March 12th, 1890 — Outskirts of Paris

The ring had been acquired, which was one thing marked off of the list. Something Melody had said in their last lengthy conversation had stayed with him, however, and he'd been turning it over in his head ever since. They needed to be able to have conversations together by the time they went back home — but more than that, they needed to seem as though they'd been off enjoying a blissful honeymoon for several weeks. They needed to give off the impression not only that they could hold conversations, but that they had been doing very little else with their time since they'd been away. As it stood now, Ben wasn't even entirely confident he knew how many sisters she had. He certainly couldn't have named any of her friends.

He needed to learn some things about her life, but the idea of just casually striking up a conversation when they were still barely talking to each other was just painful. He'd turned the idea over in his mind to try and find an alternative solution that would give them, at the least, a bit of structure so that they didn't have to just get through this whole thing on their own. He thought he'd come up with something, though it had taken him a few days to find the necessary tools, specifically in English. Melody probably spoke French, but although Ben had picked up a bit of it again since being here, he didn't really trust his reading skills.

He had found the deck of cards on his way home that afternoon, and he placed it on the table, along with a bag of food from the nearest cafe, as he returned to the small room. "I bought something for tonight, if you're up for it. It's, ah — to help with the whole acting thing, once we get back."

  

---

MJ made this <3

The revelations of last week were still a matter of pressing concern for the former Ravenclaw. Without her family's affluent status access to Paris' libraries was proving difficult to obtain, and she was in desperate need of solutions. The few answers she found thus far were either inaccurate or unable to be used. Soon—likely far sooner than she would choose— she would have to tell Ben. And there was no telling what he would do.

Melody spun the ring anxiously on her finger as she skimmed through the pages of her borrowed French text. The librarian had glanced at her skeptically as she requested to borrow it, then decided a young lady dressed as well as she had that afternoon couldn't be a real risk to the book. Not for the first time Melody thanked Marianne for pushing her to dress in the latest fashions. It certainly made appearances here in France easier to maintain. That and the heavy focus Arthur placed on learning the language throughout her childhood.

The door opening had her closing her book and placing it on the nightstand besides the bed. Later when he was undressing she would stash it somewhere more inconspicuous. Ben's comment though caught her off guard. The past week had found them back in their pattern of silence during the evenings. In fact, if not for the ring it was almost as though that conversation hadn't happened.

"Alright." She replied as she rose from the bed to join him at the table. Whatever food he returned with tonight smelled strong enough to roll her stomach. With any luck it would be disposed of before she was forced to excuse herself. "What is it?"

  

---

beautiful set by mj

"It's a magical card game," Ben explained, indicating the deck with a wave of his hand. That it was most often played with copious amounts of drinking, and that it was in a bar that he'd first encountered this particular game, he left out. He wasn't planning on drinking with his wife anytime soon. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust her (though he didn't), but more that he didn't trust himself to not do something stupid with a few less inhibitions.

"You start with five cards and the goal is to play them all before the other person plays theirs. You can play a card if it has the same shape or color as the last card played," he explained, flipping one card over from the top of the deck to demonstrate. Each had one of four symbols in each corner of the card, and a plain colored border between symbols. "The magical part is that each card has a question on it. When you play it, everyone at the table has to answer the question or draw a card. So it's a pretty quick game if you're talking... and pretty long if you don't," he said with a noncommittal shrug. "I thought that we might — uh — well, we should know more about each other," he said, cheeks coloring slightly. "Before we head home."

  

---

MJ made this <3

Having played cards (magical or not) only a handful of times in her life, the prospect of learning a new game was a welcome distraction from her otherwise overwhelming thoughts. The instructions seemed simple enough, a child's game perhaps? The game was a smart idea regardless, as they obviously both had much to learn about the other. "It sounds fun." She said as she sat in the chair most opposite the food. Silently, Melody prayed for her stomach to survive the evening without churning too much.

