In her distress, Elsie wasn't watching him as closely as she should have, trying to stem the flow of tears with her sleeves, when she felt his hand on her cheek. Caught off guard, she sniffled quietly under that look he was giving her, blowing out a shuddering attempt at a deep breath, tears clinging to her lashes as she looked up at him now that he was so close.

It pained her to know that he was just as miserable as she'd been. Of course Elsie had known it wouldn't be easy to move on, but she had always assumed he would get there before her; she'd figured she never would. Her immediate reaction was to want to apologise, but she couldn't find the words for just how sorry she was. She had made a huge mess of this and caused a lot of heartache and she felt awful.

Well, she best start making up for it now. "Of course I do," Elsie gently covered his hand with her own, leaning into it as she gathered her thoughts. Though Elsie had never envisioned herself so lucky as to find somebody who would put up with all of her nonsense to even want to marry her, ever since that New Years they'd spent snowed in together at his house, the notion, a little glimmer of a hope had started growing steadily that just maybe things could work out for them somehow. Then everything had come crashing down, snowballing out of control until they'd wound up here.

Choosing her next words carefully, Elsie knew she had to get this just right. "For some unknown reason you put up with the clumsiness and the blushing, the awkwardness and the books," Merlin knew why, she was still baffled by it sometimes, though just as grateful. "Tyb, you're my best friend and you're willing to give up something you love for me, even if I don't want you to. So yes, I do want to marry you and I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am that I ever made you think otherwise." That day in the library and been the worst lie, the hardest thing she'd ever done and she hated herself for having done it at all; especially because it hadn't been worth it in the long run, only the catalyst to a lot of misery between then and now.

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   Benevolence Crouch

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MJ always makes her so pretty

Of course, she said, as though it were a given. Tybalt might not have been able to envision feeling otherwise about her, but he had not been so certain as she made it sound. Even if she loved him - and she did, he knew that much, it would be wrong of him to pretend that had ever been in doubt - she seemed as though she might be happy living a quiet life working amongst her books. He didn't think she had ever planned to marry, before.

But she wanted to marry him, she said, and that was all he needed.

There was a feeling ballooning up in his chest so strongly that he wouldn't be surprised if he'd started spontaneously levitating. "I don't know what I'd do without your clumsiness," Tybalt answered, hardly able to stop his face splitting into a smile and the mirth spilling out. "I love the blushing, and all the awkwardness," he continued, in fond teasing. "Although I'm undecided on the books -" he broke out in a laugh, feeling more like himself than he had in months, and chased the feeling further by winding his other hand around her, revelling in being this close again.

"I know things might not work out," he admitted slowly, after that - he didn't know how he would convince her parents, either - "but I know what I want, and that's you." There were other things he had come to realise he wanted, things that had always felt just as much out of reach but which he was sure would be worth the work and the sacrifice - marriage, a family of his own (a family like hers, close-knit and kind and warm through happiness and hardship) - but those were still secondary here.

"And that's worth the risk for me, whether we find a way or not. I'd never resent you, I swear," Tyb told her, in complete earnest, "- but I'll resent me if I don't at least try."

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   Elsie Kirke

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Sighing softly, Elsie felt the relief overcoming the guilt, though she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to truly rid herself of it entirely, just the smile on his face put it to rest for the moment. She'd beat herself up over it later. Now, for the first time in far too long, she was just going to soak up as much of him as she could before they inevitably had to part ways again. At least this time it would be on good terms- the best, actually.

Wiping away a few happy tears, Else chuckled along as he teased her, and she didn't mind in the slightest, she'd missed it, in fact. "The books are non-negotiable I'm afraid," She smiled slowly as he pulled her in, hands sliding gently up over his shoulders.

There was that familiar skip of her heartbeat, but she felt like this time it had everything to do with what Tyb was saying, in addition to the rush of being so close after so long. She nodded along, blushing just a little, that feeling of relief spreading though her, making her feel a little more hopeful, a little more whole. Merlin she just hoped with enough time they'd be able to figure it out. Thankfully they had some time, now. Elsie couldn't, wouldn't think about the possibility that they wouldn't manage it somehow. These last long months had been too awful for her to imagine ever having to do that again.

Overwhelmed, she struggled with what to say, looking up at him with a soft, smitten sort of smile on her lips. Everything he'd said was everything she wanted to hear and she felt the same; ready to take the risk, to make it work as best they could, to give them the chance they deserved, no matter how hard it would be. All of those promises sat there, square in the middle of her chest, but she couldn't, for the life of her figure a way to say it all, so instead she gently framed his face with her hands, pushed up to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

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   Tybalt Kirke

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MJ always makes her so pretty

He had forgotten how good it felt to be around her when she was happy, with a slow smile on her face, even managing a chuckle again. All Tyb could do was offer her a hmmph at her teasing reply, but he couldn't manage to even feign reluctance now, after all he'd just admitted.

