"Softly Severus," Rus tells him quietly, catching the look. "No offense is intended. One should always cultivate unexpected allies. If you want another drink, we can go somewhere else."
"I never had to worry about that," Rus says gratefully. "No one ever asked Bella to play nice. And it wouldn't have mattered if they had."
Sorry- NPC? And, for the sake of plot development, may we assume that Rus has been to KY and come back and Sev has made the potion for him?