Edric's eyebrows furrowed just the slightest bit as Ella sneakily mentioned the fact that he, apparently, wasn't around more often.
That was… well, that was the first time Edric had gotten anything like that before. He was more used to being told to go away, not to be around more often. Huh. Who knew. Perhaps Ella really did look up to him after all, maybe she really did see in him some form of an older brother. After what happened with her mum, the boy could understand why she'd be a little worried to be left alone.

"Hey…" muttered the Gryffindor, giving his younger friend a small smile. "I haven't forgotten you, y'know. I've just been… a little busy with classes, but I'm finishing up all my big projects now. Don't worry, I'll be like gum in your shoe and you'll wish you could get a new pair of shoes." Yeah, the boy probably wasn't spending enough time with his fairy godchild. He would fix that, though.

And then Ella was pointing out that friends don't forget about their friends, asking what would happen to the faceless boy. Edric sighed. He was beginning to see now that this topic had interested Ella a little too much, and he just had to keep on building to the story. He'd have to get her distracted from it somehow now; and confessing was definitely not an option. The little girl would probably not talk to him again for the rest of the term. "Er… well, I heard not too long ago that some really rich wizard guy who lost his wife and kids in a terrible fire had decided to adopt him. The elves treat the boy like royalty and his adoptive father is funding research to find a counterspell to the problem. I heard they're close to finding a solution."

There.
Maybe a happy ending for Faceless Guy would alleviate Ella's heart.