He seemed almost as nervous as she as he admitted he was not. The blush in her cheeks deepened as she recalled a similar conversation with Mr. Crouch at a ball a few months ago, Mr. Crouch hadn't seemed nervous but more dismissive on the subject. Perhaps Mrs. Bagshot had been right on the matter. Malou swallowed and her lips formed a small oh, the world itself was stilled on her lips with his next statement and she found her lips pressing into an amused smile instead. She wanted to know what he had practiced, had he played piano? Or was it something beyond that? If a man didn't play piano what did he play? Violin? She knew there were plenty of men who played as professional musicians, but they were not of the upper classes. The most involved in professional music someone of her set seemed to be was as a sponsor to the arts.

He set her further at ease as he admitted that he found the conversation soothing. Perhaps not as similar as the conversation with Mr. Crouch after all. That made the smile fully break across her lips.

"My mother insisted I have lessons in singing and the harp as well." Malou admitted, "Although I do not think I would be able to admit an inclination toward either." Her cheeks didn't seem to cool any with the admission. "And what lessons were it that you grew bored of?" She found herself asking, as curious of his childhood as she was to get the attention off her.