Giggling, she shook her head. "Positive. I am 100% human who happens to be good at arguing." At a lot of other things. "Your good at it too. Pretty sure you just give up easily when arguing with me."

"Good to know you're 100% human. Very good to know." A definitive nod and another grin. "And I thought I was supposed to let you win arguments. Some sort of unspoken contract."

"You don't have to let me win," she grinned at him. "Not all the time at least. Playing it out can be fun too." When it was fun, she wasn't exactly sure, but she was sure there would be moments. "Besides, it can't be fun to lose all the time."

"Oh but see, I don't lose." Grinning, he snuggled a little closer. "I get to see you smile. And that is better than winning."

Well....there was no arguing against that, was there? Grinning and blushing (she seemed to be doing a lot of that tonight), she snuggled closer to him as well. "I guess that's true, and you won this argument, so that's a plus." She tilted her head to the side considerately. "So when do I get to make you smile?"

"I did didn't I?" A slight chuckle left him as he shook his head. [b]"Fancy that."[/] Then a more curious expression came over his features. "I thought I was smiling."

"You were smiling, but so was I." She quipped lightly, a small frown crossing her face before being replaced with a grin. "Hm. I forgot my point but it had something to do with you smiling."

Chuckling, Sabel shook his head slightly. "Well, I am smiling and as long as your smiling I'll smile. So don't worry." Because her smile only made his wider. That was all there was to it; a simple, wonderful thing.

"Good, and you know that means you have to smile all the time, right?" She arched an eyebrow at him, grin still present. "Because I'm almost always smiling, so at least around me you should always be smiling. No frowny faces." She might let classes slide considering how much frowning she was doing there herself lately. Reaching up, she poked his cheek lightly.

Despite her words, a slight frown twitched on his brow. "What is it with everyone and making deals with me on getting me to smile all the time." Because she was the second one. "I do smile a lot." Except now he was frowning, so he wasn't sure how that worked out.

When she poked his cheek, the frown turned into a slight, playful pout. "You're confusing, you know that?"

She wasn't frowning to let him get away with frowning around her, she was frowning because she was confused by his sudden mood change and his words. "I didn't say you don't smile a lot." It came out more defensive than she'd wanted it to. "I was just saying....I like your smile, and I like it best when your smiling." Maybe she should have just said that?

Pushing back the curiosity over wanting to know who else was making deals with him, she shook her head slowly, letting a curious expression take over her frown. "How am I confusing?"

Salander spared a momentary glance at the driver-less horses "Hmm, yeah, I guess you're right. Like the carriages I suppose...." Yeah maybe. Nah, he wasnt really sure. Stepping off the train usually had him racing for an empty enough carriage where he could prop his feet up. Until now he thought the carriages were motorized. Typical.

He watched her reach out for his hand, then folded his into hers. He smiled as he felt the peck on his cheek, although not really sure what she had to thank him for. Instead he says "I should thank you Lexi, for hearing me out, for not walking away from me... when you could have." he murmured. He knew he had walked away from her on several occasions, his defense mechanism kicking in automatically in the attempt to cope with the stress. He had prided himself to say that he had never backed off from anything. So much for that....

Gently he brushed a stray strand from her face and gazed into those warm brown eyes, lost in them for a while as the chime of the tiny bells against gliding sleigh drifted in the air. It was then that he noticed a half-moon scar just beneath her left brow. Strange how he's never noticed it before. "How'd you get this?" he asked as his thumb brushed lightly against it.

"You know... the carriages don't really pull themselves. They are pulled by thestrals... there is supposedly a herd of them in the forest. You know what a thestral is I suppose?" she said, making idle chit chat. Silly...

Her little heart skipped a beat as he held her hand so tenderly. PERFECT. It was all perfect. Blinking her big brown eyes at him she tilted her head to one side and smiled softly. "Salander... I was put in Gryffindor for a reason. I fight for what I want, you know. I tried hard enough to make you see... I wasn't going to give up so easily," she said in the softest of tones. The little tinkling sleigh bells could have carried her voice away she was so timid in speaking those words aloud. The brave Gryffindor girl was being shy with him... why?

