Jumper
I suggest you read the fanfic Living With Danger by whydoyouneedtoknow before you read this. This is my take on a scene mentioned in that fanfic.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't own Living With Danger either. Those are the works of J.K. Rowling (as if you didn't know) and the wonderful Anne Walsh. I am not fit to clip their toenails.
Tap. Tap-tap. Tappitty tap-tap.
Izzy tapped her nail on the counter impatiently. She glanced at the clock, then back at the customers browsing the store.
Tap. Tap-tap.
She'd only working at the store for a month now, but she still didn't like waiting on customers. Don't come over here. I look too busy… Don't I look too busy?
Tap-tap. She tapped her nails against the counter again and peered busily at the screen of the cash register near her.
The bell above the door rung as the customers excited the store into the chilly Autumn air outside. Izzy breathed a sigh of relief. Why did I ever decide to work here? Lisa's Boutique (Clothing for all Ages) was a nice upscale shop one of the worst tourist trap areas in the whole city. According to Izzy anyway. The street outside was cobblestone, and it was lined with 'quaint' little shops for the tourists to see and gush over. A group of people – four adults, four children – paused outside the window looking into the front of the shop and glanced at the sign above the door. Don't come in… Don't come in… Izzy chanted inside her head. The bell jingled merrily above the door as the group walked into the store.
One of the adults – a man – made a beeline for Izzy, while the rest of the group wandered into the aisles. He grinned at Izzy. He's kinda sexy… In an old sort of way. Izzy mused.
"Can I help you?" Izzy asked. Say no… Say you're just looking… Grin madly and walk away even…
"Yes, do you have jumpers here? It's a bit chilly out." What an adorable accent!
"Yes, we do carry jumpers… Was there a particular size you wanted?" Izzy asked, politely. The stranger paused considering. He turned to the darker of the ladies he'd arrived with. "Aletha? What size you suppose I should get?" The lady gave him a look. "You're nearly thirty years old and you don't know what size you wear?"
Izzy blinked. Don't ask, Izzy. Just don't ask. "Uh, sir? I'm not sure we carry jumpers in your size." The man blinked, surprised.
"Don't carry them in my size? Why not?"
"Uh, this is a family store, sir. Our manager is very strict about the… products we stock in our store. I think there's a store down the street that might be able to help you… Mrs. Mann's Place." Izzy gave a forced grin. "I've heard they have all sorts of clothing for gentlemen, from jumpers to evening dresses." She added earnestly.
The man's mouth dropped open. The lady, (Aletha, Izzy remembered) started laughing . Now what's their problem? Another lady with the bushiest hair Izzy had ever seen walked over, looking puzzled. She was followed by a man and four children. "Sirius? What did you do?" she asked. The first lady, who had looked to be letting up laughing started up again. "I didn't do anything." The first man protested. "I have no idea what's going on." He added. "I asked for a jumper and the next thing I know this young lady here is telling me I should try some shop down the street that sells evening dresses!" the man whined. The lady blinked. Once, then twice. Something in her face seemed different, Izzy noticed. She couldn't figure out what it was though. The lady looked over at Izzy. "Hello, my name's Danger." She paused. "We seem to be having communication difficulties." She said, thoughtfully. "I wonder if we seem to be thinking of two different jumpers. What do you mean when you say jumper?"
Izzy blinked. "A dress." She answered, immediately. "You wear them over T-shirts or short sleeved shirts…" She paused and glanced at the children watching. "Mainly little girls wear them. Like your daughter here." She added, gesturing towards a girl that looked like a miniature copy of Danger.
The first man (Sirius – what an odd name) open his mouth. Then he closed it again, and glared at Aletha. She had started to snicker. Danger glanced at the other man, then deliberately looked away again. The children stared at Sirius, then looked at each other and started giggling. Izzy blinked.
"Am I missing something here?" She asked, nervously.
"I'm sorry." said Aletha. She smiled at Sirius. "You know," she said to him, "You might look cute in an American jumper." With a start, Izzy realized that the man hadn't meant he wanted a dress. He said he was chilly… He must have meant a sweater. She cleared her throat. "You said you were chilly?" He nodded. "Perhaps I could interest you in a sweater?" She said, starting to grin. "We several that might fit you."
I knew there was a reason I started work here.