She'd been knocking things over all morning. People were looking at her in concern. She'd been upstairs several times already trying to figure this out to no avail. Brody wanted her checked for polyjuice or the Imperius. When she saw Harry come through the doors, she actually sagged in relief. He could help her with this. He had to know more about it that she did.

"I'm takin' a break," she told Brody.

He scowled.

"No, no' like tha'. He and I are better friends. Never should have... no' yer business."

She came around the bar and grabbed Harry's arm and just started pulling him towards the stairs.

"Mac-"

"Need yer help."

Harry let her drag him up the stairs. His eyes widened in surprise when she started pulling him into the bedroom. "I don't- we can't- I'm not helping you like that anymore. We're-" he took in a deep breath when he caught sight of her room. "What... happened..." He pushed a pile of clothes with the toe of his shoe. "Natural disaster?"

"We're no' havin' the sex again lest we both get really shite-face drunk. I have a very serious problem, Harry, and I need yer help. It does involve me gettin' out of m'clothes though."

He looked panicked.

"I have to go shoppin'. I've a date sometime in the near future. Like... a date, Harry! I never had one of those a'fore. I dinna own anythin' appropriate! Dinna lasses goin' on dates wear dresses? I dinna own any dresses! I need help!"

"And you think of me? I think something has definitely been miscommunicated here." He looked at the havoc in her room. "You mean, there's nothing in here for you? You have skirts, don't you? I saw you in one." He grinned. "I saw you without one too." He grunted when she sent a hand into his stomach. "Ow! Well, I'm definitely not helping you now."

Mac grabbed him and shook him rather hard. "Ya have to! There's no one else! I havna any friends!"

"But I'm a bloke!" He shook his head when her face didn't lose it's look of panic. "I don't know anything about dresses. I've never bought any! You need a girl! I have- you have a date?" Harry took a step back. "Already? With who?"

At the mention of that Mac actually grinned. She was 'head all full of Nev' now. "Neville Longbottom."

Harry grimaced. He took a step back at the look she got on her face. "It's not- Neville- how did you even pull a date with him?" He dodged her hand again as it swung out at him. "You're going on a date with Neville?"

"Yes! And I need to look like a GIRL for it. Like a regular girl. No' some scary rock chick."

"Don't you have any girlfriends?"

"I'm no' a lesbian unless tha' Muggle actress Kate Winslet is."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I mean girls. Girls who are friends. Girls who know a hell of a lot more about dresses than I would." She shook her head. "No one? No girls at all?" At her look, Harry sighed, his hands falling to his sides. "I don't- I'm not good with dresses. Picking them out... getting them on... I'm much better at getting them off." He laughed at her look. "I'm sorry. Really." He gave her a serious look. "What do you expect me to do?"

"Just come along and help me pick out somethin' that doesna look scary and doesna make me..." Mac groaned. "Look fat."

"You're not fat." He grimaced again. "And you don't look scary." He felt like he needed to clean out his mouth. With alcohol. "We'll find you... something. With... pink?" He rose an eyebrow at her. "Do you do pink?"

"No," Mac growled at him. "No pink. I were thinkin' black, red, or blue. And nothin' wit flowers or ruffles or anythin' like that. I just... I want to look nice for him, is all. I dinna want to be all tits and arse either. I want to look respectable... even if I'm hopin' the dress ends up in a pile on the floor."

Harry held up a hand. "Alright. I know I've seen your bits and you've seen mine, but I still don't have to hear about you wanting other people to see your bits. Even if it's Neville. Probably especially because it's Neville." He took a step back. "Black will be good. Simple. Very respectable. I don't know how we'll find something without flowers and ruffles, but we can try."

He grimaced. "You're making me go dress shopping. You owe me something, you realize. Something big."

"Though I already gave ya tha'," Mac joked. "Fine. I'll owe ya one. Ya just canna ask for sexual favors, aye."

"I'll make it good then. You won't be able to say no when it comes, though." He liked having people owe him things. Made getting out of jams much easier, knowing someone had to help you. "Fine. Do we need to do this now, or can I get drunk and ignore that I just agreed to go dress shopping with you?"

"We need to do it now!" Mac stomped her foot. "I dinna know when he'll owl! I have to be READY for him, Harry! It's a state of fuckin' emergency here, brother!"

"All right, all right. Calm down."

"Ya can get yer drink on once I'm dressed, aye? I'll even buy."

"That does not count as your favor."

"What the fuck ever, Potter. Canna we just go and get this over wit'?"

"That's not what you were saying last week." He jumped out of reach when her eyes narrowed angrily. "Alright. If we're doing this, we better do it now, before I lose my nerve."

"Keep talkin' like tha', brother. Mayhap I need new knickers too."


{SUMMARY} Poor Harry is being turned into the best girlfriend left and right. Today it's shopping with Mac because she wants to look like a girl for Neville.