Despite her aversion to be involved with it, Melody thought the best way to be rid of the food was to consume it (and provide Ben the means necessary to consume his) quickly. As he dealt with setting up the game, she unpacked the food and set up dishes for them both.

  

---

beautiful set by mj

Ben was a bit surprised at how quickly she'd agreed, particularly given how reticent she had been about something as simple as a ring. One of the 'tricks' of the game was that there were questions designed to not meant to be answered easily. If they were too tame, the game would be over in short order, and the alcohol wouldn't be necessary at all. But he hadn't said any of that explicitly, and she wouldn't have any reason to know.

Once they started the game, though, they'd have to finish. The magic in the cards prevented them from just ignoring the rules, so one of them was going to have to talk to get through these cards. Hopefully Melody really was willing to play along.

After turning over the first card and glancing at his hand, Ben realized there was only one card he could play to start. He fished it out without taking time to read all of the questions in his hand — all of the questions he'd have to answer if he was going to win. He played the card: a blue diamond with the question have you ever been in trouble with the law?

"A few times," he answered, looking at the card rather than at Melody. "Most recently was during the Bella Scrimgeour thing. I had a bad feeling about her father and I wanted to check the Ministry records to see why he'd left the aurors. I used polyjuice to look like Aldous, and, uh, impersonating a Ministry official to steal records is illegal, I guess. Aldous got me off easy, but I had to swear an Unbreakable Vow not to do it again."

Ben let out a sigh. "So, uh. You have to answer that question, then play your own." Not that he thought Melody would have an answer, but still.

  

---

MJ made this <3

The simplicity of the rules duped Melody into believing the questions would be as simple. However, reading the questions written on the cards Melody felt a heat rising on her cheeks. There was at least one in her hand she definitely wouldn't be playing if she could avoid it, even at the cost of losing to him.

She knew he had trouble with the law (hadn't he said as much during one of their fights?) though not to what extent. Her eyebrow quirked as a surprised expression took over her features. "That was ... " stupid? Rash? Ridiculous to believe he wouldn't have been caught? She bit her lip as she attempted to come up with a suitable response. "...noble of you. You're lucky to have a brother like him." If the situation were reversed, Melody knew undoubtedly that Maisie wouldn't have been so kind. "And, no. I've never been in trouble with the law."

There were two cards she could place on top of his, both of which with uncomfortable questions. Merlin. Where had he found this game? After long deliberation, Melody finally decided on what she hoped would be the lesser of two evils: the blue spade.

Was there ever a time in your life you thought you were going to die? "Three times. Most recently on the boat." She said. "The first time was during flying lessons at school. I was maybe ten feet off the ground and was certain if I fell it would be to my death. The second was...er...when we met." The curse spreading up her hand very well could've been the type to kill her had he not intervened. Who knew it would lead them down such a twisted path?

The following 1 user Likes Melody Crouch's post:1 user Likes Melody Crouch's post
   Reuben Crouch

---

beautiful set by mj

Noble was a charitable choice of words, he thought. Really what it was was exactly in character for him: doing stupid and ethically dubious things for the benefit of a rich girl with a victim complex. That was what had landed him here, wasn't it?

He was distracted from his thoughts by her next card, and the answer that followed. He couldn't help but feel disappointed by what she said, mainly that they were so mundane. But more specifically, she didn't fly? She hadn't exactly come out and said that, but feeling like she was going to die the first time she flew probably meant she wasn't keen on it now. How his life had changed since Hogwarts — he'd gone from an aspiring Quidditch professional to the husband of a prim and proper lady who couldn't even fly.

"I, uh... I don't know. Maybe not," he said with a shrug. "I had a close call with a curse in Egypt, once, but I don't know if I really had time to think anything before this girl stepped in and deflected it. I probably would've died if it hadn't been for her."

He glanced down at his cards. A blue spade. He had two options: a red spade with the question What's the biggest secret you've kept from your family? and a blue club with Who is the most embarrassing person you've slept with?

Yikes.

