June 12th, 1892 — A fancy hotel in muggle London

Samuel wasn't sure if he was looking forward to - or dreading this. Like poking a nasty cut, it was likely to be uncomfortable and incredibly awkward but it also felt like it needed to be done. This cold shouldered 'feud' between him and Crouch was not making anyone happy - and after all he was a politician, an ambassador, there were few problems in his experience that couldn't be solved by too willing parties talking. He also had to work with the man's brother and some modicum of civility being restored would make things easier - in that regard at least. Not being able to host the head of the department he was meant to be working the closest with to his home was starting to become tedious.

When Mister Crouch was entered the hotels smoking room he stood in greeting, adjusting his jacket in what future generations would call the picard maneuver, a sharp tug to the bottom of his jacket to ensure it had not ridden up and a cover to his discomfort and give him something to do with his hands in the time between the mans approach and the awkward extension of his hand to the other man, but thought better of it, and transitioned to a motion to the other seat. He nodded to the bar man to bring them whiskey - muggle whiskey rather than fire.

When the decanter, small jug of water and the two glasses were delivered to the table, Samuel cast a subtle muffling spell, so no one, and certainly none of the muggles would hear them. 'Thank you for coming Mister Crouch - I suppose this is one way to formally meet,'

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Lady is a star

Ben's preference with regards to the man who was meant to have married Melody was that he never had to think about him again. The best case scenario would have been for him to ship off to America and stay there, though now that he was married to an Englishwoman (the next one in line after Melody, Ben thought rather cynically) that hardly seemed likely. Since the two had to occupy the same country and therefore similar social spheres, then, Ben had taken to pretending he simply didn't exist. He had barely bothered to learn the other man's full name and regularly forgot it in favor of saying something long that ends in Black when he was talking to other friends. He didn't talk about him any more often than was necessary, and usually was only responding to comments when other people mentioned him. He didn't wish him ill, per ce, but he didn't wish him well, either. That Melody was writing to him was unwelcome news in the first place, and that he wanted to meet and talk was more unwelcome still.

Ben hadn't said anything about Melody writing to him, though. He decided to agree to meet just in case it was something Melody had suggested; he'd only seen this man's half of their letter exchanges, so he couldn't know for certain. If this was some sort of test, he wanted to pass it. He just couldn't determine what it was he was being tested on.

"I suppose so," he said, and nothing else. He took the offered seat but did not reach for either the whiskey or water. He planned to let the American set the stage for what they were doing here.

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Delightful.

It took everything in Samuel not to snap at Crouch that he needed to show a modicum of decency. The sulkiness was practically emanating from him, and did the man need reminded that it was he who absconded with another man's fiancé. Judging by their relative levels of discomfort one would think it was the other way around.

Samuel cleared his throat and took a long moment preparing his whiskey with a few drops of spring water, and taking a sip before continuing. 'It's been what...2 years?' he didn't specify what had happened 2 years ago - by god they both knew. 'This simmering 'fued' isn't making my family any happier, and I can't imagine it's making things easier for yours.' he explained, gesturing to the other man. Hope had been an absolute saint in all of this. Never mentioned it, never questioned his pointed refusal to entertain Aldous Crouch in his home, and when asked if she would try to mend some manner of bridge with Melody she had immediately agreed. He didn't deserve her.

'I wish to merely put all aspects of the past behind us, that we may meet in society without the stain of animosity between us, or members of our families, that our children, for I believe you are now a father, and I soon to be one might not be raised in households that are holding onto grudges that both sides should have long since put into the past.'

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Lady is a star

Ben watched the other man carefully as he spoke. He wasn't sure what the angle really was here, because he didn't believe that this was actually much of an ongoing distraction for the man's family. If it was... well, that was telling, then. Up until Melody had started writing letters to her ex fiancee, his existence wasn't much of a thorn in Ben's side. The circumstances of their elopement, yes — this particular person and what he did or didn't think about Ben and Melody, no. Was this man honestly still so caught up on Melody's elopement that he couldn't move on without closure?

"I'm sorry if you've gotten the impression that we have any ongoing feud," Ben said stiffly. "I don't believe I have ever treated you with animosity as, prior to today, I had never had a conversation with you. Given our difference in social circles, I did not expect to, so holding a grudge would have been difficult."

