Arundel Castle - Him & I | Bae

Saturday, June 11, 1921
The Garden Party
6:00 PM
<3

Benji tugged at the tie around his collar, giving his mother an exasperated look as she fussed with his hair. "Julia," he muttered, nudging her hand away and ruffling his hair back into those messy waves he liked. She kept trying to slick it back and make him look like a wanker. It was bad enough he was already dressed in this stiff suit, being strangled by fashion. He could at least keep his hair looking the way he liked.

"Have it your way then." His mother sighed, tossing up her hands as she stooped down to straighten Kate's gray chiffon dress. "Go ahead without us, Benji. Your uncle will be waiting for you in the parlor."

The boy didn't need to be told twice. As much as he appreciated his mum wanting to make things nice for him, his hair was where he drew the line tonight. He'd acquiesced enough in every other facet concerning the garden party. The boy fiddled with his cuffs, as he wandered down the corridor and up the stairs to the parlor where all the men would be. He greeted Matthew and Thomas first with quick handshakes and pats on the shoulder, before making his way to where James was talking with Leo, Arthur, and Rosie's granddad.

Roger Burke was here as well. Benji kept his face stoic and unmoving, despite the pressing need to punch the man in the throat.

"Benji," James said, taking the boy by the shoulder and bringing him into the circle of men. The boy was tall now - almost five foot ten - and stood nearly eye-level to most of them. "You remember Ruth's father, Roger Burke?" Benji's hazel eyes met the man's. The boy's expression didn't change, but he held out his hand to shake Roger's. "Sir," he said evenly.

He felt his uncle's hand squeeze lightly on his shoulder, indicating he'd behaved well, and it took everything in Benji not to roll his eyes. Become the part. Make them believe it.

McCormick would be proud.

"Is everyone ready?" James called around the room. The women were meeting in the ballroom just beyond the door, and they'd all walk out onto the terrace together before descending into the party.

Benji sighed. Ready as ever, he supposed, checking to make sure the ring was in his pocket as James led the way to the ballroom.

"Would you like another flower for your hair, darling--?"

"She's had enough put in already."

"It's almost time. Ruth, are you sure you wouldn't like us to loosen your curls a bit?"

She pretended not to hear them--especially not her bitch of a step-mother who refused to take the hint that her hair was not hers to play with. The girl and her father had come to a reluctant agreement, the first since they'd begun their little game. If there was one thing she'd learned, it was that the man cared a great deal about appearances and how others perceived him. Ashamed of his own heir, why should others take her seriously? Was he so spineless? Would he give them ammunition to fire back at him or add it to his armor?

It hadn't been difficult logic at all, in truth. Something she'd learned around the age of 7. If you gave others rocks, they would throw them at you. Kids could be as cruel as their adult counterparts, sometimes even more cruel. You didn't share your weaknesses unless you wanted them exploited.

So she would keep her hair and occasionally allow them to loosen--NEVER get rid of her curls without her say so. She would care for her skin and they would not whiten it. In turn, she would allow them to dress her up in whatever dresses they liked and conduct herself like a girl not raised on the grimy London streets.

A fair enough trade, she supposed. Better for the man than explaining to the Laurences, who already knew her so well, why she suddenly looked different, and watching the laughter appear in their eyes as they silently mocked his attempt at a cover-up.

Rae didn't care one way or the other for the dress they'd put her in. A pale lavender, long, slender sleeves that conformed to the narrow shape of her arms, a skirt that bunched close to the ground, tucking in tight at her waist. The fabric was light enough for the start of summer and didn't tangle near her heels, so she was unlikely to fall. Edith wasn't wrong, she probably did have enough flowers in her hair. Happy to have kept her curls, she let Francine pull them back with twists on either side before wrapping it all into a neat knot at the back of her head. The flowers were stuck along the twists.

"She's just a little overwhelmed," Francine said, resting both hands gently on either of the girl's shoulders as she apologised for the way Rae continued to pretend none of them existed. She wiggled her shoulders, prompting the woman to get her hands off her. The woman, wanting to save face and maintain the facade of a cohesive family, patted her lightly atop her head before heading toward the door.

"Shall we then?" she asked with a tight, embarrassed smile, extending her hand for Lucy to take.

Her half-sister was having the time of her life. An elegant dress, a castle with a garden party across the world. The girl would be the envy of all her friends when they returned. They'd even taken Baxter, the elf, with them so he could take pictures of her--and her mother. Fodder for the next time they hosted their clucking hens back home. The older girl may as well have been the one getting engaged; she was so thrilled.

"You look lovely, darling," Amelia praised, a fleeting hand atop her shoulder as she walked by her. The woman beckoned her to follow as she, too, headed for the opposite door that led to the terrace. They would wait for the men there, then exit to the party together. In some ways, it was a little like a fairytale. Rae envied Rosie, who stood across the room giggling with her friend, enthralled by the magic of the night. Hell, she even envied Lucy, who found it so easy to be taken by it all. The magic hadn't left for them. They were all in the moment, filled with charm and the ease of enjoying a fancy night without the personal obligation that lay with her.

It wasn't fair. It all got to be so spectacular for them, so full of whimsy, while she stood with her arms stiffly at her side, her collarbone still aching from the way her father had grabbed her the night before when they'd found her after she'd tried making a run for it.

It wasn't until Julia placed a gentle hand on her back and nudged her forward with that warm and inviting smile that she allowed her feet to move.

She didn't want to be there and didn't think she needed to pretend otherwise. It was all one big joke, and she didn't appreciate being made the punchline any more than she appreciated the one woman who was her mother in every sense of the word not being allowed in on something that was supposedly meant to be defining in her life.

The door from which the men were expected opened, and she forced herself to breathe.

He was still fiddling with his cuff, struggling to get the ruby-studded rose-shaped cufflinks into their hole as he wandered towards the door. The others were talking around him, Matthew and Thomas just behind him, muttering to themselves about arranged marriages and how they'd almost landed in two of them themselves. Benji remembered good and well the fiasco that had been, and he supposed if this whole charade was going to go on, at least he got to do it with Rae and not some screaming, wailing stranger.

What a night that had been when those engagements were announced.

"Nervous?"

Benji glanced up, meeting his uncle's smirk with one of his own. "Nah," he answered easily with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Not much to it is there? Ask her the question and give her the ring." James's smirk widened as he patted his nephew on the shoulder.

"You're lucky. Not many of us get to say we love our brides."

James reached for the door as Benji's eyebrows came together. He knew that arranged marriages weren't based on love or affection - or even knowing one another sometimes. But it felt strange to hear his uncle say it out loud. It seemed the sort of thing that was an open secret. Well-known but never spoken. Did that mean his uncle didn't love Amelia? Hadn't learned to at the very least?

Benji wondered, if he were arranged to some other girl - whether he knew her or not - would he ever learn to love her the way he loved Rae? Would he ever be able to force himself to be a good husband to someone he didn't care about, simply out of duty? In a way, Benji knew he couldn't. He'd be a terrible husband - just like he'd be a terrible boyfriend - for anyone that he wasn't in it one-hundred-percent for.

