Stalemate
by Silvia
Harry thought Malfoy should be
moving out of his way, but his robe still billowed out over his knees and across
the aisle between their house tables.
"It says you forgot something," Malfoy said, and his lips curled back
in amusement.
Harry had stopped noticing the small ball in his hands, swirling light
flickering over long pale fingers.
"Yeah, to topple you off the bloody table," Ron said, over Harry's
shoulder, and nudged into the small of Harry's back with a sharp hip.
Malfoy hummed low in his throat. "Is that it?"
Sunlight streamed through the windows facing west, painting the hairs at the
base of Malfoy's neck with a rich silver glow.
The ball was hot against Harry's palm, and it was prickling at the inside of his
arm - shivers in his elbow. "Just let us past, Malfoy."
"How 'bout you just step over me?"
"How about not," Ron said, and Harry nodded, and Malfoy
shrugged, and Harry laid the ball on the table before turning.
He remembered.
--
stalemate: (noun) a drawing position in chess in which
only the king can move and although not in check can move only into check.