Being able to feel some of the tension bleed out of Bryony's shoulders had the effect of relaxing Marcus as well, relieved at having her nearby once more. There would have been no way for her to have visited when ensconced in his mother's house (his, technically, by the rights passed from his father's death, but that wasn't something he liked to consider), since Phillipa had made it clear Bryony was no longer welcome once the engagement had fallen through. Still, it was nice to know that she'd been around even in his absence - the extra broom in the cupboard was evidence of that, especially seeing as she was the only one the wards would allow in without Marcus himself being present. That thought brought up something he'd considered earlier, and with a small smile he said, "I saw your broom's still here - we'll have to go flying sometime soon."
It took some restraint for Marcus not to roll his eyes at her answer - after a lifetime of friendship, he could tell when Bryony wasn't telling the truth, or parts of it. He didn't press though, because if she had really needed to say something more, he was certain she wouldn't hide it from him. The comment about the holiday cleared up a lot of that non-answer anyway, and he nodded in understanding. Christmas had past without any recognition in Flint Manor, and it had only been once he'd started the paperwork for his mother's admittance that he even realized the new year had begun. "But now everything can get back to normal," he murmured, rather than focusing either of the attention on the negative pasts they'd just gone through.