Ford's eyebrows raised in surprise at the mention of the potion. He probably ought to have expected a question about it sooner or later, because he knew that whole interaction in the workshop had been weird, but he hadn't been expecting it right now, particularly. Ford had gotten in the habit of pushing it as far from his mind as possible most of the time, until the boggart had gone and stirred it up and reminded him of how unresolved it was. But he didn't have time to sort it out, right now. He particularly didn't have time to sort it out when he was still trying to figure out what to deal with Cash Lestrange's dementor.
"Oh. I can't," he explained, then realized how that sounded coming directly off from the conversation they'd just been having. "I'm not trying to be cagey, either. I can't." He cast around mentally for a way to explain this, since he knew Noble was unlikely to accept just that as an answer (or unlikely to accept it in good faith, anyway). After a second he gestured at his coffee cup, then took an exaggerated gulp. He raised his eyebrows in Noble's direction in a meaningful way, wondering if he understood.
"...so I can't," he concluded, expecting any number of questions to follow this.
"Oh. I can't," he explained, then realized how that sounded coming directly off from the conversation they'd just been having. "I'm not trying to be cagey, either. I can't." He cast around mentally for a way to explain this, since he knew Noble was unlikely to accept just that as an answer (or unlikely to accept it in good faith, anyway). After a second he gestured at his coffee cup, then took an exaggerated gulp. He raised his eyebrows in Noble's direction in a meaningful way, wondering if he understood.
"...so I can't," he concluded, expecting any number of questions to follow this.
Set by Lady!