He knew it. Victor knew those words would come back to haunt him. And he would’ve regretted them, had he not been so proud.

Victor watched as Mondai turned away from him to pour herself a glass of firewhiskey, his brows furrowed thoughtfully. Though he wasn’t about to admit it, she had been smart to walk away. That kiss… He wasn’t sure how far he would’ve let it go had she not been first to end it. He had been honest - it wasn’t a game. It wasn’t a tease by the steps of the Ravenclaw common room, a little joke meant strictly for his entertainment. He’d meant it, and for once, Victor wasn’t sure what to do with himself. Begging was obviously not his style, but at the same time, he wasn’t about to force himself on a girl who’d already turned him away.

But there were other ways to get what he wanted.

“Did you hate it, Mondai?” he asked casually, crossing his arms over his chest with the vaguest hint of a smirk on his lips. He knew the answer already. “Was it so awful you felt obliged to walk away?”