Her tone of surprise jolted him out of his self-pitying reverie and he paused, his wand poised to vanish the scrolls of parchment which littered the counter. When she called his name, ever so softly, he found that his heart leapt, and he looked up to find her much closer than she'd been before, leaning on the counter. She was so beautiful, and a long tendril of blonde hair was tickling his hand, which gripped the counter. He was visited briefly by a powerful desire to seize her and demonstrate there-and-then precisely what he was feeling towards her-- but the counter between them prevented that. He exhaled deeply and shook his head. She was dizzying. He'd forgotten what she did to him-- well, not forgotten exactly-- repressed was probably more accurate. "Yes, Alice?" he murmured.