She gave this statment matter of factly, her own hazel eyes, leaning towards green at the moment because of the colour of her shirt, sparkled.

She opened her mouth to speak once more when she was distracted by the sound of the door opening. Out of curiousity she looked towards it, frowning slightly as caught a half glimps...

Her eyes flashed brighter for a moment, before settled her features into an easy smirk.

"Well if it isn't my second favourite God," she teased easily, before her eyes flicted back to Zander, grimacing internially at the words from that damn play, but not showing a single sign of that thought on her face. After all... they were just words she supposed, "What is in a name?"

"Its going," she responded quickly, turning her attention back to the other boy. "Such a thrill robe shoping is you know."

Mars smirked back at the girl. "I will change that," he promised, a hand reaching out and lightly tracing the outline of her jaw.

"A Rose?" Mars echoed, gaze moving to the girl's as he stepped closer to her. Taking her by the arm, he lifted her hand toward his face to place a kiss against the inside of her wrist. "More like a daring enchantress, a siren leading the unsuspecting to their doom."

He released his hold, almost reluctantly, as he was approached by one of the shop attendants.

"Just whatever the Hogwarts' school uniform is," he told the woman. He frowned when asked which house. "House? Oh. Right. I don't know, yet. Let's see... doesn't one of them... Slytherin? The snakes, them. Make 'em for that house. The green'll look great with my eyes." The boy grinned. "I'll charm my way in if I have to."

Mars chuckled at the girl's remark. "I assure you, robe shopping is the same, everywhere. Absolutely exciting, all the time."

"It's Mars," he told the other guy. "So, why are we quoting Shakespeare, anyway?"

He grinned at her. "You must be an amazing person then." He observed. "Having such amazing eyes and all." He shoved his hands in his pockets and stepping off the stool. Kicking his sneaker against the ground he looked up again at the two of them, resisting the urge to raise an eyebrow.

"Didn't particularly mean to quote Shakespeare." He said with a shrug. "I mean, I know it's Shakespeare, but its just a saying." His eyes flashed toward the exit before returning to both of them, worry simmering in his chocolate gaze. A slight smirk tugged at his lips.

"Cool name." He grinned. "God of War. Pretty awesome."

She turned there to blush a bit at Zander, "Haven't you heard - I'm always the best. Thought I'd managed to make sure that memo got around to everyone. Guess I'm slacking these days. " She winked and then giggled, shaking her head at herself.

"Hmm," she grinned impishly, as he stroked her jaw, leaning into the touch slightly. "You keep saying that; I'm still waiting."

She bit her lip, the corners quirking up, as her eyes flashed. She let her gaze lock back to his as he too her arm, coming closer; she invulentarily moved closer herself.

"Doom huh? I didn't know I was so dangerous," She wiggled her eyebrows slightly. "And just how do I bring about doom. I'm just a sweet, harmless girl."

"Miss Juliet?" the employee that had wandered off to get the girl her robes came back with them in hand, holding them out to her. Grining slightly, she took the clothes and disappeared into a small change room to try them on.

"Shakespeare?" she blinked innocently, coming back out tugging on her new clothes, "I say my mother started it."

She stopped in front of a mirror, preening slightly, frowning at her reflection before smirking back slightly at her companions, "I don't know... what do you boys think?"

"I already told you," Mars chided. "A perspective too easily changed belongs to the weak of mind. I'm perfectly content to take my time in bringing you around."

A smirk tugged at his lips as she moved closer to him. His hand rose to trace her features in exactly the same manner as he had in the maze, gaze fixed on hers. "It's sweet, harmless girls a guy's gotta watch out for. They never seem to know just how treacherous their beauty really is."

"True," Mars agreed with Zander. His eyes tracked the girl's - Juliet, apparently - movements as she left to try on her clothing. "It would seem Shakespeare is responsible for a good number of common sayings. Or at least that's what I've heard." He also shrugged, nearly getting poked with a pin when he did.

"Thanks. I was always rather keen on the name." He grinned back at the guy, noting his glance towards the door with a raised eyebrow.

A crooked smile pulled at his lips as Juliet reemerged and Mars quietly dismissed himself from the attendant to approach the girl from behind. He rested his hands lightly on her shoulders, letting them move down to just above her elbows.

"Lovely," he said simply, gaze clearly focused on her face, "Miss Juliet."

Rocking from his heels to the balls of his feet, Zander's eyes followed the girl into the changing room, his hands still shoved into his pockets. "I take it Mars is your favorite god, then?" He asked the boy, a grin tugging at his lips before the attendant came and asked him how he'd pay.

"Uhm... is there a tab or something I could open? I'll be here a lot, apparently." The attendant nodded and scurried off, taking his grey robe with her.

He refrained from glancing at the door again before turning toward the room, a smile spreading across his face. "You look amazing, Julz." He beamed, leaning against the wall and looking her over. "Makes your eyes... well... I suppose the word is 'pop'." He teased lightly, grinning at her.

The girl smirked, a slight blush growing on her face none-the-less as she met his gaze in the mirror.

"Look who picked up my name. Hmm, maybe there should be an award for good observation?" she teased. "I still think Trip will always suit me much better; I'm far too... anything, to be a 'Juliet'."

She looked over her shoulder to grin impishly at Zander, "Does it now; well thats good. I always thought my eyes were highly undervalued."

Grinning, and wiggling her eyebrows, she turned back to the mirror, and gave herself another long appraising look.

"I don't know, now... I think you two boys are just trying to flatter me."

Mars chuckled. "Of course, I'm my favorite god. Who else would be?"

