By the time Alex had ducked his grandfather, Mona had disappeared into a crowd of Weasley, and it took him a few minutes to find her. And by the time he had, he'd had time to think about Aunt Audrey and what she'd said. He'd bumped Uncle Percy, sure. But he'd apologised, and he'd thought it was okay. Percy had offered suggestions of books.
But then she had to say something about his hair. His looks. And then he'd joined in. Didn't he have a mind of his own? And international treatises, honestly.
And since when were the only options for a career the stupid Ministry, or a Brothel in Knockturn Alley? There were other ways to make a contribution, to do something meaningful...
He turned a corner and spotted Mona, talking with Lily Luna, and approached, grabbing her hand. "Sorry, Lils," he said, glancing back over his shoulder, then leaned in toward Mona.
"You need to come talk to me for a minute," he said in a low voice, then gave Lily an apologetic smile. "Please."