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He might have forgiven Reuben's pride, if he had not to readily offended Samuels own. Samuel bit the inside of his lip, closing his words carefully. 'I've never treated you with animosity before today' - was he being sincere? Samuel couldn't tell. 'Maybe' he said, not really buying it. Did the man really, genuinely believe that he could offer such an insult to another, to abscond with their intended and not have it be taken as an offence. He hadn't even had the courage of his conviction to address the matter with Samuel before now. The matter was conspicuous by it's absence. If Crouch didn't have any animosity towards him, then why did he have such an attitude right now.

Samuel pressed on, 'As I understand it, Mrs. Crouch's estrangement from her family has been fairly complete he knew that the break had been sudden, that within hours of their daughters disappearance they had already summarily cut her off, by the time Samuel had gone to the house to work out what had become of his erstwhile fiancé he was already being sold their younger daughter, their elder no longer considered their child. 'I only aim to clear the air, if, as you suggest you've no strong feelings on the matter then it should be a simple matter to wipe the slate and begin as though nothing else had passed between our families.'.

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Lady is a star

Ben ran his tongue over the points of his teeth. What did her family have to do with anything? It had to be relevant somehow or else the other man wouldn't have brought it up; this seemed like the sort of gentleman for whom every word was calculated. Was he trying to imply that reconciling this 'grudge' that he imagined existed between the pair of them could lead to a reconciliation between Melody and her family? Ben was doubtful; if her mother hadn't reacted to the news that Melody had a daughter, it didn't seem anything else would bring her out of the woodwork, either. At least not publicly; they had already played their cards there, and there was no reason for them to walk back the consequences — particularly not while their youngest daughter was still unmarried and ostensibly corruptible by Melody's bad influence.

On the other hand, if that was an option, didn't he owe it to Melody to at least try? He knew her estrangement from her family was a major pain point for her, and his own family hadn't been exactly welcoming, given the circumstances. He didn't know that she could ever truly make peace with them after what they'd put her through in the aftermath of her elopement, but if there was something left to salvage...

"Alright," Ben said, still clearly uneasy but at least making an effort to be a little less hostile in his tone. "I'm not opposed to a clean slate, but I confess I don't know what you mean by it. What do you actually expect to happen?"

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Samuel scrubbed his face with his hands. 'This is uncharted territory for me too.' he admitted, in a tone that was a little strained, an acknowledgement that this wasn't an situation that either had expected to be in.

'When I discussed this with Hope...Mrs St.John-Black' he clarified, unsure if Crouch knew much about his wife. 'she noted that she and Melody had been friendly enough once, so the two paying calls would perhaps be good for both.' he noted, 'But perhaps before that the suggestion is that we..you and I that is, have a few public conversations, at the end of the month I have a dinner at the embassy to which your brother as head of the DIMC would be invited, perhaps extending the invite to your other brother and yourself.' It was orchestrated, but most of the ton was more concerned with appearances than anything else - the perception of the antagonism between the families was enough to make it real.

'A few occasions of public friendship and it will put the matter to rest and let us all move forward as though it had never occurred.' Samuel's tone was almost tired, 'After which - well, I don't know you Mister Crouch, how and if any future 'relationship' eminates from that is something we cannot predict, but my suggestion is that we host you as we would host the family of any dignitary, it buries the hatchet and enjoy a good meal, some decent wine and if we end the night wihtout animosity it can be called a win.' He wouldn't admit it, wouldn't say it in case it gave them false hope, but he had often assumed that Melody's estrangement was due to her families perceived offense they had given to Samuel, and he did hope that if he could be seen to be accepting of Melody and her new happiness then her family might find a way to reconciling with her.

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Lady is a star

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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Samuel's forehead wrinkled in confusion, 'no,', and reached for his whiskey once more, 'Mrs Crouch sent me some letters some months ago after her memory was injured, she sought to understand why she had not gone through with our wedding and sought to apologies for any embarrassment she may have caused me.' he explained broadly the tone of the letters he and Melody had shared, letters he had shared with Hope, but it did not appear as though Mrs Crouch had done the same with her husband, or if he had he felt they were more portentous than it was- if his tone was anything to go by.

