taking control

Chapter 14: Yuletide Fun

"Of course I would," she said in mock exasperation. "Well come on then; let's find you some new clothes."

She led him up to the men's department, asking Harry what he needed. He told her he needed some thicker clothes for the winter months, especially some workout clothes he could wear in the cold weather, and some new shirts. He explained that some of the ones he had bought last summer seemed to have shrunk. She raised an amused eyebrow at him at that.

"Somehow I don't think it's the fault of the shirts," she commented lightly.

"Well of course not," Harry replied obtusely. "They can't exactly shrink themselves, can they? They must have shrunk in the wash or something."

"That's not what I meant," she said with an impish grin. "Have you been keeping up with your workouts?"

Harry nodded dumbly, not understanding where she was going with that line of questioning. "Yeah, I run and workout every morning. Why?"

"Because it's not the shirts shrinking, you're just getting bigger," she told him. "Honestly, after months of working out on a daily basis, what did you expect? I could feel it when you hugged me, and I could see it the moment I first took a good look at you."

Harry ducked his head and scuffed his trainers on the ground, completely caught off guard at her comments. "Still modest, I see," she said sweetly.

Harry looked up at her at that and gave her a small smirk. "Well I do try," he said in an effort to regain some of his composure.

They spent the next forty-five minutes collecting a variety of new clothes to add to Harry's wardrobe. Since Jessica had to stick around for another fifteen minutes before she could take her lunch break, they wandered around the store together for another ten or so minutes before heading for the register. After ringing him up, Jessica had to duck into the back to punch out.

When she came back out she smiled at Harry and asked, "So what do you want to do for lunch?"

Harry mulled that over for a moment. "I don't know; I could go for anything. What about you? Is there anything in particular you want?"

She was quiet in thought for a moment. "I think I could really go for just a salad or a sandwich or something."

"That works for me," Harry immediately inserted. "Err, do you know of any place nearby that would work?"

"Yep, there's a place a few blocks away if you don't mind the walk."

"Not at all." The two set off. They talked a little about school during their walk. Jessica told him about the classes she was taking. She really liked her Literature teacher and was really enjoying the class, but her Chemistry teacher was an absolute monster. Harry snickered at that. Potions was not that far off from Chemistry.

Harry talked about school as well at her prompting, though the details were changed a bit. Harry also could not stand his Science teacher. He told her that the man had it out for him right from the start. He mentioned that his father and he had been rivals back when they attended the same school many years in the past and how he liked to make snide comments about both Harry and his father.

Jessica reacted as expected. She was outraged that a teacher would displace his anger at Harry's father onto Harry himself, especially with a grudge that old and with Harry's father being dead for fifteen years. "How they can let a man like that teach is beyond me," she summed up.

"You'll hear no argument from me," Harry responded. The conversation turned to brighter topics after that, as they finally made it to Cid's Deli. They quickly ordered: Jessica a Chicken Caesar Salad, Harry a Ham and Turkey with Swiss. Harry told her about the houses at his school and how each had a teacher as its Head. He explained all about Professor McGonagall and how, despite her stern exterior, he had become much closer to her this year, seeing her outside the classroom and even developing a bit of a friendship with her. When Jessica needled him for more information, he let slip about his dancing lessons with her, which in turn led to conversation about the upcoming ball.