Cameron obviously didn't want to be caught, but with Alice and Sisse already aware of his relationship with Sloane, he didn't feel as though he needed to be so stiff in his manner of speaking to or about Sloane. Between the side glances every time she coughs and his worried expression every time she seemed to stumble through her words, it was obvious that he was worried about her—and obvious that her recovery wasn't going as smoothly. But it wasn't Sloane that he used as an excuse for abandoning his friends as they departed for Hogsmeade, but their breakfast.

He'd made three comments over the course of the meal about how his plate of food didn't taste just right. He'd first complained about the temperature of the eggs, then about how undercooked he believed the meat to be. Once they were beginning to leave, he made a comment about his stomach, leaving nobody to argue when he claimed it would be better for him to stay. Of course a few of them would be suspicious, but altogether it was a solid plan. Or he'd hoped so.

"You look miserable," he responded as he walked through the portrait and into the common room. It hadn't taken him too long to catch up with her, which was also concerning; the thought of her falling down the stairs now permeated his thoughts and he couldn't help but be a wee bit protective. "And now I have a stomachache," he added, eyebrows raised pointedly as he found a spot on the couch.

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