March 26th, 1891 - Departure Ceremony for the Santa Antonina, Aberdeen, Scotland

Cash was hear less because he had any overwhelming interest in boats and more because he would rather go on an excursion with Uncle Priam and his family than stay in Fort Lestrange all day. Also, Cash was well aware that if he was going to meet most of the women on Lucius' list - who were still students - he was going to have to be places during the Hogwarts Easter Break. So. The boat was a place, he was here, it was colder in Aberdeen than it was in England, and the very slight pitch of the boat on the water - perhaps imagined, he wasn't sure - had his legs uneasy.

He spotted her and recognized her, because she was famous. Or — her sister was famous. Miss Araminta Scrimgeour was the identical twin of the scandalous one, Cash remembered neither of them particularly well from Hogwarts, and she was not a Hogwarts student (she was older) but she was here, and therefor he ought to talk to her. He crossed a few feet of the cruise ship's deck to reach her.

"Miss Scrimgeour," Cash said. Quick: what did people do when they were trying to get to know women? "Do you mind if I join your tour of the boat?" Cash could think of little he wanted to do less, but Lucius had been very clear — open defiance was far beyond his reach or interest, and at least Miss Scrimgeour was no longer a teenager and he would not be hearing about Hogwarts.

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Minty Scrimgeour Ellory Lestrange

  

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Minty and her mother would actually be taking the whole trip. They had arrived earlier to make themselves comfortable and then take the tour on the trip before departure. She had appropriately worn a navy themed dress, as well as a cute looking hat inspired by sailors' caps.

Her mother had been talking to one of the older ladies, leaving Minty on her own for a bit. She had intended to stay there and looking at the view until her mother finished her conversation, when Cassius Lestrange approached her of all people. They had been introduced to each other in the past, but this has to be the first time they ever spoke to each other.

"Um-" Minty said awkwardly. "I'm actually waiting for my mother. But you can join me until she arrives? I'm sure she would love to give your greetings to your father. She tells me she was a dear friend of your Mother's."

  

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I didn't realize Alexandria had friends, Cash thought, but did not say. Instead he said, "Oh, of course," in a pleasant tone. "I would be happy to pass along her greetings." He would do no such thing, but he could say he would and suspected he would never get caught at it.

"Are you departing with the cruise, or simply attending the launch?" Cash said. He didn't understand why people were attending the launch — unless they were all trying to avoid their families for Easter, which: maybe — but the thought of being on a boat for a few weeks also had him feeling vaguely trapped.

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"Mother and I are going cruising!" Minty replied with collected enthusiasm. She even allowed herself to say: "It's my first time sailing - I'm rather excited." She was and she was also worried she might not enjoy the experience. She was prone to feeling dizzy and sea sickness was told to be a dreadful thing. Her mother had thought to bring along some potion meant to keep the sickness at bay, should they occur.

"And what about you? Are you sailing as well?"

  

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Cash definitely couldn't tell her that he was afraid of being under the water on the boat now, and instead he smiled at her. She was taller than he was, but only by an inch or so, but he wasn't unused to women being taller than him. "That should be an exciting trip," Cash said cheerfully, "I won't be departing — just here to see off some family friends." Uncle Priam's friend, but that was fine, he didn't need to get deep into the details.

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“How kind of you!” Minty commented with a smile. “My brother is also staying behind, for work. If I am not mistaken, we are at the peak of Quidditch season?” Minty didn’t know a thing about Quidditch, but he was a Quidditch player so it was polite to show interest in that. As far as gentlemen’s jobs went, this wasn’t one of the worst. Minty struggled to feign interest in jobs like ‘goblin liaison’.

  

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Cash nodded at her question. "You're correct, Miss Scrimgeour," he said cheerfully, "My sponsor would not be particularly happy with me if I were to get on a cruise right now." Well, maybe.

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“I see,” Minty said with a nod. “And they say Quidditch is not a demanding career!” She didn’t think it was, but it wouldn’t be polite to say so. Instead, she asked: “Are you having a good season?” He played for the Chuddley Cannons, she believed and her knowledge on quidditch stopped at that.

  

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Cash was more or less comfortable talking about Quidditch with debutantes who did not understand it, and had a list of generic comments he could say about it fluttering around his brain. (Demanding career — he was not sure what to make of that, but did not think he really liked it.) "The season's been going well so far," he said, which he would have said even if it wasn't, "Thank you for asking, Miss Scrimgeour."

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Minty nodded with a polite smile. “I hope your team wins the cup!” Minty said politely, avoiding mentioning the team name, out of fear of saying the wrong one.

  

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"Thank you, Miss Scrimgeour," Cash said, mostly genuine even as he felt like an echo of himself. "And I hope your travels go well, too."

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