Benjy Williams of house Gryffindor.
the lion free of the colosseum. I'm mostly known for my one man picnics and for managing to obtain the affections of briar marquet. I prefer the quieter things in life, but there's also something irresistible about a good adventure, a good book, or a good laugh. occasionally i'm the alpha lion... but what's in a name?
werewolf
That's putting it mildly - he was practically oozing charm and sleazy vibes the entire night, leaving a trail across the dance floor that might have caused a few casualties. Where were you? You missed out big time, I can't believe you can live with yourself after missing the sight of Lowell in the flesh.
Iâm almost tempted to captain a secret trip to Hogsmeade for all those who are trapped in these damn stone walls. Anyone happen to have a few invisibility cloaks handy?
No invisibility cloak on hand, no... but I can offer you me and my wand? I'm not sure you should be going out there alone if you're planning a secret trip... it's not exactly safe. Better we both get into trouble than you get hurt, right?
At the very mention of Benjyâs pureblood family, Briar could feel her blood begin to boil, anger replacing her fear of Lowell. Briar often wished for the chance to meet his cousins and pay them back for everything horrible thing they did to Benjy as a child, but in the end, she knew it was better to stand by Benjy as he did what he thought was best when it came to his family rather than fight his battle for him. From the stories that Benjy shared with her that concerned his pureblood aunt and her sons, Briar could have easily guessed that they would support the new minister, but Briar was surprised to learn that Benjyâs cousin was working alongside the man. It made Briar fearful of what awaited Benjy if he ever needed to return to his auntâs home and she was grateful that they both were in their seventh year and could escape their families as soon as graduation came and went. âDid Lowell say at what capacity your cousin is working for him?â Briar asked, though after her own conversation with Lowell, she learned that he leaned on the side of vagueness. The most blunt thing he had said to her regarded the werewolf registry and even then, Lowell had not brought up the registry by name. It seemed one of Lowellâs greatest skills was layering conversation, making sure the person he was speaking to knew he held all the cards without losing his polite smile. It made Briar wonder just how long Lowell has been playing the game and how long he has had people gathering information for him within Ministry departments. âHe knew about the information my uncle gave me, all of it. Lennoxâs location, a copy of the werewolf registry. He could kill my uncle for releasing that kind of information, but I think he would rather hold it over both of our heads,â Briar said, not holding back her disgust with Lowellâs tactics. With all her secrets in the palm of his hands, Briar felt vulnerable, backed into a corner before she even knew what was happening. Briar leaned her head against Benjyâs chest and tried to hold back her tears. âWhat are we going to do?â
Benjy's thoughts were competing against each other for prominence: he wanted to wallow in the fact that his entire family was no living in Lowell's pocket, but simultaneously, he couldn't help but worry about Briar's own encounter with Lowell, too. "I.. no, not really.. he said that my cousin had a valuable place in Lowell's team - it sounded like they were pretty chummy, like Alistair is working right up close with Lowell," Benjy said sadly. He worried about his cousins and his aunt, despite everything they'd done to him - he didn't wish them dead, and he certainly didn't wish them in the clutches of a bad man. Benjy would always wish them the best even if they didn't return it. "I don't know what to do," Benjy continued, shaking his head and holding onto Briar tightly. "If my family finds out I'm.. what I am... they'd turn me in, no hesitation. I don't think I can go back there, Briar, not this year - I don't think I can ever see them again, because they'll know I'm lying about something." The prospect of cutting ties with his living relatives saddened him, and Benjy wanted to hear what Briar thought - he just wanted to hear her say that everything would be okay, because if she said it was so, then he would believe her. "You don't think he'll actually do anything to your uncle though, right?" Benjy said worriedly, thinking of how Dalton had put his job and security on the line to provide them with information when they'd needed it the most - and if Benjy felt guilty for it, he couldn't begin to grasp at Briar's feelings. "I don't know," he admitted, and he started rocking them from side to side again, slowly on the spot. "Lowell knows about your uncle, and he's got a hand in my family... how long before he works out other things about us?" he asked aloud, voice low so that only Briar could hear as the music played around them. "He knows where we are... it just doesn't feel safe anymore. Not here, not at home.." Benjy sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "but what I do know is that wherever you are, that's where I'll be, because we're safer and stronger together, right?"
