Malachai and Alberta Crouch had married for love.

Reuben and Melody Crouch had married for foolishness.

Aldous Crouch, though, would marry simply because it was necessary.

The latest Season, however, had not gone quite as far in this direction as the wizard might have hoped. Redoubling his efforts to find a wife had, indeed, happened, but they had not been particularly strong to begin with. He had met a number of young (and less-young) ladies at a number of social events, but something had always been too wrong with them (or in some cases, with him) for Aldous to have felt confident pursuing them more intently. Miss Fawley had been a delightful mind, but young and seemingly reluctant to marry into Society; Miss Whitehall had in turn dogged him like his murderer, but was so utterly insipid that the prospect of a lifetime with her made Aldous want to cut his decidedly short. Add that with his own low estimation of his worth, and the season of Spouse Shopping had come and gone without a permanent investment. 

And so, as the colours upon the trees had begun to turn, so too had Aldous's approach. After evaluating the potential candidates, he had at last landed upon Miss Helga Scamander, whom he did not think would be elated at the prospect but whom, he hoped, would recognize what a good match they would make:


And so, earlier that week, Aldous had sat down with Alexander Scamander at the club, had received the man's blessing, and had then begun the painstaking effort of working up the nerve to actually ask Miss Scamander herself.

Just after lunch on Friday, having informed his secretary he would be taking an extended week-end (to celebrate, if it was warranted, or to lick his wounds in peace), Aldous arrived at the Bartunburg home to call upon Miss Scamander, where he was shown into the parlour and promptly (he suspected that husband and wife did, indeed, speak to one another) been abandoned with the young lady, though the door to the room was left very wide open indeed as Mrs. Scamander 'went to order tea'.

"Your mother," he remarked, not knowing quite how to transition into his reason for being there, gesturing at the vase before them as he sat across from her, "has fine taste in floral arrangement."