Whatever It Takes (Lysander)

[Lysander Malfoy]

Lysander looked over as the door opened, then smirked softly at the state of Davi as he did. "Good morning," he said softly. "I feel about as good as one could hope to after such an eventful night," he said before moving his arm to show it was fine, but he did have on long sleeves to cover up the bruising. Mostly because he didn't want anyone else thinking it would be a splendid time to test their luck.

When Davi realized his own state, "Considering you were sitting by me half-dressed last night by the fire," he mused, "I think you can hold the apology. And it does smell like breakfast will be served soon, and it smells like the chef decided we all needed a heartier breakfast this morning," he chuckled a little. "Did you sleep well? Heavy sleep doesn't always mean it was restful," he murmured, his eyes staying on Davi's.

He glanced over, hearing a clicking, and saw Asphodel hopping across a banister at the top of the room that led back to the door she'd come into the house from the library, slipping back through it and presumably outside. "Seems we're all having a slow morning," he chuckled again before looking back to Davi with a shake of his head.

[Davi Baptiste]

Davi watched the easy movement of Lysander's arm with obvious satisfaction, the faint crease of worry between his brows finally easing. "Good," he murmured. "I was fairly confident the spell had taken properly, but I still prefer seeing the patient prove it." A teasing smile tugged at his mouth. "I might have to insist on follow-up visits." His eyes lingered on Lysander for another moment before his attention drifted toward the scent floating up from downstairs. His stomach, having apparently decided it had been ignored long enough, answered with a quiet growl.

"...Well," Davi admitted with a sheepish grin, "I suppose that answers whether I smell breakfast too." When Lysander asked if he'd slept well, his expression softened. "I did." The answer came without hesitation. "Honestly... better than I expected." He leaned a little more comfortably against the frame. "I think there was something reassuring about knowing you were only a few rooms away instead of wondering whether I'd made it in time."

His voice remained light, but there was an unmistakable sincerity beneath it. "I don't remember dreaming at all. Just..." He shrugged one shoulder. "...sleep." The clicking of Asphodel's talons drew his attention upward just in time to see the owl disappear through her little entrance. Davi smiled fondly after her. "I suppose she's decided you've survived the night after all." He looked back to Lysander, amusement dancing in his dark eyes. "Though I'm fairly certain she still hasn't entirely forgiven me for telling her not to fuss over you."

His smile widened."Huginn does exactly the same thing. I swear he thinks I'm incapable of surviving a paper cut without his supervision." A quiet chuckle escaped him before he finally pushed himself away from the doorway. "Give me five minutes to make myself resemble a respectable professor again." His eyes flicked down at his own bare chest before returning to Lysander with an impish glint. "Or at least enough of one that your staff doesn't start inventing even wilder stories than they already have."

He glanced toward the chair where his clothes waited, then back again. "And after breakfast..." His smile became warmer, more genuine than teasing. "I'd like to thank Bonnie properly before I head back to Hogwarts. I doubt she expected her quiet evening to end with her employer being attacked and an unexpected houseguest dripping rainwater across her clean floors." His expression turned almost apologetic at the thought. "I owe her my gratitude for looking after both of us."

[Lysander Malfoy]

"Insist away," Lysander smirked, but his expression softened a bit at Davi's answer about how he slept. "Sounds like the sleep of someone who was really exhausted," he murmured. He chuckled a little at his observation about Asphodel. "She's just a prima donna," he shook his head. "She likes you so far; she was just frazzled by last night, same as us. Though, I suppose I owe Huginn an apology for stealing you away," he mused, looking over at him.

He gave a laugh at the idea of what his staff might be cooking up. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be hearing whispers with your name for a while yet," he smirked. "And she's probably downstairs, too. The staff eats their breakfast about the same time, so we can address her afterward," he nodded. "I'll wait for you downstairs, but take your time."

He hesitated for a moment, still looking at him, but then stepped away from the doorframe and started down the stairs towards the foyer below. "Though if you want to come down as is, I certainly wouldn't mind," he said over his shoulder, as if he couldn't let the moment pass without adding one of his usual quips.

[Davi Baptiste]

Davi watched him for a moment as Lysander lingered in the doorway, the softened expression, the easy teasing, the reluctance to leave quite as quickly as propriety probably suggested he should. It was becoming dangerously easy to enjoy that look directed at him. A smile tugged at his mouth when Lysander mentioned Huginn. "He'll survive the theft," Davi said lightly. "Though he'll absolutely act personally betrayed for at least a week. Ravens are excellent at holding grudges when it earns them extra treats."

His gaze drifted toward the stairs as Lysander finally stepped away, then returned when the inevitable quip floated back over his shoulder. Davi huffed a laugh, leaning briefly against the frame. "There it is," he called after him. "I was beginning to worry the injury had affected your flirting." The grin lingered as he watched him disappear downstairs.

