The silence was expected, and Aldous hadn't fallen over in shock or anything. As far as Ben could see, he hadn't even scowled — one of the skills, perhaps, he had picked up as a diplomat; taking unexpected and frankly terribly news gracefully. Ben almost thought that he might be able to navigate this conversation without getting into exactly how disappointed his brother was, until Aldous uttered the last phrase, which made Ben wither somewhat.

He couldn't even blame that on the potion, really, because Ben had known for years that he wasn't supposed to be talking with Melody Finch — and, it logically followed, he was certainly not supposed to be procuring illegal potions for her, secreting her out of her bedroom window for secret midnight conversations on rooftops, or making out with her in closets at parties. All of which he had done, and which had led to this unfortunate predicament.

"Yeah," Ben said, feeling small but wishing he could be smaller — maybe just shrink into the chair and disappear entirely. "That's the one."