The slow music that guided their movements was reminiscent of the music playing during her dance with Lowell, but Briar hoped that being with Benjy would erase that moment from her memory. His words, his piercing eyes, and his unsettling smile were seared into her brain, but his grip on her hand and waist were easily forgotten and replaced by Benjyâs warm and comforting touch, making swaying along with the music simple. The couples around them slowly faded away until all Briar focused on was Benjy and the way her heart swelled whenever she was near him. Briar could take on the world as long as Benjy was by her side, which was why she so greatly wished Benjy had been there when Lowell had approached her and she was shocked to learn that the feeling was mutual. Briar momentarily stopped the gentle sway they had fallen into when Benjy told her that Lowell had approached him to, signalling that she was not the only one that Lowell had taken an interest in. Though Briar was hardly surprised, it also brought on more questions and worries. If Lowell had been so perceptive and unearthed Briarâs secret, how long would it be until he found the skeletons in Benjyâs closet as well? She knew Benjy would not be standing there with her had Lowell known that Benjy had been turned in London, but that did not make the fear any less real. âWhat did he say? Did he ask you any questions?â Briar asked quickly and urgently, though her voice did not rise above a whisper. âHe came up to me, too and he-âŠwe danced. After it happened, I had to get out of the hall, so I slipped away to the bathroom. Benjy-âŠhe somethingâŠabout me and about my uncleâŠsomething that he shouldnât have known.â
Dancing with Briar was almost enough to wipe the last half hour from his mind, except that he had to endure the memories for just a little longer so that he could share them with her. They were stronger together - they worked as a team, and Benjy knew that by telling Briar about what happened, it would ease some of his own fears about it. "He said that my cousin and my aunt are basically his biggest supporters-.. and that my cousin is even working for him," Benjy said, and a shiver raced across his skin at the mere thought of it. He still couldn't believe it - Lowell had no reason to lie, and it was obviously within his family's best interest to support someone powerful within the Ministry, but to know that his own family were tied so closely to someone so bad - Benjy was struggling. But to hear that Lowell had also approached Briar made his own feelings of fear and anxiety fall away while anger and protectiveness overwhlemed him -- he didn't like the thought of Lowell anywhere near Briar, let alone dancing with her. "Are you okay?" he asked immediately, searching her face and realizing that that was why she'd looked strained and as though her cheeks were flushed. Lowell obviously hadn't hurt her, physically, but knowing that he'd used Benjy's family against him gave him a fair idea of how he'd come at Briar, and he worried about her despite all of her strength. "What does he know?" Benjy asked, anxiety creeping up as he glanced around, looking for Lowell, as though he'd suddenly be there behind them, ready to take them both to Azkaban. "Is it about you looking for Lennox's location? Or-... or something else?" he asked, holding her closer as their movements were halted almost completely and people danced around them, oblivious.
The reflection in the bathroom mirror had not been kind to Briar. Her eyes held tears that threatened to spill and nothing could conceal the dark red flush that covered her face. The conversation with Lowell had left her shocked and panicked, enough to make hiding herself in a bathroom stall more appealing than spending another few hours trapped in the Great Hall while the minister lurked around every corner. The man knew her greatest secret and had used it so calmly and effectively against her and all Briar could do was bend to his will. That alone was justification enough for cowardice, but Briar recalled what she said Zane only an hour ago: they could not allow Lowell any more victories. Though he had won a battle against her, Briar had to keep her head up and continue fighting. Glancing at the reflection in the mirror one last time, Briar wiped away the tears and took a few deep breathes in hopes that the blush would diminish. Once she appeared presentable, Briar left the bathroom and reentered the Great Hall with only one plan of action: finding Benjy. After a lap around the room, Briar spotted him on the outskirts of the dance floor, thankfully without a group surrounding him. Coming up behind him, Briar slipped her arm through his. âMay I have another dance?â Her voice sounded more on edge than she would have liked, but Briar did not care if he picked on up it. She planned on telling him everything that Lowell had said, seeking comfort and reassurance that she did not just cost one of her dearest friends his life.
Since the moment that Lowell had left, Benjy's mind hadn't stopped turning over the facts of what had happened. Each word that Lowell had spoken was forever burned into his brain, along with the images he created of his aunt and his cousins all joining the new minister for a round of tea at his house. He still felt a little sick at the prospect and longed for fresh air, but with Lowell's aurors guarding the exits, he was trapped in the Great Hall for the foreseeable future. Just as he was considering faking illness in order to go back to his dorm, an arm linked with his and the voice of reassurance filled his ear, and despite everything, Benjy smiled. "You can have whatever you request of me, my dearest Emma," he said, trying to perk himself up and sound more enthusiastic than he felt, but as he followed Briar toward the dance floor, he thought that even she looked a little strained. Benjy dropped his hand to hers and used it to pull them closer together while the music swelled around them -- something romantic and slow, loud enough to keep their conversation private. "I've missed you," he said, head bowed down beside hers as they rocked in time to the music, his heart beating steadily now that Briar was with him - Briar was all he needed. "Where were you?" he asked, trying not to sound as scared as he felt with his mind full to bursting of images of his family. "I had an-... encounter with Lowell - I wish you were there. He's just a man, but honestly, he's terrifying," he added in a low voice, gripping her hand a little tighter.
