The entire scheme sounded absurdly uncomfortable for Ben, who was having enough trouble even getting through five minutes with this fellow in a Muggle hotel. On the other hand, it could have been worse. It was a plan that had an end date, so it was a short-term discomfort for a potential long-term gain. It seemed well thought out in its aims and its methods. Better still, it wasn't so much a genuine attempt at reconciliation as it was a facade. He had acted happy with Melody when they came back from Paris, when he'd been feeling the opposite. He could probably stomach putting on a charade of friendship with Black if necessary.

"Have you already discussed it with my wife?" he asked pointedly. He knew they had been exchanging letters, and Melody had shown him some of the letters from this man, but he couldn't be sure he'd seen all of them. Ben hadn't liked the familiar tone he took in the letters he had seen. Was this a scheme that had been concocted between Melody and Black, with all the details already in place? Did he actually have any choice in the matter at all?

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