Frigid Flames ch.3

"If this could really work," Harry thought to himself, "I'd need a jump or a new battery and new snow tires." Even disregarding living space, he could tell that the tires on the car weren't suitable for driving on snow, and he wasn't planning on going far without the proper tires. After a moment's thought, Harry had a checklist in his head:

Tire iron

Jack

Four snow tires

New battery

Gasoline?

He also knew he should find some new oil, but he wasn't too worried about that. They had started mass-producing some kind of synthetic oil, or whatever it was called, that lasted longer and could withstand lower temperatures.

Walking back into the car, Harry had to admit to himself that it wasn't just the warmth of the campfire that was calling him back. Daphne was crouched down on the right side, checking the lower shelves, and Harry couldn't help but admire her incredible figure in the jeans she was wearing. It was hard not to act on their agreement right then and there. Harry found many different types of women attractive. On one hand, he appreciated a woman who put a lot of effort into her appearance with makeup and hair. However, most of the girls he dated didn't bother with makeup, and simply put their hair up in a ponytail after brushing it.

There was something about competent and self-assured women that really attracted Harry Potter. He noticed that almost no one wore makeup anymore, except for those who were well-off or high-class prostitutes. The world was becoming populated by more rugged women, and Harry found that immediately attractive.

However, watching Daphne, he couldn't resist the impression that she wasn't super competent. He didn't judge her though. After all, everyone was just trying to survive in this frozen hell. Most people didn't deserve such a life, and Harry was still in a situation where traditionally attractive women appealed to him. Even if Daphne was unhappy, exhausted, and half-frozen, she was still a very attractive woman.

Harry had to admit that he enjoyed the feeling of an attractive woman seeking safety and survival from him. He knew it could be seen as sexism or a caveman mentality, but he never forced anyone to do anything. The closest he came was paying for it, and he never paid some jerk who had women in chains. He had seen that and even stopped it, although it left him with a few scars. Hero complex.

Shaking his head, Harry focused on the task that needed to be done. He had a list of things to do for the car and wanted to make real, significant progress. It was a refreshing change from walking on the snow-covered road that never seemed to end.

Harry's talent for searching places came in handy when he helped Daphne dig through the front of the gas station. He had a knack for finding hidden panels in the floor or ceiling, furniture that had been moved, and other hiding places that others often overlooked. They worked in silence, which Harry noticed was becoming increasingly common in this new world. He wasn't sure if it was due to one thing or a combination of factors.

Harry Potter had become accustomed to the silence and preferred it. However, he acknowledged that good conversation was a valuable currency and sometimes felt the need for human contact, which he couldn't ignore. It was strange how isolation could affect a person. One moment you could feel content, and then suddenly a wave of loneliness could hit you so intensely that you struggled not to cry or vomit. It was an unreal feeling.

Although the front shelves and cold boxes were completely empty, there were still some hidden items on the other shelves and under the counter. Harry and his companion managed to gather half a dozen canned goods, including three cans of beans, a can of peaches, and two cans of tuna, before their hunger took over. Harry's mind also wandered to his sexual desires as he thought about how he couldn't wait to eat and have sex with Daphne, who was already teasing him.

After placing the food on the counter, Harry announced that they would be closing the store for the night. Daphne asked about dinner, and Harry informed her that they would be having rabbit and beans. She responded with a muttered "yummy," although Harry wasn't sure if she was serious or being sarcastic. Harry then proceeded to check the windows and lock them, making sure the locks were frozen to serve their purpose.

If someone wanted to get inside, they would have to break the windows because both the back and front doors had locks that Harry had closed after surveying the area. However, he didn't see any signs of life anywhere. Returning to the break room, Harry set his pot to boil and pulled out three bottles of water, placing two on the table and one on the floor.

He used a can opener to prepare their food, knowing that in the morning, the water bottle on the floor would be used for washing.

Harry Potter asked Daphne to hand him the can of beans, and she asked him which type he wanted. She held up two cans and said, "Kidney or black?" Daphne then declared that black beans were better, and Harry reached out for her to hand him the can. He opened it, and the dinner preparation went smoothly.

At first, Harry had difficulty adapting to his new life. He realized how much he had become addicted to his phone and how it had affected his ability to focus. Although he wasn't heavily involved in social media or mobile games, he still felt the need to check his phone for messages and notifications.

