Under normal circumstances, his calling her a know-it-all would have inspired a biting retort, but instead, strangely, it reminded Lily of someone else.

"You're Severus's friend! The quiet one! Not in our year, right?" She could remember sitting with Severus at a Quidditch match and him departing to go congratulate the Seeker - Regulus. Or, a younger, shorter version of him.

Regulus had been one of that ghastly crowd at school that her old estranged friend had fallen in with. While not as openly hostile as some of the others Sev had kept company with, Lily didn't doubt that Regulus was familiar with their ideals. He might even agree with them.

Which didn't make him an ideal candidate, as far as comforting familiar faces went, but - it was definitely better than Voldemort.

"Do you know if he's alright? Severus, I mean."