The Slytherin alumni stayed frozen in his kneeling position for a while, his mind needing a bit of time to process what was happening as father and daughter bid each other goodbye. While the fact that he apparently turned back into a stupid lovesick kid when in the vicinity of Sarai Shacklebolt still stung (as did her apparent loathing of him), it was the Minister's words that gave him most pause. By Morgana's tits, did the scariest father in wizarding Europe just give him his blessings to court his only daughter?
Looking for all the world like a particularly stunned-looking statue, the auror only turned back to life after being slapped in the face with a curtain of sweet smelling air. Fighting to both remove said hair from his open mouth and commit that scent to memory all at once, the red robed wizard quickly stood and chased after his charge while silently blessing whoever designed auror robes to allow their wearer to run and dodge through a crowd without falling flat on his or her face. That would not only be embarrassing for him, but it may cost him both his job and his chances with the Hufflepuff beauty.
Silvery eyes fixated firmly on the slighter back of his quarry, Tristan used all of his training in evasion to not lose track of Sarai, from ducking under a silver platter holding some tasty smelling stew all the way to skillfully hopping over a stray cat that somehow found its way in the Ministry of Magic. One would think the whole world wanted him to lose his hard earned job! Scowling darkly at how difficult this whole mess was turning out to be, Higgs nearly didn't stop in time to not bowl over the Shaklebolt heiress as she suddenly stopped and turned around to face him.
Nearly skidding to a halt barely a foot before the young woman, Tristan panicked for a moment as he tried to calm down and put back an air of complacency before the incensed witch decided to curse him. While he was confident that we was the better dueller, he was well aware that both his job and his infatuation with Sarai would put him at a grave disadvantage if any fight broke out between them. At worse, he could subdue her, but even that would have its consequence on his present and future love life. Subtly trying to put his uniform and hairstyle back into order, the poor wizard was subjected to a venomous rant before being promptly dismissed.
That could not happen, not if he wanted to keep his job. Truthfully... looking into the eyes of the girl he had liked for longer than he could remember, Tristan tried to be as firm but kind as he could as he spoke his mind clearly for the first time since seeing the witch again this afternoon.
“I'm sorry, Miss Shacklebolt, but I love my job and worked as hard as I could to get even a scrap of recognition in this new world. Truthfully, I would not endanger my chances to fight for what is right for once for anything... not even you, and not even if I never manage to get into the my dream position ever again.” Ah, he should probably not mentioned that last part, but that woman had strange effects on him.
Straightening his posture and trying to look as unmovable as possible, Tristan prepared for the worst possible scenario he could thing of as he said his last piece of mind.
“Should you wish to be free of my presence, you would have to either convince your father to order me away or walk away on your own over my own dead body.”
Yeaaah, that was dramatic, but with enough luck the high amount of traffic in the lobby would keep her screaming to a minimum... he hoped.