Ben deliberated for several seconds before playing the red spade. "The details of what happened on February 14th," he said as he put the card down. "I don't know what Aldous would think if he knew. I don't really want to find out."

  

---

MJ made this <3

Some girl saved him in Egypt? One day Melody would have to ask for more details on that. At the minimum it was an interesting story, at its worst it was a woman Ben was involved with. Though, maybe it was best she didn't know who Ben was involved with outside of her.

"The same. They made assumptions and I left it at that. If not for Samuel's appearance I don't think they would've known it was to you." That day was forever seared into her memories. Not that she particularly desired to relive the events with him now.

Her heart stopped as she realized what color he played. Melody didn't have any other red cards except that one, and she had just used the only spade in her hand. Her cheeks flushed scarlet, her palms turned clammy. "I ... er. I don't...I don't have a card to play. Do I draw one?" The lie was obvious, she knew it. Surely, Ben would realize why she wouldn't want to play the card?

  

---

beautiful set by mj

It didn't seem like she was being genuine when she said she didn't have a card — she looked too nervous for that to really be the case — but he didn't want to push it. The point here wasn't to make her uncomfortable, it was to try to get to know each other better.

"Sure," he said, then added gently, "And if you do have a card that works, but you don't want to answer it, you can play it and then draw to skip the answer. Then at least you'd get it out of your hand."

  

---

MJ made this <3

It wasn't her answer she was nervous about, but his. If she drew to skip answering, did he have to too? She should've asked more questions about the rules before starting the game.

"Okay..." she said as she scanned her cards again. Maybe Ben would grant her mercy and draw to avoid answering too. Melody placed the red heart down and quickly drew another card, steadily ignoring the question.

When was the worst time someone betrayed your trust?

  

---

beautiful set by mj

As soon as he read the card, he understood why she'd been so reluctant to play it. He let out a short, bitter laugh. She already knew the answer to that, but it wasn't something he particularly wanted to rehash in the middle of this game. There wasn't anything else to be said about it at this point.

Shifting in his chair, Ben reached to draw another card as well. It wouldn't gain him anything to 'win' the game but start another fight in the process.

Her card had been a red heart, and he had a yellow heart in his hand, so he laid it down. What's the most childish thing you still do?

"Relying on Aldous to fix all my problems," he said, tone full of bitterness that he had to admit as much out loud. He'd only come to realize how dependent he was on his brother in light of recent events, and it wasn't like it was something he felt good about. "He, uh, stepped up when my parents died, so I guess that's when it started."

  

---

MJ made this <3

Melody let out a sigh of relief as he too drew a card. The betrayal was obvious, and she wasn't hoping to ignore it. She was, however, hoping to lay the foundation for the bridge.

Shockingly (or not so if she really considered how little she knew of Ben) Melody was unaware that his parents were gone. "When did they pass?" She asked quietly. The Crouch family seemed rather tight knit from what she knew of it. Such a loss couldn't have been easy fo bear. "Mine is probably allowing my emotions to impede my judgement." Melody then added.

There were two options for her to lay down. One was grossly inappropriate to follow his sad confession. The other only an embarrassment to herself. The choice was simple, Melody placed down a blue heart. Have you ever had a crush on a friend?

"Yes. The man I mentioned to you back in the shack. I thought he would ask to court me." That, obviously, hadn't come to fruition, much as she now wished it had.

  

---

beautiful set by mj

Ben let his gaze wander along the nearest edge of the table as he answered. "Just after I turned eighteen. It was October of the year I graduated Hogwarts. They were visiting this construction site for a new house in Hogsmeade and the frame collapsed on top of them. That's why I quit Quidditch," he volunteered. "They, uh, didn't really approve of my playing professionally, so I guess I felt guilty about it after they were gone."

He wasn't sure if he should ask any sort of follow-up when she answered the question on the next card. On the one hand, he was curious, but he wasn't sure it was something Melody wanted to talk about — or something that he particularly wanted to know, moving forward. It would just make things awkward if he ran into that bloke afterwards, knowing Melody had fancied him before. If they were still on friendly terms, though, did that mean Ben would be expected to befriend him, too? Was this the sort of thing that married people talked about?

