It might as well have been a punch in the stomach.
Harry stared at Malfoy, at the quickening spark of his eyes and the colour gathering in his cheeks. His face was sharp and bright, and there was no Firewhisky on hand to serve as an excuse. Harry felt like someone had just shone a torchlight in his eyes and all he could see were imprints from the glare. It wasn't like Ginny, or Cho; it wasn't like anything he'd felt before, because it was Malfoy.
It was Malfoy.
Harry swallowed. "I'm not that sweet," he said.
Malfoy's eyes darkened, but he didn't move. He was so dedicated, Harry thought, to trying to keep cool and composed, even when everyone in the world could see what kind of shape he was in. Right now Harry knew he was just as confused as Harry, but he only straightened and responded dryly, "I wouldn't know, Potter, I only buy them to bite the heads off."
And then he nodded briefly and brushed past Harry towards the dungeons.
"Wait," Harry said, slipping his hand around Malfoy's elbow before he could get far. Malfoy turned and looked at him, and in that thick, contorting air, Harry could feel how close they were standing, and how warm Malfoy was next to him, just like he could feel his own skin.
"I wanted to tell you " and then he stopped, because he had nothing to tell, hadn't thought that far ahead, just didn't want Malfoy to go.
Malfoy waited, his eyes fastened onto Harry's, and Harry looked back, wondering when Malfoy's face had gone from pointy and annoying to full and delicate, except for the hard line of his jaw and the way his mouth
"You wanted to tell me," Malfoy said pointedly after another embarrassed moment of silence. Harry tried to look as if he knew what he was going to say, grasped around for something, and landed on
"Flying," he said. "I wanted to tell you that we're going flying tonight."
The change on Malfoy's face was instant: his eyes widened and his blush spread straight up to his hairline. "Oh, we are?" He prised his elbow free of Harry's grasp, abruptly, as if it had been an afterthought.
"Yes," said Harry, letting his voice fall. "You and me."
"And you get to decide, is that it?" said Malfoy. "I could have things to do, you know."
"You could," said Harry, feeling like he was back on level ground with Malfoy for the first time in months. "But you don't."
"You are a complete git, Potter," said Malfoy.
"After dinner," said Harry, feeling a weird thrill of anticipation curl in his stomach.