Was he lucky then? Was he taking this for granted? The boy clenched his jaw as the doors swung open to the terrace, the gentle string music hitting his ears before he could see anything. No. He wasn't. His life was still his own, and he should have the right to choose his future wife himself. Even if it was going to be Rae, when he proposed to her for real, it would be on his terms. He didn't have to feel grateful about being strong-armed into this.

Still, he wasn't too upset. Benji was still going to do things his way.

As he followed his uncle onto the terrace, he glanced to the left, his eyes searching for her. They fell on Julia and Kate. Rosie in her new white dress with her friend Maggie....

Green eyes caught his. Benji glanced to the left quickly, and then the right, to make sure she was staring at him. Rae's sister Lucy was an interesting one. From what he'd seen, she'd been on cloud nine since they'd arrived, and seemed to be lapping all of this up. He gave a half smile out of the corner of his eye, but dropped it immediately - his mouth falling slightly agape as he saw her.

She took his breath away. Rae had always been pretty, had always been able to make his heart skip a beat with those bright smiles of hers. But this? With those flowers in her hair, that form-fitting gown and those big brown eyes devoid of any amusement.

She was ethereal. His beautiful girl.

He immediately made his way to her, slinking his hand into hers. "Hey pretty," he said a small smile curling in the corner of his lips. "Ignore it all. Just you and me tonight, yeah?" Easier said than done, he knew, but they could try. He leaned close to her ear, the sweet scent of sugar filling his senses. His lips moved softly in a whisper, sharing a secret only meant for her.

He clutched her hand a little tighter when he pulled back, a boyish grin spreading across his lips as he tugged her towards the stairs and down to the party.

"Mister Benji Laurence and Miss Ruth Burke."

Their names were announced across the garden and Benji grimaced in embarrassment. "Merlin, what is this, an auction?" A slight tap on his shoulder behind him from his mum, and he straightened his posture. "Sorry," he muttered, without looking back.

The hand suddenly in hers nearly had her recoiling. Rae was a fraction of a second from yanking her hand away, annoyed at the thought of further coaxing. She didn't need anyone holding her hand and reminding her to behave. She didn't need placating smiles and empty praises about a dress she didn't want. Why the people around her thought she could be soothed and drawn into the fairytale if they just kept pushing was beyond her.

The girl had already promised to behave and didn't want to be babysat the entire night.

This hand, though... This one she didn't mind holding. The moment she caught the faint traces of licorice and fresh grass, mixed in with something more masculine, her muscles loosened. Cologne. Huh. They'd gone and turned her boyfriend into a man--sort of. A fancy suit that made him look the part, all sophistication and fine breeding. She thought she would hate it, and a part of her hated that she didn't hate it, but Benji made a sharp Laurence, and she didn't feel like making a fuss about it.

"Hey pretty. Ignore it all. Just you and me tonight, yeah?"

He leaned to whisper, and she obliged, craning her neck and lifting her ear.

...

Was he sure he wasn't the devil? Her boyfriend had levied the accusation often enough, and now she was beginning to see it was a vain attempt at concealing his own nature. Dark eyes sparkled with new life as she eased away, hoping he knew she would hold him to it.

She went easily after that, almost seeming to glide down the steps as Benji led them down to the party. A game of pretend with a happy ending, a bit of mockery to carry her through the night. It was all so serious for the rest of them. Years of grooming and learning decorum, posturing to fit in. It was nothing more than a game to the girl who very well could pretend that she and Benji were the only ones there. A whole castle to themselves, a ton of good food, and promises she would hold onto until the wretched night was over.

Rae could pretend to be having the time of her life, sure. She could poke fun at the way Lucy was carrying on, stick her nose up like Francine, and laugh louder than them all. She'd never minded being a little shit if it brought her amusement, and, after what she'd heard, it was safe to say her mood had been lifted--enough for her to not spend the night sulking in a corner, at least.

"Mister Benji Laurence and Miss Ruth Burke."

She pulled a face, easily forgetting that she was meant to be poised. The tap at Benji's shoulder did nothing to dissuade her own snark. "Hideous name. Poor girl. Is she the one gett--" She swallowed the rest, remembering that she wasn't meant to know anything about it. It seemed there was a lot she was forgetting. Rae cleared her throat lightly and continued walking. From the corner of her eyes, she caught the raised brow her father sent in her direction, but she pretended not to see as she released Benji's hand in favour of looping her arm around his.

Rae followed along to the table that had been prepared for them, paying no mind to the many prying eyes that looked on with curiosity and a myriad of other far too sophisticated feelings for her to ever hope to comprehend. Surely not.

Benji pulled her chair.

Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly as she thanked him, but as her knees began to bend, their father took the girl mildly by the elbow and led her down one seat to where she was meant to be. He never flinched, never so much as gave a curl of his lips or a furrow of his brows. The action was smooth enough that one had to be paying attention to notice.

Rae side-eyed her sister as she sat, but the parting look her father shot her made it clear it was to be the end of the matter.

"Can you believe her?" Rae whispered when the boy took his seat by her.

"Hideous name. Poor girl. Is she the one gett--"

Benji's lips curled up at the corner as he squeezed her hand, leading her carefully down the stone steps towards the garden. He was well-aware that this was the first of many times the two would be announced together if this all played out the way his uncle and her father wanted, but he focused on being the gentleman his girlfriend deserved.

He noticed when Roger caught Rae's eye, and the look he gave her, while a sense of possessiveness washed over the boy. When she slipped her arm around his in favor of holding his hand, he pulled her a little closer, determined to protect her in even the smallest way. Benji knew at this moment he was fairly powerless in the grand scheme of all of this, but he also knew he wouldn't be forever. There would come a day, sooner than later, with his mum's encouragement when he would step forward and command his place amongst them.

No one would ever try to tell her what to do again.

Their table was near the head of the garden, closest to the gazebo where the string quartet softly drew their melodies into the evening air. Benji released Rae's arm to pull her chair, only for Lucy to try and take the seat for herself, even giving his shoulder a weird squeeze. The boy was about to protest and insist that it was for Rae, but Roger was there, taking his other daughter by the elbow and leading her away.

That was fucking weird.

His eyes drifted...downwards...as she stepped in front of him to take a seat. Damn, she looked good in that dress. He'd seen Rae dressed up before - at the gala two terms ago - but they'd still been little kids then, dressed in little kid outfits. This was different. He'd never seen her in a gown like this, with her hair done up like that. It hugged in all the right places and -

He needed to stop.

"Can you believe her?"

"What's with her?" Benji asked quietly, settling himself into the chair next to Rae as two flutes of non-alcoholic punch appeared in front of them. He took one, forcing his focus on the punch and not on the way his girlfriend looked. "She's been giving me strange looks since you all got here. Kinda like Kait-"

Benji stopped immediately, filling his mouth with the liquid, less he remind Rae of the Ravenclaw that had crossed boundaries a few too many times last term. When he'd emptied his flute and sat it back on the table, it magically refilled, enticing him to more. He dropped a lazy arm over his girlfriend's chair, letting his eyes roam over her, before hazel met pretty brown again. "You'll make a gorgeous duchess one day, Mrs. Benji," he teased lowly, his hand running along the silk fabric around her knee. He perked an eyebrow at her as his lips spread in a smirk.