Harry realized that the myth of optimization had affected his life, making him feel like he had to do more and more at once. However, being in the current situation allowed him to let down his guard and regain a sense of common sense.

After adding beans to the pot, Harry added the rabbit and stirred it with a spoon before setting it aside. He then struck up a conversation with Daphne, asking her where she was from. She replied that she was from Nebraska, and Harry revealed that he was from Florida.

Daphne commented that Harry must be crazy when the current situation began. She then asked if Harry was a firefighter, a policeman, or a Marine before all this happened, stating that he had a certain look about him. Harry replied that he only worked in a grocery store, feeling embarrassed for the first time in a long time.

Daphne's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you kidding me?" she asked.

Harry Potter was a shift manager at a store called MM or something for two years after escaping from England. He was good at his job and received promotions and raises. He was on his way to leading the alcohol department when the end of the world came.

"Damn, you were either a hardcore shift leader or you really changed when the snow fell," the woman muttered.

Harry thought about it. "A little bit of both," he replied after a moment. "And what about you?"

She looked down, appearing embarrassed. "I... don't know," she replied after a minute.

Harry stirred the meal while she played with some debris with her boot.

Finally, she sighed. "I guess there's probably not much of a chance of you freaking out and sticking your dick in me, huh? Or is that really arrogant?" she asked, looking back up at him.

"No, it's accurate," Harry replied. "You're really pretty, and I'm really horny."

She laughed. "I kind of thought so... and thank you. You're, um, really freaking hot."

"I'm glad you think so," Harry replied.

He still didn't know how to take fucking compliments, especially ones that he felt weren't even true. It was one thing if someone complimented his strength or accuracy; he was strong and a good shot, sure. But even then, it made him feel awkward. He never felt attractive.

It was more like he got into an attractive club on a technicality because he happened to work out.

"So fuck it," said Daphne, exhaling a long breath and blowing on a few errant strands of blond hair. "I think one of the coolest things about meeting so many people now, because of how we live, is that you can just be brutally honest with them. You can tell truths to some people that you couldn't tell your closest friend or relative." She chuckled softly. "You'd think after saying something like that, I was about to confess that I was a hooker or a killer or something."

"I used to tell myself that I was a free spirit. I drifted from job to job, often from boyfriend to boyfriend, sometimes to a girlfriend, through a few states after finishing school. The apocalypse showed me that I wasn't really a free spirit. I was just afraid to commit to anything. It's not even about a relationship, but about a job or life. You know?"

Harry Potter knew exactly what the woman meant. He grew up hearing that he could do anything, and for a while, he believed it. But then it became a problem. If he could do anything, then why would he do something he didn't like? Where was the perfect job that would make him money, happy, and fulfilled? Not to mention how much time it would take to actually learn and be good at a job. What if he wasted five years at a job and it turned out he sucked?

"Exactly, damn it! Damn it!" she snapped. "At first, I thought maybe I wanted to be a healer, sorry, a doctor, because my sister was sick as a child. But I could tell right away that I just wasn't smart enough or dedicated enough. Or I don't have the money for school! Ended up in pharmaceuticals, but that didn't last long because I kept getting into fights with the people running it, because they were basically abusing the poor or elderly! And damn it, what can you do? Even if I had the money to go in there and give every one of those exploited clients the necessary drugs, they'd find other needy people to exploit, even if I myself opened my own pharmacy, they wouldn't disappear.

She shook her head in anger. "It's like they showed us how big the world is and how big the problems are, and at the same time made us understand that fixing all of this, or even most of it, or even some of it, is beyond doubt impossible. I always felt like... an ant trying to move a mountain or something."

"I know how you feel," Harry said, stirring the meal again. "It's a little different now, isn't it?"

She laughed bitterly. "You could say that. Now I'm supposed to be a useless drifter and somehow try to survive the damn snowmageddon."

"Why do you think you're useless?" Harry asked.

She let out a sigh. "I don't know, I just never... gave a damn about anything. I don't even know how I'm still alive, like, for real."

"You never gave a damn about anything?" Harry tasted the food. It seemed to be about as ready as it was going to get, so he took it off the stove and held it, stirring to release excess heat before they dug in.

"I mean, you know, I had movies and songs and a few books I loved. My friends, a few pets. But everyone likes that shit."