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The lift pinged as its doors opened and Harry stepped inside. As the doors slid shut again, he glanced around and realised with a start that he wasn’t alone.
“Wow. Nice costume,” he commented, giving the man dressed as Captain America an appraising glance. The costume left little to the imagination and he quickly averted his gaze.
Captain America nodded in recognition of the compliment but didn’t speak, which Harry found a bit rude.
The smooth descent of the lift stopped with a jerk a few seconds later, accompanied by a screech of metal on metal.
Harry groaned and jabbed at the call button. “Great. I’m going to miss my photo slot now.” It only took a moment to call for maintenance to get someone on their way. Harry sighed and looked at Captain America. “I don’t suppose that shield really works, does it?” he asked with a grin.
“No,” Cap answered shortly, and Harry swore he heard a bit of a sneer in the tone.
“Worth a shot,” Harry said, shrugging and leaning against the wall. “So, which is your favourite film?”
Cap seemed to look at him properly, and there was a certain look in his eyes that Harry couldn’t quite decipher. “The first Avengers.”
Thinking it over, Harry nodded. “Yeah, I heard lots of people prefer that one. I really liked the Spider-Man one. You see that one? I felt like I really related to what Peter was going through in that,” he said, trying to keep from snickering to himself.
Somehow, Cap seemed to think that was funny. “I bet,” Harry could have sworn he heard him mutter. Or maybe he was just being paranoid. Hard to tell, somedays.
He watched Cap adjust his shield in his arm, and Harry held out a hand. “That looks really well made. Mind if I…?”
Cap seemed surprised at him, though he gave a short nod and held the shield out. “Go ahead.”
Harry took the shield and held it carefully, turning it over in his hands. “It’s heavier than I thought it would be.”
“Well, I did pay top price for it,” Cap replied stiffly, shifting from foot to foot. When Harry glanced over at him again, there was a definite tension about his posture.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… are you okay?” Harry asked, holding the shield out once more.
Cap nodded, taking the shield back and almost hugging it.
Harry narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure? You seem a bit tense… are you claustrophobic?”
“No, I’m not claustrophobic,” Cap snapped, causing Harry to do a double-take. There was something distinctly familiar about the voice now.
“Hang on. Do I know you?”
Cap snorted derisively. “Don’t be so ridiculous, P–”
Harry’s mouth dropped open in recognition. “Malfoy?”
“M-” ‘Captain America’ — or should he say Draco Malfoy — seemed surprised, now. “Malfoy? I’ve never heard of-”
“Drop the act, Malfoy,” Harry shot back at him, shaking his head. “I know it’s you. What the hell are you doing here? What the hell are you wearing? What do you know about comics?”
“Well, that is to say-” He cut himself off, looking at the doors again. “I would think they would fix this a little faster,” he huffed.
“Well? Do I get an answer, or not?”
Malfoy seemed upset, finally looking at him. “Is it a crime, now, to find passion in something, Potter?”
Harry snorted, watching him. “Passion? You? Yeah, alright, fine. Passion in muggle comics and movies? Come off it. What are you really doing here?”
“I’m…” Malfoy looked back at the door. “I’m having some fun, is all.”
Harry narrowed his eyes again. “You mean to tell me that the first time I see you in ten years is at a Muggle film convention and I’m supposed to accept that you’re just having fun ?”
“Well I’m not having fun now if that helps your confusion,” Malfoy muttered, looking at the door again.
“It doesn’t. Seriously, Malfoy, what do you know about Muggle comics?” Harry replied, folding his arms across his chest.
“Potter, do we really have to do this now?” Malfoy asked, his voice coming out sort of strangled. He was looking at the door again.
“Oh, I’m sorry, do you have something better to do?” Harry asked, raising one eyebrow.
“I would just… look, aren’t you worried about this… thing being stuck like this?” Malfoy said, finally looking at Harry again.
Harry’s eyes widened as he realised that the expression on Malfoy’s face was one of fear and that he was doing his best to mask it. “Are you scared?”
“Scared? D-don’t be stupid,” Malfoy stuttered.
“Look, listen…” Harry started, now feeling good and completely like shit. Malfoy probably didn’t have much experience with this kind of thing. “It won’t take them long to get us out. Where are you on your way to next? Once they open this thing… Maybe we can go together?”
Malfoy looked back at him, obviously not trusting a word he said. “I have a photoshoot to get to. And we’re stuck in this muggle tin can. And you want to come with me?”
A photoshoot… With his costume, Harry supposed it made sense, and he nodded more affirmatively. “Yeah. It’ll give us time to… You know. Catch up. Make nice.”
“I…” Malfoy’s eyes darted to the door again, and he looked back at Harry, and it looked like he started to relax while they waited. “Alright. Fine. You can accompany me.”
It’d be… interesting, to say the least.