"That's Horace's province," Severus replied with a slight curl of his lip, returning at once to his book. "He'll be thrilled to have finally found some suitable company, I'm sure." Trimble seemed to think himself amusing. What a delightful surprise. He found himself hoping the portrait was in a particularly laconic mood so that his visitor would leave. If the two Trembles hit it off, he was going to have to insist that they find another frame to speak through. He might be willing to commission another portrait. He went about his reading, doing his best to ignore their conversation.
He thought he saw Albus smirking at him, out of the corner of his eye. But by the time he looked up, as always, he seemed simply to be sleeping.