"Thank you, Remus," Gellert said, letting a small smile drift across his lips. With how quiet his voice was, and how the words seemed to fall from his mouth drowsy and silken, it was easy to believe that Gellert had no idea he had just called Remus by his first name rather than 'Mr. Lupin,' as he was more frequently prone to do.
Gellert shifted in the bed, pressing his hands down against the mattress to push himself into a near-seated position against the pillows. The movement sent a spasm of pain through his stomach but Gellert ignored it even as his cheeks grew just a little paler.
"How are you?" he asked, fingers twitching around the edge of the bedsheet, almost as if they wanted to reach for his wand--though he was not entirely certain why. Gellert paused for a moment, and then spoke again, more softly this time. "Albus told me what you did."