Did she really have to look so...adorable? Adorable was a good word for it. When she gave him that 'look'. That 'you're going to talk whether you want to or not' look. Complete with a smile. Argh.
Small talk and polite, maybe, but it felt strained. Actually, it felt horrible. The person he'd once been able to tell anything to and now he was having a hard time coming up with a response for 'how are you'. Brilliant. Good work, Lupin, always quick on your feet. "Alright," he chose. Not the lie that 'fine' would've been, because he wasn't. And not the long conversation starter that 'I've been better, considering I'm here with several people who hate me and oh, right, Harry looks like hell' would've been, either. Really, alright was quite an improvement. "You? You're looking well."