His eyes trailed off as his mum and sister took their place on the other side of him, along with James, Amelia and Edith, while Rae's family settled in on the other side of her.

"To all of us."

James raised his glass, toasting only those at the table, as the rest of the attendees settled amongst their assignments throughout the garden.

"Roger, your family arriving has brightened our week." His voice was even, unhurried and full of his usual charm.

"It's good to share a table with people who understand how complicated our worlds can be."

Benji glanced sideways at Rae, but kept his expression neutral. This world was complicated, there was no denying it. But there wasn't a soul at this table outside of him, Rae and Kate that understood what real complication looked like. What it was really like to have to rely on and trust those around you, knowing you couldn't. What it was like to live moment to moment, every move calculated in the quest for survival. All three of them had taken that journey in very different ways, and yet here they all sat at the same table.

Full of silver spoons.

"And I hope we’ll have more evenings like this one. It does the old guard good to sit with families who still know the value of partnership."

A soft chorus of 'cheers' and 'hear hear's, before everyone took a sip of their drinks. When all the party guests were finally seated, the food appeared, not unlike at Hogwarts, all courtesy of Fidèle and a few additional elves that had been hired temporarily for the occasion.

"Toddles would have done better," Benji whispered, poking at her plate with his fork.

It was all so...frivolous, wasn't it? The acknowledging nods, the smiles behind wine glasses, the veneer of elegance that masked the rot.

Their families sat on either side of them. Families. What a joke. While Benji had his mother and sister within arm's reach, just a lean away, Rae's only family was somewhere in the crowd, sitting at a table with people she didn't know and probably didn't like. Her 'sister' at her shoulder, the woman she was expected to call mother, the man who fancied himself her father, Little Roger...they weren't her family. At best, they tolerated her, and Lucy didn't even do that.

She felt the girl sitting stiffly by her, doing everything to ensure that not even the fabric of their dresses touched.

This was her prize. Prying eyes waiting to be told what she was worth, a fine gilded cage, the man with the key content to swallow it sooner than set her free. If she played her role well enough, he'd spare her a frigid half-compliment that came with its own insult, never wanting her to feel too good lest she sprout wings and consider herself mightier than she already did. This was for them, not her. Every smile she offered made them ascend. This arrangement? It shored up their legacy, keeping them in their fancy estate by the water.

And her? What was her prize?

Benji took his seat next to her, answering the question he didn't know she'd even asked. He smiled at her--from his eyes, not his lips. When his eyes swept over her, they weren't looking for value, they'd already found it. Benji didn't make her wonder if she was there or if anyone could see her, she was all he saw.

"What's with her? She's been giving me strange looks since you all got here. Kinda like Kait-"


"Hmmmmm?" She leaned into him a little, her smile daring him to finish his sentence. His senses found him before he could continue down into the hole he'd started digging. Her smile sweetened as she straightened, but the girl was anything but amused. No matter where they went, there was always a girl who didn't understand how close she was to getting her face rearranged. They didn't know their peril when they smiled at her boyfriend, had no idea the lengths she was prepared to go. It was all bliss and man-stealing until someone got hurt.

Tonight, that someone might be Lucy.

"You'll make a gorgeous duchess one day, Mrs. Benji."

She shivered against the feel of his fingers but didn't correct him. Oh no, there was bigger fun to be had in playing along. So she giggled. Reaching up to fuss at his collar as if she were trying to fix it, Rae played with the small hairs at the back of his neck, saying loudly enough for the benefit of her sister dearest.

"A duchess. Most girls could only dream of that. Especially," she continued, moving her hand to cup lightly at his face, "one so handsome." Her mockery aside, Rae did enjoy this new look of his, wrapped in their own little fairytale with flutes of punch, the scent of something promising, a gentle breeze and--

Rae bit back a startled scream, managing very well to contain it to a quiet muffle.

"So sorry," Lucy whispered, shuffling her foot back to her side of the table after having dug her heel into Rae's foot. "I was only trying to get comfortable. Didn't know you were so close."

James swooped in to save the girl without knowing it. The man, immaculately dressed as he was, rose to give a toast. She didn't listen. Roger and his family didn't involve her. The girl sat with her jaw set, boiling beneath the performative apathy she placed on display. For a moment, her eyes caught Benji's, the boy no more taken by these fancy words than she was.

Complicated. She scoffed under her breath. The only 'complications' they had were borne from their own manoeuvrings. Money made and solved their problems, but they remained largely untouched by the real world.

Rae gave lacklustre applause when the man was finished, her mood only lifting again at the appearance of the food.

"Toddles would have done better."

"I don't doubt that. He's been impressing me a lot lately." Rae reached over to swipe a piece of his chicken ballotine, catching sight of his flute. Where hers was the soft pink of peaches, his was a stronger red, more akin to strawberries and cherries or some other mixture. Chicken stuffed into the side of her cheek, she pointed. "Mm. Can I have some of that?"

Her boyfriend handed her his drink, albeit confused by the request. She thanked him ever so graciously and had herself a sip before setting it down. "Oh! I almost forgot," she lied enthusiastically. "I saw the prettiest flowers at tha--" her hand swung around to point...right into that already precariously placed glass of red bunch. The contents spilt onto the bone white tablecloth before dripping onto Lucy's beige dress.

Her sister jumped up at once, barely managing to hold in her screams. Rae, for her part, scooted closer to Benji, narrowly avoiding this accident as the liquid continued pouring onto the ground. Mmmm, he was so warm and smelled so good. Yes, she would settle into his side for a little in the commotion. That suited her well.

"Oh, dear. Lucy, your dress." She clung to Benji's arm, so terribly beside herself and obviously unsure of what to do as the girl's mother rose to help her. Rae tutted gently. "That'll stain, it will. Oh, Lucy, and it was your favourite, too." Her eyes widened at the scene, feigning innocence and helplessness as Fidèle popped over to do what he could.

As if the elf wasn't nervous enough.

Such a shame.

"Hmmmmm?"

Benji knew very well the dances he was willing to engage the devil in, and this wasn't one of them. He knew that smile, and he knew better than to take it for face-value. That was a smile of daring, one that challenged him to finish his thought, and he absolutely wouldn't. The boy had nearly died on several occasions; he wouldn't survive the wrath of Ruth Elliot.

The boy was well-aware that there were other girls interested in him, and that he hadn't always done a good job to discourage them. It was a problem of his own making - though he'd die on the hill that he hadn't done anything to attract Lucy's attentions and would love to be excluded from her line of vision for the rest of his foreseeable life.

He felt her shiver beneath his fingertips, his own smile widening with mischief when she leaned in to fuss at his collar and the baby hairs at the back of his neck. His eyes glazed over at the sensation, studying her face in this game she'd finally decided to join him in. There was his girl. Rebellious. a fire-starter. The picture of everything he admired in this world.

She should know there wasn't any competition.

"A duchess. Most girls could only dream of that. Especially, one so handsome."

She was mocking him, but he could lean into it. His lips parted, ready to offer his own little play, when she suddenly shrieked behind tight lips, stiffening against him. Confusion crossed his features, not sure what had just happened. "You alright?" he whispered, reaching for her hand.

