Billy stopped, for what felt like a brief moment but must have been a solid thirty seconds. He couldn't just release Greengrass, not when his wand was stuck and - oh, he still had Greengrass' wand somewhere, didn't he? His hand reached around to his backside, where his fingertips brushed against it, and suddenly he felt much more confident than he had a moment earlier.
"On one condition," he said, snapping back to reality. He stepped forward and put his hands on the rope, holding it as if he was about to untie it, but paused at the last moment. He stared at Greengrass with narrowed eyes. "If we ever meet in public, you won't act strange about it—about this." About the hostage situation, about Billy's mental break, about the spell he'd put on him, about the ingredient he needed. The spell he'd cast had done enough to prevent Greengrass from outright ratting him out, but it didn't protect against Greengrass from making social situations weird.
"On one condition," he said, snapping back to reality. He stepped forward and put his hands on the rope, holding it as if he was about to untie it, but paused at the last moment. He stared at Greengrass with narrowed eyes. "If we ever meet in public, you won't act strange about it—about this." About the hostage situation, about Billy's mental break, about the spell he'd put on him, about the ingredient he needed. The spell he'd cast had done enough to prevent Greengrass from outright ratting him out, but it didn't protect against Greengrass from making social situations weird.