Only then did Davi close the door and turn back into the room. The guest room still held the quiet warmth of the night before, his shirt and vest waiting where he'd left them. He crossed to the chair and picked up the shirt first, slipping it on without bothering to fully tame his curls. The corset vest followed, buckled with practiced ease before he rolled the sleeves neatly into place.

By the time he stepped back into the hallway, he looked much more like Professor Baptiste again; composed, tailored, and respectable. Only the slightly sleep-tousled hair and the lingering warmth in his eyes betrayed the fact that he'd spent the night in a Malfoy's guest room after racing through a storm to save him. As he made his way toward the stairs, he could already smell breakfast more clearly, rich and comforting. He paused at the top for a moment, spotting Lysander below, and couldn't help the small smile that returned.

"See?" he said as he descended. "Respectable professor restored. Your staff can save the truly scandalous rumors for another day."

[Lysander Malfoy]

"I think he and Asphodel would get along well," Lysander chuckled at his description of Huginn holding a grudge. His comment about the injury affecting his flirting got another chuckle. "Impossible," he said, shaking his head.

He stepped into the kitchen to check on everyone, assuring one of the more shaken maids that he would increase the security on the home to give them more peace of mind that if anyone else got hairbrained ideas, they wouldn't make it into the house. Once that was settled, he made his way back to the foyer to wait for Davi, putting his hands in his pockets. He didn't have to wait long, glancing up as he heard Davi starting to come down. He smiled softly at him, then huffed a laugh at his comment.

"If you think clothing affects the rumors, I think being more respectable is only going to make it worse," he shook his head, "Though respectable is almost more tempting than half-dressed." He smirked before motioning toward a smaller room. "We'll eat in this room over here," he said, leading him to the little sunroom once he'd reached his side. It wasn't much, perhaps originally meant for something more discreet, like a passage between parts of the house of the staff, but with a nice white paint and a dark hardwood floor, it had been turned into a small room with a small table against the far wall by the windows that looked out into the gardens, slightly off to the side from the door that led out to it. It was quieter and just big enough for the both of them to eat in, but still close enough to the kitchen that it wasn't more inconvenient to the staff than the dining room. There were minimal decorations: some dried flowers in vases on shelves on the wall, some herbs hung upside down over the door that led to the kitchen, but the chairs were soft and comfortable.

Lysander pulled out a chair, motioning to it for him to sit before going to sit in his own once Davi was seated. "Hope you're hungry. They cook for themselves too, so there tends to be plenty of food at meals."

[Davi Baptiste]

Davi's laugh followed him into the little room. "Oh, so that's the problem." He settled easily into the chair Lysander had pulled out for him, offering him an appreciative smile before taking his seat. "I've been trying to preserve your reputation, and all this time I've apparently only been making myself more suspicious." He rested his forearms lightly against the table as his eyes wandered around the sunroom. The morning light filtering through the windows gave the space a warmth that felt entirely different from the grander rooms he'd seen the night before. It felt... lived in.

"I like this room," he admitted. "It's peaceful." His gaze drifted out toward the gardens for a moment before returning to Lysander. "I can see why you'd choose this over that enormous dining room. Meals are meant to be enjoyed, not shouted across a table long enough to seat half of Hogwarts." The image amused him enough to earn a quiet chuckle.When Lysander mentioned there being plenty of food, Davi smiled sheepishly. "I probably am." He rubbed absently at the back of his neck. "I don't think I realized just how hungry I was until I woke up. Adrenaline has a habit of replacing meals."

His eyes found Lysander again, a spark of mischief returning. "Though if your staff starts bringing enough food for six people, I refuse to take responsibility for whatever conclusions they draw." He paused, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Actually..." His grin broadened. "No. I suppose I do." There was something almost content in the way he looked across the table. "People can gossip if they like." His voice had softened, becoming more genuine. "They weren't there."

They hadn't seen the panic that had sent him racing through the rain. They hadn't seen the fear that he'd been too late. They hadn't watched Lysander get back to his feet after a broken arm or sat with him in front of the fire until the adrenaline finally faded. "They'll make up whatever story they want." He offered a small shrug. "We'll know the truth." The smile returned, lighter now. "And if that truth happens to include an excellent breakfast..." He glanced toward the kitchen as the aroma drifted into the room. "...I don't think either of us is in a position to complain."

Looking back at Lysander, one eyebrow lifted playfully. "So... now that neither of us is being attacked, seduced by ancient magic, or caught in a thunderstorm..." His smile turned teasing again. "Tell me something about yourself that isn't buried under three layers of mystery and impeccable self-control." He folded his hands together on the table. "I think we've both earned a conversation that doesn't involve broken bones."