Lily had eaten and dressed, looking forward to the training for today. She'd been working hard in the garden, trying to improve her grasp of the Cruiciatus, and she was sure that the gnome had been limping yesterday.
She stacked her dishes neatly and dragged the brush through her hair, fingers working nimbly to gather it into a long plait. She looked up at the knock, then smiled at the voice, and hurried the twisting along.
"Come in!" she called, standing and picking up the ribbon she used to fasten off the end of her plait. She was glad she'd picked the dark green robes this morning. They set off her hair the best.
"How are you?" She met him halfway across the room, unable to disguise her delight at seeing him again. It felt like forever.