There was something about his drink instead of hers. She was welcome to it, he supposed. Rae was the only one he shared his food or drinks with, and he thought nothing of it, handing it over without a fuss. His gaze drifted down the table, catching eyes with Rosie who was smiling at him in that amused way that made her lips tighten. What? Did he have something on his -

"I saw the prettiest flowers at tha--"

Rae suddenly swung her hand, sending the contents of Benji's punch sloshing over the table and all over Lucy and the white table cloth. There was a scuffling - Lucy jumping from her chair in horror while Rae nuzzled right into him and away from the mess. His mouth fell open slightly - had that just been on purpose? He looked at his girlfriend incredulously as she openly mocked Lucy with her sickly-sweet voice.

Fidèle had appeared, fussing over the girl to try and get her cleaned up while the adults groaned. Some, like Amelia and Francine hurried to Lucy's side to help, while James and Edith gave a very poorly-hidden exasperated roll of their eyes.

Hazel eyes met honey-brown as his caught the gaze of his mum, giving her a quick shrug to indicate he didn't know what happened, while Julia tilted her head at the two of them - obviously knowing better. "Oh Rae," Julia said, noticing the way the table was buzzing now, as were a few others. Her voice came soft but clear across the table, firm in that way that subtly told everyone her words would be taken as gospel and she wouldn't hear anything else.

"What an awful accident. Benji, you two come sit over here so you don't get punch on your clothes. Everyone can move down. Now."

James side-eyed his sister but said nothing, instead indicating to everyone else they should continue with dinner while the women and house elf fussed over the other Burke girl.

Benji took his girlfriend's hand, a smirk forming on his lips as he gave her a little shake of his head. Once they were seated on the other side of his mum, everyone else having scooted down a bit, he leaned in, ignoring the hard look Roger was giving. "There's better ways to get me alone. Now we're being chaperoned."

He glanced back, seeing Lucy nearly in angry tears and he did his best to hold in a laugh. He wasn't overly fussed or concerned in the least. He leaned down to the opposite side nudging his little sister with his elbow. "Having fun yet? Rae and I are going to need you to release the menace I know lives in there. We can't blow up this whole party ourselves."

Oh no.

Oh my.

Oh dear.

Rae watched with nothing but the utmost sympathy and concern as her sister, newly drawn to tears, fretted over her dress. Wandless Francine--it wouldn't fit beneath her dress or inside her small purse--could only fuss and offer reassurances. Amelia, the darling woman that she was, did what she could to calm the frantic house elf before drawing her wand to clear away the crimson stain. Fidèle, seeing the larger problem solved, turned to get the table clean.

All the while, Rae kept watch, relishing every moment that saw her sister falling into deeper despair.

She caught her father's gaze; so firm, forceful and unamused. It was just as well. She hadn't been trying to entertain him, only herself. Rae leaned into Benji further, returning her gaze to the spectacle she'd so carefully curated.

"Ruth!" Francine called, ice hidden beneath her mild reprimand. " You must be--"

"What an awful accident. Benji, you two come sit over here so you don't get punch on your clothes. Everyone can move down. Now."

Rae smiled sweetly, allowing Benji to pull her to her feet. She didn't need to say anything. Her father, despite whatever he may have believed, was no longer in a position to argue anymore than his wife was. Julia's words had been final, the matter was to be put behind them and that would be that. None of them liked it, but she'd won.

"There's better ways to get me alone. Now we're being chaperoned."

Rae fell into her new seat with little fanfare, the least bothered girl at the party. "I don't know what you mean, Benji. I do enjoy being near you but it was an unfortunate accident. I was only getting comfortable. I didn't know she'd been so close," she said, repeating her sister's earlier words.

For a moment, green eyes met brown.

Rae picked up her new drink, the glass hiding her smile. She enjoyed the view while Benji enjoyed the blank--perhaps confused--looks his little sister shot him. "Stop teasing her."

---

The same bloody table,
Around 8 PM

The party sure was taking its sweet time.

Rae leaned forward onto the table, tired of stuffing her face with rich dish after rich dish. Her stomach was starting to hurt from how much she'd packed into it, her bladder was cramping as it waited for all the useless toasts and well wishes to pass, her mind was going blank from boredom and they weren't done with them yet. James and her father seemed keen to drag out this farce for as long as they could. It had been entertaining, then tolerable, and now the girl was crawling out of her skin.

Couldn't they get this over with?

They all knew why they were there and she had other promises to collect on.

The others had begun to wander away from the table, mingling amongst the guests and each other. Not her. When everyone started rising, she'd felt a hand at her shoulder, 'gently' encouraging her to remain seated. Looking up, her eyes had found their pairs looking back at them. Her father preferred her not to wander. He worried for her, in such a big place and would rather have her where he could keep an eye on her.

Translation: he didn't trust her not to make another run for it when the night had otherwise been going relatively well.

Her eyes roamed the gardens, the only part of her allowed to do so. They travelled along tables, watching the guests with detached interest--until him.

Rae straightened a little, watching a large man walk down a dim pathway she'd seen Rosie disappear not long before. She watched until they were both out of sight, wondering whether Rosie noticed she was being followed at all. The girl had been in the best of moods all night. Giggling with her friend having a dance with her or two. The older girls had been off in their own world, visibly excited about something but it wasn't the sort of fun Rae had been invited into and certainly not one she'd have been allowed to join anyway.

Maggie wasn't with Rosie though, just him. The man with the thick accent that her eyes had occasionally landed on throughout the night. The one that looked at Rosie like she was prey or a possession waiting to be claimed. Rae had seen the look enough times for it to raise the hairs at the back of her neck. She glanced over at her father who'd moved a chair closer but was engaged in conversation with James. He glanced back at her every now and then to make sure she was sitting there--as if she were a little child.

She debated telling him, but stopped short of interrupting. More likely, he would tell her that it was none of her business--and certainly none of his.

With a huff, she eased back into her seat, mulling over how fast she could bolt before he could grab his wand.

In the end, Benji deposited himself in the chair by her, looking all too pleased with himself after returning from wherever he'd been coming from. She didn't understand why no one was holding a wand to his throat and forcing him still.

She didn't return his smile. Her expression was serious as she leaned closer. Rae nodded toward the dim path. "Did you see that guy?"

There were people he was required to meet.

Once dinner had finished, James had led him around the various tables like a show pony, introducing him to that politician and this powerful house head. That businessman and this lobbyist. It felt endless, but through it all the boy remained polite and stoic, nodding his head, shaking hands, answering questions with the manners expected of him.

These were people he'd need to work with in the future, people he'd need to learn how to maneuver in order to keep his family thriving and on top. Benji had always been a fast-talker and new how to ingratiate people to him easily. Back in London, as a small boy he'd learned how to make himself useful and indispensable to the older boys - becoming quick of hand and agile enough to escape sticky situations when needed.

When he'd come to Hogwarts, Benji had found that his humor and laid-back disposition had drawn people to him - even people that normally would have cast him aside without consideration. Maybe not in an authentic way - as it was apparent how those 'friendships' had ended - but enough to break him into circles he'd never have had access to otherwise.

This world was much more precarious, and if he was going to be able to take care of Kathryn and Rae he needed to understand it intricately.

It didn't mean it wasn't fucking monotonous and dry as hell.