As he pushed the strand of hair from her face and his finger traced the scar under her eye she let her eyes close and sighed. "Before you came here... there was a really bad man that made us do really bad things... Dark magic. I was Imperiused by him, and I trusted him... liked him even. In a duel with another girl I was cut up very badly. Sabel might have very well saved my life when I reappeared at the castle that night," she said softly as she took the hand tracing her scar in hers and lightly pressed her lips to it. Looking out over the winter wonderland before them she smiled sadly. "I am afraid there is a lot that you don't know about me. I can only hope it doesn't make you change your mind about me..." she trailed off as she turned those big brown eyes back to him and smiled once more.

Thestrals.... they sound familiar, important even, he just didnt know why. "Sure... sure I know what thestrals are, they got.... four legs and... likes to pull things." he smiled slyly. She did say herd right? Like cows! Yeah much better than them with eight legs and likes to chase things.

He gave her a pensive smile, yes he heard her, the softness of how she said it emphasizing the point even more so. He squeezed her hand, trying to convey how much he appreciated her never giving up when so many of those in his life did. "You should get a medal for that, heroic actions under extreme ...." duress? Nay even worse "...denseness."

He listened to her intently as she told her tale, the concern becoming apparent in his features. Lexi was Imperiused? That was an Unforgivable curse-- he knew that much. He shifted his eyes away momentarily as he tried to recollect-- Sabel....where has he heard that name before? His attention shifted back to her when she continued, as he begun to wonder what sort of trouble has plagued Hogwarts "Thought everything would be just fine since Harry Potter saved everybody and stuff..." he uttered as he squeezed her hand again "Keep going..." Yes he wanted to know everything.

Hearing Salander's comment on thestrals she couldn't help but laugh softly. "They're magical creatures that can only be seen by those who have seen death... I don't know much else about them... just that they pull the carriages to the school and all... and that I can't see them," she said with a shrug. Really all the knowledge she had about that subject. "But yes, they DO have four legs and wings also... I think." Hehehe.

"Well, I think I have my reward already you know," she said with a giggle as she wrinkled her nose at him in a cute little fashion. Cute boy. SO cute. He was her reward for patience and all that, wadn't he? Lexi returned the little squeeze of his hand and smiled softly.

He... wanted to hear it all? He didn't think it was TOO much to hear about her past? She couldn't help but smile once more at the boy with his arm around her. Snuggling into him a bit closer she began again. "There were a whole slew of us that were used for an underground dueling ring... We did a great number on one another as well as... attacking the castle. There was an all out battle that took place," she said as she stared off into the vast snowy grounds.

"There... is a more to my past that just that. More dark stuff you know. I am adopted into the Denver family. Dylan isn't my real brother... I am a Kennedy by birth. My mum is descended from the Black family... THE Black family. Needless to say, my mum and dad aren't the loveliest people around. I was... removed from their care after my aunt died... They uhhhh... they treated me rather poorly for a long time. Almost all of my life really. But the Denver's are lovely people. Dylan and I became best friends and they took me in as their own to get me away from that abusive place," she said as the word ABUSIVE actually sort of caught in her throat. Sabel was the only person that really knew the extent of the turmoil she had suffered by the hands of the Kennedy family.

"But I love my parents... they tried to change for me... then they disappeared. I haven't been able to find them. I have someone helping me now though," she said with a little nod as she thought about Madame Donovan's offer to help her get some peace of mind.

She chewed on her lip a bit as she looked up at Salander... waiting to see if he would duck and run from all of that emotional baggage. She couldn't blame him if he did. It was a LOT of information to get on one sleigh ride.

From her previous spot, Sylvie had been eyeing the sleighs and her curiosity had gotten the best of her now. She did remember sleigh rides from her youth and in a moment of nostalgia, she wanted to relive a part of her youth. This is why she had made her way over. Yes, she could have very well sat with her tea and scones for the whole party, but where was the fun in that.

With her open parasol propped on her shoulder, she made her way toward the sleighs.

All in peasant clothes and with his huge fork, Evan walked outside, to get a bit of fresh air. Not that everything bad had happened inside, he just wanted to walk a bit. Not minding the cold much, he walked to watch the rides. He could have got on one, but he didn't have a beautiful lady to ride with. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and leaned on his fork, watching the horses ride. That is, until his favourite professor walked out and made her way to the rides as well.

Smiling, he approached to the woman. "Hello, professor," he greeted her happily. "I hope you're having a pleasant time?" It was, after all, THEIR work and he would be proud to hear she was enjoying it.

