Tybalt expected this party would feel resoundingly different if he were a Puddlemere player, or if the Howlers had won the playoff finals but a few hours ago - as it was, the Howlers had been out (they'd lost to flipping Falmouth, because their beaters were obviously too thick to recall a single rule!) for weeks now, so there had been plenty of time for the disappointment to sink in.
Not that he had any intentions of being a bad sport about it tonight! There had been, equally, plenty of time for the sting to fade, and now all that was left was the desire to make the most of this party and the end of this year's league; he'd happily toast the current champions, and cross his fingers that next season might finally be Hogsmeade's.
The crowd here was as quidditch as they came, which meant no end of familiar faces, and so Tyb had not been in want of diverting company or conversation. True as that was, time was ticking and there was still one familiar face he hadn't seen, and once he had finished the dregs of his champagne, he lowered his current glass and set about another survey of the room. Brown hair, blue eyes; she shouldn't be too hard to find - perhaps there were just too many broad shoulders at this party, getting in the way. Surely she had come, though: the company might be heartier than the species commonly found at the library, but her very own cousin was the hostess tonight! Family had to be able to successfully bully Elsie into these things, else what were they for?
A dance had ended just about now, and amidst the sudden migration to and from the dancefloor, Tybalt's eyes alighted, quite unexpectedly, on just who he'd been trying to see. His eyes widened in delight, but it didn't look as though Elsie had seen him, and by the time he'd woven around the crowd, the hem of her dress had stolen out of sight around the doorway.
He suppressed a smile, left his empty glass on a mantel, and slipped out into the hallway. There was no sign of her here - Merlin, she better not have left without saying hello! - but, undeterred, Tyb skirted along the hall, glancing in at a door or two that were slightly ajar. Deserted. He continued on until he came to a closed door, and paused in front of it. There was a slight risk here - but if Elsie had come in, no doubt she'd have closed the door behind her to find enough peace and quiet to sneak out a book or something, wouldn't she?
Well, he could always scarper if he were wrong. Quietly, quizzically, he knocked on the door.
Not that he had any intentions of being a bad sport about it tonight! There had been, equally, plenty of time for the sting to fade, and now all that was left was the desire to make the most of this party and the end of this year's league; he'd happily toast the current champions, and cross his fingers that next season might finally be Hogsmeade's.
The crowd here was as quidditch as they came, which meant no end of familiar faces, and so Tyb had not been in want of diverting company or conversation. True as that was, time was ticking and there was still one familiar face he hadn't seen, and once he had finished the dregs of his champagne, he lowered his current glass and set about another survey of the room. Brown hair, blue eyes; she shouldn't be too hard to find - perhaps there were just too many broad shoulders at this party, getting in the way. Surely she had come, though: the company might be heartier than the species commonly found at the library, but her very own cousin was the hostess tonight! Family had to be able to successfully bully Elsie into these things, else what were they for?
A dance had ended just about now, and amidst the sudden migration to and from the dancefloor, Tybalt's eyes alighted, quite unexpectedly, on just who he'd been trying to see. His eyes widened in delight, but it didn't look as though Elsie had seen him, and by the time he'd woven around the crowd, the hem of her dress had stolen out of sight around the doorway.
He suppressed a smile, left his empty glass on a mantel, and slipped out into the hallway. There was no sign of her here - Merlin, she better not have left without saying hello! - but, undeterred, Tyb skirted along the hall, glancing in at a door or two that were slightly ajar. Deserted. He continued on until he came to a closed door, and paused in front of it. There was a slight risk here - but if Elsie had come in, no doubt she'd have closed the door behind her to find enough peace and quiet to sneak out a book or something, wouldn't she?
Well, he could always scarper if he were wrong. Quietly, quizzically, he knocked on the door.