When all the hands had been shaken, and all the polite smiles had been exchanged, his uncle had leaned in to ensure he had the ring and knew what needed to happen. Reassurances, nods, all the things that Benji knew would placate long enough to get back to Rae and make sure she was ready before they had to do this whole farce of a song and dance.

He plopped down next to her, giving her a wide grin, ready to conspire with his girlfriend to make the most ridiculous of impact possible. But...she had a strange look on her face. "What?" he asked, his eyebrows coming together in concern.

She nodded towards a path that led to the fountain.

"Did you see that guy?"

Guy? What guy? Benji craned his neck, turning slightly in his seat to see who she meant. "No?" he said, looking back at her, trying to decipher what exactly was going on. When she didn't immediately answer, the boy rose to his feet again, moving swiftly towards the path to see what she meant.

“If you want to speak to me, you need to speak with my father first.”

Rosalie's voice, firm but soft, a hint of uncertainty lacing her words. Benji moved quicker, realizing she was alone with someone who had obviously made Rae concerned. As he turned the corner towards the fountain, he caught sight of a large, older man running his hand along Rosie's collarbone, the strap of her dress having fallen off her shoulder.

Long strides carried him, reaching his cousin, just as she slapped the man's hand away.

“Problem here?”

The boy's eyes were hard and sharp as he slipped Rosie's strap back up over her shoulder and curled his arm around her, putting himself between the older man - easily in his mid-thirties - and his cousin. Who the fuck did this guy think he was, touching her like that? Benji didn't know who he was, what family he came from, or how powerful they thought they were. A grown man didn't get to put his unwanted hands on Rosie. He could feel her shaking, and he gave her arm a little squeeze, reassuring her that he was there and wouldn't let the man touch her again.

“No problem, boy,” the man’s gruff, Bulgarian-accented voice came, but he didn’t move to leave.

“I don’t know where you’re from, mate,” the boy, braver than he had any business being warned lowly, “but around here you don’t touch the cousin of a duke without permission. Certainly not like that.” His eyes bore into the man's, unintimidated and unafraid, making it clear he'd fight him right here in the middle of this fancy ass party and not think another thing about it.

Benji may be a Laurence now, but he was a Cuddrun first. “Don’t touch her again,” Benji said, sounding every bit a man - the boy tossed by the wayside.

The man smirked, and backed away, wandering back down the path they had come from. When he was out of sight, the fifteen-year-old turned to Rosalie, giving her a quick once over. "Are you alright?" he asked gently, wanting to make sure the man hadn't touched her in any other way before he'd caught sight of them. She nodded, reassuring him she was and that she didn't know why the man had thought he could behave in such a way.

“Thanks Benny.”

His expression softened at the nickname, giving her a light hug when she offered it.

“Of course,” he said lightly, with a little grin. “Rae noticed that something might be wrong,” he nodded in his girlfriend’s direction. “Come sit with us?”

She shook her head. “No, Maggie’s heading back now and I have to go meet…”

Benji's grin widened as she trailed off, the look on her face hilarious as he realized what - or who she had meant. Like he cared. Rosie knew Benji wasn't a snitch and wasn't going to rat her out. “Is he coming? Here?”

Rosie smiled sheepishly and nudged him.

“Not here, but here.”

He hummed, nodding slightly in amusement. “Tell him I said hi. Stay away from the menagerie. Your uncle Arthur’s taking people around there for show and tell I guess.” She nodded, and they shared a small smile. This whole thing was just another little note to file away. Another reminder that girls weren't anymore safe in this world, than they were on the streets. There would always be men - no matter how they were dressed or how much money they had - that would prey on girls and hurt them if they felt they had the opportunity.

He would do everything he could to keep the girls in his family safe.

“Guess I’ll go back to having no fun then. Stay away from that weird guy. He’s like...almost your dad or something.”

Rosie left out a soft laugh. “I don’t think he’ll bother me again. You scared him off.”

Benji nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets as he turned and headed back to Rae.

As he took his seat next to her again, his mind was racing, flooded with with new worries that he hadn't carried before. Worries for Rosalie, now that she was almost of age. Leo wasn't a kind man, quiet and soft-spoken as he was, and Benji wondered what had made the Bulgarian feel emboldened enough to not only approach Rosie alone, but to actually touch her?

He sighed, hazel eyes finding dark brown again. "He had his hands on her. She was terrified." He didn't know what else to say. "I'm glad you saw her," he leaned in, placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

Who knew what would have happened otherwise.

"Benji." His mum's voice sounded behind them as she placed a gentle hand on his and Rae's shoulders. "It's time."

Benji hadn't seen him. How many others hadn't? The night was soaked in revelry, so many of the guests were already well into the drinks and paying very little attention to anything else. Those who hadn't chosen to indulge in the liquors on offer, whiled away the night in conversations she would bet every galleon in her father's vault wasn't nearly as important as what she now suspected to be happening where no one else could see.

Rae huffed her exasperation.

There was no time to explain. It could've been nothing, or it could've been everything, and when it came to her friend, it wasn't a gamble she was willing to make.

Thankfully, there was no need for fuss or further explanation. Benji was on his feet in seconds, hurrying to see for himself what she'd been trying to warn him of. The girl allowed herself a small breath as he walked off, glad that someone was looking into it in her place. Benji was probably the best for it, too. If it turned out to be what she feared, she knew her boyfriend wouldn't hesitate to raise hell and throw himself at the man.

One way or another, this would be taken care of.

Rae waited impatiently at the table, her fingers drumming incessantly against the covered surface. Why was it taking so long? Why hadn't Benji and Rosie returned to the party?

She considered getting up again, not sure she would be able to handle the wait much longer when the boy emerged from the pathway.

Before he could ask what happened, he was already laying it out for her.

"He had his hands on her. She was terrified. I'm glad you saw her."

Rae scowled at the news. A part of her had hoped she'd been wrong, that it was all nothing more than a coincidence. Life never worked itself out that way. The girl barely acknowledged the kiss. Her insides were churning with the news and the thought of how much worse it could all have been had Benji not gotten there when he did.

"I hope you plan to tell your uncle--"

"It's time."

"Time?" Rae asked automatically. Lost in the conversation she'd been having with Benji, it took a moment for her brain to catch up to what the woman meant. It worked in her favour, giving her the appearance of one genuinely curious about the plans for the rest of the evening. She blinked a few times, slowly catching up enough to make her confusion more deliberate.

Craning her head back, she looked up at Julia. "Is it finally over?"

If only.

Rae had a feeling that she knew exactly what his mother was referring to, and it made the churning in her stomach worse. Benji had warned her about it months ago. The girl had already raged and grieved, letting the idea sink in and coming to terms with the fact that she wouldn't be getting a magical proposal where Benji asked because it was something he genuinely couldn't hold in anymore. Just another of many distasteful performances running through the night, one she was meant to smile through, maybe add a few tears, then graciously accept.

She was going to be sick.

Hearing her words, she watched her father rise from his seat to take the one directly next to her, opposite Benji on her other side.

Why couldn't this be over?

"Benji. It's time."

Was it?

