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


Since their first year, Ephraim had never once doubted that Walt had his back, this time was no different.

“Or ya can just leave now, through the door or through the window, I don’t rightly care which,” Ephraim said as he pulled his wand from the inside of his jacket. He focused on not letting his hand shake as he pointed it at his father. It had been over a year since he had seen his father last. He had vowed never to go back to the flat since the summer before his 7th year. He had charmed all the furniture to stick upside down on the ceiling with a couple of insults burned into the walls. It had been childish but his father should’ve been relieved that he hadn’t broken every bone in his body. If his father didn’t leave soon, he might reconsider that.

Burt O’Malley eyed the wand, Ephraim could almost see his father weighing the pros and cons of not doing what he was told. Upon coming to a decision, the middle aged man shrugged. Apparently, he didn’t think the threat had much merit or maybe whatever it was that Burt wanted to say outweighed the possibility of getting hexed through a window.

“Put away yer stick, boy. Ain’t allowed to use magic against my kind anyway,” he said with a smug look. Ephraim’s jaw clenched in anger and his grip went tighter around his wand so that his knuckles started turning white.

“Since when does this family follow rules?" Ephraim asked coldly as he continued to point the wand at his father. He didn’t care to go to Azkaban but damn it was tempting. After a moment, he lowered it but didn’t put it away. His father’s look of triumph made him want to punch him.

"Cor, ain't a crime to visit me dustbin," Bert drawled as he settled back into his seat. Clearly he was rather enjoying having an audience and therefore didn't look like he was going to move an inch. Ephraim was technically blocking his way out as he had yet to move from his position at the doorway but he could take a step closer. He felt like the safe haven that he and Walt had built had been somehow desecrated by the mere presence of his father.

"Right, boy? Yer dad probably pops by a lot, don 'e?” the older man asked. Ephraim’s scowl deepened at the fact that he was trying to draw Walt into his conversation. The last meeting with Walt and Blain hadn’t gone well and his dad had just stupidly mucked his way into that mess. Bad luck must be dogging both former Ravenclaw’s heels. First Blain and his bad news and now Burt with his...well, whatever he had to say.

“Oi, ya got another son. Visit ‘im,” Ephraim stated crossly trying to get his dad’s attention away from the taboo topic and from Walt.

“Yer brover ain’t been seen round lately,” his father stated in a matter of fact kind of way. That caught his attention.

“Why? Is ‘e in jail again?” Ephraim asked with a frown. Granted, it had been a time since he saw his older brother but Elias tended to come and go when he pleased without giving any warning one way or the other. His dad just shrugged and his youngest son let let a small sigh of frustration. Merlin, only in his family would a conversation about one’s brother being arrested be considered normal.

“Oi, stop with the shit. You’re wasting my time. Say what you ‘ave to and get the ‘ell outta our flat.”