Gabe wasn't the type to startle easily. Or at least, he hadn't been until it became necessary to look over his shoulder every time he left his apartment or St. Mungo's or any other place he went that someone from the Ministry or a Death Eater could find him. When they had come, it was some combination of the two, but that was months ago. Almost a year, in fact, which meant he'd had time to get back to something resembling normal. His friends would probably disagree on that front, since he still spent most of his days working or learning or both. That remained true, despite being on lock-down at the school. There were plenty of books in the Library he hadn't read yet. Pomfrey could teach him things as well, though they were largely only researching the virus and brewing commonly used potions since the infected students were released. He might have been a Ravenclaw instead of a Hufflepuff, for all the time he spent with his nose buried in some tome or other. There were days, however, when he needed something else. Oddly enough, those days seemed to be more frequent since the end of the war. Gabe just wasn't sure how to slow down properly.
Andy's voice came as a welcome distraction from his thoughts. He even managed not to jump, instead offering a bright smile in greeting. His legs swung down from the ledge, toes brushing the ground, but only just. The wall was the perfect height. He didn't move any further, content to wait to see if Andy would close the distance between them. The book was set off to one side, happily forgotten. They might be on uncertain foundations, but Gabe found himself wanting more: the kind of closeness they'd had as teenagers.
"Hello," he replied warmly. "What brings you out this way?"
If he'd been paying attention, Gabe might have noticed Andrew was looking for someone. As it was, he'd been miles away, dreaming of wandering the wild hills so often shrouded in mist.