Roger spared a glance down at his Cartier Santos, moulded in gold with leather straps. The hand of the watch ticked forward slowly, confirming what Julia had said. The time had gone by without his notice. Drink by his hand, James for company, the men had drifted into several topics. Politics, trade, family, the pair glided their way through each with a suitable level of interest and an added level of ease that had been helped along by the bottle of Loire Sauvignon Blanc they shared.

Neither was the sort to give in to inebriation, sensibly pacing themselves while they awaited the moment their deal began. Later, when the guests had taken their leave, real ties would be forged in blood, and both sides could breathe a little more easily in the knowledge that this pact was until death.

His eagerness to be on with the proceedings had nothing to do with his company. The conversation had been pleasant and provided a distraction from his bickering children. But he was ready to be on the way with this.

With parting acknowledgement, Roger rose to take the seat by Ruth. "Don't slouch," he muttered to the girl. "In a moment, all eyes will be on you."

There was no need for elaboration. Even on her best behaviour, his daughter proved capable of wreaking havoc. He wasn't a fool to believe the punch had been an accident. He hadn't missed the interplay between the girls. Lucy had forgotten her place, and Ruth thought it her duty to remind her...in excess. He would speak to them both when they returned to the estate--no, the townhome in Mayfair.

The man had no intention of tolerating their nonsense for five days on the high seas.

For now, he let them be, keeping his eyes where they needed to be. At the moment, that was on his savage of a daughter and her soon-to-be fiancé.

Roger turned his expectant gaze to the boy, expecting that he didn't need to be told what to do. He would do his part to ensure Ruth didn't find a way to turn this into her next 'accident'. There was a lot riding on the moment. He didn't intend to leave her to it until long after there was nothing she could do about it.

He quirked a brow at Benji, inclining his head toward his daughter in subtle gesture.

Was the boy waiting for applause?

Despite the concerns he'd had, Benji had gotten through the evening without so much as an impolite word. He'd behaved like the gentleman they'd asked him to be, charming the guests despite James's knowledge that the boy would have rather been anywhere else. His nephew, despite how he'd been treated by the other adults that had come in and out of his life, was a good lad with a good head on his shoulders.

It was just a matter of getting through the rest of the night with little - unwelcome - fanfare.

Despite the hiccups between the Burke girls, it had been a relatively pleasant party. He and Roger got on well, even sharing a laugh here and there as they split a bottle of wine. It made what was to come easier, despite the strained looks he shared with his sister here and there.

While Julia wasn't thrilled with how this had all played out, and hadn't made any secret of it, she had acquiesced, choosing to be a partner in this rather than a roadblock, understanding this was likely the best case scenario that could arise for either of these children. The family liked Ruth and had taken a shine to her. Even Edith, who was notoriously cold and took a lifetime to warm up had a soft spot for the girl and spoke favorably of her when her name was brought up.

Little could be assumed for a strange girl none of them knew, that Benji would likely vehemently reject and fight against.

His eyes followed Julia after he nodded at her to proceed. She bent down to speak softly to her son, and James recognized the change in Benji's eyes immediately. Roger moved to sit on the other side of Ruth, but James remained firm in his place, his gaze trained like a target on his nephew.

This moment was too important to go sideways.

Benji's hand went to the one on his shoulder, reassuring his mum with a little pat, that he had this. Where the boy may have wilted earlier this year at the idea, resigned to having to fall in line and do what he was told, it was no longer the case as the music and then the guests quieted around them.

Hazel eyes scanned the faces of all those in audience, thinking back to the days when these sorts of people would have sneered at him and called him gutter trash. When they were the type to shout for the police as he stole in order to feed his sister for the day. When they used to chase him and his friends out of the posher parks they thought he had no right to be in.

And now they all looked at him expectantly as though he were one of them. He wasn't.

He was Julia's son, yes. He was James's nephew. He wore the Laurence name proudly.

But he was still Benji Cuddrun, a wayward nobody from the streets of Hackney. While he owed his family his respect and loyalty - he would do it on his terms, just like Julia had told him to.

“No one follows a lap dog, Benji. They follow the wolf.”

His eyes briefly caught James's and then Roger's. Rae's father was nodding him on, as though he had other places to be and they were all on his timeframe. He felt Rae stiffen next to him, and he reached for her hand beneath the table, taking it gently for a moment to reassure her.

Just them. Him and her.

The boy took a breath and then stood from his chair, pulling her with him.

He stared down at the ground beneath them for a moment, thoughts racing through his mind, as he reached into his pocket, closing his hand around the ring that he'd chosen for her - not because he thought she'd like it, but because it was the biggest, most expensive ring he could find and it had exasperated his uncle to have to pay for it.

His eyes drifted slowly up to meet those of his beautiful girlfriend. He could see it.

When the time came, he would propose to her for real, his way. A ring he knew she would love. With words that would come from his heart. It would be just the two of them, no other eyes, and be just for them.

Tonight, he would give them a show.

He pulled the ring from his pocket, never taking his eyes off hers. A small smirk started at the corner of his lips, as mischief flashed behind hazel orbs. He held the ring out flat in his palm, his shoulders slumped and lazy, and with the driest voice he could manage.

"I got you this ring. Wanna marry me?"

Benji was no one's lap dog. And Rae wasn't anyone's pawn.

"I got you this ring. Wanna marry me?"

The boy had lost his mind.

All around him, the quiet dissipated, transforming into salacious whispers following the Benji's lacklustre proposal. Shoulders slumped. That 'devil-may-care' tone that was an insult in and of itself. Roger could hear the murmurs. Indistinct as they were, the carried their intent; mockery. The guests, ever ones for intrigue, already had their tongues wagging.

This was what the Burke name was worth, they seemed to say. This was the proposal befitting his family. They'd been invited across the waters to be made fools of. Seated at their high table so they could be scorned. Had James slapped him across the face, it wouldn't have stung so gravely. The man's jaw set, rigid and tight as he turned his dark eyes momentarily to the man he'd just shared wine with. A good time it had been and now, here they were.

If they hadn't intended to take the union seriously, they could have said as much. A hit for one generation wouldn't have crippled the family. Ruth could've been married to a lesser family back in the states. Hardly any would surrender their heir to have their name swallowed up by magic older than they could imagine anyway. His daughter only needed to hold the line long enough to have a son. They wouldn't miss a beat, their trade would continue and there would be fewer headaches about inheritances. Certainly, he would not have had to suffer this insult at the hands of a 15-year-old boy who believed he was doing his daughter any favours by telling everyone he would later have to introduce her to that she was not meant to be revered.

Laugh at her, because he already was. Forgo the wine kept on the top shelf, the bottom row would do.

Roger didn't care to be the laughing stock of the British world. They had a few markets there that needed to be preserved and that rascal thought he would see it crumbling at the corners in one act of defiance.

The last time he'd seen them together, they'd gotten on well enough. Whatever had happened between then and now was none of his concern. This wasn't about any of their frivolous, hormonal whims. Benji was on the razor's edge and didn't know how close he was to getting sliced.

Roger passed James a hard look, the corners of his lips dipping with his displeasure at his nephew's display.

In one fluid movement, he was on his feet. Taking his daughter by the shoulder, he moved to position himself before her.

The man fixed the boy with an icy look. "I've told you once before that my daughter isn't a joke, no matter how often you try to make her one." His voice was low, level and contained despite the rage that blazed behind his dark eyes. It wasn't a matter for the entire crowd, despite Benji trying to make it so. Whatever gripe existed between the pair, the public was not the place for it.

