Perhaps it was just that they were all more perceptive now that they'd gone through such intense emotions themselves that anyone had noticed perceptive Carton was feeling off. Evan didn't think the youngest years had connected anything - but then again, they also had yet to see the importance of all the empathy lessons from the term previous.

He supposed he expected Carton to brush off the question - not that the fact it wasn't was not welcomed, just a surprise. His answer was entirely relatable. Were any of them yet alright? And not just from the war and the prior things that had happened before the fighting. But everyone had personal things as well. He'd never really stopped to think about how true that was for the Professor's as well. But seemed like Professor Carton had something that bothered him as well. By the way the ring was twisting on the man's finger too... he could only imagine he'd experienced a loss. "That's understandable. Holidays can either be really fun and filled or ... lonely." He'd not experienced loss in the traditional sense... but being the kid he still was, he'd managed to isolate from his parents.

And then because the only way he knew how to offer comfort was through candy, the Ravenclaw pulled out a chocolate from his bag as well and set it on his Professor's desk. "I hope the holidays go quickly for you, sir."