"Why?" Eileen rustled something in the corner and the tap-tap-tap of her heels moved to the left, toward the cradle. Little Bat's soft murmur shifted up toward her voice and echoed from the same location.
"Because these slugs do make a decent dessert to an unfinished dinner," she said around a jelly slug of her own. "And I do hope you were planning to learn the location of my office, eventually. Might as well show it to you now and save you the trouble."
The last line came from somewhere in front of Alex, and from the distance somewhat lower than Eileen's full height. "I do think he has grown," she admitted, sitting down with her son settled against her shoulder. "Would you like to hold him and find out for yourself?
I suspect he appreciates being placed on someone's lap more than the Headmaster at the moment."