Roger only spoke loud enough to ensure that James, a few seats down could hear his discontent.

"I'll not stand here and have you make a mockery of her." As if she wouldn't have enough to overcome.

His hand moved smoothly from her shoulder to the back of her neck. He gently but firmly turned her to face the boy's uncle as he himself turned to face him. "My family thanks you for your hospitality up to this point of the evening. However, it's growing late."

Wordlessly, he gestured his wife and children closer. "Regrettably, we have an early morning and must take our leave."

Ruth Anaya would not be giving a response. Not to that. Not his daughter. Not even his illegitemate one. If he didn't take her seriously, no one else would; something entirely lost on the boy with all his antics.

They were going to have to go through with it. All eyes on them, breathless anticipation, the culmination of a fairytale night that should end with a betrothal.

Benji pulled her to her feet, and she felt them wobble. Rae wasn't nervous, nor was she anxious, but she was disgusted by the whole thing. Who'd told any of them that she wanted to be proposed to in front of a crowd of people she neither knew nor cared about? Who told them she wanted to be wearing that dress when it happened, standing in that spot with her father at her back, where she could almost feel him? Those weren't her favourite flowers, and none of the dishes had been the ones that made her tongue sing.

All of this for the benefit of others, and she was still forced to play along in the end.

Her eyes locked onto Benji, his on the ground. What was he stalling for? Couldn't they hurry this along? Neither wanted the spotlight that was placed on them, and Rae suspected that once it was over, her father might loosen his hold and allow her to roam for a little. Perhaps she'd go find Rosie and her friend, see what had caught their attention for so much of the night. Or maybe she'd go sit with Billie in her corner of the garden.

Whatever she chose, it couldn't happen until Benji opened his mouth.

When his gaze lifted, Rae caught the spark of mischief laden in those hazel fields. The corner of her lips twitched upward in a smile she did everything she could to contain. He hadn't told her how he actually planned to do it, but she could feel her excitement rising with that one look.

"I got you this ring. Wanna marry me?"

Riveting.

Her cheeks puffed from her effort at holding in a laugh at the absolute absurdity of the gesture.

That self-control became remarkably easier when she felt the hand on her shoulder.

Before she could turn, her father was already in front of her, blocking her entirely from Benji's field of vision. She tried to look around him, but he shifted each time she did, subtle sways to the right and the left, fully shutting her away.

"I've told you once before that my daughter isn't a joke, no matter how often you try to make her one."

THIS was a joke! A fucking joke where they were the only ones left not laughing.

Rae pulled a face in full confidence that the man wouldn't see, but thought better of doing more. She knew that careful tone; it hid violence.

The next thing she knew, she was facing James while her father...huh? Leaving? She looked between him and James before turning her gaze to Benji. In the new position, her father no longer blocked them. Hadn't the men told them that they had one more thing to do after the party before anyone could go anywhere? Her father had hardly been forthcoming, but he'd made it clear it wasn't negotiable.

This boy would be the death of her.

Julia sighed deeply, her shoulders falling slightly, but she kept her eyes trained on Benji, maintaining her composure and propriety. They had talked about this - doing things his way but remaining respectful, which somehow seemed to get lost in translation. Already, the murmurings in the crowd were starting, and she stood back as both Roger and her brother rose to their feet, both moving quickly to their respective children.

Roger was angry, that much was evident by his demeanor and the way he'd taken hold of Ruth. While Julia couldn't hear the words he'd shared with James, she understood this was a situation that needed remedying - quickly.

The woman drew her wand, keeping it hidden from view at her side. As her brother spoke to the crowd, apologizing on the family's behalf, she caught the subtle glance he threw in her direction. She understood. James was doing damage control, and the two had always been able to read each other with simple looks.

"Confundo duo," she murmured softly, with the slightest twitch of her wand in her son's direction. She gave him a few moments, to really allow the charm to play its part, before silent-casting a petrify on the boy. She hated to do it, but Benji had left them with no choice, and if there was to be any hope of maintaining this alliance, faces needed to be saved.

Undoubtedly, James would manage the boy once they got him inside and away from prying eyes.

Julia wouldn't stop him. Her son had made a mockery of both families, and he had to learn that there were certain things - as a Laurence - that he couldn't get away with. Not if he ever wanted to be taken seriously in this world.

"Come along darling," Julia murmured to Kathryn as the crowd began to disperse and James had taken hold of Benji. "Let's get you to bed."

Before she could catch sight of her big brother being read his last rites.

"I got you this ring. Wanna marry me?"

For the love of Merlin.

There was not a speck of amusement in the man's eyes as he rose as fast Roger had, crossing the distance between his chair and his nephew with a few long strides. Murmurs were already starting, and the man groaned inwardly, loathing the mess that was occurring in real time.

"I've told you once before that my daughter isn't a joke, no matter how often you try to make her one. I'll not stand here and have you make a mockery of her."

Things were spiraling quickly, and James had worked too hard to secure this and build relationships for it all to go off the deep-end because his nephew wanted to rebel for some dumbfuck reason. Why tonight? Why here? The arrangement leaned so far in the boy’s favor it practically folded itself around him with a bow.

"My family thanks you for your hospitality up to this point of the evening. However, it's growing late. Regrettably, we have an early morning and must take our leave."

"Let's not end on such a note," James said quietly, waving his hand at the guests to quiet the hushed talk.

He offered them a measured smile that was warm and apologetic.

"Friends," he began, "on behalf of my family, I must ask your forgiveness. My nephew," a slight squeeze to Benji’s shoulder, firm enough to still the boy’s attempt to pull away, “has not been feeling himself this evening. He mentioned it to me earlier, and I should have insisted he retire."

The look he gave Julia was brief but meaningful - handle it, now - before returning to the crowd with practiced ease. "I assure you all, no slight intended. He’s not well, and he’s tried to be braver than he ought. We’ll see to him immediately." On cue, Julia's first spell hit and the boy's eyebrows came together in confusion, looking out at the crowd like he suddenly didn't realize where he was.

"Wh-what's happening? Who are all these people?"

"It's alright my boy," James said easily, plucking the ring from Benji's hand before he could drop it. "Let's get you inside with a warm drink." Benji seemed to panic a bit, just enough to really drive home the point. "Thank you all for coming tonight," James smiled out to the party attendees, "We're sorry to cut the evening short, but we'd like to spend a little extra time with our honored guests before they leave tomorrow morning."

On cue, Julia's second spell hit, and the boy dropped. James caught him quickly before he hit the floor, and turned back to Roger as Leo and Arthur both rushed forward to help carry the boy. "Roger, please accept my sincerest apologies. You know we all think the world of Ruth and your family." He nodded at his cousins, who took the boy and began heading for the castle as Julia led Kathryn.

Amelia hurried over, taking James by the arm, concern written all over her face. "Is he alright, poor boy?" James nodded with a small smile. "He will be. He hit his head earlier today while we were moving a few things. Must have caught up to him." He turned back to Roger and his family. "Please join us inside? We'll get Benji settled and make this right."