Hearing a voice, Sylvie looked toward its source and smiled. "Hello Evan," she replied and gave a small curtsey. "Oh, I'm having a wonderful time. You and your fellow prefects have really outdone yourselves." The whole place was rather magical, well more so than usual that is. There was something new in the air and it was very nice. "I'm sure that all the students and staff will say the same for all the work you all put in." It was a truly special party and all the work that went into it was very evident.

Glancing to the sleighs, she smiled. "These sleighs actually remind me of my youth. I must thank whomever thought to include them." she sighed happily. One of her more happy memories of her youth really, sleigh rides always did hold a special place for her.

Reaching up, Sabel wrapped his fingers around her hand, gently guiding it to rest against his chest. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap." Why he had he didn't see the point in saying unless she asked. He'd rather leave it behind and continue smiling. Or rather resume smiling.

Resting his head back against the cushion of the sleigh, he gave a light shrug of his shoulders. "I get all word-muddled around you. It gets confusing." Tease tease.

Dan walked down to the sleigh rides and watched everyone. He wished he could do it too, but he'd look like a loner.

Her fingers absently fiddled with the ruffles on his chest before resting lightly against it, eyes on him as she afforded him a small smile. "Its fine." It was a bit unexpected, and she wanted to know more about the reasons behind it, but now wasn't the time for that. Not when they had so much smiling to left to do. "Long as your fine..."

Arya snuggled back up against Sabel, resting her chin against him so that she was still watching him. "Really?" She said, visibly amused by this fact. "Is this all the time or just sometimes?"

"I'm wonderful." The smile was back, full force and full emotion. She could make him smile as much as she wanted, or even if she wasn't intending it. It didn't matter to him.

"And most of the time. Close to all the time." Cue a little wink.

"An underground duelling ring... like--like a fight club? There was a fight club at Hogwarts?" he uttered in disbelief. Salander knew what those back alley, seedy basements clandestine sparring matches were. And he knew exactly why such bloodsport was illegal. "And then some of you were used to attack Hogwarts?" At this he began shaking his head "Why? What kind of coward would use students as some kind of private militia to wage a war?"

He listened on as Lexi began to speak more about her background "So Dylan Denver is your.... adoptive brother." Well he hasnt actually seen him, the irony perhaps given that they belonged to the same house last term, but perhaps now he shouldnt be expecting the fellow to resemble Lexi at all. He began to play with her hair as she continued. "So you're like.... Lexi Kennedy?" That sounded nice-- better if anything. "The Kennedys are pretty famous back in the US, maybe you're related to them? I know them and the Astors kinda hang around the same circle." Yeah society types Salander doesnt really care for, mostly because he doesnt understand what the posturing is all about.

And then she said something even cooler "The House of Black? Your related to Sirius Black? Thats like awesome!" he started to grin, but the next thing she started to say got him to reel in the fanboyism. She was looking upset as she went on-- an Aunt that sounded like she mattered the world to her... and something else. He could feel his ears bristle as a dark fury stirred within him. Abuse. He tried to keep his face calm and attentive, but his eyes flicked quickly at the length of her body snugged warmly beneath the fur blanket. What was she saying? She loved her abusive parents? And they changed? He snorted at the word, the first sign that he wasnt buying that. Not.one.bit.

"Maybe they should stay lost." he blurted out suddenly and regretted it the second it came out. He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath "Sorry, I mean....whose helping you find them ?"

Arya grinned at Sabel. He was wonderful, and not only that but his frowny face was replaced with that cute smile of his.

"Close to all the time." She mused, grin spreading a bit at his wink. This was...interesting and amusing to say the least. She'd never made someone so confused, at least not unwittingly. "So now. Is it happening now?" The confusion that is, cause she couldn't tell if it was.

Barely holding his grin off at a pleasant smile, Evan bowed back. "I'm glad that you like it, madam," he said. It was always great to hear compliments, and hearing them from a favourite professor was amazing. Smiling slightly, he bit his lips. He hoped everyone enjoyed it as well.

"I'll pass your opinion," he responded. He couldn't really remember whose idea it was, they all worked together and all had shot an idea. But he'd bring it up nevertheless.

As she talked about her youth, he thought about his too. "Actually, I've never been on this type," he said slowly. Yeah, he had tried one in Sweden, but it wasn't like this. Not that it would be any different, though still he'd like to get on.