For the 335 Pairing Bonanza (1/335: Aberforth&Dennis)
The boy sat at the bar, slumped forward and staring at the lingering traces of dust with hollow, defeated eyes as he gestured for another drink.
Aberforth knew that he shouldn't. The boy wasn't of age, but, with the war still painfully fresh in everyone's hearts and minds, he turned a blind for those who needed to forget.
"You sure, Dennis?" Aberforth asked, setting a glass of his lightest liquor before the young wizard.
Merlin, he was just a child. He looked as though he barely weighed more than a sack of feathers, but there he was, drinking like the most experienced of the pub's patrons.
"I lost my brother," Dennis said quietly, his speech only faintly slurred.
"So did I."
For a moment, the boy was silent. He grabbed the glass, pressing it against his lips and taking a deep swig, probably to keep from having to reply.
"You won't find your brother at the bottom of a bottle," Aberforth sighed, leaning against the bar. "I sure didn't."
Dennis set the glass down, his eyes damp. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked in brittle tones.
"Were you two close before he... before you lost him?"
"Yes."
"Then you hold on to that. You be grateful that you have happy memories to look back on and not some mess of a relationship," Aberforth said, pounding a fist against the wood for emphasis. "And you go on living in a way that would make him proud."
For a moment, Dennis stared at his nearly empty glass, a flicker of guilt washing over his features as he lifted his gaze to Aberforh at last. "How do you do that?"
"One day at a time."