He frowned as the bowl was taken from him, but Alec was Alec: nothing if not a stubborn fool, determined to avoid all human contact and connection. Fine, then.

"You're asking for an awful lot," he said, and produced, with a flourish, a small handheld mirror from behind his back as if by magic. The minor miracle, so soon after another small one, was a surprising strain to his abilities. Best not to overdo it, then. Besides...

"It's just not the same if I miracle it up. Will you still be here, if I," he nodded in the direction of the Great Hall and any available actual tea, "scurry off to make some real tea?"