She leaned in, mirroring his position and he debated for a moment about reaching out and tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear but hesitated. She seemed far less decisive than she had in his office and he wasn't sure if the other day had been a fluke or if she was off-kilter being in his own personal space. "Welcome," he breathed, taking his own cup in hand and breathing the scent in. "It is my favorite in the winter. The warmth against the snow."

"You say that but I am fairly certain it might be my trainee's favorite part of the job with how much she nags me about it." Or that could be because he tended to pawn his off onto her but he'd leave that bit unsaid. She didn't seem like the type to approve of leaving others to do your own work. With a sigh he fell into the back of the sofa, sinking into the cushions. "That makes sense. I've three sisters and my older one is one of the bossiest people I know," his tone was light, teasing, a throwback to how their last meeting she'd spent most of telling him what to do. "I'm sure you do. But hopefully not too many are quite that hands-on, Miss Whitby."

His grin shifted to a full smile when Sage confirmed he'd guessed right. He'd thought she valued duty and she'd already claimed to enjoy taking care of people. As she shared her guess for his own house he chuckled. "Mmm... no. Ravenclaw actually. But a lot of people guess Gryffindor. It certainly surprised my family. They all thought I'd end up there."