I was thinking the same thing - I actually kind of miss our old aurors. I mean-.. have you seen these new ones? Every single one of them has creepy stalker eyes, so if we thought Icy Eyes was bad, then we really didnât know anything. But are you having a good time, the threat of torture aside?
I think in comparison to these new aurors, I never realized that the old ones actually kind of made me feel..safer? Like, I know shit is going to happen if it's going to happen, but still-... it was nice knowing they're there to protect us. These aurors almost feel like they're going to instigate the trouble... but no! Yeah! I'm having a blast -- what about you? You look great, by the way, so I imagine you're having a good time, right?
Theyâre coming Benjy, quick! Run while you can! Theyâll drag you to the dungeons and hang you up by your thumbs until you confess your secret plot to kill the Minister!
I knew it was too good to be true - and I was so close! Tell my friends that I love them, and that I'm sorry -- you will, won't you Grace? All I wanted was to make the world a better, asshole-free place!
In all seriousness, I would not test those bodyguards - they look tough as nails.
The Ministerâs Ball, as it had been dubbed, had been an interesting, lively night despite the stuffy suits and dresses that people had squeezed themselves into for Lowellâs sake. The food had been of the highest quality, and Benjy made a mental note to go and congratulate the house elves tomorrow on their efforts, and the music - despite switching between formal and modern - had given everyone something to dance to. Benjy himself was having a good time: heâd managed to dance with Briar, not to mention talk and have a laugh with several of his friends, which was what the night was really all about, even if it had been named after the Minister. The man himself had been seen working the room all night after the feast had ended - dancing with McGonagall before moving to chat with the other professors and then, he had moved to the students, moving between them and singling out certain ones. It was all a well-designed tactic to win their support, Benjy knew that, but that didnât mean he liked it. He felt protective of the students all crammed into the Great Hall that night, as though he truly were somehow like the Alpha Lion of the student body, and Lowell was the predator lurking around his pride of cubs. But soon Lowell had disappeared from view and Benjy was back to enjoying his night, moving to get a cup of punch and just as he brought the cup to his lips, he was interrupted by a smooth, cool voice saying, âWilliams, right? Benjamin?â Benjyâs hand froze and he lowered the cup as he glanced to his right to see Lowell Tegus standing there, dressed in perfectly clean and pressed dress robes while looking at Benjy intensely.
Benjy wondered if his voice would fail him, but he managed a, âactually, itâs just Benjy now,â looking at Lowell tightly.
âBenjy,â Lowell repeated, and if Benjy wasnât mistaken, there was a certain amount of mockery in his tone. âHow quaint. You of course know who I am?â
It went without saying, but Benjy assumed it was a matter of formality as Lowell extended his hand and Benjy, however unwillingly, was forced to reach out and take it. âI think everyone here does,â he said, shaking Lowellâs hand and trying not to wince at how tight the shake was. âItâs your Ball, after all.â
âAnd a rhyme,â said Lowell, and the mockery was back, âdelightful. I thought that perhaps you might be familiar with me other than just from today? Your cousin perhaps?â Lowellâs face was a well-guarded mask of lies and constructions that Benjy couldnât even begin to unravel, but the mention of his cousin - either one of them - made shivers race down Benjyâs spine. His cousins were, to put it bluntly, terrible people, and Benjy had the scars to prove it - and if Lowell knew them, then he really shouldnât have been as surprised as he was. Both of his cousins - Slytherins to the end - had passed through Hogwarts and were now working in the wizarding world doing god knows what to innocent people under god-knows-whoâs orders. Benjy tried to swallow, but his fingers on his glass were tight, and he could only think in fractured fragments.
âIâm not really on the best terms with my cousins,â Benjy managed after a moment of looking stricken.
âThatâs a shame,â said Lowell, who now seemed to genuinely mean it - the mocking tone had gone, and was now replaced with something more serious; more meaningful. âHeâs doing such good work for us at the Ministry that I was rather hoping you, too, might carry the same traits, being from the same pureblood line despite your own⊠how to say it delicately⊠misfortunes in that regard.â He was clearly referring to Benjyâs half-blood status, and anger flared up inside of him at that - who was Lowell to talk about his mother and father that way? To talk about his mother as though she were a problem, a âmisfortuneâ that was passed to his father, tainting him forever? Benjy only had a few memories of his parents left, and he wasnât going to let Lowell taint them with his words and poisonous morals.
