It was obvious that the toll this had taken on him was severe - now that her suspicions had been confirmed and he seemed to stop trying to put on a facade, she could see the way he was wearing thin with startling clarity.

"Right, if you've agreed not to come on to me, then–" Lily puffed out a breath and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him into a tight hug. Holding onto him perhaps a little too tightly she ducked her head down and sighed against his shoulder before lifting her head enough to look over to him.

"You look like you really needed this."