Hagrid and Hojuram exchanged a glance before pronto disappearing into a corner. Alex lamented and sat down on a nearby bench. Jiya saw him and promptly mirrored his actions.
"Where is my bag?" Jiya suddenly asked with a heavy frown.
"Here", Alex raised the drape of the cloak and revealed the bag that was hanging from his shoulders on his back.
"Good", she nodded, "I thought that I had lost it."
"..." Alex closed his eyes with a heavy sigh.
Just then, they heard a screeching noise, coming from a further corner. Something was being dragged. Both of them looked on with suspicion. Moments later, hagrid and Hojuram appeared from a corner with a headless mannequin in tow. And the mannequin was wearing the much esteemed Smitch Uniform that Jiya would wear in the Institute of Smellcraft and Sniffing. When she saw Hagrid and Hojuram for the first time, her first impression she had, she would describe them as 'well-fed people with plump physique'.
Jiya abruptly stood up in awe. Hagrid and Hojuram placed the cart in front of her. She inspected it from top to bottom and raised her hand to touch it.
"Why don't you go try it out?" Alex appeared by her side.
"I can?" Jiya asked, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
Her happiness affected him and he smiled, "Sure. Why not?"
She smiled and looked over at Hagrid and Hojuram. They nodded and wheeled the mannequin in front of a closed door.
"This way, Your Highness", they bowed and said in sync. Jiya nodded and stepped in through the door once it was opened. The twins wheeled the mannequin inside and closed the door as quietly as possible.
Jiya looked at the uniform and let out a sigh of satisfaction. She thought that the Institute would have an old-fashioned uniform.
Outside, Alex chewed his nails anxiously. He would hardly do this. He would do it when he was anxious about something. And now, he was being anxious whether she would like the uniform or not. He turned around when he heard the stomping of boots. There came Jiya, in her uniform, looking elegant as ever. The white shirt and black pencil skirt created a charming effect on her. The black drape cloak around her neck flowed down behind her. The pair of knee-high leather boots reflected some light that they caught. He smiled with satisfaction.
Jiya walked past him and stopped behind him.
"What are you doing?" he tried to turn but Jiya placed a firm hand on his shoulder and hindered him from moving. He froze when Jiya lifted the drape from behind him. The next moment, he heard her unzip the bag and shoved her clothes inside it. Alex relaxed when he realized it.
Jiya walked from behind his back and twirled in front of him. Then, with a smile, she asked, "How do I look?"
"Great", he nodded with his Cheshire grin.
"Your Highness looks great in my creation", Hagrid exclaimed with joy.
"Indeed", Hojuram nodded before he frowned, "But it's my creation!"
"No! It's mine", Hagrid roared.
"It's mine!"
Both Alex and Jiya turned their heads towards the twins. They both sighed at the same time.
Are you thinking the same as me? Jiya thought in her mind.
The foolish twins business needs to end, Alex thought back.
Indeed. Let's go, Jiya thought back.
Yeah, let's move after we get your zodiac gloves, he echoed.
Jiya nodded and cleared her throat, "Hey!"
The twins stopped bickering and looked over with fear. Alex nodded at Jiya before, "Bring The Rare's Zodiac gloves."
"Um..." Hagrid scratched his turban, "What is Your Highness Zodiac sign?"
"Yes", Hojuram nodded, "What is Your Highness Zodiac sign?"
Jiya opened her mouth to say, but Alex replied, "Leo."
The twins nodded before disappearing behind the corner. Jiya cleared her throat. Alex turned to look at her.
"You seem to know me better than I thought", she commented.
"I... I don't think so", Alex scratched his head awkwardly.
"The twins? Are they smizards?" Jiya thoughtfully and thankfully shifted the conversation.
Alex pursed his lips, "They should be. I am not sure if they were or are."
She gave a thoughtful nod in response. Moments later, Alex shot her a look of suspicion, "Something is going on in your head?"
She did not respond. Instead, she flashed him a mischievous smile.
Just go on with the flow, she said to him telepathically.
What are you trying to do? Alex frowned and shot her look. Just then, Hagrid and Hojuram reappeared in the room with a pair of gloves. Each had a glove in their hands as if holding a precious object. They were red and Leo's symbol had been carved on it with golden threads. They glimmered under the daylight.
"Hey! Do you smell that?" Jiya called to Alex and then sniffed the air.
As she had expected, the dumb*ss twins sniff the air and exchange odd looks. Time for the show, she thought.
Alex eyed her for a moment before speaking with a low and confused voice, "Uh, no. Yeah, I smell something. Do you think it-"
"I think... I can smell something too?" Hagrid shot a questioning glance at Hojuram.
"Uh?" Hojuram took a long breath, "I smell something too." The twins, then, shot a fearful glance at Jiya before darting away from their eyes.
Jiya and Alex exchanged glances before she said, "Stop faking it!" Morons, she added in her mind.
The twins began to tremble in fear while she continued to speak, "Just admit it. You are no longer Smizards. You have already become Smellons, people with the ordinary sense of smell."
"We... we were afraid", Hagrid spoke with a slight tremble.
"Yes... yes, we were afraid", Hojuram nodded with furiously, "We were afraid."
"Afraid of what?" Alex asked with a stern voice.
"Dear, sir Mr. Knight", Hagrid bowed gently, "We were afraid of being punished by 'The Rare'."
Jiya sighed and rubbed her temple in frustration, "For what? For speaking the truth. Then, she said, "Hand us the gloves."
"Gloves? What gloves?" Hagrid and Hojuram blinked in confusion.
"The Zodiac gloves", Alex pointed at their hands.
The twin realized their folly and quickly presented the gloves to Jiya.
"Put them on", Alex told Jiya. She nodded and put them on. The Leo symbol glowed as she put them on.
"Let's go", Jiya said with a smile.