âI donât really see being a half-blood as a misfortune, Mr. Tegus,â he said, jaw squared and tense against whatever might come next. The lurking bodyguards didnât seem to think there was any problem, but Benjy was suddenly keenly aware of where his wand was located.
Lowell smiled, and Benjy could only see a snake lurking in the bush, ready to strike. âOf course, but you cannot deny that the pure lines of wizardry are dying out so quickly, and it would be a shame to lose them completely.â He paused for a moment, looking at Benjy carefully, as though evaluating what to say next with careful precision. âRegardless, your cousin is a shining example of the strength and skill of pureblood wizardry - you must feel very proud of him, knowing that heâs so quickly become such a vital part of my team.â
Proud isnât exactly the word I would have used, Benjy thought, still standing very still. âOf course, my cousin Alston-â he started, but he was quickly cut off by Lowell.
âOh, you donât know? Itâs actually Alistair that works for me, though I did offer Alston a place, he refused. Something about being tied to the work he was already doing,â said Lowell, and the sinking feeling within Benjy only grew more pronounced. Alston - the older of his cousins - was the better man of the two, so if Alistair was the one working for Lowell, then Benjy was now absolutely positive that nothing good could come out of it. Alistair had been the one who would chase Benjy around the estate, firing spells and hexes, trying to catch him and beat him, teaching him a lesson for being the son of a blood traitor. Alistair was cruel for crueltyâs sake, and that scared Benjy most of all. âBut perhaps down the line he might reconsider,â Lowell continued on, as though Benjy wasnât having an internal crisis. âYour aunt, Collete, was ever so proud of Alistair - she has been unwavering support from the start.â The sinking feeling inside Benjy only continued as he thought of his aunt cosying up to Lowell, but Lowell only now smiled before glancing away. âI really must get back, but it has been a pleasure, Mr. Williams - do let me know if you ever need anything.â And with one final handshake, Lowell was gone, taking his aurors with him and leaving Benjy still clutching his undrunk cup of punch.
His brain almost refused to work as he stood rooted to the spot, but he felt a strong wave of nausea sweep over him. His entire living family was now working for Lowell - or at the very least, so deep within Lowellâs pocket that they couldnât find their way out. Benjy had always known that his aunt and his cousins werenât good people, but heâd never considered that they would actively take a side in whatever was coming - a side that was purely designed to hurt people. If he hadnât been sure, he was now, that he couldnât go back home after he graduated - if his aunt found out that he was a werewolf, he knew that sheâd turn him straight over to Lowell without hesitation. It seemed that blood was no longer thicker than water, because Benjy was now well and truly on his own.
Oh, you never know. And I mean, look at those goons, they look like they would tear you a new one just for looking at them the wrong way. But agreed. Wholeheartedly.
I heard a few second years talking about the big man, but I think that girl with the buzzed hair and blue eyes could tear you apart with a flick of her wrist, no problems. Kind of makes you relived to have the regular aurors we do, right? Speaking of, I wish they were here, it would make me feel a lot better about being trapped with these sinister-looking strangers..
But the way I see it, this might be the last function I have at Hogwarts. I just wish it wasn't for Lowell -- did I say that too loudly? Are his bodyguards coming to escort me away?
It took a moment for Meg to realise he was talking to her but the comment on tea brought a small smile to her face and she gave a single nod, âTea is definitely the best medicine, I donât see why I donât drink it more often actually.â With no hesitation she placed the paper down and stood up, stretching her arms above her head before turning to face the other. âCompany would be nice actually, drinking tea alone seems rather depressing. Plus, you seem as drained by the news of the Minister as I do, which is better than how angry other people seem to have got.â
Benjy's eyes followed the Prophet article as it was replaced on the table, frowning as he saw the headline on Lowell's election dominate the front page. "I don't really see the point in being angry, you know? Seems like a waste of energy when there's nothing we can do about it," Benjy said, moving to walk beside Meg, looking down at the smaller girl. "But drained.. yes. I guess I'm just worried that something bad will come from it and we're woefully unprepared." Benjy pulled open the portrait door and held it for Meg to walk though first. "What about you? Do you have that sinking feeling when it comes to Lowell?"
"It might just be me honestly, I donât really pick up on that sort of thing. Also it was unintentional so you werenât trying to be blatant about it." She laughs slightly, "I usually take things fairly literally but I can see how those things could be made dirty." She nods, "My dad was a muggle and my mumâs a half-blood. I grew up playing football with our gardener."Â
"Of course, of course - I don't think it would go down too well if word got out I was trying to pick up a Slytherin girl while dating Briar, you know?" Benjy laughed and shrugged. "But how come you aren't already familiar with innuendo? Surely you must get it all the time, right?" Benjy nodded in approval. "Must be a rich family if you have a gardener - big house or just posh parents?"
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