He leaned in towards Roger, his voice falling low so only he could hear, "All of these people were drunk. Most of them won't even remember this. Give me the chance to fix it." He pulled back, slinking his arm around Amelia, and nodded, hoping they would follow.

His eyes were only for her, the puff in her cheeks, sending a sparkle of glee through his eyes. A secret, a little game just between the two of them. He'd promised her he would do this his way, and here they were. Two troublemaking orphans blowing up one of the most important society parties of the year. The boy was all set to hear her 'no', give his shoulders a shrug and tell everyone he tried -

The men were on them faster than he could blink.

"I've told you once before that my daughter isn't a joke, no matter how often you try to make her one. I'll not stand here and have you make a mockery of her."

A mockery? Benji wasn't making a mockery of Rae. He was making a mockery of this whole farce and the fucking show of it all. The man took Rae's shoulders, causing Benji to drop her hand. He reached for it again, not caring that disrespecting her father in front of the entire party was probably the wrong move, when he suddenly felt his uncle on his own. He tried to squirm away, but James's hold on him was firm, his grip indicating that Benji needed to hold still and not argue.

"My nephew has not been feeling himself this evening. He mentioned it to me earlier, and I should have insisted he retire."

He wasn't fucking sick, and he hadn't said any such thing, but as Benji's gaze caught his mother's seeing that disappointed look in her eye, he quieted and went solemn. He...hadn't wanted to upset her but -

Something suddenly hit him, and all at once, it felt like the world was spinning in seventeen different directions. The boy swayed, his eyes growing heavy as his eyebrows came together, and suddenly he wasn't sure where he was or what was happening. He tried to make sense of the swaying, tried to focus on the curly-haired girl in front of him, but nothing made sense.

He heard words, but not words he could decipher. Everything sounded like it was underwater, muffled and garbled beyond recognition. "Wh-what's happening?" People everywhere, surrounding him from every side. "Who are all these people?" His voice amplified above all other sounds, and he swayed again, blinking hard to try and focus on one face, one object, one voice. Vaguely, he felt something plucked out of his hand, and then he went stiff.

Every muscle in his body seized, and the boy recognized he was falling. Arms caught him, but there was nothing he could do to try and right himself or even figure out why he was falling in the first place.

The night sky twinkled above him, the constellations - unrecognizable to him at the moment - shined down on him as he blinked stupidly at them, only slightly aware that he was being carried away somewhere.

"Let's not end on such a note."

Bullshit.

Roger watched the bumbling guests rising to their feet--not all, admittedly, as into their wine as they should be. Some tried to move closer, wanting to get a look at the boy who had been 'so brave' throughout the evening. The one that had looked at him with contempt all night, sharp as a tack, sharing little conspiratorial smiles and glances with his daughter. Benji bore little difference to the boy who had accosted him in Hogsmeade. More polished for the event, certainly. More inclined to keep his fists to himself, of course, but a wild dog all the same. James had allowed himself to be blindsided by a child and had allowed both families to fall into disrepute because he hadn't managed to bring the boy to heel as he thought he had.

Roger didn't so much as blink as he watched the little charade spiral outward. Vagueness clouded Benji's eyes, and for the first time all evening, he looked lost. There they came, flocking and fawning, sweet Amelia asking after the boy's health while he and his family remained standing there, waiting for this new nonsense to be done with.

Ruth tried, of course. The only one to break ranks. The girl pulled against his grip, trying to get to Benji. She overestimated her strength or else underestimated his own. Roger held her firmly against him, shooting a look at his wife to handle it before he was forced to.

It all worked in their favour, he supposed. Someone's favour anyway. His daughter's frantic screams played into the idea that the boy well and truly wasn't alright.

Oh, how they pampered him. A warm drink inside, they promised him. A quiet night and no further expectations.

"Please join us inside? We'll get Benji settled and make this right."

Were he a less composed man, he might have laughed. What a journey his life had taken since the ancient, ancestral magic rejected his son. A little girl who didn't understand that her life was no longer her own, poking at him from every angle because she hadn't been raised under his thumb and didn't understand the iron fist with which he ruled. An old family across the pond with a boy who didn't bear their blood, who still thought they were the best thing to ever happen to him, and clearly wasn't afraid to show it. Yes, his life had undergone much change. His father had warned him--rather sternly--when he'd shared his plans to ensure they had another child to offer up before the magic lost its patience and began unravelling them one by one like loose threads in a tapestry.

"You'll get up with fleas," Tomas Burke had said over his glass of Chablis.

Now he itched. The man's temper wasn't the sort that abided so much in such a short time. Yet, he knew this song and dance as well as any.

"All of these people were drunk. Most of them won't even remember this. Give me the chance to fix it."

His jaw set, but Roger managed to coax his lips into a more...receptive smile. They'd come all this way, after all, and it would fall in poor taste for him to refuse the atonement of a business partner. It wouldn't speak well for future ventures if he proved too inflexible over matters that, in theory, could be resolved.

He would need a stiffer drink when he got home.

"Another hour, then," the man conceded, his blood boiling beneath his cool veneer. "As you've said, there's no need for us to end the night on this...bitter note."

"Will he be alright?" Francine asked performatively.

"Must be the excitement."

It was a lot about nothing. Rae knew it wasn't the proposal they'd been expecting. Hell, it wasn't the one she'd been expecting. Didn't that leave them all squared away? No one happy, no one the winner. If nothing else, it should be a lesson in not trying to impose their will on others unless they were prepared to have it all crumble in the blink of an eye.

The guests were positively scandalised, and that only fuelled her amusement.

No one else thought it was funny, though, and in a setting like this, their opinions carried the heavier weight. Their offense would become a problem for her and Benji; she knew they'd make sure of it.

Without warning, Rae watched her boyfriend suddenly grow confused. It stirred her own confusion as her brows crinkled inward. Before she could ask if he was alright, James was going on about him being unwell.

No, he wasn't.

There was nothing wrong with Benji. They'd been having a good night; he went and saved Rosie, and they were in on their own little joke at the expense of everyone else gathered. Had the boy actually been sick, she would have been the first to know, not them, but he hadn't given the slightest indication that whatever this was had been lying in wait. When had he even hit his hea--

He fell.

She screamed.

"Benji!"

Rae tried to wrench away from her father, but his grip was firm and unrelenting. His fingers dug into her collarbone until it hurt for her to pull against him. She shoved against his hands, suddenly reminded of the last time he'd grabbed her this way and the scuffle they'd fallen into. "Get off me! Get off! Benji! Wha--what did you--"

"Shh shh." Francine fell to her knees before her, taking her face into her arms. How it must have pained the woman to do so, but her loving husband had given her an unspoken command, and he was in no mood to be defied. "He's alright, darling. They're taking care of him. You'll see, he's--"

'He's not alright!" she shrieked. "Get your hands off me! Don't touch me!"

They led him away, and she felt her worry grow. It had been a silly little proposal, but the girl feared, reminded of her father's own force, that the Laurences might not be so keen to see it that way.

Francine clamped a hand over her mouth, shushing her more forcefully while she fed her more lies about her boyfriend. "Why don't we head inside?" the woman proposed, turning her gaze to her children once her husband agreed they would stay.

"Perhaps the children could do with a warm drink as well. I dare say we could all do with a bit of rest."