Replay-HP and Co.-Starlight, Starbright: Recollections : The Mini-Malfoy Incident (3) [Episode 135232]

The boy had worked for him, on and off, even before he'd gone off to Hogwarts---the first in his family, such as it was, in living memory---and should know better then to just dwift off like this.

Even if he wasn't one of those who bore his Mark, and was not likely to ever be one of those who did...

"Pssst. Mr Bannerly. ...Mr Bannerly?"

Come on, boy.

"---Oh. Whaah---Mr Riddle!"

How the boy survived Hogwarts with those reflexs was an arcane mystery to him. Never mind growing up in what was not, to put it mildly, the best place in town.

"Alex...Look at the dust in this place. Not to mention the dirt. Not even Muggle shops go for dust and dirt and grime anymore, I've told you this before..."

"I'm sorry sir, sorry sorry sorry! It's just, the customors are asking for you sir, and m'mum got sick again, and Granny Rosie hasn't been too good either, and---"

Rosemary.

Oh.

"She's alright now, sir---managed to get Healer Hirshel to come. Made sure he was sober, too..."

What had the poor boy had to do, bring the good Healer struggling and complaining from the local watering hole and at wandpoint and force Sober-Me-Up's and Pepper-Up Potion down his throat?

Probably. ---It wasn't like the boy had no sense or initiative what-so-ever, after all...

Note to self : Go and butter up the good Healer tomorrow. It was good policy not to get on the bad side of the only Healer worth his or her name within walking distance of his official place of residence, such as it was, after all...

"I see, Alexius. ...How is your mother, by the way?"

He just hoped it wasn't muggle drugs again. Those things were damned hard to deal with, sometimes...

"Just her migranes again. I gave her the usual stuff. ---That's what I'm supposed to do, right, sir?"

"Yes, Alex."

He ought go see her sooner rather then later, anyhow, he decided. He really didn't want to come home to an empty and ransacked shoppe one day because his clerk's mother had given up the ghost at a inconvienient time, after all.

But first...first things first.

"---Oh! I---Granny Rosie said she wanted to see you soonest whenever you came back, sir! She's planning on starting the annal Twist-The-Schoolership-Fund's-Arms-To-Prezels campaign early this year, cause of all the stuff going on and all. She wants you to come, too, sir?"

Ah. Yes.

More slum-kids in My Illustrious Alluni, eh?

Lucius would hate it. As would a fair amount of his dear devoted followers. ---Ahh, they'd cope.

It wasn't like the bulk of the those children would end up in Slytherin, after all...

"---You may close up for the night, Alex. As long as you clean up first. ---I will talk to Rosemay directly."

Up, up, up the narrow creaking stairs, off to see his landlady---

Well, she was, of course. Even if it was him who had enabled her to get ownership of the building in the first place.

---She looked like an witch in her 120's, instead of---she couldn't be more then in her eighties, could she?

He remembered her when her hair had been golden and her eyes had been cornflower blue instead of milky white.

With her twin daughters at her side.

"---Oh, Tom? ...Tommy? My, my, Tommy..."

Soft hand touch his face, and her eyes are unfocused and wondering.

"---I never thought I'd see you again, Tommy..."

She is getting old.