He had been steeling himself to face another barrage of doubts, a little uncertainty on her part, but there was nothing uncertain in her smile or in her hands light against his face or even in her kiss, that was as gentle and light as the rest of it but felt more weighty an answer than any words might. He arched towards Elsie to lean into the kiss, freely wrapping his arms around her more tightly; it had been so long since they had done this - he had not held much hope that they would ever get to do this, be together, again - that this, now, felt like a dream, her lips on his the only thing that felt remotely real.

He would have liked the moment to last for hours, would have liked to look forward to a lot more kissing, but - "Elsie, wait," Tybalt said, the words almost more for his own sake than hers, as he fought the temptation just to shut up and kiss her again, instead - "We still can't do this." Neither one of them could have forgotten what had happened last time, and if someone caught them a second time it would undoubtedly be a hundred times worse. Not to mention if someone walked in on them in Elsie's own room, Merlin! "If anyone comes home and finds us, I'm never going to be able to convince your parents," Tyb pointed out, and although there was a little laughter in his tone, the fact of it was just as dire as it sounded. There'd be no salvaging that impression.

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Had it really been near a year since they'd last been able to attempt this? It felt like forever ago and they hadn't even gotten away with it, which should have been her first reminder, but after what felt like the longest year of her life, how could she not? It didn't take Tyb long at all to come to his senses, which was both impressive and frustrating. It also meant it was all too over, much too quickly.

Sighing heavily, Elsie felt that nearly-forgotten warmth burst through her, and it had her feeling reckless, but he had a point. At least one of them had learned their lesson, who would have thought it wouldn't be her? "You're right," She half-whined, half-sighed, though didn't make any effort to move, in fact all she did was loop her arms around him. She knew her family was out for the day, but he was being smart, which they would have to do from here on out of they were going to make this work.

"So we're just not going to see one another?" She'd had enough of that this year, which was her own fault of course, but it certainly wasn't something she wanted to continue. "Are you going to start writing to me?" She teased lightly, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder, trying to absorb as much of this moment as she could. It had been the scattered moments like this that had kept her going before, but was exactly what got them in trouble last time and now she didn't know when they'd get another. It was frustrating to say the least, to know what she wanted, what they wanted, and had committed to, only to have it so far out of their reach at the moment.

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MJ always makes her so pretty

Rare as it was to hear the words you're right (not from Elsie, just... in general in Tybalt's life), it was not exactly the satisfying sensation he'd always imagined it to be. Probably because it was him ruining all their fun.

(Also not a claim he was used to.)

Merlin, and he wished he'd not said a word now, because neither of her questions were ones he especially wanted to answer, especially not when she still had her arms looped around him and her mouth was still so in reach. But if this was anything - if it was ever going to be anything, real and proper and permanent - they would have to sacrifice the now for a tenuous hope. They would have to make sacrifices for possibly a very long time.

But if they didn't, then this may as well be their last kiss anyway, because they would be right back where they had been at the quidditch party, and right back in the library when they'd realised they couldn't do this any more. Elsie or no Elsie, Tybalt wanted to one day be able to get married, support a family of his own. He also would really rather not be the reason Elsie lost her good name and any prospects she had. Preferably, he wanted to be one of those prospects.

But to do that... "Well, we can't, really, can we?" Tybalt said gravely. "It's not worth the risk. At least not like this -" He jerked his head at their surroundings. Not in private. Not doing anything improper, which presumably included making out. "I mean - well, there's nothing wrong with people bumping into each other in Honeyduke's -" he pointed out in a slight protest, trying to poke loopholes in his own resolution... although given how that chance meeting had gone today, how he could trust either of them not to sneak off or apparate away somewhere when offered the opportunity? One of them was going to have to learn some proper self-control, and fast.

God help him. "Apparently I might have to," Tybalt added gloomily, returning to her second question by clutching her a little tighter and making a petulant little face. "I hate writing." And she knew it well. She might like it, but he was awful at it, and it was always harder to be funnier in writing, and he didn't like not being able to tell people's tone, and - maybe this was worse than even the thought of a looming Ministry career, having to resort to letter-writing to save him from their separation.

He'd do it, though. If only for this.

