He could tell she was feeling a little down now, but he wasn’t sure what to say to her. The fact that she chose the seat on the opposite side of the couch. He maybe could have mistaken her facial expression, but that was unmistakable. He glanced down at the bottle in his hand, realizing he would use it as a crutch, and set it down on the table in front of them.
“Oh, yes,” he admitted. “It was relaxing. I chose to stay at Hogwarts. There were a few students and other teachers who did as well…” He trailed off, suddenly realizing something. He stood and excused himself for a moment so he could rummage in his bedroom down the short hall behind the couch. He had nearly forgotten because of how early he’d bought it, but Remus had gotten her a Christmas gift. It would hopefully make up for last year.
He exited his room and set a neatly wrapped gift on the table in front of her. “I couldn’t make the same mistake as last year,” he told her with a smile.