Tyb sighed, a silent admission of fine, okay. Elsie would have felt guilty even if she had had nothing to do with it at all, but at the very least she had heard his owning up to it, and so couldn’t pretend he blamed her. Not even a little.

His face twisted into a wry expression when she mentioned her cousin, and how she’d brought quidditch into it. Of course Elsie hadn’t heard the rest of their conversation - hadn’t felt the whiplash of his career being threatened one minute and the next being offered a drink, hadn’t seen Mrs. Cavanaugh settle into... well, one could not call it softness. Relative calmness, perhaps. Frankly, Tybalt wasn’t sure how to explain any of that conversation even now. Had it been a test? Had he passed it? He hadn’t the faintest idea. Maybe Lucinda had relayed it to Elsie since then, all his confessions and all.

He raised his eyebrows slightly at the fact that nothing had been different with her - though her cousin had resolved not to tell Elsie’s mother, so there was that. As for him, well - “Yes!” Tyb said brightly, managing a grin. “Still playing quidditch, s’far as they’ve told me.” But he wouldn’t be for much longer, he reminded himself, and the grin faltered. He’d have left quidditch already if he were brave. And until things changed there, well -

Things had to change with this. “Except...” he added slowly, and suddenly wondered whether he was brave enough for this.

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