Billy continued to search through the ingredients, emitting noises of frustration that grew increasingly more aggravated with each bottle that wasn't his ingredient. He paused at Greengrass' question, but then continued his search as if he'd hadn't heard. As he picked up each jar, his eyes scanned the label, but his mind was still stuck on the question.

His affliction was not one he mentioned out loud—in fact, he wasn't sure he'd ever mentioned it out loud to another person, and the elder Greengrass was not the person he once might have thought would be the first person to find out. But Greengrass' tongue would be tied once the potion was complete, and it was probably safe—safe enough, at least—to elaborate a little.

"A potion," he said casually, as if the answer wasn't tearing him apart inside. "I need it for my potion."

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