Greengrass remained in his corner for half a second long enough for Darrow to annoyedly dub him a coward, but didn't say anything. No, he might have locked them in the room together, but it was better to keep Greengrass on his side if he could. Clearly he'd thought he'd been intending to attack, and therefore was not yet aware that the charm placed on the door was not one easily opened by alohomora. Yet Greengrass' temporary ignorance would not solve his problem: he'd broken into the observatory with no connection to Mr. Brownhill to weasel his way out of a trespassing charge if he was questioned, and he hadn't yet found his ingredient. He nearly responded with Mr. Brownhill didn't tell me that, but that would have been absurd to say, because Mr. Brownhill was a stranger and he wasn't prepared to try and make up lies that could be easily disproven by Greengrass, someone who apparently was acquainted with the man.
Instead, he glanced towards the windows, where the snow was coming down even heavier than it had moments before, before looking back to Greengrass, who was now standing. "The snow," he said, which he realized seconds later provided absolutely no explanation. His mouth was suddenly very dry, and he struggled to find the words to explain himself further. "I - I'm not supposed to be here," he amended. It was true, and by admitting that Greengrass might be more sympathetic to the words that followed. "But I can't apparate, and when the storm hit I didn't have anywhere to go. I knocked on the front door, but nobody answered, so I found the side door. I thought I'd find a floo and leave a few knuts for the trouble, but..." There were too many variables to this lie, he began to realize, but he was already talking and had already put an effort into appearing sincere.
"... but I didn't. I've just been waiting for the snow to pass." He hadn't thought of any of this through, but he would have to hope that Greengrass did not think on it too hard.
Instead, he glanced towards the windows, where the snow was coming down even heavier than it had moments before, before looking back to Greengrass, who was now standing. "The snow," he said, which he realized seconds later provided absolutely no explanation. His mouth was suddenly very dry, and he struggled to find the words to explain himself further. "I - I'm not supposed to be here," he amended. It was true, and by admitting that Greengrass might be more sympathetic to the words that followed. "But I can't apparate, and when the storm hit I didn't have anywhere to go. I knocked on the front door, but nobody answered, so I found the side door. I thought I'd find a floo and leave a few knuts for the trouble, but..." There were too many variables to this lie, he began to realize, but he was already talking and had already put an effort into appearing sincere.
"... but I didn't. I've just been waiting for the snow to pass." He hadn't thought of any of this through, but he would have to hope that Greengrass did not think on it too hard.
