“China, you think the Ministry is behind this?”

Walt was focusing on moving through the snow, and nearly missed what Ephraim was saying.  The whole mess was slick and going dirty gray, and if the sun was melting the sludge away it was also making it more difficult to see.  Walt squinted a bit and rubbed his nose, which had gone a bit red, as if he'd been out on a beach instead of on a walk to the market.

"You date one of em?"  He asked, "Maybe they're trying to freeze us out."    He shifted his half of the groceries a bit and tried to steady the hat on his head.  "Nah, though.  I don't see how it could be."  He'd heard of the Ministry Wizards being dispatched to clear up a misplaced magical thunder shower, but nothing that could cover more than a few rooms, let alone all of the UK.

“Elias must be ‘ere,”

Mentally Walt acknowledged this observation, and had just realized he hadn't spoken outloud when they were stomping their way into the flat, and it was not Elias O'Malley who met them there.

“About time ya got ‘ome,”

Walt had only met Mr. O'Malley a handful of times, and he couldn't say he'd been anxious to remedy that fact.    He put the grocery bags over by the sink and eyed thier unwelcome visitor wawrily, as if they'd come home and found a wild animal closed in the apartment rather than a mortal man.   His eyes slid toward his own "bedroom" where his wand sat by his bedside table, not especially useful.


“Get out,”
 “Is that anyway to speak to yer old man?”

Walt almost told the older man he wasn't his old man, so he could go ahead and get out.  He also considered making tea, because wasn't that what you were supposed to do when you were faced with unexpected company? 

"If there was something you wanted Mr. O'Malley, maybe you should say it and get out."

He nudged to egg crate on the floor with his shoe.