The truth was that he had cared for Melody once, or thought he did he clarified and because he had spent more time currying favour with her father than with her, she had eloped with another. The truth was he felt responsible for her estrangement, for her fallen station in life, and now that he had Hope he realised the depth, or lack there of that he had truly felt for Melody.

'But this' he gestured vaguely, 'I've not broached with her, bar the letters Mrs Crouch and I have not spoken since your wedding' it seemed politer to refer to it as a wedding than elopement, which sounded a bit like a dirty word.'All that Hope and I desire from this is to clear the air, so that people can invite us to an event without worrying that you and Melody are there, or worrying that you and I will resort to fisticuffs if left in the same room.' he said again, finishing his whiskey. 'I doubt it will change much between us personally, but I dislike the perception that an invite to one would be a disloyal act to the other, and the disadvantage that that might pose to either family, not over something that is now such settled history.' Samuel certainly didn't pine for Melody, his pride had been wounded by her elopement more than his heart had been and perhaps, just perhaps, if her family knew that there was no great feud they might relent on her estrangement - her father being as obsessed with public perception as he believed him to be.

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Lady is a star

It stung in a way that Ben couldn't have articulated that Melody had apologized to him for their elopement. She hadn't apologized to Ben for the embarrassment of following through with their elopement, pretending to everyone that this was just one more stupid and impulsive decision he had made. He'd lied to his friends and family to save her, tarnished his own reputation to protect hers as best he could, but — sure, apologize to this guy.

There was a sour taste in Ben's mouth and he tried to swallow it down. Once upon a time, Melody had found this man so odious that she had cornered Ben in a closet and asked to sleep with him mere days before her wedding. She'd given up her virginity strictly to prevent him from being able to take it. Part of Ben wished he could tell Black that. It wouldn't hurt his feelings (he obviously didn't care about Melody, and never had) but it might wound his pride.

But Melody probably didn't even remember that, so what was the point? Right now, she thought this American cad was a respectable gentleman who deserved an apology, and that Ben was a bad husband who had never made her happy. The past was dead.

Fuck, he hated his life. He wished he could pick up his glass of whiskey and throw it in the other man's face, but that would only give credence to his entirely ridiculous statement about the danger of them coming to blows at a ball somewhere (which was insulting enough in and of itself — did he think Ben was some sort of uncivilized brute with no tact? Honestly!)

"I have never spared a thought for your attendance at an event before accepting or rejecting an invitation," he said pointedly. "I don't care enough about you to even notice when you're in the room and I certainly would never quarrel with you at an event. If others have a different perception of our relationship, or lack of one, that seems to be their problem, not mine." He could have ended there — and probably should have — but he added with some underlying venom, "And I don't think it fair to force my wife into the company of someone she despised in order to remedy it."

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'Nor I you Mister Crouch' he said flatly, after the other had finished his petulant diatride and took a sip of his drink. 'However, it has come to my attention that others are taking that view.' he didn't go into detail, and it perhaps was affecting his brother more than him, a diplomatic event where senior ministry officials were being invited, if Ross was in attendance, Crouches brother might be left off the list lest his presence put off the American representatives - and Samuel was the senior most American representative, the person wont to suffer was the eldest Crouch. And there had been several fraught interactions between himself and Aldous - in some of which he had been ungallant- he would admit with the benefit of hindsight.

This Crouches petulant venom was becoming tiresome, and he wondered if the other man was always so self centered, perhaps it was why, when she had lost her memory, his wife had reached out to him. The fact that the other didn't have the self posession to consider the impact on anyone other than himself was rather mindblowing - the benefit that might be wrought from it for MElody, who had lost her social position by her marriage or his brothers - apparently taking this moment to spit this little piece of venom at him in an attempt to make Samuel feel small perhaps? If that's all Crouch had to cling to - let him have it.

Samuel was concerned his patience might run out. 'Well you're choice Mister Crouch, if you think it is of no benefit to you, your wife nor your wider family, then please enjoy the drink and have a fine evening, otherwise, my wife will happily recieve your wifes owl to arrange a date.' he downed his own drink and stood

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Lady is a star