Originally Posted by Steelsheen

Walking hand in hand towards the Slytherin table, Salander listened tensely as Lexi recounted her time at Godrics Hallow. He looked at her intently as she spoke. Her wounds, they looked painful, but Lexi was calm, as if she was speaking about her errands for the day. Would he be as calm had he been there, to have the chance to inflict that retaliation he had imagined on her father? He didn’t know. And now indeed he wouldn’t. With another finality he nodded his head. Yes they’re little secret. But still the weight of worry hasn’t lessened in his mind. If anything, it got heavier.

Something tugged at his hair and made a funny sound, and for a second found himself eyeball to eyeball with the tiny monkey. For some reason he keeps finding himself in a staring contest with various animals, most of which ended well. For the animal.

Then Lexi started to stammer-babble. He blinked a few times, deciphering what she was saying as she deciphered what he told her. “Well uhm… uh…” where to start? “They were set on the pureblood thing because…. they think it will fix the Astors Wizarding-- issues, which has been persisting for a few generations… ” he didn’t want to say it out loud, the lawyers made it sound like a disease, and he was starting to feel the same way. Does he actually want to say in front of her that his line was squibbing out? What if that was enough for her to dump him? That would be his end. Literally.

He bit his lip when she spoke out exactly was plagued his thoughts “I don’t know Lexi, I told them how much you meant to me and they just brushed you aside, like it was expected that I should get over you and focus on my role as an Astor, so I blurted out that you were related to the Blacks… and the Kennedys. Sure got their attention.” he snorted in frustration. ”And then they started asking all about you.” He stared at the empty plate and added whispering “I didn’t tell them you were half-blood, or that you spent time at St Mungos or any of your history. I was trying to get them to accept you as a good candidate for….” and he trailed off. He stared into her eyes. He felt bad. It sounded so technical—the little clause, like a laundry list to be check off. But in that room where he was gambling for his future he had felt like he had to start using his aces. And in the struggle, he unwittingly focused the spotlight entirely on Lexi. They will find out about her past. He was sure of it. And when that happens, he still had one more ace up his sleeve, hopefully it would be enough to sway things in his favor.

They shared a silence and Lexi started speaking about the flat in London. He nodded eagerly, happy for the distraction. "Yeah, we could check out the floorplans when we look around..." It will be under his name? He looked at her as he squeezed her hand and replied "I will if you'll have me."