InsaneJournal

Eloise Malkin still prided herself on being the first into work among Diagon's proprietors and the last to leave each night. She valued hard work and kindness. She didn't subscribe to the capitalist theory of constant expansion -- she had the same shop and square footage for over forty years and was content to earn only enough to pay the bills and build a good life for her children and grandchildren. It was late on such a night when, after locking the door, she exited her little shop, blinked up owlishly at the light misting of rain that was given teeth by the occasional sharp gust of wind, and adjusted the shawl over her head.

The curtain of light rain gave the empty streets a fuzzy, indistinct quality, blurring together the outlines of the buildings so that only the street lamps provided steady illuminating guides by which she could navigate her way. She never even noticed him until his arm had wrapped around her neck and he had pulled her sharply against him, his large hand firmly covered her mouth and nose to muffle her scream.

He was stronger and taller than her, and she found she could not do much more than weakly scrabble her wizened fingers against his vice-like arm. Her weak struggles suddenly stilled when she felt the point of a wand beneath her jaw.

His voice was familiar, soft and malevolent against her ear.

"You may not think so, here, at this very moment, Eloise, but I am saving you. I am saving you from a future of pain and fear and death. I'm saving your children and your grandchildren from the heartache of never knowing what had happened to you."

She had begun to cry in terror. Her soft, high breaths heaved against the inside of his palm as she shuddered within his grip.

"The Death Eaters want to kill you, Eloise. They find your existence repugnant. They would slowly flay the skin from your body and keep you alive the entire time. They'd make you watch as they tortured and brutally killed your loved ones before you. They would make you beg for death. So know that I am very serious when I tell you this: You will disappear. You will leave England immediately and never come back. Leave tonight, take only what you need, take your family, and leave no trace nor hint of where you've gone. Do you understand me? You're going to sell your shop. Do it through a third party you can trust. But you can never come back, Eloise. Not ever. Because if you do, it won't be good for you. It won't be good for your family. It'll be a very bad end, I'll guarantee it. Nod, if you understand."

And through her quaking, earnest sobs, he felt her nodding her head frantically. Satisfied, he loosened his hand from over her mouth and she could only manage to gasp out one word. "Why?"

Why. Why indeed. Why risk his life and livelihood. The wrath of those same people. His very freedom. His own family. Why.

"You made my son's school robes. They weren't in the latest fashion, but they were of excellent quality and even as fashions went in and out of style, his still do him well even today. You made mine too when I was that age. I remember what you said once. It stuck with me: quality is not determined by sight but by time. I liked that. You seem like a good woman, Eloise. I'd like for you to continue having a good life, but you can't have it here."

At this, Eloise only began to cry harder, but he was sure she fully understood her dire circumstances and would make the right choice -- the only choice, really. She was still crying when he pocked his wand and let her go, turning sharply and walking away quickly, head bowed and covered, a dark, solitary figure slipping back into the shadows once more.