Apparently Lavender was like veritaserum and the off-switch for all his filters, because Nick found himself about to answer her. At least until she ducked her head and backtracked. He hesitated, wondering if he should be honest, but that was the only thing he could bring himself to be with her. So he ducked down too, until he could sort of see her face. His own was still beet red, but there was no going back now. No forgetting the thrill of touching her, even so lightly. No pretending he hadn't overstepped and left them hanging somewhere beyond simple friendship. Any other bloke might have kissed Lavender then and Nick knew it, but he wasn't quite there yet. Not yet.
A smile flickered over his mouth like a light unsure that it wanted to stay lit. Saying what he intended to say could ruin everything. But it all boiled down to one fact - he'd not felt this way about someone of the opposite sex since Ivy. This relationship - if it ever even went that far (and how likely was that? Merlin!) - could quickly go the way of that one if his father found out, and yet...