Late April, 1883 - Generic Browne-Diggory Family Event

And it’s all because of you / I’ve got a list of songs I can’t listen to

Sampson wasn't sulking at this party.

Sure, he was drinking beer in a corner, but that wasn't actually super unusual for him. He wasn't sulking. And if he was glaring at nothing in particular, well, that was also just because - it had nothing to do with the recently announced engagement. It didn't.

Except that it obviously, totally did, or at least it was obvious to Sampson. It was probably obvious to Clara, too - and he wished that he could catch sight of Esther so that he could roll his eyes to someone who cared. Hell, even his mother was enthused on his cousin's behalf - probably because Benjamin Ross was all successful and Ministerial and fancy.

Sam sipped his beer. He probably could have gotten through the whole night without having an actual conversation with anyone, except somehow the party's constellation of individuals had shifted enough so that he was, suddenly, standing next to Mr. Ross and his corner wasn't safe anymore.

"Congratulations," Sam said.

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hi make my brother plz

Benjamin's courtship with Miss Diggory (who, as he was reminded, could now be Clara to him) had gone as smoothly — or even smoother, really — than he'd had hoped, and now they were engaged. As a youth, he'd had difficulty believing that his ambitions would allow him to marry before turning forty, but here he at at thirty-three with a bride-to-be.

The Diggory family turned out to be much more than just the Diggory family in hindsight; there were the Brownes and a number of smaller families that were cousins that had gathered, and at least one member of each that had felt the need to speak to him on wedding matters. While he would usually jump to discussing as much as possible, his only desire was to spend time with his fiancee, which was proving very difficult with her family literally surrounding her.

So instead, he found himself near another one of Clara's cousins who seemed less interested in the party and more with the alcohol. Poor sap. He grabbed a drink off the table and turned to the kid.

"Thank you!" he piped with a bright smile. "Mr. ... Sampson Browne, right? You're close with Miss Diggory." While "close" probably had other connotations to some people, Benji never imagined that sort of closeness existed between the two, especially since they were cousins.

  

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Aaaand Mr. Benjamin Ross clearly had no fucking idea about Sam and Clara, which really made him feel so much better about this whole situation. (It did not.) He smiled back; it was not a real smile but only people who knew him well would likely have been able to tell.

"When we were children," Sam said, "I believe that my sisters know her better than I do, now."

That was true, at least -- Sam's Clara never would have abandoned him like this.

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The following 1 user Likes Sampson Browne's post:1 user Likes Sampson Browne's post
   Esther Browne

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hi make my brother plz

That would make sense. While children of similar ages often played together, it would be reasonable to believe they'd grow apart after they reached adolescence and beyond. Besides, Miss Diggory didn't seem like the type to keep a bunch of close male friends, cousins or not. She was soft and feminine, just like any woman her age was expected to be.

Benjamin also missed any signs that he should proceed with caution; that's what he got for meeting much of her family after they got engaged. Thus, he continued with the conversation enthusiastically.

"And you're into- what? Cartography? They were talking about the family business," he explained with a nod towards the larger group of people — mostly other Brownes and Diggorys — who had gathered.

  

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"It's Browne's on High Street," Sam explained. It was easier to talk about the business than it was to talk about Clara, although he could only imagine the things that Mr. Ross was thinking about Browne's. His Ministry salary - and the wealth of his family in general - was significantly greater than Sam's, which was, of course, why Clara picked him.

"We do magical cartography," Sam added.

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hi make my brother plz

As the Assistant Head of the Department of Magical Transportation, it was no wonder that magical maps was an intriguing concept (and while it was one he'd definitely heard of before, it wasn't one the Ministry yet relied on to incorporate into their daily activities). Perhaps, he thought, this was a way he could bond with Miss Diggory's family.

"What sort of charms to do you use on your maps?" he asked curiously, leading them firmly away from the topic of his bride-to-be. If Mr. Browne wasn't as close to her presently as he'd once been, what point was there for idle chatter on the subject? "I'm in the transportation department, you know. Maps — magical maps — seem like a tool we could utilize more." Not that that was really his decision at the moment.

  

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Somehow this was getting even more annoying to Sam, who took a sip of his drink before replying. "Depends on the purpose, and what we're mapping," he said, deliberately obfuscating, "I'd be better able to answer specifics."

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hi make my brother plz

Benjamin raised his brows. Mr. Browne's tone, while not necessarily unfriendly, came across as uncooperative, leaving Benjamin wondering whether his mind was elsewhere in the moment. However, he didn't know the kid well enough to engage him about whatever thoughts — personal or otherwise — might be going through his head.

"Mapping the transit of memos. Locations of employees. Guest-help maps that provide real-time directions. Those things," he willingly offered, wondering if spells for those sort of things even existed.

  

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Sam tilted his head. "I think the memos are doable," he said, "I'd have to use a modified version of the homunculus charm, but it would have to be flagged to each specific memo." The homunculus charm was notoriously testy, but it could be doable. "Employee location could be done on a floor-by-floor scale but the Ministry's security might interfere with it, I'm not sure what charms you have working there."

"The last one - well. That one you'd be better off using the four-point spell for," he smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

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hi make my brother plz

Those were all solid solutions, and Benji thought he could bring them to the head of department and see what he thought. With a smile, Benji took a step backwards and nodded his head in gratitude.

"I'll talk to my superiors and see what they think. Maybe we can get your family more business," he said, smile widening. With a quick glance back the group of Browne-Diggorys, Benji noticed Clara was being slowly abandoned my members of her family. He turned back to Sampson, and with another nod, said: "I should probably go keep Miss Diggory company. I am her guest, after all."

  

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Sam smiled genuinely - any business was good, even if it came from the man who had made a cuckold of him. But then there was the mention of Clara, which reminded him, again, why he hated Mr. Ross. Or was supposed to hate Mr. Ross. Or, more accurately, why he currently hated Clara.

"I'm sure she'd appreciate your assistance," Sam said in a tone that was deliberately good-natured. It wasn't fair to hate Mr. Ross - Mr. Ross never would have been engaged to Clara if she hadn't wanted to be stolen.

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The following 2 users Like Sampson Browne's post:2 users Like Sampson Browne's post
   Bella Scrimgeour, Ophelia Devine

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hi make my brother plz

With that, Benji turned to leave, but not before glancing back one more time.

"I'll be in contact — hopefully before the wedding," he said an equally good-natured smile. It would be good, he decided, to stay on good terms with not just the Diggorys, but the Brownes that were apparently very close with the family. Who knew — maybe helping the family business would get him on even better terms with his fiancee's family.

  

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