Ben was about to make something up to answer her question (easily and frequently done in this particular style of flattery) when he was interrupted by... what could charitably be called a woman, though she definitely had at least one non-human ancestor somewhere in her family tree. Ben tried his best to be open-minded about things like half-breed rights (half because he believed in them and half because an outspoken liberal political opinion would annoy his brothers), but he couldn't help the dread that settled in his stomach immediately as she approached. He knew that tone, and that giggle, and this was not what he'd bargained for when he'd sat down to a game of cards with a beautiful woman —
Except she wasn't talking about him at all, it turned out. Ben had no idea what to think of that, except... Aldous? Why the hell was she interested in Aldous? He was the definition of uninteresting, particularly to the opposite gender. The dictionary entry for boring may very well have had his picture in it.
"He's my brother," Ben admitted, head still reeling a bit from the unexpected turn the conversation had taken. He had to mentally move on fairly quickly in order to keep up with the introduction to the game. He nodded in response to her first question and mumbled, "Whenever I can get away with it." That really translated to whenever Art Pettigrew isn't around; his friend had a bit of a problem and couldn't participate (or, at least, couldn't participate now that he had things he needed his money for, like a wife and a baby), so Ben typically thought it was rude to indulge if the two were out together. Of his own accord, however, Ben hardly ever turned down a game of chance, and he never stepped away from a dare — which is what made the next thing she said all the more intriguing.
Ben picked up the card she'd dealt him and glanced at the corner of it while he considered her offer. "All three in a row?" he clarified. The odds seemed to be in his favor, unless she had a few cards tucked up her sleeve. "I'll take that bet — and if you lose, you'll be my guest for dinner," he offered with a flirtatious wink. Of course, be my guest was a little deceptive — he didn't have a home of his own and he couldn't very well invite her to the club, so it would have to be a neutral location, but Ben had no shortage of those. He'd been meeting people in little Muggle hole-in-the-wall joints around the country ever since he'd been old enough to disdain having to introduce his friends and acquaintances to Aldous.
Speaking of which. "You know my brother walks with a cane?" he said, apropos of nothing. "He can't dance. Not even a waltz. Not really most eligible bachelor material."
MJ made this <3
Except she wasn't talking about him at all, it turned out. Ben had no idea what to think of that, except... Aldous? Why the hell was she interested in Aldous? He was the definition of uninteresting, particularly to the opposite gender. The dictionary entry for boring may very well have had his picture in it.
"He's my brother," Ben admitted, head still reeling a bit from the unexpected turn the conversation had taken. He had to mentally move on fairly quickly in order to keep up with the introduction to the game. He nodded in response to her first question and mumbled, "Whenever I can get away with it." That really translated to whenever Art Pettigrew isn't around; his friend had a bit of a problem and couldn't participate (or, at least, couldn't participate now that he had things he needed his money for, like a wife and a baby), so Ben typically thought it was rude to indulge if the two were out together. Of his own accord, however, Ben hardly ever turned down a game of chance, and he never stepped away from a dare — which is what made the next thing she said all the more intriguing.
Ben picked up the card she'd dealt him and glanced at the corner of it while he considered her offer. "All three in a row?" he clarified. The odds seemed to be in his favor, unless she had a few cards tucked up her sleeve. "I'll take that bet — and if you lose, you'll be my guest for dinner," he offered with a flirtatious wink. Of course, be my guest was a little deceptive — he didn't have a home of his own and he couldn't very well invite her to the club, so it would have to be a neutral location, but Ben had no shortage of those. He'd been meeting people in little Muggle hole-in-the-wall joints around the country ever since he'd been old enough to disdain having to introduce his friends and acquaintances to Aldous.
Speaking of which. "You know my brother walks with a cane?" he said, apropos of nothing. "He can't dance. Not even a waltz. Not really most eligible bachelor material."
MJ made this <3