"I love awards, and I have vast powers of observation," he responded, leaning to murmur in her ear. "And you will always be Trip to me, even if you were queen of the world with a name given by angels. You're far too... special to rely on flowery names. They don't do you justice."

He made his way to cashier to pay for his robes, digging a handful of coins from the pocket of his worn jeans. "Eye, hair, soft lovely skin..." he remarked. "Girl like you could wear a roll of parchment and still look gorgeous. And I am definitely trying to flatter you, truth or not."

Mars quickly counted the sickles and knuts on the countertop, frowning after he'd done so a second time.

"Shit," he said. His hands went to feel the outside of his pockets, one reaching into the left-hand pocket to dig out a lint-covered knut. Picking the lint off and dropping it on the floor, Mars added it to the collection on the counter and grinned at the unamused cashier. "Just enough."

Zander smirked, a half grin half shrug at the boy's words all he offered as his gaze flashed to the exit again for a brief second before he returned his gaze to the both of them. He rolled his eyes at their antics, though obviously amused.

"I, for one, would tell you if you looked completely dreadful." Zander teased lightly, brown eyes gleaming. "But, you actually do look amazing. Truth." Pushing himself off the wall, he stole one of her hands, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "See you around, Julz." He gave a nod at Mars, took his robes and left.

The attendants didn't notice that he never paid.

"Hmm is that so?" she raised her eyebrow at the boy in the mirror, her eyes dancing and lips smirking, "But, just what kind of reward would this call for? Hmm?"

She could help but let out a slight laugh, even as her face began to plus, "And who says I'm not queen of the world? I already think I am - must be true, no?"

She turned, her eyes unconsciously following the boy to the regester, before flicking back to her reflection.

"One would think parchment would be frightfully uncomfortable though," she teased, before turning her attention back to Zander. She blushed just a little bit more, but giggled and curtised in responce to him grabbing her hand, "Well then, I know where to go if I ever want to be told I look horrible."

She winked and giggled again, before waving a parting as the boy left.

Grinning to herself, she spun on the spot, before glancing in the mirror and shrugging.

"Well then, I suppose I'll get them."

Feeling in good spirits, the girl began to skip back to the dressing room to change, only to manage to be her usual graceful self, and step on the hem of the robe.

And find herself falling towards the floor.

Mars waved at the other boy's retreating figure, reaching out to accept his own robes from the attendant. They fell to the floor, however, the boy moving so quickly that the woman didn't realize he had moved until he was already gone. He caught Juliet easily about the waist, sparing her a collision with the floor.

"Easy there, Highness," he said, setting her back on her feet without loosening his hold. "What would you do if I weren't here to catch you?"

Juliet blinks slightly, her startled heart rate slowing as it appeared that she wasn't going to be smashing into the ground at this time.

She let out a nervous giggle as a blush from being so well... clumsy, in public coloured her cheeks.

"I suppose I would have just fallen to my doom," she stated after a moment, blinking up at him, only managing to pretend to be serious for a moment before her quickly becoming easy smirk grew on her face, "I suppose that makes you my hero."

"And what a tragedy that would be," Mars said seriously. "Another fan of the Greeks thing?" A smile broke across his face at his joke, regardless of how lame it might have been.

He grinned at what she said. "It does, doesn't it? You know a hero always gets a reward. In fact, I would insist on it."

Juliet looked at him for a moment, before giving a rather indelicate snort and shaking her head, "You need to work on your jokes."

She glanced up at him for a moment, almost ignorant of the fact that he had yet to let her go. Or more acurately, ignorant of the fact that given the curcumstances, and their location, he possibly should have let her go already.

She, for one, was fine right where she was.

"You're going to insist, huh?" she raised her eyebrow in responce, "And just what does my hero get as a reward?"

Mars grinned. "You're amused. Good enough for me," he said.

"Well..." he drawled, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Usually, I let the damsel decide, Miss Juliet Trips-Over-Own-Feet, but since you ask... I would say a kiss is in order, and maybe a some one-on-one time. You. Me. Romantic dinner. Interested?" His thumb lightly stroked her back as he gazed intently at her, waiting for her response.

"Hmm," the young girl breathed thoughtfully, attempting to pretend to be quite blasé about the whole thing, even though her heart had jumped rather excitedly at the suggestion.

She pushed up on her toes slightly, bringing herself more to eye level with him.

"I suppose I could be interested," she finally responded, ducking her head a little closer to his, "And as for that kiss..."

Her eyes dances mischievously, as she leaned forward grazing her lips across his in a light, chaise kiss. She pulled back almost as soon as she had started, and smirked.

"I think that counts, don't you?"

He could hear her heart speed up and a smirk pulled at his lips in response. Mars pulled her closer to him as she rose up on her toes, gaze focused on hers.

The teen gave a quiet chuckle at her antics. "Sure," he said. "We'll say that counts. As a warm up." Mars brought his lips close to her ear and murmured, "Let's just hope you don't need your senses after I'm through with you."

"Now," Mars said, pulling back to look at her, devil-may-care grin in place, "do you think you can change yourself without falling and breaking your neck, or would you like my assistance? Because honestly, sweetheart, I'd be more than happy to oblige."

The girl bit her lip as the tiniest shiver went down her spine, "Sense? Hmm? Who needs those?"

Her attempt at an airy tone was ruined by the shaky undertone as she had to force it past the sudden lump in her throat.

"I don't know," she mumbled, "I suppose I could manage, we wouldn't want to cause a scandal now would we - think of the poor employees." She made a mock gasp, before wiggling her eyebrows. "However, knowing me... it could still be risky. As my hero, you might need to stay on stand-by."