He decided not to ask. He took so long thinking about it and considering the next card to play, however, that he almost forgot he needed to answer it himself. "Oh, uh. Yeah, sure. When I was living in America, I worked on this farm with this family and one of the daughters was... I don't know how old, but the right sort of age, I guess. We kissed before I left. She spent some time in Britain later, so we've talked some. That's it."

On to his card, then. He had three in his hand, including the one that he'd just drawn in response to her last turn. He had two potential options, one of which was about sex (he hadn't remembered how prevalent those types of cards were, but it made sense given where he'd encountered the game — bawdy humor was the norm in most of these grungy bars), but the other seemed relatively tame.

What's the last thing you researched at a library? he played, a blue diamond. "Monsters. Jewell wanted to make a new line of liquors and we were looking for naming inspiration."

  

---

MJ made this <3

While not an awful way to perish (an instant death always seemed preferable to a long drawn out illness) the suddenness of their loss must've been devastating. "That's terrible. I'm sorry, too, that you quit quidditch because of it. You must miss it." Flying and sports weren't her favorite thing, but she could appreciate that they were others.

An American girl. An Egyptian girl. How many women had Ben involved himself with? Melody frowned slightly. His reputation had to come from somewhere. He hadn't developed the skills he displayed during their one night together by remaining chaste, after all.

Melody had been considering reaching out to touch his hand when he finally played a card of his own, and she was grateful she hadn't. Her fist clenched in her lap under the table. Lying to him didn't seem appropriate, but she truly wasn't ready to share the news just yet. Not when she was still seeking an alternative. "Potions." She supplied with a shrug whilst offering no details. Monsters was a vague enough description that she hoped the game would allow them to continue without more from her.

The only card she held of a diamond was one that might have made her faint as a younger woman. However, unlike before when she was unwilling to answer the question to save herself, Melody was wanting the game to conclude. The longer this continued the more likely they were to fight or land themselves in hot water. She blushed from her head to her toes and played her red diamond. Are you more dominant or submissive in bed?

Her limited experience afforded her some naivety. Only, her first time in the closet had invoked a powerful feeling she still often thought about. "Dominant, I think." She muttered quietly, her eyes not meeting his. If only the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

  

---

beautiful set by mj

Ben tensed slightly when he saw the card that she'd played — not because that question particularly would be difficult for him to answer, but because he just didn't want to be talking about sex with Melody in general, at this stage. It wasn't benefiting him in the way that he'd intended this game to. While it was the sort of thing a married couple would be expected to know about each other, it wasn't something that would ever come up in conversation with others. It wasn't like anyone would be waiting to quiz them on this sort of thing. Couldn't they just skip all this?

He should have gone through and taken these cards out before he'd shuffled and dealt, he supposed, but he hadn't remembered there being this many of them from his past experience, years ago. The game wouldn't allow them to just skip over them now that they'd started.

"I'm sorry, I didn't remember that all of these questions were in here," he said with a flush. "Maybe someone took them out last time I played. I should've taken them out. I didn't mean to — yeah. Anyway. Sorry," he continued, flustered. He could have drawn a card, he supposed, but he only had two left, and he didn't want to drag the game out longer when he was already so embarrassed.

"I, uh — well, I'm mostly the one calling the shots, you know," he said vaguely. "But, ah — a few times when the girl was more — ah — well, it was nice," he concluded, face flushed. "So I guess it depends."

He looked down at his cards and was disappointed to see that he actually didn't have one to play next. With a frown, he reached to draw another card. "Your turn again."

  

---

MJ made this <3

Melody stifled a laugh at this awkward situation they got themselves into. The next time they played one of them was going to filter out these cards, but her hand contained yet another raunchy card and she had little doubt his did as well.

A glance at her hand had her drawing another card as well.

  

---

beautiful set by mj