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   Elsie Kirke

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In the quiet if her bedroom, it was easy to forget the world outside had some serious issues with what they were doing. They'd learned that the hard way, thanks to Lucinda and she remembered it clearly, but that didn't make her any more apt to let him go right now. It could be a long time before they were able to do this again and that had her sighing softly, a frown tugging at the corners of her lips as he spoke again.

He was right, again, but it didn't make the idea any easier to fathom. After going so long without seeing him, the prospect of having to do it again, even if they were on better terms, made her breath catch in her throat and her grip tighten for an entirely different reason than his. Closing her eyes, she snuggled in for a moment before leaning back to look at him.

"I suppose not," She agreed with a little huff of disappointment. If they were going to make this look like it should, they were going to have to make some sacrifices now, in order to help push along a better future. Elsie just worried that it would take too long and then what? She couldn't imagine going through this heartache all over again... "There's nothing wrong with say, being in the park at the same time, right? Even with Mrs. Haynes in tow." With Lottie's debut this year it might give her mother someone else to focus on instead of Elsie; it wasn't like her mother had made much progress on the near five years since her own graduation. Maybe she'd just give up, then it wouldn't be so hard?

"I won't ask you to write, I was teasing you," She knew he hated it, always had. "Well, maybe just once in a while?" She raised a hopeful eyebrow at him, accompanied by a little smile. "We are going to have to keep in touch somehow, and figure some things out." No contact at all was not an option, not to her, not anymore. Plus if they were going to come up with a real plan to make this work, they would actually have to make time to discuss it so they were on the same page from here on out.

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MJ always makes her so pretty

She didn't disagree with him, or with the strategy they were going to have to take to make some kind of attainable future out of this. They both knew what was needed for it. And even so, there was the niggling sense that they were loosening the ties they had already made with this, somehow... going backwards.

Forwards, Tyb. Forwards. This was how to get to that future, and it didn't matter if the road looked long or meandering or like scrambling up the side of a giant bloody mountain.

But he'd see her in the park sometimes, with Mrs. Haynes in tow. "Nothing wrong with that, no sir," he agreed, with an over-the-top nod as if it might assure himself of that. If only that sounded like a better consolation, and not a trial of its own. He could still be friendly - even her family must know they had been friends through their last few years of school; they couldn't deny him friendliness - but if he wanted to be known not for that reason, not as some boisterous quidditch player, then he would also have to be decorously polite, and chivalrous, and smartly-dressed, a gentleman-in-training who lifted his hat to the ladies, had neat-combed hair, and didn't grin.

Not quite himself, then. And how on earth was he going to keep up such an act for long enough to ever make his introductions to her parents? How would they ever like him? (How on earth would Elsie still even like him, if he tried his hardest to be boring? What if he became responsible and unfunny and a genuine bore, after all that trying? What would be left to like?)

It was the same worry he had about the letters, really. (It turned out he had a lot of worries. Had he always worried like this?)

Maybe it was what came from not having had Elsie around for so long. Maybe it had frayed his confidence, somehow. But being here now was a balm to that, was beginning to soften the blow at last, gave him a brighter outlook to ride out against the doubt. They had weathered worse already. They could do this.

"I know," Tyb told her - to both of her statements, smiling back and chasing out the fears with it. She was teasing him, and the world had been righted again, and everything would be fine. "Of course we will." He ran his hand along her arm until he found her fingers, and twined them into his. "And don't be daft, Elsie Beauregard," Tyb said, and he couldn't suppress his grin, however true his next words felt to him. "I may not like writing, but you know I'd rather write to you every day of my life than go back to the way things were without you."  

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Letting out a contented sigh, Elsie knew the feeling would only last as long as Tyb was still here, then the worries and the guilt would settle back in. At least they had a better idea now, a better foundation to stand on if they were truly going to make this work. Unfortunately there wasn't much Elsie could do to help it along. Continue to work, she supposed, save as much money as possible, tuck it away for later. Just in case. Trying to avoid situations like this so there wasn't a chance of getting caught again would also probably help.

However, she was still riding the reconciliation high, smiling genuinely at his affirmations and his hands in hers. At least they would have some letters. Elsie wouldn't hold him to every day, but often enough that she wouldn't miss him too terribly. With all of that decided and there likelihood that their time was running short, Els knew he had to go, but was reluctant to say anything. Who knew when she'd see him next, and it wouldn't be like this, so she was loathe for it to end now.

Sighing again, this time in resignation, Elsie tightened her grip on his hand and pull him toward her gently, brushing her lips ever so quickly against his. "You should probably go." She breathed out, still smiling.

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   Tybalt Kirke

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MJ always makes her so pretty